Something of a historic moment here, as Bergen turned out to be a popular host, and came back multiple times in the first two seasons (and a couple times more in the '80s). If you grew up, like I did, thinking of her as "Murphy Brown", you may wonder if she can be loose enough to handle the more free-spirited comedy of early SNL. So, how does she do?
THE HOST
Bergen does fine, as professional as you'd expect, and although a little stiff, for the most part, it gives the case something to bounce off of. I always felt she had strong chemistry with Chevy Chase, though that pops up more in her next appearance. She delivers an opening monologue that for once makes good use of the Bees, with Chase trying to swat Belushi in full bee costume as he stands behind Bergen.
THE GOOD
Chase unveils his Gerald Ford impersonation. It's one of the highlights of the first season, and yet another reason why he broke out from the rest of the cast as a stand-out.
There's a great Jaws parody, introducing the Land Shark. I think this is the first film parody we've seen so far.
Weekend Update features Garrett Morris once again, and Jane Curtin also turns up to be mocked by Chase as she recites an editorial.
Not sure why, but Candice Bergen's Chanel commercial is one of the earliest bits I remember. They must have rerun it a lot, and I still find it amusing.
Bergen and Radner have a cute segment in which Radner discusses her insecurities working alongside someone as beautiful as Bergen. It's a little uncomfortable to watch if you're aware that Radner was genuinely struggling with an eating disorder at the time, and Bergen gets a little overly serious and political (something she has a tendency to do more in later shows, as well) but it's a nice moment and a change of pace from many of the bland skits that clutter this episode.
Transamerican Airlines - I could just as easily put thin in Meh, or even Bad - Michael O'Donoghue, while a talented writer, sometimes gets more dark than clever for me, especially when he performs. But, it's brief and funny, so I'll place it here.
The highlight for me, though, is Albert Brooks' film, a fake promo reel for NBC's new season. They're all good, but "Black Vet" cracks me up every time, especially the randomness of that clip featuring the lead angrily warning a young boy to "Stay away from the sheep!"
THE BAD
The Muppets, as always.
We also get the first "Pong" skit from Franken and Davis. I never cared for these, and they've always felt like nothing more than time fillers to me.
THE MEH
Much of this episode left me cold. None of the skits were really terrible, but there are plenty - Aykroyd as a disorganized CIA agent looking for Garrett Morris' criminal record, several talk show skits, and one involving Bergen playing pranks on a world leader as she interviews him - that aren't very memorable. Then there are the commercial parodies - the ambassador training school one that will pop up multiple times throughout the first couple seasons, a long-distance ad that involves a son dressing in his mother's clothes, and an odd one featuring Chevy Chase and his girlfriend that defiantly announces that they were able to enjoy each other without any commercial products - so, basically, an un-commercial. They're okay, but not classics.
Andy Kaufman - he does impressions this time, and plays bongo drums. It's not his most memorable appearance on the show.
THE MUSIC
It's Esther Phillips, who's done some great work (I know her from her version of "Release Me"), but here she's performing her hit, disco version of "What a Diff'rence a Day Makes" and another song I'm unfamiliar with. More a case of catching a strong artist after their peak than anything bad.
GRADE: B-
The Jaws skit and Bergen's obvious joy over being there elevate this, but if not for that, I could have easily given it a C.
RANDOM THOUGHTS
Apparently, this is the first time the cast assembles on stage with the host to say goodnight.
I've always been curious about what viewers made of Michael O'Donoghue. He just gives off a creepy vibe, and it's easy to see why he was quickly relegated to mostly behind the scenes work. He's funny, but he really doesn't blend well with the rest of the cast.
There's just something overly earnest and serious about Candice Bergen. It's a lot more evident in the next two shows she hosts, but I often find her episodes both funny and cloying. I even agree with most of her politics, but she still find awkward ways to shoehorn them in. I think sometimes she forgets she's on a comedy show, but on the other hand, it's still up in the air at this point as to what SNL is.
Thursday, June 28, 2012
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
S1E3 Rob Reiner w/ The Lockers
Well, things feel a little more normal with this one, the first episode in which the host actually does more than tell jokes or sing. It's a little surprising to see things settle into some sort of formula so quickly after the experiments of the last two weeks.
THE HOST
Rob Reiner does a decent job. He feels like he's trying a little too hard during his opening monologue, in which he portrays a cliched night club lounge comic, and he's just okay in the skits he's in (which also include his then-wife Penny Marshall), but it's nice to see someone who actually appears happy to be on the show.
THE GOOD
Chase has more good moments: a decent opening skit featuring what would soon be his standard pratfall; a skit in which he plays a doctor emphasizing the importance of pancreas health; as a spokesperson for droolers; and his Weekend Update also stands out, due to the gimmicks of kidnappers using announcer Don Pardo to announce their demands and the debut of Garrett Morris repeating the top story for the hard of hearing by simply shouting it at the top of his lungs.
Andy Kaufman delivers another great lip sync performance, though I have to admit to experiencing diminishing returns each time he returns to this well.
Albert Brooks delivers a great film involving him performing open heart surgery.
Dan Aykroyd finally gets a good showcase as a crazed square dance caller. It's not a great skit, but it plays to his strengths, and may be the first time audiences have a reason to take notice of him.
The real star of the night, though, is John Belushi. He unveils his Joe Cocker impersonation, and you can sense a star being born, cliched as that statement may be. It's easy to see why he was frustrated at seeing someone like Chase get all the attention when Belushi was capable of producing something like this. I'm surprised he didn't take off bigger after this episode, but he still retreats to the background for chunks of the next season.
And it may not be laugh out loud funny, but Gilda reciting what she ate that day gives her a chance to show just how charming she can be, something that hasn't come through yet in the skits she's done.
THE BAD
The Muppets.
Future cast member Denny Dillon and some guy named Mark Hampton do a skit involving nuns hosting a school talent show. It's about as bad as most of these guest performances are in the first season.
Weak batch of commercials this time around. A moving company that moves people, not objects; and a Wrigley's gum commercial set at a funeral. The Wrigley's commercial is missing from the version on the DVD and Netflix streaming, but reading the transcript gives me the impression it's parodying a then commercial that I have no memory of.
THE MEH
Unfortunately, game as he seems to be, Reiner's skits are pretty forgettable. An overly long fashion show skit that feels flown in from another, more staid variety show. Both this and the final skit feature Penny Marshall. That last skit involves Reiner and Marshall attempting to do a dramatic scene only to be interrupted by the Killer Bees. It runs long, causing the show to abruptly fade to black.
George Coe gets a rare spotlight on a commercial for surgery through voodoo.
Laraine Newman plays a decent Squeaky Fromme on a talk show hosted by Jane Curtin. I wonder how relevant a Squeaky Fromme impression is these days? I know I had to explain it to my fiancee, who didn't have a clue as to who she was.
MUSIC
There really isn't a musical guest for this one, but The Lockers dance team comes close enough. For those of you who thought breakdancing was born in the '80s, it may be a surprise to see something like this in 1975. It's horribly dated, but the dancing's good, and it's an interesting cultural relic. Yes, that is Fred "Rerun" Berry. You can also see Toni Basil and Adolfo Quinones, future star of Breakin' and Breakin' 2: Electric Boogaloo.
GRADE: B-
RANDOM THOUGHTS
Nice to be able point out so many moments involving individual cast members. I didn't get to say much about Curtin and Morris, but even they make impressions in this episode. It's the first time the weekly cast feels necessary.
I was thinking this was a bit of a stepdown from George Carlin and Paul Simon, but I suppose in 1975 Rob Reiner was probably at the peak of his "All In The Family" fame. And he can actually do comedy, so this may be the first host that actually makes sense, even thought he end results are a little shaky.
Was the Wrigleys' name or logo actually used in the commercial? Is that why it's not included in available versions of the episode?
THE HOST
Rob Reiner does a decent job. He feels like he's trying a little too hard during his opening monologue, in which he portrays a cliched night club lounge comic, and he's just okay in the skits he's in (which also include his then-wife Penny Marshall), but it's nice to see someone who actually appears happy to be on the show.
THE GOOD
Chase has more good moments: a decent opening skit featuring what would soon be his standard pratfall; a skit in which he plays a doctor emphasizing the importance of pancreas health; as a spokesperson for droolers; and his Weekend Update also stands out, due to the gimmicks of kidnappers using announcer Don Pardo to announce their demands and the debut of Garrett Morris repeating the top story for the hard of hearing by simply shouting it at the top of his lungs.
Andy Kaufman delivers another great lip sync performance, though I have to admit to experiencing diminishing returns each time he returns to this well.
Albert Brooks delivers a great film involving him performing open heart surgery.
Dan Aykroyd finally gets a good showcase as a crazed square dance caller. It's not a great skit, but it plays to his strengths, and may be the first time audiences have a reason to take notice of him.
The real star of the night, though, is John Belushi. He unveils his Joe Cocker impersonation, and you can sense a star being born, cliched as that statement may be. It's easy to see why he was frustrated at seeing someone like Chase get all the attention when Belushi was capable of producing something like this. I'm surprised he didn't take off bigger after this episode, but he still retreats to the background for chunks of the next season.
And it may not be laugh out loud funny, but Gilda reciting what she ate that day gives her a chance to show just how charming she can be, something that hasn't come through yet in the skits she's done.
THE BAD
The Muppets.
Future cast member Denny Dillon and some guy named Mark Hampton do a skit involving nuns hosting a school talent show. It's about as bad as most of these guest performances are in the first season.
Weak batch of commercials this time around. A moving company that moves people, not objects; and a Wrigley's gum commercial set at a funeral. The Wrigley's commercial is missing from the version on the DVD and Netflix streaming, but reading the transcript gives me the impression it's parodying a then commercial that I have no memory of.
THE MEH
Unfortunately, game as he seems to be, Reiner's skits are pretty forgettable. An overly long fashion show skit that feels flown in from another, more staid variety show. Both this and the final skit feature Penny Marshall. That last skit involves Reiner and Marshall attempting to do a dramatic scene only to be interrupted by the Killer Bees. It runs long, causing the show to abruptly fade to black.
George Coe gets a rare spotlight on a commercial for surgery through voodoo.
Laraine Newman plays a decent Squeaky Fromme on a talk show hosted by Jane Curtin. I wonder how relevant a Squeaky Fromme impression is these days? I know I had to explain it to my fiancee, who didn't have a clue as to who she was.
MUSIC
There really isn't a musical guest for this one, but The Lockers dance team comes close enough. For those of you who thought breakdancing was born in the '80s, it may be a surprise to see something like this in 1975. It's horribly dated, but the dancing's good, and it's an interesting cultural relic. Yes, that is Fred "Rerun" Berry. You can also see Toni Basil and Adolfo Quinones, future star of Breakin' and Breakin' 2: Electric Boogaloo.
GRADE: B-
RANDOM THOUGHTS
Nice to be able point out so many moments involving individual cast members. I didn't get to say much about Curtin and Morris, but even they make impressions in this episode. It's the first time the weekly cast feels necessary.
I was thinking this was a bit of a stepdown from George Carlin and Paul Simon, but I suppose in 1975 Rob Reiner was probably at the peak of his "All In The Family" fame. And he can actually do comedy, so this may be the first host that actually makes sense, even thought he end results are a little shaky.
Was the Wrigleys' name or logo actually used in the commercial? Is that why it's not included in available versions of the episode?
Refinements
Some of you may have noticed I've been making small changes to previous posts as I go along. I decided to add more categories to help organize the review better, specifically ones focusing on the host and the music. I'm also adding a random thoughts category at the end, a catch-all for those things I couldn't fit well into the body of the post, and also possible comment starters.
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
S1E2 Paul Simon w/ Randy Newman & Phoebe Snow
I'm finally back, thanks to discovering the SNL Transcripts site, which has proved to be a great resource for revisiting these episodes I watched months ago before actively starting this blog. I didn't want to write anymore reviews in which I half-remembered a skit, and I certainly wasn't going to start over watching them again.
So, armed with something to jog my memory, I'm hoping to post every day or so and catch up to where I'm at now, which is the tail end of season two.
Now the oddest of the first season episodes. If you thought George Carlin dominated the first episode without really interacting with the rest of the cast, wait till you check out this, which is essentially an hour long Paul Simon variety show.
THE HOST
Sort of the musical equivalent of what George Carlin did the previous week. He's nothing more than the host, performing and introducing musical acts, with no interaction with the cast. If you're looking for a small-scale Paul Simon concert, this is for you.
THE GOOD
Albert Brooks delivers his first (in my opinion) successful film, a collection of home movies that center on moments that scarred his life. Particularly memorable are the moments with his father trying to film his first kiss and his first attempt to lose his virginity.
THE BAD
I guess it goes without saying - "The Muppets".
THE MEH
The Tri-Hard pacemaker battery commercial is not exactly a classic commercial parody. Did they ever even rerun this one? I recall seeing it at least once more.
THE MUSIC
It's pretty much an all music episode. We get Simon, with and without Garfunkel; Garfunkel, with and without Simon; Randy Newman; Phoebe Snow; The Jesse Dixon Singers. They're all fine, not all my taste in music, but I'd imagine that in 1975 this would be an impressive line-up for a show only on its second episode.
GRADE: C - Nothing against the music, but I have a hard time rating an episode of SNL almost devoid of comedy anything higher than that.
RANDOM THOUGHTS:
Boy, they really didn't know what they wanted to do at this point yet, did they? Viewers carrying over from the previous week must have been a little confused. At this point, it's difficult to see why they even need so many regular cast members.
So, armed with something to jog my memory, I'm hoping to post every day or so and catch up to where I'm at now, which is the tail end of season two.
Now the oddest of the first season episodes. If you thought George Carlin dominated the first episode without really interacting with the rest of the cast, wait till you check out this, which is essentially an hour long Paul Simon variety show.
THE HOST
Sort of the musical equivalent of what George Carlin did the previous week. He's nothing more than the host, performing and introducing musical acts, with no interaction with the cast. If you're looking for a small-scale Paul Simon concert, this is for you.
THE GOOD
Albert Brooks delivers his first (in my opinion) successful film, a collection of home movies that center on moments that scarred his life. Particularly memorable are the moments with his father trying to film his first kiss and his first attempt to lose his virginity.
THE BAD
I guess it goes without saying - "The Muppets".
THE MEH
The Tri-Hard pacemaker battery commercial is not exactly a classic commercial parody. Did they ever even rerun this one? I recall seeing it at least once more.
THE MUSIC
It's pretty much an all music episode. We get Simon, with and without Garfunkel; Garfunkel, with and without Simon; Randy Newman; Phoebe Snow; The Jesse Dixon Singers. They're all fine, not all my taste in music, but I'd imagine that in 1975 this would be an impressive line-up for a show only on its second episode.
GRADE: C - Nothing against the music, but I have a hard time rating an episode of SNL almost devoid of comedy anything higher than that.
RANDOM THOUGHTS:
Boy, they really didn't know what they wanted to do at this point yet, did they? Viewers carrying over from the previous week must have been a little confused. At this point, it's difficult to see why they even need so many regular cast members.
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