Segments are rated on a scale of 1-5 stars
COLD OPENING
senators question Clarence Thomas (TIM) & give him some harassing tips
— Some good opening laughs from Kevin doing a rundown to Ellen’s Anita Hill of all the unpleasant topics they discussed during her part of the hearings.
— Boy, that is some awful-looking hair on Kevin’s Joe Biden. But I suppose the same can be said about the real Biden’s hair at the time.
— I love the cutaways to the senators all murmuring to each other in an impressed manner whenever Tim’s Clarence Thomas unintentionally gives them advice on how to pick up women.
— Very big audience reaction to the hilarious reveal of Phil playing Ted Kennedy. I also loved his question “Were you, ah, drunk at the time?”
— Dana is PRICELESS as Strom Thurmond.
— Oh, god, please don’t make me address the elephant in the room regarding what an uncomfortable coincidence it now is that Al Franken was cast in a sketch about senators giving sexual harassment tips.
— I like Al’s Senator Paul Simon harping on how his bowtie hurts his chances with women.
— Great walk-on from Rock as Long Dong Silver.
— Nice to see Rock deliver his very first “Live from New York…”.
— A classic cold opening overall.
STARS: *****
OPENING MONTAGE
— In the original live East Coast broadcast of this episode, Don Pardo’s timing is wildly off throughout the entire opening montage. He announces everybody’s names either way too late or way too early. He especially has a rough time during the long list of featured players. When the shot of Tim Meadows comes up, Pardo completely blanks and just stays silent during the shots of the next few featured players (Sandler, Schneider, Spade). Then after the shot of David Spade, Pardo tries to catch up by quickly spitting out “Adamsandlerrobschneiderdavidspade” in rapid succession without taking a breath, leaving out poor Tim. The version I’m reviewing of this episode is the West Coast tape-delayed “live” airing from that night, in which they replace Pardo’s botched announcing with his flawless announcing from dress rehearsal.
MONOLOGUE
host & Ted Danson, Woody Harrelson, George Wendt, Kelsey Grammer [real]
— Huge, and I mean HUGE audience reactions to the succession of cameos from Kirstie’s “Cheers” co-stars, who each pop out from a random place in the studio and join in on Kirstie’s singing of the “Cheers” theme song. Very infectious energy here.
— With George Wendt’s cameo here, his cameo two weeks earlier in the Super Fans sketch from the season premiere, and his hosting the preceding season’s finale, he has been appearing on SNL a LOT around this time, more than some of the actual cast members (especially David Spade, who’s been almost completely invisible so far this season).
— I like Ted Danson’s callback to the memorable sketch he got to do with live pigs when he hosted.
— I love the running bit with Kelsey Grammer constantly being ignored when explaining to his co-stars that, unlike them, he’s never hosted SNL.
— A lot of good laughs from Kirstie’s irritation over her co-stars taking over her monologue duties by reading off her concluding lines.
— Great ending with Kelsey taking pleasure in standing alone onstage and concluding the singing of the “Cheers” theme song.
STARS: *****
LONELY CHOICE
Lonely Choice Dinners are frozen entrees for women without relationships
— Siobhan Fallon finally gets her first big showcase.
— This is a lesser-known fake ad from this era (especially since it was cut from the 60-minute version that Comedy Central used to always air of this episode), but this is being executed nicely with a good subtle approach and a solid spokesperson performance from Siobhan.
— Some funny details in the visual of the TV dinners, especially the two big sleeping pills on top of one of the meals, and the giant Oreo cookie.
— I like the meal titles shown on the pile of dinner boxes (last screencap above).
— Funny ending slogan from Phil’s voice-over: “We’ve taken the ‘difficult’ out of ‘difficult and sad’.”
STARS: ***½
IL CANTORE
overamorous Italians serve the Kirpatricks (host) & (KEN) at a restaurant
— The restaurant set being used in this sketch would go on to be familiar, as it would be frequently used in a number of sketches from later this era, including the season 18 sketch with Kevin Kline as an uncontrollably farting Italian celebrity and the Pepper Boy sketch from Dana Carvey’s season 20 episode.
— The Italians’ overly-affectionate actions towards Kirstie are hilarious.
— Dana’s actions towards Kirstie are getting particularly funny, especially him licking all over her face.
— This sketch has now become an absolute riot, with Dana being seen humping Victoria on a restaurant table in the background while Kirstie remains completely oblivious to it. This is the other sketch I was talking about in my review of the preceding season’s Roseanne Barr episode, where I said that episode contained the first of two times in 1991 where Victoria Jackson gets humped on a restaurant table during a sketch.
— This sketch is getting more and more outrageous as it goes along. I love it.
— Strong ending with Kevin and Kirstie thinking they’ll experience more civility at a nearby Greek restaurant.
STARS: *****
IT’S PAT
androgynous Pat receives birthday greetings from parent Francys (host)
— Julia Sweeney’s birthday was earlier that week (October 10), which is probably what inspired the idea of this sketch.
— Julia’s Pat voice seems to get increasingly higher pitched and whinier with each passing sketch this character appears in. I personally prefer the low-pitched voice Julia used in the first two Pat sketches.
— I like a confused Chris Rock entering the scene while dumbfoundedly saying “Your mothe– your fath–” over and over when trying to tell Pat that a parent of Pat’s has arrived.
— Speaking of Rock, something about the way he’s dressed in this sketch really emphasizes his extreme skinniness.
— Great turn with Kirstie entering as Pat’s equally-androgynous parent.
— Kirstie’s really good at imitating the Pat giggle.
— Despite my earlier mention of not liking Pat’s whinier voice as much as Pat’s lower pitched voice from earlier installments, I got a good laugh just now from Julia’s over-the-top delivery of the line “I want you to hear the MADNESS!”
— Good ending with Pat’s co-workers singing a variation of “For He’s a Jolly Good Fellow”, with the lyrics awkwardly altered to be gender unspecific.
— I’m surprised this didn’t end with them cutting to the usual closing credits sequence with the Pat theme song. Wonder why they didn’t do that here.
— One of the more memorable Pat sketches overall.
STARS: ****
DEEP THOUGHTS BY JACK HANDEY
on saying “puke” at the dinner table
MUSICAL PERFORMANCE
musical guest performs “Into the Great Wide Open”
WEEKEND UPDATE
CSR says Clarence Thomas is guilty of nothing more than bad pick-up lines
VIJ’s erudite term limits commentary turns out to have been ghost-written
Phil Perry (ROS) voices athletes’ thoughts during baseball highlights
— When talking about Anita Hill, I liked Rock asking “Isn’t that the same woman who was caught smoking crack with Marion Barry? Someone should do a check.”
— Some okay lines from Rock, but his delivery here is stumbly and this commentary isn’t as good as his Update commentaries usually are.
— Surprisingly, this is Victoria’s first Update commentary as herself in over a year. She didn’t do any in season 16.
— A weak and obvious punchline to Victoria’s commentary, with her admitting she didn’t write the intelligent speech she just delivered.
— Some good laughs from Rob’s sportscaster getting out of hand with his voicing athletes’ thoughts during sports clips, especially when he starts resorting to bad stereotypical ethnic voices.
STARS: ***
THEIR EYES WERE ON THEIR BREASTS!
female aliens distract male earthlings
— The spaceship the aliens are standing in front of is the same spaceship that would later be used in a notorious season 20 sketch involving Deion Sanders and an accidental mooning from Farley. The scenery behind the spaceship appears to be the same in both sketches too.
— Solid concept.
— Kevin has been in tons of sketches tonight.
— Funny brief walk-on from Farley.
— I love the cutaways to each of the three scientists staring intensely at the aliens’ eye breasts.
— The questions the scientists ask the aliens are really funny. I especially like “When you get older, does your vision sag?” and “Can you see better when it’s cold outside?”
STARS: ***½
COFFEE TALK WITH PAUL BALDWIN
Linda Richman (MIM) & (host) are big Barbra Streisand fans
— Though they’re still using the “Coffee Talk with Paul Baldwin” title, we get the debut of Linda Richman, filling in for an ill Baldwin. Very rare for SNL to suddenly revamp an already somewhat-established recurring sketch in this drastic manner. I can’t think of any other time in SNL history that this has happened, but perhaps I’m forgetting some examples.
— Phil’s performance as Kirstie’s husband is funny and is adding good realism to the scene.
— Linda Richman is certainly a more fleshed-out character than Paul Baldwin, and we’re immediately seeing all of what would go on to be Linda Richman’s trademarks, including her Barbra Streisand obsession, her describing something as being “like buttah”, her speaking Yiddish, her getting verklempt and instructing us “Tawk amongst yuhselves… I’ll give you a tawpic…”, etc.
— Overall, while I didn’t laugh all that much aside from Phil’s lines, I didn’t hate this sketch. After recently sitting through the one-note Paul Baldwin-hosted Coffee Talk installments, in which New York accents was literally the only “joke”, this Linda Richman debut came off oddly kinda refreshing to me. However, I know my lenience towards Richman will not last much longer the more I’ll have to sit through these sketches, especially when we arrive at season 19 where the character appeared ad nauseam.
STARS: **½
MUSICAL PERFORMANCE
musical guest performs “Kings Highway”
PSYCHO DIVORCED MOTHER
(host) damns phone company & cable company to Hell
— Great reveal of the title “Psycho Divorced Mother” after the opening scene where Kirstie snapped at her two kids.
— Kirstie going off on an insane rant to nobody about the phone company is providing some good laughs.
— I absolutely loved Kirstie’s raspy-voiced delivery of “Damn you to HELL, cable company!”
— Kirstie has gotten so into her psychotic characterization that it sounds like she almost dropped an MF-bomb just now, during her cable company rant. She begins to say “Die, mother–” but then immediately cuts herself off.
— Wow, this sketch was quick.
STARS: ***½
DEEP THOUGHTS BY JACK HANDEY
on cutting down screaming trees
LOOK WHO ELSE IS TALKING ALSO
possessions of James (DAC) & Mollie (host)
— I loved the line from the Tom Davis-voiced dog, saying “I get lucky every night… because I can lick myself.”
— The usual very funny John Travolta impression from Dana.
— I liked the ending with the talking condom and diaphragm.
STARS: ***½
DEEP THOUGHTS BY JACK HANDEY
on how a child can look like a deer
GOODNIGHTS
MIM kills time by leading a round of “O Canada”
— These particular goodnighs are very unique. There’s A LOT of extra time to fill before the ending credits scroll by, so we’ll be seeing lots of comical vamping for time. According to what I once heard, the reason the show has so much time to fill here is because a sketch was removed at the last minute, with nothing scheduled to replace it. Supposedly, the removed sketch was a parody of the then-current William Kennedy Smith rape trial, and SNL apparently was worried that sketch would be too much in an episode that already had a parody of the Clarence Thomas sexual harassment hearings as the cold opening.
— Speaking of sexual harassment and rape trials, during part of her goodnights speech, Kirstie brings up how there’s so much in the news lately about sexual harassment allegations going on and then thanks the people at SNL for not sexually harassing her, at which point several of the guys onstage jokingly lunge at her and grab her breasts (and no, Al Franken was not among the guys who did that, for anyone wondering).
— Mike Myers has now been brought to the front of the stage and tries to lead everyone in a round of “O Canada”, only nobody else onstage seems to know the words, so they just laugh and try to clown around with Mike while he’s doing his best to continue the song.
— This is so fun seeing the natural goofy, loose antics of the cast as themselves, which feels so rare to see in this period of the show. It was much more common during the original era and even the early 80s.
— About halfway through the scrolling ending credits, everybody walks off the stage one-by-one, leaving only the SNL Band, who continue to play the goodnights theme music on a now-empty stage.
— It’s amazing how long these goodnights are STILL going on, long after the scrolling credits have finished. This is beautiful, and really makes you appreciate the goodnights theme music.
— It sounds like the band was starting to play the rarely-heard official ending notes of the goodnights theme right as the Broadway Video and NBC Productions vanity cards started showing up, but unfortunately, in the recording I’m watching of this episode, the tape seems to cut off right at that moment and goes to another recording. Too bad; I started getting goosebumps at hearing those ending notes. I believe the only two other times in SNL history where we get to hear the official ending notes of the goodnights theme are the ice-skating goodnights of two episodes: Candice Bergen from 1976 and Kevin Hart from 2017.
— Reruns of this episode shorten these goodnights extremely. All the vamping for time before the ending credits roll are removed, as is the SNL Band’s extended playing after the credits finish rolling. To fill in the extra time left by the removal of those moments, reruns add in a cut dress rehearsal sketch called “I Love Lucy: The Lost Tapes”. It’s obvious that sketch was made sometime later in the season, because future cast member Melanie Hutsell is in it playing Ethel.
IMMEDIATE POST-SHOW THOUGHTS
— A strong episode. The first half in particular was absolutely amazing, being dominated by all-time memorable pieces. There was also a high energy in the air throughout the episode to go along with the fine quality. The cast’s unique time-killing antics during the very extended goodnights only added to this episode’s special feel.
HOW THIS EPISODE STACKS UP AGAINST THE PRECEDING ONE (Jeff Daniels)
a step up
My full set of screencaps for this episode is here
TOMORROW
Christian Slater
It’s amazing how the opening and monologue get the show off to such a hot start, while (although this is slightly better in recent seasons) there were many dreadful recent seasons in which this was the weakest part of the show, a guaranteed snoozer political opening and an uninspired Q&A or musical monologue.
You’ll get to this, obviously, but I loved the episode next season when Alley’s monologue is again interrupted by Cheers cast members, but they are all just SNL performers. I saw the latter first and that’s funnier now that I know what it is parodying.
I remember reading your review for this in the old SNL forum, and you pointing out the psycho mom sketch is a good example of how competent hosts can get something out of pretty flimsy premises.
Although “Cheers” was past its prime by Fall ’91, it would still be a strong and memorable show to its finale 2 Springs later … unlike a certain other Thursday night sitcom in its last season at the time of this episode’s broadcast but waaaaaaay past its welcome, SPEAK OF THE SEXUAL-HARASSMENT-ELEPHANT-IN-THE-ROOM-DEVIL-IN-HINDSIGHT, I’m talking about “The Cosby Show.”
Anyway, I loved season 17.
Kirstie Alley is one of my favorite comedic actresses from this time period, wish she hosted more often in the 90s.
I would love to see that ending again.
There’s a funny edit to the monologue. In the LIVE show, the band misses their cue from Kelsey to start playing the end of the Cheers theme song. He literally turns around and glares at them to get it going, but they snip that part out of reruns.
I remember bits and pieces of this – mainly the Pat sketch, Coffee Talk, and of course, the restaurant sketch. I remember at one time thinking this sketch was risque. That idea is a bit quaint now (although I’m sure Sandler in that thong would still get some tongues wagging…).
I had forgotten for a long long time that Alley hosted twice. Sometimes I forget how popular she was in the late ’80s/early ’90s.
I wonder if that screaming at the phone sketch is an homage to her movie with occasional host John Laroquette, Madhouse, where they have a big rage meltdown.
I don’t remember those long goodnights. I wish I could see them! I love that type of thing.
Didn’t they do an alien breast sketch in the Dolly Parton episode too?
I wonder if SNL cast a black woman with the Anita Hill controversy on their minds or if that was just a happy accident. I mostly remember Phil’s parts of that sketch (his scathing, very funny, very sad Ted Kennedy, the butt of so many early ’90s jokes), but this was also a reminder of the broader material you can cover with a more diverse cast.
I LOVE the Clarence Thomas hearings sketch. So fantastic and all the impressions are hilarious. Of course, it’s something that would not fly today AT ALL. The Cantore restaurant is another example of an outstanding sketch that probably would not be done on modern SNL.
Let’s add “Look who else is Talking also” to the list of things SNL accidentally predicted…especially since hearing the Dog’s thoughts would turn out to be the plot of the eventual 3rd movie, “Look who’s Talking Now” (that bombed miserably, BTW). Granted, it’s not as big a deal as the Triple-Trac or Fallon hosting in Xmas 2011, but it’s something.
Sad it bombed because great movie. Love Kirstie Alley. Loved when she hosted SNL!
typical strong Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers performance, as usual.
I have the episode downloaded and I have seen the goodnights.
A-maz-ing!
I was scared I wasn’t going to get the extended goodnights, because my copy had the Lucy sketch, but I guess someone just splived that into the live show, for completeness.
Was funny to see Lenny repeatedly look towards the cameras and/or monitors to see if the show was still on.
There’s a good new interview out with Siobhan Fallon, one of my favorite one-and-done cast members. She mentions that she was supposed to play Victoria Jackson’s role in the Italian restaurant sketch, but did not feel comfortable doing so.
https://www.vulture.com/article/siobhan-fallon-hogan-snl-interview.html
On the one hand, it’s one of the moments I remember most in the sketch and a late-in-her-run highlight for Victoria. On the other hand, I respect Siobhan for sticking to her principles.
Didn’t Siobhan’s refusal to do any of the racier material end up being a key factor in her only lasting a season?
Without getting too into gossip, her kids went to my school (I was the grade above one of her sons) and she was definitely one of the more evangelical parents. I remember her being one of the parents who started a petition to ban the school from teaching “Catcher in the Rye” because they were afraid of the influence it would have on their children. I saw her son at a few parties and…. well, I guess I’ll say I doubt he was reading the book in the first place.
I am surprised Victoria Jackson was willing to do it. I mean it’s acting at all but being a Christian I was a bit surprised.
On the one hand, it’s one of the moments I remember most in the sketch and a late-in-her-run highlight for Victoria. On the other hand, I respect Siobhan for sticking to her principles.
Something that always bothered me about the monologue – Where was Rhea Perlman? Did the writers forget she hosted too or was she unavailable to show up?
I guess since she hosted during the Ebersol era, it didn’t count?
At present time, the only “Cheers” cast members that have yet to appear on “SNL” are Shelley Long and John Ratzenburger.
And of course Colosonto. Oh and Bebe Neuwirth never hosted.
Shelley would have been a great host. She could have done so during the Ebersol years and when Lorne first came back between 85 and 87.
Maybe she turned it down due to lack of time. She starred in four movies during her five years on Cheers. Her best shot might’ve been hosting at the beginning of the 1984-85 season (season 3 for Cheers) to promote Irreconcilable Differences, but she was several months pregnant at this time, giving birth in March 1985. Money Pit was supposedly filmed soon after that, coming out in March 1986. Outrageous Fortune supposedly filmed for several months after that, coming out in January 1987. She hosted the Emmy Awards in September 1986. Even Ted Danson didn’t host SNL until 1989, after the supporting cast had basically taken over Cheers and he wasn’t carrying the show anymore.
She may have had another window in the 1985-86 season, but if you look at the hosts then, it looks like Lorne was trying to avoid using TV stars at first, before relenting late in the season. Ironically, the first TV star to host that season was George Wendt in March 1986, which was 4 days before Money Pit was released. That would’ve been another good time for Shelley to host. But of course she was still starring in Cheers and had an infant at home, so maybe they asked her and she couldn’t do it. Maybe George became a natural second choice at that point.
Yeah, kinda surprising Danson didn’t host until Cheers had been on the air for seven years. Probably scheduling. NBC was probably pushing for it for awhile.
According to “SNL in Review” on twitter, IL Cantore was written by Rob Schneider and Adam Sandler
RIP Kirstie Alley
I cried a lot when we lost her. That one hit hard. Always loved her.
RIP Kirstie Alley. Always such a fascinating presence in these years.
https://abcnews.go.com/GMA/kirstie-alley-dies-71-after-cancer-battle-family
RIP Kirstie
Here’s my review of the musical performances
Into the Great Wide Open
— I like Kirstie’s red outfit
— Love the creepy, rapid-fire vibrato that the lead electric guitarist is using on the opening notes
— Good interplay between the acoustic and electric guitars on the verses
— Tom Petty’s voice sounds pretty good here, similar to studio version.
— More nice vibrato by the electric guitarist during the brief solo after the first chorus
— Tasty piano fills in the background.
— Strong, solid performance.
STARS: ****
Kings Highway
— Wow this is an incredibly simple riff for a song to be based on. Just a half tone up and down three times in a triplet rhythm.
— There’s just something about the way Petty delivers a song that makes it compelling, even though he sounds so casual and the music is often very simple.
— Energetic guitar solo to close things out.
— That was so basic yet so enjoyable.
STARS: ****
Correct me if I’m wrong, But is this the only time Chris Rock delivers a solo LFNY?
VERY FIRST JOE BIDEN IMPRESSION! And its by Kevin Nealan!
And now another Biden reference BY Kevin Nealan! Thats wild.
Eye Boob sketch is dumb. I hate it.
Linda is funnier than Paul. Good move by the writers.
Yeah is a bad sketch the eye boob one
Watched this episode on TBD. There was a “Lost episodes of Lucy” sketch included that I don’t think I’ve ever seen before. Fallon was Lucy. Hutsell was Ethel. Carvey was Ricky. Farley was Fred.
Where was this from?