SNL Season 2 (1 Viewer)

[neuroticomic]

I can't even imagine what the cover would look like for a season 6 release.

 

[William B.]

The surviving master tape of that one, plus the 2nd season finale with Buck Henry, Jennifer Warnes and Kenny Vance, were apparently recorded in an area where the sound transmission came not from the "high-quality" 50 Hz - 15 kHz as from the point of origin (Rockefeller Center, and/or New York flagship WNBC-TV), but probably from one of the other O&O's or an affiliate. The key is that outside of New York, in those days (pre-spring 1978 or so), most network affiliates had the sound from the network feed transmitted via AT&T phone (telco) lines where the audio frequency response was a paltry 50 Hz - 5 kHz (which accounts for the "pinched" sound). This weak sound quality was also present on the only surviving episode (from 1973) of the 1971-75 ABC version of Password, on which Jack Klugman and Brett Somers were the celebrity contestants, and which was shown at least twice over the past year by GSN. That apparently was taped by one of the ABC affiliates.

But I have a question that you may answer (I'm holding off on getting the set till it comes relatively down in price in the "Used" section of Amazon) - which edition of "Weekend Update" had a story about the Catholic Church attempting to "modernize" its services by offering a "co-host" symbolizing Mike Douglas? I'm betting it was from one of the Jane Curtin-anchored editions. . . .

 

[GuruAskew]

I still don't see them issuing season 6 before the more popular seasons.

With the exception of Harry Shearer and a few "classic" castmember hosting gigs from Bill Murray and Chevy Chase the 5 Michaels-free seasons pretty much exist in a vacuum apart from the rest of the SNL "canon".

Even the "disastrous" season 11 contains the debuts of Jon Lovitz and Dennis Miller, plus the first appearance by a pre-castmember Phil Hartman (the best SNL castmember ever) in the Pee-wee Herman episode.

I think the real issue however is that these are only coming out once per year. That's simply not feasible when you consider the length of this show and the fact that the DVD releases are literally coming in real-time.

I understand the music rights are a tricky situation but for the extra features on these are pretty minimal and the packaging is pretty much uniform. Considering the amount of content the price is pretty damn reasonable too.

I'd like to see at least 2 or 3 of these a year and even then it would take forever to release the bulk of the series.

Paramount released most of their "Star Trek" seasons in intervals of only two or three months from one another and that would be the ideal situation with a show like this.

In that case I can see devoting a year to those 5 seasons, but at the current rate I just can't see them spending 5 years releasing those seasons on DVD.

 

[AnthonyC]

I half-agree but I will say--remember, even without commercials, each episode is well over an hour long. I still have sets that I bought in October that I'm not even close to finishing yet of half-hour shows (damn you, college!). It took me a good four months or so to finish the first set; I don't even know wanna think how far behind I'd be if they released four to six sets a year.

ETA: But one a year is too little for sure. I could probably handle three if Universal went for it.

 

[David Rain]

Once a year is quite slow, yes. Perhaps the music rights negotiations simply take that long. Or they'll be waiting a year in between so each set can sell as much as possible. But I doubt we'll be seeing multiple in a year. Maybe 2 at most and that might be asking for a lot.

I think the 80's and 90's sets would sell very well especially among younger consumers who remember those decades as their own "classic" era. I'd like every season at least until the end of the Carvey/Myers era. This is despite my intense hatred of Sandler / Farley / Schneider. Funny how Chris Rock, Julia Sweeney & Ellen Cleghorne were underused during this time despite being a lot funnier in my opinion.

As far as the potential cover art for the 6th season my guess is they would feature Murphy & Piscopo and downplay the rest of the lackluster cast.

 

[Sam Favate]

Murphy in a Gumby costume on the cover and they'll attract an audience.

 

[WillG]

Maybe if season 2 also sells well and proves that these releases are viable, they'll ramp up the schedule and maybe we could get more than one set a year. The release of the first season was very experimental

 

[bjdwsm]

I was chatting with someone who had the set, and he said they added the Wrigley's gum commercial that was cut from last year's set to the Tarkenton episode. There's also a slight edit to the goodnights that was there in the last broadcast on classic in 2001: they started them after the money credits would have aired- for some reason when those shows were airing on Classic at the time, they blurred the Eaves-Brooks, Essex House and Pan-Am credits for a few of the shows, but Tarkenton just takes those out. There was a glitch with a few of the bumper images flashing as a super for a few seconds so that might be the reason they took that out.

 

[GuruAskew]

That's present on the season 1 set.

I have to wait for season 2 because I should be getting it for Christmas but I've been watching season 1 and it's definitely there.

 

[bjdwsm]

Hmm. I know the Paul Simon episode is missing the caption after Try-Hard 1-11 and Lily Tomlin's missing the Roberta Flack caption "We're Killing Her Softly With This Show".

 

[David Rain]

I got mine today and the set's beautiful just like last year's. The minor edits that may or may not be present on the eps are not a real concern for me. Especially if the edits concern correction of mistakes from the original shows.

But I'm sure someone will have a s***fit if even a second has been changed in any part of the show.

Another note about season six: Didn't Gumby debut in a later season ?

 

[Brian Himes]

I finished watching season 2 last night. All in all, I can say that there was a definite improvement in the quality of the show versus the first season. Sure, Bill Murray was a little shakey when he first started, but he got better as the season went along. Chevy never really went totally away. For a few episodes after his 'last show' he kept popping up. He was seen in a couple of commercial parodies, once sitting in the audience and once as the shark. I really, really got into the second season of the show.

It was nice to finally see The Coneheads, Rhonda Weiss, more Baba Wawa, Dan and his great Jimmy Carter, Jane taking over Weekend Update...I could go on and on. The show is finally becoming the show that I remember. Not every show or sketch is a winner, but the ratio of good to bad is decreasing.

The Mardi Gras special...well...what can I say? It was pretty much a disaster. It wasn't all that funny and the fact that most of the time everyone had to shout to be heard was pretty distracting. The whole segment with Penny Marshall and Cindy Williams was just bad. I really felt sorry for Jane and Buck. Sitting there trying to do a good job and constantly getting pelted with beads. Everytime a strand of beads hit Jane, you could tell she was really honked off. Her lips pursed. After a while it became comical, but I really felt for her.

A great season from a great show. Now I just have to sit back and wait for season three. I'm so ready for it.

 

[Kevin EK]

My review is FINALLY up. Let me know if I missed anything...

 

[brett tolino]

Does anyone know if Gilda Radner's infamous Roseann Rosannadanna (probably spelled wrong) sketches are on this set?

I'm looking to get all the SNL's with Gilda / Roseann.

I have the best of Gilda dvd but there's only 2 Roseanadanna clips, I believe.

 

[Brian Himes]

Sorry but Gilda's Roseanne Roseannadana didn't start until the 3rd season. I checked on that myself recently.

 

[brett tolino]

Thanks for the info Brian, I'll probably still pick up the set, just not in a big rush anymore.

Gilda's Rosanna is one of the funniest things I've ever seen, almost as funny as Lucille Ball.

I keep remembering when she talks about running into Bo Derek at the mall or somewhere and she says, 'Hey Bo, you got a booger hangin from your nose!'

Too funny.

 

[Sam Favate]

Fire in the hole!

Season 3 coming May 13!

Saturday Night Live DVD news: Announcement for Saturday Night Live - The Complete 3rd Season | TVShowsOnDVD.com

 

[AnthonyC]

My bet is that the limited edition will be the version with the booklet.

So glad we don't have to wait a year for it; wonder what extras will be included, if any (Bill Murray's screen test?). One episode I'm really looking forward to this season is Miskel Spillman's, who won the "Anyone Can Host" contest.

 

[David Rain]

Wow. Can't believe it.

Perhaps if these continue the 80/81 season might get released after all and be double-pumped at the same time with the 79/80 or 81/82 seasons.

 

[wh5916]

Just curious, as I haven't purchased season two yet. In an episode featuring Steve Martin (same episode that features "Jeopardy, 1999"), there was a sketch spoofing the final episode of "The Mary Tyler Moore Show," in which Ted unwittingly kills Mary by putting Drano in her coffee as a joke ("She was a little hoarse, and I thought it might clean out her pipes," he explains to Murray)

When the episode aired on NBC again a year or two later, this somewhat offensive (but funny in its own way) sketch had been cut, and a filmed segment substituted. Is it in the DVD compilation? I have an edited version of the episode containing the sketch--it was released by RCA, years back, onto its long since discontinued CED videodisc format.