While the entire cast was brilliant, Levy was really the best. Even the great John Candy used to say that the hardest thing about working at SCTV was not cracking up every time Eugene opened his mouth.
Fun fact: The names of the characters Floyd Roberson and Earl Camembert were spoofs of the names of two of real-life Canadian news anchors, Lloyd Robertson and Earl Cameron, from CTV and CBC respectively. At the time both men anchored the national news on their respective networks.
True on Lloyd, not true of the other, that would be Dave Cameron, I can't see how Camembert was based on him. Im not sure whether he was based on anyone real, but it's pretty devastating, I kind of hope not. Llyod Roberson was excellent btw.
Maybe in their names - but Earl's on-air persona was modeled after longtime WKBW Channel 7 (Buffalo, NY) anchor Irv Weinstein. Wonder whom Flaherty patterned Floyd after - probably some local Pittsburgh TV anchor with a prickly personality and "difficult" reputation (didn't that description fit Bill Burns, or was it another legendary Pittsburgh anchor?).
@@wmbrown6 I don't recall Irv wienstein as incompetent and chronically needy.. Floyd Robertson was based on excellent Canadian anchor Lloyd Robertson. (It also hilariously allowed him to morph into Count Floyd.)
@@user-un5iz6th1n - It wasn't the "incompetent and chronically needy" aspect that Levy drew from Irv Weinstein - it was Weinstein's on-air flamboyance and penchant for sensationalism and alliterative news copy. You'd have to see old WKBW Eyewitness News clips from Weinstein's years with the station to envision how Earl fashioned himself as opposed to how he came across in the end. Again, Flaherty grew up in Pittsburgh, so I'm betting his model for Floyd was Bill Burns. I did read somewhere that Burns did not suffer fools gladly, and any newie who didn't meet his particular high exacting standards didn't last too long at the KDKA-TV newsroom.
@@wmbrown6 it could be- I'll look into it a bit. Maybe he used the handle to familiarize himself with Canadians where this was produced and also permitting him the Count Floyd tie in. I'll look back on ole Irv. I may have watched him late or when too young to really notice. Thank you for the info
I cracked up at least 4 times during this sketch. Cronkite sounded like he'd been hanging around with Bob Hope a little and picked up his speaking mannerisms. Still funny as hell. LOL
Floyd was the old-school "need to know" journalist in the mold of Murrow, Cronkite, Huntley et al. Earl was more into the zeitgeist of the "Happy Talk" style of TV news presentation - of which emphasis on fires, crimes, sex, the occult, tearjerkers, animal stories and human interest stories was, in part, "the word."
Think about the British pronunciation of Ralph as "Rafe." But as for the Camembert name - it did seem to highlight how cheesy he was in every which way, no?
Well Walter was the gold standard in tv anchors...before the news became fale news. I remember the Canadian news ctv or cbc brought in Lloyd Robrrtson to co host with Earl Cameron . The chemistry was so bad it was comical...total discomfort...so sctv is making comedy of that🙂 Dave Thomas great at deflating icons like Walter Cronkite and Bob Hope. 😊 great as they were...fortress like egos
There was a guy who anchored at CBC between Earl Cameron and Lloyd Robertson. They never anchored together. But as I noted, while the names of the SCTV anchors were derived from those two, their on-air personae were more rooted in their own backyards - Earl Camembert on Buffalo, TV news legend Irv Weinstein (for the penchant for sensationalism), and Floyd Robertson (apparently) on veteran Pittsburgh anchor Bill Burns (we'll probably never know on that now that Joe Flaherty has passed on - unless his daughter Gudrun is privy to whom he patterned Floyd as news anchor on; Joe was always tight-lipped on whom he based that character, unlike all his citations for his Count Floyd alter-ego and Eugene Levy's openly proclaiming whom he modeled Earl on).
I guess saying USC at Berkeley smooths over the possible trouble lampooning the institution might present. Glad to learn there were CBC anchors who were being dug into with these skits. Enjoy the continuing shtick that Earl's stories sucked.
Andy Rooney, around the time CBS merged with Viacom, noted that in its heyday the network's initials stood for the Columbia Broadcasting System, but today (and as of his commentary) it "stands for nothing."
I wonder, anyone see the irony in what Cronkite did? Making up a story for no reason except for attention and relevance.... In today's Legacy Media, that would be considered "the norm" ... Hilariously accurate . Sadly...
lewis: Wait, I voiced an opinion, you fired back disgusting obscenities, and somehow I"M the snowflake? I guess I am, in the sense that I'm remaining cool, while you are hot and bothered, melting down and running your mouth like water.
And don't forget Hanoi Jane...yes the USA would have won the war and saved the world for democracy if it hadn't been for those two traitors...right fj or whatever your name is?
LOL maybe you missed “The Pentagon Papers”. (Even Eisenhower), JFK, LBJ and Nixon admins along with the pentagon knew the war was not winnable from day one. When did Cronkite report it as such....during the Tet Offensive? Tell me again who was lying?
The entire SCTV universe is very detailed and thickly layered. It’s absolutely perfect. Lightening in a bottle.
Most talented group of people ever assembled. They can play musical instruments, sing,dance ,can do anything .
Dave Thomas' Cronkite was always hilarious!
Loved SCTV upon first viewing so many years ago. Brilliant cast. One and all.
While the entire cast was brilliant, Levy was really the best. Even the great John Candy used to say that the hardest thing about working at SCTV was not cracking up every time Eugene opened his mouth.
I love trivia like that. And I couldn't agree more; Levy could do anything and nailed everything he ever did.
No. John and Martin Short were the best, actually.
Everyone has their faves and Eugene is one of my faves along with Short and Katherine.
Fun fact: The names of the characters Floyd Roberson and Earl Camembert were spoofs of the names of two of real-life Canadian news anchors, Lloyd Robertson and Earl Cameron, from CTV and CBC respectively. At the time both men anchored the national news on their respective networks.
True on Lloyd, not true of the other, that would be Dave Cameron, I can't see how Camembert was based on him. Im not sure whether he was based on anyone real, but it's pretty devastating, I kind of hope not.
Llyod Roberson was excellent btw.
Maybe in their names - but Earl's on-air persona was modeled after longtime WKBW Channel 7 (Buffalo, NY) anchor Irv Weinstein. Wonder whom Flaherty patterned Floyd after - probably some local Pittsburgh TV anchor with a prickly personality and "difficult" reputation (didn't that description fit Bill Burns, or was it another legendary Pittsburgh anchor?).
@@wmbrown6 I don't recall Irv wienstein as incompetent and chronically needy..
Floyd Robertson was based on excellent Canadian anchor Lloyd Robertson. (It also hilariously allowed him to morph into Count Floyd.)
@@user-un5iz6th1n - It wasn't the "incompetent and chronically needy" aspect that Levy drew from Irv Weinstein - it was Weinstein's on-air flamboyance and penchant for sensationalism and alliterative news copy. You'd have to see old WKBW Eyewitness News clips from Weinstein's years with the station to envision how Earl fashioned himself as opposed to how he came across in the end.
Again, Flaherty grew up in Pittsburgh, so I'm betting his model for Floyd was Bill Burns. I did read somewhere that Burns did not suffer fools gladly, and any newie who didn't meet his particular high exacting standards didn't last too long at the KDKA-TV newsroom.
@@wmbrown6 it could be- I'll look into it a bit. Maybe he used the handle to familiarize himself with Canadians where this was produced and also permitting him the Count Floyd tie in. I'll look back on ole Irv. I may have watched him late or when too young to really notice.
Thank you for the info
of course Lloyd announces the cure for death and Earl reports an overdue traffic fine. Comic genius.
STILL funnier than anything on TV today!
“Nothing to boast about or take credit for now go on get out of here!” Lol the best
🤣 This is incredible comedy. 🤣
Why can’t this gold be done today?
SCTV was amazing..great imagination to write the stuff they did!!
So lovely to watch GOOD sketch comics.
I cracked up at least 4 times during this sketch. Cronkite sounded like he'd been hanging around with Bob Hope a little and picked up his speaking mannerisms. Still funny as hell. LOL
Dave Thomas does an amazing Cronkite.
And that's the way it is. :-)
his Bob Hope and "Harvey K-Tel" are also brilliant
Walter's feelings were also 'hurt' when rebuffed by Edna Boil while attempting an on air hanky panky with Edna down at the Boil Organ Emporium.
Dave Thomas playing Walter Kronkite with a Bob Hope walk on.
Nothing to boast about or to take credit for, now get out!
"You oughta stick to cheese " LOL 😆
So funny. SCTV is the backdrop to my life in the 80s.
3 women were killed and 17 injured.....Washing machine BLEW UP, in the final spin dry cycle at the easy wash laundromat.
Floyd always has epic stories and earl has local minutiae.
Floyd was the old-school "need to know" journalist in the mold of Murrow, Cronkite, Huntley et al. Earl was more into the zeitgeist of the "Happy Talk" style of TV news presentation - of which emphasis on fires, crimes, sex, the occult, tearjerkers, animal stories and human interest stories was, in part, "the word."
@@wmbrown6 But Earl could roller skate!!
@@bitfenix90 - Taking the "Happy Talk" ethos to its most ultimate extreme.
"Obviously a bitter man, Floyd..."
That tiny news desk cracks me up
We’ve now lost Joe Flaherty which is such a tragic lose to us fortunate ones that were there at the beginning of it all. RIP Joe.
"And that's the way it is". Insert
any date for SCTV and you'll have
the best news crew ever assembled.
Far superior to what we have now.
this music is amazing
I remember when news programs on unaffiliated channels were really like this.
What no story on Togo?
LOL...poor ol' Earl.
Always think of this skit when I see a sign using $ for an S...that really bugs me. LOL
+Mark P, that was a different skit, _Dialing For Dollars_ .
ruclips.net/video/pf6bdSPmsDQ/видео.html
One of my favourite SCTV skits of all time. RIP Joe. We’ll miss you!
“You’re worse than Earl!” 😆
The best.
Poor Earl! They are so mean to him!
But that's what's funny about it: He is always getting shit on.
Sketches like this shows what a talented actor Eugene Levy actually is.
Is it on purpose that Earl always calls himself Canonbert instead of the cheese Camembert? It's like he's changed his own name. lol
Think about the British pronunciation of Ralph as "Rafe." But as for the Camembert name - it did seem to highlight how cheesy he was in every which way, no?
Joe Flaherty recently passed away. He was so amazingly talented.
That is hilarious 😂
"you're worse than Earl"
“Melonville man almost spends the night in jail.”
This pretty funny
So funny!!
I got such a kick out of those guys. 😄
5 stars....
Well Walter was the gold standard in tv anchors...before the news became fale news.
I remember the Canadian news ctv or cbc brought in Lloyd Robrrtson to co host with Earl Cameron . The chemistry was so bad it was comical...total discomfort...so sctv is making comedy of that🙂
Dave Thomas great at deflating icons like Walter Cronkite and Bob Hope. 😊 great as they were...fortress like egos
There was a guy who anchored at CBC between Earl Cameron and Lloyd Robertson. They never anchored together.
But as I noted, while the names of the SCTV anchors were derived from those two, their on-air personae were more rooted in their own backyards - Earl Camembert on Buffalo, TV news legend Irv Weinstein (for the penchant for sensationalism), and Floyd Robertson (apparently) on veteran Pittsburgh anchor Bill Burns (we'll probably never know on that now that Joe Flaherty has passed on - unless his daughter Gudrun is privy to whom he patterned Floyd as news anchor on; Joe was always tight-lipped on whom he based that character, unlike all his citations for his Count Floyd alter-ego and Eugene Levy's openly proclaiming whom he modeled Earl on).
is it drops by or drugs by.
After watching this you realize how dumbed down and untalented today's comedy is.
I guess saying USC at Berkeley smooths over the possible trouble lampooning the institution might present. Glad to learn there were CBC anchors who were being dug into with these skits. Enjoy the continuing shtick that Earl's stories sucked.
My only news
Try running the Annonimity news now we're talking
Floyd does the hard news stories and Earl has the lame coffee shop variety.
Of course, given that we learn they write their own copy...no surprise.
Floyd was the more traditionalist of the two, Earl was schooled in the "Happy Talk" style of news presentation.
Walter Cronkite anchors for CBS which stands for can't believe shit
Andy Rooney, around the time CBS merged with Viacom, noted that in its heyday the network's initials stood for the Columbia Broadcasting System, but today (and as of his commentary) it "stands for nothing."
Poor Earl, never got the big stories...
Scientific evidence that can prove the existence of God.........
Notice how that was as far as it went, LOL...no evidence ever provided...
He totally disses Camembert
Cronkite, I want your blood.
"I know who you are Camembert"
"Stick to cheese!"
hilarious
Benjamin button
LOL 😂 Fake News Part
You should stick to cheese 🧀
I wonder, anyone see the irony in what Cronkite did? Making up a story for no reason except for attention and relevance....
In today's Legacy Media, that would be considered "the norm" ...
Hilariously accurate . Sadly...
The sad thing is Earl is actually much more competent and honest than today's so-called journalists.
No, he's not.
No, he's not. And at a better media outlet than _SCTV_ , he'd be thrown out on his ass for his incompetency.
lewis: Certainly more so than the Fox "journalists."
lewis: Wait, I voiced an opinion, you fired back disgusting obscenities, and somehow I"M the snowflake?
I guess I am, in the sense that I'm remaining cool, while you are hot and bothered, melting down and running your mouth like water.
lewis: Well, if it's predictible, why did you have such a melt down about it?
That’s has to been the most annoying intro music, Earl Rocks! Cronkite is a total jerk in way he treated Earl.
Uncle Walter Cronkite, the lying news man, worked hard to pull defeat from the jaws of victory in Vietnam.
Bullshit
"I'm a professional news man I don't make things up".
And don't forget Hanoi Jane...yes the USA would have won the war and saved the world for democracy if it hadn't been for those two traitors...right fj or whatever your name is?
LOL maybe you missed “The Pentagon Papers”. (Even Eisenhower), JFK, LBJ and Nixon admins along with the pentagon knew the war was not winnable from day one. When did Cronkite report it as such....during the Tet Offensive? Tell me again who was lying?