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Saturday Night Live Season 7 Episode 7

Tim Curry/Meat Loaf & The Neverland Express

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Tim Curry/Meat Loaf & The Neverland Express

AIRED: 12/5/81

Sketches include "Texxon," "Mick!," "Reagan's Illegitimate Son," "The Trouble With Fred" (film), "Frank & Papa," "Tim And Meat's One-Stop Rocky Horror Shop," "Tim's Zucchini Song," and "If Reagan Had Survived The Assassination." Meat Loaf & The Neverland Express performed "Promised Land" and "Bat Out Of Hell."

Fan Episode Reviews (2)

"Oh, what a

9.0

By TylerBeamer, May 19, 2013

Their has been many forgotten and odd choices of hosts for SNL episodes: Julian Bond, Frank Zappa, Ray Sharkey to name a few, but one of the more unique and risky choices was one Brit named Tim Curry. Tim Curry?! You mean the Rocky Horror guy?

Yes that's him, and he hosted this December 1981 show, with surprisingly his buddy Meat Loaf dropping by to give us all some tunes. This could be either a real suprsing show or a real dud. As a Meat/Curry fan, I'm hoping for the former. Let's see what happens...

Opening: Texxon

Another hilarious opening short ad that was popular during the season. It's tagline was classic "We got Karen Silkwood, and we will get the creep at SNL who writes these things"

The younger kids won't get the reference but those around in 1981 would know what it is talking about

Monologue:

Tim Curry comes out and poses with the cast, then walks over to the stage, very excited and happy to host. He is the second host so far in the 1981 season to have a pure monologue. However it does not last as Eddie Murphy comes out to clean the stage, because the writers had nothing for him to do due to being black.

However help is on the way as Tim gives him some advice, mainly changing his name and voice, plus turning "white" by wearing shoe polish. He then turns the table on Curry, by making him go clean his room. This set the stage for his 1984 "White Like Me" short.

Nice little monologue by Curry despite turning it into a character piece with Murphy. The two show a surprising chemistry.

Mick!:

A parody of an old school variety show, in this case hosted by Mick Jagger (Curry) with a variety of guests ranging from the real YESSSSSSSS! Guy (Frank Nelson) to even Buckwheat (Murphy, who got a big pop). Lasts for a good chunk of time but never comes close to getting old at any stretch.

This was due to a controversy cause by Michael O'Donoghue, who was desperate to put a piece on mocking the ex-NBC president with John Belushi playing him in the sketch. NBC blocked it down due to it's references to Hitler and eventually Ebersol put Mr. Mike in his place and did this sketch. This also made up time for a sketch called "At Home with The Psychos" which was later re-used the next week with Bill Murray playing the dad instead of Curry. The latter was also a O'Donoghue piece.

Overall I found this to be a classic parody sketch. Having Curry as Jagger really helped because one he was experienced at doing Mick plus he was willing to up his roles after the cut sketch, unlike Donald Pleasance from the Halloween show. The cast also helped out with Murphy and Piscapo being reliable as always. Robin Duke held her own, especially changing costumes and playing two different roles. Great sketch.

Murphy's Announcement:

Eddie Murphy has something to say, he is really President Reagan's lovechild. He left years ago and never returned, and his son sure does miss him!

Excellent solo by Murphy here, especially when he starts to get dramatic near the end. One of his more underrated pieces here.

"The Trouble With Fred"

A blah little film. Nowhere as good as the clip from the Cash show.

Frank And Papa

A sequel to the sketch from the last episode of season 6 that's about as boring as it's predecessor was. A Miller esque piece, which is a dramatic everyday life piece not meant for much laughs.

Decent sketch but went on for too long.

SNL Newsbreak

The break opens with Murray and Gross arguing with each other over their styles, with Mary winning after she mocks him for flubbing lines. Then an interview with Prince Charles (Curry) and Princess Diana (Christine Ebersol) about their impending baby, before going to Piscapo for a sports feature about NBC's changes. More notably the promotion of Bryant Gumble to the Today show, and Piscopo's attempt to have his NFL job. Then rounded out with a Muhammad commentary.

A decent but nothing spectacular newsbreak.

Performance: Promised Land

Meat give a trademark performance here, and owns the stage. One of his more underrated songs.

The Rocky Horror Shop

Tim and Meat, burdened by lack of money from the film, has decided to open a shop for fans and first timers to get merchandise for the midnight screenings.

Tim's more laid back this time while Meat's got the crazy pitchman role and does it brilliantly. One notable moment was during the sketch when Meat claims they never got paid while Tim says "Speak for yourself", which causes Meat to keep asking "Hey man, you got paid?!" The two had chemistry and they even manage to be silly during the sketch but not de-railing it by using water guns.

Tim K steals it near the end by coming out in the Frank-N-Furter outfit, causing a tremendous pop. So the stars in this would be Tim K and Meat especially, with Curry as more of the back guy.

"The Zucchini Song"

A musical piece in the olden days style even using the audience to sing. A very well done but random piece about a Farmer and his Zucchini, which manages to win a competition.

Curry's the star here, and nails it as the Zany singer. Uses a good deal of audience participation but works well. Still don't know if this is just an average song piece about a Zucchini or a hidden sexual reference song. I think that's what makes it work.

If Reagan Had Lived

A bizarre what if piece set in the alternate universe where Hinkley killed Reagan in 1981 and Bush Sr. became President. He later made several mistakes and the talkers comment on how they think Reagan would have handled it. The interesting part is that the "mistakes" is opposite what Reagan did especially the Air Traffic Controllers mentioned.

A political piece as SNL was very anti Reagan, that did not reach it's full potential as they rushed the ending for the final performance.

Performance: Bat Out Of Hell

One of his signature tunes, he did a fine job here. The odd part is that he never even performed it in 1978 when the original album debuted and he was on Season 3. I would rate Promised Land ahead of this though just due to its climax.

Closing:

Tim asks everyone if they had a good time and Nelson let's out a final: YESSSSSSSSSS!

In Conclusion:

A very well done and consistent show and I dare to say one of the more underrated ones in the history of the program. Tim did an excellent job in an arena he was not at the point an expert in, and managed to rise to the occasion and work well with the cast, especially Murphy who had a surprising good chemistry with. I'm surprised they never did a movie together, it could have been interesting.

Meat delivered the goods and even managed to shine in a sketch where he was a supporting character.

I'm still surprised Curry never returned to host, he could have been a consistent Elliot Gould type host who had musical skit as well as some acting roles. SNL's made many mistakes and this is one of them.

Best Sketch: Mick! (The Zucchini Song was close behind)

Worst Sketch: Frank and Papa (The Home Movie does not count)

Host: Tim Curry 9.5/10

Singer: Meat Loaf 10/10

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Sketches include Texxon, Mick!, Reagan's Illegitimate Son, Tim And Meat's One-Stop Rocky Horror Shop, Tim's Zucchini Song, and much more amusement for all of the veiwers. Meat Loaf & The Neverland Express performed Promised Land and Bat Out Of Hell.moreless

10

By MellyBean77, Aug 26, 2007

It's always a pleasure to watch Tim Curry on TV because he is such a fine actor and he never dissapoints. This was a hilarious show because of the fact Tim Curry was hosting. I love the way he sings and he is one of the most talented people to ever host Saturday Night Live. I guarantee that you will not be dissapointed when you watch this episode. Meat Loaf and The Neverland Express are always great and I don't think anyone could ever say different about them. They are amazing musicians and as always, a real pleasure to listen to.moreless
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Cast & Crew: STARS

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Tony Rosato	Himself
Christine Ebersole	Herself
Joe Piscopo	Himself
Mary Gross	Herself
Eddie Murphy	Himself
Tim Kazurinsky	Himself

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Cast & Crew: RECURRING AND GUESTS

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Tim Curry	Himself	Guest Star
Meat Loaf	Himself	Guest Star
Frank Nelson	newsstand vendor	Guest Star

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Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions

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TRIVIA (0)
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NOTES (3)
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- The first of two instances where Bill Hanrahan filled in for Mel Brandt.
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- Tim Curry is the first actor from the 1975 cult movie The Rocky Horror Picture Show to host SNL, though Meat Loaf was the first star from that movie to appear on SNL four years earlier.
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- A 25-minute half-live, half-filmed sketch entitled "Silverman's Bunker" was written for this episode by writer Michael O'Donoghue. It used Hilter's last days as a metaphor for then-NBC president Fred Silverman's tenure at the network, with John Belushi reportedly playing Silverman. When network officials got word of the sketch, their lawyers had the sketch "killed."
  
  A sketch airs in this show entitled, "Mick!" about a Mick Jagger TV special was put together at the last minute after Silverman's figurative and literal demise.
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ALLUSIONS (1)
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- Rocky Horror Picture Show:
  
  Two references occur in regard to the cult classic movie; the first reference occurs during host Tim Curry's monologue when he alludes to being Dr. Frank-n-Furter. The second reference is a sketch in which Curry and musical guest Meat Loaf (who played Eddie in the film) appear in a fake advertisement for a "Rocky Horror Shop."
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