'Wasn't That Special' Season Twelve 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 Twelve 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: Sigourney Weaver

Scot: OK, here we go. I have a visceral reaction to these opening credits - first time host is last in intros - Nealon a featured player from the start - G.E. Smith & SNL Band. Directed by Paul Miller - F&D no longer producing (NBC made Lorne take more active role) - E. Jean Carroll!! - Signorelli doing the taped bits again (quality is better).

Christian: 8th-highest ranked show we have graded. (3.17, surpassing S3E9, Steve Martin.)

Church Chat - Church Lady interviews Durang - Jan Hooks as Sally Kellerman -Nora as Ann Landers - Weaver as Zuul

Christian: What happens if we pick a different catchphrase than "Isn't that special?" Is this the best debut of any cast member in show history? Church Lady is the first sketch of Carvey's first episode?

Scot: This killed in dress and got moved way up in show - multiple "Satan"s and "Isn't that special" in the fist 60 seconds - a little too repetitive but certainly a fine start.

Quiz Masters - Marge Keister (Jan) battles psychic Lane Maxwell (Dana), who always sees meteors

Scot: In past seasons the hook of a psychic on a game show and knowing answers would be the extent of the writings - this has a few layers - Carvey, Hooks, and Hartman all are absolutely perfect - Jan gives the best female character in .... how long?

Mr. Subliminal Phil Maloney (Nealon)

Christian: Dinged it a point because it's a straight copy of Piscopo.

Scot: It's great but totally ripped off from that Piscopo sketch.

Derek Stevens (Dana) sings “The Lady I Know”- she’s choppin’ broccoli

Scot: If I'm being critical, the sketch should have ended with choppin broccoli - it slides after that high point.

Tommy Flanagan tries to talk his way out of his girlfriends meeting each other.

Scot: A pretty good one.

Christian: Hmmm, thought this one was pretty flat.

Episode Two: Malcolm-Jamal Warner

Scot: Continuing to hit some real home runs.

Frank Bartles & Ed Jaymes warn about the dangers of crack

Scot: A. Whitney Brown gets the “Live From New York” - Man, that's a dated character reference at this point.

Malcolm-Jamal Warner wants to dance but is afraid of the show being live

Christian: Dana Carvey dances just like the Church Lady in real life.

Scot: Band plays "Out of Touch" - Of course, GE Smith and T-Bone Wolk were in Hall and Oates’ band.

Donahue - women in exploitive relationships explain their actions

Christian: "He sold you to an Iraqi businessman" was laugh-worthy. The rest was just okay.

Scot: Phil's Phil is so good - "Now he .....sold you to an Iraqi businessman" - I forgot how important Nealon is from the start of this run.

Run DMC  “Walk This Way”

Scot: Pure backing track, I think.

Christian: Oh yeah, 100% lip sync.

Instant Coffee with Bill Smith and Sweeney sisters - Nora and Jan sing medley

Christian: Solid as a debut, but as I recall, we will be seeing more of them.

Scot: So this is Nick the Lounge Singer as a duet?

Episode Three: Rosanna Arquette

Scot: Uneven, tired-seeming ep. End of a three-week run. Also, on tape.

Church Chat - Church Lady scolds Jenny Baker (Victoria), Arquette, Ric Ocasek

Christian: Arquette seems insufferable.

Scot: Better than the first edition, I think.

Make Joan Baez (Nora) Laugh, Lovitz as Howie Mandel

Christian: If you watch the D.A. Pennebaker documentary "Don't Look Back," Joan Baez is actually quite funny.

Scot: Nora's true skill, thus far, is characters who intentionally are not humorous in any way, shape, or form - Boy, that wrapped up quickly.

Miss Connie's Fable Nook

Scot: I guess this is making good on Miller's Koko character mentioned on Update?

Christian: A Weekend Update throwaway bit come to life! This is actually funny to me because Miller's contempt for the audience is written all over his face. Like he is getting away with robbing a bank. He can't believe they would put this on the air.

Episode Four: Sam Kinison

Church Lady - announces she will boycott SNL tonight b/c Kinison is hosting

Scot: Nora Dunn was taking notes.

Kinison plays guitar with SNL Band, recaps old, bad jokes, cops on horseback monitor language

Christian: Nothing funnier than telling the same jokes a second time.

Parent-Teacher conference - Kinison tells parents their kid is stupid

Christian: Nealon's fake hair is far more believable than Kinison's real hair.

Jungle Room - Chick Hazard (Hartman) chats with  ’40s club owner Eddie Spimozo (Lovitz); Lovitz sings

Christian: Lovitz's co-stars always say he was hunting for catchphrases - sounds like saying the same thing twice but really loud the second time might have been one such attempt.

Scot: This is a character Hartman brought to the show, was very popular in Groundlings.

Pet Chicken Shop - Dana plays stereotypical Chinese shop owner Ching Chang, sings "I've Grown Accustomed to His Face"

Christian: Not going on the Dana Carvey highlight reel.

Scot: Well, they can't all be winners! - Would never be touched today.

Love Connection - Kinison on Love Connection. He yells.

Christian: Who is Zena? I mean, it's horrible, but at least Jan Hooks is good.

Scot: Exhausting.

Dancing Lord - artists try to sketch Dana, who won't stop moving

Christian: Looks like someone saw Amadeus. (Fun fact: Carvey actually auditioned for the role Tom Hulce ended up playing in Amadeus, which got Hulce a Best Actor Oscar nomination.)

Scot: More cute than funny.

Jor-El (Kinison) sends Superman to Earth, but then Krypton doesn’t explode

Christian: This actually made me yearn for a Pat Stevens.

Scot: In that wig, Sam kinda looks like (Illinois Gov.) JB Pritzker - There's some promise here and then it just clunks to a stop.

Sam Kinison stand-up

Christian: Wondering whether I don't like watching Kinison now because there has already been a Sam Kinison, and it seems dated. Would it have been good seeing it for the first time?

Scot: You'll  never guess, but Sam has women troubles.