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Saturday Night Live

Robert Klein/ABBA, Loudon Wainwright III

Season 1, Episode 5, Aired Nov 15, 1975

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Live from New York, It's... Chevy Chase!

Sketches include "Reluctant Pageant Winner," "Pong," "Minute Mystery," "Bee-Centennial Minute," "Gregg Allman, How's Your Love Life?," "Jamitol," "The Eternal Crawl/Roaches Through History" (film), "Ploobis' Migraine" (Muppets), another stand-up performance by Robert Klein, "K-Put Price-Is-Rite Stamp Gun," "Sam Peckinpah," "Gil the Firewoman," "Ambassador Training Institute," and "Looks at Books."

ABBA performed "Waterloo" and "S.O.S."; Loudon Wainwright III performed "Bicentennial Uncertainty" and Unrequited to the Nth Degree"; Robert Klein and the SNL Band performed "I Can't Stop My Leg."moreless

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Cast & Crew

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GUEST STAR
Robert Klein

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ABBA

Themselves
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Loudon Wainwright III

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Laraine Newman

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Jane Curtin

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Michael O'Donoghue

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George Coe

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Dan Aykroyd

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Chevy Chase

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The ABBA performances are wonderful

10

"Perfect"

By abbaonfilm, Apr 09, 2011

and the filming and broadcast date (15 November 1975) was Frida's 30th birthday. This episode was repeated on Saturday 7 May 2005 on NBC. ABBA was the only musical act to ever lip-sync on this show - as pointed out during the Waterloo performance! Apparently that's changed now as Ashley Simpson did it in 2005.
ABBA performed 'SOS' and 'Waterloo' but there are some photos from the rehearsals and they seems to me they take a version of song 'Honey, honey' but finally they performed 'Waterloo'
Oh, and what so funny to see (but only just nowadays) that ancient computer game.moreless
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Robert Klein hosts this episode with musical guests ABBA and Loudon Wainwright III! But is it good?

7.3

"Good"

By BaronOne, Mar 25, 2011

This episode continues in the right direction as Robert Klein appears in a good number of segments, but gets a chance to do a bit of his own material too, which is usually good to see if it's funny. Was it? Let's take a look.

Host: Robert Klein
Musical Guests: ABBA and Loudon Wainwright III

Cold Open: Beauty Pageant (Chase, Newman)

--Chevy presents Sherry (Newman) as the winner of the beauty pageant, but the Valley Girl can't accept it even though she has "a real b!tchin bod", causing Chevy to walk the aisle instead and take a tumble to open the show. Funny opening, as Newman does this character really well.

Monologue: Animal Stereotyping (Klein)

--Robert Klein does some stand-up about how animals are always perceived in cartoons and then talks a bit about science. Good stuff here.

ABBA sings "S.O.S." on the set of the Titanic (ABBA, Klein)

--The captain of the Titanic (Klein) tries to stop a leak while ABBA sings "S.O.S." It's a fun segment, even though the music is pretty corny.

Pong

--Another edition of Pong with this one being about a mid-term exam that one of them is sure he did great on, but finds out that he was completely wrong. Again, most of these sketches were fairly clever.

Minute Mystery (Aykroyd, Belushi, Chase, Newman)

--Mike Mendoza (Aykroyd) and his partner (Belushi) try to figure out who has murdered the victim (Newman) with the help of audience participation. I don't know, this just never really clicked with me and felt kind of blah.

Bee Centennial Minute (Morris)

--A bee (Morris) tells of a famous bee in history that rested on the end of a musket, only to meet a horrible fate moments later. It was okay I guess, but not that funny.

Loudon Wainwright III sings "Bicentennial Uncertainty"

--Comedic folk singer Wainwright is pretty amusing in his song about America turning 200 years old.

Greg Allman, How's Your Love Life? (Chase)

--Allman (Chase) is constantly questioned by an off-camera voice (Lorne Michaels) about his love life, to which he keeps avoiding answering. Funny one-joke sketch.

The Tough Director (Klein, Belushi, Newman, Radner)

--Two actors (Klein & Radner) shoot the new romantic-comedy with Sam Peckinpah (Belushi), although he ends up being really rough with Radner without even really noticing it. Belushi shines in this sketch and the physical comedy is pretty funny too.

Weekend Update with Chevy Chase (also: Dan Aykroyd and Garrett Morris)

--This time, Chase comments on Ford some more, David and Julie Eisenhower being incredibly dull, and insults the bigot governor George Wallace. He's also visited by Frank Telinka (Aykroyd) doing a commentary on the energy crisis, while Chase makes faces at him behind his back. Garrett once again does his "hard of hearing" bit. Pretty good Update overall.

Commercial: Jamitol (Curtin)

--This one runs in the middle of Update. It's a variation of the Jamitol sketch from the first show and I still don't really get it.

Exterminators (Klein, Belushi, Newman)

--Two exterminators (Klein & Belushi) go after cockroaches, but Klein has sympathy for the creatures and tells about the history of the insects. Kind of a dull sketch here, but it had a couple of chuckles.

Gil the Fireman (Radner)

--Amusing little speech from Gilda about being a fireman, offering some safety tips and how a fireman's name has to be shortened.

The Muppets: Migraine Headache

--Ploobis has a migraine and eventually, he gets Scred to use acupuncture on him with virtually no effect except more pain. This was a little bit better than average.

Monologue: College (Klein)

--Robert Klein does some more stand-up, this time about college life after briefly mentioning performing in front of the military. Funny.

Commercial: K-Put

--Probably one of my favourite commercial parody from the first season, where you can use a price-is-rite stamp gun to make things cost whatever you want them to.

Loudon Wainwright III sings "Unrequitted to the Nth Degree"

--Loudon sings a song about dying, but the satire contained in it is pretty amusing. Good song again.

Looks at Books (Curtin, Radner)

--Jane Curtin welcomes Emily Litella (Radner), the author of the "tiny" series of books. This was the first of MANY appearances for Litella, but she does a good job and makes it work for this passable sketch.

Ambassador Training Institute (Aykroyd, Newman)

--A repeat of the same sketch from last week.

Robert Klein sings "I Can't Stop My Leg"

--I hadn't ever seen this before, but it had a nice tune to it and I liked seeing Klein thank the lord for stopping his leg.

ABBA sings "Waterloo" while the Titanic sinks (ABBA, Klein)

--ABBA lip-syncs their second song and the Titanic set sinks...nice, O'Donoghue.

Robert Klein then closes the show wearing a housecoat from the "state institution" and says goodnight.

Best segment: The Tough Director
Worst segment: Minute Mystery

Host: Robert Klein - 7.5/10

Musical Guests: ABBA - 6/10
Loudon Wainwright III - 8/10

We continue with the swing of things with another solid show, although maybe not quite as good as Bergen/Phillips. Robert Klein provided some good support as a host, even if he was only really in two actual sketches while the rest was the monologue, three musical performances, and some stand-up that he did. ABBA was fun in a corny sort of way, but Loudon was a great guest and it's a shame he wasn't invited back again.

Rating: 7.25/10moreless
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QUOTES (9)
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- Chevy Chase: And now, as a public service to those of our viewers who have difficulty with their hearing, I will repeat the top story of the day, aided by the Headmaster of the New York School for the Hard of Hearing, Garrett Morris. (Garrett is superimposed in a circle on the left side of the screen above the caption, "NEWS FOR THE HARD OF HEARING." Audience laughs as Chevy struggles not to crack up.) Chevy Chase: Our top story tonight... Garrett Morris: (cupping hands around his mouth OUR TOP STORY TONIGHT!!! Chevy Chase: President Ford flew to Paris for a summit conference, and boy, are his arms tired! Garrett Morris: PRESIDENT FORD FLEW TO PARIS FOR A SUMMIT CONFERENCE, AND BOY, ARE HIS ARMS TIRED!!! Chevy Chase: Good night, and have a pleasant tomorrow. Garrett Morris: GOOD NIGHT, AND HAVE A PLEASANT TO-MOR-ROW!
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- Chevy Chase: Also on the birthday spot: Lorne Michaels, executive producer of the NBC "Night" show, and a functioning schizophrenic. The NBC "Saturday Night" show will soon be replaced by the network with their new series, "Hilarious Test Patterns of the 1960's."
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- (Monitor fades to three photos in a row: one of Gerald Ford covering his mouth, one of Hubert Humphrey pointing both index fingers at his own nose, and one of Ford blowing his nose.) Chevy Chase: Still to come- Hubert Humphrey explains what to do when you sneeze to Jerry Ford, after this filmed message.
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- Chevy Chase: Secretary of State Henry Kissinger has been cited for contempt of Congress! Kissinger commented, "So what? Congress has at least as much contempt for me as I do for him. Besides, Nixon lied, didn't he? And he gets to sunbathe while I get terminal jet lag."
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- Chevy Chase: David and Julie Eisenhower were executed today by a firing squad... [laughter and applause] ...to pay for what the Pentagon calls "unforgivable dullness."
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- Chevy Chase: A new book has been published and released, and it's entitled, "Friends of Richard Nixon." A short work, it is only one page longer than the work, "Famous Antarctic Television Personalities of the Eighteenth Century." Of his former boss, President Ford said, "Well, I spent most of the week reading it, finding it challenging in its scope."
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- Chevy Chase: The United States... hold it... The United Nations General Assembly passed a resolution equating Zionism with racism. Black entertainer Sammy Davis, Jr., a convert to Judaism, was quoted as saying: "What a breakthrough! Now, finally, I can hate myself!"
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- Chevy Chase: A flock of seagulls was sucked into the jet engines of a DC-10 aircraft during takeoff at Kennedy Airport in New York. The plane crashed and burned, but no one was hurt. However, 14 birds were injured, and 3 were killed. The injured gulls were taken to Mount Sinai hospital, and names of the dead are being withheld pending notification of the next of kin. (soft laughter)
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- Chevy Chase: Our top story tonight: President Ford flew to Paris today for a joint economic summit conference! (cut to the monitor over Chevy's shoulder. It displays a photo of Ford bending down to kiss a young girl who is giving him flowers.) Overworked and exhausted from his flight, the President mistakenly bumped his head on the face of a little girl who was presenting him with flowers at the airport. Smiling but alert Secret Service agents seized the child and wrestled her to the ground. (laughter and applause) Commented Ford later: "It's okay- kid's too young to vote anyway. Have you seen my flowers?" (soft laughter)
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NOTES (4)
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- This episode and Season 3 episode "Robert Klein/Bonnie Raitt" were featured back-to-back on a 1980s Warner Home Video, with musical guests edited out.
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- Gilda Radner plays the Emily Litella character for the first time in the sketch "Looks at Books."
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- John Belushi wrote the sketch, "Sam Peckinpah", for the episode "Candice Bergen/Esther Phillips" one week earlier, but it was cut in rehearsal.
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- This was the first instance that a musical guest lip-sync a song. While ABBA did sing "SOS" live, they did a lip-sync version of "Waterloo." During their performance of "Waterloo," subtitles flashed on the screen announcing that "Right now Abba is lip synching ... it's not their fault ... the tracks didn't arrive from Sweden." From then on forward, Lorne Michaels reduced Dick Ebersol's output quite considerably in SNL, who insisted that ABBA be the musical guest.
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