I am so pumped about this! They are releasing a boxed set of the first season on DVD. The episodes will be shown in their entirety with all musical performances intact. I always thought the original Not Ready For Prime Time Players were the American Beatles of comedy (As Monty Python were the British comedy Beatles) Hopefully the first seven or so years will be forthcoming.

Hooray! Back when the cast actually MEMORIZED their skits and didn't just read off cue cards for the whole show! Bring em' on! Kate Bush was a musical guest in '78...!

:)

I was in my teens at the time, so it was perfect for me. It was a special occasion every saturday to stay up and watch it. I wonder if it'll hold up now?

I taped a bunch of the 75-80 seasons on Beta in the 80's from NY TV and some from a couple of years ago on the E channel The shows were condensed to an hour each and usually showed only one of the musical performances. It will be great to see the bits the editors left out.

I was in my teens at the time, so it was perfect for me. It was a special occasion every saturday to stay up and watch it. I wonder if it'll hold up now?

If the DVDs show the entire 90-minute broadcasts, viewers will be surprised at how uneven the show was back then (as it has been since).

Having nothing since then but the "Best of" highlight/clip shows has fostered the myth of SNL's "golden age" in the early years. Yes, when it was good, it was good, but it was often mediocre.

(Another benefit: We'll also have documentation of lightweight Chevy Chase's sliver of actual talent compared to Belushi's heft of true genius.)

I think these discs will document how incredibly mediocre much of the early shows were. We remember the good stuff. The drek has been forgotten.

At least the early years consistently produced some memorably funny stuff. Lately, memorable skits are rare.

How about this year? Two shows in they already re-ran the season opener, which was singularly un-funny. Time to put SNL to sleep, as Al Franken was petitioning a decade or more ago.

Yeah, there was a lot of mediocre stuff early on, but I am really interested that this is coming out.

Factoring in commercial breaks, there couldnt have been more than 10-12 minutes of programming that werent on the 1 hour versions. That equates to 1 musical segment and an additional skit or two. The shows i have recorded are consistently funny- all killer with very little filler. I'll take mediocre Aykroyd & Belushi over the best of the past 20 years.

It will be very fun to re-live so many funny moments, including:

Samurai Warrior with Belushi and Buck Henry
Hamburgie, hamburgie, hamburgie. No Coke....Pepsi
Land Shark
Roseanne Roseannadanna
Jane, you ignorant slut!
Chocolate doughnuts skit
Belushi as the crazed commentator on Weekend Update
and, of course,

Fred Garvin................male prostitute. :p

...soooooo many more.

I know a couple of these are not part of Season One,
but memorable due to the great cast, including Bill Murray.

Bass-o-Matic!

I think the only two shows to go into uncharted waters were SNL and Laugh-In. Both pushed the envelope and changed TV. Dan Aykroyd as Julia Child is a classic. Don’t forget how those staged commercials looked so real you weren’t immediately sure you were watching a skit. Those ‘commercials’ were some of my best memories of SNL.

OMG, BAD SNL back then was better than the BEST stuff they churn out now. Are you kidding me? Every week me and the gf feel more like it's a chore than a pleasure. It's worth it for the occasional gem like the Portman rap or Lazy sunday last year (which ironically, weren't LIVE) but on the average? Ugh...
Lessee, back then they had the bees, the coneheads, the samurai, the blues brothers, the greek diner, last year we had It's Carol!, Debbie Downer, the dysfunctional couple, (whatever they were called) and even the talented players don't even memorize their skits for the most part, Keenan Thompson was in what, 2 sketches and during the school one he didn't seem to know even ONE of his lines. Now you could argue that the reason is because they have up to 30 sketches or so worked on during the week and they don't know until the day of which ones they will do and nobody can memorize all that. Well, then get some better writers so there doesn't have to BE 30 sketches done. I'll bet back in the 70's they didn't have that many sketches going because for the most part, they were much better.
Once again, are you kidding me? The best thing they have going now is Hader's Pacino... Guaranteed that will be run into the ground now.

JUST my opinion, but what do I know...

I am wondering if they continue this, if they will show all the stuff that the censors WOULD NOT allow to air, or it was edited out later.

Things that either pissed people off, or went a way the show did not intend.

Like that one guy dropping the F-Bomb at the end of the show, which essentially ended his career. I know he died recently, but can't remember if it was a suicide or not?

Also the debacle with the Bald Chick ripping up the Pope picture, and declaring him the real enemy, to the stunned silence of everyone in the studio.

To the unaired broadcast(at least I have never seen it) when Milton Berle hosted. Was considered by the cast and the producers one of the WORST experiences any of them ever had. Claimed the Milton Berle was a COMPLETE AND TOTAL A**HOLE during the taping. Claiming everything they were doing he invented back in the 50's, and they all really just hated him fo it. His arrogance resulted in what many argue as the worst show in it's history.

Although I feel the last 8-9 years have been a collosal waste of time though. That is my opinion though.

I just hope they don't edit themselves with these discs and leave something like the above stuff. Leave the warts and all.

I know Lorne Michaels has a particular HATRED for the 1984 season when SNL executives hired those heavy hitters to make up the cast. Not that he hated the people they hired, but that was not what the show was about.

Billy Crystal, Martin Short, Christopher Guest, and Harry Shearer were all hired to go along with Jim Belushi, Julia Louis-Dreyfuss, Brad Hall, Gary Kroeger, and some Blonde chick who always escapes my memory(Christine Ebersol. That's it!) It was like what the Yankees do every year, and this was the year that SNL did what they do. Spend money on big talent, and hopefully have a homerun season.

And like it or not, THEY DID!! That was arguably IMHO, the BEST season that SNL ever had. There was so much great stuff that year that those tapes sold in the early 90's with the best of each year, didn't include alot of stuff from that season that could have easily have made it. IMHO the show was at it's peak, in terms of comedy, from 1982-1984.

Those shows from 1984 are NEVER RE-RUN anywhere, unless it is a clip or two in a highlight show. Michaels has always HATED that season for the above listed reasons(plus i think he did not like Dick Ebersol either, who was in charge of hiring those people).

If they do that, then these DVD's will be must haves.

At least up until 1998, when the show went completely to hell, and has never recovered IMHO.

I just hope the AQ and VQ is up to snuff on this.

Previous releases look like shite.

I'll look forward to it just to see all the Michael O' Donoghue appearances. When the shows originally aired I had no idea who he was and didn't realize he wrote for National Lampoon etc. I realize he's one of those people seem to either love or hate.

I agree that some of the shows will be disappointing to those who have seen "best of" compilations. They showed the 1st episode a while back and it was strange in that it didn't feature the Not Ready for Prime Time Players that much. George Carlin was the host and he did at least two lengthy monologues and there was a strange routine featuring (I believe) were Jim Henson muppets.

Should be interesting.

I read that the Milton Bearle episode had aired originally but because of what you said, Lorne Michaels made sure it would never ran again

Also the debacle with the Bald Chick ripping up the Pope picture, and declaring him the real enemy, to the stunned silence of everyone in the studio.


Sinead O'Conner. I would assume that when one does something like that, that stunned silence means it worked. Could have been the ballsiest thing anyone ever did on the show maybe.

agreed.

yeah, but that came much later, didn't it? I know I missed it because I was no longer watching regularly, and that never happened with the original cast...My memory is fuzzy on this anyways-did Chevy leave after the first year or second? There was some stuff between him and Richard Pryor that would make the first season a must own for me just by itself.

yep, the 90's....

A friend told me years ago that there was a show done by the original cast in the twilight of their involvement with the show that was essentially a devastating series of skits attacking Reagan, either before or just after his election. This show was never aired.

Anybody heard of this?

-did Chevy leave after the first year or second?


IIRC, he left after the 1st.

thanks oink.

I know Lorne Michaels has a particular HATRED for the 1984 season when SNL executives hired those heavy hitters to make up the cast. Not that he hated the people they hired, but that was not what the show was about.

Billy Crystal, Martin Short, Christopher Guest, and Harry Shearer were all hired to go along with Jim Belushi, Julia Louis-Dreyfuss, Brad Hall, Gary Kroeger, and some Blonde chick who always escapes my memory(Christine Ebersol. That's it!) It was like what the Yankees do every year, and this was the year that SNL did what they do. Spend money on big talent, and hopefully have a homerun season.

And like it or not, THEY DID!! That was arguably IMHO, the BEST season that SNL ever had. There was so much great stuff that year that those tapes sold in the early 90's with the best of each year, didn't include alot of stuff from that season that could have easily have made it. IMHO the show was at it's peak, in terms of comedy, from 1982-1984.

Those shows from 1984 are NEVER RE-RUN anywhere, unless it is a clip or two in a highlight show. Michaels has always HATED that season for the above listed reasons(plus i think he did not like Dick Ebersol either, who was in charge of hiring those people).

If they do that, then these DVD's will be must haves.

At least up until 1998, when the show went completely to hell, and has never recovered IMHO.


They have rerun this season on my local NBC station at 2 am Sunday mornings.

If the DVDs show the entire 90-minute broadcasts, viewers will be surprised at how uneven the show was back then (as it has been since).

Having nothing since then but the "Best of" highlight/clip shows has fostered the myth of SNL's "golden age" in the early years. Yes, when it was good, it was good, but it was often mediocre.

(Another benefit: We'll also have documentation of lightweight Chevy Chase's sliver of actual talent compared to Belushi's heft of true genius.)

As I replyed to STEELERSRULE, At 2am Sunday morning they show a repeat and it's the entire show not just the Best of stuff...I watch it every week (I'm a night person). I have a few first season episodes on my DVR. At the begining of a few shows it will say on the screen like "Gilda won an emmy for this episode" or this episode was nominated for an emmy or the like. Kinda cool to know before watching.

I will be picking up this DVD for sure!Eric

I am wondering if they continue this, if they will show all the stuff that the censors WOULD NOT allow to air, or it was edited out later.

Things that either pissed people off, or went a way the show did not intend.

Like that one guy dropping the F-Bomb at the end of the show, which essentially ended his career. I know he died recently, but can't remember if it was a suicide or not?


They shot Buckwheat!!

We had that on VHS when I was a kid... east coast feed and I remember when he said that.

Eddy Murphy and Joe Piscapo (sp?) were hilarious.

---
Regarding the recent years, Tina Fey, Jimmy Falon, Horatio Sanz are all really funny, imo. So are TV Funhouse and the guy who does the Bush impressions. I agree the current team is a little weak. I am not a fan of Seth Myers... it feels like he's playing the entitlement card for being a tier 2 player for so many years.

If the DVDs show the entire 90-minute broadcasts, viewers will be surprised at how uneven the show was back then (as it has been since).

Having nothing since then but the "Best of" highlight/clip shows has fostered the myth of SNL's "golden age" in the early years. Yes, when it was good, it was good, but it was often mediocre.

(Another benefit: We'll also have documentation of lightweight Chevy Chase's sliver of actual talent compared to Belushi's heft of true genius.)This is true.

The classic bits were only here and there. A large amount of the stuff doesn't even work all that well, and a surprising amount of it falls completely flat. The lowest moments are when they are seriously trying to be dramatic, which they do on occasion. Many people don't remember they even did those kinds of skits because they were easier to forget by nature.

I've seen some of those episodes at 2:00am, Sun. Even though I already remembered it being that way somewhat, I was still surprised at the extent of it.

As far as Chevy Chase, I think most people will expect to be underwhelmed by him as you say, but actually, he isn't all that bad at times. He has his moments. Just not very many of them.

Everyone in the cast is basically good - it's just that the material sometimes isn't. But it's true that Belushi and Aykroyd are the cream. Murray, in my opinion, was very overrated by a lot of people. He spends most of the time just acting the exact same way in every skit - similar to the way Chris Farley was.

Actually, if I had to pick one period in the show's history with the highest proportion of "hits" versus "misses" within each episode, I would probably pick the Hartman era. Those are the ones I think that fostered the most continual laughs throughout.

As far as Chevy Chase, I think most people will expect to be underwhelmed by him as you say, but actually, he isn't all that bad at times. He has his moments. Just not very many of them.


He did better in the movies afterwards I guess. Fletch is a classic in my book.


Actually, if I had to pick one period in the show's history with the highest proportion of "hits" versus "misses" within each episode, I would probably pick the Hartman era. Those are the ones I think that fostered the most continual laughs throughout.


The Tonto, Tarzan, and Frankenstein bits that they would occasionally do would leave me crying sometimes I'd laugh so hard.

As far as Chevy Chase, I think most people will expect to be underwhelmed by him as you say, but actually, he isn't all that bad at times. He has his moments. Just not very many of them. One of the ways these disc will suffer is the topicalness of the humor. Will people today find Chase's Gerald Ford stuff funny? I just cringe when watching it - but the audience seems to be enjoy it. Was it really that funny back in 1975?

Constrast that with, say, Darrell Hammond's Clinton stuff, which cracks me up every time. Will those skits be funny 20 years from now?

One of the ways these disc will suffer is the topicalness of the humor. Will people today find Chase's Gerald Ford stuff funny? I just cringe when watching it - but the audience seems to be enjoy it. Was it really that funny back in 1975?

Constrast that with, say, Darrell Hammond's Clinton stuff, which cracks me up every time. Will those skits be funny 20 years from now?
Yes, it was funny back then - it is what you identified with at the time, just like you identify with the Clinton stuff, and today’s generation with Bush. You really answered your own question. ;) :)

Actually, if I had to pick one period in the show's history with the highest proportion of "hits" versus "misses" within each episode, I would probably pick the Hartman era. Those are the ones I think that fostered the most continual laughs throughout.

Although I think the 1984 season was the funniest, I can't argue with this.

UNFROZEN CAVEMAN LAWYER!!

"Ladies and Gentlemen of the jury, I am just a Caveman....

HILARIOUS!!

His Clinton impression is still one of the best. The skit where all the Democratic candidates are at a Star Trek convention to garner votes is classic. Plus many others

His Donahue impression was DEAD ON, and again had some hilarious moments.

And just his involvement in most skits was great. His delivery was perfect for anything. Ranging from a phony commercial for "Colon Blow or the Adobe car" to Jesus Christ(asking Sally Field to stop praying for him to help Luke and Laura get through their troubles on General Hospital because it is wasting his time.)

That guy is sorely missed for sure. What a great talent.

Not only on SNL, but on THE SIMPSON'S as well. Actor Troy McClure, Lionel Hutz: Attorney, plus countless others.

It is really sad when someone like this get's taken away.

Not only on SNL, but on THE SIMPSON'S as well. Actor Troy McClure, Lionel Hutz: Attorney, plus countless others. His work on News Radio was equally good. If anyone wants good comedy on DVD - pick these sets up.

Yes, it was funny back then - it is what you identified with at the time, just like you identify with the Clinton stuff, and today’s generation with Bush. You really answered your own question. ;) :)Yeah, to those who remember Tom Snyder well, Aykroyd's impression was hilarious. He had all his mannerisms down pat, albeit exaggerated. I remember someone asking Snyder what he thought of it, and Snyder - egotistical, pompous schmuck that he was - begrudgingly replied, "Yeah, it's pretty funny - but I don't do that aw, aw, aw thing." :D

A great many of the people watching the show now probably don't even know who Snyder was (is).

Yeh, Akroyd was pretty accurate on that one. This was back in the ancient days when you didn't even need much in the way of glitz and production values to have a late night talk show. The guests may have even been allowed to speak extemporaneously back then, who knows.

Yeah, to those who remember Tom Snyder well, Aykroyd's impression was hilarious. He had all his mannerisms down pat, albeit exaggerated. I remember someone asking Snyder what he thought of it, and Snyder - egotistical, pompous schmuck that he was - begrudgingly replied, "Yeah, it's pretty funny - but I don't do that aw, aw, aw thing." :D

A great many of the people watching the show now probably don't even know who Snyder was (is).
I completely forgot the serious-looking, chain-smoking, cross-legged Dan interviewing people - that was hilarious. Maybe I’m dreaming, but I think I remember Dan interviewing Tom on one of those shows. Anyway, that reminded me of Dan impersonating Nixon. Not even close to being Nixon, but because Nixon was such a target in those days, it was very funny.

I just stumbled on this - one of the top 5 SNL skits ever :) : (if you're not a child of the 60's, it may not be as impressive...) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hxXqKklluB8

another: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_nIADvq4xXk

larry

The Akroyd skit that is still my all time favorite is the Julia Child one where he/she "accidently" cuts a wrist while prepping a chicken.
I've seen it a hundred times, and I still laugh so hard I can't breath.

Jack

I just stumbled on this - one of the top 5 SNL skits ever :) : (if you're not a child of the 60's, it may not be as impressive...) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hxXqKklluB8

another: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_nIADvq4xXk

larry

The Joe Cocker impressions, especially the one where Belushi does it right next to the real Joe were the first things that came to mind as some of the funniest moments ever on the show- and then you posted them!! Great minds think alike :D :D

The Akroyd skit that is still my all time favorite is the Julia Child one where he/she "accidently" cuts a wrist while prepping a chicken.

Julia in an interview said some of her friends told her about the skit and let her know when it was coming back on. She thought it was really funny as well.

Did anybody watch the show last night (10/21)? The show's getting even worse.

The Joe Cocker impressions, especially the one where Belushi does it right next to the real Joe were the first things that came to mind as some of the funniest moments ever on the show- and then you posted them!! Great minds think alike

I remember watching that one when it was first aired, and I laughed so hard I almost had to be put on oxygen.

I still think that Bill Murray had maybe the best news joke perhaps. "Today rebel troops pulled out of Angola. A frustrated Angola was not available for comment."

One of my favorite Murrray news items was on Audrey Hepburn's 50th b'day:

"Audrey Hepburn turned 50 today. Fifty years old. Can you beat that?" (becomes contemplative and turns from the camera and waits several longs beats and says dreamily) "I'd do it in a minute." (then recovering, snaps his gaze back to the camera with a big grin) "How about you?"

The funniest part about the Belushi/Cocker bit was that Cocker was REALLY pissed off about it and didn't find it the least bit funny that he would cut right into his performance like that. Check out his reaction, and you can even see the indignation. I remember hearing reports following that show that confirmed it, also.

I can just see the rest of the cast daring Belushi in my mind right now. Cocker really walked right into that one. Was he not aware at all of Belushi's impression leading up to it?

Except for that impression, and maybe the Snyder one, they were more adept at just playing up the quirks of the subject more than actually trying to imitate the person exactly. I don't think it was until with some later casts that they actually tried to so closely impersonate someone.

For example, with the original casts, think Gerald Ford and Barbara Walters. They were nothing like the real persons, except for the falling down and the "w's" for "r's". The first one I can remember actually imitating someone realistically was Piscopo doing Sinatra. Then, of course, you had Hartman's Sinatra, Clinton and Donahue, Carvey's Bush Sr, and Perot, Meadow's O.J., Cochran and Michael Jackson, Oteri's Walters, and more recently, Hammond's Clinton, Jesse Jackson, etc. I think that was due to an overall "maturing" and refining of the show in general.

Things were certainly "looser" with the original cast. Of course, drugs probably played a strong part in that, too. Other than the occasional attempts at drama which pretty much always flopped, you will notice a good amount of datedness to the original season in regards to drugs. Those are the only negatives I can really see with watching them now.

I'm foggy on the Cocker/Belushi interaction from back then. Maybe a google would turn up something. When they were on together, Belushi "out - Cockered" Cocker. Joe was pretty subdued compared to his Woodstock performance. And, yes, he didn't look like he was too happy.

larry

got it today at Target at a much discounted price ($48 w/ a $5 gift card and $5 discount @ the register for a purchase over $25 - total price = $38 before uncle sam...zowee!).

can't wait to fire up the sd set to watch tonight!

The bit with Belushi as Liz Taylor being interviewed on camera by newsman Murray was my favorite from that era. Overall, I think the funniest cast member ever was Eddie Murphy. He saved that show in the early 80s (with some help from Piscopo).

A week before SNL debuted, the cast was on the Tomorrow Show (Snyder) for the whole hour to promote the upcoming show and trying to explain to the television audience what the show was going to be like.
All I remember is, at the time, I had not yet seen Python or any other sketch comedy show so really didn't comprehend what they describing.
It wasn't long after SNL and the original cast became television icons that I started thinking about how cool it would be to see their first television appearance again. And for 25 years I've been hoping someone would recognize that it would be something many of us would probably enjoy seeing.
As far as I know it's never been shown again.

I was watching Regis and Kelly this morning.
Jimmy Fallon was the guest and they were talking about something like it had gained a sort of cult following.
I got to googling and found it on youtube.
I missed seeing this when it aired in November and it's cracking me up like SNL did "back in the day".
Just wanted to share it with those who missed it too.

Fallon and Justin Timberlake.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=4eglacD5ujY

Funny. Though I think Timberlake's Omelletville is hilarious.

Looks like many are in agreement with you, rezzy...
http://www.google.com/search?q=Omelletville+timberlake&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a

Sure would like to see that but I can't find a link.

It appears Timberlake did something called "Homelessville" too.
And it even ellicited this comment from a blogger...

Justin timberlake needs to become a permanent cast member on SNL IMO.

But, sadly, I guess NBC has become "It's not to B at NBC"...
"This video has been removed at the request of copyright owner NBC Universal because its content was used without permission"

I got the 1st season as a Xmas present, and ripped a couple of episodes to my PSP for the bus ride into work. Looks okay on the small screen, but I wouldn't show it off on the big screen unless its for a bunch of diehard SNL fans.

As others have commented, a lot of the material is dated, as are the outfits (i.e., leisure suits, fros, etc.).

Still, it's interesting to see the Not Ready For Prime Time Players before they perfected their various skits, acting, and mannerisms!