MovieChat Forums > SCTV Network 90 (1981) Discussion > Favorite Episode, Characters, etc. Debat...

Favorite Episode, Characters, etc. Debate

posted 18 years ago by nedopetrie
29 replies | jump to latest

Looking back on the whole series (both SCTV and SCTV Network on NBC) it never ceases to amaze me how talented each cast member was. There wasn't a single one of them that was any better than the rest, they were all simply amazing. Each could either carry or support a sketch as needed, and no one ever veered over the top unless necessary.

That said, I'm most consistently impressed by John Candy, Rick Moranis, and Catherine O'Hara. John had several characters that were bigger than the room (i.e. Johnny La Rue, William B. Williams, etc.) but he was best with both subtle supporting work that you hardly remember but that makes the scene nonetheless (a good example is JOhn as the sandwich man in the G. Gordon Liddy sketch: Liddy: YOu got change for a thousand; Candy: (without skipping a beat or changing the tone) No I don't) and with sweet characters that were hilarious in that they seemed so normal (i.e. Yosh Schmenge and Mayor Tommy Shanks).

It amazes me how little Moranis is remembered as a comic genius. To most of my generation he's just that geeky looking guy who made a few funny movies, but you can see on SCTV how talented he was as a performer, writer, and impersonator. Most of Rick's sketches were the among the most creative stuff on the show. Its too bad he only got to show his comic range in only a few movies. The most underrated member of the cast.

And Catherine O'Hara is without a doubt the funniest actress of all time. She could play anything, just a chameleon.

As for the best recurring sketches:

The Sammy Maudlin Show: Just hilarious. The best ones in my opinion were the one with Mother Theresa and the one with Skip Bittman (another great Rick Moranis character).

The Happy Wanderers: Great, great sketch because of the characters. The Schmenges were just so sweet you had to root for them.

Miss Falbo's Tiny Town: Hilarious every time.

Best Non-Recurring Sketches:

The Vikings and The Bee-Keepers: Dave Thomas wrote this classic. FUNNIEST. SKETCH. EVER.

The Tim Ishimuni Show: Another Thomas penned classic, with the Japanese talk show that had Gorgon, a godzilla esque monster, as the guest.

Perry Como's 'Still Alive': Great concert promo.

Best Episodes:

SCTV Staff Christmas Party: Featuring all the classic characters in one room, as well as a Liberace Christmas Special Promo, a Christmas-Themed Great White North, The Neil Simon Parody 'Nutcracker Suite', a great Sammy Maudlin, and the Dusty Towne Chirstmas Special.

Walter Chronkite's Brain: Great Collection of Sketches. Including the game show Steeplechase, Pre-Teen World, and Screenacting with Dr. Tongue and Woddy Tobias, Jr.

I'm Taking My Own Head and Screwing It On Right and No Guys Gonna Tell Me That It Ain't: Great episode centering around You! host Libby Wilson's feminist play. Great Bill Needle and Fishin Musician sketches too. Also features one of their best movies, Power Play.

Best Characters:

John Candy: Dr. Tongue, Yosh Schmenge, and Mayor Tommy Shanks
Joe Flaherty: Guy Cabellero and Floyd Robertson
Eugene Levy: Bobby Bittman and Stan Schmenge
Andrea Martin: Libby Wilson, Ms Falbo, and Edna
Rick Moranis: Gerry Todd and Bob McKenzie
Catherine O'Hara: Lola Heatherton and Dusty Towne
Dave Thomas: Bill Needle, Doug McKenzie, and Tex

Best Impressions:

Dave Thomas as Bob Hope: Dead-On and fit every scene he was placed in.
Rick Moranis as Merv Griffin.
Dave Thomas and Rick Moranis as Walter Cronkeit and David Brinkley

LET THE DEBATE BEGIN

[–] JesX 18 years ago

I don't think you will get the debate you want on this board, but I am willing to throw my two cents in. SCTV was before my time, so I am just seeing the episodes for the first time. I just watched disc one.
One thing I just love that you didn't mention is the incorporation of the musical performances. It's something that modern sketch comedy shows don't bother to do. They don't stop the skits and say, "here's a musical guest"; they make it flow right in with the whole show. Continuity was very important. They never break character/break the illusion they're a 'TV network'. A far cry from Jimmy Fallon and Horatio Sanz cracking up over their own hilarity.

One problem I have: Joe Flaherty. I find him extremely un-funny so far. I'm not prejudiced; I like him from other TV. (No one else could have been Harold Weir on Freaks and Geeks.) Maybe its the transition from theatre to TV, bt he seems to overact his characters. He's way too intense, while Moranis and Thomas hit the nail right on the head by acting more subtle.
Does anyone disagree? Will I like him more as I watch the rest of the dvds?

Hey Mr. Noblet, I like your new fake mustache... looks real. -Jerry Blank

[–] dkgambler 11 years ago

Good point on the musical acts. I remember when The Tubes were on the show they went fishing with John Candy's Fishin' Musician. Good stuff. And Roy Orbison appearing on Mel's Rock Pile. I seem to remember Dr. John getting weaved into the whole episode he was in. It seemed like the musicians really enjoyed getting weaved into everything.

[–] redwood-1 18 years ago

One of my favorite characters is Eugene Levy's impression of Mr. Rourke, especially on that episode "Teacher's Pet" that featured Bob Geldof and the Boomtown Rats. My other favorite characters include Dave Thomas' impressions of Walter Cronkite and Bob Hope. One of my favorite episodes is the one featuring Mel's Rock Pile that featured Roy Orbison.

[–] mhoffman8540 18 years ago

Back in the day, it was perfect. It was on channel 9(WOR New York) at 11 P.M. on Saturday, ran for 30 minutes, before switching to channel 4(WNBC New York)to see Chevy Chase trip over something. However, this is about SCTV.

Favorite Episode: (tie) the Godfather, and the day the Russians took over SCTV

Favorite Characters: Guy Caballero, Johnny LaRue, Lola Heatherton, Edith Prickley

[–] 18 years ago

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[–] niktemadur 17 years ago

Favorite Episode: (tie) the Godfather, and the day the Russians took over SCTV

That would be "Three Cee Pee One, Russian Television":

Good evening, and welcome to another edition of Uposcrabblenyk.

Uzbeks. They are the weak link in the great chain of socialism.

Hey Gyorgy, he's coming to your town.
Hey Gyorgy, he never wears a frown.
Hey Gyorgy, he's as happy as can be,
cause all of Russia is Gyorgy's family.
Hey Gyorgy!!!

Favorite Characters: Guy Caballero, Johnny LaRue, Lola Heatherton, Edith Prickley

Hey, what about:
- Bob and Doug McKenzie.
- The two pig-snout brothers.
- Bobby Bittman, the borsch-belt comedian - "How are ya!"
- Li Yang - "Good evening everybody, and welcome to Doorway To Hell!"

[–] ksmith-90 17 years ago

favortie characters:

Johnny LaRue
Edith Prickley
Bob and Dog Mackenzie

[–] comicstu 17 years ago

My favorite episodes include the season 5 finale, 'The Godfather', and 'The People's Golden Global Choice Awards'. My favorite character is Guy Caballero.

[–] MaGuFu_Day 17 years ago

My fav sketches/wraparounds are
-Philosophy Street
-Captain Combat
-GWN:Shortcuts
-all the Alex Trebel sketches
-Vic Arpeggio Private Investigator(both)
-Hugh Betcha's Short Story Playhouse:The Private Booth
-Hollywood Dirt Tonite
-Sammy Maudlin show:Luciano Pavarotti
-William B. Show
-Days of the Week episode 9
-The Happy Wanderers: Christmas Day With the Shmenges
-Walter Cronkite's Brain
-Pre-Teen World: Rough Trade
-Pre-Teen World Telethon
-The Adventures of Shake & Bake
-The Pepsi Challenge with Perini Scleroso
-Tylenex with Perini Scleroso
-Shine Liquid Detergent with Perini Scleroso
-Gaslight
-Mel's Rock Pile:Speed of Light
-Allenscam
-Harvey,Solid Gold Telethon
-Pipeline
-Dining With LaRue: French Restaurant
-Biller Hi-Lite
-Hugh Betcha's Night Gallery
-Thursday Night Live
-Dan Money
-The Millionare
-Point/Counterpoint: Alcoholism
-SCTV News: Earl's film doesn't come up
-Guy Cabalero's speeches asking for money
-SCTV Live Theatre: Death of a Salesman
-Zontar with Conrad Bain
-The Young and the Wrestling-
-60/20
-Shakespeare in the Park
-Message From Guy: Announcer screws up
-SCTV News: 4th Anniversary
-Message from Guy: SCTV Premiere of Star Wars
-Siskel & Ebert Sneak Previews
-Cooking with Marcello: Breakaway Bottles
-Two Way TV
-Alpha Channel
-Cooking with Marcello: Vatican
-Dialing for Dollars: Partridge Family Goes to Mars
-Midnight Express Special
-SCTV News: Walter Cronkite
-Kanadian Korner: ,Kicked out of the Studio,Stolen Car
-Cooking With Marcello: Chicken Cacciatore
-Gerry Todd Show 2

IMDB's most overlooked poster,giving you true posts since 2001R.I.P. J Dilla

[–] 17 years ago

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[–] dkgambler 11 years ago

I've probably forgotten half of my favorite sketches. Good reason to pull the DVDs out some lazy weekend. Some random thoughts:

I can't single out a cast member, they were all so good. Maybe the best way I can put it is that the whole was way greater than the sum of the parts. I also liked the Johnny LaRue character, the ongoing scene when he goes over budget with a crane shot was great. Dave Thomas as Bob Hope was dead on. Probably my favorite scene was the whole Godfather parody when SCTV went to war with the other networks, perhaps because I'm such a huge Godfather fan.... Moranis channeling Michael Corleone... "Pop takes the broadcastin' oath!" The hit on the NFL Today studio, all of it. Great stuff. The Fishin' Musician. Oh and how can I forget Shoot at the Stars? My brother and I still talk about that from time to time.

Bottom line, this show was way ahead of its time. I was in high school when it ran, before the days of VCRs and DVDs, and remember fighting to stay awake on Friday nights to catch it all.

[–] MaGuFu_Day 11 years ago

-It's a Wonderful Film
-Bubie's Chicken Medication
-Play It Again, Bob
-Grizzly Abrams

Giving you true posts since 2001"Toot toot"-Charles Doyle Haas

[–] nsavage3-1 10 years ago

I remember loving this show when it first aired on Friday nights in 1980. And now I have the whole DVD set and still love it!

Some of my favorite skits were:

-The Godfather/Network Wars
-Lola Heatherton with Wizard of Oz ending
-3-D House of Beef w/James Ingram singing
-Martin Short as Jerry Lewis
-Martin Short as kid in the hospital faking w/John Candy as his father.

[–] Rosabel 10 years ago

Their movie parodies were so multi-layered and brilliant. The Godfather was not my favourite, though many people have mentioned it. I think the best was "Rome, Italian Style", their parody of de Sica and Fellini films which is hilariously badly dubbed. All the bad dubbing in SCTV films is wonderfully funny, but this is special, from the fake kids' voices down to the wooden English. "Looks like you're the one being baptized, Father!" "Little offspring of the Devil!" "What do you expect from a ne'er-do-well like him?"

"Das Boobs" was another great one. More weird voices and stilted English: "You're much too innocent for this, PeeWee." "Unlike us, whose sexual escapades are known throughout Germany!"

Among recurring characters, I have a soft spot for Floyd Robertson and Earl Camembert, especially the one news broadcast where they had to write their own copy. Floyd goes for an old-fashioned, hard-hitting reporter style, while Earl uses his thesaurus to come up with outrageously florid descriptions: "A semi-tractor trailer annulled itself on Rte 63, which, as you know, circumambulates the orb of Plattsburgh. The imbroglio had motorists falling astern one another, ad infinitum."

Flat, drab passion meanders across the screen!

[–] nsavage3-1 10 years ago

How could I forget "Rome, Italian Style"??

That was definately a favorite of mine too. I had seen a few movies like that at the time, with the wierd dialog and poor dubbing, and this skit was SPOT-ON!

[–] lookyloot 10 years ago

fave charactor.... count floyd

so many skits, but one of my favourites was "the nutty lab assistant", where ed grimly was the assistant who drank a potion and turned into john cougar mellencamp. when john starts turning back into ed grimly its PRICELESS!

[–] 10 years ago

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[–] 10 years ago

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[–] Rosabel 10 years ago

'Zontar, The Glowing Cabbage Effect' And it won a Global Golden People's Choice Award! I loved the part where Sammy and his guests have been turned into zombies, and Guy is watching the show in great perplexity, saying "Wow, I've never seen so many low-key performances!"

Flat, drab passion meanders across the screen!

[–] eyepad88 10 years ago

My heart always belonged to Joe Flaherty. He seemed like the underdog of the show. Looking back at the show now, it's amazing how talented everyone was in this small group of performers.

I loved Floyd Robertson/Count Floyd the most. Joe probably didn't have the mass appeal like John Candy or Rick Moranis, but he had just as much talent, in my opinion. They were ALL great!

Flaherty's smile and cackle got me every time. He could say one word and it would make me laugh.

[–] Rosabel 10 years ago

Joe Flaherty was the real old film buff in the group, and I think he was the driving force behind a lot of their film parodies. This was really early in the videotape evolution, and it wasn't that easy even to find copies of old films. We saw them on latenight TV. So some of those parodies would have been pretty esoteric at the time. I remember reading a newspaper article about SCTV, or it might have just been about Flaherty himself, and they mentioned that they were in the process of filming a parody of "Oceans 11", and the comment was followed by a sort of "Well, what can you do?" eyeroll. Nowadays, anyone can watch an old movie like that, but back then this was considered really obscure. It was Flaherty's "thing", and it's great that the SCTV format was free enough that he could experiment with this interest of his, because I think the film parodies are some of the best stuff ever done on SCTV.

Flat, drab passion meanders across the screen!