SNL - Netflix had like *all* of the SNLs in their catalog at one point. It's a great way to get perspective on those decades that I was too young to pay attention to culture. The early episodes were so creative , and the musical acts are usually great, if they aren't edited out of whichever version you are watching.
Trying to remember what real comedy troupe shows had been out there before in that prior decade. I know MPFC was something like 67-71' or so, over in England. What was SNL competing with and/or building off at the time? I just was too young to really be aware of it, I actually caught the earlier stuff later.
I was a fan of SCTV growing up too, kind of the Canadian sketch show version (with Joe Flaherty, Eugene Levy, Catherine O' Hara, Dave Thomas, John Candy, and Rick Moranis... plus a few others... Robin Duke?) Most of them are still around, although I think the last thing I saw Joe Flaherty in was "Back to the Future II", cameoing as the Western Union guy at the movie's end. O'Hara, Thomas, and Levy are still doing movies/TV maybe, Moranis is still known... and of course, well John Candy...![]()
They didn't show entire episodes though! When I noticed they had all seasons, I got all excited about maybe seeing the Tooncinater again (a "Toonces, the Driving Cat" skit with Linda Hamilton, in which Toonces was a terminator). Almost everyone my age (whom I bring it up to) remembers this skit, yet they didn't include it in the episode. Badly done, Netflix! Badly done. And the William Shatner episode was missing the Star Trek revolving restaurant skit. [I agree about SNL skits though, obviously, as some have stuck with me for over 20 years.)
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And I hadn't included comedies in my list, but I'll add Mr. Show and Community as more honorable mentions.
I remember SCTV. Where I was at, it was on at some weird hour on Saturday morning. All this comedy geeking out reminds me that Freaks & Geeks is number 6 on my list. It's like Dazed & Confused as a TV show with more nerd quotient.
I have a feeling that they were an extension of the variety show from the time period. I don't know about comedy troupes of the era. I guess in a way you can call those old variety shows comdedy troupes, like Carol Burnette, Phyllis Diller, William Conrad.
Yep, Toonces, I definitely remember him.
I'm happy that no one has nominated TBBT. Faith in humanity restored.
Haha, pretty much. The sad thing is, it wasn't like that before it got dumbed down.My impression is that TBBT is a show about geeks for geek wannabes or people who like laughing at geekery. If you're already a geek, you go do something else!
But you'll laugh at this: A friend of mine NOT on the forum this afternoon out of the blue started trying to cast a workplace version of TBBT. That's weird synergy with you bringing it up here, I never talk about that show.
OH MY GOD THE WORSTI'm happy that no one has nominated TBBT. Faith in humanity restored.
A few I haven't watched but intend to: The Sopranos, The Wire, Six Feet Under.
Sigmund and the Sea Monsters
The Monkees
The Man From Atlantis
My Mother, the Car
Petticoat Junction
OH HELL YES TO THE MONKEES!