In This Section
TV Guide Spotlight
Also on TVGuide.com
|
« Today's News: Our Take
Live Again: SNL Re-airing Carlin's 1975 Appearance
George Carlin courtesy NBC
NBC will rebroadcast George Carlin's 1975 Saturday Night Live appearance this weekend (11:30 pm/ET).
Carlin — who died earlier this week at the age of 71 — hosted the very first episode. Executive producer Lorne Michaels credits him with giving the show some early momentum. "You never forget the people who were there at the beginning," he said. "George Carlin helped give Saturday Night Live its start as our first host. He was gracious, fearless, and most important of all, funny."
The episode also features musical guests Janis Ian and Billy Preston and includes a perfomance by comedian Andy Kaufman. — J.R. Whalen
Did you know?: In its earliest days, the show was called NBC's Saturday Night because ABC was already airing Saturday Night Live with Howard Cosell. NBC retitled their show once Cosell was cancelled by ABC in January of 1976.
|
TVGuide Links:
|
|
|
|
Jun 25, 2008 12:26 PM
|
Cool!!! 
|
|
Jun 25, 2008 1:05 PM
|
|
That's why they say "live from NY it's Saturday Night." Because "live" wasn't originally part of the title, but they wanted to make sure people knew it was a live show.
|
|
Jun 25, 2008 1:06 PM
|
|
Am I the only person who thinks Carlin was not funny. I've seen that episode of snl (have the first 2 seasons on dvd) and I ff through most of his stuff.
|
|
Jun 25, 2008 1:18 PM
|
Leah, I hope you're not basing Carlin on that one appearance. He was very subdued in that first edition of SNL, because there was still so much he couldn't say. I'm a big fan of his, and I remember thinking he wasn't that good on the show.
Another interesting bit of trivia about that first show: Billy Crystal, who went on to be a cast member for one season in the 80s, was scheduled to be on that first show, but he was bumped because they ran out of time. If you're a fan of his, you probably already know that. He told the story repeatedly on the talk show circuit when he joined the cast in 1984.
The first few SNL shows weren't very funny overall, but they were so groundbreaking at the time that we cut them a lot of slack. It took them a while to hit their stride, and if George Carlin had gone back after that initial, unpleasant experience, he probably would have been a staple on the show, the way Steve Martin was for so many years.
|
|
Jun 25, 2008 2:31 PM
|
I was 2 in 1984. Maybe I'm just too young to think he was funny. Or maybe I need to watch some later stuff. What I remember from that first episode of him was basically him making a bunch of stupid faces while telling stories. Or after the punchline. That's not funny.
I saw a cable channel was going to be airing some if his stand up shows, maybe I'll check those out, if they're not on HBO.
|
|
Jun 25, 2008 3:46 PM
|
Unfortunately, the Carlin concerts that will be airing are on HBO.
What I was trying to say is that Carlin was funny before, during and after that 1975 appearance on the first SNL. Because of the limitations of what he could say (and the pressure of that first show, on which not much of anything was funny), he wasn't good on that one particular show. He should not be judged on that one performance, is all I'm suggesting.
On the other hand, you may not find him funny, and that's fine. My grandmother didn't, either, and I still loved her.
|
|
Jun 25, 2008 4:02 PM
|
haha. I just hope people here don't think I'm being mean or anything, that's not my intent at all. I've been called names and stupid stuff one here outside of the community blogs and I don't want that to happen again.
Thanks for talking to me and not resorting to childish behavior. (I know that's not you and you don't do that stuff)
Maybe another network will air some of his concerts at some point in the near future. Or, maybe they're on dvd and I can netflix one. (yes, netflix is now a verb)
|
|
Jun 25, 2008 4:11 PM
|
|
I think that it is worth mentioning that it is widely now that George Carlin was high as a kite on cocaine during this SNL appearance. Then again, he was high so often that may not have effected his funny factor. I agree that he is funnier when he doesn't have to deal with sensors.
|
|
Jun 25, 2008 5:53 PM
|
well, Leah
Looks like you're in luck. Netflix does carry some of his performances on DVD.
One is from a 1978 concert that includes his legendary routine 7 words you can't say on TV.
|
|
Jun 25, 2008 5:57 PM
|
No, I wasn't aware of that, LoriK. I always figured the problem was he was sober!!! 
|
|
Jun 25, 2008 5:58 PM
|
|
Been nice if they had done the same for Richard (and they may, and I just did not notice it) Carlin was the first, but the Pryor episode was the seminal episode that first year. Samurai Bellhop, Job Interview ("Dead Honky")I am almost glad I am old enough to have been there at the start.
|
|
Jun 25, 2008 8:26 PM
|
|
I'm not sure the name of the show has ever been changed. It is still introduced as Saturday Night. The SNL (full title and acronym) moniker seems to have been placed on it from outside in much the same way as people refer to The Late Show and The Tonight Show by the names of their respective hosts. Most of the present and former cast seem to refer to it as "Saturday Night" when I hear them talking about it. Guess Lorne Michaels would be the one to ask.
|
|
Jun 26, 2008 3:31 AM
|
stewmeister, they didn't do this for Richard Pryor, but there are likely two reasons why. When Pryor died, his death was expected, having been deteriorating in health for some time. Carlin, though he did have heart problems, was more of a shock.
The main reason why I believe Pryor didn't get his show rerun is because a live show was scheduled that week, and they wouldn't cancel a scheduled show for anyone. I doubt Carlin would get this treatment if it weren't summertime.
When Pryor died, SNL did rerun a clip of the "honky" sketch which you cited, so they did pay tribute to him.
And one other mitigating factor. Unless I'm mistaken, the show scheduled to air this weekend (Ellen Page and Wilco) has already been rerun once this season.
|
|
Jun 26, 2008 3:41 AM
|
You make great points TVGord. Although I have watched it fairly regularly since that first show, I don't think those early seasons were very funny at all until Bill Murray came into his own. I was most mystified by the lionizing of John Belushi (who rarely made me laugh out loud) over Dan Aykroyd (he's done very little worthwhile since) who often had me cracking up (Irwin Mainway, Fred Garvin, Leonard Pinth-Garnell). Versatile and talented Garrett Morris was usually wasted - relegated to mostly black-specific roles; something SNL had a hard time getting away from until Tim Meadows and later, Maya Rudolph came along. In fact when it came to race, I spent a lot of time trying to make myself believe that SNL was lampooning certain racial attitudes, ultimately coming to the uncomfortable conclusion that the skits actually did reflect the racial attitudes of some of the show's writers.
Each incarnation of the show has had its funny elements. But it was always spotty. Not much was going on in the Eddie Murphy years besides Eddie. Christopher Guest, Martin Short, Terry Sweeney, Tim Meadows, Gilbert Gottfired and a few others were bright spots in some otherwise dim seasons.
I think the last ten years of the show have actually been more consistently funny than the first ten.
|
|
Jun 26, 2008 3:53 AM
|
|
|
