Segments are rated on a scale of 1-5 stars
COLD OPENING
in light of budget deficit, George Bush (DAC) says “no huge new taxes”
— Second season finale in a row with a Bush address as the cold opening. That’s also how this season began.
— Some great laughs from Bush demonstrating the budget deficit with hand gestures.
— He’s cracking me up with his drawn-out hesitance to announce the news that he’s going to raise taxes.
STARS: ***½
MONOLOGUE
host is the focus of a Las Vegas-style production number praising “Candy”
— Some pretty good laughs from her bragging about how she doesn’t need SNL as a comedic vehicle anymore now that she has “Murphy Brown”, and from her regretting her promise to host this season after turning down an appearance at SNL’s 15th Anniversary Special.
— Interesting and entertaining turn with the big production number, even if it’s not laugh-out-loud funny.
STARS: ***
TOONCES, THE CAT WHO COULD DRIVE A CAR
jealous Toonces abducts & impersonates (host)’s gifted driving cat Spunky
— I liked the cutaway to Toonces’ jealous reaction to Spunky’s good driving school grades.
— Not much to say about the overall sketch, but it was executed well, featured some very funny visuals involving the cat puppets, and was the usual solid and fun Toonces piece.
STARS: ****
SINGLE MEN IN THEIR THIRTIES AND EARLY FORTIES
loser Craig Talbert (JOL) to women in thier 30s- “lower your standards”
— I’ve always considered this sketch Jon’s last hurrah, as it’s his final big role as a cast member.
— I’ve always had a bit of a theory that this is supposed to be the same character that Jon played in the Girl Watchers sketches with Tom Hanks. Much like those sketches, Jon’s character here has a unibrow, is wearing the same shirt he wore in at least one of the Girl Watchers sketches, and has the same laid-back and overly-confident demeanor.
— Pretty funny “lower your standards” advice to women.
STARS: ***
THE TONIGHT SHOW
guests are Jay Leno (KEN) & a 92 year-old woman (JAH)
— Kevin’s Jay Leno impression is very funny and spot-on.
— Nice old make-up on Jan.
— Loved Phil-as-McMahon’s “Hey-o!” after Jan’s old lady character says she has no sexual drive.
— Some good laughs from the comically mundane nature of the old lady interview.
— Good part with Carson and McMahon forcing the old lady to sing.
STARS: ***½
MUSICAL PERFORMANCE
musical guest performs “Railroad Worksong”
WEEKEND UPDATE
AWB examines why racial tension in NYC continues to be a problem
— I liked Dennis’ random Hammertime bit, with him wheeling his chair back-and-forth to mimic M.C. Hammer’s dancing, and then saying a very un-hip “You can’t touch this!” to the camera.
— I’m a little disappointed that A. Whitney broke his tradition of directing his season finale Update commentaries to that year’s graduating class. He had been doing that in every season finale since he first joined the show (not counting season 13, as that had no official season finale thanks to a writers’ strike)
— A. Whitney: “Last week, a mob attacked a white attorney because he was defending someone accused of killing a black man, and that’s wrong. He should’ve been attacked because he’s a lawyer.”
— A. Whitney, on the hardships of black people nowadays: “I can’t even imagine how it must feel to pick up the paper in the morning and read that Al Sharpton has just appointed himself your spokesman.”
— An overall average Update to end the season, accurately symbolizing the slight step down that Update has taken this year in general.
STARS: ***
WAYNE’S WORLD
a fantasy summer romance with Garth’s mom Hillary (host)
— First time in a while where this sketch appeared in the post-Update slot.
— Loved the meta part during the movie reviews, where Garth’s review of Dana Carvey’s “Opportunity Knocks” only consists of him saying “Sucked!” after Wayne gave it a positive review.
— Nice callback to Phil’s now-forgotten Beev character from the early installments of these sketches.
— The fantasy sequence is very fun.
— Wayne: “I like my coffee like I like my women: milk and two sugars.” Mrs. Algar: “What does that mean?” Wayne (deadpan): “I don’t know.”
— In the live version I’m watching of this episode, during the “I guess it was all a dream… or was it?!?” bit, there’s a VERY distracting technical error regarding a displayed graphic of the Wayne’s World logo.
STARS: ****
MUSICAL PERFORMANCE
musical guest performs “Love You Too Much”
ONCE UPON A TIME
(MIM)’s sheep turds cheer up unhappy queen (host)
— Writer Rob Schneider gets his obligatory bit role of the week.
— And now Schneider’s fellow new writer/future castmate David Spade has shown up in HIS obligatory bit role of the week.
— Geez, Nora is JUST NOW making her first appearance of the night (and her first appearance since “the incident”), this late in the show, and in what ends up being a small role. The only other time we’ll be seeing her later tonight is in an even smaller role during the 10-to-1 sketch. She got shafted BIG TIME in this episode, and I doubt it’s a coincidence. I’ve always had a suspicion that this was the “punishment” the show gave her for what she infamously pulled the previous week.
— Mike is pretty funny as Slow Ned.
— I have no idea what to say about this sketch anymore. It’s starting to get pretty gross and low-brow, which is KINDA funny in this setting, but eh, I dunno. Not too crazy about this as a whole.
STARS: **
SHE DOES IT ALL
executive (host) insists on handling all menial office tasks herself
— Funny turn with Candice’s boss character asking the employees “Now can I get anyone some coffee?” immediately after sternly chewing them out.
— Uh-oh. As soon as Nora comes running into the office, in her second and final small role of the night, there’s a sudden cut to a black screen in the copy I’m watching of the live version of this episode. The screen stays black for almost a full minute (I kid you not), while no audio can be heard. Then we get a screen showing the local station ID for a while (this is Detroit’s NBC affiliate, for anyone wondering), making it obvious that the affiliate is experiencing major technical difficulties. Poor Nora. This WOULD have to happen during what ends up being her final SNL appearance.
— Okay, the sketch has finally come back on, right when Victoria is in the middle of speaking. We missed a funny line from her where, from what I remember in past viewings, she says something about having worked at the office for an entire year without doing a single thing.
— Oh, come on! Now the sketch gets cut off with ANOTHER sudden cut to a silent black screen. What the hell is going on at Detroit’s station?
— Okay, the technical difficulties thankfully ended up being brief this time.
— This is the perfect role for Candice Bergen.
— An overall decent sketch… from what I saw of it. It’s a shame that those huge technical difficulties had to happen during the final sketch of the season. Speaking of which, it’s a bit disappointing that THIS is the sketch SNL ends the season with. There’s nothing wrong with this sketch in itself, but couldn’t they have ended the season with something special or more exciting? Maybe even another Tonto, Tarzan, and Frankenstein musical piece, considering this would’ve been the last opportunity for Jon to do one.
STARS: ***
GOODNIGHTS
— They must have a lot of time to kill, as these goodnights are lasting longer than usual, long after the credits finish scrolling.
— Nora’s getting more screentime during these goodnights than she did during any of the actual sketches she appeared in tonight. Speaking of which, she’s looking kinda emotional during these goodnights. She must be aware that this is the end for her.
IMMEDIATE POST-SHOW THOUGHTS
— A decent episode, though felt too average for a season-ender. Besides Wayne’s World and maybe Toonces, nothing stood out as particularly great to me, and the final two sketches of the night were a forgettable way to close the season. There was also a strangely low amount of sketches in this episode, with there being only two full sketches pre-Update, and three full sketches post-Update. Overall, not the most exciting way for a season to end, but I can’t complain much as I still enjoyed a lot of the show.
— This would end up being the final episode for Jon Lovitz and Nora Dunn. Jon had a particularly great tenure, going from being the savior of the troubled season 11 to still standing out as an incredibly valuable and consistently funny player during the great ensemble from seasons 12-15. Nora’s tenure ended with a whimper, but that doesn’t take away from what she added to the show for most of her run. She was a very reliable and dependable player, basically being to this cast what Jane Curtin was to the original cast. While some of Nora’s comedy didn’t quite land with me, I can still appreciate what she was going for with it.
— Season 14 was a very tough act to follow, yet season 15 impressively held its own. Consistency-wise, however, I feel this season doesn’t quite measure up to season 14. Season 14 had amazing consistency where it managed to avoid having ANY disappointing episodes, and season 15 seemed to be heading in that same direction at first, but ended up hitting some speedbumps in the second half with two fairly weak episodes (Quincy Jones and Andrew Dice Clay), two kinda forgettable episodes (Debra Winger and Corbin Bernsen), and a decent-but-too-average season finale (Candice Bergen). There was also a bit of a drop-off in the quality of Dennis Miller’s Weekend Updates, which went from being consistently strong to becoming kinda shaky at times, a decline that unfortunately carries over into next season’s Updates. Overall, however, season 15 as a whole had incredible highs. I also love how this season took more chances with doing more creative and absurd sketches (the material in the Robert Wagner episode is a prime example of this), which is the type of comedy that defines part of what I love about this SNL era in general. And, hey, what else can you say about a season that had now-legendary SNL hosting regulars John Goodman, Christopher Walken, and Alec Baldwin all making their debut?
HOW THIS EPISODE STACKS UP AGAINST THE PRECEDING ONE (Andrew Dice Clay)
a step up
HOW THIS OVERALL SEASON STACKS UP AGAINST THE PRECEDING SEASON (1988-89)
a very slight step down
My full set of screencaps for this episode is here
TOMORROW
Season 16 begins, with host Kyle MacLachlan. We initially start out with only two new additions to the cast, but over the course of the season, there will be MANY more new additions to the cast, slowly transitioning the show into a new direction while still initially keeping a lot of the qualities that made the 1986-1990 years so phenomenal.
My take is this: Season 15’s top 10 episodes are better than the top 10 of Season 14. But 88-89’s bottom 10 episodes are better than 89-90’s. Season 14 is better bookended, but 89-90 has more of this era’s all time great episodes (Evert, Wagner, Walken, Baldwin).
I blame Ben Stiller lol
You’re inching ever closer to having to suffer through all of Season 20, and for that, I am sorry.
Don’t worry, I can handle season 20. Believe it or not, a small part of me is actually kinda looking forward to reviewing that season. I’ve always had a morbid fascination with its badness. You can bet I’m gonna have A LOT to say about that season. It will be nice to also cover the silver linings of that season.
Youve probably been asked this before on social media in some form or another, but when you get past season 25 will you just redo your missing reviews, review some of the earliest seasons you reviewed in full, or just do it all over again? I can’t imagine it’s the latter since at least the last few modern seasons you did are quite recent.
Bablor, I’ll review all the post-season 25 years. When I first came up with the idea for this SNL project, I initially considered skipping seasons 26-39 (the seasons I reviewed back when they originally aired), but decided against it. I determined that my goal for this SNL project will be to review every single episode in chronological order day-by-day until I reach whatever the newest episode will be (which, by my guesstimation, will occur sometime in early 2021, when SNL is in the middle of its 46th season).
It wouldn’t be right if I skipped any seasons before reaching the end of my SNL project; it would make the purpose of this project a lot less special. So even though I’ll probably have a feeling of deja vu when re-reviewing seasons 26-39 (especially the last few), I don’t mind. Besides, it will be a different experience reviewing those seasons in the context that I’ve been doing this SNL project in.
Farewell to Nora Dunn and Jon Lovitz. Nora was an important part of SNL’s renaissance of the late 80s that unfortunately gets a little overlooked. She was perfect at playing the role of the vapid, inane, self-centered “yuppieness” (Pat Stevens, the host of Attitudes, etc.) It’s too bad the end of her tenure was clouded in controversy. I’m pretty sure she never was involved in the show again (I don’t think she has made any cameos or anything…I can’t remember if she was at the 25th or 40th anniversary).
As for Jon Lovitz, as popular as he was on the show, he kind of gets overlooked now as well. It’s too bad he didn’t stick around for another season or two (he certainly seemed like he wanted to). Unfortunately, his movie career was a total dud and he kind of became a joke. However, his legacy cannot be denied. Pathological Liar and Master Thespian were great characters, and Lovitz had such a unique voice and he should be given credit for not insisting he be the “star” after his breakout season. This helped contribute to the ensemble success of the late 80s (I really feel that Jon had no qualms about Dana or Phil taking over the “spotlight” even though he was the veteran, and a big reason why the show survived Season 11). So, although Lovitz might not quite make the Mt. Rushmore of SNL players…he’s definitely near the top.
Excited to see the next season. Lots of new faces, and we’ll really start to enter the period of the show that I remember watching the live broadcasts.
Nora was at the 25th Anniversary Special, in a segment where the late 80s cast (minus Dana Carvey, who was recovering from a botched heart surgery) introduces a tribute to the deceased Phil Hartman.
Nora was at the 40th. She said they asked her to do her Sweeney sister but she was disappointed they didn’t do anything to remember Jan Hooks. I agree with you about how important she was to this era of the show. I’m sorry that is so often overshadowed by her exit. I also agree about Jon. Watching this season, it doesn’t feel like he was at all planning to go. I know he did appear again, but still, he deserved a proper goodbye.
And the 25th tribute to Phil was absolutely heartbreaking. I still remember the cast struggling to hold back tears.
Nora Dunn took part in a “Real Housewives of SNL” sketch with Andy Cohen that opened a Women of SNL special that aired ten years ago.
It wasn’t great… typical Tina Fey \Reality tv satire…But Nora Dunn looked fantastic in it. It featured all the female cast members from 1997-2007, plus ND, JLD, and Laraine Newman.
That’s one of the more quietly touching scenes in SNL history to me–possibly the only time the entire 1986-1990 cast reunites (minus Carvey) to pay homage to their greatest and most beloved cast member. Very nice to see Nora, Dennis, and Victoria who for various reasons seemed to keep their distance from the show in later years. Even more poignant now that Jan has passed as well.
The background plate that they show while Bergen is on her bike in the last sketch was later reused in that Bike Messenger sketch with Mike Myers in Season 19.
Here are Stooge’s five star sketches from the 89-90 season:
Monologue (Rick Moranis)
Yard-A-Pult (James Woods)
Colin Blow (Chris Evert)
Video Will (Chris Evert)
Tales of the Runaway Boulder (Robert Wagner)
The Night Hannakuh Harry Saved Christmas (Andie MacDowell)
The Continental (Christopher Walken)
Attitudes (Christopher Walken)
Wayne’s World (Tom Hanks)
Church Chat (Rob Lowe)
The Arsenio Beckman Show (Rob Lowe)
Greenhilly (Alec Baldwin)
The Garbo I Knew (Alec Baldwin)
The Nude Talk Show (Alec Baldwin)
Diner (Alec Baldwin)
16 sketches. A new champion. And I still am surprised the Robert Wagner episode only has one entry. Still, this season is a huge one. I’m interested to see how the early 90s fare. While 88-90 is probably the steadiest high end run of the show, I wonder is 90-93 pops a bit more.
The Robert Wagner episode is one of my all-time favorites, even if there are barely gave any sketches I gave five-star ratings to.
As a companion piece to Carson’s list, here’s an Honorable Mentions list compiled of all the sketches I rated four-and-a-half stars this season:
The Big Bitch BullDyke Bustout of ’89 (Rick Moranis)
New Commissioner (Rick Moranis)
Monologue (James Woods)
Tonto, Tarzan, and Frankenstein recite The Raven (James Woods)
Wayne’s World (John Goodman)
Toonces (John Goodman)
The Referee Pitman Show (John Goodman)
Attack of the Masturbating Zombies (Robert Wagner)
Tonto, Tarzan, and Frankenstein sing The Little Drummer Boy (Andie Macdowell)
Wayne’s World (Ed O’Neill)
SNL in the 90’s (Ed O’Neill)
Monologue (Christopher Walken)
Eternity (Christopher Walken)
Monologue (Tom Hanks)
Shuttle Launch (Fred Savage)
Irish Drinking Songs (Rob Lowe)
President Bush’s Glaucoma (Alec Baldwin)
Monologue (Alec Baldwin)
Clearly Lorne is showing favoritism letting Pete take time off
And this would appear to be EXACTLY the right place to mention that.
Only because Jon’s departure involved a similar scenario
Ah, my bad; excuse the snark. Though he seems to be more willing to let cast members slip the net in general since then, perhaps out of regret for how the Lovitz thing went down.
It’s not exactly apples to apples, but Lorne might also have had some residual strong feelings re: Belushi’s situation in Season 4. Compared to Anthony Michael Hall’s long absence in Season 11, which everyone might have been aware of/it was contractually permitted from the get-go.
For anyone interested, here are all the sketches under two stars from the last five years.
Season 11
THE LIMITS OF THE IMAGINATION (Madonna) *1/2
CRAIG SUNDBERG, IDIOT SAVANT (Chevy Chase) *1/2
THE BLUE, THE GRAY, AND THE YELLOW (Chevy Chase) *1/2
MONEY MAGNETISM SEMINAR (Pee-Wee Herman) *1/2
THE BIG TREE (Teri Garr) *1/2
CLEVELAND VICE (Harry Dean Stanton) *1/2
NO OFFENSE (Harry Dean Stanton) *1/2
MONOLOGUE (Jerry Hall) *
MAN BEAT (Jay Leno) *1/2
BUON GIORNO IRELAND BUON GIORNO (Griffin Dunne) *1/2
BUSINESS BEAT (Griffin Dunne) *1/2
CRAIG SUNDBERG, IDIOT SAVANT (Oprah Winfrey) *
BRIM DECAFFEINATED (Catherine Oxenberg & Paul Simon) *
A MOTHER’S DAY MESSAGE (Catherine Oxenberg & Paul Simon) *
TORNADOVILLE (Jimmy Breslin) *1/2
A MESSAGE FROM JODY HAGLER (Jimmy Breslin) *
THE PEOPLE’S SECOND CHOICE AWARDS (Anjelica Huston & Billy Martin) *1/2
ACTORS ON FILM (Anjelica Huston & Billy Martin) *
BOCCE BALL MY WAY (Anjelica Huston & Billy Martin) *1/2
MOVIE THEATRE (Anjelica Huston & Billy Martin) *
Season 12
GENERAL DYNAMICS (Sigourney Weaver) *1/2
MISS CONNIE’S FABLE NOOK (Rosanna Arquette) *1/2
PET CHICKEN SHOP (Sam Kinison) *
KRYPTON SURVIVES (Sam Kinison) *1/2
THE EGGSHELL FAMILY (Chevy Chase, Steve Martin, & Martin Short) *1/2
VALENTINE’S DAY (Bronson Pinchot) *1/2
THE LIFE OF GOLDA MEIR (Bronson Pinchot) *
MISS CONNIE’S FABLE NOOK (Bronson Pinchot) *1/2
PET CHICKEN SHOP (Valerie Bertinelli) *
VERY SMART THEATER (Mark Harmon) *1/2
Season 13
INVESTMENT FIRM (Dabney Coleman) *1/2
LEARNING TO FEEL (Justine Bateman) *1/2
FRIDAY NIGHT VIDEOS (Justine Bateman) *1/2
INSPIRATION (Justine Bateman) *1/2
Season 14
LEARNING TO FEEL (Matthew Broderick) *1/2
SCROOGE (Danny DeVito) *1/2
RASPBERRY RESPONSE (Kevin Kline) *1/2
SUSPENDED ANIMATION CHAMBERS (Geena Davis) *1/2
Season 15
COLD OPENING-THE MIRACLE OF FATIMA ’89 (Kathleen Turner) *1/2
SOVIET CENTRAL COMMITTEE (Quincy Jones) *1/2
JENSEN SYRINGE COMPANY (Tom Hanks) *
COOL MITE (Andrew Dice Clay) *1/2
Here are the average ratings for Season 15:
*may not represent review’s perception*
1501: 6.5 (Bruce Willis)
1502: 7.8 (Rick Moranis)
1503: 6.5 (Kathleen Turner)
1504: 7.6 (James Woods)
1505: 8.0 (Chris Evert)
1506: 6.9 (Woody Harrelson)
1507: 7.6 (John Goodman)
1508: 8.0 (Robert Wagner)
1509: 7.4 (Andie McDowell)
1510: 7.2 (Ed O’Neill)
1511: 8.3 (Christopher Walken)
1512: 5.6 (Quincy Jones)
1513: 6.9 (Tom Hanks)
1514: 7.2 (Fred Savage)
1515: 7.5 (Rob Lowe)
1516: 6.1 (Debra Winger)
1517: 6.0 (Corbin Bernsen)
1518: 8.8 (Alec Baldwin)
1519: 5.6 (Andrew Dice Clay)
1520: 6.4 (Candice Bergen)
Best Episode: 1518 (Alec Baldwin)- 8.8
Worst Episode: 1512 (Quincy Jones) + 1519 (Andrew Dice Clay)- 5.6 (tie)
Season Average: 7.1
I’m curious what Vax Novier’s list of average ratings would look like if it was ranked from best episode to worst, so I’ll do it below:
1518: 8.8 (Alec Baldwin)
1511: 8.3 (Christopher Walken)
1505: 8.0 (Chris Evert)
1508: 8.0 (Robert Wagner)
1502: 7.8 (Rick Moranis)
1504: 7.6 (James Woods)
1507: 7.6 (John Goodman)
1515: 7.5 (Rob Lowe)
1509: 7.4 (Andie McDowell)
1510: 7.2 (Ed O’Neill)
1514: 7.2 (Fred Savage)
1506: 6.9 (Woody Harrelson)
1513: 6.9 (Tom Hanks)
1501: 6.5 (Bruce Willis)
1503: 6.5 (Kathleen Turner)
1520: 6.4 (Candice Bergen)
1516: 6.1 (Debra Winger)
1517: 6.0 (Corbin Bernsen)
1512: 5.6 (Quincy Jones)
1519: 5.6 (Andrew Dice Clay)
For fun, here are this season’s episodes ranked from best to worst based on the “Immediate Post-Show Thoughts” that I wrote in my reviews:
Alec Baldwin
Robert Wagner
Chris Evert
Christopher Walken
Rick Moranis
James Woods
Tom Hanks
John Goodman
Rob Lowe
Andie MacDowell
Ed O’Neill
Fred Savage
Kathleen Turner
Woody Harrelson
Bruce Willis
Candice Bergen
Corbin Bernsen
Debra Winger
Quincy Jones
Andrew Dice Clay
Here are my rankings of Stooge’s five-star sketches from 85-90. Note: the top 15 here are all basically unimpeachable and I could probably pull about a half dozen others that would be at this top end (Stooge just didn’t rate them at that level).
1. Diner (Alec Baldwin) 89-90
Probably the most expertly, flawlessly performed live sketch I have ever seen. The pace zips with rat-a-tat dialogue and with everyone from the sketch’s leads (including a never better Jan Hooks) to its bit players absolutely locked into their role. Frankly, it kind of reminds me more of a Kids In The Hall piece in the way the humor isn’t derived so much from hard jokes but from lived-in characterizations. This is the kind of sketch only this era’s cast (and a blazingly strong Alec Baldwin) could pull off.
2. Mastermind (Chevy Chase, Steve Martin, Martin Short) 86-87
The debate was between Mastermind and Diner for the top spot. Very different sketches, but with a strong emphasis on performance. I opted for Diner because of the ensemble nature, but make no mistake, this is the finest performance from SNL’s most impressive performer. SNL struggled for years to properly take on Ronald Reagan (they would run into those issues again from 2002 to today), but this sketch basically justifies every limp Charles Rocket/Joe Piscopo piece and every not-quite-there Randy Quaid piece. Strong satire and an unparalleled lead showing for Phil Hartman.
3. First Citiwide Change Bank Parts 1 and 2 (Tom Hanks) 88-89
A deadpan masterpiece. Perhaps THE deadpan masterpiece. Dull and stupid is such and amazing comedic combo. This two part ad parody showcases brilliant inanity.
4. Old Hollywood (Malcom Jamal-Warner) 86-87
This Groundlings backpocket piece was the first true masterpiece of the new era. A two-fer that highlighted the brilliant chemistry between Phil Hartman (the vain buffoon) and Jon Lovitz (the exasperated slime). This is a precursor for this cast’s obsession with old Hollywood archetypes and possibly the best vaudevillian back-and-forth the show ever put to tape.
5. ABC Campaign 88 (Tom Hanks) 88-89
After a couple debate sketches in 1976 (one a classic, the other forgotten, but still quite good), SNL took a good long break to return to this well-spring of material. After excellent Republican and Democratic debate parodies the previous season, SNL kicked off the 88-89 season with guns blazing, delivering a debate sketch steeped in jokes and the kind of “show don’t tell” approach to comedy the show would abandon a decade later (we’ll talk about the 2000 debate sketch in a few days, I’m sure). Carvey’s Bush is still in its relative infancy, but this sketch goes along way to providing the impressionist with his key hook. The David Brinkley epilogue is oft-forgotten, but still great.
6. Nude Beach (Matthew Broderick) 88-89
The best of SNL’s lowbrow stupidity. It’s like a bratty kid stomping around screaming the word “penis” because someone told him to stop. Love it.
7. Greenhilly (Alec Baldwin) 89-90
SNL would go to the “two dudes kissing” well pretty heavily from…let’s say 95-2016. It has been funny a few times, but the key is context. Greenhilly is masterclass in escalation. The punchline isn’t that Hartman and Baldwin are kissing, the joke is that Baldwin cannot stop having these passionate moments with everyone around him. The sketch still works even as temperments have changed.
8. Handi-Off (Danny DeVito) 87-88
The reveal of Victoria’s hand OMG. Incredible and so gross. An absolute all-time commercial parody. Never fails to make me laugh.
9. The Nude Talk Show (Alec Baldwin) 89-90
An absurd, ambitious piece with a heaping smack of Jack Handey undertones. Alec Baldwin’s 1990 episode delivered an abundance of hits and this one has always been an underdog favorite (now that Diner seems to have been fully enshrined). More perfect deadpan stupidity from SNL’s best era.
10. Cold Opening (Matthew Modine) 88-89
ANOTHER brilliant Hartman performance. It’s a loose Full Metal Jacket parody, but the joke still works today without any context.
11. Family Ties (Justine Bateman) 87-88
This one needs a little more context to totally get, but if you get it, it’s fantastic. Stellar work, in particular, from Carvey and Jackson.
12. Tales of the Runaway Boulder (Robert Wagner) 89-90
More of Handey’s stupid absurdity. Wagner is fantastic here. “Am I overexplaining this?” What a great line and a great delivery.
13. The People’s Court (Rosanna Arquette) 86-87
This one has always tickled me. Something about Lovitz’s characterization of the devil has always been deeply hilarious to me. His petty bickering at the stand is just so perfect.
14. Gay Communist Gun Club (John Larroquette) 88-89
When I first saw this sketch in the late 90s, I thought I had discovered a lost classic. So glad others see it the same way.
15. Video Will (Chris Evert) 89-90
MONSTER performance by Jon here. In a career jammed with high-end performances, this is possibly her wildest.
16. Church Chat (Charlton Heston) 86-87
My favorite Church Chat – Hooks steals it, obvs.
17. Wilson Trap Doors (Judge Reinhold) 87-88
I love commercial parodies that are rooted immediately in absurd concepts. Not just, “Hey, here’s a funny spin on a type of product you can already imagine” but more “Hey, let’s pretend we live in a universe where THIS would be viable.”
18. Wayne’s World (Tom Hanks) 89-90
The biggest sketch. Too big perhaps. But for such a massive sketch, it remains the sharpest written of all the Wayne’s World sketches. Lots of funny here in between the rowdy atmosphere.
19. Attitudes (Christopher Walken) 89-90
Second to the original in my books, but Walken is a perfect fit, no doubt. Man these sketches were just fantastic. Hooks and Dunn were just SO GOOD.
20. The Night Hannakuh Harry Saved Christmas (Andie MacDowell) 89-90
Perfect Jon Lovtiz performance. I sometimes marvel at how he was able to wring laughs out of the tiniest things.
21. The Garbo I Knew (Alec Baldwin) 89-90
ANOTHER Hooks classic. I always felt it was firmly in the fourth spot on the Baldwin show, but Hooks is, as always, incredible here.
22. The Continental (Christopher Walken) 89-90
There was never a Continental sketch that was less than great. The first is a classic, but they all kind of are.
23. 16th Annual Star Trek Convention (William Shatner) 86-87
The big hook of the sketch lacks the same heft it had in 86, but it still kills. Everyone is great.
24. Colin Blow (Chris Evert) 89-90
I’ve always loved Colin Blow, but I sometimes forget why. Like, the big mountain of cereal, was that parodying something from that time? The joke is more about how insanely unhealthy something like this would be, but the mountain of bowls thing seems like an extra detail that I can’t really connect. I’m officially overthinking this.
25. It’s A Wonderful Life (William Shatner) 86-87
I love a good dummy beatdown. This feels like a holiday classic, but don’t know if I ever need to see it again. Hey look, it’s Kevin Meaney!
26. A Holiday Wish (Chevy Chase, Steve Martin, Martin Short) 86-87
Great Steve Martin essay. I loved when he did these things.
27. Dukakis After Dark (Matthew Modine) 88-89
Lots to like here. Between this, the debate sketch and the democratic debate sketch, SNL made hay with an incredibly dull candidate. To see how hard that is, check out the work they did with John Kerry.
28. Game Breakers (Kevin Kline)
I love high concept, multi-medium pieces. I don’t really know how well this one connected with the audience, but it’s certainly well-written and well-executed.
29. Robot Repair (Mary Tyler Moore) 88-89
The pacing of this one is a little weird for me. It manages to thread a line that would have been death just a few years later, but it generally works here thanks to Hartman’s performance. The audience is a bit ambivalent however.
30. The Arsenio Beckman Show (Rob Lowe) 89-90
Exactly what I think of when I think of great deep cut sketches from this era. Don’t know if I’d have this at five stars though.
31. Fire/Goodnights (Anjelica Huston/Billy Martin) 85-86
A great hail Mary pass. Fabulous concept, execution is decent.
32. Love is a Dream (Melanie Griffith) 88-89
Lovely piece made extra special by unfortunate circumstances. I miss Schiller’s contributions, even if their of little comedic value.
33. Succinctly Speaking (Paul Simon) 87-88
A great moment of breaking. Pretty fun even without the breaking, but it’s Hartman’s outburst that we remember it for. This is the path toward greatness that would be used from 1999 onward.
34. Monologue (Rick Moranis) 89-90
Rick’s running around doing things! Fun!
35. Monologue (Danny DeVito) 88-89
Danny’s running around doing things! Fun!
36. Compulsion (Robert Mitchum) 87-88
A great stylistic parody that I’ve never once laughed at.
37. Yard-A-Pult (James Woods) 89-90
A very good commercial parody. Just very good.
38. Grand Finale (George Wendt/Francis Ford Coppola) 85-86
You kind of have to see the whole episode for this to really have value. Impressive nonetheless.
39. Church Chat (Sean Penn) 87-88
The punch is a classic moment, but not much else happening here. My fifth favorite Church Chat after the Misery parody and just ahead of the Rob Lowe edition.
40. The Big Chill (Kevin Kline) 88-89
Love the gag. It’s great. Just goes on a couple beats too long. Or too short if they were wanting it to come back around to being funny again.
41. Church Chat (Rob Lowe) 89-90
My sixth favorite Church Chat, just ahead of the Fred Savage edition.
42. Portrait of the Artist (John Larroquette) 88-89
Lovitz good, Hartman is fabulous. But eh, never did much for me.
43. You Mock Me (John Malkovich) 88-89
Hmm, it’s kind of funny, I guess.
Here are the 11 highest-rated episodes from SNL’s Renaissance Era (1986-1990):
11. 5/20/89: Steve Martin / Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers (7.7)
10. 11/22/86: Robin Williams / Paul Simon with Ladysmith Black Mambazo (7.7)
9. 12/20/86: William Shatner / Lone Justice (7.7)
8. 10/7/89: Rick Moranis / Rickie Lee Jones (7.8)
7. 10/22/88: John Larroquette / Randy Newman with Mark Knopfler (7.8)
6. 12/19/87: Paul Simon / Linda Ronstadt with The Mariachi Vargas (7.8)
5. 12/9/89: Robert Wagner / Linda Ronstadt and Aaron Neville (8.0)
4. 11/11/89: Chris Evert / Eurythmics (8.0)
3. 1/20/90: Christopher Walken / Bonnie Raitt (8.3)
2. 10/8/88: Tom Hanks / Keith Richards (8.5)
Honorable mentions, tied at (7.6):
12/2/89: John Goodman / K.D. Lang & The Reclines;
10/28/89: James Woods / Don Henley;
1/21/89: John Malkovich / Anita Baker;
11/5/88: Matthew Modine / Edie Brickell & New Bohemians;
3/21/87: Bill Murray / Percy Sledge; AND
1. 4/21/90: Alec Baldwin / The B-52’s (8.8)
It’s a shorter list for a shorter chunk of time – I split the ’86-’93 era in two. 5 from season 15; 3 from season 14; 1 from season 13; 2 from season 12.
Five-Timers Individual Rankings:
7.8 – Candice Bergen/Frank Zappa (2.10)
6.5 – Candice Bergen/Esther Phillips (1.04)
6.5 – Candice Bergen/Cher (13.05)
6.4 – Candice Bergen/The Notting Hillbillies (15.20)
6.3 – Candice Bergen/Martha Reeves (1.08)
Here are my 20 favorite sketches from this era that did not receive five stars from Stooge. Usually I only do 10, but I realized I had far more than 10 I wanted to shine some light on. I wanted to at least get to some deep cuts. At least 15 of the 20 here would be personal five star sketches, many of them top ranking five star pieces. Even as we dig deeper into the show’s history, it’s hard for me not to look back on this era and marvel at the absolutely perfect marriage of performance and writing that these seasons boasted (85-86 excepted). Enjoy!
1. Waikiki Hockey (Wayne Gretzky) 88-89
People sometimes forget that the whole point of having a jock host is to have fun with their awkwardness. The joy of a Charles Barkley episode isn’t his performing strength, it’s his performing weakness. The Wayne Gretzky episode, and this sketch in particular, is the finest example of the appeal of the fish out of water athlete host. Gretzky is totally wooden in his central role of these delightful Elvis movie parody (he plays Chad Gretzky, a real stretch), but the rest of the cast, including an especially strong Dana Carvey, simply dance circles around him, making Gretzky’s non-performance all the more endearing. Full marks from some expert burnt steak puck handling though. Waikiki Hockey is a smart and ambitious piece with a host who isn’t up to the task, but a cast that will carry him on their shoulders. A personal favorite.
2. Ski Lodge (Paul Simon) 87-88
SNL’s all about those singular moments. This sketch – the top rung of the always solid Sweeney Sisters sketches – hinges on such a moment. With the spotlight on a clearly embarrassed Paul Simon, Jan Hooks gives him a face to face show with one of the most tortured vocal performances this side of late-era Nick The Lounge Singer. It’s just a moment in a much larger sketch, but it’s a transcendent moment of pure absurdity.
3. Attitudes (John Malkovich) 88-89
Hooks and Dunn are as valuable a SNL comedy duo as any other. The two are experts in the field of comedic inanity. From the rapid fire dialogue in the Diner sketch to the talent-ish tastelessness of the Sweeney Sisters, the two shared a sort of spiritual bond. Attitudes is their absolute highlight as a pair. A dead-on parody of an actual Lifetime talk show, Attitudes is brilliantly funny whether you’re familiar with the source material or not (I speak with authority – I was not familiar with the source material). Instead, the humor is found in the smaller moments – Nora’s 80s aesthetic excess, Jan’s subtle annoyance, Malkovich’s deadpan dullardry. The other editions of this sketch (particularly the Christopher Walken edition) are at or near its equal, but the first Attitudes installment remains a special highlight. Timeless, with or without the full context.
4. The Honest Man (Joe Montana & Walter Payton) 86-87
Go back to my No. 1. When you have a wooden host, you need to use that woodenness to your advantage. This fun piece reaches amazing levels with Joe Montana’s hilariously flat performance and a closing line to vanquish all closing lines (until the Carpool sketch 20 years later).
5. Mountain Stories (Dolly Parton) 88-89
There was a wealth of material to work with when the iconic Dolly Parton hosted. But after getting some token gags out of the way (one boob sketch for each breast), the show was able to have the most fun with Dolly’s Tennessee Mountain upbringing. This full cast piece (minus newbies Myers and Stiller) runs on a great premise and even better performances – especially from Hartman, Lovitz, Hooks, Jackson and a hilarious Miller.
6. Church Chat (Judge Reinhold) 87-88
My second favorite Church Lady sketch behind only the Jim and Tammy Faye edition. The Church Lady was always best when there seemed to be a point and the character actually made sense with her surroundings. The glut of 80s televangelist scandals paired perfectly with Carvey’s character’s ascendance. Here, a brilliant Hartman and a brilliant Franken get righteously skewered by Carvey’s justifiably snarky host. It’s the Church Lady at her zeitgeisty best.
7. Donahue (Malcolm Jamal-Warner) 86-87
Phil’s first moment to shine and he knocks it out of the park. There is a more ambitious version of the sketch later on, but the joy of this one is hearing the audience discover a true genius in real time. Everyone’s really funny here and the writing is quite strong, but Hartman anchors it and gives it an extra jolt in all the right places. A quality he would bring with consistency for the next eight seasons.
8. Sloppy Eater (Robert Wagner) 89-90
There may not be much to this sketch on paper, but full marks to the execution. Wagner and Hooks are fantastic and this piece justifiably KILLS with the audience. A simple, but very effective bit of classic sketch comedy here.
9. Toonces, The Driving Cat (Steve Martin) 88-89
I think we all collectively love Unfrozen Caveman Lawyer a little more, but Toonces was the first Handey piece that captured the audience’s enthusiasm. The master of “so stupid, it’s smart” comedy hit the jackpot with this silly cartoon of a sketch. Steve Martin and Victoria Jackson are perfect.
10. Democratic Debate (Carl Weathers) 87-88
We spent the 2019-2020 season suffering through the deluge of Democratic Primary debate sketches, with their exorbitant runtimes, middle-of-the-road political stances, extended applause breaks and tedious stunt casting (Dear SNL, literally ANYONE can play Joe Biden, no need to bring in ringers), but not a single one of them will ever touch this stacked classic. It may not be flush with iconic moments, but every moment of this thing is as hilarious as some of the more prominent debate sketches.
11. Jew, Not A Jew (Tom Hanks) 88-89
Honestly, I just love this piece. Highly quotable with a really urgent get-in/get-out quality that makes a somewhat dodgy premise work.
12. Death Be Not Deadly (Robert Mitchum) 87-88
A brilliant film noir parody that really plays with the tropes. This feels like a classic Kevin Nealon piece with timeless silliness and a certain deadpan charm. Mitchum, of course, is fabulous here.
13. Russian Translator (Angie Dickenson) 87-88
An essential, but forgotten Nealon piece, once again flush with so much deadpan silliness. Probably one of the two or three best Cold Opens of the era.
14. Berlin Wall (Chris Evert) 89-90
I always saw this as the quintessential Carvey-Bush piece – everything great and absurd about the impression all coalescing into a generally more focused piece. I also love that it’s not a cold open and just ends with Bush awkwardly saying “bye!” Too funny.
15. Attack Of The Masturbating Zombies (Robert Wagner) 89-90
More brilliant absurdity from the batty Robert Wagner episode. I love and dearly miss those long, multi-setpiece sketches, especially when they’re as deliriously stupid as this.
16. At The Movies (Danny Devito) 87-88
I long-forgotten gem that always tickled me. I know that this kind of topic is a little extra taboo these days, but the idea of Siskel and Ebert having a serious debate about gay porn still really brings a smile to my face.
17. The Fifth Beatle (Matthew Broderick) 88-89
An underrated Phil Hartman, with terrific assists from Carvey, Nealon and Lovitz (and Miller is there too!). Albert Goldman being in old balding man even in his flashbacks is an especially funny gag.
18. The Big Bitch Bulldyke Bustout of 89 (Rick Moranis) 89-90
OK, get around the deliberately provocative title and you’re dealing with a very funny piece that puts a special focus on the distinct strengths of this era’s three women. The audience is having a blast with this one too.
19. Tom Hanks Monologue (Tom Hanks) 89-90
One of my all-time favorite monologues. It always baffled me that it didn’t completely kill.
20. George Wendt Monologue (George Wendt & Francis Ford Coppola) 85-86
The George Wendt episode is far and away the best of the troubled 85-86, but it’s magic is in its accumulative effect. That said, some of the individual pieces really sparkle – none brighter than this smart, silly monologue – one of the best of the era.
can I get a digital copy of this episode?
I would ask for your copy of this episode, mainly for the technical difficulties thing, since I’m kind of a nerd for that sort of unplanned ephemera (Technical Difficulties, Emergency Broadcasts, etc.), and may even upload it to YouTube, BUT, I personally remember NBC being complete dicks about that sort of thing, so maybe it’s best not to poke the bear.