Saturday Night Live: The Complete First Season

Saturday Night Live's 1975-76 first season may not be its best, but considering the envelopes pushed, taboos broken, and talent unleashed, it is surely the most exhilarating. Series producer Lorne Michaels, some fresh-thinking writers, and the "Not Ready for Prime Time Players" broke The Carol Burnett Show variety mold and redefined it for generations to come. The original cast—Dan Aykroyd, John Belushi, Chevy Chase, Jane Curtin, Garrett Morris, Laraine Newman, and Gilda Radner—and legendary National Lampoon scribe Michael O'Donoghue delivered a show that mined two comic sensibilities. On the one hand, you have satirical comedy sketches such as "Slumber Party" featuring host Madeline Kahn from Episode 19; on the other, the show served up gonzo pop-culture carpet-bombings like the infamous "Claudine Longet Invitational" in Episode 18. There was also, at heart, a genuine affection for old-school show business, such as The Untouchables-meets-I Love Lucy cross-parody produced for the Desi Arnaz-Desi Arnaz Jr. Episode 14. The characters and catchphrases come in waves throughout this 24-episode run, including Belushi's “Samurai,” Radner's “Emily Litella,” Chase's “Land Shark,” and others. While the classic sketches in this Emmy-winning season are too numerous to mention, SNL buffs will enjoy watching the show find its voice. Over the course of the season, we see home movies solicited from viewers, including poor, put-upon "Mr. Bill"; wonderful short films by Albert Brooks; occasional standup performances with adult Muppets; and a stream of counterculture comedians and musicians who normally didn't do television, such as Richard Pryor, Patti Smith, and Jimmy Cliff. The show also served as a platform for not easily pigeonholed acts, such as Andy Kaufman. It is also fun to distinguish between the guest hosts who got it (Kahn, Elliott Gould, Buck Henry, Candice Bergen, Lily Tomlin) and those who seemed absolutely lost (Louise Lasser). Unlike Your Show of Shows, SNL is a topical series, but you don't have to be old enough to remember the Jeno's Pizza Roll commercial to appreciate the parody in "Show Us Your Guns." For three decades, imitators have tried to duplicate SNL's success. But, to paraphrase one of Chase's signature lines, we see here why this is Saturday Night, and they're not. DVD extras include original screen tests, and a 1975 interview with Michaels and the cast. Highly recommended. (D. Liebenson)