Saturday Night Live Season 1 Episode 5

A tough act to follow - that's what this episode as, the previous Candice Bergen episode had so much that clicked, the previous episode also was the first to feel like an SNL episode. Tonight's host is Robert Klein, a stand up comedian I've never seen perform and a sometime actor. I was trying to place my finger on something that h had been an host/interview for, then it hit me it was the Monty Python reunion at Aspen in 1998. Anyway I digress, so on with the show -

• Laraine and Chevy open the show, Laraine is dressed as a beauty queen with with roses and a crown. She can't expect the crown and goes on a rant about the sexist of it and dressed Chase in her clothing, who has to walk down the aisle instead, he falls off the stage in his best fall yet (managing to keep the crown on even).
• Credits, Robert Klein hosting with musical guests ABBA and Loudon Wainwright III.
• No film by Albert Brooks (that is the credit), Jim Henson's Muppets and The Not Ready For Prime Time Players lists everybody you expect - I'm thinking I could have missed something last time.
• Robert Klein is out for the monologue, like I said above I've never his stand up but he seems a natural up there, he's probably doing bits from his stand up act like George Carlin did, his act is quite animal related talking bears, chimps etc. Not bad if some of his stand up come my away I wouldn't turn it off.
• Robert Klein (with Michael O'Donoghue playing another passenger) are on the Titanic and so are ABBA, who are singing SOS, not sure if it's this episode but ABBA where one of the few acts (in the time period at least) who lip synced on the show. The Titanic springs a leak at some point during the song.
• Pong again with the voice over, there talking about essays and tests. Not as good as the last time they did (which didn't even blow me away to begin in).
• Minute Mystery with Aykroyd taking pictures of a dead woman like a fashion photographer, Belushi plays Lopez an inspector, Chase is getting questioned, he is asked what he was doing when the murder happens he confesses everything but they tell him he's free to go. They then give the audience 15 seconds to work out the crime - they are about to reveal the information but another bit of evidence is found and Aykroyd's camera is took, Belushi then gives them 10 seconds to find out who did it - when there back they tell announcer Don Pardo to say who did, but he doesn't answer, Belushi then gives the audience a year to work out who did. Likeable and fun stuff
• Bee Centennial Minute, with Garrett, he tells a story that I barely remember while I'm writing this. At least it was quick. This means the Bees have been in every episode so far.
• Loudon Wainwright III is up now, I'm a fan of his so I'm going to be biased here. He sings about the Bicentennial. Cool song.
• 22 minutes check in - good songs, the Minute Mystery sketch is the only thing with the cast that's really sparkled for me so far.
• Chevy Chase is now dressed as Greg Allman, who at least as put effort into his costume and impression, who keeps dodging the question about how's his love life. When he finally does answer he collapses into his piano. Funny stuff.
• Gilda Radner is introduced to Robert Klein as Rex, in the next sketch, there waiting for Sam Peckinpah, Gilda is nervous about working for Peckinpah who has never done a romantic comedy before. Belushi comes out as Peckinpah, who doesn't like the first take for some reason, he smacks Gilda for no reason when he's explaining the scene. Take 2 sees him stop at the same place, he kicks her in the leg after explaining what he wants. Take 3 is the same problem, explaining what he wants he punches Gilda in the stomach, then slaps her in the face. Take 4 as him now pulling her hair then pushing her while he's down. Take 5 he's got a problem with Rex who attacks Peckinpah before he can strike. Funny stuff because of how great Belushi and Gilda Radner are.
• Weekend Update opens with Chevy doing his phone shtick. Opens with shockingly a President Ford joke and even more shockingly about his clumsiness. A bunch of jokes, the Nixon Joke was one of the better ones, there is another David Eisenhower reference, lots of jokes don't make me laugh probably because I wasn't alive or living in the USA in 1975. Chevy is obviously comfortable in his role now as anchor.
• Filmed message (advert) with Jane, who is the overworked wife of a guy who can't get a word in edge ways, like Jane's performance in this.
• Aykroyd with an editorial reply to the thing from last week, Chevy does the funny face thing again, it's probably Chevy at is funniest in the show (as a whole I mean). More Weekend Update news items after, same as before.
• Garrett does News For The Hard of Hearing, same as it usually is.
• Robert Klein and Belushi in army gear as exterminators in a basement, Belushi is playing the hard nosed experienced vet. Belushi is fun because he's killing cockroaches as revenge for the death of his brother Billy. Klein tells us a story about the cockroach, and it's history - does he love animals or something? - Belushi was cool in this sketch.
• Gilda is a fireman with an ax and everything, it's a risk being a fireman but you get a dog, get to play board games or see people in their underwear when there house is burning down, the other firemen call her Gil cause you need short names. She is here to give tips on fire prevention before reading a  poem about being a fireman. Cool because of Gilda been so damn adorable
• The Muppets - the most challenging moment of any episode - the main Muppets wife is gonna sing to him which gives him a bigger headache then the one he already have. His girlfriend (or bit on the side dance for him), and I gotta say it's quite sexy for a Muppet (maybe it's those boobs). The main Muppet tries acupuncture to get rid of the headache in a bit that is admittedly quite funny. To end the sketch they go to see Fafarg to no doubt end with a dodgy punchline, and it sort of does. Actually the best Muppet bit so far.
• Robert Klein on stage to do some more stand up, he does a bit on college audiences and him been at college, as well as science, this bit didn't work as good as the monologue, he goes back to talking about animals (monkeys).
• Advert in a supermarket, A Price Is Right price gun where you put a sticker over the supermarket's price, actually a genius idea.
• Loudon gets another song "Unrequited To The Nth Degree", awesome song and performance.
• Looks at Books with your host Jane Curtin and her guest Gilda as Emily Litella, for the first time, though she sounds like the Emily we know and love, it's not quite her she's more of a divera then a hard of hearing woman. At the risk of repeating myself Gilda was adorable here.
• The Ambassador for Foreign Country advert is repeated. Was not hilarious to me first time, not hilarious to me the second time. Maybe they had time to fill.
• Robert Klein wants some blues, he looks like he's not really playing the harmonica but maybe he is. He is singing he can't stop his leg, he ain't actually got a bad voice. Somewhat funny.
• Back to the Titanic and ABBA are doing Waterlooo
• Good nights with Robert Klein alone on stage in a bathrobe.

Overall Thoughts - While it's not as strong as the Candice Bergen episode, it does have moments that I enjoyed, ABBA's Titanic performances where cool, Loudon Wainwright III songs. Gilda was awesome as was Belushi here. I didn't miss Albert Brooks film and a Muppet was sexy to me. So there.