"SNL": We hardly recognize you
As the first "Saturday Night Live" aired this weekend, we were reminded just how much -- for good and bad -- the show has changed.
These days. "SNL" is a sketch-comedy show, only briefly interrupted by the host and by two songs. The sketch players -- some of them movie-stars-in-waiting -- rule.
Back then they almost seemed like an afterthought. The "Not Ready For Primetime Players" weren't really introduced at the start; they didn't wave goodbye at the end. It was George Carlin alone, saying goodbye.
That was the original idea -- a variety show with occasional sketches.
"SNL" says Carlin did three monologues that first night; actually, he did four. There were two comedy solos -- an oddly hilarious one from Andy Kaufman and a bad one from Valerie Bromfeld. There were four songs, two OK ones from Billy Preston, two great ones from Janis Ian. There were OK bits from Albert Brooks and the Muppets.
That didn't leave much time for sketches, most of them short and many quite funny. These were great talents -- we're talking Belushi, Ayckroyd, Chase and more -- working only in short spurts.
The biggest surprise in seeing that first one was "Weekend Update." Now the highlight of any "SNL," it was brief and kind of tacky and only moderately funny.
The "SNL" of today has become huge and ambitious. It does large sketches -- some very funny and some just excessive. It repeats itself A LOT. It creates stars. It's always worth watching, at least for the occasional good sketch and for the "Weekend Update."
The original concept -- a bizarre variety show every week -- was kind of interesting. Then again, that first week assembled huge loads of available genius -- George Carlin, Janis Ian, Jim Henson, John Belushi, Dan Ayckroyd and more. With that kind of talent, any format will work.
I agree with you about the old SNL - I was still in college, and we would have it turned on during any Sat night party. But watching it again last night - the Albert Brooks piece was not only NOT funny - but one section actually was spposed to be a 'funny' bit about the state of Oregon lowering the age of consent to 6 ? It was creepy as hell - did anyone actually think pedophilia was funny back then?!?
Posted by: Thom | June 29, 2008 at 07:59 PM
I thought the Albert Brooks films was funny as hell. It was called "The Impossible Truth" things that were supposedly happening that were unbelievable. Lowering the age of consent in Oregon was funny, even the narrator of the film said "this disgusts me", which made me laugh really hard. And Israel and Georgia trading places? That's STILL a good idea. That film my favorite thing in the show actually.
Posted by: bob walters | June 29, 2008 at 08:30 PM
I thought the show was an interesting time capsule of what "comedy" was back in 1975. I found the show to be somewhat predictable and not that funny, but I could imagine a number of those sketches to be considered cutting edge back in the day. The highlight for me was the fake ad for the razor with three blades -- yes, the idea of such a razor was outlandish at one point in time and I couldn't help but smile.
Posted by: Mike | June 30, 2008 at 01:32 PM
It started as a hip variety show and now it's a sketch comedy show. And boy, that Muppet sketch was awful.
Posted by: Cybermoniker | June 30, 2008 at 01:55 PM
"and more."??? Would it have killed you to mention Jane Curtain or Gilda Radner by name? At least one of them? Fortunately Amy Poehler has pretty much shattered the boys club mentality that has been going strong on SNL for decades. And the past season saw Kristin Wigg become one of the funniest, most talented actors to ever be on SNL.
Posted by: Jane | June 30, 2008 at 03:05 PM