If the strike-shortened thirteenth season of Saturday Night Live was merely an appetizer, Season Fourteen is the full course, stuffed with classic sketches and top-flight performances.
The full cast is back this year, as well as almost the entire writing staff, which added names like Conan O’Brien, Bob Odenkirk, and Greg Daniels in Season Thirteen. Season Fourteen, though, is anchored by three all-time classic episodes, hosted by Tom Hanks (of course), Steve Martin (of course), and Leslie Nielsen (a huge and welcome surprise.)
The writing this season is also boosted by the work of the ingenious Jack Handey, who wrote sketches like “Robot Repair” and “Johnny Canal,” both of which ranked among the season’s best. Not only were cast members Dana Carvey and Phil Hartman at their usual best, but old veteran Jon Lovitz (who preceded them on the show by a season) experienced a renaissance, killing it in virtually every sketch in which he appeared.
Yet the season wasn’t as successful for some of the female cast members, as Nora Dunn and Jan Hooks often found themselves to be mere window dressing. They appeared to be quarantined from the rest of the cast, appearing only in their own sketches. Clearly the predominantly male writing staff had trouble writing for the females on the cast. (Not to mention much of the drama behind the scenes in which the women on the show were at each others’ throats much of the time.)
The show did get a shot of adrenaline in the back-third, as it brought on a fresh face from Toronto’s Second City named Mike Myers. Within a handful of episodes, Myers was dominating the show, featuring in legendary sketches like Wayne’s World and Sprockets.
The season featured a number of game hosts, such as John Laroquette, Mary Tyler Moore, John Malkovich, Ted Danson, Dolly Parton, Glenn Close, and Mel Gibson.
We discuss all these topics and much more on this week’s episode of “Wasn’t That Special.” Please subscribe and join us for a trip through every year of SNL. And consider joining at the Executive Producer level, where you get a whole load of extra commentary and clips that will help you become an SNL expert.
