So I've completed my reviews of Season 1 of Saturday Night Live, or NBC's Saturday Night, as it was called during its initial season. I want to thank everyone who read these reviews and I apologize for the months-long gap between some of the updates. My off-line life got very busy last year and I had to step back from this project. I enjoyed watching and reviewing the first season episodes in chronological order and I hope the reviews reflected that enjoyment.
I thought I'd make a "one-stop shopping" page for every review I've posted so far, here they are, click on the episode to read the review:
Cold opening:"Help Me Make It Through The Night"
Host Kris Kristofferson performs "Help Me Make It Through The Night." This song was written by Kristofferson and it appeared on Kristofferson, his 1970 debut album.
"Help Me Make It Through The Night" achieved it's greatest commercial success with Sammi Smith's version. Smith's recording of the song reached #8 on the Billboard Pop chart and #1 on Billboard's Hot Country Singles chart in February of 1971.
While Kristofferson, sings, the camera cuts to a bedroom where a man (Chevy Chase) and a woman (musical guest Rita Coolidge) are preparing to get "romantic." The song opens with the lyrics "Take that ribbon from your hair," but the woman in the bedroom has trouble removing her hair ribbon. The man tries several times to remove it, but it doesn't budge.
Finally, he pulls at the ribbon with all his might, the ribbon comes out, but his momentum sends him backwards, falling offstage. He looks into the camera and announces "Live, from New York, it's Saturday Night!"
Monologue:
Kristofferson says that he won't deliver the customary opening monologue and introduces the next segment.
"Sherry Norwalk":
Valley girl Sherry Norwalk, a secretary for Saturday Night, discusses the sexual harassment she's had to endure from SNL's writers and promotes her new book, I Was Not A Sucker For Saturday Night.
"Samurai General Practitioner":
When he needs a physical, Kris Kristofferson pays a visit to a doctor who happens to be a samurai (John Belushi)
Rita Coolidge:"Hula Hoop"
Rita Coolidge performs "Hula Hoop," which was written by John Fleming, Roscoe West, T. Bone Burnett. Coolidge recorded "Hoola Hoop" as a duet with Kristofferson for their 1978 album Natural Act.
Near the end of the song, Laraine Newman and Gilda Radner join Coolidge onstage and the three of them twirl hula hoops!
Commercial:"Jesse Owens' Great White Athletes Collection"
4-time Olympic Gold Medalist Jesse Owens (Garrett Morris) promotes a collection of medallions that commemorate "the last of a dying breed":The Great White Athlete.
"Uncommitted Republican Delegate":
Pres. Gerald Ford (Chase) meets with Frank Wade (Kristofferson), an undecided delegate to the Republican National Convention with the intent of gaining his support. Since Wade is from Mississippi, Ford serves him a "Mint Tulip" cocktail to make him feel more comfortable.
"Police State":
Written by Michael O'Donoghue.
A cop show that features two officers named Kevin Brut (Dan Aykroyd) and Aramis McCord (Chase). They represent "a new breed" of cops who routinely shoot people for no reason.
"Weekend Update":
Anchor Chevy Chase reports on the day's headlines, which include:
NASA's Viking lander has sent back more photos from Mars scoop, which indicate "that life cannot and has never existed on Mars."
Plus, Laraine Newman provides a live update on the Viking lander from NASA. Or is it Nassau?
Commercial:"Talk Country"
Kristofferson promotes his new book Talk Country, which will enable his fans to become successful country singer/songwriters. Talk Country includes "a whole chapter devoted to nothing but droppin' your Gs at the end of words, like believin', feelin', comin."
Kris Kristofferson:"Me And Bobby McGee"
The host sings "Me And Bobby McGee," a song he wrote and recorded for his 1970 album Kristofferson. "Me And Bobby McGee" was first recorded by Roger Miller in 1969. The highest-charting version was recorded by Janis Joplin, whose version reached #1 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Kristofferson stops singing so he can introduce the woman who inspired the song, whose name is now Bobbi Farber (Radner). Bobbi's husband Larry (Belushi) gets a bit uncomfortable when Kristofferson sings about his wife in front of him.
"Blind Date":
Judy (Jane Curtin) is uncomfortable when she learns that her blind date (Kristofferson) turns out to be her gynecologist.
Kris Kristofferson and Rita Coolidge:"Eddie The Eunuch"
The duo performs "Eddie The Eunuch," which appeared on Kristofferson's July 1976 album Surreal Thing.
"Andrew Young and Jimmy Carter":
Civil Rights activist Rev. Andrew Young (Morris) endorses Presidential candidate Jimmy Carter (Aykroyd) and hopes his endorsement will lead to his appointment to Carter's cabinet.
"Waiting For Pardo":
Two men named Bill (Kristofferson) and Bob (Chase) wait for Don Pardo to arrive.
Kris Kristofferson:"I've Got A Life Of My Own"
Kristofferson performs "I've Got A Life Of My Own," another song from his album Surreal Thing.
Goodnights:
Kristofferson praises his band, the SNL Band and others who work on the show. He says it’s "a pleasure to work any place where you got any real imagination working," takes a bow and says goodnight. Rita Coolidge and the cast then join him onstage.
Notes about this episode:
There's no mention of it during the episode, but this is the season finale of Season 1. No one says "see you in September" and no one mentions that Lily Tomlin will be hosting the premier episode of Season 2.
If anyone isn't aware, Kris Kristofferson and Rita Coolidge were married from 1973 to 1980. In addition to their respective solo recordings, they recorded three albums as a duo during their marriage.
During goodnights, announcer Don Pardo usually talks over the closing credits. However, at the end of this episode, Dan Aykroyd subs for Pardo and promotes the then-upcoming special The Beach Boys:It's OK, which aired on August 5, 1976. This special was produced by Lorne Michaels and its cast included Aykroyd and John Belushi Here's a clip of their appearance on the Beach Boys special, where they play surf police who force Brian Wilson to go surfing:
Classic moment:
"Me and Bobby Mcgee"-This sketch introduces Larry and Bobbi Farber. They might not be as well remembered as characters like the Coneheads or Roseanne Roseannadanna, but the Farbers were very funny recurring characters who made a total of seven appearances on SNL. Gilda Radner made one additional appearance as Bobbi Farber without Larry after John Belushi's departure.
What stands out:
"Samurai General Practitioner"-Another solid, funny Samurai sketch, Kris Kristofferson is a good straight man for John Belushi. On a personal note, this was the first Samurai sketch I ever saw when I caught a 1980 rerun of this episode.
"Blind Date"-The premise of this sketch, a women being set up on a blind date with her gynecologist, sounds silly, but this felt more like a "slice of life/one-act play" sketch that SNL frequently staged during its early seasons. It features good acting from Kristofferson and Jane Curtin.
"Sherry Norwalk"-Newman was always hilarious as Sherry the valley girl. Sherry's story about being sexually harassed in the workplace was very funny and it could also be written today, since, sadly, such harassment in the workplace is something we still hear about in the news every day.
"Police State"-Like the "Sherry" sketch, this sketch could be written about the United States of 2020, since we are currently seeing non-white people being shot to death by police all over the country.
What doesn't work:
I generally enjoyed the musical performances, but this episode featured four songs. I would've preferred another sketch, but I imagine the writers were pretty fried after a full season, plus two extra Summertime episodes. They were probably happy to surrender more time than usual for music. J.A. Morris' rating:
This isn't one of the best episodes of the season, but it's a good one and SNL's first season concludes on a positive note. Kristofferson was a good host and he had nice chemistry with the cast.
Aired July 24, 1976. Cold opening:"Back from vacation" The Not Ready For Prime Time players have returned from vacation and are assembled on the main stage. During their time off, John Belushi made some comments in an interview that offended Chevy Chase.
They agree to let bygones be bygones, shake hands and give each other a series of "high-fives" and "low fives." Eventutally, Belushi, punches Chase in the face, which knocks Chevy offstage. He then looks into the camera and announces "Live, from New York, it's Saturday Night."
Monologue: Louise Lasser tells a story, but then gets confused by the cue cards. She then says she's tired and feels overwhelmed by being on live television. Lasser walks offstage and locks herself in her dressing room. Gilda Radner and Dan Aykroyd try to get her to come out.
When they fail, Lasser gets a visit from the Land Shark (Chase)!
Commercial:"General Idi Amin" Written by Rosie Shuster and Lorne Michaels. Ugandan dictator Idi Amin (Garrett Morris) delivers a PSA about warning signs of syphilis.
Swedish Movie: Written by Tom Schiller. Sven (Chase) and Inger's (Lasser) vacation is interrupted by the arrival of Death himself (Tom Schiller)!
Commercial:"Human Hair Potholders" Written by Michael O'Donoghue. Manson Family members Susan Goode (Jane Curtin) and Lynette "Squeaky" Fromme (Laraine Newman) promote potholders made of human hair and describe how the potholders are made.
"A Woman and A Dog" A woman (Lasser) apologizes to her dog for playing fetch with another dog.
Chevy Chase reports on the day's headlines, which include: The Viking spacecraft's Mars landing.
Plus, Update correspondent John Belushi interviews 1972 Olympic Champion Olga Korbut (Radner) about her failure to repeat at the 1976 Olympic Games.
"Girl Talk": Jane (Curtin ) and her friend (Radner) talk about how "far" Jane got with her boyfriend the night before and if she's seen her boyfriend's..."it."
“A film by Louise Lasser” At a diner, a woman (Lasser) talks to her boyfriend (Alan Zweibel) about the state of their relationship.
When she forgets her lines, she turns to a waitress (Audrey Peart Dickman) and SNL producer Lorne Michaels for help.
Lasser then steps over to the bar and encounters actor Michael Sarrazin.
Commercial:"John Belushi's Wardrobe" John Belushi tells fans that want to capture his "distinctive look" for themselves can buy from his new line of clothes.
"Jimmy Carter": Presidential candidate Jimmy Carter (Aykroyd) tells the nation how he's going to run his campaign and how he plans to talk to voters.
The Preservation Hall Jazz Band:"Panama" Lasser introduces the musical guests and says it was her idea to have them on the show. The band performs the jazz standard "Panama," which was written by William Henry Tyers in 1911 and recorded by many artists.
The Preservation Hall Jazz Band's recording of "Panama" appeared on their 1977 album New Orleans, Vol. 1. "Mary's A Grand Old Name" Lasser performs a monologue built around the song "Mary's A Ground Old Name," which was written by George M. Cohan for his 1906 musical Forty-Five Minutes From Broadway.
Lasser talks about how her life has changed since she became a TV star playing the title character of the series Mary Hartman, Mary Hartmanand discusses her recent arrest. Goodnights: Lasser thanks Michael Sarrazin for appearing in her film, the musical guest and Maggie, the dog who appeared in the sketch with her. Lasser then praises the cast and says goodnight.
Notes about this episode: Louise Lasser might not be a familiar face and name to younger readers. I've always enjoyed her work film and TV. She was the breakout star of the series Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman, which premiered on January 5, 1976. Between the debut Mary Hartman and Lasser's appearance on SNL, Lasser appeared on the cover of TV Guide, Newsweek, Ms., Rolling Stone, Soap Opera Digest and People.
According to multiple accounts, Lasser was breaking down under the pressure of sudden stardom and was going through a rough patch when this episode aired. I try to avoid discussing backstage politics and gossipy content here. However, since it's covered in every book about SNL, I should mention that Louise Lasser was considered one of the worst hosts of the first five seasons. Twenty minutes prior to airtime, Lasser refused to perform and only went on when Lorne Michaels threatened to tell the press about her refusal. For many years, Michaels refused to rerun this episode.[1] In a 2013 interview with The Toast, Lasser disputes this and says her manager had the episode removed from reruns. In the same interview, Lasser says she "Girl Talk" sketch was written for her and Gilda Radner, but Lasser backed out because she didn't want her parents to watch her play a character that talked about sex. [2]
During her opening and closing monologues, Lasser references her May 1976 arrest. Lasser was arrested at a boutique when she tried to buy a dollhouse with a traveler's check, which the store did not accept. Lasser allegedly became abusive towards the manager, which led to a call to the police. The police discovered Lasser had cocaine in her purse and she was charged with possession and eventually sentenced to six months probation [3] [4]
During the cold opening, the cast mentions that John Belushi is jealous of attention Chevy Chase is getting. Belushi said the following to Rolling Stone in an issue published nine days before this episode, when asked about Chase's breakout as a star: “Well, NBC loves Chevy. Plus, he’s very good. Look, I Love Chevy, ever since Lemmings, we were in that together, Chevy’s a good actor. I think he’s better in sketches than in all those bits as this Chevy Chase persona; in acted comedy as opposed to presentational crap. But Chevy holding the show as star, I don’t think it’d work. It sure wouldn’t be the same show. I know I want in no way to become Carl Reiner to his Sid Caesar. Once we bend to a f*#cking star system here, everything changes.” [5] I presume Belushi's comments to Rolling Stone inspired the opening sketch.
In the Idi Amin VD PSA, Garret Morris-as-Amin mentions Entebbe more than once. This is a reference to the Entebbe Raid, which took place three weeks prior to this episode. Members of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine hijacked an Air France Airbus jet airliner with 248 passengers on board. The plane eventually touched down at Entebbe Airport in Uganda. The hijackers held the passengers for ransom in return for the release of prisoners held by Israel. Amin was dictator of Uganda at the time and provided support for the hijackers. The Israeli Defense Forces, with assistance from Kenya, raided the airport and rescued most of the hostages, which angered and embarrassed Amin.
Classic moment:
"Jimmy Carter"-This is Dan Aykroyd's first appearance as Jimmy Carter. He played Carter a total of 28 times before he departed SNL after Season Four. It's a brilliant performance and it pokes fun at Carter's habit of quoting Bob Dylan songs.
What stands out:
"Cathode Ray"-This "girl-group"-style song features funny lyrics about how televisions work (or how they worked in 1976) and it's a nice showcase for lead vocalist Laraine Newman, with Jane Curtin and Gilda Radner providing nice support. I also love the 1970s special effects that are on display during the performance of the song, nice work from director Dave Wilson and SNL's technical crew.
"Swedish Movie"-A funny parody of Ingmar Bergman films that features a nice performance by writer Tom Schiller as Death. I won't spoil the sketch's hilarious punchline.
"A Woman and A Dog"-This is Lasser's best moment of the show. It's not easy acting with a "stage partner" who can't talk, but Lasser does a good job carrying on a "conversation" with a dog. Molly the dog deserves credit for sitting still and staying "in character" the whole time.
"Human Hair Potholders"-Jane Curtin and Laraine Newman give us a hilarious portrayal of two Manson Family women. Newman is legit-scary as "Squeaky" Fromme.
"Girl Talk"-A nice "slice of life" sketch that features realistic dialogue between two teenage girls. Great performances here by Curtin and Radner.
The Preservation Hall Jazz Band-This group was a major departure from the usual 70s pop/rock acts that appeared on Saturday Night and I enjoyed their performance of "Panama." The band comes across as a bunch of "cool old guys."
What doesn't work:
"A film by Louise Lasser"-This goes on forever and goes nowhere. Lasser rambles, stammers, breaks the forth wall for seven minutes and the film goes nowhere.
"Mary's A Grand Old Name"-I respect the idea of this piece and I respect Lasser for baring her soul to the viewers. But like the film, this goes on way too long.
J.A. Morris' rating:
This is an odd episode. I thought it was better than its reputation. Louise Lasser only appears in one sketch with an SNL cast member ("Swedish Movie"). Lasser is a talented actor and it's too bad she and the cast didn't work better together. The sketches without her are mostly very good and this episode has a lot of standout moments.
