"There are others who masturbate and cry alone in the dark"
Cold Open: Modern Crimes
3 Stars
Grave robbers steal Charlie Chaplin's corpse
A silent film plays out with John and Dan stealing a corpse in Switzerland. They almost get caught by a policeman and then reveal that the corpse is legendary silent film star Charlie Chaplin. The reveal got me as I had forgot that someone stole Chaplin's body. Chaplin's corpse eventually wakes up and says (in subtitles) "Live from New York...".
Art Garfunkel Monologue
A silent film plays out with John and Dan stealing a corpse in Switzerland. They almost get caught by a policeman and then reveal that the corpse is legendary silent film star Charlie Chaplin. The reveal got me as I had forgot that someone stole Chaplin's body. Chaplin's corpse eventually wakes up and says (in subtitles) "Live from New York...".
Art Garfunkel Monologue
3 Stars
John helps Art with a sound issue
Art takes the stage and immediately launches into Wonderful World by Sam Cooke. After the chorus, a speaker gives some feedback and he stops. John comes out to help him and in doing so talks some trash about NBC. The network still sees them as a late night show so they don't get the good equipment and they even use the staff, Garrett Morris has to drive Jane Pauley to work in the morning. Art gets John to calm down and finishes his song. Not bad but also not a laugh riot. The song is kind of bland too. The original version is cool, this is slowed down to a ballad which is interesting but the original is better.
Rerun of Kromega III
Tomorrow
Art takes the stage and immediately launches into Wonderful World by Sam Cooke. After the chorus, a speaker gives some feedback and he stops. John comes out to help him and in doing so talks some trash about NBC. The network still sees them as a late night show so they don't get the good equipment and they even use the staff, Garrett Morris has to drive Jane Pauley to work in the morning. Art gets John to calm down and finishes his song. Not bad but also not a laugh riot. The song is kind of bland too. The original version is cool, this is slowed down to a ballad which is interesting but the original is better.
Rerun of Kromega III
Tomorrow
5 Stars
Tom Snyder interviews a man who would like to remain anonymous
Tom is interviewing a battered husband who is so ashamed of his predicament that he would like to remain anonymous. Of course, Tom accidentally says his name, hometown, place of employment, gives an accurate description of his wife and even shows a photo of the man. I knew exactly where the joke was going to go as soon as this started but it was so well written and Dan was so good here that I didn't mind at all.
Stephen Bishop
Tom is interviewing a battered husband who is so ashamed of his predicament that he would like to remain anonymous. Of course, Tom accidentally says his name, hometown, place of employment, gives an accurate description of his wife and even shows a photo of the man. I knew exactly where the joke was going to go as soon as this started but it was so well written and Dan was so good here that I didn't mind at all.
Stephen Bishop
"On And On"
I wasn't sure why Art Garfunkel didn't just take musical guest duties himself, until I glanced through Stephen Bishop's Wikipedia page and saw that Art helped discover him and got him a recording contract. Pretty sneaky, Art. You hosted SNL to help line your own pockets by getting this guy some more airplay. The songs not bad. It's easy listening soft rock. It got my toes tapping more than Art's song in the monologue.
Miracle In Chicago
2 Stars
The deceased Mayor of Chicago visits a bar
Two guys are in a bar and upset that Too-Ra-Loo-Ra-Loo-Ral isn't on the jukebox for St. Patrick's Day. Then the recently dead Mayor of Chicago, Richard Daley, appears with a turkey. He makes a call to some guys about the jukebox, tells them that it's been taken care of and vanishes. I know these guys are from Chicago and the mayor must have died recently, but I had absolutely no context for this and didn't get it. There also wasn't much funny to be had here.
KISS Concert
Two guys are in a bar and upset that Too-Ra-Loo-Ra-Loo-Ral isn't on the jukebox for St. Patrick's Day. Then the recently dead Mayor of Chicago, Richard Daley, appears with a turkey. He makes a call to some guys about the jukebox, tells them that it's been taken care of and vanishes. I know these guys are from Chicago and the mayor must have died recently, but I had absolutely no context for this and didn't get it. There also wasn't much funny to be had here.
KISS Concert
4 Stars
Roadies turn people away at a KISS concert
Garrett and John are watching the stage door at a KISS concert and making sure only the people on the list get in. John turns away Laraine, who claims to have slept with Peter Criss once, and Art, who may or may not be Paul Stanley's brother who parachuted in to see him. Dr. Bob with a big tank of Nitrous Oxide gets in without any questions. Stephen Bishop is also turned away as John isn't a fan of that On And On song. We end with John going in but it turns out he wasn't on the list either as he'd only been pretending to be KISS's road manager.
Weekend Update
Garrett and John are watching the stage door at a KISS concert and making sure only the people on the list get in. John turns away Laraine, who claims to have slept with Peter Criss once, and Art, who may or may not be Paul Stanley's brother who parachuted in to see him. Dr. Bob with a big tank of Nitrous Oxide gets in without any questions. Stephen Bishop is also turned away as John isn't a fan of that On And On song. We end with John going in but it turns out he wasn't on the list either as he'd only been pretending to be KISS's road manager.
Weekend Update
If you don't know already, I hate Weekend Update. It's consistently the weakest part of the show and I wish they would have gotten rid of it when Chevy left and never looked back, except for Norm. Norm can do it. The thing I'm puzzled with in this week's episode is something I was puzzled with in last week's episode. At one point, Jane just shows a picture of Stepin Fetchit and says "Stepin Fetchit". There's no joke, she just says the name. I didn't mention this in the last episode because I never thought they'd bring it back but last week she showed a picture of George McGovern and just said "George McGovern". What is the joke here? Why is this supposed to be funny? Ah well, on to the desk pieces.
Garrett Morris tells us about a new drug used to dissolved blood clots. It's called Hemomycin and he shows us what it looks like under a microscope. It's a Mighty Mouse cartoon. Because of Hemo"mice"in. Get it? I sure didn't. I had to watch this back 3 times to understand the joke.
Bill Murray has just seen Coming Home and has come to realize that the Vietnam War was a mistake. He doesn't care what happens to his career, but he needs to say it. We should not have fought that war. He has also come around on Jane Fonda. He used to think she was a traitor.
Art Garfunkel
"All I Know / Scarborough Fair"
Art sings All I Know with a piano and violin. His very high voice is pleasant to listen to but this slow ballad is a real momentum killer. Scarborough Fair is even slower.
Looks At Books
3 Stars
Lisa and Todd have written a new book
Apparently there was a TV show called Whatever Happened To The Class Of '65?. Lisa and Todd have written their own book about the class of '77, which is a collection of stories about their classmates who just graduated. One got a job as a nanny and met Cybill Shepherd, one is going to junior college, and another chapter is about a girl who got cooties. Todd gives Lisa some noogies. This is the 2nd appearance of these characters and while I'm not 100% sold on them, I do think Bill and Gilda have a really good chemistry and watching them play together is really fun.
Schiller's Reel
Apparently there was a TV show called Whatever Happened To The Class Of '65?. Lisa and Todd have written their own book about the class of '77, which is a collection of stories about their classmates who just graduated. One got a job as a nanny and met Cybill Shepherd, one is going to junior college, and another chapter is about a girl who got cooties. Todd gives Lisa some noogies. This is the 2nd appearance of these characters and while I'm not 100% sold on them, I do think Bill and Gilda have a really good chemistry and watching them play together is really fun.
Schiller's Reel
Don't Look Back In Anger
5 Stars
An old Belushi looks back on his dead friends
An elderly John Belushi visits The Not Ready For Prime Time Cemetery to say farewell to all his old friends. Gilda died after a successful variety show in Canada, Laraine died after murdering her D.J. husband, Jane went due to complications from cosmetic surgery, Garrett overdosed on heroin, Dan wiped out on his Harley, Chevy died after his first movie with Goldie Hawn and Bill lasted the longest, living to age 38 and passing away just as his mustache grew back. Everyone thought Belushi would go first but he outlived them all, because he's a dancer. He then does a jig on all their graves. Sad in retrospect as he was the first to go. More poignant now then it knew it would become.
Andy Kaufman
An elderly John Belushi visits The Not Ready For Prime Time Cemetery to say farewell to all his old friends. Gilda died after a successful variety show in Canada, Laraine died after murdering her D.J. husband, Jane went due to complications from cosmetic surgery, Garrett overdosed on heroin, Dan wiped out on his Harley, Chevy died after his first movie with Goldie Hawn and Bill lasted the longest, living to age 38 and passing away just as his mustache grew back. Everyone thought Belushi would go first but he outlived them all, because he's a dancer. He then does a jig on all their graves. Sad in retrospect as he was the first to go. More poignant now then it knew it would become.
Andy Kaufman
5 Stars
Andy reads from The Great Gatsby
Now that Andy has been on the show 8 times, he feels he can drop the act. He's played a variety of characters on the show but tonight just wants to be himself, an upper-crust Brit. To fill time he's decided to read The Great Gatsby in its entirety and, time permitting, discuss it with the audience afterwards. The crowd starts booing him as he gets to the second page. To appease the audience he turns to the record player to play them a recording, the recording is the audio version of The Great Gatsby.
The Looking For Mr. Goodbar Sleepytime Playset
Now that Andy has been on the show 8 times, he feels he can drop the act. He's played a variety of characters on the show but tonight just wants to be himself, an upper-crust Brit. To fill time he's decided to read The Great Gatsby in its entirety and, time permitting, discuss it with the audience afterwards. The crowd starts booing him as he gets to the second page. To appease the audience he turns to the record player to play them a recording, the recording is the audio version of The Great Gatsby.
The Looking For Mr. Goodbar Sleepytime Playset
3 Stars
Looking For Mr. Goodbar for kids
An announcer shows a young Gilda how to play with her new Looking For Mr. Goodbar playset. You can go to bars with your Diane Keaton action figure and pick up strange men until you eventually get murdered by one of your one-night stands. From Mainway Toys.
Art Garfunkel
An announcer shows a young Gilda how to play with her new Looking For Mr. Goodbar playset. You can go to bars with your Diane Keaton action figure and pick up strange men until you eventually get murdered by one of your one-night stands. From Mainway Toys.
Art Garfunkel
"Crying In My Sleep"
Art tries to stop a giant Art Garfunkel from attacking the city with the soulful sound of his voice.
FINAL ANALYSIS
"If I hear one more sound, I'm going to close this book and forget about the whole thing!"
Average
3.6 Stars
MVP
John Belushi
Modern Crimes, Monologue, Miracle In Chicago, KISS Concert, Don't Look Back In Anger
Modern Crimes, Monologue, Miracle In Chicago, KISS Concert, Don't Look Back In Anger
Best Sketch
Don't Look Back In Anger
Worst Sketch
Miracle In Chicago
Don't Look Back In Anger
Worst Sketch
Miracle In Chicago
How I Would Have Lorne Michaels-ed It
This episode flowed pretty well minus Update and all the songs. I don't think we needed four songs from Art, nor did I think Stephen Bishop needed to be there. It should have been one or the other. Either have Art do four songs or have Art do one song in his monologue and let Stephen have two. The sketch average is so high for this episode because there just weren't a lot of sketches.
Host Analysis
Art only made one sketch appearance, as Paul Stanley's brother in KISS Concert, but judging by his acting ability in that and the monologue, it was probably for the best. His singing voice was pleasant but in retrospect they should have had him just be the musical guest and get someone else to take over hosting duties. Or they could have thrown in a couple of self-deprecating sketches like they did when Ray Charles hosted.
Final Thoughts
This gets a 3.6 sketch average but that's mainly because this was a lot of singing and was light on the sketch comedy. It was still an enjoyable episode though. Taking the host out of the sketches let us see a lot more of the cast, which was nice. This was a pretty balanced episode where everyone got a moment or two to shine, minus Laraine who got about as many lines as Jim Downey. Despite all the songs, this was a pretty good episode. There were a few classic bits which made this one worth your time. The Schiller Reel and the Andy Kaufman bit alone are worth tuning in. Plus you got Dan doing Tom Snyder, the nerds and KISS Concert. If they would have cut one of Art's songs, I wouldn't mind the high sketch average and would easily put this as one of my favorites of the season.
Up Next
An Unmarried Woman star Jill Clayburgh hosts for the second time with musical guest Eddie Money.
An Unmarried Woman star Jill Clayburgh hosts for the second time with musical guest Eddie Money.
Art was also the anonymous man in Tomorrow
ReplyDeleteI've seen him credited as such and assumed it was him, but the brief glimpse we saw of his face at the end didn't look like him so I thought it was a writer. Surprised they put him in a wig then, as seeing Art's hair in silhouette would have been a funny sight gag.
DeleteYou need to do season 13
Delete