'Wasn't That Special' Season Eleven Clips Package
As always, for those who have signed up for the podcast at the Executive Producer level, we send out notable video and newspaper clips that aided us in preparing for the episode. Below are some of the Saturday Night Live sketches and media clips we reference throughout the episode, to enhance the listening process.
So please help keep the podcast advertisement-free and upgrade to the Executive Producer level, which will keep these emails coming in the future!
(Although if you want to support us at a lower level and want to just hear the shows, you can do that, too!)
Here are some of the materials we discuss throughout the Season Eleven episode:
Whale for Sale
Collectively, our favorite forgotten sketch of the season.
Liars Anonymous
Lovitz carried the cast with his recurring characters, including Tommy Flanagan, the patholigical liar:
You Can Pick Your Friends
Easily one of the dumbest sketches of the year, and thus one of Christian’s favorites:
The Stand-Ups
Years before Jerry Seinfeld became a star, SNL lampooned his observational style:
Mr. Monopoly
Displeased with his role on the show, Damon Wayans staged a protest during this sketch, playing one of the cops as gay. After the episode, Lorne Michaels fired him for it.
Finale
At the end of the George Wendt/Francis Ford Coppola episode, the camera took us on a tour of the set, calling back to the sketches on that show. It is a beautiful sequence, likely added to remind viewers of the show’s historic importance. There was a good chance at this point that the show was going to be canceled.
Line of Death
Suitcase Boy
Robert Downey, Jr. struggled all season. Here is proof.
Sam Kinison Standup
Is Sam Kinison funny? You be the judge.
Jay Leno Monologue
A number of the cast members worshiped Jay Leno - but his monologue was so polished, it almost seemed mechanic. See for yourself.
Critics
The TV critics hammered SNL all season, so it had to be cathartic for the writers to get their revenge in this short film:
Penn & Teller
As noted above, this is one of the most brutally reviewed seasons in SNL history. A sampling of the critics absolutely burying the show:
Buffalo News, February 21, 1986:
New York Times Service, December 18, 1985:
St. Cloud Times, November 8, 1985:
Associated Press, November 11, 1985
Associated Press, November 15, 1985
Fort Worth Star-Telegram, November 12, 1985
And on and on. You get the idea.
And it cannot be overstated how thoroughly Lovitz’ "That’s the Ticket” catchphrase saturated popular culture. Most specifically with political columnists:
