Balls and Walnuts
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Thoughts on watching Season 1, Program 1 of Saturday Night Live
My brother and I discovered Saturday Night Live in its second season. I remember the first skit we saw: Chevy Chase playing a crooner named Peter Lemon Yellow Moodring, who changed color depending on the subject matter of his songs. Weekend Update soon followed, and it didn’t take long to realize that what we were seeing was a whole different animal than Laugh In or The Smothers Brothers or The Carol Burnett Show.
But I missed that first season altogether, and because I’ve been too cheap to buy it on DVD, I still hadn’t seen any of Season One, until tonight, when it occurred to me that I should see if I can stream it from NetFlix.
Yup.
Funny: in the opening credits, the usually flawless Don Pardo screwed up “The Not Ready For Prime Time Players” — the “prime time not ready players,” I think he said.
Interesting indeed to watch the crew feel around for what works and what doesn’t. George Carlin hosted; back then, but hosting then wasn’t like hosting afterward. He did several brief stand-up bits, much of which was too tame (at least by modern standards — yeah, I know I’m being unfair). He introduced the musical guests (Janice Ian and Billy Preston) and looked kind of uncomfortable.
Yes, Sis, Janice Ian sung your least favorite song ever and did a damn fine job of it. Her second song was less memorable. Oh, yeah — not only were there TWO musical guests, but they each got to do two songs. AND we got the Muppets, a couple of other stand-up comics (Andy Kaufman, doing his edgy-but-is-it-funny? Mighty Mouse shtick, and Second City alum Valri Bromfield), and a film by Albert Brooks. Truly a variety show.
Sad that so many of them are gone now: John Belushi, Gilda Radner, and George Carlin. Andy Kaufman (maybe).
As the show rapped up, I kept expecting to hear the opening music to Don Kirschner’s Rock Concert.
Where were you in 1975? (Shaina, don’t answer that.)
D.
Soory, I was too young in 75 to have a memory of it. 🙂
I didn’t start seeing SNL till season 2, either, when I was 16 and kicking over the traces a bit.
I never got Andy Kaufman.
By the way, Noxcat, are you still playing WoW? I got out of it a few years ago, but I miss it often.
Dean, I tend to think of him not as a comedian but as a performance artist. It seems like he wanted people to be uncomfortable, that that was his primary goal.
Nothin from nothin leaves nothin….
classic.
In 1975 my dad wasn’t even THINKING of squirtin’ me out yet
The first SNL show I saw had one of the “land shark” sketches. Remember those? I was visiting my sister when I saw it and I remember us laughing so hard that it hurt.
I’m not going to answer that, either, considering I was three at the time. 😉
We got into SNL in the mid-eighties — the Church Lady, Hans and Franz, Wayne’s World, etc., etc. We thought it was pretty damned funny.
But then again, we were pre-teens. What did we know? It was probably more the thrill of staying up late to watch the show when friends slept over.
K., The Still-Unpopped.
Charles, thank you for that enduring image 😉
Lucie, yup, I loved land shark. Nothing like a deadpan predator.
Kris, I tend to think of that period as the “still barely watchable years.” I stopped watching soon after. They weren’t bad, that cast, but I’m very much partial to the original Not Ready For Prime Time Players (including Bill Murray).