This was hands down the funniest comedy tv show of the late 1970's early '80's. We used to watch while living on the Canadian border, took 3 years for the states to catch on to it.
@jsteeber Yeah, I never thought of that, jsteeber! The skit DOES have that Bob and Ray type of quality to it, especially the the stuff that John Candy said.
I used to love stumbling across this show, and a huge part of it's allure was the lack of a laugh track, as I remember it. That intimacy made such a joy to watch cause it was so quiet! No hyper selling of the laughs...but maybe I am recalling it wrong...if Comedy Central is putting it on the air, I fear they may have added a track, believing we won't "get" it.
@grand9336, I realize Wikipedia isn't always the most insightful source for research but they have a pretty good summary there. Try searching "Second City Television."
The care which SCTV took in replicating What's My Line? is shown by the heart-shaped necklace that the equivalent of Arlene Palmer wore. Arlene wore a necklace like that (a gift from her husband) during the whole run. The only big error is Catherine O'Hara, (whom I love) playing Dorothy Kilgallen as a bimbo airhead. In fact, Kilgallen was a brilliant investigative reporter who did great work on, among other things, the Sam Sheppard case (model for "The Fugitive")
@frozenfood500 - Nor did they use Helvetica Medium for the nameplates. That typeface wasn't invented until 1957, and didn't come into common use until the 1960's. And even then, neither the CBS network nor the syndicated "WML?" ever used Helvetica Medium anywhere.
@Toral3533 - From what I could tell, the Dorothy Kilgallen whom Ms. O'Hara was impersonating was the post-1960 pilled-up, blotto train wreck who often put forth bizarre questions to mystery guests (on the order of "Did I run into you in Thailand within the past month?") which most of the time had nothing to do with anything that MG did. Also, Ms. O'Hara's own natural speaking voice had more in common with the real-life Dolly Mae.
Stumbled on a couple of Whats My Line posts and thought of how bad and stupid a show that was, then I thought of the SCTV skit and remembered how brilliantly funny it was, cool that I didn't have to dig out my DVD to find it quickly! This was a highlight of SCTV comedy, all the cast are great in this one but Joe doing Kirk is comic GOLD!
The other thing: While Catherine O'Hara played the post-1960 spaced-out train wreck of Dorothy Kilgallen (from what I could gather), ironically her normal speaking voice bore more resemblance to Miss Kilgallen as she was in the 1950's when she was at the top of her game on "WML?"
No other snydicated show had the writing and acting talent that SCTV did. Too bad there will never be a reunion, considering John's death and Rick Moranis' reluctance to get back into show-biz.
karmadhyana, SCTV becomes kind of a time capsule for people because it's so locked in the past. Most people say that it was a simpler time for them, as it was for me. They recall watching the show with friends/family and discussing it with coworkers or schoolmates. It was a social experience as much as it was a TV show. You still see a fiercely-loyal fan base on the internet to this day.
fredhetz, I agree! I was born and raised in Michigan (about an hour from the Canadian border) and when SCTV was alive and kicking I thought it was a regional thing. So few people I've met here (I'm in Oregon now) have ever heard of it. Also, my husband (a Floridian) had never seen SCTV. What a pity!!
@fredhetz I feel the same. It was like growing up with Monty Python and Fawlty Towers--each Monday (because both aired on the weekend), we'd talk about those shows at school. Later, SCTV--which was broadcast Fridays I think--was the subject of many laughs with friends. It was brilliant, no question. Where did those ideas come from?! I'd say it outdid even classic-era Saturday Night Live, and that say much about the SCTV comic genius collective!
@fredhetz Thanks for that confirmation! I guess my memory is pretty good after all! But who could forget this show? It was pretty original. I also liked Kids In The Hall, but for parody and satire, SCTV was the best!
There was an ironic coincidence to this parody, viz two of the actors and those whom they impersonated: Both Arlene Francis and Andrea Martin had Armenian ancestry, while Dorothy Kilgallen and Catherine O'Hara each came from Irish Catholic families.
One of my favourite SCTV sketches! Thanks for putting up Fred, it's great to be able to watch it again.
Speaking of SCTV, you wouldn't happen to have either the Christmas: That's All or O'Henry parody sketches would you? Those are 2 of my favourites and I've been looking for them everywhere.
HOLY CRAP!!!! I remember watching this on channel 9 outta NY on Saturday nights. The "freak" line is SOOOOO Classic!!!! I remember waiting for the re-run of this episode so I record the audio on my cassette player. And lmao over and over again. Thanks for this post!!
@LavaCannon - Ironically, WOR-TV in real life (especially under RKO General) was a low-rent, ultra-low-budget station - not unlike the fictional SCTV.
@LavaCannon that is so cool. recorded the audio on your cassette player and now watching it on Utube. This is some of the best comedy and talent ever produced and I am sure will remain timeless in a way.
Fatdogtavern, when this first aired, I worked with a guy who was also an SCTV fan. He and I spent a week or two walking around referring to difficult customers as "SOME KINDA FREAK!"
fatdogtavern, I did a little homework and I found that "Das Boobs" aired after the show moved over to Cinemax. I don't have access to it, in other words. I wish I did!
SIZE 9!!!!!
Listersmate2 1 month ago
This was hands down the funniest comedy tv show of the late 1970's early '80's. We used to watch while living on the Canadian border, took 3 years for the states to catch on to it.
TheShiteMaster 5 months ago
One of the funniest and best written sketches from SCTV. I love Joe Flaherty's impersonation of Kirk Douglas. Brilliant!
Lee05211 7 months ago
Modern Canadian TV blows dogs for dimes. SCTV kicks ass.
TheCriticalCanadian 7 months ago
The Canadian version of '70s Saturday Night Live!!!! SCTV in a nutshell
lori2lucky 1 year ago
@lori2lucky Yes, but different. No studio audience, not live (so they had more time for elaborate scripts, costumes and sets)...
BlueCougar 11 months ago
Shitting to my left
Pjwass3 1 year ago
Once again, another episode of pure genius! Note the scratches/lines in the film reel . Candy was so great! He is so missed
houstonphotografx 1 year ago 6
@houstonphotografx, he really is.
fredhetz 1 year ago
Pause this at 3:17 and you have an image for the ages!
lsmftymf 1 year ago
Very Bob&Ray. Mighty nice.
jsteeber 1 year ago
@jsteeber Yeah, I never thought of that, jsteeber! The skit DOES have that Bob and Ray type of quality to it, especially the the stuff that John Candy said.
idiotic76 6 months ago
I used to love stumbling across this show, and a huge part of it's allure was the lack of a laugh track, as I remember it. That intimacy made such a joy to watch cause it was so quiet! No hyper selling of the laughs...but maybe I am recalling it wrong...if Comedy Central is putting it on the air, I fear they may have added a track, believing we won't "get" it.
wallyssue 1 year ago
@wallyssue there WAS no laugh track until US TV added it.
BlueCougar 11 months ago
what is this show? is it old cuz on my comedy network tv channel it says SCTV BACK ON AIR OH MY GOD! and im like whats sctv?
grand9336 1 year ago
@grand9336, I realize Wikipedia isn't always the most insightful source for research but they have a pretty good summary there. Try searching "Second City Television."
fredhetz 1 year ago
Joe Flaherty just cracks me up! And that little thing John Candy does when he puts his feet up on the desk!
simplyscrummy 1 year ago
@simplyscrummy, aren't you and E.U.B. Steubling one and the same?
fredhetz 1 year ago
@fredhetz Yes, and I had a lot of difficulty walking as a child...
simplyscrummy 1 year ago
@simplyscrummy, but you made up for it with your ability to propel small sea-going crafts.
fredhetz 1 year ago
funny, SCTV was awesome
davedog66 1 year ago
@davedog66, agreed
fredhetz 1 year ago
The care which SCTV took in replicating What's My Line? is shown by the heart-shaped necklace that the equivalent of Arlene Palmer wore. Arlene wore a necklace like that (a gift from her husband) during the whole run. The only big error is Catherine O'Hara, (whom I love) playing Dorothy Kilgallen as a bimbo airhead. In fact, Kilgallen was a brilliant investigative reporter who did great work on, among other things, the Sam Sheppard case (model for "The Fugitive")
Toral3533 1 year ago
@Toral3533, did you mean to say "Arlene Francis?"
fredhetz 1 year ago
@fredhetz Indeed, thanx.
Toral3533 1 year ago
@Toral3533 The only other inaccuracy that I can see (related to the era) is the fact that they didn't use microphones like that in the 1950s.
frozenfood500 1 year ago
@frozenfood500 - Nor did they use Helvetica Medium for the nameplates. That typeface wasn't invented until 1957, and didn't come into common use until the 1960's. And even then, neither the CBS network nor the syndicated "WML?" ever used Helvetica Medium anywhere.
wmbrown6 1 year ago
@Toral3533 - From what I could tell, the Dorothy Kilgallen whom Ms. O'Hara was impersonating was the post-1960 pilled-up, blotto train wreck who often put forth bizarre questions to mystery guests (on the order of "Did I run into you in Thailand within the past month?") which most of the time had nothing to do with anything that MG did. Also, Ms. O'Hara's own natural speaking voice had more in common with the real-life Dolly Mae.
wmbrown6 1 year ago
Stumbled on a couple of Whats My Line posts and thought of how bad and stupid a show that was, then I thought of the SCTV skit and remembered how brilliantly funny it was, cool that I didn't have to dig out my DVD to find it quickly! This was a highlight of SCTV comedy, all the cast are great in this one but Joe doing Kirk is comic GOLD!
verbusen 1 year ago
WTH, that is one very silly sketch, but I'm laughing nonetheless!
tbirdtim 1 year ago
So much talent! Watched this growing up and defiantly set the bar for comedy.
saraphinn 1 year ago
I loved this show when it aired and I still marvel at it today. There has never been anything out of Canada nearly as good.
socksumi 1 year ago 4
It was a special show, socksumi.
fredhetz 1 year ago
The other thing: While Catherine O'Hara played the post-1960 spaced-out train wreck of Dorothy Kilgallen (from what I could gather), ironically her normal speaking voice bore more resemblance to Miss Kilgallen as she was in the 1950's when she was at the top of her game on "WML?"
wmbrown6 2 years ago
"I'm stymied and my face hurts." Perfect!
No other snydicated show had the writing and acting talent that SCTV did. Too bad there will never be a reunion, considering John's death and Rick Moranis' reluctance to get back into show-biz.
karmadhyana 2 years ago
karmadhyana, SCTV becomes kind of a time capsule for people because it's so locked in the past. Most people say that it was a simpler time for them, as it was for me. They recall watching the show with friends/family and discussing it with coworkers or schoolmates. It was a social experience as much as it was a TV show. You still see a fiercely-loyal fan base on the internet to this day.
fredhetz 2 years ago
This has been flagged as spam show
fredhetz, I agree! I was born and raised in Michigan (about an hour from the Canadian border) and when SCTV was alive and kicking I thought it was a regional thing. So few people I've met here (I'm in Oregon now) have ever heard of it. Also, my husband (a Floridian) had never seen SCTV. What a pity!!
karmadhyana 2 years ago
@fredhetz I feel the same. It was like growing up with Monty Python and Fawlty Towers--each Monday (because both aired on the weekend), we'd talk about those shows at school. Later, SCTV--which was broadcast Fridays I think--was the subject of many laughs with friends. It was brilliant, no question. Where did those ideas come from?! I'd say it outdid even classic-era Saturday Night Live, and that say much about the SCTV comic genius collective!
bartonim 1 year ago
@bartonim, SCTV was definitely on Fridays. You're correct.
fredhetz 1 year ago
@fredhetz Thanks for that confirmation! I guess my memory is pretty good after all! But who could forget this show? It was pretty original. I also liked Kids In The Hall, but for parody and satire, SCTV was the best!
bartonim 1 year ago
@bartonim, I was also a big KITH fan. Another excellent source of comedy, Canadian or otherwise.
fredhetz 1 year ago
john candy is so loved.
futuristfood 2 years ago
thankyou so much, i miss SCTV, such fond memories!
littlekev72 2 years ago 5
My pleasure, littlekev!
fredhetz 2 years ago
Comment removed
karmadhyana 2 years ago
@littlekev72, you're very welcome
fredhetz 1 year ago
There was an ironic coincidence to this parody, viz two of the actors and those whom they impersonated: Both Arlene Francis and Andrea Martin had Armenian ancestry, while Dorothy Kilgallen and Catherine O'Hara each came from Irish Catholic families.
wmbrown6 2 years ago
One of my favourite SCTV sketches! Thanks for putting up Fred, it's great to be able to watch it again.
Speaking of SCTV, you wouldn't happen to have either the Christmas: That's All or O'Henry parody sketches would you? Those are 2 of my favourites and I've been looking for them everywhere.
GlueheadRox 2 years ago
I'm looking for them now!
fredhetz 2 years ago
GlueheadRox, I have the O. Henry video uploaded and I'm waiting for it to process.
fredhetz 2 years ago
MISTER JOHN CHARLES BAILEY
danielswensen 2 years ago
Wow, this brings back memories. What would Sunday nights be without Bonanza and What's My Line? Thanks so much for posting!!
Eugene as John Daly was awesome!!
rojmant 2 years ago
HOLY CRAP!!!! I remember watching this on channel 9 outta NY on Saturday nights. The "freak" line is SOOOOO Classic!!!! I remember waiting for the re-run of this episode so I record the audio on my cassette player. And lmao over and over again. Thanks for this post!!
LavaCannon 2 years ago 3
LavaCannon, the pleasure is mine. People have wonderful memories associated with this show.
fredhetz 2 years ago
@LavaCannon - Ironically, WOR-TV in real life (especially under RKO General) was a low-rent, ultra-low-budget station - not unlike the fictional SCTV.
wmbrown6 2 years ago
Flaherty is dead on with the Kirk Douglas rage. "some kinda freak" has always been a favorite!
Squank63 2 years ago
@LavaCannon that is so cool. recorded the audio on your cassette player and now watching it on Utube. This is some of the best comedy and talent ever produced and I am sure will remain timeless in a way.
TheDaddyCokes 1 year ago
Joe Flaherty's portral of Kirk Douglas is phenomenal!
SOME KINDA FREAK!
fatdogtavern 2 years ago 20
Fatdogtavern, when this first aired, I worked with a guy who was also an SCTV fan. He and I spent a week or two walking around referring to difficult customers as "SOME KINDA FREAK!"
fredhetz 2 years ago
Thats funny! We used to spout that off when needed in the group I was in too. It just works in so many ways.
Someone slugs 6 beers in 5 minutes?
SOME KINDA FREAK!
Someone empties the hookah in 1 go?
SOME KINDA FREAK!
That Kinda thing.
Great quality on your videos. You don't happen to have Das Boobs do you?
fatdogtavern 2 years ago 2
fatdogtavern, I did a little homework and I found that "Das Boobs" aired after the show moved over to Cinemax. I don't have access to it, in other words. I wish I did!
fredhetz 2 years ago
Thanks very much.
13loomisst 2 years ago
My pleasure, 13loomisst
fredhetz 2 years ago
You just like me for my big feet.
fredhetz 2 years ago
You're LYING!
stripeyhole 2 years ago
Okay, you like me for my nimble ankles, too.
fredhetz 2 years ago
Comment removed
stripeyhole 2 years ago
Well, it's just that they're so neat when they're lightly turned.
stripeyhole 2 years ago
Thanks for posting this, Fred--your ebullient alacrity is only superseded by your elan and perspicacity. And I really mean that.
stripeyhole 2 years ago 5