That Show Hasn't Been Funny In Years: an SNL podcast on Radio Misfits

Nick Digilio welcomes one of the founders of Chicago’s Factory Theater, Sean Abley, who is also a successful playwright, author, actor/director, and journalist who studied at Second City, and is a “Saturday Night Live” fanatic. Sean discusses how he began watching SNL at a very young age (too young, some would say), how the show influenced his own writing and performing (as a junior high student he wrote and performed in a sketch called “Dialing for Dismemberment” in which E.T. was killed and his skin made into cowboy boots), and his love for the original cast. Nick and Sean also talk about their favorite cast members, weird sketches and more….and Sean’s Top 5 SNL Sketches of All Time are revealed, and they include some very, very unusual choices. This is a fun, lively, and interesting conversation between two old friends, chatting about their shared love of SNL, and listening back to some of the best moments in the show’s history. [EP44]

Actor Anthony Perkins (Norman Bates from “Psycho”) hosted “Saturday Night Live” just once (on March 13th 1976, during the show’s first season), and while he did a surprisingly great job, the episode was filled with weird moments, terrible sketches, a musical guest that had a terrible night, and some insane technical problems that didn’t support the effort that Perkins made as host. There were, however, many historically notable things about this particular episode, and many moments that have actually stood the test of time (including a very funny “Psycho” parody sketch written by the brilliant Michael O’Donoghue), and they are all covered as Nick analyzes the only time that “Norman Bates” hosted SNL.[EP43]

Live TV can be a tricky and sometimes scary adventure, no one knows that more than the people who have worked on “Saturday Night Live’ throughout the years. In this episode, Nick takes a look at the rare times that the dreaded “F” Bomb has been uttered on the stage in Studio 8H for the entire nation to hear. The whole history of the “F'” Bomb incidents is covered here, dating back to the very first time a person said it (you will be genuinely surprised to learn who did the deed), and ending with the last time it happened (in 2018, when an Oscar winner loudly used the profane word in the very first sketch of the night). Some of these incidents were innocent slip ups, some were done on purpose. Some were said during monologues or sketches, and others during musical performances, but all of them were shocking and very memorable, and in this episode, you will get the backstories and hear the audio for yourself. “F” Bombs on SNL…check it out. [EP42]

Like seemingly everyone in the world, “Saturday Night Live” has a YouTube channel, and in this episode, Nick looks at the Top 10 Most Viewed SNL Clips on that channel. It’s important to note, that this list ONLY represents the SNL YouTube Channel specifically, not the internet in general. The list is sometimes predictable (with two “Celebrity Jeopardy” entries, and the Kate McKinnon alien abduction sketch included), surprising (with a strange Harry Potter themed sketch, and the Sean Spicer Press Conference bit featuring Melissa McCarthy in there), and downright baffling (wait until you find out what the number one clip turns out to be…huh???!!!??). Starting with 39 million views for clip number 10, and winding up with 99 million views for clip number one, it’s very clear that A LOT of people watch the SNL YouTube channel, and we check out why in this episode of “That Show Hasn’t Been Funny in Years.” [EP41]

Nick welcomes actor/writer/producer/professional wrestler Chris Margetis to the podcast to discuss his love of “Saturday Night Live,” its influence on his writing and performing, and his history of watching the show since he was 7 years-old. They talk about the sketches from childhood that Chris loved, and the latest work on the show that cracks him up. Plus, they countdown his 5 favorite SNL Sketches of All Time, hear audio from them, and discuss them in detail. You’ll hear from Phil Hartman, Chris Farley, Jay Pharoah, Jan Hooks, Melanie Hutsell, Adam Sandler, Jon Hamm, Bill Hader, Kristen Wiig and many more…..and don’t forget Mr. Bill!! [EP40]

Nick looks back at one of the best, most surprising, and most subtle political sketches in SNL history:  “Black Jeopardy with Doug.” The sketch appeared on an episode of “Saturday Night Live” from October 2016 (during the intense height of the Trump/Clinton campaign) in which host Tom Hanks plays a MAGA hat-wearing Trump supporter who appears on “Black Jeopardy,” and finds surprising commonalities with the black people involved on the show. The result is a beautifully written and performed game show parody, that also works as a layered, complex, hilarious, and ultimately optimistic take on how even the most opposite of humans can actually connect during the most divisive of times. It’s one of the best political sketches ever, and here, Nick talks about the creation and writing of the sketch, how it played that night (it was HUGELY overshadowed by a little dude named ‘David S. Pumpkins,’ who made his debut on the same episode), and the aftermath of its airing. You’ll hear from co-writer Michael Che talking about the inspiration for the piece, and you will hear the wonderfully funny sketch in its entirety. It is a landmark piece of political satire that has become funnier and richer with each passing year, and it’s closely examined on this episode of “That Show Hasn’t Been Funny in Years.” [EP39]

Nick talks about Cecily Strong’s incredible Weekend Update Feature piece in which she played “Goober The Clown.” On September 1st, 2021, Texas effectively banned abortions, leading to other bans and changes in policy and law. So, in response to the ban, on the November 6th 2021 episode of SNL, Strong wrote an Update piece in which she revealed her very personal experience with abortion and its effect on her life….only she was dressed as Goober the Clown while delivering the monologue. The result is one of the most important, devastating, revealing and hilarious pieces ever presented on the show, a feature so personal, funny and biting, that it caused a groundswell of support (and a fair share of hatred and controversy), and a big change in what was presented on Weekend Update, by opening the doors for other performers to follow. You will learn about the writing of the piece (hearing audio from Strong and her two co-writers), it’s first performances, and how it played live in the studio, and around the country, on that fateful night. You will also hear this remarkable sketch/feature in its entirety. Cecily Strong will go down in history as one of the best cast members in the history of SNL, and “Goober the Clown” is easily her crowning achievement. [EP38]

Nick has a fantastic conversation with Katie Rich, an incredible writer/performer who spent 6 seasons writing on “Saturday Night Live,” exclusively working on Weekend Update. They talk about Katie’s early life growing up on the Southside of Chicago (as a Cub fan!), her days working at “iO” with people like Charna Halpern and Cecily Strong, the time she spent of stage at Second City, and the tense and amazing years she spent writing jokes and working every week on Update. She talks about what it’s like to be in the studio while Update is being performed and her jokes are being told, her favorite Update segments, what it was like to write during the insane political and news period that started in 2016, and the time she got to appear on stage with Bill Murray & the World Series Champion Chicago Cubs. Nick and Katie also talk a lot about baseball (and their shared love of the ’93 Phillies), throwing up in LaGuardia Airport, getting great advice from George Wendt, and Katie’s work in the world of animation. This is a must-listen interview with a hilarious and gifted writer who made wonderful and funny contributions to SNL. [EP37]

Larry David is now considered a great host, and recurring star on SNL (his impression of Bernie Sanders is legendary, and his character Kevin Roberts has become a cult favorite), but that wasn’t always the case. In this episode, Nick looks back at the one season that the “Seinfeld” & “Curb Your Enthusiasm” creator spent on “Saturday Night Live,” and it was the infamous Season 10, with producer Dick Ebersol at the helm (who did NOT like David, at all). You will hear the behind-the-scenes stories of what really happened at 30 Rock, and why none of David’s sketches ever made it to air, and how Larry’s work ethic just did not fit in with what happens during the creation week of any episode of SNL. Nick also talks about many unused Larry David sketches that were turned down by the show, and, in particular, three sketches that later became three classic episodes of “Seinfeld” (and you will hear scenes from those episodes). You will also hear about the time that David spent on the SNL rip-off “Fridays,” and how those days (and his days as a stand-up) influenced his work on “Seinfeld” and beyond. Larry David & SNL. [EP36]

Nick looks back at acts, sketches, films, characters and moments that were not only edgy and took some risks, but were (and still remain) completely subversive. From the start, Saturday Night Live was inherently ballsy, risky, edgy and counter-cultural. From the drug-fueled humor, to the young cast and attitude, to the progressively anti-establishment material, SNL was based on the idea of thumbing your nose at authority, and being proud of it. Some material worked, some didn’t. Some sketches felt forced, and some still hold up today, but some things truly crossed into the world of the subversive. Nick talks about (and plays back) some of the most subversive things to ever appear on SNL, including: Andy Kaufman’s crazy act, Albert Brooks’ brilliant short films, Terry Sweeney’s brutally funny drag-imitation of Nancy Reagan, and one of the most insanely trouble-making, angry, and brave animated pieces that Robert Smigel ever put together. It’s all here, celebrating SNL’s strangest, most political, risky, and yes…subversive moments. [EP35]