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

Nick talks about the history of Saturday Night Live’s ‘Weekend Update,’ including the name changes (it was called other things including ‘SNL Newsbreak’ for a bit), the format tinkering, and the seasons when, inexplicably, they thought it was a good idea to actually let the guest hosts anchor Update (yes, that terrible idea turned out to be a disaster). You’ll hear clips from years of Update’s past, including the times when Don Rickles, Michael Douglas and George Carlin guest anchored, and you’ll hear the older news stories that bring back crazy memories as well. Nick talks about all 32 (yes 32!) performers who anchored the classic news parody segment, and he ranks the top 5 best anchors, and reveals his choice for the absolute worst. From Colin Jost and Michael Che, to Chevy Chase and everyone in between, this is a comprehensive and fun look back at one of the most popular segments in the history of SNL, and the people who made it so funny and memorable. [EP34]

We all know about “The Five-Timers Club,” which consists of celebrities who have hosted “Saturday Night Live” five times or more, but there is also a more exclusive club that consists of some hosts who are so good, that they actually have recurring characters that show up every time they host. They are characters that the fans love. They have their own catchphrases. They are sometimes just as popular as the cast members’ creations. In this episode, Nick looks at some of the most memorable recurring characters created by hosts such as: Dwayne Johnson, Scarlett Johansson, Steve Martin, Tom Hanks, Justin Timberlake, and more. You love “Mr. Short-Term Memory,” “The Continental,” “Tony Bennett,” Theodoric of York,” Lexi,” and even the controversial “Uncle Roy.” In this episode, you will learn the stories of their creations, how many times they appeared on the show, how they were received, and, you’ll hear the sketches they appeared in. Some classic and popular characters played by the hosts, not the cast members, are the focus of this “THAT SHOW…”. [EP33]

In remembrance of Paul Reubens, who passed away this week, Nick looks back at the connections that Reubens had with “Saturday Night Live,” including the story of how he was passed over to be a cast member, to the hilarious Digital Short he made with Andy Samberg in 2011 called “Andy and Pee Wee’s Night Out,” to the one and only time Reubens hosted the show as Pee Wee Herman. The episode, from that strange 1985-86 season when Lorne Michaels returned after a hiatus, was a strange mixture of 80’s pop culture and news satire, and tired attempt to fit Pee Wee into the SNL mix. Some sketches were funny (because of Pee Wee), some were not, and some were just disastrous. You’ll hear some memorable moments from the show (Pee Wee’s monologue being the best thing in the episode), behind-the-scenes stories, and some fun trivia (is that a future cast member from Kids In The Hall featured in one sketch??). Paul Reubens is gone, but so much of his work remains, and this Season 11 show is certainly a curiosity worth a look. [EP32]

Nick chats with Emmy Award-winning filmmaker Oz Rodriguez, who kicked off his career making comedy shorts for “Funny Or Die” and then had a blast for over a decade on “Saturday Night Live,” creating laugh-out-loud films with guest hosts like Emma Stone, Bruno Mars, Emma Thompson, Matt Damon, and others. He also created the outstanding behind-the-scenes, digital docu-series “Creating Saturday Night Live,” and tossed in fun material for the show all the time. Oz also spills the beans on his new comedy “Miguel Wants to Fight,” premiering on Hulu in August, packed with humor, warmth, and action. Listen in for goofy stories about SNL, making his latest flick, and the wild ride of finishing a movie just in the nick of time… right before going LIVE! [EP31]

Nick looks back at the only time that controversial comedian Andrew Dice Clay hosted “Saturday Night Live,” and it was, well….something. From a full week of non-stop news, crazy attention, and angry press, to the protest and boycott of Musical Guest Sinead O’Connor, to the VERY questionable boycott from cast member Nora Dunn, who, because of her objections to Clay’s act, refused to participate in the show (which had never happened before), it’s all covered here. The whole week culminated in a rather lackluster show, in which Dice was kept on a leash, the writers loaded the show with ‘meta’ jokes before there were ‘meta’ jokes, and, except for some protestors in the crowd who had to be kicked out for disrupting Clay’s monologue, not much really happened. The episode is notable for including the big debuts of two cast members who would go on to be legends, a new Weekend Update feature that become a staple, and A LOT work from announcer Don Pardo. The episode also created a huge rift between Dunn and the other cast members (especially Jan Hooks and Victoria Jackson) that hasn’t ever really been filled. A crazy week of live TV that all SNL fans will remember….probably more than Dice’s act. [EP30]

Nick welcomes SNL cast member Molly Kearney to the podcast to talk about their first year on the show, their childhood in Cleveland, their stand-up comedy career that started in Chicago, and what it’s like to be the very first Non-binary cast member in SNL history. Molly also discusses what it was like to work with incredible talent like Molly Shannon, Steve Martin, Martin Short, Tom Hanks and more, and their incredible moments from season 48 including the Waffle Shop sketch, their hilarious impressions of Guy Fieri and Randy McNally, to the wonderful pro-LGBTQ monologue that they delivered from high above the Weekend Update desk. A terrific visit with a talented and very funny SNL cast member who has a very bright future ahead. [EP29]

At times, working as a cast member on “Saturday Night Live” can be far from entertaining, in truth, it can be profoundly distressing. On this installment of THAT SHOW, Nick explores the difficult seasons 10 disgruntled SNL cast members endured. From internal squabbles and office politics, to the stress of live broadcasting and high expectations, to the appalling scripts they were given, these artists certainly had no fond memories of their stint on this iconic comedy show. Get ready to revisit sketches that underscored their frustration, listen to anecdotes about their trials, and decipher direct excerpts from the actors themselves – Will you be able to identify the cast member who described their SNL journey as: “It was atrocious, the most challenging task I’ve ever undertaken…including divorce”? With unheard tales, overlooked sketches, and much more… Welcome to the realm of shared unhappiness. [EP27]

Nick plunges into a comprehensive examination of Rodney Dangerfield’s solitary stint as the host of “Saturday Night Live.” This episode, which aired on March 8, 1980, predates the release of “Caddyshack” and marks the last season with the original cast, writers, and Lorne Michaels at the helm. The show presents an odd, uneven, and at times, startling mix of content, packed with audacious material deemed unacceptable by today’s standards, and sketches that stretch tediously (one even nearing the 14-minute mark!). However, it does capture Rodney’s remarkable talent as a stand-up comedian (his monologue is outstanding), and less impressive sketch performance (thankfully, he had cue cards to help him out). The episode also features a silent cameo by an actor who later gained fame in the 90s, an excess of Father Guido Sarducci, jokes about a 58-year-old man’s inappropriate relationship with a 10-year-old girl, a special appearance by two TV stars from the 50s, numerous allusions to the movie “10,” and a shocking parody of a gold coin collectable TV commercial that would leave today’s viewers stunned. This SNL episode certainly serves as a time capsule, dissected in its entirety here… and true to form, Rodney still can’t catch a break. [EP27]

Sometimes the most anticipated returns to “Saturday Night Live” just aren’t good….in fact, they can be very bad. In this episode, Nick looks back at five SNL returns that range from disappointing to downright disastrous: Chevy Chase’s first-time hosting was an egomaniacal nightmare that caused many issues, including a fistfight two minutes before air. Bill Murray’s return to host during season 6 was a stumbling, uncomfortable mess. Lindsay Lohan’s fourth time hosting in 2012 is widely considered to be one of the worst episodes in history. Chris Farley’s 1997 return as host is, by far, the saddest and most painful episode of SNL ever. Even Lorne Michaels’ return for season 11 was a trainwreck, and that just wasn’t one episode…it was an entire season. You’ll hear the behind-the-scenes stories for these returns, interview portions, and hear audio from these notorious episodes as Nick analyzes the fact that sometimes it’s just better to not come back. [EP26]

Nick’s guest is legendary character actor Stephen Tobolowsky, star of hundreds of TV shows and movies including: “Groundhog Day,” “Thelma and Louise,” “Memento,” “The Goldbergs,” One Day at a Time,” and “GLEE.” Tobo talks about how SNL revolutionized his world back in 1975, and continued to inspire him as the years passed. He talks about the pods of genius that began with the very first episode, and discusses his favorite sketches (John Belushi’s Samurai sketches, Chevy Chase’s physical Gerald Ford bits) and cast members (Dana Carvey, Chris Farley, to name a few) thru the years, and he shares some AMAZING stories about working with such SNL legends as: Bill Murray, Ana Gasteyer, Tim Meadows, Molly Shannon, Julia-Louis Dreyfus, Buck Henry, Jim Belushi, Chevy Chase, Will Farrell….and many more. This is a great conversation with a great actor, telling great stories, about great performers, and the importance of “Saturday Night Live.” [EP25]