I grew up with SCTV -- literally, I was 11-12 when the Friday night, 11:30 NBC show was becoming a hit, and even though my parents allowed me to stay up until 1 a.m. to watch it I usually couldn't make it to the end and fell asleep! I learned some of the bits from AUDIO tapes a friend would record of the TV (since nobody had a VCR yet). As others have pointed out before me, Saturday Night Live focused on short skits, eventually requiring tight punchline endings and such. The 1970s SNL was more strange and subversive, not necessarily leaning on mere humor/ parody, but also being cutting edge and critical of established mid-'70s comedy tropes. Skits would wander to an end, or skew creepy rather than funny, some of the film shorts like Schiller's Reel would be mysterious, and so on. SCTV was about story arcs and CREATING characters (LaRue, Prickley, Caballero) rather than impersonations of celebs. They'd parody the styles of ads (Harvey K-Tel somewhat mirroring Ackroyd's pitchmen on SNL) or shows (The Days Of The Week lampooning soaps), but there weren't 5-minute bits or simply returning a character, SNL-style, for serial 5-minute bits, but rather going for all-episode, week-to-week continuity. Even a bit player at SCTV, like Eugene Levy's security guy at the front door, would have some continuous situations from show to show. Not saying one style is better or worse, just that shows like Fridays or Mad TV could copy SNL, but you couldn't really copy SCTV.
Great show, Bob Hope bits are 😂
I can’t think of anyone else who does Hope. He’s great.
I grew up with SCTV -- literally, I was 11-12 when the Friday night, 11:30 NBC show was becoming a hit, and even though my parents allowed me to stay up until 1 a.m. to watch it I usually couldn't make it to the end and fell asleep! I learned some of the bits from AUDIO tapes a friend would record of the TV (since nobody had a VCR yet).
As others have pointed out before me, Saturday Night Live focused on short skits, eventually requiring tight punchline endings and such. The 1970s SNL was more strange and subversive, not necessarily leaning on mere humor/ parody, but also being cutting edge and critical of established mid-'70s comedy tropes. Skits would wander to an end, or skew creepy rather than funny, some of the film shorts like Schiller's Reel would be mysterious, and so on. SCTV was about story arcs and CREATING characters (LaRue, Prickley, Caballero) rather than impersonations of celebs. They'd parody the styles of ads (Harvey K-Tel somewhat mirroring Ackroyd's pitchmen on SNL) or shows (The Days Of The Week lampooning soaps), but there weren't 5-minute bits or simply returning a character, SNL-style, for serial 5-minute bits, but rather going for all-episode, week-to-week continuity. Even a bit player at SCTV, like Eugene Levy's security guy at the front door, would have some continuous situations from show to show. Not saying one style is better or worse, just that shows like Fridays or Mad TV could copy SNL, but you couldn't really copy SCTV.
I agree with Dave on being funny. My mother was a nasty psychopath and I learned early that laughing people usually will not hit you.
r.i.p. kelly preston
How did you folks convince Mr. Thomas to do your podcast?
Frank: "Yeah we had Al Jaffe on here, hes 96!"
Dave: "Holy S$%#!"
LMAO!!!!
So why is there a thumbnail of Dave with his wife?
Dave Thomas looks great; so glad Prison hasnt put a damper on his Humor.
Need to RUclips all those Bob Hope impersonations by Dave Thomas!!!