Now we reach an episode I've been looking forward to writing up, my favorite episode of the first season, possibly my favorite of the entire first five seasons - the Richard Pryor episode.
I'm a little surprised to see that Pryor only hosted the one time. I'd always assumed he was a regular host, like Steve Martin. Perhaps he simply made too many demands - they had to agree to let Gil Scott-Heron, Pryor's ex-wife Shelley, and a blaxploitation actor by the name of Thalmus Rasalula perform before he would agree to do it. He even brought along a writer, Paul Mooney, now probably best known to viewers of The Chapelle Show for his guest spots.
It all leads to a little bit of a sense that the show has been hijacked, that things aren't operating like they normally would, but it all works. I can easily imagine someone like Lorne Michaels being uncomfortable relinquishing that much control, though, so it ends up being a one-time thing.
THE HOST
Pryor is great throughout the show. He's the first host to require a delay, for fear of what he might say, but I don't recall it ever being used. He puts his stamp all over the show, from the opening number on, and at times this almost feels like a test run for a special or series of his own.
Pryor's monologue is typical of his stand-up, which was at its peak around this time, so it's strong, funny, and memorable. It's laced with drug and alcohol references, but not so much that it wouldn't make it on air, and it all still feels pretty relevant today. Maybe not the dropping acid part so much, but it's still an easily accessible joke for audiences today.
THE GOOD
The opener establishes Pryor as the one in control, as Garrett Morris gets to do the pratfall, per Pryor's request, instead of Chevy.
The big debut for this episode if the first appearance of Belushi's samurai character (whose apparently named Futaba, something I didn't know before today). I always associate him with the Buck Henry episodes, so I was surprised to see this is the first samurai skit. The format's not set yet, so instead of getting Buck Henry or someone else dealing with Belushi, the focus is on Belushi and Pryor as a bickering samurai hotel clerk and bellhop, respectively. The skits get funnier in the future, but this is yet another great moment that makes me wonder why Belushi didn't garner more of the spotlight early on, instead of Chase.
The real highlight for me, though, is a skit involving word association between Chase and Pryor that becomes increasingly racist. It's probably one of the edgiest things they show did in the early years, and with Chase's no holds barred delivery of the "N" word, I doubt it would play today without being bleeped. It's funny, it says something, and it actually has a great punchline. It's one of the best skits they ever did, and it's actually written by Paul Mooney, not the regular staff. That's probably why we don't see anything else like this in future episodes.
The other great one is an Exorcist parody that I remember from having seen rerun countless times. It doesn't stand out for being ground-breaking, it's just a solid, funny movie parody, one of the best of their early years. It's one of Laraine Newman's best skits, and it's filled with quotable lines. I knew kids who said "Your momma eats kitty litter!" in the '80s, five years after this skit aired.
Less notable, but still strong, are a skit in which a white family gradually turns black around an oblivious father, and a series of brief bits involving police line-ups heavily aligned against Pryor as the sole black suspect.
THE BAD
Pong and the Muppets, as usual. It would be so great if these had been absent, or at the very least transformed by Pryor's presence, but they're the same thing we've been treated to every week.
Shelley Pryor's monologue. I'm not sure what the nature was of their relationship that Pryor insisted on his ex-wife (they'd been divorced since 1969) delivering a monologue, It's a poem about carousel horses, serving as a metaphor for race relations, and it's about as entertaining as that description just made it sound. She delivers it like a hippy chick who thinks she's on to something deep, or at least it seemed that way while she was stoned.
THE MEH
Pryor as an author who's written a book about pretending to be white touched on pretty predictable stereotypes about whites, and doesn't deliver anything more. The skit in which he plays a soldier who accidentally swallows a suicide pill is also not very memorable. He also has a second monologue which is good, but not as strong as his opener.
Weekend Update is brief this week, devoting much of its time to Emily Litella. It's funny, I remember liking the character when she turned up in reruns in the '80s, but I find her a little grating after seeing each appearance. This is her first appearance on Update so the joke is still fresh. It's certainly better than her previous appearance as a guest on Looks At Books.
Albert Brooks delivers an average film for him, centered around him being too sick to make an actual film.
We also get reruns of the New Dad and Spud Beer commercials.
THE MUSIC
This is the earliest episode that features a performance that made me look up the album to buy it. Heron is great, a real change of pace from previous musical guests, and his performances still feel vital. A lot of SNL musical performances haven't aged well, but this one still feels like a real treat.
GRADE: A
It's not perfect, but the highs are very high here.
RANDOM THOUGHTS:
I feel like when people have memories of early SNL being perfect, and so much better than whatever they're currently doing, it's because of their memories of condensed reruns of episodes like this. If you take the three strongest skits, and assume each week was like that, it's easy to see why someone might think that the show was flawless in those days, which it certainly wasn't.
Anyone out there know why Pryor never came back? He seems like he'd be a natural to host every season.
NEXT: Candice Bergen is back (already?) for the first SNL Christmas episode.
Tuesday, August 7, 2012
Wednesday, July 25, 2012
S1E6 Lily Tomlin
And I'm back, and with a much more memorable episode to write about than the previous one with Robert Klein. Lily Tomlin, another early regular (although, as I do a little research, she only hosted two more times - I could have sworn it was more than that) is hosting, and the result is an episode that, like the Candice Bergen one, goes a long way toward cementing the format. Will it be funnier than that episode, though?
THE HOST
The half hour syndicated reruns of SNL must have run the Lily Tomlin episodes a lot, because I could swear that when I was a kid, she turned up so often she almost felt like an honorary cast member. Like Bergen, she seems thrilled to be there. Her monologue is just okay, and her strongest contributions tend to not involve the cast, but her energy makes it work.
THE GOOD
Belushi's three short Beethoven skits are easily the most memorable of the episode. The concept doesn't wear out its welcome, as each one is funnier than the one before.
Spud Beer is one of my favorite early commercial parodies. A potato based beer, ideal for post-electro shock therapy drinking.
THE MEH
It may sound like faint praise to lump the rest of the episode in this category, but since there's nothing really bad about this week, this still makes for a stronger episode than usual.
We get Chase delivering another Ford opener, though a minor one this time.
We get another land shark parody, an early example of how good ideas can find themselves overused on the show.
There's a brief, but dated, skit about an interracial couple that looks more like it was done to make use of the sets that were already up for the shark skit.
Tomlin's two character monologues, one done as a letter to Patty Hearst and another as a teenager talking about a school dance, are enjoyable. Her Edith Ann film is fine, too, though I imagine that character isn't as well known today as it once was. I'm old enough to remember when she used to turn up on Sesame Street.
Dan Aykroyd's harassment at the hands of Tomlin and Curtin as female construction workers is good, and falls just short of being better than average.
Weelend Update is solid, still doing the Garrett Morris news for the deaf closer.
We get repeats of the Triopenin and Show Us Your Guns commercials. A diet pill commercial is new, but still feels like a leftover from the early beginnings of the series.
Albert Brooks film is a repeat from the first episode. I'm wondering if they ran out of filmed material around this time.
Even the Muppets are tolerable this week, doing a duet with Tomlin instead of another of their interminably long sketches.
THE BAD
Like I said, there's nothing bad about this episode. It may not reach great heights, but it doesn't stumble either.
THE MUSIC
No musical guest, just Tomlin singing St. James Infirmary with the house band in nurses uniforms. It's one of the more famous musical moments from the early days, probably due to it being rerun so much more. I'm guessing that the host doing a song that might even be public domain likely clears up a lot of broadcast rights issues.
GRADE: B+
I wish more of it was laugh out loud funny, but it's consistently enjoyable enough that it's always fun to watch.
RANDOM THOUGHTS:
It's funny, in my memory this had more classic skits than it actually does. Perhaps I'm confusing it with Tomlin's next episode.
I'm still amazed that Belushi didn't break out faster. Here he is again with a standout performance, but the focus still seems to be on Chase, whose Weekend Update, while enjoyable, is generally not memorable enough for me to say much about it.
NEXT: A truly classic episode - Richard Pryor.
THE HOST
The half hour syndicated reruns of SNL must have run the Lily Tomlin episodes a lot, because I could swear that when I was a kid, she turned up so often she almost felt like an honorary cast member. Like Bergen, she seems thrilled to be there. Her monologue is just okay, and her strongest contributions tend to not involve the cast, but her energy makes it work.
THE GOOD
Belushi's three short Beethoven skits are easily the most memorable of the episode. The concept doesn't wear out its welcome, as each one is funnier than the one before.
Spud Beer is one of my favorite early commercial parodies. A potato based beer, ideal for post-electro shock therapy drinking.
THE MEH
It may sound like faint praise to lump the rest of the episode in this category, but since there's nothing really bad about this week, this still makes for a stronger episode than usual.
We get Chase delivering another Ford opener, though a minor one this time.
We get another land shark parody, an early example of how good ideas can find themselves overused on the show.
There's a brief, but dated, skit about an interracial couple that looks more like it was done to make use of the sets that were already up for the shark skit.
Tomlin's two character monologues, one done as a letter to Patty Hearst and another as a teenager talking about a school dance, are enjoyable. Her Edith Ann film is fine, too, though I imagine that character isn't as well known today as it once was. I'm old enough to remember when she used to turn up on Sesame Street.
Dan Aykroyd's harassment at the hands of Tomlin and Curtin as female construction workers is good, and falls just short of being better than average.
Weelend Update is solid, still doing the Garrett Morris news for the deaf closer.
We get repeats of the Triopenin and Show Us Your Guns commercials. A diet pill commercial is new, but still feels like a leftover from the early beginnings of the series.
Albert Brooks film is a repeat from the first episode. I'm wondering if they ran out of filmed material around this time.
Even the Muppets are tolerable this week, doing a duet with Tomlin instead of another of their interminably long sketches.
THE BAD
Like I said, there's nothing bad about this episode. It may not reach great heights, but it doesn't stumble either.
THE MUSIC
No musical guest, just Tomlin singing St. James Infirmary with the house band in nurses uniforms. It's one of the more famous musical moments from the early days, probably due to it being rerun so much more. I'm guessing that the host doing a song that might even be public domain likely clears up a lot of broadcast rights issues.
GRADE: B+
I wish more of it was laugh out loud funny, but it's consistently enjoyable enough that it's always fun to watch.
RANDOM THOUGHTS:
It's funny, in my memory this had more classic skits than it actually does. Perhaps I'm confusing it with Tomlin's next episode.
I'm still amazed that Belushi didn't break out faster. Here he is again with a standout performance, but the focus still seems to be on Chase, whose Weekend Update, while enjoyable, is generally not memorable enough for me to say much about it.
NEXT: A truly classic episode - Richard Pryor.
Wednesday, July 18, 2012
S1E5 Robert Klein w/ ABBA & Loudon Wainwright III
I'll be glad when these posts catch up to my current viewing. I'm late posting this due to computer trouble, but to be honest, I was dreading writing it because I'll be damned if I can remember much about it, even after checking out the SNL Transcripts site. I remember ABBA on a boat. That's it.
THE HOST
I'm just old enough to remember Robert Klein turning up on lots of things, like SNL, late night talk shows... he even used to turn up on a Chicago radio show I listened to. I remember finding him funny back then, but seeing him now... well, he's clearly an important, talented comic, but his baby boomer humor feels pretty tame to me now. His main contributions to the show are two monologues, but unlike George Carlin, he does take part in some skits. He just doesn't do anything memorable. His monologues are fine, but very '70s, and they simply haven't aged that well.
THE GOOD
Honestly? Nothing.
THE BAD
Minute Mystery is tedious, one of those sketches that only makes you aware that you're sitting and not laughing.
We get another Pong skit from Franken and Davis.
And, of course, the Muppets.
THE MEH
Pretty much the entire episode.
The Beauty Pageant opening isn't memorable. The three commercials are retreads, two of which look to have been done before the cast was even hired. There are some inconsequential short bits involving Gregg Allman and Garrett Morris as a bee. Gilda does a short, cute bit about being a firefighter. Even Update is pretty average this week.
Belushi is featured heavily in two skits, one about Sam Peckinpah abusing an actress, and another about an exterminator afraid to kill a cockroach. They're overly long, but harmless. Klein also gets a fair amount of screen time in these.
Emily Litella makes her first non Update appearance. She's a character who wears thin pretty quick, especially when you detach her from Update, but this isn't as bad as later appearances.
THE MUSIC
ABBA lip sync their way through two songs on board a Titanic set, along with some wacky comedy. It's jarringly silly for SNL, and looks like something that would be more at home on a prime time variety show. Loudon Wainwright III actually does sing, and he seems to do a good job here. Your enjoyment will probably depend on how much you like him to begin with, and I've always been ambivalent about him.
GRADE: D
Maybe I'm forgetting something hilarious from when I watched this months ago, but I don't think so. One of the dullest episodes of the season.
RANDOM THOUGHTS:
So was Loudon Wainwright III brought on so they could have at least one truly live music act? Because the whole ABBA thing feels like it was dropped in from another show.
Minute Mystery - Seriously, just one of the most annoying skits of the first season. SNL Transcripts doesn't even have the script online. I think they even brought this back at least once.
With skits revolving around Sam Peckinpah and Gregg Allman breaking up with Cher, this is one of the more dated episodes so far. Sure Weekend Update ages badly, but these are two skits that reference things that grow increasingly less relevant in the public consciousness.
THE HOST
I'm just old enough to remember Robert Klein turning up on lots of things, like SNL, late night talk shows... he even used to turn up on a Chicago radio show I listened to. I remember finding him funny back then, but seeing him now... well, he's clearly an important, talented comic, but his baby boomer humor feels pretty tame to me now. His main contributions to the show are two monologues, but unlike George Carlin, he does take part in some skits. He just doesn't do anything memorable. His monologues are fine, but very '70s, and they simply haven't aged that well.
THE GOOD
Honestly? Nothing.
THE BAD
Minute Mystery is tedious, one of those sketches that only makes you aware that you're sitting and not laughing.
We get another Pong skit from Franken and Davis.
And, of course, the Muppets.
THE MEH
Pretty much the entire episode.
The Beauty Pageant opening isn't memorable. The three commercials are retreads, two of which look to have been done before the cast was even hired. There are some inconsequential short bits involving Gregg Allman and Garrett Morris as a bee. Gilda does a short, cute bit about being a firefighter. Even Update is pretty average this week.
Belushi is featured heavily in two skits, one about Sam Peckinpah abusing an actress, and another about an exterminator afraid to kill a cockroach. They're overly long, but harmless. Klein also gets a fair amount of screen time in these.
Emily Litella makes her first non Update appearance. She's a character who wears thin pretty quick, especially when you detach her from Update, but this isn't as bad as later appearances.
THE MUSIC
ABBA lip sync their way through two songs on board a Titanic set, along with some wacky comedy. It's jarringly silly for SNL, and looks like something that would be more at home on a prime time variety show. Loudon Wainwright III actually does sing, and he seems to do a good job here. Your enjoyment will probably depend on how much you like him to begin with, and I've always been ambivalent about him.
GRADE: D
Maybe I'm forgetting something hilarious from when I watched this months ago, but I don't think so. One of the dullest episodes of the season.
RANDOM THOUGHTS:
So was Loudon Wainwright III brought on so they could have at least one truly live music act? Because the whole ABBA thing feels like it was dropped in from another show.
Minute Mystery - Seriously, just one of the most annoying skits of the first season. SNL Transcripts doesn't even have the script online. I think they even brought this back at least once.
With skits revolving around Sam Peckinpah and Gregg Allman breaking up with Cher, this is one of the more dated episodes so far. Sure Weekend Update ages badly, but these are two skits that reference things that grow increasingly less relevant in the public consciousness.
Thursday, June 28, 2012
S1E4 Candice Bergen w/ Esther Phillips
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.
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.
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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