Sketches are rated on a scale of 1-5 stars
DISCLAIMER
The Waltons Eat Their Young will not be seen tonight
— Our very first of what would go on to be a recurring gag in this era, of episodes beginning with a funny quick “(insert fake show title here) will not be seen tonight” disclaimer.
COLD OPENING
the Anyone Can Host Contest finalists meet GAM, GIR, host
— Liked Garrett’s reaction to finding out the Anyone Can Host finalist who didn’t make it to the final 5 is mulatto.
— “I’m Miskell Spillman, I’m old.” Haha, right off the bat, I can ALREADY see how she ended up winning.
— Buck mentions this is his fifth time hosting. Interesting how in the mere two-and-a-half seasons that SNL has been in existence, they already have their very first five-timer.
— Overall, a decent introduction to the finalists.
STARS: ***
MONOLOGUE
the Anyone Can Host Contest finalists give their qualifications
— The finalists accompany Buck as he’s making his monologue entrance.
— I was about to say the unemployed finalist seems like someone who would’ve been the favorite to win, since he looks like what I’ve always pictured a typical SNL fan in the 70s looked like. But OH MY GOD, that awful gobbling punchline of his turkey farm story was CRINGEWORTHY. I think he lost the contest right there at that very moment.
— Buck’s doing a great job leading this.
STARS: ***
LITTLE CHOCOLATE DONUTS
Little Chocolate Donuts made JOB’s decathlon world record possible
— Ah, yes, THIS classic.
— This perfectly captures and spoofs the feel of old Wheaties ads.
— A funny touch with John having a lit cigarette in his hand while talking to the camera.
— When I was a lot younger, I originally saw this fake ad in some kind of SNL compilation special (probably “SNL Goes Commercial” or one of the annual “Sports Extra” specials), and it was one of the very first things I ever saw John Belushi in, after hearing so much about him. Right off the bat with this commercial, I was able to see flashes of what the big deal about him was and why he’s considered an SNL legend.
— Overall, one of my favorite SNL commercials of all-time. This also joins the list of great fake ads from this season so far.
STARS: *****
SAMURAI PSYCHIATRIST
Futaba helps Mr. Dantley with parental issues
— Even though it’s supposed to be a surprise reveal who Buck’s speaking to at the beginning, I can already tell from the little portion of him that we can see that it’s Futaba.
— I was about to ask “Didn’t we just see a Samurai sketch two episodes ago when Grodin hosted?”, but I had forgotten that it’s a tradition to do this sketch whenever Buck hosts. Plus, the Grodin version was a truncated sketch that got “ruined” by Grodin breaking the fourth wall, so I guess it’s okay that they’re doing a full, normal version this early.
— Very funny part with Futaba’s demonstration of “the castration complex”.
— Futaba not being stopped from committing hara-kari for once is an interesting change of pace.
— Whoa, whoa, whoa…. Futaba actually DIED! I’m shocked. So they’re retiring the character for good?
— Don Pardo: “This has been the last episode of Samurai Psychiatrist.” Well, that proves it. I have to wonder, did they go on to keep their word and refrain from bringing this character back? Knowing how somewhat-heavily this era tended to lean on certain popular recurring characters, I’m gonna guess “no”.
— In fact, come to think of it, I know for sure they continued doing this character, because I recall hearing about a famous “Samurai Night Fever” sketch that appears later this season in, I think, O.J. Simpson’s episode. I wonder if there’s an explanation in the next Samurai sketch of how Futaba “came back to life”. Or did they just throw continuity out the window and act like his death never happened?
— Considering Buck would later end up hosting John’s final SNL episode, I wish they saved this sketch for then, as Futaba’s death would’ve been more appropriate for that night. Then again, I haven’t seen that episode yet, so maybe it already HAS a Samurai sketch with some kind of noteworthy conclusion.
STARS: ****
STUNT BABY
director Brian Whitney (BIM) has actor Howard (host) abuse a stunt baby
— Oh, this is a well-known sketch that I’ve always been eager to see.
— Love the morally-wrong concept of a baby being used as a stunt double for a brutal physical scene.
— Bill is great as the director, which is no surprise considering that Execution Rehearsal sketch from his first episode.
— Buck repeatedly punching the baby, slamming it against various parts of the room, and throwing through the window is hilariously dark. I love it.
— This sketch was the perfect length and didn’t belabor the point. I heard that in one of Buck’s later episodes, they would do some kind of follow-up, I think with a puppy instead of a baby.
STARS: ****½
A.M.O.A. SANITIZED MOTEL
the AMOA ensures that motel bathrooms are “sanitized for your protection”
— Sounds like there were audio issues at the beginning. You can very faintly hear a voice-over (Pardo, maybe) opening this sketch, but their mic isn’t working.
— The picture slideshow of the cleaning process isn’t all that funny.
— Garrett in drag again……
— I liked the ending with Dan, but overall, this was a forgettable commercial.
STARS: **
MUSICAL PERFORMANCE
WEEKEND UPDATE
artist’s renderings illustrate how the genetic messenger determines sex
LAN cursorily interviews the Anyone Can Host Contest finalists
DAA & JAC ask Baba Wawa questions about Anwar Sadat’s visit to Jerusalem
— For the first time in a while, there was no opening gag with Pardo mispronouncing one of the anchor’s names.
— The return of the Tom Schiller childlike “artist’s rendering” drawings that used to be a frequent gag in Chevy’s Updates.
— Laraine’s remote segment with the finalists wasn’t too great.
— We haven’t seen Baba Wawa in a while.
— The Baba Wawa segment ended up being pretty forgettable.
— Another short Update, and also another Update I didn’t care for. This segment has not been doing too well lately, and Dan’s not even the main one to blame (I honestly haven’t been finding him quite as bad as people always say he was, aside from his disastrous second Update of the season).
STARS: **
REUNION IN KIEV
(GIR)’s train ride to Kiev involves yesterday-today-tomorrow confusion
— Funny how this flashback is showing Gilda in the exact same place we had just seen her in.
— I like how whenever the “screen ripple effect” happens when a flashback begins, you can see the performers rushing around the set to take their place for the flashback.
— The increasingly confusing flashbacks from days that hadn’t even happened yet is pretty funny.
— Overall, a good silly little sketch.
STARS: ***½
MR. MIKE’S RICKEY RAT CLUB
host & Ratketeers have Anything Bad Can Happen Day
— At first, I thought we were in for another Least Loved Bedtime Tale.
— I’m liking Mr. Mike deadpan-ly recalling all of his earlier needles-plunged-through-eyes celebrity impressions.
— “Rickey Rat Club”. I remember hearing about this sketch before; sounds like classic Mr. Mike fucked-up-ness.
— So far, I’m really enjoying this dark, bizarro version of the Mickey Mouse Club.
— Great ending with them trampolining a fake rat into the studio audience… at least I assume it was fake. Then again, considering this was a Mr. Mike-written sketch, I wouldn’t put it past him…
STARS: ****
THE FRANKEN AND DAVIS SHOW
ALF & TOD narrate a montage of images documenting their history
Jackie Onassis (GIR) realizes TOD is choking, not playing charades
— The opening Franken and Davis caricature drawing that was introduced last time has now been modified into moving animation.
— I liked the fake magazine cover of a whole bunch of Franken lookalike kids.
— Interesting involvement of Gilda as Jackie Onassis.
— Much like the last Franken and Davis sketch from the season premiere, this has turned into a full-fledged sketch involving various performers.
— Davis using a gravy boat to write on the table during the extended choking scene was pretty funny.
STARS: ***
THE FIVE FINALISTS
by Gary Weis- the Anyone Can Host Contest finalists try to influence host
— Judging from what Buck’s saying in his intro, we’re in for a Gary Weis film. *groan* At least the show has been going really light on his films this season; we’ve only had two so far, whereas in season 2 and the second half of season 1, there was a Weis film almost every week.
— The unemployed finalist’s creepy anecdote was really funny, made even funnier by Buck’s deadpan facial reaction into the camera. (second screencap above)
— Miskell Spillman gets another big laugh tonight with her sole reason for hosting being “I’m going to kick soon”.
— Overall, surprisingly good for a Gary Weis film.
STARS: ***
MUSICAL PERFORMANCE
LIFE AFTER DEATH
by TOS- “take a number, be seated” experience recalled
— A Schiller’s Reel!
— The repeated “take a number” reveals aren’t that funny.
— And that’s it? Damn, that was weak.
— What kind of bizarro world does tonight’s episode take place in, where Gary Weis had a much better film than Tom Schiller?
STARS: *½
GOODNIGHTS
Anyone Can Host Contest finalists make their final pitches
IMMEDIATE POST-SHOW THOUGHTS:
— A pretty good show. It feels like the sketches kinda took a backseat to the Anyone Can Host extravaganza, but most of the sketches we did get were fine, and some of them really strong (Stunt Baby, Rickey Rat Club).
— The segments with the finalists added a fairly fun energy and gave the show a different feel, which makes this the third consecutive unconventional-feeling episode (after Charles Grodin and Ray Charles). SNL was wise to have Buck as the host this particular night, since it was a given that he’d be perfect at leading the finalists segments with total ease. And of course, he was great as usual in the regular sketches as well.
HOW THIS EPISODE STACKS UP AGAINST THE PRECEDING ONE (Ray Charles):
— a slight step up
My full set of screencaps for this episode is here
TOMORROW:
Mary Kay Place
Stooge, I tend to agree with your ratings, but Rickey Rat was so boring! And I love Mr. Mike. His intro was good; the Ratketeer intro was good… then the rest was just variations on “rats are gross… Rickey is sick, say hi to Dickey.” Me no like. Just my two cents, but I’d give it two stars, tops.
The show takes a 3-week break after this episode, but “The Paul Simon Special” (produced by Lorne, with guests Charles Grodin, Lily Tomlin, Art Garfunkel, and Chevy) aired in NBC prime time on December 7th. Dave Wilson directed, and Franken, Davis, and Alan Zweibel contributed to the writing, winning an Emmy!
Buck Henry is my all-time favorite SNL host! His episodes in particular brightened up my sucky High School days, but so did most of SNL’s first few years. My best friend and I watched it every week—thanks for bringing back some great memories!
I believe “Reunion in Kiev” was inspired by the film Julia (released the previous month) with Jane Fonda and Vanessa Redgrave (Jane Curtin will later portray Redgrave in a cold open (Michael Palin s03e16) satirizing her controversial speech accepting best supporting for Julia)
Here’s an article on SNL during the production week of this episode, full of candid interviews and observations of the host, cast, crew and finalists, a few sketches that didn’t make past dress (one that carried through to the next ep with Mary Kay Place), great pics (from VIVA Magazine April 1978):
p1: https://imgur.com/q5RYYCI
p2: https://imgur.com/XKM7Mpr
p3: https://imgur.com/W2qBtab
p4: https://imgur.com/8AaIC6m
p5: https://imgur.com/oXp7uwv
p6: https://imgur.com/OWRMDzE
p7: https://imgur.com/aeVrDAx
p8: https://imgur.com/niYZEx8
Thanks a lot for the article. The interviewers claim that Gilda was once overweight seems inaccurate and rude, especially in light of her eating disorder. I’ve seen a picture of the Punk Coneheads sketch and always wondered about it, in another article, one of the Anyone Can Host finalists mentioned a cut Conehead sketch.
@rssk, thanks for the interview. I never did read it until now. The anyone can host aspect takes a big backseat to the many conflicts brewing backstage, which would come to a head in season 4. The part that stands out most is Jane not wanting to be interviewed and Marilyn Suzanne Miller defending her when the journalist goes in on her. I appreciate hearing so much about the daily tension and reward of the show from some of the writers and crew who don’t get as much coverage.
Saturday Night Network had an interview yesterday with Connie Crawford. It’s definitely worth a watch. Her highest praise goes to Belushi, for how supportive he was of her that week. At around 34 minutes she shows the rundown for the episode.
Saying Gilda was ever overweight on the show is ridiculous.
I’ve never heard anyone say anything bad about Jane as an actress or professional. I do get the vibe that she wasn’t interested in “playing the game” of flattering the media or the producer, and that she treated work like work. I can see how this might come off as obnoxious, but the interviewer here also seems sort of rude. I certainly have been also been accused of being stand-offish when I’m sort of shy and private.
I should also note that Jane wrote a whole feature for Viva Magazine the year before, so it wasn’t like she was some anti-media recluse. Of course, I don’t know she didn’t like that experience for some reason.
@John Absolutely man! Thank you and James and others for impressing me further with every SNL Stories Interview, chipping away more tantalizing nuggets of this institution’s past.
@Michael Cheyne Do you have a copy of Jane’s article in Viva? (found it to be the Aug 1977 issue. Felt hesitant to shell out around $60 to eBay) If you do, would you be willing to scan-n-share?
As for Jane’s then-reclusiveness from SNL media press-blitz, I’m reminded of this section of “Rolling Stone Visits Saturday Night Live” (Dolphin Books, Doubleday & Co, 1979)
https://imgur.com/ipGvtHc
@rssk. No, I don’t have a copy, unfortunately, I just read a summary/preview of the Viva article on Amazon.