Old SNL 2
Wow, I had this completely written on Thursday, but I suddenly got too lazy to post.
4. Candice Bergen/Esther Phillips
Although Candice Bergen is probably best known now for Murphy Brown, at the time, she was apparently just known for acting in some movies that we no longer, collectively, remember.
The host's role was not as clearly defined then as an extra player for the repertory. Rob Reiner and Candice Bergen both did participate in sketches, but it seems like their role was more expected to be introducer of the various acts; accordingly, act introductions weren't just "Ladies and gentlemen, Salt n Pepa" (or as I once saw from a gleeful Sir Ian McKellan, "Ladies and gentlemen, you lucky people, it's Kylie Minogue!"), but had content to them, the host showing off his particular skill, such as George Carlin doing stand-up and Rob Reiner doing nothing (BURN!). Candice Bergen, apparently a notable off-screen feminist, uses her time before introducing the Albert Brooks film to have a little dialogue with Gilda about insecurities women face and the importance of Equal Rights Amendment, which had just failed, and which I originally learned about because it was resurrected (and again shot down) in the 80s and appeared in an episode of Family Ties which I watched last year.
Like all good hosts, Candice is likeable, makes the audience feel they are in good hands, and sportingly commits to goofy sketches while simultaneously lending the cast a certain measure of gravitas.
Episode Highlights:
* Bees! John Belushi's bee wearing a tie interrupts Candice's monologue, with Candice and Chevy treating him like a bee (Chevy wants to swat him, Candice wants to let him go).
* A pretty clever bit where Garrett Morris goes to the CIA demanding to see the paperwork on him, and the CIA agent claims not to be able to narrow it down until Garrett confesses--in order to identify his file--to selling illegal narcotics, crossing state lines to incite a riot, five assassination attempts, etc.
* The first appearance of the famous Land Shark is in this episode; contextually, the idea is a sequel to Jaws in which the shark has made it to land and rather than waiting for young women to prey upon in the water, it goes to their doors murmuring excuses to be let in: "Plumber. Flowers. Candygram." In the twist ending, a clever Candice Bergen, wise to the Land Shark, accidentally bludgeons a Jehovah's Witness. It is pretty goofy and fun if you pretend you have never seen it before.
* I sort of like the weird dialogue where Candice earnestly preaching to Gilda like an older sister or cool aunt ("Gilda, you mustn't fall for this hype about what is feminine.") Gilda's straw woman is pretty clearly a role, but her combination of starstruck and genuine affection for Candice comes through clearly, and they adorably hug at the end.
* A low-key sketch where a Pong board is shown while two voices discuss bringing girlfriends home for the holidays. Except for the twist joke at the end, it is very straight-up and earnest (why do I like all these earnest sketches??) I MAY just enjoy how Minnesotan Al Franken's young voice sounds.
Episode Lowlights:
* While I liked Andy Kaufman's previous bits, I have to say I'm not a fan of the character where he insists, in a tremulous vaguely Eastern European accent, that he has ruined his own performance: "No, really... could we stop the tape?" I think that is maybe MOST of what he does, though. It's nice when he plays the drums at the end though.
* Albert Brooks's film is tedious as ever, introducing unbeLIEVable new shows for NBC which were just a little too plausible to be actually funny, in particular the show which is about two women and a man who live together and the man keeps trying to introduce the idea of a threesome (isn't that just Three's Company?) It did however have one mildly amusing part, in a fake doctor show (no twist, just a couple of scenes riffing on doctor shows): "You could be dead tomorrow. You could be hit by a car on your way home." "Shows what you know, doc! I'm not even GOING home."
Final Grade: B
5. Robert Klein/ABBA/Loudon Wainwright III
Robert Klein is another stand-up, but he's pretty mediocre. Actually, very little of this episode is stand-out. There was a slightly disappointing Bee--Garrett Morris giving a history lesson about a bee in the Revolutionary War--and an okay Pong game where Al Franken believes he has done great in a history quiz, until he checks his answers with his friend. Gilda Radner introduces her recurring character, the children's book author Emily Litella who keeps talking about things being tiny, which while well-acted has no real point. I don't understand on what basis things become recurring bits. Let's see if I can dig up some real highlights.
* Voice-over keeps asking Greg Allman (Chevy Chase), "How's your love life?" as the camera slowly pans in. At first, he evades with answers about his album, but then breaks down and admits it's no good. I don't know what this is referring to but it's kind of great out of the blue.
Is that it? That wasn't even that good.
Episode Lowlights:
* Lengthy sketch about overly dramatic exterminators involves many long, stock shots of cockroaches. Who wants that??
Final Grade: D
6. Lily Tomlin
Lily Tomlin is her own musical guest, backed by the house band. When she sings St. James Infirmary Blues, the band wears nurse's outfits and is introduced as "Howard Shore and his All-Nurse Band." This is a pretty standard modern format episode, especially for a musician/actor: the host opens with a standard monologue and participates in sketches.
Episode Highlights:
* A running sketch has John Belushi as Beethoven waiting until everyone leaves the room, then bursting out with pop hits like "My Girl." Entertaining if only for John's showmanship.
* A short (but exactly the right length) sketch has Chevy Chase as a bellboy walking in on Jane and Garrett kissing in their Atlanta hotel room. Flustered, he drops the Sunday Paper he was delivering, and keeps dropping more sections while he tries to gather up the others, babbling, "Sorry, thank you, no problem at all." The excessively polite face of the character's obvious deep-down racial discomfort is very specifically and astutely pegged. I'm sorry, does it ruin it when I explain the joke?
Episode Lowlights:
* The second appearance of the Land Shark is tediously long and repetitive, and doesn't offer much if any twist on the original. Several commercials are repeats, too. I recognize that this was standard practice because reruns weren't really so much of a thing, much less permanent collection of TV shows, so if you missed a popular sketch on one episode, you might as well get a similar version of it the next week. What I don't understand is why they do that NOW.
Final Grade: C
4. Candice Bergen/Esther Phillips
Although Candice Bergen is probably best known now for Murphy Brown, at the time, she was apparently just known for acting in some movies that we no longer, collectively, remember.
The host's role was not as clearly defined then as an extra player for the repertory. Rob Reiner and Candice Bergen both did participate in sketches, but it seems like their role was more expected to be introducer of the various acts; accordingly, act introductions weren't just "Ladies and gentlemen, Salt n Pepa" (or as I once saw from a gleeful Sir Ian McKellan, "Ladies and gentlemen, you lucky people, it's Kylie Minogue!"), but had content to them, the host showing off his particular skill, such as George Carlin doing stand-up and Rob Reiner doing nothing (BURN!). Candice Bergen, apparently a notable off-screen feminist, uses her time before introducing the Albert Brooks film to have a little dialogue with Gilda about insecurities women face and the importance of Equal Rights Amendment, which had just failed, and which I originally learned about because it was resurrected (and again shot down) in the 80s and appeared in an episode of Family Ties which I watched last year.
Like all good hosts, Candice is likeable, makes the audience feel they are in good hands, and sportingly commits to goofy sketches while simultaneously lending the cast a certain measure of gravitas.
Episode Highlights:
* Bees! John Belushi's bee wearing a tie interrupts Candice's monologue, with Candice and Chevy treating him like a bee (Chevy wants to swat him, Candice wants to let him go).
* A pretty clever bit where Garrett Morris goes to the CIA demanding to see the paperwork on him, and the CIA agent claims not to be able to narrow it down until Garrett confesses--in order to identify his file--to selling illegal narcotics, crossing state lines to incite a riot, five assassination attempts, etc.
* The first appearance of the famous Land Shark is in this episode; contextually, the idea is a sequel to Jaws in which the shark has made it to land and rather than waiting for young women to prey upon in the water, it goes to their doors murmuring excuses to be let in: "Plumber. Flowers. Candygram." In the twist ending, a clever Candice Bergen, wise to the Land Shark, accidentally bludgeons a Jehovah's Witness. It is pretty goofy and fun if you pretend you have never seen it before.
* I sort of like the weird dialogue where Candice earnestly preaching to Gilda like an older sister or cool aunt ("Gilda, you mustn't fall for this hype about what is feminine.") Gilda's straw woman is pretty clearly a role, but her combination of starstruck and genuine affection for Candice comes through clearly, and they adorably hug at the end.
* A low-key sketch where a Pong board is shown while two voices discuss bringing girlfriends home for the holidays. Except for the twist joke at the end, it is very straight-up and earnest (why do I like all these earnest sketches??) I MAY just enjoy how Minnesotan Al Franken's young voice sounds.
Episode Lowlights:
* While I liked Andy Kaufman's previous bits, I have to say I'm not a fan of the character where he insists, in a tremulous vaguely Eastern European accent, that he has ruined his own performance: "No, really... could we stop the tape?" I think that is maybe MOST of what he does, though. It's nice when he plays the drums at the end though.
* Albert Brooks's film is tedious as ever, introducing unbeLIEVable new shows for NBC which were just a little too plausible to be actually funny, in particular the show which is about two women and a man who live together and the man keeps trying to introduce the idea of a threesome (isn't that just Three's Company?) It did however have one mildly amusing part, in a fake doctor show (no twist, just a couple of scenes riffing on doctor shows): "You could be dead tomorrow. You could be hit by a car on your way home." "Shows what you know, doc! I'm not even GOING home."
Final Grade: B
5. Robert Klein/ABBA/Loudon Wainwright III
Robert Klein is another stand-up, but he's pretty mediocre. Actually, very little of this episode is stand-out. There was a slightly disappointing Bee--Garrett Morris giving a history lesson about a bee in the Revolutionary War--and an okay Pong game where Al Franken believes he has done great in a history quiz, until he checks his answers with his friend. Gilda Radner introduces her recurring character, the children's book author Emily Litella who keeps talking about things being tiny, which while well-acted has no real point. I don't understand on what basis things become recurring bits. Let's see if I can dig up some real highlights.
* Voice-over keeps asking Greg Allman (Chevy Chase), "How's your love life?" as the camera slowly pans in. At first, he evades with answers about his album, but then breaks down and admits it's no good. I don't know what this is referring to but it's kind of great out of the blue.
Is that it? That wasn't even that good.
Episode Lowlights:
* Lengthy sketch about overly dramatic exterminators involves many long, stock shots of cockroaches. Who wants that??
Final Grade: D
6. Lily Tomlin
Lily Tomlin is her own musical guest, backed by the house band. When she sings St. James Infirmary Blues, the band wears nurse's outfits and is introduced as "Howard Shore and his All-Nurse Band." This is a pretty standard modern format episode, especially for a musician/actor: the host opens with a standard monologue and participates in sketches.
Episode Highlights:
* A running sketch has John Belushi as Beethoven waiting until everyone leaves the room, then bursting out with pop hits like "My Girl." Entertaining if only for John's showmanship.
* A short (but exactly the right length) sketch has Chevy Chase as a bellboy walking in on Jane and Garrett kissing in their Atlanta hotel room. Flustered, he drops the Sunday Paper he was delivering, and keeps dropping more sections while he tries to gather up the others, babbling, "Sorry, thank you, no problem at all." The excessively polite face of the character's obvious deep-down racial discomfort is very specifically and astutely pegged. I'm sorry, does it ruin it when I explain the joke?
Episode Lowlights:
* The second appearance of the Land Shark is tediously long and repetitive, and doesn't offer much if any twist on the original. Several commercials are repeats, too. I recognize that this was standard practice because reruns weren't really so much of a thing, much less permanent collection of TV shows, so if you missed a popular sketch on one episode, you might as well get a similar version of it the next week. What I don't understand is why they do that NOW.
Final Grade: C