SNL Season 1, Episode 5
We're now in the fifth episode of Season 1. The host tonight is comedian Robert Klein. I wasn't too familiar with him, so I wasn't sure what to expect. Let's get started shall we?
Cold Open- Laraine Newman plays a Miss America winner and Chevy Chase is the announcer/interviewer. As she's giving her interview, Newman removes her tiara and dress and goes on about how pointless pageants are. Chase is left wearing the tiara with a hand full of her stuff. Keeping up with SNL tradition, Chase falls and says "Live from New York, it's Saturday Night!" Laraine Newman was the highlight of the cold open. Her Californian accent was spot on and reminded me of The Californian sketches. Overall, not a bad cold open.
4 out of 5 stars
Robert Klein Monologue- Robert Klein does stand-up and it's actually pretty funny. His humor isn't as edgy and biting as George Carlin's, but it's still funny. His exaggerated facial expressions and voices really add to the humor. I guarantee future SNL member Bill Hader got his style of humor from him. The facial expressions and funny voices are something Hader would've done. They even favor each other a little. I enjoyed this.
5 out of 5 stars
I'm no longer going to rate musical performances, but I wanted to point out that ABBA's performances were awesome because they were kind of a cross between a musical performance and a sketch. Robert Klein plays a ship's captain and as the group is performing, tries to stop a leak. It makes sense since the first song ABBA sings is "SOS". I just thought this was cool and should be done more often.
Pong- Another Pong sketch where Tom Davis and Al Franken discuss random things while playing Pong. This one has them talking about a history test they took. It's okay, not as good as the one from the previous episode. These sketches aren't the funniest, but watching them play Pong is oddly satisfying.
3 out of 5 stars
i couldn't find a picture from the sketch, so here's a photo of Al Franken.
Minute Mystery- Dan Aykroyd plays Mike Mendoza, a Mexican detective on a TV show called "Mystery Minute". He and his partner (played by John Belushi) try to solve a murder mystery in under a minute. This was really funny, especially Dan's performance.
5 out of 5 stars
Bee Centennial Minute- A bee (Garrett Morris) tells the story of how the Bees were part of the American Revolution. It's more cute than funny.
3 out of 5 stars
Gregg Allman's Love Life- Gregg Allman (Chevy Chase) avoids answering questions about his love life. A voice over (Lorne Michaels) continuously asks "How's your love life?" and Allman never gives a straight answer. This was an okay sketch. I knew it was a jab at Gregg Allman and Cher's relationship. It was refreshing seeing Chase actually be funny and this was also the first sketch Michaels was involved in even though we don't see him.
3 out of 5 stars
Sam Peckinpah- John Belushi plays director Sam Peckinpah who is trying to direct a romantic comedy with two actors (Robert Klein and Gilda Radner). Peckinpah is unhappy with the actress's performance and each time he corrects her, he uses physical violence to get his point across. He slaps, kicks, and pulls her hair. Finally, Peckinpah gets what's coming to him when the actor (Klein) beats him up! This is definitely a sketch that hasn't aged too well. It's more of a shock value thing. It's uncomfortable to watch until the end when the director gets beat up.
3.5 out of 5 stars
Weekend Update- Chevy Chase brings the news. Similar to last episode, an uptight political commentator (played by Dan Aykroyd) speaks and Chase makes faces as he's talking. While Jane Curtin played it cool, Aykroyd's character occasionally turns and catches the host making faces at him. WU ends with "News For the Hard of Hearing". I kind of like these segments where Chase makes fun of his guests.
4 out of 5 stars
Jamitol- Fake ad for a fake medication. This one wasn't as offensive as the previous Jamitol ad. This one has George Coe and Jane Curtin as a married couple. It may not have been as offensive as the first one, but like the first one, it wasn't funny.
1 out of 5 stars
Exterminators- John Belushi and Robert Klein play two exterminators looking to exterminate roaches in a woman's house. One of the exterminators doesn't want to kill the roaches and tries to talk the other out of it. This one was corny, but actually quite funny.
4.5 out of 5 stars
Fireman- Gilda Radner plays a firefighter and talks about the responsibilities that comes with being a firefighter and what she likes about it. She also gives some sound advice on fire prevention. I adore Gilda so much and sketches like this one are why. She was such a sunny personality and truly funny. This was more cute than funny, but I still enjoyed it.
3.5 out of 5 stars
I couldn't find a picture from the sketch, so here's a photo of the late Gilda Radner
Land of Gorch- This one wasn't that bad. It had some funny moments and even that annoying Mighty Favog character was funny. I don't hate these shorts, but I'm not a big fan of them either. This one has been the best so far.
3 out of 5 stars
Robert Klein Stand-Up - Robert Klein performed more stand-up and I really enjoyed it. His jokes were clean, but still funny. It's nice to get a break from dirty and dark humor sometimes.
5 out of 5 stars
K-Put's Price is Rite Price Gun- I know I said I hated the fake ads, but this one was...actually funny! It's funny because it's so relatable. I mean, wouldn't it be nice if we all had a price gun so we could lower prices on items we want? Groceries are friggin' expensive! I enjoyed this one believe it or not.
3.5 out of 5 stars
Looks At Books- Gilda Radner debuts her Emily Litella character on a talk show hosted by Jane Curtin. Emily Litella describes her book using the same words repeated excessively. Curtin is visibly annoyed and cuts Litella off each time. This was a cute sketch and the Emily Litella character reminds me of a sweet elderly woman that likes to talk and never seems to get to the point. Gilda plays the part to perfection.
3.5 out of 5 stars
There's a repeat of the Ambassador Training Institute ad, ABBA performs "Waterloo", and Robert Klein performs "I Can't Stop My Leg". I don't rate repeats or musical performances, so that concludes this episode!
This was a fun episode. It wasn't as good as the Candice Bergen one, but I enjoyed it. Robert Klein was a funny host and meshed well with the cast and the sketches. I was impressed with the K-Put price gun ad because the fake ads have been terrible and it was nice seeing a funny one. I even liked the Land of Gorch short this time.
Stay tuned for Episode 6 of Season 1!