'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.

Episode Three: Hugh Hefner

Christian: Terrible episode, but Newman makes for a plausible bunny.

Scot: Hef plays himself a lot, but also Plato and ship captain.

Laraine as playmate telling jokes:

Christian: See-through costume - close-ups are only from neck above.

Hefner’s monologue, where he sings “Thank Heaven for Little Girls:”

Christian: Crawl runs on the screen apologizing for...his singing? THAT is the problem here?

Scot: "I have a couple of friends who tell me I'm as funny as Ralph Nader, so I figure, what the hell?" - Creepy then, creepy now.

Planet of the Men Versus Planet of the Women - "maybe we should give the men a half an hour and see if they'll attack again."

Christian: The women's craft looks like it's from the Barbie movie. Had potential and some good puns, but ended too quickly.

Scot: Very close. Needed something to kick it into another gear. Ended up just being decent sex/gender jokes.

Hefner and Curtin performing a scientific experiment in bed - Curtin plays bimbo - Jimmy Carter shows up and asks technical question about headphones.

Christian: Woof

Scot: Lesson: Hef is smarter, more sensitive & responsible than anyone thinks! --- and there's no ending.

"Listening to Great Music" with Belushi - plays Ride of the Valkyries - describes what he hears during song - loses his mind.

Christian: Typical Belushi, which is good. The whole ‘going crazy and destroying things’ bit was used by Chris Farley in Tommy Boy. The rhythm is the same.

Scot: Would be used in Blues Brothers to great effect --- not super impressed by the "destroying stuff is funny" move.

Murray gives speech at funeral, does magic, card trick, Aykroyd sneaks in an ad for "Earth Master" caskets, sings song.

Christian: Murray does one thing, very well - cool guy speaking in front of groups.

Scot: Might be grading on a curve, but this is the most fully-realized sketch in a while - Nick the Magician.

Episode Four: Charles Grodin

Christian: Weirdest episode so far, with theme threading through the whole show - Grodin is a bad host ruining sketches.

Scot: Just weirdness everywhere - no flow - Seeing more confidence in Laraine so far this season.

Bees trick or treating- again, Grodin breaks and ruins the scene - Belushi gives monologue about how serious about SNL he is, with ridiculous antennae wobbling.

Scot: Murray's first bee scene? --- They take this bit way too far ... no one believes he's accidentally ruining the sketches, right? So where's the value?

Radner solo bit as Judy Miller the brownie, annoying little girl jumping on bed.

Scot: No

Grodin PSA on behalf of the incompetent - Roseanna Roseanneadanna debut!

Scot: Laraine is great here! - Gilda is funny! - And Grodin breaks again (intentionally).

Episode Five: Ray Charles

Scot: Belushi is invisible. Cold open and the Young Caucasians and that's it?Hugh Hefner and then Grodin and then Ray Charles -- this is awful sequencing.

Aykroyd as Carter - blames Americans for not understanding energy crisis, not following his suggestions.

Scot: "I probably won't get re-elected." --- "We should have listened to you! We should have made a transition to coal (!!)"

Episode Six: Buck Henry and the “Anyone Can Host” contestants

Christian: Just like in the Olympics, where they should have a regular person compete so we can see how good the athletes are, this episode shows how bad regular people are when compared to SNL cast members.

Scot: Belushi had Samurai and ... and ... ????  he's still not writing this year either.

No monologue --- meet the finalists of the “Anyone Can Host” contest.

Christian: The Happy Days "Fonzie jumps the shark" episode aired two months before this, otherwise shows that pass the point of return might be known as "Holding a hosting contest."

Scot: Third straight show that normal flow is interrupted - Buck does as well as possible. I want an alternate reality in which Connie the co-ed is actually a cast member.

"Stunt baby" - Murray is a director for babies, Henry and Curtin play arguing couple - Henry punches baby, throws it through window.

Christian: The whole joke is abusing a baby, so…

Scot: The joke is not the abuse of the kid, per se, but the Hollywood film structure - you also have a lot of tension will they/won't they allow the "baby" to be harmed - when it happens it's comical, rough, and quick ... not lingering on the over-the-top violence - I dunno, I think it works.

Radner on a train in Russia in 1918 - she and Henry keep flashing back to the day before when they were doing the same thing - time jokes.

Christian: It's not funny per se, but...I liked the premise? And the effort?

Scot: Certainly worthwhile --- many layers.

Gary Weis films contestants visiting Buck at the hotel.

Christian: Some of them aren't terrible actors.

Scot: Connie the co-ed clearly should have won ... a good actress - you're way too hard on this ... it's as good as it possibly could be.

Episode Seven: Mary Kay Place

Christian: Second-best episode of the season so far - very female cast heavy - Mary Kay Place is a game host. Murray's mustache returns - had a month to grow it - is there any sense anyone on this show is enjoying themselves?

Scot: That's a VERY low bar to clear. I might prefer the Henry episode just before this.

Curtin hosts "more insects to worry about" show with Belushi - beetles hatch eggs inbetween eye and contact lens, mate in human underwear.

Christian: Belushi really struggles to read off cue cards.

Scot: Seems like a pot sketch.

"Married in a Minute" - making fun of movies where women who come to NY get everything they want right away.

Scot: This is really strong, never lets up. Good laughts, knows what it is satirizing.

Andy Kaufman plays bongos - uses two voices going back and forth as if they are singing and arguing - speaking nonsense - does standup in jibberish, using rhythms - gets woman from crowd to lay down and dances around her, plays more bongos, gets crowd to sing along.

Scot: Man, he gets a lot of time here. He's just so compelling... you don't know where he's going or what will happen next - and there's a real live tightrope feel.

Episode Eight: Contest Winner Miskel Spillman (and Buck Henry)

Christian: Spillman lived to be 95, dying in 1992 - she watched until the very end, saying she loved Dana Carvey.

Scot: Buck really is just the eighth cast member in these years --- he brings a personality/role that is missing. First Buck episode might have been a bit better, but this feels like a complete show.

Spillman and Curtin read Gift of the Magi - Belushi sells his watch to pay for surgery to give kidney to Radner, she sells her brush to pay for a chain for his watch - "Is that all you think I am worth, you cheap slut?"

Christian: But NOOOOOO

Scot: Belushi sweating like a pig. The overreaction sketches I'm just not a giant fan of - That said, Belushi is giving his all here.

Belushi brings college girlfriend home to meet parents (Curtin and Aykroyd) and it's Spillman.

Scot: Connie the co-ed would have been owning this show.

Famous Elvis Costello performance of "Radio, Radio."

Scot: Oh, you can see why Lorne was pissed -- show is long ... less than 5 min for song and close ... with audible, who knew how long they'd play ... Elvis essentially said, "Live? We'll show them live!" ... was put off that so much of the show was planned and buttoned down - Pete Thomas in a "Thanks, Malc." t-shirt --- Sex Pistols manager mishandled visas, allowing Costello to step in.

Episode Nine: Steve Martin

Curtin talk show: "What if Napoleon had a B-52 at the Battle of Waterloo?" Morris and Murray - Simulation with Belushi as Napoleon - gives Aykroyd to do some technical talk about B-52 weapons.

Scot: This has promise. I hope they try again. - 3rd or 4th time we've seen that "interior of the B-52" set - What if God and Superman got in a fight? Next time.

Episode Ten: Robert Klein

Christian: Murray and Radner really taking off now - this is now the show people fondly remember. 

Scot: Confidence in themselves and the material begins to overflow.

Mr. Mike and the Mikettes - Tina Turner review - Garrett as Tina Turner - Girls are backup singers, Michael O’Donoghue tells fairy tale about mangled bunny.

Christian: Was M'OD that much of a genius that they had to keep throwing him bones like this?

Scot: Paul Shaffer does a spot-on Don Kirschner --- I'm sure this sounded like a good idea to someone.

"Frogs Look at Film" - Newman introduces Jerry Lewis film: "The Nutty Air Traffic Controller" - Klein as Jerry Lewis.

Christian: Klein's impression is the whole joke - it's six minutes and six minutes too long.

Scot: It's not even a very good impression.

Attack of Killer lobsters - stop-motion film of them attacking 30 Rock. Klein hosts destruction.

Christian: Klein does a pretty good job. Belushi killed by lobster, Klein says "he had his whole life ahead of him! At least two or three more years." He died four years later. Chevy Chase does voice of lobsters - plan to kill lobsters with lots of boiling water and butter.

Scot: Musicians keep playing a la Titanic sinking - must have been pre-taped? - clear influence on some Kids In The Hall stuff, I think.

Episode Eleven: Chevy Chase

Christian: The famous episode where Murray and Chevy fought before the show. Watch Murray in the background during goodnights. Wants no part of Chevy. Then Belushi fake-boxes him. Lot of turmoil in Chevy's life as this was going on - in April, his wife would file for divorce saying he was abusive.

Scot: Chevy was on dope all week. They are just getting better at ID-ing premises that will work. Let the cast shine.

Chevy’s monologue:

Christian: Pretty subdued

Scot: During the show, Lorne whispered, "Chevy doesn't have it tonight."

Weis film - Laraine has bad day, dramatic music with nonsense lyrics play over it.

Christian: This was written by Laraine. So stupid, I laughed the whole time. The piano player at the end is Valri Bromfield, who used to be Dan Aykroyd’s comedy partner in Canada.

Belushi and Chase are guards in WWII - Germans answer questions to prove they are Americans, none of the Americans know who the manager of the Cleveland Indians is, so they all assume they are krauts.

Scot: Getting way better at writing/executing stuff like this --- pretty simple idea,let the cast go sell it.

Girls are British women having tea - basically a Python sketch with real women - Chase comes out, breaks the sketch - Aykroyd as Rod Serling, bailing them out giving the scene an ending, Belushi comments as Truman Capote in boxers, "It's kind of English." Women come back, everyone has heart attack, Land Shark shows up, Morris comes in as priest.

Christian: Exit question: Why would Chevy actually have to be in the Land Shark costume?

Scot: Kitchen sink sketch.

Episode Twelve: O.J. Simpson

Scot: So-so episode --- again, a tough road with athlete/non-actor hosting, lots of O.J. as O.J.

Gilda takes questions from crowd - everyone is named Kevin - writers wrote the questions.

Christian: Cute!

Scot: Gilda all alone on her own - some evidence of her success - "You always start the show by saying 'Give me your hot monkey love.'"

"Samurai Night Fever" - eats spaghetti with chopsticks - brother is O.J. - Don Novello at nightclub - Belushi on dance floor.

Christian: Green screen nightclub is weird, Belushi actually does a Travolta impression in fake Japanese.

Scot: Credit for knowing they had to find a different angle on these - but it's too long and the whole thing doesn't know where it's going.

Belushi as Babe Ruth in hospital for sick kid (Morris): Final joke is that it was young Hank Aaron.

Christian: Belushi still sweating from previous sketch.

Scot: Another frequent use for non-actor hosts ... telling a story - It's set up like Paul Harvey's Rest of the Story - with twist at end.

O.J. watches a game and has voodoo doll of Walter Payton to keep him from breaking his rushing record.

Scot: Murray does all the sports commentary on the show --- Payton rushed for 1852 yards in '77.

"Mandingo 2" - Murray and Morris make out, then Simpson and Garrett make out - Murray ends up kissing a cow.

Christian: "Pleasure me, you ebony wench" - it's cut awkwardly - what happened here? A whole documentary could be made on this sketch.

Scot: Has not aged well, but probably not great even at that time

Episode Thirteen: Art Garfunkel

Murray and Aykroyd in a Chicago bar around St. Paddy's Day - Belushi as the ghost of Mayor Daley.

Christian: This sketch exists only to appease Chicagoans.

Scot: I love it! Kind of hard to see how it would play nationally. (Editor’s note: Scot is a Chicagoan.)

Belushi does security for Kiss concert, Newman does a version of Sherri to get in - Garfunkel says he's Paul Stanley's brother, who parachuted in - Downey is "Tatum O'Neal's Uncle" - Belushi is road manager but can't get in because he's not on the list.

Scot: Belushi roughs up Stephen Bishop before roughing up his guitar in Animal House - Another good example here of finding the premise and letting the cast work.

Looks at Books with Curtin - Nerds write a book called "what happened to the class of '77?"

Scot: “First nerd noogie --- It's a bit hard to follow with the laughing/snorting.”

Schiller movie - Belushi in "Don't Look Back in Anger" - Old man visiting all his cast mates he outlived.

Christian: Oh man, this is sad.

Andy Kaufman - reads The Great Gatsby - crowd boos, he keeps stopping and restarting - finally plays the record, which is more of him reading Gatsby.

Christian: Kaufman is completely in charge of the audience, knows how they will react, and has the perfect response.

Scot: This is Kaufman's key. He knows how people will react and he knows exactly what to do next. But is it possible crowd was "seeded" to begin. They react poorly rather quickly.

Episode Fourteen: Jill Clayburgh

Christian: I had to go back and look up whether Clayburgh hosted before, which is how unmemorable she was in Season One.

Scot: The Clayburgh S1 sucked out loud. Why is she back? --- it was the one with the guidance counselor, right? Around this time, it feels like a real cast --- each has strengths, each is highlighted --- there's depth and everyone is on their game

Olympia Cafe

Christian: Really interesting camera movements in this one - it's essentially a short film.

Scot: "I like you. You eat fast." -- How does Murray make nothing work so well?  It's like a Weis film in sketch form but much funnier.

"Sybil III" - Clayburgh thinks the girls are the same person, but they are all different people named Sybil.

Christian: Radner owns the sketch without saying a word - physical comedy, smart premise.

Scot: Hate to keep saying this, but ... simple premise, find the humor, let the cast work.

Coneheads - Beldar is cheating in motel with Clayburgh - "you don't have to bite my cone off" - Murray as Ronnie  - man named "Jerry" calls Primat

Christian: Bad makeup job on this one - "no one gives cone like you."

Scot: The Coneheads moved! New house --- Beldar lying about a meteorite --- "Sometimes my cone has a mind of its own" --- losing some steam with these?

Clayburgh talks/Sings

Christian: Get me Kevorkian's number

Scot: She was in Silver Streak and Semi-Tough, so I guess that buys some rope? --- Notice they aren't really short on material anymore, few long goodbyes.

Episode Fifteen: Christopher Lee

Christian: Lee really seems to be having fun.

My Fair Lady with Baba Wawa - songs frequently start and stop - Lee and Aykroyd take on her impediment

Christian: At least there are jokes beyond just her impediment

Scot: A well-known impression, a well-known film/musical, good premise, game host, good beginning/middle/end

Meat Loaf, former National Lampoon writer, performs.

Christian: As I mentioned in the intro episode, Marvin Lee Aday, later known as Meat Loaf, took Belushi’s place in the National Lampoon traveling show. They are together again.

Scot: "All Revved Up With No Place To Go" --- this is really early. The album had semi-stiffed so far. "Paradise" wasn't even released as a single til October 1978.

Richard Belzer stand-up.

Christian: He’s a wedding singer playing the Rolling Stones - effectively stealing Murray's lounge singer bit - does Bob Dylan singing at 86 as old Jewish man, who makes no sense. Even Dylan impressions had to be old at this point, right?

Episode Sixteen: Michael Palin

Scot: Weakest episode in a bit IMO.

Palin comes out for monologue as “Sid Biggs” - says Palin will be right out - does his "old bit" that requires a plate of seafood salad and two cats, which he stuffs into his pants.

Christian: WOW - the cat craps on Palin, h

e later said he still had cat poop on his arm when he rushed to the next sketch.

Forgotten Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes - Palin as Holmes, does a lot of cocaine, thinks he may have murdered Radner's sister, but he didn't.

Christian: Curtin does a good Eliza Doolittle accent

Scot: Aykroyd spends more time on the show with white highlights in his hair than in his normal color.

Murray and Newman as arguing couple.

Scot: I mean, it's really well-acted. Murray is excellent. Just dropped in from another show/season.

Episode Seventeen: Michael Sarrazin

Classroom - Sarrazin there to talk about VDs - Brief interlude with...Beatts and Schuster or Miller as cheerleaders.

Christian: Some decent jokes but it goes on and on for 11 minutes!

Scot: I dunno. There's a nice flow here. It doesn't bog down. The beginning plays like a PSA but later the humor comes through.

Gilda in her room as Brownie - "It's the Judy Miller show."

Christian: All style, very little substance. Points for effort.

Scot: I'm left mostly annoyed by this. Feel twice as long as the VD sketch.

Episode Eighteen: Steve Martin

Scot: Martin: "It was the peak of me." --- said before '86

Christian: Hailed as the greatest episode ever. Nominated for an Emmy Award and was later selected as TV Guide's #12 Top TV Episode of all time.

Blues Brothers cold open

Christian: Fine.

Scot: Shaffer as Kirschner - "Hey Bartender" Blues Bros. - I love it.

Theodoric of York, Medieval Barber

Scot: This is an all-timer. Goodness, how good is Martin at all of this --- Franken & Davis wrote it.

"Next Week in Review" - psychics talk about the upcoming week:

Christian: Newman really struggles in this one - there’s a lot of dense text.

Episode Nineteen: Richard Dreyfuss

Christian: Dreyfuss and Murray ended up having major beef during filming of "What About Bob."

Belushi and Radner - Mexican migrants - paraquat marijuana - makes its way to Murray.

Christian: We get it. They like weed. Also, more Belushi slapping women. Also, Paraquat was the fentanyl of 1978.

Scot: Belushi is to slapping as Farley is to falling down.

Murray doing "Nick Springs," lounge singer.

Scot: It's fine. Consistent but going to be hard to have a standout one of these.

Tom Snyder, Henry Kissinger, and Leon Spinks and their mothers.

Christian: Curtin does a better Tom Snyder than Aykroyd - kind of growing tired of Belushi's Kissinger. There's no point of view - if you're going to lampoon him, then do it! He's just boring.

Scot: Curtin's Snyder is really good. She's sneaky with these voices.

Episode Twenty: Buck Henry

Scot: Final episode where the cast was referred to as "The Not Ready for Primetime Players" - Buck is back to star in everyone's leftovers.

Nerds - Curtin gives sex talk to Radner - "I'm saving myself for my true love, Marvin Hamlisch" - Todd comes over, brings his dad (Henry).

Scot: Season started with a vow to eliminate repeat characters --- It would NOT end in that manner --- Henry's laugh would be stolen by Robert Carradine for Revenge of the Nerds.

Sodom Chamber of Commerce meeting - Sodom has a terrible reputation - new tourism slogan involving women.

Christian: Surprised me - it's good!

Scot: Feels like a leftover that only Henry would do.

Olympia Cafe - Murray gets fired in place of guard dog, Curtin wants her burger broiled.

Christian: Great concept, but they're struggling to keep this going.

Scot: That lamb in the basement is loose again.

Mr. Mike's least-loved music - Newman is prepubescent vampire?

Christian: Ugh.

Scot: You won't have Mr. Mike to kick around anymore - He went out yelling "Fuck you and fuck your little show" to Lorne.

Henry at goodnights: "They'll all be back in the fall, or maybe not."

Scot: They all would be back. Except MO'D. But ANIMAL HOUSE would happen over the summer and that changes some things.