Join us as we explore vintage episodes of SNL, analyzing the show and the bizarre pop culture ephemera that surrounded it. Tangents are had. Jokes are made.
…
continue reading
(Originally posted on Patreon on August 11, 2023) On one hand, The Edge is just another semi-forgotten 90s sketch show of little renown. On the other, it's one of the most insane assemblage of talent in front of the camera and behind that the fact that it failed is kinda shocking. This week, we dig up as much history on this bizarre little show sho…
…
continue reading

1
Off Week 66: Upright Citizens Brigade (Bucket of Truth & The Little Donny Foundation)
1:28:11
1:28:11
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
1:28:11(Originally posted on July 28, 2023) By popular demand, this week we're covering one of sketch comedy's most fondly remembered entries: Upright Citizens Brigade! Lasting for only three beautiful seasons on Comedy Central, UCB (both the show and the theaters) nevertheless created a wave of cherished performers and influence that can still be felt to…
…
continue reading
(Originally posted on June 30, 2023) It's the Chevy Chase/Dog film you never knew existed! Eddie Ham and Mattalamode drop the show once again as we dive into the feverish world of Bob Clark's The Karate Dog, a family film about Dirt Nasty and a CGI dog getting revenge for the death of Pat Morita. Oh, and Jon Voight is there and he's, uh uh, cranked…
…
continue reading

1
Off Week 64: The Richard Pryor Show Ep. 3 (Sept. 27, 1977)
2:07:46
2:07:46
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
2:07:46(Originally posted on June 16, 2023) In the midst of a week of intense personal chaos for Richard comes this episode, a dreamlike outing of the show that balances melancholy with silent-era pantomime. Oh, and there's a good chance a bunch of stuff ended up getting cut by the network so we gotta fill that time somehow! How about some...uh, standup a…
…
continue reading

1
Off Week 63: Bull Session With The Big Daddies - May 2023
1:49:46
1:49:46
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
1:49:46(Originally posted on June 2, 2023) This week, we've got the first of our community/catching up on things podcast! Let us know what you think of this! What you'd like to see more of from it or, maybe, you'd like to see that we never do it again! Anyway, in this one, we discuss the long history of SNL episodes lost to various writers strikes, answer…
…
continue reading

1
Off Week 62: Quinta Brunson/Lil Yachty (April 1, 2023)
1:47:57
1:47:57
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
1:47:57(Originally posted on May 15, 2023) We're doing something we haven't done in a looooong time: doing an Off Week episode about the current season of SNL. Timmy has more or less missed the bulk of the season and so, as selected by you, our lovely Patrons, we're digging into the Quinta Brunson episode to see if we can win him over. Will we find some b…
…
continue reading

1
Episode 145: Elliott Gould/Leon Redbone, Harlan Collins & Joyce Everson (May 29, 1976)
2:27:32
2:27:32
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
2:27:32It's the end of our eighth season of the podcast and so we're celebrating by going all the back to the season finale of the very first season (well, if you don't count those summer episodes as being part of the season). Anyway, our ol' pal Jon Schneider is back with us again to discuss Elliott Gould's second hosting gig and what be the first of man…
…
continue reading

1
Episode 144: John Goodman/Jewel (May 10, 1997)
1:43:48
1:43:48
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
1:43:48Sometimes you get towards the end of a season, you're getting tired and you just say "screw it" and hit the big red button labeled John Goodman. It's the eighth time hosting for the beloved character actor and this go-around gives us a chance to finally cover a perennial SNL favorite that has somehow alluded this podcast: Celebrity Jeopardy. Elsewh…
…
continue reading

1
Episode 143: Joan Rivers/Musical Youth (April 9, 1983)
1:46:57
1:46:57
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
1:46:57Pass the podcast 'pon the left hand side, ammirite? Ha ha ha. We have fun. And speaking of fun, here's a wild one from the Ebersol years. Joan Rivers! Y'all know her. Comedienne extraordinaire, red carpet correspondent and world class Liz Taylor hater. She's here to host one of the loudest episodes of the show's history, complete with one of the sh…
…
continue reading

1
Episode 142: Ron Nessen/Patti Smith Group (April 17, 1976)
1:27:01
1:27:01
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
1:27:01It's another historical outing for the show, with the first political figure to ever host the show: Ron Nessen, Press Secretary for Gerald Ford! What better way for Ford to gain some momentum in the upcoming election against Jimmy Carter then make it seem like he's in on all the fun going on down at SNL? Just have Ron host the show, Ford can make a…
…
continue reading

1
Episode 141: Gary Busey/Eubie Blake & Gregory Hines (March 10, 1979)
2:01:03
2:01:03
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
2:01:03I've been meaning to get around to this one forever and so, by god by Gumby, we finally did it. William Ham returns to fold to discuss an episode that I firmly believe might be the most underrated of the entire OG era. Few outings of the show crackle with as much southern chaos as this one and that's not entirely surprising considering, ya know, Ga…
…
continue reading

1
Episode 140: Mr. T & Hulk Hogan/The Commodores (March 30, 1985)
1:54:07
1:54:07
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
1:54:07The night before the very first Wrestlemania, Mr. T and Hulk Hogan drop by to host the show together...except they mostly don't. It was supposed to be Steve Landesberg but he had to drop out for reasons. I guess? He's still a special guest though, as well as Liberace, Bob Orton Jr. and Rowdy Roddy Piper. I know I say this a lot, but this is an ODD …
…
continue reading

1
Episode 139: Roseanne and Tom Arnold/Red Hot Chili Peppers (Feb. 22, 1992)
1:46:31
1:46:31
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
1:46:31Here's a bit of an oddity selected for us by one of our Patrons. Mostly known these days for having a surprise appearance of Barbra Streisand in Coffee Talk (which already has a sketch-long cameo performance from Madonna), there's also the fascinating and far less talked about case of the Red Hot Chili Peppers basically imploding live on stage, wit…
…
continue reading

1
Episode 138: Christoph Waltz/Alabama Shakes (Feb. 16, 2013)
1:48:54
1:48:54
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
1:48:54By special request, we're heading back to S38 to cover Christoph's only hosting gig to date. Why this one in particular? I dunno. Mattalamode really wanted us to do it so...here we are! And it's certainly an episode, that much is true. Join us as we discuss a surprisingly stellar cold open, a memorable pre-tape, whether or not Christoph is a decent…
…
continue reading

1
Episode 137: Ralph Nader/George Benson (January 15, 1977)
1:45:12
1:45:12
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
1:45:12This week, we've got what is quietly one of the most important episodes of SNL ever. Not only do we get Ralph Nader, who would go on to cameo on the show up until 2000, but it's also the debut of one Mr. Bill Murray on the cast side of things, Jim Downey on the writing side of things and the very first appearance of both the Coneheads AND Rhoda Wei…
…
continue reading

1
Episode 136: David Alan Grier/Snoop Dogg (January 18, 1997)
1:57:49
1:57:49
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
1:57:49It's the first episode of 2025 and we're kicking it off in style with two of America's most beloved performers still to this day: DAG and Snoop Dogg. It's the first time going back to S22 in quite some time for us and we've landed on a pretty fascinating one. Can the show correctly navigate yet another Jesse Jackson sketch? What does Snoop Dogg hav…
…
continue reading

1
Episode 135: Candice Bergen/Martha Reeves & The Stylistics (December 20, 1975)
2:11:50
2:11:50
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
2:11:50Our old pal Jon Schneider is back once again to discuss one of the most integral episodes of the first season: it's Christmas episode. Not only is it the first time a host would return to the show but it manages to include a number of iconic moments while somehow also managing to seem incredibly loose and nearly incomplete at times. But that's just…
…
continue reading

1
Episode 134: Matthew Fox/Tenacious D (December 2, 2006)
1:50:34
1:50:34
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
1:50:34Hey, look. It's that guy. The guy from Party of Five and Lost. Good ol' what's his face. He's hosting SNL! Join us as we explore a surprisingly grim outing of the show (Car Bombs! The Michael Richards Incident!) and take in some super fun Tenacious D performances just as it's become infinitely less fun to think about Tenacious D!…
…
continue reading

1
Episode 133: Buck Henry/Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers (November 10, 1979)
1:45:37
1:45:37
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
1:45:37It's the first of Buck's two hosting gigs in S5 (his 9th overall) and he's here to get this season back on track after a shaky start. We've got some real interesting ones in here, including Yvonne Hudson's first big sketch (Bad Clams), a rather notorious epic (The Mystery of Toad Island) and one of the naughtier outings of the Nerds we've seen yet.…
…
continue reading

1
Episode 132: Betty Thomas/Stray Cats (November 5, 1983)
1:59:21
1:59:21
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
1:59:21From the iconic to the absolute depths of comedic hell, the Betty Thomas episode has it all. We've got an episode long runner, one of Eddie Murphy's most famous and iconic sketches, a whole lot of Jim Belushi trying to establish himself on the show and one of the most problematic sketches we've seen in quite some time. Oh, and one of us watched the…
…
continue reading

1
Episode 131: Jude Law/Ashlee Simpson (Oct. 23, 2004)
1:36:35
1:36:35
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
1:36:35Ah, yes. Another infamous outing from a rather infamous season. We return to S30 to explore what is probably it's most notable episode and sadly, it's notoriety has nothing to do with the comedy or the host or anything like that. It's all about Ashlee Simpson and her second (botched) musical performance. But there's still an episode that happens on…
…
continue reading

1
Episode 130: Fred Willard/Devo (Oct. 14, 1978)
2:07:01
2:07:01
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
2:07:01Eddie Ham and Mattalamode join us for another odd little outing of the show. A still mostly unknown Fred Willard hosts one of the mellower episodes of the original era, with Devo, still at their most abrasive, making their national television debut. It's slice of life heavy, including the debut of Don Novello's Mall sketches, while also being incre…
…
continue reading

1
Episode 129: Seth MacFarlane/Frank Ocean (Sept. 15, 2012)
1:41:10
1:41:10
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
1:41:10WE'RE BACK AT IT ONCE AGAIN, kicking off the premiere of the eighth season of the podcast with the episode that began one of SNL's more successful and celebrated transitional years. We've got some late period bangers from Bill Hader, some late period slop from Fred Armisen, attempts at capitalizing on the summertime explosions of Gangnam Style and …
…
continue reading

1
Episode 128: Sarah Michelle Gellar/Backstreet Boys (May 15, 1999)
2:06:24
2:06:24
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
2:06:24Here we are! We're closing out the seventh season of That Week with the season finale of S24 and we've once again brought Jon Schneider along for the ride. Join us we cover one of the horniest episodes of sketch comedy ever produced and battle over the musical legitimacy of the Backstreet Boys!By That Week In SNL
…
continue reading

1
Episode 127: Barry Bostwick/Spinal Tap (May 5, 1984)
1:53:54
1:53:54
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
1:53:54It's another classic Ebersol era Weird One as we wind down one era of the show and build up the next (and beyond) with a record five people showing up in this one before they became cast members. You got Fernando on Update. You've got a mini-epic with the Turkey Lady. Spinal Tap! Soupy Sales! Lets go!…
…
continue reading

1
Episode 126: John Goodman/Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers (April 10, 1999)
1:34:24
1:34:24
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
1:34:24No, this isn't a rerun. This is just the tenth time John Goodman is hosting the show in as many years but thankfully, it just may be his finest outing ever. Join us as we explore this intensely dark outing from the last few months of Adam McKay's reign over the show and maybe, just maybe, learn a little something about family.…
…
continue reading

1
Episode 125: Nancy Kerrigan/Aretha Franklin (March 12, 1994)
2:03:20
2:03:20
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
2:03:20It's time for another infamous episode and thus we'll need the combined forces of both Arthur Meyer AND Jon Schneider to help us get through this one. Despite being a huge ratings boost for the show at the time, this one has long been since viewed as one of the worst episodes of SNL...but is it ALL bad? Join us as we see if there's anything to salv…
…
continue reading

1
Episode 124: Willie Nelson (Feb. 21, 1987)
1:46:13
1:46:13
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
1:46:13For the first time in a long time, we're jumping to the next episode in chronological order from our last one and why not? It's Willie Nelson doing double-duty with some backup from special guest Danny DeVito! Join us as we untangle this mellow, laid back entry into the annals of sketch comedy history.…
…
continue reading

1
Episode 123: Bronson Pinchot/Paul Young (Feb. 14, 1987)
2:12:23
2:12:23
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
2:12:23It's Valentine's Day over at the ol' SNL factory and that means we gotta break out the big guns. Not only do we get a host way out of his depth with Bronson Pinchot and the middling musical stylings of a one Paul Young but we've also got model Paulina Porizkova in tow and of course, because it's S12, a little smattering of Buster Poindexter as well…
…
continue reading

1
Episode 122: Jon Hamm/Michael Buble (Jan. 30, 2010)
2:30:31
2:30:31
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
2:30:31What's this? William Ham and Eddie Ham appearing on the show to discuss an episode hosted by Jon Hamm?! That certainly sounds whimsical indeed! Join us as we struggle to sort the present from the past with an episode that is good but is also kinda bad and misses a few key moments and we rant and rave. It's fun!…
…
continue reading

1
Episode 121: Sam Rockwell/Halsey (Jan. 13, 2018)
1:56:07
1:56:07
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
1:56:07We're back for the first episode of 2024 and finally getting around to one that we've had on the back burner for awhile now. Yes, we did slightly cover this one all the way back at the birth of the show on an early Off Week but now we're digging full bore into one of our favorite modern SNL outings! Get ready for fun, adventure and bracing Tim Cica…
…
continue reading

1
Episode 120: Martin Short/Paul McCartney (Dec. 15, 2012)
1:50:08
1:50:08
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
1:50:08As the wise Beach Boys once said, "Christmas comes this time each year" and following those sage words, we've decided this would be the best time to drop our Christmas episode! Jon Schneider is back aboard the ship to discuss Martin Short's cameo packed S38 outing as we hack it up about canonical vs. non-canonical moments, tearing ass, fateful bus …
…
continue reading

1
Episode 119: The Smothers Brothers/Laura Branigan (Dec. 4, 1982)
2:20:39
2:20:39
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
2:20:39It's the Smother Brothers! Hosting SNL during the Ebersol era! Now that's some cozy, down-home holiday fun if I do say so myself. William Ham joins us as we break down the history of the mighty Brothers and how it runs up against a cancelled SNL special, live commercials tell the tale of the pre-crash video game market, more Airplane 2 discussion t…
…
continue reading

1
Episode 118: Pee-Wee Herman/Queen Ida & the Bon Temps Zydeco Band (Nov. 23, 1985)
1:35:21
1:35:21
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
1:35:21We've got a true oddity on our hands this time around: one of the few episodes to hosted by someone completely in character. We're talking dominant hands, audience cameos, fluctuating ages, Swartzwelder, Father Guido Sarducci AGAIN, and more!By That Week In SNL
…
continue reading

1
Episode 117: Brittany Murphy/Nelly (Nov. 16, 2002)
1:32:48
1:32:48
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
1:32:48We don't visit season 28 of the show much, mostly for good reason, but this one has so much going on that we just had to do it. You've got Brittany arguably at the height of her popularity post-8 Mile, cameos from beloved alum like Adam Sandler and Garrett Morris (also, Rob Schneider shows up), and your usual smattering of SNL sketch offerings, mos…
…
continue reading

1
Episode 116: Frank Zappa (Oct. 21, 1978)
1:48:55
1:48:55
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
1:48:55What a match made in heaven this should have been. You've got one of rock's greatest satirists hosting America's premiere late night sketch show (a show that he's already been on and crushed it, mind you) for the HALLOWEEN episode and yet, nearly the whole damn thing is just rotten. Frank tries to torpedo already questionable material, no one seems…
…
continue reading

1
Episode 115: John C. Reilly/My Chemical Romance (Oct. 21, 2006)
1:53:56
1:53:56
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
1:53:56Ah, now here's a real oddity. You've got technical difficulties, feverish non-endings to sketches, a brutal runner about family strife, and a host giving scenes more honest realism than may have even been on the page. It's just our kind of show. Let's dig in (digging in may not be recommended if you're a My Chemical Romance fan)!…
…
continue reading

1
Episode 114: Lily Tomlin/James Taylor (Sept. 18, 1976)
1:44:44
1:44:44
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
1:44:44Hot damn, we're BACK, baby! It's the premiere of the seventh season of That Week and this time we're hitting up the first episode of the second season of SNL for what turns out to be an important episode in a number of fashions. You get the final Land of Gorch sketch, a greasy Dan Aykroyd, the origins of the Antler Dance, three, count 'em, THREE Ja…
…
continue reading

1
A Conversation With Jason Klamm, author of We're Not Worthy
51:17
51:17
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
51:17Today we're chatting with Jason Klamm, author of the new upcoming book (Sept. 12th to be exact) all about sketch comedy in the 90s, We're Not Worthy! We discuss the hardships of putting the book together, various bombshells dropped during the making of it and more!By That Week In SNL
…
continue reading

1
Episode 113: Fred Armisen/Courtney Barnett (May 21, 2016)
1:52:40
1:52:40
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
1:52:40We're wrapping up the main portion of season six of the show with an episode with some fond memories attached to it...and some new, not-so-fond memories as well. It's your classic end of season cameo clusterfuck with Jason Sudeikis, Maya Rudolph and Andy Samberg all stopping by for some shenanigans but ya know what? It doesn't really matter because…
…
continue reading

1
Episode 112: Shelley Duvall/Joan Armatrading (May 14, 1977)
2:24:15
2:24:15
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
2:24:15It's been awhile since we've hit up the second season of the show and so, we've got this odd little outing of the show to shift through. It's got some doozies in it, both good and bad, including two of the more confounding sketches we've ever tried (and failed) to parse out but there's a mysterious charm to this one. Plus, we get to hear about Will…
…
continue reading

1
Episode 111: Sofia Vergara/One Direction (April 7, 2012)
1:53:02
1:53:02
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
1:53:02We're again joined by our friend Jon "Schmitty" Schneider to unravel the mysteries of a subtly game changing episode of SNL. Oh sure, we've got some Hunger Games references to comb through, some duds, some boom stamps and some truly insane bombshells from Schmitty...but the REAL focus of the evening is the arrival of Kate McKinnon and a new era of …
…
continue reading

1
Episode 110: Milton Berle/Ornette Coleman (April 14, 1979)
2:17:55
2:17:55
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
2:17:55You know you've got a special one on your hands when even Lorne Michaels himself considers it to be one of the absolute worst the show has ever done. Unseen for multiple decades after it's initial airing, ol' Uncle Milty comes in to crash the party in so many unique and harrowing ways that there certainly can't be any redeeming qualities to massive…
…
continue reading

1
Episode 109: Griffin Dunne/Rosanne Cash (March 15, 1986)
1:56:08
1:56:08
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
1:56:08This week we take aim at a quietly controversial episode of the show, one that spells the end for Damon Wayans as a featured player and is seemingly a sacrifice to the sketch gods while they shore up defenses for what could be the last rodeo. Come for the discussion of Damon going off the grid, stay for the attempts to make anything else out of thi…
…
continue reading

1
Episode 108: Conan O'Brien/Don Henley (March 10, 2001)
1:42:37
1:42:37
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
1:42:37Oh hey, look! It's that guy from Late Night who used to write for SNL and The Simpsons! This should be fun! That's right, we're finally digging into the Conan episode, complete with our remembrances of Conan's Late Night tenure, fuzzy memories of early file sharing days and more Don Henley talk than you can shake a stick at! Zibbity Bop!…
…
continue reading

1
Episode 107: Pamela Sue Martin/Power Station (Feb. 16, 1985)
2:26:10
2:26:10
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
2:26:10We've got one of the weirdest and more experimental Ebersol era episodes at hand today (and honestly, that's really saying something) and so we brought in some new folks to break it all down: Eddie Ham and Mattalamode! We discuss one of Jim Belushi's most recognizable sketches, Turk-182, Christopher Guest VS Brian Doyle Murray and much more!…
…
continue reading

1
Episode 106: Chevy Chase/Marianne Faithfull & Tom Scott (Feb. 9, 1980)
2:05:35
2:05:35
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
2:05:35It's time. We're finally gonna tackle one of the most infamous episodes of the show's original run. Ol' Chevy Chase drops by for his second hosting gig and...somethings wrong. Even more wrong than season five usually is. William Ham joins us as we unravel one of the sweatiest, most coked out, face-down-in-the-toilet disasters the show has possibly …
…
continue reading

1
Episode 105: Sarah Michelle Gellar/Portishead (Jan. 17, 1998)
1:45:35
1:45:35
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
1:45:35We're back with our first mainline episode of 2023 and it's the first of Sarah Michelle Gellar's three hosting gigs! We discuss an unruly Norm, the unbeatable physique Tim Meadows, that gerbil show (??), debate the sleepy charms of Portishead and more! This podcast drives a Dodge Stratus!By That Week In SNL
…
continue reading

1
Episode 104: Bill Murray/The Spinners & The Yale Whiffenpoofs (Dec. 12, 1981)
1:38:20
1:38:20
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
1:38:20The threat of apocalypse hangs over every moment of this decidedly chilly Christmas episode of SNL so we've called upon the dual forces of Tim Barnes and Ian Abramson to lighten things up a bit. It's the last stand of Michael O'Donoghue's vision for the show and as usual he never fails to bring the goods, with forces both internal and external coll…
…
continue reading

1
Episode 103: Richard Pryor/Gil Scott-Heron (Dec. 13, 1975)
2:46:28
2:46:28
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
2:46:28Fever and sickness grips the studio as we boldly attempt to cover one of the most influential and well-known episodes of the show's history. Will Andy's cough medicine gag crash against the rocks of Timmy's all consuming chaotic energy? Will William ever get a word in edge-wise? Is this SNL episode actually any good? All these questions are asked (…
…
continue reading