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SNL Classic: Re-Airings, Past Casts, Past Sketches, Past Hosts, the Past

vb68

By vb68
in Saturday Night Live

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vb68
vb68

NASCAR airs tonight in primetime instead of a classic episode.  I would hope they scrap the scheduled repeat in the regular show slot and air the full Chadwick Boseman episode.  That would be the righ

saber5055
saber5055

That was a blast from the past. I photographed a Ray Charles concert some years ago (before he died, heh) for a magazine I worked for. I sat on the stage steps, just a few feet from him. (He was the f

Pete Martell
Pete Martell

Jan Hooks would have been 63 yesterday. Robert Smigel, longtime writer and occasional onscreen player, wrote a lovely series of tweets about her, and also managed to get a Jan sketch he thought highly

Juneau Gal

Juneau Gal

Hmmm, watching the Ebersol years now. Just awful. Eddie Murphy really kept the show alive.

They were just awful, weren't they?! Take out Eddie's performances and trash the rest; they never need to be seen again. I watched an episode last night from the early 80's era and the Weekend Update, or whatever it was called then, went on for 15 minutes and NONE of it was funny. I experienced second hand embarrassment watching.

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M. Darcy

M. Darcy

This Saturday a double header:  

 

10 pm - Skits from "Saturday Night Live" with a Valentine's Day theme are presented and 11:30 pm - The October 1975 premiere, with host George Carlin, Andy Kaufman, and music guests Janis Ian and Billy Preston. Included: Killer Bees maternity ward; Kaufman sings "Mighty Mouse." Music includes "At Seventeen" and "Nothing from Nothing."

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Inquisitionist

Inquisitionist

Wikipedia has a pretty nice run-down of the first season here.  I did not know this:

 

The show was intended to have just six episodes. The original concept was for a comedy-variety show featuring young comedians, live musical performances, short films by Albert Brooks, and segments by Jim Henson featuring atypically adult and abstract characters from the Muppets world. Rather than have one permanent host, Michaels elected to have a different guest host each week (Albert Brooks was originally booked to be a permanent host, and claims it was his idea to have a different host each week).

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Prairie Fire

Prairie Fire

The VH1 Classic marathon has been fun, especially the 2000-04 stretch. All the Jimmy & Tina we can handle, plus the post-9/11 episodes, which were quite well done, considering the circumstances.

 

I can't be the only one who remembers the first moments of the 2001 season opener - Giuliani, Lorne, Paul Simon, and a nervous but earnest Reese Witherspoon.

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Juneau Gal

Juneau Gal

So.... Watching an episode with Buck Henry hosting. This Uncle Roy skit. Hol. Eee. Shit. It just kept going and going and going.

s

Yeah, they were all fired, it was the last show, and I think they didn't give a shit anymore about censors and just went for it. I have been surprised about the number of what in 2015 would be considered insensitive or politically incorrect sketches they did back in the day. That's they only way to make good comedy though, by stretching the boundaries to, and sometimes past, the breaking point.

When Buck Henry and Don Pardo said goodbye at the end of that episode and they turned out the on air light, I teared up. Even fully knowing in present time that the show did go on, it was truly the end of an era.

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WendyCR72

WendyCR72

I just saw on TV Guide Online that Saturday's SNL show (in the usual slot) will be the premiere episode from October 1975. Very cool. (Even if I was only 3 then.) I think the original cast (seen by me in reruns) and the Hartman/Carvey/Myers/Hooks era in the mid 80s were the best times for this show.

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DXD526

DXD526

This Uncle Roy skit. Hol. Eee. Shit. It just kept going and going and going.

 

I'd like to see an Uncle Roy skit all these years later. I have to admit, I found them hilarious back in the day. I'd be interested to see how they hold up. Unfortunately, I don't get VH1 Classic, so have missed this marathon everyone I know is talking about.

 

For you kids who have never seen the entire first episode, definitely tune in tomorrow, but don't expect much. It's not very good, but is worth seeing as a curio. A lot of music in it, IIRC, not as much comedy as there is now. It's interesting to see how the whole style has evolved. 

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cpcathy

cpcathy

I'm noticing some pretty lousy episodes in the original era, though it's not surprising--I think some people build it up it their minds that everything they did was great! The Mary Kay Place episode was just poorly written and had a weird lack of energy. And, by the way, does anyone know what Charles Grodin did to get banned from the show. I caught the end of his Art Garfunkel bit, and I thought he was very funny.

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Juneau Gal

Juneau Gal

For you kids who have never seen the entire first episode, definitely tune in tomorrow, but don't expect much. It's not very good, but is worth seeing as a curio. A lot of music in it, IIRC, not as much comedy as there is now. It's interesting to see how the whole style has evolved.

It is hard sitting here in 2015 to fully appreciate the first few seasons IF you did not experience them at the time. So very much has changed and evolved in TV entertainment since 1975. At the time, SNL was a sea change in content, ideas, and presentation. I cannot stress enough how different and new it was. Yep, even back then some of the sketches bombed, but we didn't care because we were seeing people of our generation talking about and spoofing what we were experiencing, what was happening politically, societally. And LIVE! Plus we got to see performers like The Rolling Stones put on freaking mini-concerts....on our TVs. It wasn't perfect then and some hasn't aged well, but man oh man at the time it changed so much. They were reinventing the genre, so I cut them a lot of slack......unlike the dreck happening on the show 2015.

Anyway, now that I feel like an old fart - which I have to admit are feelings watching this marathon has caused - I'll grab my hurry-cane and shuffle off to the home now.

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VCRTracking

VCRTracking

(edited)

The best way to put it in context is to find clips what most comedy variety shows were like in the 1970s, and there were a LOT of them. Not just the good ones like the Carol Burnett Show but stuff like the Captain and Tanille Show. You can get heart disease from all that cheese and corn:

 

Edited by VCRTracking
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jjj

jjj

(edited)

And remember how many channels we had in 1975 (around ten for most of us!) and how little was on television in the evenings on weekends. 

 

I got my first television set (hand-me-down, weighed 50 pounds easily), dragged it to my dorm room in the cold after Christmas break, and the very first show I saw on my first very own television was the Elliott Gould SNL episode.  I hate to tell you that I thought Gilda Radner really was dealing with being rejected by him, as she popped onto the stage periodically to try to be near him; I had no idea what this show was.   Just looked it up, and it was Jan. 10, 1976.  Never missed a show the rest of the year. 

 

Also, for those of you who never saw the first season -- even Jane Curtin, who had not seen that season after it aired, when she sat down with her daughter to watch it on DVD when it was released, said she (Jane)  was so surprised to see how amateur it looked now. 

Edited by jjj
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ebk57

ebk57

(edited)

I am thoroughly enjoying the Steve Martin episodes that VH1 Classic is airing tonight!  The one that just started opened with The Blues Brothers singing Hey Bartender...and Paul Shaffer saying "Live From New York..."  ETA: this is the one with Dancing in the Dark.  I teared up a little bit.

 

Really loved the one with The Kinks.as the musical guest.

Edited by ebk57
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ebk57

ebk57

Anyone watching the very first episode on NBC? Funny how it wasn't even called Saturday Night Live. It was called NBC Saturday Night.

 

I'm watching!  I've heard the George Carlin baseball/football routing so many times, I could almost recite it with him.  And I mean that in a good way.

 

I think there was another show on another network at that time called Saturday Night Live, so they couldn't call it that until the other show was cancelled.

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jjj

jjj

(edited)

Anyone watching the very first episode on NBC? Funny how it wasn't even called Saturday Night Live. It was called NBC Saturday Night.

That's because because Saturday Night Live was in use by "Saturday Night Live with Howard Cosell", until 1977.  Until this came along, it was Johnny Carson reruns on Saturday night.  And nine other channels, several of which were playing the national anthem by 11:30.  Stations used to go the sleep for the night. 

Edited by jjj
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WendyCR72

WendyCR72

That's because because Saturday Night Live was in use by "Saturday Night Live with Howard Cosell", until 1977.  Until this came along, it was Johnny Carson reruns on Saturday night.  And nine other channels, several of which were playing the national anthem by 11:30.  Stations used to go the sleep for the night. 

 

Interesting! (And I mean that.) I never knew any of that. Although, as I said above, I was 3 when this aired, so I likely wasn't aware of much. :-)   I have seen pieces of this since, likely on Nick At Night in the '80s, but a lot I don't recall.

 

As an aside, in this first episode, the skits seem VERY short. Probably trying to see what worked.

 

And thanks to @ebk57, as well as @jjj, for the title explanation!

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prican58

prican58

(edited)

Funny how Billy Preston's number came on in the first 15 minutes,

 

Yes, Jane was correct re the amateurish comment. As Juneau Gal said it was unbelievable for its time. What has always impressed me about SNL, even today, is that even though many of the skits were downright awful you always appreciated the performers. You could always count on TNRFPTP's, Hartmann, Farrell, Poehler, etc to make you appreciate their unique talents. It isn't always about the skits. Often we are laughing at what the actors bring to the table. The silliness/bad material actually helps make the skit funnier than it is.

The Valentines day show tonight had that hot tub skit. Very unfunny, until of course Will Farrell's character got to be too much for Rachel Dratch and she totally broke. Her laughter and how she handled herself made me laugh so hard that I was crying.

 

The Paul Simon plug was interesting. Simon was a pretty good host, game for anything.

Edited by prican58
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WendyCR72

WendyCR72

I'm so glad the Muppets left because they're...just not funny here.

 

And they weren't even the "well-known" Muppets. Although the voice of one of them, the guy, was very familiar. I KNOW I've heard him elsewhere.

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WendyCR72

WendyCR72

Well, the one voice was definitely Jim Henson. And from what I've read, it would have been him!

 

Yeah.  :-)  Someone elsewhere also said the same voice (so, likely Henson!) did Fozzie. So I knew it was familiar!

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jjj

jjj

For anyone who was three at the time:  there really was a "killer bee" threat from equatorial countries in the mid-1970s!  Film:  "The Savage Bees" in 1976 was one of several about the bees.  And "Jaws" was brand new in 1975.  Everyone was fresh off a summer of "Don't go in the water." 

 

Waiting for the West Coast feed of the first show! 

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ebk57

ebk57

C'est moi!

 

ETA: Kind of weird watching George Carlin bitching about dying since he actually is dead now.

 

I think the whole religion theme was probably pushing the envelope for the times.  

 

 

I love all music and the comedians showing up (although I do agree with WendyCR72 that Valri wasn't all that funny).  This was kind of an old fashioned variety show mixed with some rather radical and/or surreal stuff.

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WendyCR72

WendyCR72

Since I have seen some early-years SNL repeats on VH1/Nick At Nite in the '80s, I am guessing Lorne Michaels decided the skits were the so-called bread and butter of the show, since the Muppets/other odd skits seemed to fade away.

 

Good thing, too, IMO.

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jjj

jjj

Well, now having seen the full first episode...hate to say it, but I found it very sluggish...and dull in many places. But it was a first episode, so...

That's all right -- Jane Curtin had the same reaction when the DVDs came out!

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Actionmage

Actionmage

What knocks me out is that Leslie Jones really is the oldest Not Ready For Prime Time Player! George Coe, the older man in many skits, was only 46 in '75. I know him from Max Headroom and Archer ( and thought he was George Gaynes from Tootsie! *sigh* )

 

Man, did they have the razor companies, the advertising agencies and the razor-buying public pegged... what are they up to now, five blades?

 

That's what I said to the DH. I had to chuckle.

 

What I noticed more about the Trojan Home Security skit was the flats used for Belushi and Radner's home. It started with the painted fern-in-a-hanging-pot and spread out to everything that was not actually three dimensional. It was a hoot! I liked it because it's easier to re-dress sets that way and it wasn't expected to last four decades, so why spend on fancy stuff?

 

Bee Hospital was fun, too. I kept waiting to see what having a queen would get. I did like that the worker's dad still got supportive good wishes.  Just amazed at the Show Us Your Guns skit and the Update. I forgot how savage they could be about Ford! The bit where Georgia and Israel switch was funny!

 

I could've sworn I saw Richard Belzer in the jury of the courtroom skit.

 

Looking forward to tomorrow/tonight's special!

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bmoore4026

bmoore4026

(edited)

Watching Peter Boyle and John Belushi doing the "Dueling Brandos" routine.  Holy crap, they were good!

 

Also, since it was a Valentine's episode (God, Valentine's Day also falling on a Saturday 40 years ago - uncanny), they showed a music video of "Home" by Simon and Garfunkle that was made up of candid footage of people's affection for each other.

 

Taking time to show something from the heart.  When did SNL stop doing that?

 

And, just now, on the Raquel Welsh hosted episode, we had a first appearance of Baba Wawa.  Such history!

Edited by bmoore4026
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M. Darcy

M. Darcy

The Valentines Day special was lame except for the Steve/Gilda dance. Which is still amazing and now so sad because I still remember them showing again it the day she died and Steve's heartbreak when announcing the clip.

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Brattinella

Brattinella

We watched this show with overflowing glee!  Laughing at the smart writing, the VERY young cast members, the old sketches we knew so well.  I actually saw George Carlin in person for the first time shortly after this aired.  Billy Preston and Janis Ian were FANTASTIC.  You were right, Richard Belzer was the warm-up comedian for the show!  I loved it.

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Pj3422

Pj3422

I was a little depressed watching the original episode last night -- Michael O'Donoghue -- dead, John Belushi- dead, Don Pardo -- dead, Billy Preston --- dead, and so on. But it was worth it seeing Belzer in the jury, and the razor commercial. Also the gun commercial that was a takeoff on the "Show us your Lark" cigarette ad from that time. I was in high school when the show premiered, and I remember parties would stop at 10:30 on Saturdays, so we could all watch SNL.  

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prican58

prican58

Yes, M.Darcy, the V Day show was pretty lame but a really laughed out loud during the awful T.T. and Mario skit. Even as I write this I cannot stop laughing. It goes back to what I said about it sometimes being bout the performers. Maya and Kenan really excel at doing silly stuff like that.

 

Interesting that Carlin did not appear in any skits. I wonder if that was a stipulation of his because Paul Simon, the next host,was featured prominently when he would host. Not sure though if Simon did it on his first time.

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editorgrrl

editorgrrl

Interesting that Carlin did not appear in any skits. I wonder if that was a stipulation of his because Paul Simon, the next host, was featured prominently when he would host. Not sure though if Simon did it on his first time.

According to IMDB:

Carlin (who admitted he was "in another world" on cocaine at the time) lost his nerve and backed out of the sketches, forcing the cast to fill in for him.

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VCRTracking

VCRTracking

(edited)

Didn't expect the musical guest so early.

 

I actually thought the Muppets segment was neat, completely wrong for the show, but neat.

 

Young George Carlin looked a lot like Russell Crowe.

Edited by VCRTracking
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Galileo908

Galileo908

And they weren't even the "well-known" Muppets. Although the voice of one of them, the guy, was very familiar. I KNOW I've heard him elsewhere.

This was pre-Muppet Show and Jim Henson wanted to break out of the "Muppets are only for kids" label he found himself in, so the Gorch sketches were as grotesque and riske as possible. Unfortunately these sketches weren't very good.

 

And yes, the familiar muppet voices were all here: Henson himself was Ploobis, Jerry Nelson was Scred and Frank Oz was The Mighty Favog.

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