Saturday Night Live Season 5 Episode 3

This one plays more like a stunt than a show,. Bill Russell's first foray into comedy was hopefully his only one, since (likable Joe though he doubtless is) he was completely unprepared for the world of sketch comedy. A couple of the filmed segments were quite good anyway (the Mr Bill and the Banshee spoof). The cold opening was also amusing, seaweed and all (and featuring Jane Curtin's nicely sardonic presence, dispensing her "Flipper" line and so forth). The Ann Landers sketch was also good, although Curtin uncharacteristically flubs several lines (perhaps it was having to do that Donald Duck voice throughout that threw her). But everything Bill was in played like something from a high-school assembly.