SCTV: Behind the Scenes (Hardcover)

by Dave Thomas (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review
If you're like me you only watch "Saturday Night Live" if you're bored our of your gourd or some of your friends are in the featured band. I hate to say it, but the show is simply not funny anymore. And even during the frenetic heyday of SNL, there was a similar show, self-consciously called "Second City TV" that many media afficianados feel was vastly superior to SNL (and in fact, many SNL cast and production staff came to Gotham by way of SCTV, only to be eaten alive).

This is a fun book about an important period of American televisied humor and the people that made it worth watching.

Review
Dave Thomas brings an insider's insight and a performer's eye for absurd detail to this glorious reconstructioin of one of the funnies television shows ever to hit the airwaves. With contributions by cast members and production staff, and pictures from the show's archives and from private collections... -- The Publisher

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 272 pages
• Publisher: McClelland & Stewart; First Edition edition (November 9, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0771085664
• ISBN-13: 978-0771085666
• Product Dimensions: 10.8 x 8.6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #958,751 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The perfect gift for all the Leutonians in your life., November 1, 2000

By	Miles D. Moore (Alexandria, VA USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This review is from: SCTV: Behind the Scenes (Paperback)

If you've ever said, "Take off, hosers!" to your friends, or caught yourself humming the tune of "Who Made the Egg Salad Sandwiches?" or had a hankering for Mrs. Vilve Yachke's cabbage rolls and coffee, this book is for you. SCTV was, for my money, the best comedy sketch program ever, combining the hip irreverence of Saturday Night Live with the conceptual brilliance of Monty Python's Flying Circus, and featuring a cast so excellent that my favorite performer on the show was whoever I happened to be watching at the time. Dave Thomas, a cast member and head writer of the show, provides invaluable commentary on its the backstage operations and the sometimes less-than-amicable relations between cast members. The book is a great read for anyone who loved the show. One of the most refreshing things about it is Thomas's friendly, unpretentious, self-deprecating narration--even when he's admitting to being a jealous, angry, overambitious jerk!

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Funny Show, Funny Book, December 20, 2000

By	Thomas Magnum (NJ, USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER)

SCTV is one of the funniest shows of all time. The show was a sketch comedy show based around a fictional television station. Dave Thomas was one of the stars and writers on the show and most famously known as one half of the McKenzie Brothers which was created on the show. The book takes you from the early pre-TV days of the comedy troupe through to it's end. You get the insider's perspective from Mr. Thomas and it is a very intriguing read. The book is also chock full of great pictures. If you are a big fan of the show, this book is a must read.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beauty book, eh?, August 7, 2000

By	Guybert - See all my reviews

This review is from: SCTV: Behind the Scenes (Paperback)

This is like a sort of holy grail for SCTV fans. Tons of background information on how the cast(s) met and how they came together to create this unforgettable series. One of the things I liked about this book was how the writing process went for these people. It talks about how they got along with management and how passionate they were about getting their ideas on air. It also tells us what some of the highlights were for various cast members, but also some of the bad times. For instance, I didn't know how much tension there was among these people when Bob and Doug MacKenzie became stars. Even Dave Thomas and Rick Moranis were bothered by it, because they felt that those Great White North skits were not nearly the best things being produced on the show. It's also nice to see how things progressed over the years and how their outlooks on what they were producing changed. Just watch any first season episode and then one from a few years later and you will see what I mean. All in all, this is a very good read and is an ABSOLUTE MUST OWN for any fan of the show. You will definitely not be disappointed!