SN-HELL: A Look Back At Saturday Night Live

Top o' the late night to ye! It's St. Patrick's Day, 1979 and Matt, Keith and Kevin are checking out Margot Kidder and The Chieftains in their sole SNL appearances. Sketches include: St. Mickey's Knights of Columbus, Lois Lane, Fred Garvin, Men's Problems, Chicago and Franken and Davis. The Chieftains serenade us with If I Had Maggie in the Woods and Morning Dew. All this and Weekend Update are he...

Keith, Matt and Chilly look at this wild episode of SNL featuring Gary Busey. Gregory Hines and Eubie Blake treat us to some of Blake's standards and Rick Danko and Paul Butterfield join Busey for an energetic blast of music. Sketches include: Billy Carter, Muckjumpers, Women's Problems, Perchance To Dream and Unsung Heroes of Rock N' Roll.  All this and Weekend Update are here... in SNHell. Music...

Keith, Matt and Jenn dive into this mid Season 4 episode featuring Charlie's Angels star Kate Jackson. Kate's musical guest is Delbert McClinton. Sketches include: Charlie's Angels, Nerds And The Nurse, Fred Silverman's Office, Bad Cabaret For Children, Child Psychiatrist, The Coneheads At The Movies. McClinton plays, "B Movie Boxcar Blues" and "Talkin' About You." Andy Kaufman, Mr. Bill and Fathe...

Keith, Matt and Rebecca re-visit season 4's episode hosted by Ricky Nelson and featuring musical guest Judy Collins. Sketches Include: WGN Radio, The Twilight Zone, Rock Against Yeast '79, Helium, Quien Es Mas Macho and PIcasso: The New York Years. Nelson performs "Hello Mary Lou, Goodbye Heart," "Travelling Man," "Fools Rush In" and "Dream Lover." Judy Collins "Hard Time For Lovers." All this and...

Keith, Matt and Adrienne take a look at the highest rated episode in Saturday Night Live history hosted by the great Cicely Tyson with musical guests Talking Heads. Sketches Include: Nick Rails, Frontier Midwife, Litellavision, Black Perspectives, The Shah's Final Days, The Widettes, World At War, X-Police.  Talking Heads treat us to their cover of Al Greene's "Take Me To The River" and "Artists O...

Saturday Night Live rings in the new year of 1979 as Shawn pops in to join Keith as Matt as they look at Season 4's wacky episode of SNL featuring Michael Palin in his second hosting gig and musical guests The Doobie Brothers. Sketches Include: Uber-man, Name The Bat, Myles Cowperthwaite Part I, Nerds Music Lesson, Mr. Bill and State of The Union 1979. The Doobie Brothers treat us to "What a Fool...

Adrienne joins Keith and Matt again for this look at SNL's 1978 Christmas episode featuring Elliot Gould and musical guest Peter Tosh. Sketches Include: Yuletide Energy Alert, Baby Norway All Flammable Christmas Tree, Mommie Dearest, Alcoholic's Christmas, St. Mickey's KOC and Dubb's Trees. Peter Tosh treats us to "Don't Look Back" and the very "ahead of its time" Bush Doctor.  We also get a speci...

Keith, Matt and Adrienne review English comic legend and Monty Python member Eric Idle's 3rd foray into hosting with this episode from November 1978. Kate Bush makes her sole US television appearance as musical guest. Sketches Include: Telepsychic, French Chef, Consumer Probe, What Do You ____, Candy Slice, The Madrigal, Cochise at Oxford. Kate Bush performs two memorable pieces "The Man With The...

Keith, Matt and Shawn take a look at Season 4, Episode 7 featuring the prolific Walter Matthau in his sole hosting gig. While the history doesn't always list it as such, Garret Morris is the night's musical guest. Sketches Include: Epoxy Dent, Bad News Bees, Woman To Man, The Olympia Cafe, The Surplus Store and The Bedroom. Morris sings Mozart's "Dalla Sua Pace." All this and Weekend Update are he...

Still riding the wave of the white heat that was Star Wars, Carrie Fisher hosted SNL in November of 1978 with musical guests The Blues Brothers.  Keith, Matt and Kevin give our reaction to this much loved episode of Season 4. Sketches Include: Beach Blanket Bimbo From Outer Space, Loud Family, The World Bar, Mr. Bill, Mercy Killers, Tomorrow, Bad Chinese Ballet, Schiller's Reel.  The Blues Brother...

The hilarious Buck Henry returns for his 7th hosting gig and beloved The Grateful Dead grace the stage on this retro episode from November of 1978.  Keith and Matt are joined by Mark to break down the sketches and characters and to enjoy some "dead." Sketches Include: Hunkler Headquarters, Chinch Ranch, Samurai Optometrist, Uncle Roy, Great Performances, Nick Sands, St. Mickey's KOC and More Flu T...

The great Steve Martin returns for his sixth hosting gig in this episode from the fall of 1978. The musical guest is Irish legend Van Morrison. Keith and Matt are joined by new third chair and long time fan Harris for a fun look at this well remembered episode. Sketches Include: Elvis' Coat, Inflation Is Our Friend, Theodoric of York 2, Nerd Hospital, Festrunk Brothers and What If? Van Morrison pe...

This episode takes a look one of the most memorable / infamous / episodes in the show's history as the Frank Zappa joins the show as host and musical guest. Keith and Matt run down the episode and are joined by Kevin for some end of episode thoughts on this notable moment in TV. Sketches Include: NBC and Zappa, The Coneheads At Home, Baxter Prison, Woman to Woman, Night on Freak Mountain, Franken...

Welcome to Melonville: A Look Back At SCTV After some requests from some listeners and third-chairs from our SNHell Podcast, a few of us have decided to go north of the border and review a few episodes of SCTV. Let us know what you think. The SCTV Season 1 cast features: John Candy, Joe Flaherty, Eugene Levy, Andrea Martin, Catherine O'Hara, Harold Ramis and Dave Thomas. This episode originally ai...

This episode takes a look at Season 4's second episode hosted by the incomparable Fred Willard and New Wave super-gods Devo. Chilly sits in with Keith and Matt for this unique piece of television history from October 14, 1978. Sketches Include: Two Guys Who Are Lawyers, Scotch Tape Emporium, Mr. Bill, 5 AM, Crossroads, Bobbi Farber's Phone Call, Honker at the World Series and Stunt Man. Devo perfo...

Saturday Day Night Live kicked off their 4th season with the legendary Rolling Stones serving as hosts and musical guests.  Keith, Matt and Mark give their thoughts and reactions to this historic episode of SNL from October 7, 1978. Sketches include:  Auto Scent, The Nerds' Fridge, Olympia Cafe, Beatles Reunion, The Tomorrow Show, Danger Probe.  The Rolling Stones perform Beast of Burden, Respecta...

The summer of 1978 was a busy one for the folks at SNL, but not so busy that they didn't have time to make a television special to air in October of 1978. Keith and Matt take one more stop before heading into Season 4 and take a look at this widely forgotten piece of Saturday Night Live history. Keith kicks off this edition with a look at some of the moving, shaking, business decisions and persona...

In this mini-episode of SN Hell, Keith and Matt chat about their highest rated SNL episodes from Season 3.

In this mini-episode, Keith and Matt choose their favorite hosts from Season 3 of SNL.  Hope you all enjoy. 

Keith is flying solo for this one - 90 minutes of Doo-wop is way too much to ask of Matt - as he takes a look at 1978's American Hot Wax featuring SNL's Laraine Newman in a supporting role.  The film is a semi-fictional look at a segment of the life of pioneer rock DJ Alan Freed as he promotes an upcoming rock concert in New York City.  The kids are excited while the fogeys are less enamored by th...

In the midst our season break, Keith and Matt take a bit of a detour and cover the phenomenon that is National Lampoon's Animal House.  Animal House was the rocket that turned John Belushi from a television favorite to a bon fide movie star.  More than that, its popularity was the catalyst for so much more comedy to come. This is a unique episode that was meant to be a straight review, but meander...

As we wrap up SNL Season 3, Matt and Keith tally up the numbers of our Star of the Night winners to reveal which Not Ready For Prime Time Player finished at the top of the list. A mixed bag of sure things and surprises to be sure.  Here... in SN Hell.

Filmmaker Gary Weis was a staple of the first three seasons of SNL. His highlighted works ranged from artistic experimental films to filmed sketches to slice of life profiles. Weis' works have been polarizing segments amongst our panel. In this special episode of SN Hell we are reviewing all (except one... oops) of Weis' SNL offerings. Join Keith, Matt and guest third chairs, Chilly, Mark, Rebecca...

In our mid-season break, Matt and Keith are summing up their Top 10 Favorite sketches of Season 3 of Saturday Night Live. We'd love to hear your thoughts. What did we miss? What were we too kind to?

Welcome to SN-Hell Keith and Matt reveal their Top 5 Musical Guests from Saturday Night Live Season 3.  Overall, season 3 gives viewers a slightly broader selection to choose from.  Will Keith be able to narrow it down to five and can Matt find five he enjoyed enough to give ample kudos?