Full-Length SNL Episode with Todd Rundgren and Prince

This site has the infamous episode: https://www.solie.org/alibrary/SNL_611CharleneTilton.html. (No, the f-word isn't bleeped, either.)

 

Mr Robinson's Neighborhood!!!!!

 

What is the episode "infamous" for?

 

Charles Rocket saying the F-word on live TV. Bringing about the end of Jean Doumanian SNL era posthaste.

Also ending Gilbert Gottfried's chances as a romantic male lead in the movies during the '80s as well .

 

There’s some other episodes on there as well.

 

I don't see that's a big deal, but I guess it was at the time. But its odd how that word is veroten yet Eddie Murphy can say "bitch" several times and have a big placard with the word spelled out for all to see. Neither should be a big deal, imo. It's the arbitrary restriction I just don't understand.

Interesting to watch the episode, as I wasn't a viewer back then (was only 7 at the time). The sketches are less punch-line focused than the ones now. Not that that made them any better, it was a pretty bad episode. And surprisingly female-centric. They really rode the ladies in that one. Eddie Murply and Joe Piscopo there, and they barely used them? Was that typical of that season? I wasn't familiar with Charlene Tilton, but she wasn't bad. Very peppy in that monologue. Not really funny, but a lot of (maybe nervous) energy. Beautiful hair.

So Gilbert Gottfried can talk in a normal voice. Not that I'm surprised the screechy annoying one he always uses now is an affect, but its the only voice I've ever heard from him until now. I wasn't familiar with the cast at all other than Murphy, Piscopo and Gottfried. I've heard the name Charles Rocket (because of his suicide), but only from a fellow SNL fan friend who is older than me.

The Rundgren performances and Prince were fun to see. Other than Mr. Robinson's Neighborhood, I think the only sketch that made me even chuckle was"Submissive Sugar Daddies", but it seemed like it could have been expanded and done a lot more. It was a good idea, but they just barely did anything with it. The puppet show boxing match was kinda cool, though not particularly funny.

 

We were watching the SNL skit with Eddie Murphy and Joe Piscopo as Stevie Wonder and Frank Sinatra a few days ago, but my mom wasn’t even familiar with Charles Rocket at all.

 

It was a huge deal at the time. Obviously yeah, the notion of forbidden words is by definition going to be somewhat inconsistent. I believe the logic, such as there was, was that words referring to sex, sex organs, and/or bodily functions were considered far worse than insult terms like "bitch."

Murphy was initially hired as a featured player and was minimally used for most of this season. At this point he had just been promoted to full cast member three episodes before and the people in charge were just slowly beginning to realize that he was more talented and funny than the rest of the cast put together. So yeah, he was under-utilized.

If you're not familiar with the history, this season was marked by turmoil. Lorne Michaels had quit at the end of the previous season, and with him went the cast and most of the writing staff. The person hired to replace Michaels had no experience in comedy and was in over her head, and the writing staff turned over several times during the season. It's widely-regarded as one of the worst seasons in the history of the series.

 

Thanks! Watch them now before they vanish!

 

I watched the Charlene Tilton one. About how I remembered it.

I saw where the jokes were, they just weren't funny. Dumanion wasn't a writer, Michaels had been, I'm sure that was a big difference.

This season did do a bit to retain some of the old format, just the way the sketches were written. After this there was a lot more emphasis on recurring characters and catch phrases, even when Michaels came back.

Fridays was also on during this time period. Fridays also sucked. This season of SNL had a lot of attempts at sex humor. With Fridays it was drugs. Fridays had a stronger cast, but the writing was so juvenile that it didn't matter. I did prefer the musical guests on this version of SNL and Fridays to the original show.

 

I can’t seem to watch these on any browser. I am assuming they are reruns and not original airings..

 

Some original airings of '80s episodes exist. Just watched one from season 12, last week. Most are reruns, though. Once you get to the early- or mid-'90s, original airings are the main things you'll find, though not usually with commercials.

 

So Mr. Robinson "Bitch" episode is the first time I ever watched SNL. I was 9 years old. I thought it was hysterical.
I had no idea what was going on behind the scenes at the time.

BTW the best Charles Rocket stuff from that season was his Rocket Reports. The best one is where he got into a taxi.

 

Dark and lonely on a summer night
Kill my landlord
Kill my landlord

Watchdog barkin’
Do he bite?
Kill my landlord
Kill my landlord

C -i-l-l my landlord

 

i do have some random original airings complete with commercials..the last episode of season six is missing a short film called bag lady that was removed from reruns Ive always wanted to see.

will be interesting to see what the snl eps on the new peacock look like when it debuts soon..

 

I watched 3 episodes last night- they were absolutely abysmal. Makes the mediocre recent seasons seem like the golden age of comedy. The news segments were the worst, with some of the jokes so painfully corny and/or unfunny that I swear there was absolutely ZERO reaction from the audience. The show might as well have been taping on the moon. I think Fridays was better than this era of SNL and I agree it sucked too. I mean I guess with Larry David and Michael Richards involved it had to have been funny occasionally, right? I urge anyone here interested in SNL to watch these episodes it is fascinating albeit painful viewing. I did enjoy watching Gilbert Gottfried with his real voice. Good thing he came up with his schtick or he would have been left on the pile of failed SNL cast members.

Judging by what used to be on Hulu I wouldn' t expect much- some of the episodes were cut down to around 23 minutes! The biggest loss seems to be the musical guests, which I'm sure is a rights nightmare.

 

You are prolly right, but I’m getting my hopes up a bit that they cleared at least some of the music rights..it starts April 15th for xfinity subscribers so we shall soon know..

 

I used to work at Comedy Central and when we had repeats of SNL in the mid 00's those episodes had to fit into an hour timeslot so I remember some of them having more material than the ones that showed up on Hulu 10 years later so I hope so as well!

 

Charlene Tilton was so awful during her monologue, sorry, Todd, I had to turn it off.

 

I was able to figure out how to download the Todd/Prince episode to my hard drive from the archive.org site this site used.

 

I honestly think the original cast shows are highly overrated. When they nailed it they nailed it good but that wasn't as often as everyone would like to remember. The best era of the show was late 80's/early 90's when Carvey, Hartman, Rock, Meyers etc. were in the cast.

 

The best era was Eddie Murphy with the 1984 season with Billy Crystal being the best and the single best episode is when Eddie came back to host

 

I recorded this episode in VHS a loooong time ago when it aired on Comedy Central or one of its previous incarnations. I still have the tape.

Other than blazingly brilliant Prince and Murphy, along with a bit of Piscopo to a much lesser degree, this episode is cringeworthy and painfully unwatchable.

Still fascinating though.

dan c

 

i really don't recall them ever having 2 musical guests on the same night, but, that was a long time ago.