The Not Ready for Prime Time Project: An SNL Retrospective

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The Not Ready for Prime Time Project: An SNL Retrospective

Two Pints Productions, Inc.

132 episodes

1 day ago

This week we re-release one of our biggest VINTAGE episodes of The Early Years of SNL. Steve Martin hosting alongside musical guests The Blues Brothers is considered by many to be one of the best episodes in Saturday Night Live history—a theory we cannot argue with. The episode is packed with all-time classic bits: The Festrunk Brothers, Theodoric of York, Dancing in the Dark, and the legendary King Tut performance. Plus, for the only time EVER in the show's history, two cast members served a...

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Performing Arts

All content for The Not Ready for Prime Time Project: An SNL Retrospective is the property of Two Pints Productions, Inc. and is served directly from their servers with no modification, redirects, or rehosting. The podcast is not affiliated with or endorsed by Podjoint in any way.

This week we re-release one of our biggest VINTAGE episodes of The Early Years of SNL. Steve Martin hosting alongside musical guests The Blues Brothers is considered by many to be one of the best episodes in Saturday Night Live history—a theory we cannot argue with. The episode is packed with all-time classic bits: The Festrunk Brothers, Theodoric of York, Dancing in the Dark, and the legendary King Tut performance. Plus, for the only time EVER in the show's history, two cast members served a...

Show more...

Performing Arts

Episodes (20/132)

The Not Ready for Prime Time Project: An SNL Retrospective

Deep Thoughts: Meatballs

Are you ready for the summer? We kick off our off-season coverage with a look back at Meatballs, the scrappy Canadian comedy that surprisingly became one of 1979's biggest successes. Released just a month after SNL's fourth season wrapped, this summer camp romp marked Bill Murray's first starring role and set the stage for what would become one of cinema's most beloved comedy careers. From the muddy fields of Camp North Star to the heights of Hollywood success, we celebrate this little film a...

6 days ago

1 hour 2 minutes

The Not Ready for Prime Time Project: An SNL Retrospective

The Early Years of SNL: Season 4 Recap

And just like that, another season of SNL is in the books. What a journey Season Four has been—filled with soaring highs and crushing lows that has gone on to help define an era of television comedy. While it was the most popular season of Saturday Night Live to date, it's also tinged with melancholy, foreshadowing the end of a golden age and some massive changes that would reshape the show when it returned for Season Five. In this season wrap-up episode, Brad and Gary discuss everythin...

1 week ago

48 minutes

The Not Ready for Prime Time Project: An SNL Retrospective

The Early Years of SNL: S04E20 Buck Henry/Bette Midler (5/26/79)

Another season of The Early Years of SNL comes to a close, which can only mean one thing… Buck is Back! Buck Henry returns for his 8th time hosting and this time he gets a proper season finale musical guest with the one and only Bette Midler. Saturday Night Live brings its highest-rated season yet to a close and while things are mostly upbeat, there is still a sense that this is somewhat of a goodbye. In what will end up being the final episode for Dan Aykroyd (unknowingly) and John Belushi (...

2 weeks ago

1 hour 5 minutes

The Not Ready for Prime Time Project: An SNL Retrospective

The Early Years of SNL: S04E19 Maureen Stapleton/Linda Ronstadt, Phoebe Snow (5/19/79)

On the surface, veteran stage and screen actress Maureen Stapleton may seem like an odd choice to host Saturday Night Live. After watching this episode, that assessment might hold true. Season 4's penultimate episode stands as one of the more peculiar outings from SNL's original era. The accomplished host finds herself surprisingly underutilized, appearing in only a couple of sketches that truly showcase her talents. The show meanders through a mix of recurring characters and familiar formats...

3 weeks ago

1 hour 2 minutes

The Not Ready for Prime Time Project: An SNL Retrospective

Bill Swerski's Tournament Talk: Best SNL Commercial Parodies

Over SNL's legendary 50-year run, only a select few bits have managed to stand the test of time. One that has… the commercial parody. From fake products that feel disturbingly real to outrageous pitches that somehow make perfect sense, these sketches have become a staple of the show since day one. For this edition of Tournament Talk, Bill Swerkski assembles an expert panel to dive deep into Saturday Night Live's comedy vault and debate the greatest commercial parodies of all time. With five d...

1 month ago

1 hour 45 minutes

The Not Ready for Prime Time Project: An SNL Retrospective

The Early Years of SNL: S04E18 Michael Palin/James Taylor (5/12/79)

Blink and you might miss it, but Michael Palin returns to SNL for the third time. He is joined by James Taylor, making his second appearance as musical guest. This episode serves up a mixed bag – a couple of VERY long sketches combined with three songs from JT results in one of the fewest comedy bits of any Saturday Night Live episode. Add to that the Monty Python veteran's surprisingly sparse on-camera presence, and you've got an outing that leaves something to be desired. But fear not! Empi...

1 month ago

1 hour 10 minutes

The Not Ready for Prime Time Project: An SNL Retrospective

Deep Thoughts: Bob & Ray, Jane, Laraine & Gilda

The ladies of Saturday Night Live team up with the two comedy legends for the last SNL “off week” special. Jane, Laraine, & Gilda join Bob & Ray for a show filmed in 8H, produced and shot by the SNL crew, and (except for a Weekend Update) could easily be seen as a decent episode hosted by the duo. Relying mostly on seasoned bits by the two comic icons the special does tend to, at times, feel bogged down. But there are some definite high points, especially when the writing slides over ...

1 month ago

34 minutes

The Not Ready for Prime Time Project: An SNL Retrospective

My SNL Story: The SNL Hall of Fame Podcast

It's the end of an era! After seven seasons and nearly 200 episodes, The SNL Hall of Fame—one of the cornerstones of the Saturday Night Live fan community—is closing its doors. This beloved podcast has hosted incredible conversations about the most influential cast members, writers, hosts, and musical guests in SNL's storied history. Throughout their run, they've worked with listeners to enshrine over 35 SNL luminaries in the Hall. As their final season concludes, fans have just ONE LAST CHAN...

1 month ago

1 hour 12 minutes

The Not Ready for Prime Time Project: An SNL Retrospective

The Early Years of SNL: S04E17 Milton Berle/Ornette Coleman (4/14/79)

Comedy legend Milton Berle's SNL hosting gig has gone down as one of the most infamous - and disastrous - events in late-night television history. In this episode of Saturday Night Live - widely considered one of the worst of all time (not just of the original era) - “Mr. Television” brings his 1950s showmanship, sensibility, and bravado to the comedy landscape of the late 1970s. And the results are… A-mazing! From the opening monologue (cringeworthy in any era), Berle's constant adlibbing, c...

1 month ago

1 hour 9 minutes

The Not Ready for Prime Time Project: An SNL Retrospective

The Early Years of SNL: S04E16 Richard Benjamin/Rickie Lee Jones (4/7/79)

Its only been a few weeks since the first ever nuclear meltdown in United States history but that doesn’t stop SNL from using it as inspiration for one of the most epic & outstanding sketches of the original era. Richard Benjamin, giving off strong Buck Henry vibes, takes the reins for a Saturday Night Live outing that is – while short on quantity – quite high on quality. We may not get many bits this episode, but almost all the ones we do get deliver. John Belushi’s absence! The Nerds! C...

1 month ago

59 minutes

The Not Ready for Prime Time Project: An SNL Retrospective

My SNL Story: Kevin Kelton

We revisit the “Dick Ebersol era” of SNL once again with our guest, Kevin Kelton. He is an Emmy-nominated writer for his work on Saturday Night Live, writing on the show for Seasons 9 & 10, before moving on to a very successful career writing and producing sitcoms. Fun Fact: Kevin is also part of a very exclusive group of only four people who wrote for both SNL AND Friday’s. Kevin joins us to talk about his journey working for two of the most famous sketch comedy shows of all time, ...

2 months ago

1 hour 13 minutes

The Not Ready for Prime Time Project: An SNL Retrospective

The Early Years of SNL: S04E15 Margot Kidder/The Chieftans (3/17/79)

SNL continues its late season run of really fun episodes as Margot Kidder, fresh off her star-making role in the blockbuster "Superman, " hosts this memorable outing. Originally airing on St. Patrick’s Day, it leans heavily into all things Irish - including with the musical guests, The Chieftans. This episode is FULL of classic bits that would go on to stand the test of time and appear in Saturday Night Live highlight reels and clip shows for decades to come: “Fred Garvin: Male Prostitute,” “...

2 months ago

49 minutes

The Not Ready for Prime Time Project: An SNL Retrospective

The Early Years of SNL: S04E14 Gary Busey/Eubie Blake, Gregory Hines (3/10/79)

In what could possibly be the most underrated episode of the original era, this episode of Saturday Night Live is a stand out showing! Hosted by the one and only Gary Busey, accompanied by the exceptional talents of Eubie Blake and Gregory Hines as musical guests, this episode maintains an "on the edge" quality throughout that is desperately needed at this point in the show’s run. SNL lives up to its hype in this outing as it featuring a raw, electric energy, long well-written sketches, and e...

2 months ago

56 minutes

The Not Ready for Prime Time Project: An SNL Retrospective

Bill Swerski's Tournament Talk: Best Recurring SNL Characters

Tournament Talk reconvenes to debate one of the most hotly contested topics among SNL fans – Best Recurring Characters! From The Nerds to Wayne & Garth, Mr. Robinson to Stefon, our panel discusses and deliberate some of Saturday Night Live’s most iconic characters. The Church Lady and Matt Foley battle against the likes of Mary Katherine Gallagher and Colleen Rafferty while some of the show’s most recognizable characters didn’t even make the list! Will your favorite recurring charac...

2 months ago

2 hours 2 minutes

The Not Ready for Prime Time Project: An SNL Retrospective

The Early Years of SNL: S04E13 Kate Jackson/Delbert McClinton (2/24/79)

Its sweeps month in 1979, and SNL pulls out all the stops with Charlie’s Angels star Kate Jackson as host and Delbert McClinton as musical guest. Yes, you read that last part correctly. A very memorable episode (though perhaps not for the best reasons), this outing of Saturday Night Live takes a distinctly "meta" approach with Jackson frequently playing herself throughout the night. Though when she does get the chance to play actual characters, she pulls it off quite nicely. The episode leans...

2 months ago

45 minutes

The Not Ready for Prime Time Project: An SNL Retrospective

The Early Years of SNL: S04E12 Rick Nelson/Judy Collins (2/17/79)

They say comedy is subjective, and this S4 episode of SNL proves the point. While many Saturday Night Live fans praise this outing hosted by former child star Rick(y) Nelson, we have a slightly different take. Sadly, musical guest Judy Collins does not do much to help the cause. Though we do acknowledge some bright spots, we couldn't fully embrace this episode. Listen as we break down what worked (some true highlights) and what didn't (not even Paul Simon has the balls to do THREE songs in hi...

2 months ago

53 minutes

The Not Ready for Prime Time Project: An SNL Retrospective

My SNL Story: Rosie Shuster

Rosie Shuster is a national treasure – in Canada AND the US. A two-time Emmy winner, she was an integral part in the creation of Saturday Night Live, with contributions to the show that cannot be overlooked. From helping craft the show from the ground up during the summer of '75 to developing Dana Carvey's iconic Church Lady character, Rosie joins us to discuss all three of her stints writing for the show, as well as the evolution of women on the show, the importance of taboo in comedy, and t...

2 months ago

1 hour 2 minutes

The Not Ready for Prime Time Project: An SNL Retrospective

Deep Thoughts: Mr. Mike's Mondo Video

We are very excited to discuss what is widely considered the VERY BEST of the SNL-related movies. A project filled with artistic precision, coherency, and directorial flourishes that taps directly into the zeitgeist possibly better than anything to ever come out of Saturday Night Live. April Fools! Our topic is Mr. Mike's Mondo Video - the film promoted as "the television show too dangerous for television." (Which we are genuinely excited about.) It is a film that confounded...

3 months ago

41 minutes

The Not Ready for Prime Time Project: An SNL Retrospective

The Early Years of SNL: S04E11 Cicely Tyson/Talking Heads (2/10/79)

Talking Heads make their US television debut on this week’s episode of SNL! Also...Cicely Tyson hosts. The show brings out a lot of recurring characters, sketches, and bits to try and help her. And, of course, Garrett in drag. Does any of it work? There are a lot of questionable things in this episode and the final product is not only one of the weaker episodes of Saturday Night Live’s original era but also one of the most jaw-dropping…even for 1979. Of course, as the era winds do...

3 months ago

47 minutes

The Not Ready for Prime Time Project: An SNL Retrospective

Bill Swerski's Tournament Talk: Best SNL Musical Guest Appearances

March Madness is BACK! And so is Tournament Talk! Bill Swerski returns (hopefully) to lead the debate over SNL's Best Musical Guest Appearances. Our panel goes head-to-head discussing and debating a cornerstone in Saturday Night Live's storied history – the musical guest. With passionate arguments and surprising upsets, you'll be shocked at which legendary artists make it to the Final Four! Will your favorite singer, band, or artist advance in our bracket? Which unexpected performances ...

3 months ago

2 hours