The non-Lorne Michaels years were hit-or-miss for "Saturday Night Live" but here’s a definite hit… IRA NEEDLEMAN from May 5, 1984! Gary Kroeger says this film bought him another season on the show.
And I have just learned that Bebe Neuwirth is one of the dancers! She’s most visible at 0:22 (lower right) and then again at the end. That means the only “Cheers” stars never to appear on SNL were Nick Colasanto (Coach, who passed away in early 1985) and Shelley Long (Diane, who was supposedly slated to host during SNL’s 10th season 1984-85, but Long’s pregnancy and a writer’s strike made that impossible). Ted Danson, Kirstie Alley, George Wendy, Woody Harrelson and Kelsey Grammer have all hosted, and John Ratzenberger (Cliff) made a cameo with his fellow castmembers when Kirstie hosted in 1991.
When Siskel & Ebert appeared on the SNL "Film Fest" (March 2, 1985), they were inexplicably lukewarm on Needleman. Siskel felt it was implausible that Needleman's seeming discomfort with video dating technology precluded him from production an epic, MTV-style video. (This is more apparent in the prologue, which is not included in the video below). I really like S&E but they often missed the point when it came to comedies (e.g. Pee Wee's Big Adventure, Fast Times at Ridgemont High, Silver Streak, being just a few examples)
When Tom Hanks hosted the 14th season premiere of "Saturday Night Live" on October 8, 1988, it came after a six-month writer's strike. In fact, he had also hosted the second-to-last show of season 13, meaning he hosted episodes 245 and 247. (Judge Reinhold hosted #246).
This sketch was cut, but would become very well known the FOLLOWING week, when it was re-done with host Matthew Broderick. In this version, rookie SNL writer Robert Smigel has a small role... he wrote this sketch as a response to NBC/GE firing all of its censors (aka "continuity editors"). There's also a cameo from an elderly actor who looks familiar, but I can't place. Hanks does a good job, but Kevin Nealon's ending monologue isn't in this version... his delivery is also better the next week. So, Broderick's gets the edge.
If you enjoy 8-tracks (for some reason), you'll enjoy this. A parody of the Columbia House ads, by Chris Shapan. Notice they also give you the option for reel tape! Which was an actual thing from CH until 1984... 8-tracks lasted until 1988 or '89, though. Here's my CH reel directory. I'm not as interested in 8-tracks, and there were far too many of them, for me to ever make a database.
In the spring of 1986, ABC was finishing up a punishing season. Old favorites like "Benson" "The Fall Guy," "The Love Boat," "Hardcastle and McCormick" and "Ripley's Believe It Or Not" were about to end their runs in the ratings cellar. "Webster" would follow a year later. Series attempts by Redd Foxx, Robert Wagner ("Lime Street"), and Jeffrey Tambor ("Mr. Sunshine") tanked, as did the prestigious ensemble crime dramas "Lady Blue" and "Our Family Honor." The "alphabet network" had just six shows in the Top 30: "Dynasty" (#7), "Who's the Boss" (#10), "Monday Night Football" (#15), "Growing Pains" (#17), "Hotel" (#22), and "Moonlighting" (#24). After a decade of success, ABC (and CBS) were suddenly getting trounced by programmer Brandon Tartikoff and a resurgent NBC.
What did America want? PETER BOYLE!
"Joe Bash" was created by Danny Arnold and co-developed by Chris Hayward... the pair most recently known for "Barney Miller." The other "developer" was Philip Jayson Lasker; the trio wrote all six episodes of "Joe Bash." Arnold directed all but one episode.
The show debuted at 9:30 p.m. on Friday, March 28, against the second half of ratings powerhouse "Dallas." That didn't help, nor, in my opinion, did the show's title (meant to sound "aggressive" according to Arnold).
Still, the series was critically acclaimed. Boyle's partner was played by Andrew Rubin, best known as George Martin in the first "Police Academy" film. Guest/recurring roles included a lot of familiar faces: Jack Gilford, Larry Hankin, Val Bisoglio, Lawanda Page, Delane Matthews, Reni Santoni, Dino Natali, Rosanna DeSoto, Marilyn Sokol, and Pat Corley. Sadly, the 1980s were full of stylish single cam dramedies that never caught on but would be all over Netflix today... the only successful one I can think of was "The Wonder Years."
ABC probably didn’t market the show very well, as their audience wasn’t interested: in 1986, they were all about lame multi-camera sitcoms geared towards teenagers and shot on bright, flat looking videotape. “Joe Bash” was none of those things.
Incidentally, the music was by Jack Elliot, who wrote the themes to "Barney Miller" and also "Night Court."
The only "Joe Bash" video that seems to be online is episode 4 (“Janowitz”), in two parts below. An episode guide follows.
EPISODES
#1: "Pilot" (March 28, 1986) with Michael Cavanaugh, Robert Trebor, Hubert B. Kelly, Lisa Dunsheath
#2: "Cash" (April 4, 1986) with Michael Cavanaugh, Dino Natali (Angelo), Larry Jenkins (Mugger), LaWanda Page, Robert Trebor, Jack Bernardi, Darrow Igus, Vincent Guastaferro, Ruth Jaroslow
#3: "Feinbaum" (April 11, 1986) with Sam Scarber (Sam), Jack Gilford (Feinbaum)
#4: "Janowitz" (April 25, 1986) with Pat Corley, Sully Boyar, Sy Kramer
#5: "Joe's First Partner" (May 2, 1986) with Joseph Mascolo (Capt. Charles Taylor), Pierrino Mascarino (Irv), Marilyn Sokol (Betty), Dean Dittman, Tom Rosqui... directed by John Florea
