SCTV- The Merv Griffith Show

[Gnillob802]

4:03 The ultimate impression: Dave Thomas doing Fred Travalena doing Jim Nabors as Gomer Pyle doing Howard McNear as Floyd Lawson.

[8jojobeans]

Soooooo funny. What a fantastic spoof.

[VividJame]

This is so fucking crazy

[IDoNotBlameYou]

"Uh, Opie? We'll be right back!"

[007poocher]

SURPRIIIIISE GOMERRRRR!! I don't get when Opee make his entrance why he's hanging his arms like a chimpanzee but it's fucking hilarious !

[aitraining]

SCTV always crushed!  Amazing!

[vonlossberg]

That was so funny. Wish I could remember the guy who plays Merv/Andy. Eugene Levy is hilarous.

[DasGoldenBoy]

@vonlossberg Rick Moranis?

[njca2000]

Otis! My man!



[DSackvillesouth]

This has got to be one of the funniest parodies ever. SCTV had the best comic actors in the business. I don't think I ever laughed so hard at the stuff they'd come up with for the show.

[CocteauDalighari]

Is this funny? I got stuff comin' outta my nose that was lying in wait for decades for "lunch in the jailhouse" ...

[bishopaz]

hahahahahaha.words cannot do justice to this masterpiece. we will never,i mean ever,see this again.

[gerross]

the one person who didn't like this is currently hurting a small animal or something....

[charlyW34]

Stunning, genius comedy. There has never been a better ensemble. Every 5 to 7 years, it comes back in syndication, and every time I expect it to seem dated, but it never does. Very proud that some of the best material was done in edmonton.

[mje2k]

'Oooooh, this is a looooong promo, we'll be right back.' LOL

[TheSpinalzap]

Let's face it, this is a really lame sketch, but the characterizations make it work. What a bunch of brilliant comics. As to the Helen Crump thing, I doubt that it was the original actress. SCTV was shot on a slim budget and would have surely made a big deal of getting a "real" TV star in a parody. The show started in Edmonton (and I do not mean to offend Albertans) when there was nothing there but football, government, and the promise of oil revenues.  Later CBC cheapskates ran the show.

[Tuddyboy11]

Brilliant!!! Rick Moranis really nailed this.

[samsbro1952]

Perfection. . .

[samsbro1952]

Who's the asshole that disliked this???

[Madelow56]

Joe Flaherty does a great Don Knotts, and Rick Moranis just slays me! A classic!

[candy1710]

Eugene Levy is one of the all time great impressionists.

[MillBelater]

the kid is the best casting here.

[trublu71]

Genius comedy!

[unclejuniorsoprano]

Outstanding skit. However, it wouldn't go over very well in today's nanny society. Otis would be sent to prison for life for giving alcohol to a minor. I miss the good old days when a young boy could go fishing with the town drunk & come back loaded!

[rem2267]

WOW, the guy playing Barney was great, and Eugene Levy must have somehow channeled the spirit of Floyd, b/c he was so good that he's almost scary. Fantastic makeup on everyone, esp. Eugene/Floyd.

Q.: Why did they make Opie's ass humongous?

[spacegasp]

Levy as Floyd is just too good.

[SirReal1958]

Funny that a drunk Otis Campbell noticed that it wasn't Jim Nabors as Gomar Pyle, but Fred Travelina. Also, what's with the big fat ass? Did Merv Griffin look like that in real life?

[samsbro1952]

@SirReal1958 What my father told me was that fred travalena was a terrible impersonator, which is part of what they're rippin on here, that even otis could see through his stuff.

[tallpaul521]

They even have someone that looks like Helen Crump -- right down to the hairstyle..amazing!!!

[PaulM678347]

@tallpaul521 Isnt that the actress that played Helen Crump. I read that somewhere.

[tallpaul521]

Priceless!!!  I saw this when it originally aired.

[KLOKFXR]

uhh Floyd ! do ya think maybe Opie needs a haircut?  LOL

[rdecredico]

One of many high points of SCTV was this almost vicious, mutli-layered skewering of several US TV institutions. Rick Moranis has never been better than he was at this stage of his career when he was fearless and willing to take on Merv Griffin, who at that time was one of the more powerful entertainment magnates in LA. Moranis NAILS the impersonation.

[samsbro1952]

Gotta be one of the best TV skits of all time. Eugene Levy is amazing as Floyd and Candy is a great Otis but Moranis got Griffith--and his ass!--down pat.

[bzzzzap]

This is so insanely meta. A comedy show imitating a promo for a talk show that's imitating an old TV show...and one of the funniest things on TV ever.

[samsbro1952]

@bzzzzap And don't forget Dave Thomas imitating Fred Travelena imitating Gomer Pyle. More layers than a wedding cake!

[thurin68]

I actually got physically ill from laughing so hard the first time I saw this as a kid.

[xenafan234]

Spot on!

[jgbennie]

There are so many terrific little touches in this, including someone whistling the Merv Griffin theme and the  "promotional consideration" for Reunite, one of his perennial sponsors. I can't remember now which airline got a plug on Merv, but that's why Mayberry Taxi is in the script.

[nobles101]

Classic.

[Rusfi16]

Hard to choose which SCTV skit is thier best,but this has got to be one of them.

Guarunteed to brighten your day.

[md4bush]

Post-stroke Floyd. OOOOHH

[mhadman]

Eugene Levy!Fantastic!!!

[karlakor]

@mhadman I agree. Eugne Levy is one of the greatest character comedians I know of, and I don't think he has ever gotten the recognition he deserves. His ability to impersonate is uncanny.

[KLOKFXR]

Reeeuniteee on ice lol

[noidperson]

The little kid Opie looks like Jerry Supiran, from "Small Wonder"

[Sirgromulus]

This skit busted me up when it was originally aired and it stil does today. Eugene Levy is brilliant as Floyd. Hilarious!

[loyaldude10]

@Sirgromulus ---all of these people are/were brilliant. It was such a creative and innovative show--it would literally have u on the floor laughing

[loyaldude10]

@Sirgromulus ---decades later, even after seeing these skits a number of times, they can still bust you up. All of the SCTV guys were brilliant.

[rachel112263]

Aunt Bee, this is fabulous chicken. MMM, (unintelligible), it's real good. Eugene as Floyd is pure genius.  Boo hoo hoo, ha ha ha.

[findapartmentnow]

oooohh...fishing! That sounds like fun! I remember watching SCTV - never missed an episode - all those years ago; a truly inspired show. But this "take off" has to be my fave. Look how huge Merv's & Opie's butts are! Joe Flaherty does a great Barney and Eugene Levy is otherwordly as Floyd. SCTV was really one of the best shows ever on TV. Guy Caballero would cross his legs in his wheelchair; said he used a wheelchair to get respect! And Lola Heatherton..I wanna bear your children!

[flyguy359]

@findapartmentnow "Guy Caballero would cross his legs in his wheelchair" - I can't breathe I am laughing so hard - shit like this I have not thought about in 30 years!

[drotis]

2:55 genius

[visor109]

Floyd is the best of them all!

[VITIXER]

Dave Thomas did such a lousy job of impersonating Gomer they said that Fred Travalena was visiting instead. Merv...is it okay if I go fishin' with Gomer tomorrow night? :D

[bootray]

I love that it's Dave Thomas doing Fred Travalena doing Jim Nabors

[shelley9000]

Thanks for posting! That brought back memories. They were so funny!

[md4bush]

best skit ever. SNL sucks

[turntapzap]

I love it!!!!!!!!

[Thejbirdy]

OOOOOOOh Gsa Gsa Gabor.....oooh she's faaaaaabulous

OOOOOOOOOooooooooh

[myrnaturner]

I dare anybody not to laugh with this!

[alphabeets]

God, this is good!

[Jsizzler2]

Can't stop laughing....classic stuff...ooohhh!

[BeatleJaynumber9]

I wouldn't be too haaard on the boy

[BenAliGtor]

Otis takes Opie out and gets him stewed! LOL

[ssike0]

Fred Travalena is with us.  ROFFFFFFL

[sarnow76]

Love Joe Flaherty as Barney.

[findapartmentnow]

OMG. I still laugh and laugh at this; oooooh; oooooooh. Floyd is also dead on; what an incredibly talented bunch of people, with incredibly clever skits - the whole show was fantastic. Guy Cabellero used a wheel chair -even though he could walk just fine - because he said it made people "respect" him. Love it when he crosses his legs while sitting in it.

[cruelcuts]

Eugene Levy said he once did Floyd the barber pre-stroke and post-stroke in the same sketch. I wonder if this is the one he was talking about?

[Bammer1971]

Yes, it was...on the dvd commentary he discusses it at length!  Brilliant!

[MillBelater]

@cruelcuts looks like it, he didn't have any problem cutting merv's hair.

[davydrums86]

Long Live Levy!

[LavaCannon]

Rick Moranis's Merv is DEAD ON!!!!!

Great post...thanks for putting it up

[Astrochicken01]

Hilarious stuff

[findapartmentnow]

Spectacular!!! LOVE THIS SHOW. Ooooooooooh!!! And look how big Andy's butt is!

We'll be right back!

[sarnow76]

Why did they make his and Opie's buts so big?

[myrabradwell40]

If you look at the show Opie had a big butt.

[alphabeets]

Why not! LOL!