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Saturday Night Live :: George Carlin/Janis Ian & Billy Preston (01x01)
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Episode Information |
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| Title: | George Carlin/Janis Ian & Billy Preston |
| Episode #: | 01x01 |
| Original Airdate: | Saturday October 11th, 1975 |
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 marvelfan89
Total Reviews: 112
Not Useful
Useful
| The first episode of the classic show (RIP George Carlin)
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!!!!!! This review contains spoilers !!!!!!
A classic show is born (RIP George Carlin).
Well in honor of George Carlin SNL/ NBC ran its first episode. In light of the sadness that many Carlin fans feel still this was a monumental moment here considering its the first episode and who better to have hosted it than a comedy legend like Carlin?
Man even comparing this episode to any of the crap SNL produces nowadays is mind blowing as there is no comparison. Today's SNL is CRAP, yesterday's SNL was classic, edgy, politically incorrect, original and most important funny, very funny. This is something that I can't say much about the SNL of today. Anyways on to the pilot episode:
The opening sketch with John Belushi learning ESL was absolutely brilliant, nowadays of course so called edgy comedies have joined on the immigrant jokes bandwagon but SNL to do this and do it in a way that is funny is saying something. Coincidentally, this sketch is often replayed a lot during any mention of John Belushi. Coincidence? Not really. It was also played during the 20 or 15 th anniversary celebration many years ago. Great Sketch.
George Carlin does his monologue and the crowd loves it. Whether Carlin was "on drugs" during this show seems to be a moot point, he was funny even though as stated he does not appear in the sketches. The "courtroom" sketch was funny.
Now we get to Andy Kaufman doing the famous Mighty Mouse song and yes Andy just like Belushi was often funny. In the hands of anybody else, this would have failed miserably but only Andy could make something like this so hilarious.
Black artist Janis Ian performs her music and is very touching. The "Shark Bite" sketch was funny as hell. SNL often routinely did sketches where there was a con man or a disturbed individual trying to manipulate a person or persons to their scam and this was one of them. Dan Aykroyd often played this slimeballs like a true genius here it was another comedy genius John Belushi doing it. He and Curtin had chemistry here. The "Jamitol" sketch was average but considering the really touch subject of two gay men there's not much they could have done here although in later sketches they would really push the envelope of this subject (remember the famous Bill Murray/OJ Simpson kiss spoofing Mandigo?)
The debut of Weekend Update was decent and I always enjoyed Chevy Chase making fun of President Ford. Again another classic routine that SNL would do smartly is making fun of Presidents especially Presidents that deserve to be made fun of which continue to this day with the likes of George W. Bush.
The Muppets sketch involving The Land of Gorch did feel a bit out of touch but anybody who knew about the Muppets must have loved this sketch. I liked the Muppets so seeing this back it still made me laugh and at the very least nostalgic so high points here as well.
The Bee Hospital sketch is admittedly a dumb sketch but in its defense is funny once you get used to it. Today SNL passes of MANY dumb sketches for a laugh but without the likes of a Chevy Chase, Belushi or an Aykroyd is just doesn't achieve its desired result.
One of my favorite politically incorrect (or was it?) sketches was the "Show Us Your Guns" home video. This was funny to see normal people who you wouldn't see carrying a gun in all sorts of situations shows us their guns. I mean think about that for a sec we are nation of gun lovers that much is true by the numerous gun related death in America year after year, yet whenever the media or somebody else points out the problems of having so many guns, gun lovers turn a blind eye to this since of course it doesn't involved them since they are not dead. I loved this sketch it showed me that in a sarcastic, dark humored way the writers were in tune into what was really going in society meaning that while people object to guns in general, many would people feel safer having one even though the results might be deadly Again whatever the intent was it was a funny sketch. Nowadays you'll see many sketches spoofing gun use, gun ownership done to the point of insanity.
"The Home Security" sketch was another brilliant sketch. Again another really original sketch where the writers are trying to show capitalism, manipulation, and advertising all in one scene. Brilliant. The sketch is basically about a family (Belushi and Gilda Radner) being manipulated (often forcefully and in poor taste) into acquiring a home security they don't really need. Hmmm some things don't change do they? We still got advertisers and slimeballs hit us with products we don't really need in the hopes that they will solve our paranoid fears. This sketch is done brilliant by Aykroyd, Morris, Gilda and John. It's not a failure at all, it might be the most brilliant sketch of the night.
After watching the pilot episode so many years later, there is no doubt in my eyes that this really was the catalyst for many cutting SNL shows to come. Then you have the fact most of the cast members from Belushi, Chase, Curtin, Morris, Aykrod are still heads and shoulders still better and funnier than even the new cast of SNL today well it's not hard to realize how SNL has achieved such longevity. If only the shows they had today are of same high quality.
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| Review posted on Monday, June 30th 2008 1:57 am |
| 2 members found this review useful |
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