'Wasn't That Special' Season Three Bonus Material
As the Wasn’t That Special co-hosts watch each season of Saturday Night Live, they compare notes on each episode, chatting back and forth about both popular and long-forgotten sketches. Some of the topics they discuss make it to the final podcast; others are left on the cutting-room floor.
But for those of you who join at the Executive Producer level, you will have access to Christian and Scot’s behind-the-scenes notes, as well as bonus materials the co-hosts used to prepare for the episode.
Below is the Season Three bonus notes section, with the clips coming next week.
So please help keep the podcast advertisement-free and upgrade to the Executive Producer level, which will keep these emails coming in the future.
Episode One: Steve Martin
The show is now "Saturday Night Live," and Franken and Davis are cast members.
Christian: Good episode until it screeches to a halt at the end.
Scot: Martin disappears in the back half of the show. “Weekend Update” revamp still needs work.
Carter fires director of OMB Bert Lance (Belushi), does fake American Express ad.
Scot: Aykroyd's new Carter wig is awful - the new opening credits are awful (jumbotron with odd ghostly head shots -- they all look like they've just been arrested); no wonder the syndicated shows used open from other seasons.
First Festrunk Brothers sketch:
Christian: First utterance of "we are two wild and crazy guys" barely gets laughs - Curtin is loving it - she and Radner both break. Similar in style to Coneheads - outsiders trying to get a handle on American culture.
Scot: Danny and Marylin Miller wrote this off a lead from Martin's stage act. "Wild & Crazy Guys" is a Martin line - crowd is uncertain here - "I Don’t. Take. Drugs. No! Well, maybe someday, someone will put some in your food."
Revamped Weekend Update:
Christian: Every cast member makes an appearance except Radner.
Scot: "The Weekend Update News Team" debuts - Aykroyd did not want to co-anchor, he wanted to dissolve into his characters - Lorne asked him to take it on - a much straigher newscast parody.
Martin as Mike McMack, defense lawyer - defends Morris against rape charge - paints Radner as a tramp - asks her out after the trial.
Christian: Aged like week old buttermilk spilled in a hot parking lot.
Scot: It's well-written and the jokes work for the time, but it's just not built to last. Would like to see this with a non-rape case.
Laraine as a rock music fan, trying on a new accent - Belushi as Roy Orbison - sings "Pretty Woman,” falls over.
Scot: Belushi starting to add weight --- one of those things you have to ask, "how did this make it past read-through?"
"The Franken and Davis Show" - Curtin comes out as Anita Bryant - Mr. USA Pageant - F&D in swimsuit competition.
Scot: F&D begin to throw weight around in Season Three, picking up slack when Zweibel leaves - First Martin appearance in like 25 minutes - at least 3x longer than it should have been.
Episode Two: Madeline Kahn
Christian: Bad, bad episode.
Scot: Based on two data points, Kahn never should be invited back.
Kahn’s monologue is joke-free.
Scot: Kahn did not like live TV - she did not mesh well with the cast.
Murray for Swill mineral water - bottled right from a lake
Scot: Oh, I like Swill -- I keep it simple, and I keep it domestic. The water that's dredged from Lake Erie --- settin the pour to "Anticipation."
Bad opera
Christian: No. No. No.
Scot: These can stop at any time.
Dinner at Bianca Jagger’s.
Christian: No. No. No.
Scot: Laugh-free.
Kahn and Radner long sketch just talking.
Christian: This has Marilyn Miller written all over it.
Scot: What is going on here? --- So, so, so long.