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Saturday Night Live Season 2 [HD]
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Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
Saturday Night Live's essential second season looms large in SNL's tumultuous history. Breakout star Chevy Chase departed after several episodes to pursue specials and a movie career. Mustachioed "new kid" Bill Murray's inauspicious beginning (he joined the cast in the Fran Tarkenton episode) was shaky enough to warrant pleading his case to viewers during the Broderick Crawford episode that he was, indeed, funny. He sealed the deal with his breakthrough sketch in the season finale, in which a husband transforms his shower into a lounge act, with guest appearances by his wife and even the man with whom she's having an affair. Another momentous episode marked Steve Martin's debut as host, ushering in Martin-mania. Joining John Belushi's Samurai in the pantheon of classic SNL characters are the Coneheads (Dan Aykroyd, Jane Curtin, and Larraine Newman), extraterrestrials struggling to assimilate ("We're from France"). Legendary National Lampoon writer Michael O'Donoghue introduced his sinister alter ego, Mr. Mike, in whose "Least-Loved Bedtime Stories" the Little Engine That Could has a heart attack, and Br'er Rabbit is skinned alive in a "random act of meaningless violence." Jane Curtin proves a formidable successor to Chevy Chase as anchor of "Weekend Update," but not before that now-infamous moment during the Tarkenton episode when, in a bid for "raw thrills" that will make viewers forget "sexy" Chevy Chase, tears open her blouse and proclaims, "Try these on for size, Connie Chung."
It is still thrilling to watch Saturday Night Live find its voice. Except for one brief appearance, the Muppet segments are out, as are Albert Brooks' short films, replaced by the New York slice-of-life entries by Gary Weiss. A couple of sketches, one featuring Lily Tomlin and Garret Morris and another with Sissy Spacek and John Belushi, are more dramatic playlets. And Eric Idle's first stint as host plays like a lost episode of Monty Python's Flying Circus with the sketches seamlessly flowing in to one another. But the series still fearlessly subverted television convention. Envelopes don't get pushed much more than the Christmas-episode holiday song "Let's Kill [death row inmate] Gary Gilmore for Christmas." Saturday Night Live is a topical show, and Earl Butz jokes don't play as well in the 21st century. But the musical segments endure, including the thrilling pairing of Paul Simon and George Harrison and an extended set by the Band. The hosts, as ever, are hit and miss. One of the season's high points is Simon, in an ill-fated attempt to shed his "Mr. Alienation" image, taking the stage in a turkey costume to sing "Still Crazy After All These Years." This set's bonus feature is a true rarity, the "Mardis Gras" special, an infamous primetime debacle in which the cast gamely copes with drunken crowds that pelt them with beads, and botched logistics (Penny Marshall must go on without Cindy Williams who is caught elsewhere in traffic). In their impact on comedy and pop culture, Saturday Night Live 's iconic first ensemble has been likened to the Beatles. Then, season 2 is Help! to season 1's A Hard Day's Night: still wildly funny, though not quite as exhilarating. --Donald Liebenson
Beyond Saturday Night Live – The Complete Second Season on DVD
Stills from Saturday Night Live – The Complete Second Season (Click for larger image)
Product Description
For over three decades, Saturday Night Live has been the source of young comedic talent and helped to launch the careers of countless performers, making them household names.
Still considered iconic for their live performances from Studio 8H in New York, the original cast of SNL (including Dan Aykroyd, Gilda Radner and John Belushi) set the tone for years to follow with their irreverent, edgy humor. They combined anti-establishment political satire with rock-and-roll attitude for a show that spoke to the youth of the 1970's, turning it into an instant sensation.
Although only the second year on the air, the 1976-1977 season turned out to be the last for Chevy Chase, but the first for a young comedian named Bill Murray.
The complete second season of SNL contains legendary musical performances by artists Joe Cocker, The Band, Brian Wilson, Paul Simon, George Harrison, Frank Zappa, Chuck Berry, The Kinks, Santana and Tom Waits and classic appearances by hosts Lily Tomlin, Norman Lear, Steve Martin, Dick Cavett, Jodie Foster, Candice Bergen, Ralph Nader, Fran Tarkenton, Sissy Spacek, Elliott Gould and Shelly Duvall.
Beyond Saturday Night Live – The Complete Second Season on DVD
I've been looking forward to this release as it includes the guest hosting performance of my favorite Jack Burns! It is terrific that they are finally getting full seasons out of SNL instead of compilation best of sets so that those, like myself, who want an episode featuring a legend (or perhaps a forgotten personality) from the past can get it in awesome DVD quality instead of settling for grainy unofficial recordings. There are lots of legends from the '70s guest hosting in this season including Vikings QB Fran Tarkenton. Revisit or perhaps see for the first time the SNL days with Jane Curtin, Gilda Radner, John Belushi, Bill Murray, Chevy Chase, Laraine Newton, Dan Aykroyd etc. For a sneak peek at the best SNL episode ever (that just so happens to be on this season set), check out my webpage "Jack Burns Hosts Saturday Night Live."
Here's what's on this season:
1. Lily Tomlin/James Taylor (First aired: 9/18/1976)
Sketches include "Lily Won't Rehearse," "Debate '76," "The Muppet Morgue," "The Phone Company," "Women In Literature," "Tess DiSenzo," "Judith Beasley," "Television Viewer" (film), and "The Antler Dance." James Taylor performed "Shower the People," "Roadrunner," and "Sweet Baby James."
2. Norman Lear/Boz Scaggs First aired: 9/25/1976
Sketches include "Gilda's Fall," "Norman Fell's Actors" (film), "Jimmy Carter's Libido," "The Snakehandling O'Sheas," "Chevy's Girls," "Joseph Franklin's Metric Week," "Yankee Doodle Slapstick" (film) "Abusive Divorce Lawyer," "Rhodesian Peace Talks," "Norman's Joke," and "Spanish Peanuts" (film). Boz Skaggs performed "Lowdown" and "What Can I Say."
3. Eric Idle/Joe Cocker and Stuff (First aired: 10/2/1976)
Sketches include "Hospitalized Chevy Confronts An Impostor," "Designer Babies," "KLOG Deejay," "The Killer Bees," "Cufflinks of the Gods," "Drag is Not Funny," "Dragnet," "Drag Racing Today," "Jacques Cousteau," and "Ken Norton is Better Than Muhammad Ali." Joe Cocker and John Belushi perform "Feelin' Alright."
4. Karen Black/John Prine (First aired: 10/16/1976)
Sketches include "Chevy Returns," "Baba Wawa at Large," "Debate '76," "Triple-Trac," "A*M*I*S*H," "Cancer-Free Cupcakes," "Love, Russian Style," "Nightclub Owner" (film), "The Lunch Counter Reunion," "Mr. Bill's Stunt" (film), and "Ode to American Coinage." John Prine performed "Hello In There," "The Bottomless Lake," and "Ten Cents a Dance."
5. Steve Martin/Kinky Friedman (First aired: 10/23/1976)
Sketches include "Yankees Lose," "Speak Out For Milk," "Jeopardy 1999!," "Fido-Flex," "Beatnik Bar," "Looks At Books," "Autumn in New York" (film), "Ted Baxter Kills Mary Richards," "Mysteries In Medicine," and two monologues by Steve Martin. Kinky Friedman performed "Dear Abby."
6. Buck Henry/The Band (First aired: 10/30/1976)
Sketches include "Trick or Treating Land Shark," "Not For First Ladies Only," "Samurai Stockbroker," "Garrett Morris' Roots," "Debate '76," "Super Bat-O-Matic 77," "The OintMENt," "Mr. Mike's Least Loved Bedtime Tales," "Buck's Halloween Costume" (film), and "Houdini's Ghost." The Band performed "Life is a Carnival," "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down," "Stage Fright," and "Georgia on My Mind."
7. Dick Cavett/Ry Cooder (First aired: 11/13/1976)
Sketches include "Chroma-Trak Girl," "Puppy Uppers and Doggie Downers," "Nixon's Watergate Frame-up," "The Marines," "Crossroads," "Grandparent Bees," "Mr. Mike's Least Loved Bedtime Tales: 'The Blind Chicken'," "Mobile Shrink," "How Things Work," "Paramount Novelty Store" (film) and "Franken & Davis' Funny Word Survey." Ry Cooder performed "Tattler" and "He'll Have To Go."
8. Paul Simon/George Harrison (First aired: 11/20/1976)
Sketches include "Paul's Monologue Worries," "Quarry," "Baba Wawa At Large," "The Twilite Zone," "Crackerbox Palace" (film), "The Story of Billy Paul," "Tomorrow with Tom Snyder," and "This Song" (film). Paul Simon performed "50 Ways to Leave Your Lover," "Here Comes The Sun" and "Homeward Bound" (with George Harrison), "Something So Right" and "Bridge Over Troubled Waters."
9. Jodie Foster/Brian Wilson (First aired: 11/27/1976)
Sketches include "Phasing Out Gilda," "Pilson's Feedbag Dinners," "Bee Peter Pan," "Puberty Helper," "Metal Detector," "What Kinda Guy Watches Saturday Night?," "Laraine's Little Known Talent," "Don Pardo: The First 50 Years," "Jodie's Teacher," "Kids' Dreams" (film), "The King Kong Dirge," "I'm Not Black," and "Mr. Mike's Least-Loved Bedtime Tales: The Little Train That Died." Brian Wilson performed "Back Home," "Love is a Woman," and "Good Vibrations."
10. Candice Bergen/Frank Zappa (First aired: 12/11/1976)
Sketches include "Patty Hearst At Home," "Jimmy Carter Can't Keep His Promises," "Santi-Wrap," "Consumer Probe," "The Right to Extreme Stupidity League," "FX-70 Cheese Slicer," "The Killer Trees," "Adopt John Belushi For Christmas," and "Let's Kill Gary Gilmore For Christmas." Frank Zappa performed "I'm The Slime" (featuring Don Pardo), "Lagoon" (featuring Samurai Futaba), and "Peaches & Regalia."
11. Ralph Nader/George Benson (First aired: 1/15/1977)
Sketches include "Ralph Cuts Loose," "Badmouthing Grandfather," "Dress Rehearsal for Execution," "Carter's Confederate Takeover," a performance by Andy Kaufman, "Baba Wawa Talks to Herself," "The Coneheads at Home," "Youth Asks The Questions," "Garbage" (film), "Testing Inflatable Dolls," and "Ambassador Training Institute." George Benson performed "Masquerade" and "Gonna Love You More."
12. Ruth Gordon/Chuck Berry (First aired: 1/22/1977)
Sketches include "Belushi's Too Sick," "Barbra Streisand," "Emily Litella's Sister," "Tomorrow with Tom Snyder," "Little Old Ladies of The Night," "Babysitter Sex Expert," "E. Buzz Miller," "Crazy Frank Commercial," and "Mr. Mike's Least-Loved Bedtime Tales." Chuck Berry performed "Johnny B. Goode" and "Marie & Carol."
Special. Live from the Mardi Gras (First aired: 2/20/1977)
Live from the Mardi Gras, it's Saturday Night on Sunday! The cast of SNL participate in the annual festivities in New Orleans. Jane Curtin and Buck Henry (try to) provide commentary on the Bacchus parade, while Randy Newman performs four times. Penny Marshall appears with the Mystic Krewe of Apollo drag ball, and Eric Idle gets a cushy cameo reporting where nothing is happening.
Guest stars: Garrett Morris (Himself), John Belushi (Himself), Don Pardo (Announcer), Dave Wilson, Penny Marshall (Herself), Buck Henry (Himself), Eric Idle (Himself), Randy Newman (Himself) , Henry Winkler (Himself)
13. Fran Tarkenton/Leo Sayer (First aired: 1/29/1977)
Sketches include-- Locker Room Pep Talk, Swiss Army Gun, Amputated Football Player, Black Perspective, "Grand Stand", Rhonda Weiss, Community Appeal, Anabolic Steroids Cereal, Amy Carter and the Secret Service, The Hotel Room.
14. Steve Martin/The Kinks (First aired: 2/26/1977)
Sketches include-- Steve Martin's Ego Trip, Happy Feet, The Coneheads, Celebrity Weightlifting, Dr. Breadloaf Quickloss Diet Book, Pulling the Plug, Hollywood Bingo, Plenty in Common, Roots II
The Kinks performed "You Really Got Me Going," "All Day And All of the Night," "Well-Respected Man," "Lola" and "Sleepwalker."
15. Sissy Spacek/Richard Baskin (First aired: 3/12/1977)
Sketches include "Dave Wilson's Dead," "Burger Master," "Ask President Carter," "How Your Children Grow", "Belushi's Olympic Dream," "Baton Twirling" (film), Gidget's Disease," "Bad Playhouse," "White Trash Couple," and "Sissy's Performances" (film). Richard Baskin performed "Only I Love You" and "City of One-Night Stands."
16. Broderick Crawford/Dr. John, The Meters (First aired: 3/19/1977)
Sketches include-- "Goodbye Saccharine", Samurai Hit-Man, "Mel's Hide Heaven", Bill Murray--The New Guy, Lucy Ricardo's Nuke Job, "Highway Patrol", "Baba Wawa At Large", Nixon and J. Edgar Hoover.
17. Jack Burns/Santana (First aired: 3/26/1977)
Sketches include "Belushi Refuses to Say 'Live From New York'," "The Coneheads," "Marine Wedding," "The Untouchables," "The Story of The Squatters," "Ask Big Daddy," "Washed-Up Comedy Writer," "Suicidal Businessman," and "Old-Fashioned Pharmacist." Santana performed "Black Magic Woman" and "Europa."
18. Julian Bond/Brick (First aired: 4/9/1977)
Sketches include-- Emily Litella's New Love, Lowell Brock, Black Perspective, "Dr.X, Family Counselor", Right On Afro Lustre, Great Moments In Motown, Creeley's Soup, Bad Cinema, George Wallace, Julian and Andrew Young Talk With President Carter.
19. Elliott Gould/McGarrigle Sisters, Roslyn Kind (First aired: 4/16/1977)
Sketches include "Brezhnev Wants to Appear on Carson," "The Coneheads At Home," "You've Come A Long Way, Buddy," "Nick at Breezy Point Lodge," "United Face Bank," "Sports Fights" (film), "ATM Security Tests," "Natural Causes Restaurant," "Puppet Affair," and "Pilson's Feedbag Dinners." Kate & Anna McGarrigle perform "Kiss & Say Goodbye" and "Heart Like a Wheel"; Roslyn Kind performed "I'm Not Anyone."
20. Eric Idle/Neil Innes, Alan Price (First aired: 4/23/1977)
Sketches include "Potato Torture," "Save Great Britain Telethon," "The American Dope Growers Union," "The Nixon Interviews," "Body Language" (film), "Oxxon," "Sherry the Flight Attendant," "Plain Talk," "Heavy Wit Championship," "Bill Murray's Bad Childhood Memories," and "The Battle of Britain". Alan Price performed "Poor People" and "In Times Like These." Neil Innes performed "Cheese & Onions" (as Ron Nasty) and "Shangri-La."
21. Shelley Duvall/Joan Armatrading (First aired: 5/14/1977)
Sketches include "Bee Sketch is Pre-Empted," "Video Vixens," "Badly Disguised Bank Robber," "Viva Las Vegas II," "Baba Wawa At Large," "Feuding Couple," "Bad Ballet," "Night of...
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Season 1 of Saturday Night Live had some memorable moments, but Season 2 had even more! Included are the first time comedy legend Steve Martin hosted the show, the first appearance of Bill Murray's famous 'Nick the Lounge Singer' character, the time that John Belushi did his Joe Cocker Impression alongside Joe Cocker himself, Lily Tomlin's hilarious commercial for 'The Phone Company', and much more! Here is a list of the episodes in order of their original airdates(Along with notes on the major cast changes):
1. Lily Tomlin/James Taylor
2. Norman Lear/Boz Scaggs
3. Eric Idle/Joe Cocker,Stuff
4. Karen Black/John Prine
5. Steve Martin/Kinky Friedman
6. Buck Henry/The Band (Chevy Chase's Last Episode To Be 'Weekend Update' Anchor)
7. Dick Cavett/Ry Cooder (Jane Curtin's First Episode To Be 'Weekend Update' Anchor)
8. Paul Simon
9. Jodie Foster/Brian Wilson (Chevy Chase's Last Episode)
10. Candice Bergen/Frank Zappa
11. Ralph Nader/George Benson (Bill Murray's First Episode)
12. Ruth Gordon/Chuck Berry
13. Frank Tarkenton/Leo Sayer,Donny Harper,& The Voices of Tomorrow
14. Steve Martin/The Kinks
15. Sissy Spacek/Richard Baskin
16. Broderick Crawford/The Meters,Dr. John,Levon Helm,Paul Butterfield
17. Jack Burns/Santana
18. Julian Bond/Tom Waits,Brick
19. Elliott Gould/The McGarrigle Sisters,Roslyn Kind
20. Eric Idle/Alan Price,Neil Innes
21. Shelley Duvall/Joan Armatrading
22. Buck Henry/Jennifer Warnes,Kenny Vance
Another possible episode to be featured on this set is the live special from Mardi Gras, but only time will tell if it will be included.
Bottom line, I am really looking forward to this set!
I am absolutely thrilled that we are getting another complete season of Saturday Night Live. This season is where the show really started to gell into the show that everyone remembers.
I've only watched the first 4 discs of this set, but so far it has been great. Even better than season one. This season marks the birth of the Coneheads. Jane Curtin takes over Weekend Update after Chevy Chase leaves the show. Lots of great moments.
The only thing that I find disapointing is the people that continue to complain about the long wait between seasons and the price of the sets. In case no one has bothered to address the issue, here it is in black and white. Music licensing issues. Come on folks. You complain that TV shows on DVD are constantly replacing or deleating music and when a company bends over backwards to make sure that each and every piece of music is inclued in the set, then you complain about the price. Sorry but in this case you can't have your cake and eat it too. The same goes for the so called 'long wait' between seasons. It takes a lot of time to negotiate those pesky music rights. I know, reality bites doesn't it? I, for one, don't mind the long wait. If this is what it takes for Universal to give me complete uncut seasons of this great show, then fine. I'll fork over the $50.00+ dollars for the set and wait patiently for the next season. End of rant.
