That's three weeks in a row that we've been introduced to popular recurring hosts. Actually, in terms of hosts, the show's been on a roll since the Lily Tomlin episode. This week, we get Buck Henry. While not a household name (even then, more so now), he would go onto host numerous times with the original cast. I know it's unlikely, but I'd love to see him come back and host today. So, let's see how he does on his first hosting attempt.
THE HOST
After a good monologue in which he acknowledges how unlikely he is to be hosting the show, Henry settles in well with the cast, appearing in most of the skits, and even turning up during Weekend Update. He also finds a permanent role as the straight man to Belushi's samurai, providing the final element this concept needed. He's a perfect example of comedic chops trumping celebrity to turn out a decent episode of SNL.
THE GOOD
Samurai delicatessen is the obvious highlight here. If you watched reruns of SNL in the '80s and '90s, you no doubt saw this skit numerous times. It sets the template for all future samurai skits.
There's a Citizen Kane II skit that pretty much nails the style of that film, down to mimicking the end credits.
Michael O'Donoghue does an impression of Mike Douglas being stabbed in the eyes with needles, that's so weird for its time that I have to admire it.
THE BAD
The Muppets, as usual.
Most of the commercials feel tired, also. We get a rerun of the Wrigley's commercial, and of the triple blade razor commercial.
THE MEH
Like the Lily Tomlin episode of a few weeks ago, this episode fares well not so much because it has so many great skits, but because it has so few clunkers.
On the political front, there's an interview with a woman claiming to have had an affair with President Kennedy, and one involving secret service agents stumbling and falling along with President Ford in order to make him seem less clumsy.
Three new commercial parodies involving the cast fare better than the reruns: one for a school that promises you to learn speed reading, but not necessarily the ability to read well; one about a giant-sized deodorizer for a room; and an anti-drug ad featuring Chevy Chase being too stupid to properly roll a joint.
An auto mechanic telling bedtime stories revolving around car repair and one involving around a series of jokes about Buck Henry's character suffering from constipation round out the skits.
Gary Weis' films haven't quite reached the point where they become too annoying yet, so even that isn't too bad this week.
THE MUSIC
Obviously, the big news here is the unveiling of the Blues Brothers. though this week they're used more to drag out the killer bee gag.
Bill Withers sings "Ain't No Sunshine", and does as well as you'd expect him to.
Toni Basil does a song that I'm pretty sure was never a hit. Why is she here, exactly? They couldn't just have Bill Withers do two songs?
GRADE: B
It's a solid, if not spectacular, episode, but the show seems to finding a steady groove, with each week delivering a solid chunk of entertainment.
RANDOM THOUGHTS
I'm a little curious as to how Buck Henry actually did end up hosting. Anyone out there know? As a kid, I'd always assumed he was someone famous before my time, only to learn later that he was almost always a behind the scenes figure.
I'm amazed at just how much effort they put into that Citizen Kane skit. It's weird to think that for that generation, Citizen Kane was probably something that ran on television often enough that doing something as simple as replicating the closing credits would get a laugh.
NEXT: Peter Cook & Dudley Moore - one of them's on his way to becoming famous... the other, not so much. Neil Sedaka will be around, as well.
Monday, September 24, 2012
Tuesday, August 14, 2012
S1E9 Elliott Gould w/ Anne Murray
At a glance, this may seem like an uncool episode of SNL. Today, Elliot Gould is probably best known as Ross and Rachel's father on "Friends", or as one of the less interesting criminals in the Ocean's 11 films. But during the '70s, he epitomized the quirky male leading man so popular in that era. For every Robert Redford or Burt Reynolds, there was also a Donald Sutherland or Dustin Hoffman. Not as cool as Deniro or Pacino, but still somewhere above old school Hollywood.
Anne Murray, however, was never cool.
THE HOST
Gould was popular, and would go on to host every year until being saddled with hosting duties on the first episode featuring the all new 1980 cast. He never returned. A connection? Who knows.
He's fine in this episode, solid in the skits, though most of his appearance centers on him having spent the night before with Gilda Radner, culminating in an on-air marriage during the ending credits. It's an early example of a recurring plot thread that runs through the episode, something fairly rare these days.
His monologue consists of him singing old standards. It's odd, and seeing him enter to thunderous applause feels strange even though I know he was huge back then. I guess I just didn't realize how popular he was.
He's solid, seems game for anything (he even seems a little high), so it's easy to see why they invited back so often.
THE GOOD
Finally, a strong Killer Bees skit. Portraying them as violent terrorists is a logical place to go with the joke, and Gould does a good job as the leader. The skit cops out on a punchline by intentionally falling apart, but it does result in the first on-air appearance of Lorne Michaels.
The Godfather therapy session is an early favorite of mine. Laraine Newman gets to show off her Valley Girl character (which feels pretty dated and less funny now), but more importantly, Belushi takes the spotlight with a great Brando impersonation. I think sometimes I sound a little biased toward Belushi in these reviews. I'm actually not a huge fan of his, it's just that in these early episodes, in which Chase is the breakout star, it surprises me to see Belushi give so many stand-out performances and yet not quite break out yet. Chase is excellent in his short stint on the show, but he's hardly the only strong performer in the first season.
Weekend Update makes good use of the Chevy Chase/Michael O'Donoghue Jamitol commercial that's been shown before, having O'Donoghue turn up on set as Chase's "wife".
We get a new commercial, Shimmer, the floor wax that's also a whipped topping. In my memory, Aykroyd was the pitchman for this. I was surprised to see it was actually Chase, with Aykroyd in the less showy role of the dad. Still a classic early commercial parody.
Albert Brooks delivers one of my favorites of his films, in which he test markets himself to see if he's funny or not.
I even like the Gary Weis film a lot, a montage of different people singing "Misty". It's arty but entertaining in a way that sadly many of his later contributions aren't. This was rerun a lot in syndication, also, so it's always stuck with me.
THE BAD
The Muppets. And, I guess that's it, so all in all, a strong episode.
THE MEH
The Gilda/Gould marriage skits are okay, but nothing hilarious. It's a cute thread, but I'm not sure it does much beyond fill time.
The opener, featuring a dead string quartet keeling over and, as a result, playing notes, is just okay. I guess they wanted to try something different. It feels like something out of the Ernie Kovacs Show.
It probably has its fans, but Interior Demolitionists is just average for me, as is the skit involving obstetricians.
Franken and Davis are a little more successful doing a comedy act than they are with their Pong skits.
And we get a rerun of the pacemaker battery commercial. The farther we get along, the more out of place these early commercials, featuring none of the cast, seem.
THE MUSIC
It's Anne Murray. Doing two songs I'm not familiar with. She feels out of place, as if she was supposed to be on a prime time variety show and walked through the wrong door.
GRADE:B+
Higher than I expected to give when I started this post, but it really is a strong episode.
RANDOM THOUGHTS
Between Gould and Murray, and the "Misty" film, this episode feels even more '70s than usual.
Gould seems so cocky when he takes the stage. It's like he instantly thinks he's the coolest guy in the room.
NEXT: Another first, Buck Henry, joined by Bill Withers, Toni Basil, and some act called The Blues Brothers.
Anne Murray, however, was never cool.
THE HOST
Gould was popular, and would go on to host every year until being saddled with hosting duties on the first episode featuring the all new 1980 cast. He never returned. A connection? Who knows.
He's fine in this episode, solid in the skits, though most of his appearance centers on him having spent the night before with Gilda Radner, culminating in an on-air marriage during the ending credits. It's an early example of a recurring plot thread that runs through the episode, something fairly rare these days.
His monologue consists of him singing old standards. It's odd, and seeing him enter to thunderous applause feels strange even though I know he was huge back then. I guess I just didn't realize how popular he was.
He's solid, seems game for anything (he even seems a little high), so it's easy to see why they invited back so often.
THE GOOD
Finally, a strong Killer Bees skit. Portraying them as violent terrorists is a logical place to go with the joke, and Gould does a good job as the leader. The skit cops out on a punchline by intentionally falling apart, but it does result in the first on-air appearance of Lorne Michaels.
The Godfather therapy session is an early favorite of mine. Laraine Newman gets to show off her Valley Girl character (which feels pretty dated and less funny now), but more importantly, Belushi takes the spotlight with a great Brando impersonation. I think sometimes I sound a little biased toward Belushi in these reviews. I'm actually not a huge fan of his, it's just that in these early episodes, in which Chase is the breakout star, it surprises me to see Belushi give so many stand-out performances and yet not quite break out yet. Chase is excellent in his short stint on the show, but he's hardly the only strong performer in the first season.
Weekend Update makes good use of the Chevy Chase/Michael O'Donoghue Jamitol commercial that's been shown before, having O'Donoghue turn up on set as Chase's "wife".
We get a new commercial, Shimmer, the floor wax that's also a whipped topping. In my memory, Aykroyd was the pitchman for this. I was surprised to see it was actually Chase, with Aykroyd in the less showy role of the dad. Still a classic early commercial parody.
Albert Brooks delivers one of my favorites of his films, in which he test markets himself to see if he's funny or not.
I even like the Gary Weis film a lot, a montage of different people singing "Misty". It's arty but entertaining in a way that sadly many of his later contributions aren't. This was rerun a lot in syndication, also, so it's always stuck with me.
THE BAD
The Muppets. And, I guess that's it, so all in all, a strong episode.
THE MEH
The Gilda/Gould marriage skits are okay, but nothing hilarious. It's a cute thread, but I'm not sure it does much beyond fill time.
The opener, featuring a dead string quartet keeling over and, as a result, playing notes, is just okay. I guess they wanted to try something different. It feels like something out of the Ernie Kovacs Show.
It probably has its fans, but Interior Demolitionists is just average for me, as is the skit involving obstetricians.
Franken and Davis are a little more successful doing a comedy act than they are with their Pong skits.
And we get a rerun of the pacemaker battery commercial. The farther we get along, the more out of place these early commercials, featuring none of the cast, seem.
THE MUSIC
It's Anne Murray. Doing two songs I'm not familiar with. She feels out of place, as if she was supposed to be on a prime time variety show and walked through the wrong door.
GRADE:B+
Higher than I expected to give when I started this post, but it really is a strong episode.
RANDOM THOUGHTS
Between Gould and Murray, and the "Misty" film, this episode feels even more '70s than usual.
Gould seems so cocky when he takes the stage. It's like he instantly thinks he's the coolest guy in the room.
NEXT: Another first, Buck Henry, joined by Bill Withers, Toni Basil, and some act called The Blues Brothers.
Thursday, August 9, 2012
S1E8 Candce Bergen w/ Martha Reeves/The Stylistics
Candice Bergen, again, already? These days, with every season planned out for maximum opportunities for celebrities to promote their projects, it's odd to see hosts turn up several times a season, for no reason other than that the producers and/or cast liked them. Come to think of it, most of the hosts haven't specifically plugged much this season.
I enjoyed Bergen's previous episode, but was surprised at how few stand-out moments it contained. Perhaps this episode will better showcase her.
THE HOST
It's Candice Bergen, and, yes, she's a little stiff and comes across as a little too serious, like she usually does, but she appears to genuinely love being on SNL, and it shows. Her monologue - it's nothing but a brief bit in which she describes hosting as a Christmas gift to herself.
THE GOOD
There are a few standouts in this generally solid episode.
Mel's Char Palace, a recurring skit in the form of an ad promoting a restaurant where you select, stun, and butcher your own cow, is the real highlight. It's pure Aykroyd, right up there with similar skits, like the Bass-O-Matic.
Chevy Chase as a son calling his parents to let them know he's been arrested for murdering 26 boys is dark enough that it feels like it was written by Michael O'Donoghue.
Chevy Chase coming out as an elf to his sister, played by Bergen, is an obvious metaphor for homosexuality, but it works, largely in part to the great chemistry between him and Bergen.
Also, Chase once again opens as Gerald Ford, this time having a mishap with a Christmas tree.
THE BAD
Pong is back again.
For some reason, Bergen devotes a few minutes to introducing Margaret Kuhn of the Gray Panthers to talk about growing old. I'm sure she was an important woman, but it still feels out of place.
THE MEH
It's always a good sign when even the Muppets don't fall in the bad category. I never enjoy them, but when they break with the regular format, in this case singing a Christmas song with Bergen, they at least become tolerable.
There's a cute film featuring the Bees ice skating in Rockefeller Plaza.
More ads, that are fine, but pale next to Mel's Char Palace: we get Bergen as Princess Grace selling tarnish remover, the personal price gun to set your own prices at the grocery store (a concept that must seem alien to many people today), a selection of gifts offered by Don Pardo.
Belushi and Radner have a nice silent skit involving a laundromat. Radner also does a monologue detailing what she ate.
Laraine Newman gets her own skit playing a German? Swedish? cook messing up her ingredients.
Even Minute Mystery with Mike Mendoza is palatable this week, thanks to Bergen being involved.
We also get the first film by Gary Weis, a montage of people greeting one another at an airport set to the song "Homeward Bound". It's okay, suitable for the season, if a little sappy. Weis will be back to bore us later this season and all through the second. We'll also be seeing more home movies, as Chase and Bergen ask viewers at home to mail theirs in. I guess they needed something to fill up that airtime.
THE MUSIC
We get Martha Reeves (well into the twilight of her career) and The Stylistics (at the beginning of their twilight). Both are fine.
We also get the cast singing Christmas songs. It's more earnest and cheesier than we'd see today, but I guess it fits the times.
GRADE: B
Bergen's fun is infectious, even though so far her episodes haven't matched her enthusiasm. Still, this feels like a moment when the cast is beginning to realize they're turning into a big deal. They seem happy, relaxed, and it feels like they're all still getting along for the most part.
RANDOM THOUGHTS
Boy, can Candice Bergen take things seriously for being on a comedy show. There's the Margaret Kuhn moment, but her "Merry Christmas" at the end of the "Homeward Bound" short feels heavy for a variety show.
I'm a little surprised they're still booking less prominent musical acts at this point. Nothing against Martha Reeves - I love her work with the Vandellas - but what was she doing in 1975 to warrant national TV exposure? Unless Bergen requested her, which is possible.
NEXT: Another popular host, Elliott Gould.
I enjoyed Bergen's previous episode, but was surprised at how few stand-out moments it contained. Perhaps this episode will better showcase her.
THE HOST
It's Candice Bergen, and, yes, she's a little stiff and comes across as a little too serious, like she usually does, but she appears to genuinely love being on SNL, and it shows. Her monologue - it's nothing but a brief bit in which she describes hosting as a Christmas gift to herself.
THE GOOD
There are a few standouts in this generally solid episode.
Mel's Char Palace, a recurring skit in the form of an ad promoting a restaurant where you select, stun, and butcher your own cow, is the real highlight. It's pure Aykroyd, right up there with similar skits, like the Bass-O-Matic.
Chevy Chase as a son calling his parents to let them know he's been arrested for murdering 26 boys is dark enough that it feels like it was written by Michael O'Donoghue.
Chevy Chase coming out as an elf to his sister, played by Bergen, is an obvious metaphor for homosexuality, but it works, largely in part to the great chemistry between him and Bergen.
Also, Chase once again opens as Gerald Ford, this time having a mishap with a Christmas tree.
THE BAD
Pong is back again.
For some reason, Bergen devotes a few minutes to introducing Margaret Kuhn of the Gray Panthers to talk about growing old. I'm sure she was an important woman, but it still feels out of place.
THE MEH
It's always a good sign when even the Muppets don't fall in the bad category. I never enjoy them, but when they break with the regular format, in this case singing a Christmas song with Bergen, they at least become tolerable.
There's a cute film featuring the Bees ice skating in Rockefeller Plaza.
More ads, that are fine, but pale next to Mel's Char Palace: we get Bergen as Princess Grace selling tarnish remover, the personal price gun to set your own prices at the grocery store (a concept that must seem alien to many people today), a selection of gifts offered by Don Pardo.
Belushi and Radner have a nice silent skit involving a laundromat. Radner also does a monologue detailing what she ate.
Laraine Newman gets her own skit playing a German? Swedish? cook messing up her ingredients.
Even Minute Mystery with Mike Mendoza is palatable this week, thanks to Bergen being involved.
We also get the first film by Gary Weis, a montage of people greeting one another at an airport set to the song "Homeward Bound". It's okay, suitable for the season, if a little sappy. Weis will be back to bore us later this season and all through the second. We'll also be seeing more home movies, as Chase and Bergen ask viewers at home to mail theirs in. I guess they needed something to fill up that airtime.
THE MUSIC
We get Martha Reeves (well into the twilight of her career) and The Stylistics (at the beginning of their twilight). Both are fine.
We also get the cast singing Christmas songs. It's more earnest and cheesier than we'd see today, but I guess it fits the times.
GRADE: B
Bergen's fun is infectious, even though so far her episodes haven't matched her enthusiasm. Still, this feels like a moment when the cast is beginning to realize they're turning into a big deal. They seem happy, relaxed, and it feels like they're all still getting along for the most part.
RANDOM THOUGHTS
Boy, can Candice Bergen take things seriously for being on a comedy show. There's the Margaret Kuhn moment, but her "Merry Christmas" at the end of the "Homeward Bound" short feels heavy for a variety show.
I'm a little surprised they're still booking less prominent musical acts at this point. Nothing against Martha Reeves - I love her work with the Vandellas - but what was she doing in 1975 to warrant national TV exposure? Unless Bergen requested her, which is possible.
NEXT: Another popular host, Elliott Gould.
Tuesday, August 7, 2012
S1E7 Richard Pryor w/ Gil Scott-Heron
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.
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.
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.
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