Podcast appearances and mentions of Dick Ebersol

My SNL Story is back and we're talking with Gary Kroeger. Recruited by the show in the fall of 1982, just weeks prior to the start of Season 8, Gary was a cast member on SNL for three seasons, helping close out the Dick Ebersol era. Gary offers an insider's perspective on one of the most underappreciated and less talked about eras in the show's history, sharing stories about how Saturday Night Live came to him, being asked to “light a fire” under Eddie Murphy, and what it was like competing for airtime with the likes of Martin Short, Billy Crystal, and Christopher Guest. In addition, we discuss many of his memorable sketches & characters, how he ingratiated himself with the “all stars” of S10, his favorite (and perhaps not-so-favorite) hosts, and the lasting lessons he's carried with him from his time on the show. And yes...we also talk about a certain “viral” moment that has sparked a lot of discussion from the SNL50 celebration.---------------------------------Subscribe today!Follow us on social media: X (Twitter): NR4PTProjectBluesky: nr4ptproject.bsky.socialInstagram: nr4ptprojectFacebook: The Not Ready for Prime Time ProjectContact Us: Website: https://www.nr4project.comEmail: nr4ptproject@gmail.com

Under interrogation by the League of Acolytes for Televisual Emcees and Raconteurs, Mitch finally comes clean about what went down on the SS Mayhem at the afterparty to end all afterparties.Endnotes:Mike Myers, Canada (Canada, Doubleday Canada, 2016) p207. Capsule Review: Barely a memoir, more a celebration of Canadianness, Myers must be among the most patriotic citizens of the largely unenthusiastic (in my experience) nation. Lots of semi-interesting trivia and observations for southern Ontario residents and enthusiasts. Relevant information about Myer's career exposes a ridiculous amount of privilege and fortune, which is reasonably acknowledged but not examined critically. Myers easy confidence/sense of entitlement seems to have played a significant part of his overall trajectory. Slack Score: 15; Snark Score: 9.3; Overall FCA ranking: 84Richard Pryor, Pryor Convictions; and Other Life Sentences; The Official Autobiography (Los Angeles, Pantheon, 1997) p.97 Capsule Review: One of the most tragic/upsetting of all FCAs, much of the story has been told in bits and pieces either in standup sets or Jo Jo Dancer, and the written word doesn't quite convey the conflicted nuance of Pryor's voice. Nonetheless, a traumatic moving confessional. Interjections by Mudbone provide a welcome alterity and distancing from the heartbreak of the main narrative and a poetic flourish I didn't expect going in** Slack Score: -15; Snark Score: 4; Overall FCA ranking: 5Tom Shales & James Andrew Miller, Live from New York: An Uncensored History of Saturday Night Live (New York, Little, Brown and Company, 2014) p16; (see original citation for Chapter 11)Dick Ebersol, From Saturday Night to Sunday Night (New York, Simon & Schuster, 2022) p.98. Capsule Review: I only read through the SNL relevant sections, so can't comment on the whole Ebersol enchilada, but he's not a comedian by any measure so it's outside of the scope of this project. Writing is just so-so. He's clearly just trying to get his side of the story out there, probably takes a bit too much credit or deflects blame when possible. Doug Hill & Jeff Weingrad, Saturday Night: A Backstage History of Saturday Night Live (San Francisco, Unread Reads, 1986) p.511 (general anecdote widely repeated) Earlier, much more compelling behind-the-scenes story of The Show's  inception until the return of Lorne Michaels creation and first decade than the more wide-ranging oral history by Shales and Miller. Not technically an FCA, so no rankings given.

Today's guest is Infinite Athlete founder Charlie Ebersol. Infinite Athlete has been a sports business story since the brand suddenly appeared on Chelsea's shirt at the start of last season.It's a story with a lot of baggage: Ebersol is former boyfriend of Maria Sharapova and Britney Spears, and son of actress Susan St James and Dick Ebersol, the legendary NBC Sport chairman. IA is backed by Andreesen Horowitz, Silver Lake, Endeavour and Todd Boehly, the Chelsea co-owner. Insert the boring but important phrase ‘Associated Party Transactions'. All parties were asked by the Premier League about potential conflicts of interest and whether the sponsorship value of the shirt exceeded fair market value, which is a slippery concept in and of itself. The final sentence of this paragraph is: ‘The Premier League approved the deal after thorough scrutiny'.That story, or a version of it, is how many people talk about Infinite Athlete. Charlie Ebersol's responses to this narrative are really interesting, and I'll leave you to have a listen and judge for yourself.We then get to the other question, which is: WTF is Infinite Athlete?Using Chelsea as a use case, Ebersol is good on the big problem of sports tech, which AI is about to make worse.Unofficial Partner is the leading podcast for the business of sport. A mix of entertaining and thought provoking conversations with a who's who of the global industry. To join our community of listeners, sign up to the weekly UP Newsletter and follow us on Twitter and TikTok at @UnofficialPartnerWe publish two podcasts each week, on Tuesday and Friday. These are deep conversations with smart people from inside and outside sport. Our entire back catalogue of 400 sports business conversations are available free of charge here. Each pod is available by searching for ‘Unofficial Partner' on Apple, Spotify, Google, Stitcher and every podcast app. If you're interested in collaborating with Unofficial Partner to create one-off podcasts or series, you can reach us via the website.

Which era of SNL is your favorite? Are you a SNL hipster and only love the Dick Ebersol era? Anyone remember that guy from "Remote Control" who would go on to be on SNL, then make movies? What type of hotels are Madison Hotels? How many quotes from this movie can one person make in 55 minutes? To help answer these questions and more, Jason welcomes the co-host of Lyrical Innuendo and his pal Bubbawheat as they tell you WHY "Billy Madison" is a hella rad movie from the '90s. Check out all of our podcasts on our home website www.rabbitholepodcasts.com Support us by giving us a dollar! patreon.com/rabbitholepods Questions, comments, concerns? Email Jason at jasonsoto69420@rabbitholepodcasts.com

Episode 17: Honoring Dick Ebersol with the Don Pardo AwardWelcome back, SNL diehards! In this special episode of The SNL Hall of Fame, host jD is joined by Matt Ardill and Joe Gannon as they celebrate the legacy of Dick Ebersol, this year's recipient of the prestigious Don Pardo Award. Ebersol's contributions to Saturday Night Live helped shape the show into the cultural powerhouse we know and love today. Tune in as we dive into his incredible impact and share why he deserves this iconic recognition.

The Olympics features over 11,000 athletes competing in 32 sports, attracting an audience of more than 10 million.In this episode, Charlie Ebersol, co-founder of the Alliance of American Football and Infinite Athlete, explores how new innovations like AI and bespoke broadcasting technologies are shaping the future of sports.Charlie also reflects on the storytelling legacy of his father, Dick Ebersol, a legendary sports producer who transformed how we experience the Olympics. We discuss the importance of making sports more accessible and engaging through technology that enhances, rather than distracts from, the human stories at the heart of the games.Whether you're a tech enthusiast or a sports fan, this episode offers a unique look at the convergence of these two worlds.Resources: Find Charlie on Twitter: https://x.com/CharlieEbersolLearn more more about Infinite Athlete: https://infiniteathlete.ai/Stay Updated: Let us know what you think: https://ratethispodcast.com/a16zFind a16z on Twitter: https://twitter.com/a16zFind a16z on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/a16zSubscribe on your favorite podcast app: https://a16z.simplecast.com/Follow our host: https://twitter.com/stephsmithioPlease note that the content here is for informational purposes only; should NOT be taken as legal, business, tax, or investment advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security; and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any a16z fund. a16z and its affiliates may maintain investments in the companies discussed. For more details please see a16z.com/disclosures.

Original Air Date: February 2, 2006Oprah talks to Susan Saint James, Dick Ebersol, and their two sons Charlie and Willie, about the plane crash that Dick and Charlie survived but that claimed the lives of three people, including Susan and Dick's youngest son, Teddy. Want more podcasts from OWN? Visit https://bit.ly/OWNPods  You can also watch Oprah's Super Soul, The Oprah Winfrey Show and more of your favorite OWN shows on your TV! Visit https://bit.ly/find_OWN   

Charles Barkley was a legendary player in the NBA and hugely successful when he transitioned from playing to media. Today, he chatted with Nick and Chris about the newest change in his career: The loss of the NBA by TNT.Today, we'll find out what King Charles' plans are moving forward after TNT and look back on the years he spent covering the NBA for the network. In addition, Charles and the guys will look at the current playoff situation in "The Association," look at candidates for that Hawks #1 overall NBA Draft pick, his relationship with Michael Jordan, and MORE!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ferris Butler and his biographer D.B. Frick joined me to discuss his garage band version of SNL "Waste Meet News"; his love for Sid Caesar and Ernie Kovacs; Brooklyn in the 50's and 60's; his pilot for the Vintage Seltzer Hour with Michael O'Donoghue and Garrett Morris; going to NYU film school and being taught by Martin Scorsese and classmates with Billy Crystal; creating Waste Meat News; having Radames Pera on; the budget; New York Magazine says Waste Meat is being copied by SNL; getting hired by Jean Doumanian; how the crew was excited for new season. but the press was already hostile; not getting anything on the premiere; getting Leather Weather on the Malcolm McDowell show; writing the tag to Eddie Murphy's first appearance; writing Tort-U-Matic and her monologue for Jamie Lee Curtis; co-writing Reagan Co for the Robert Hays episode; Howard Stern has beef about his Leather Weather Girl vs. Ferris' sketch; writing the Kung Fu prostitution sketch and slipping a watersports joke by the censors; the difference between head writers Mason Williams and Stevens and Moore; writing one joke for Weekend Update; Brian Doyle-Murray; Bill hosts; he was recommended by Letty Aronson; more Bill Murray stories; is Ferris Butler, Ferris Bueller - Del Close wanted to do a movie about him, Quentin Tarantino believes it; writing "Prison Confession" sketch for Ray Sharkey episode; writing a sketch that got cut at dress; writing the "Big Brother" sketch for Deborah Harry episode; the re-evaluation of season 6; Name That Sin; musical guests; saving his sketches; not being surprised Dick Ebersol didn't as him back; not getting credit for writing for SNL; not being invited to any anniversary; Waste Meat News is in the Paley Center for Media

On this edition of GFA Live, Peter and Keithie talk about WWF Saturday Night's Main Event from July 18, 1989! (and some other stuff, of course!) Topics of discussion include: * The historic nature of this show * Hulk Hogan randomly interacts with a former NWA World champion * Hard to digest finishes in the Brain Busters-Demolition match * More crapping on Honky * The many puns that come directly from Dick Ebersol's dinner table

TVC 642.5: Ed welcomes Emmy nominated writer Shelley Herman. Shelley's memoir, My Peacock Tale : Secrets Of An NBC Page, is a funny, provocative, and often poignant look at her two-year career as a page at NBC Burbank in the mid 1970s, where she not only had VIP access every day to just about every major NBC personality at the time, but sometimes had to fight out unwanted sexual advances from predatory stars and executives. Topics this segment include the events that led Shelley to discover the page program at NBC; how she landed an interview with NBC executive Dick Ebersol; her experience as a contestant on The Dating Game; and her time working with Larry Hovis on The Liars Club. Want to advertise/sponsor our show? TV Confidential has partnered with AdvertiseCast to handle advertising/sponsorship requests for the podcast edition of our program. They're great to work with and will help you advertise on our show. Please email sales@advertisecast.com or click the link below to get started: https://www.advertisecast.com/TVConfidentialAradiotalkshowabout Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

If you're going through the first week of football withdrawals, you're exactly who Vince McMahon and Dick Ebersol were looking to please with the ill-fated XFL. Listen in to learn about this absolute car crash of athletes, executives, and blimps - yes, blimps.

On this episode of "A Page in History,” WWE, Madonna's Kiss, Chris Farley, and more!  Ladies and gentlemen, get ready for a scoop hotter than an NBC Page wearing their polyester pants in late summer! Our next guest may have shared a smooch with Madonna long before she made headlines at the MTV Video Music Awards! Then he'll talk about his memorable experience watching the royal purple one Prince rehearse before his live television appearance.  And most of you know that weathermen and women report in front of a green screen; our next guest spiced things up a notch when the "R" in Green screen took on a whole new meaning.  She may have driven off a cliff, but that's not before our guest could give her flowers, you'll hear the sweet story about his connection to Susan Sarandon.  He also had the experience of partying with the director of the world's most dangerous band, Paul Shaffer; plus, he did the same with America's larger-than-life comedian, Chris Farley! And contrary to most of America, he has some kind words for OJ Simpson, but not for Bob Costas! If you're a fan of NBC NFL football, you'll want to hear this story!  And speaking of sports, Dick Ebersol was the force behind the iconic sports programming on NBC, plus he was the man behind the idea for Saturday Night Live, with a man that powerful, you better watch out for his wrath! You'll hear some scathing stories!  And you'll hear how our next guest used to run his tours in a very unconventional way! And how he developed many lifelong friendships! He worked for WWE, Lorne Michael's Broadway Video, UEG, and ElevenO2.  We are excited to have this guest share his insights into his Page life and beyond; please enjoy this engaging conversation with Doug LeBow!

Larry David is now considered a great host, and recurring star on SNL (his impression of Bernie Sanders is legendary, and his character Kevin Roberts has become a cult favorite), but that wasn't always the case. In this episode, Nick looks back at the one season that the "Seinfeld" & "Curb Your Enthusiasm" creator spent on "Saturday Night Live," and it was the infamous Season 10, with producer Dick Ebersol at the helm (who did NOT like David, at all). You will hear the behind-the-scenes stories of what really happened at 30 Rock, and why none of David's sketches ever made it to air, and how Larry's work ethic just did not fit in with what happens during the creation week of any episode of SNL. Nick also talks about many unused Larry David sketches that were turned down by the show, and, in particular, three sketches that later became three classic episodes of "Seinfeld" (and you will hear scenes from those episodes). You will also hear about the time that David spent on the SNL rip-off "Fridays," and how those days (and his days as a stand-up) influenced his work on "Seinfeld" and beyond. Larry David & SNL. [EP36]

November 16-22, 1985 This week Ken welcomes former NBC Page, game show royalty, and writer of the new memoir "My Peacock Tale", the great Shelley Herman. Ken and Shelley discuss North Hollywood, Allee Willis, growing up in Calabasas, ideal childhoods, The Tonight Show, Johnny Carson's son, going to tapings of The Midnight Special, working at Sears, seeing Elvis in Vegas as a teenager, the unique role NBC Pages played, being mistaken as Erik Estrada's girlfriend, forced police uniform wearing, drunken celebrities, SNL, watching the East Coast feed, Gilda, the NY and LA TV production differences, The Not Ready for Prime Time Players, The Dating Game, chaperones, serial killers, Susan Elliot, stand up comedy, Off the Wall, replacing people in a syndicated package, reunions of shows nobody watched, sketch comedy, Mac and Jamie, voice over, The Colbys, movie stars on TV, meeting Charlton Heston, tall people, NBC tours, Vincent Price, Richard Pryor's variety show, putting attractive people up front, dealing with the sponsors, Ringo Star's ex wife, Saturdays on NBC, Golden Girls, Ed McMahon, 227, the greatest story ever about Jackee' Harry, being on The Love Boat, Dick Ebersol, taking Sid Caesar and Imogene Coca to the Emmys, Sally Rogers, Dick Van Dyke, meeting Hitchcock, Photoplay magazine, owning Shirley Temple's trousers, The Bad Seed, the evolution of women panelists on game shows, the structure of game shows, Dumbo, DUMBO!, Phoebe Cates, one of the top 5 greatest Kevin Kline stories, TV's Bloopers and Practical Jokes, Dick Clark's uniform, Eye Witness Video, We Are the World, Moonlighting, Heaven (High from) and Hell (town), Tello's Restaurant, Robert Blake, the mystery of Shadowchasers, Cheers, Regan's speech in the USSR, Made for TV movies, Bridge Across time starring David Hasselhoff and Stepfanie Kramer, taking a writing class from Rod Serling, and the secrets of Supermarket Sweep. 

In this installment of Part Two, which marks the celebratory continuation of our second season of "A Page in History," we delve further into our captivating dialogue with a wonderful Hollywood writer! From his early days as an NBC Page, selling tickets for the NBC Tour, he went on to superstardom to craft scripts for iconic shows like "3rd Rock from the Sun," "That '70s Show," and "King of the Hill.” He also wrote for shows on Nickelodeon, The Disney Channel, and Amazon Studios. His love of sports led him to work with the chairman of NBC Sports, Dick Ebersol! Who happens to love a great cigar! He also got a glimpse of a TV pilot of a little show called "Law & Order, yes, that legendary series; he wasn't sure it was going to work! And he was asked to escort a female actress from LA Law to a major event where he introduced her to Johnny Carson, James Garner, and the gracious at the time, Bill Cosby, who bestowed upon him a special nickname. This guest's life is better than a TV drama! And wait, there's more! Ever wondered how to get Letterman tickets? Well, our guest once gave advice to an alleged porn star on just that, leaving his co-pages blushing FOR him! But through it all, the most fulfilling part of his journey was the family of pages he shared his time with. The bond and camaraderie among these pages made his experience truly memorable and heartwarming. Please enjoy Part Two of this fun and exciting episode with someone I hold dear to my heart – the one and only Mr. Dave Schiff!

As we kick off our second season of "A Page in History," we have a special guest leading things off with a two-part episode!  From his early days as an NBC Page, selling tickets for the Tour, he went on to superstardom to craft scripts for iconic shows like "3rd Rock from the Sun," "That '70s Show," and "King of the Hill," this guest's talent knows no bounds. He also wrote for shows on Nickelodeon, The Disney Channel, and Amazon Studios. This guest holds a very special place in my heart because we shared the assignment for Saturday Night Live. But let's rewind a bit – before he rubbed elbows with Hollywood's finest, he had unforgettable encounters. Imagine chatting with Wayne, the legendary Wayne from Wayne's World, at the urinal! But after they both did their business, he was asked to rehearse lines with the man behind the character comedy genius Mike Myers! Our guest has also had encounters with comedy legends like Dana Carvey and the late great Chris Farley, and he confirms that Tom Hanks truly lives up to his reputation as the nicest man in Hollywood.  But hold on; things took a magical turn when Teller, the famously silent half of Penn & Teller, cast a spell on him – while he was naked! Teller, not this next guest! You must hear this story!  And once, things got scary as he was chased by what he thought could have been a stalker! And then another time, he was "stalked" by the beloved Al Roker on the New York City subway.  His love of sports led him to work with the chairman of NBC Sports, Dick Ebersol! Who happens to love a great cigar? He also got a glimpse of a TV pilot of a little new show called "Law & Order," yes, that legendary series, but he wasn't sure it would work.  And he was asked to escort a female actress from LA Law to a major event where he introduced her to Johnny Carson, James Garner, and the gracious at the time, Bill Cosby, who bestowed upon him a unique nickname. This guest's life is better than a TV drama! And wait, there's more! Ever wondered how to get Letterman tickets? Our guest once advised an alleged porn star on that, leaving his co-pages blushing FOR him! But through it all, the most fulfilling part of his journey was the family of pages he shared his time with. The bond and camaraderie among these pages made his experience truly memorable and heartwarming. Please enjoy Part One of this fun and exciting episode with someone I hold dear to my heart – the one and only Mr. Dave Schiff!

Dollars over lives? Greg Feith and John Goglia discuss Part 135 and “Part 134 ½” charter operations. They offer numerous aviation safety benefits of being (and using) a properly certificated charter company. It costs more but leads to safer operations. John and Greg cover the plane crash of Lear 25A in Teterboro, New Jersey to illustrate the value of proper charter operations.  They review key findings of the NTSB report, including the lack of planning for a short repositioning flight and lax enforcement of Part 135 rules. The first officer was only cleared to act as second in command of this flight, but the captain allowed the first officer to fly all but the last 15 seconds of the flight. At that point of the flight, the aircraft was in an unstable approach, and crew actions allowed the aircraft to stall and crash short of the runway. Hear how increased use of flight data recorders with quick access recorder capabilities can help Part 135 operators as well as safety investigators improve the aviation safety of charter flights. John and Greg argue the equipment can help avoid aviation disasters. Related documents available at the Flight Safety Detectives website: NTSB Accident Report 2017 Lear 25A crash in Teterboro, NJ NTSB Accident Report 2001 King Air OSU basketball team NTSB Accident Report 2004 Dick Ebersol fatal crash Public Docket Don't miss what's to come from the Flight Safety Detectives - subscribe to the Flight Safety Detectives YouTube channel, listen at your favorite podcast service and visit the Flight Safety Detectives website. Music: “Inspirational Sports” license ASLC-22B89B29-052322DDB8

It was a cold November night. The weather wasn't the greatest in Colorado. But Dick Ebersol's pilot felt they were good to take off. As head of NBC Sports at the time, Dick Ebersol was known as one of the most powerful men in the sporting world. But that night, he was just a dad who lost his son. The plane crashed on takeoff. Dick's older son literally pulled him from the wreckage. But his 14-year-old son Teddy didn't make it out. A few days later, Dick's wife and Teddy's mom, retired actress Susan St. James, were interviewed on NBC's "Today" show. She spoke with amazing poise. At one point, she talked about trying to help the surviving kids know how to handle some of the feelings that might come up - including what she referred to as "resentment." Out of her pain, she made a statement filled with so much insight I hope I'll never forget it. She said, "I've always told my kids, having resentment is like drinking poison and waiting for the other person to die." I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "How Bitterness Backfires." Poison. It's a strong word to describe bitterness and resentment in your heart. But experience proves, as the Bible clearly confirms, that poison is the right word. And it's a poison that affects the person who's hurt you only a little, if at all. But for you, it's a poison in your soul that eats at you from the inside out most of the time. One of the Bible's warnings about bitterness begins with this sobering possibility: "See to it that no one misses the grace of God." Wow! That's in Hebrews 12:15, and that's our word for today from the Word of God. If you're wounded and if you're hurt, that's no time to be missing the grace of God - not when you need it the most. So how do you miss God's grace? Well, read on. "See to it that no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many." God's grace and our bitterness apparently cannot coexist in the same heart. Either God's grace will push out your bitterness, or your bitterness will push out God's grace. In reality, you don't hold a grudge - a grudge holds you. It's like you can't stop thinking about the very person you wish you could forget. But a grudge shackles you to that person emotionally. The poison in your soul isn't hurting them, but it's killing you inside. It's a huge, heavy backpack you carry with you everywhere you go. And hard or bitter feelings toward someone don't just hurt you. That negativity spills out on other people - people who don't deserve it. A darkness emanates from your personality, and it poisons other close relationships - sometimes ruining friendships, marriages, children, churches. There's only one antidote for the poison - forgiving. Ephesians 4 says "get rid of all bitterness...be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other..." Now comes the zinger. "...just as in Christ God forgave you." The person who hurt you may not deserve to be forgiven, but then we didn't deserve God's forgiveness. To forgive them is not to pretend there was nothing wrong with what they did, but it's releasing them completely to God for Him to deal with them. With God's strength, base your treatment of them, not on how they treated you, but on how Jesus treated you! And, by the way, if you've never been to the cross of Jesus in your heart, to have the sins of your life erased from God's book, that's why He died. And this may be your best opportunity in your life to go from dirty inside to clean. And from the death penalty that sin carries to the eternal life that Jesus gives. You tell Him, "Jesus, I know I've sinned. You died for that sin. You love me and I am pinning all my hopes on you today." You want to know more about this? Go to our website. It's ANewStory.com. And then you've been the forgivee - and you can become the forgiver. Or you store poison in your soul that will cripple or destroy. It's time for the antidote. It's time to be free. It's time to forgive.

Get ready to dive headfirst into a heated debate about the nominees for the SNL Hall of Fame! Join jD and his esteemed panel - Jon Schneider, Andy Hoglund, and Andrew Clark - as we dissect the 15 new nominees and discuss who should make the cut. With a stacked lineup of talent to choose from, this episode is guaranteed to be a rollercoaster ride of opinions and insights.We kick things off by discussing the legendary John Belushi and Bill Murray, delving into their legacies and why they should undoubtedly be inducted into the Hall of Fame. We also tackle the question of whether the Lonely Island crew deserves a spot on the ballot, and explore the impact of other SNL greats like Buck Henry, Dana Carvey, and Christopher Walken. Strap in for a whirlwind of passionate opinions and spirited debates about the show's most iconic contributors.As we wrap up our discussion, we shift the focus to other nominees like Dana Carvey, Rosie Schuster, Jeff Richards, and Don Pardo, debating their merits and contributions to the show. We even consider the role of music in SNL's identity and touch on the possibility of an annual honorary award. Don't miss this exciting episode as we weigh in on who should be immortalized in the SNL Hall of Fame!Transcript0:00:08 - Speaker 1It's the SNL Hall of Fame podcast with your host, jamie Dube, chief librarian Thomas Senna, and featuring Matt Bardille And now curator of the hall, jamie Dube. 0:00:42 - Speaker 2Hey and welcome to the SNL Hall of Fame round table. It's JD here and I'm glad to be joining you once again on the SNL Hall of Fame, a podcast which is a weekly affair. Each episode, we take a deep dive into the career of a former cast member, host, musical guest or writer and add them to the ballot for your consideration. Once the nominees have been announced, we turn to you, the listener, to vote for the most deserving and help determine who will be enshrined for perpetuity in the hall. Well, this isn't a normal episode. This is a very special episode. We have put all the nominations up, There have been 15 new nominees added to the remaining ballot And today we're going to invite some people to share their ballots and go from there. So why don't we introduce who we've got to? my immediate right is John Schneider. How are you doing, John? 0:01:37 - Speaker 3I'm doing great, Jamie. Always great to be here. Feet are wiped and ready to go. 0:01:42 - Speaker 2Excellent, oh, i didn't say it The one time I don't say it. 0:01:46 - Speaker 3We don't just say you know like it's not like a foot fetish thing. Jamie always introduces and tells people to wipe their feet. So it's not John being, you know, having a fit thing. 0:01:56 - Speaker 4I think John just kind of a little revealing about himself. actually, That's my takeaway. 0:02:00 - Speaker 3I mean, they do call this the SNL Hall of Feet. Right, That's where we are. 0:02:04 - Speaker 4Yes, of course John's not on his show, so he's getting a little racy. 0:02:08 - Speaker 2We don't got the teens listening in. He's got the host belt off. 0:02:14 - Speaker 3Let's go. 0:02:16 - Speaker 2All right, Andrew. Hey, how's it going I? 0:02:19 - Speaker 5am super duper, feeling great. It's very sunny here in Toronto. 0:02:23 - Speaker 2Excellent. And Andy Hogland, how are you doing? 0:02:27 - Speaker 4Hey, I'm going. Good man, It's Hogland. Though I'm just going to be straight, It's pronounced Hogland. 0:02:31 - Speaker 2Did I just do it. I just asked you and then I did it. 0:02:34 - Speaker 4You just asked me, so that's why I'm calling it out. 0:02:35 - Speaker 2Oh that's great. No, you can totally do that, because No, I'm feeling good, man. 0:02:39 - Speaker 4I'm surrounded by a couple of Canadians, which is cool. I've never had that before. It's like having an orgy with Justin Trudeau. Let's do this. I'm just keeping it racy. John set the tone. 0:02:52 - Speaker 3Yeah, I thought we were just doing foot stuff. Andy, You took it to a whole other level. 0:02:57 - Speaker 2All right, let's dive into our program today. The first thing I want to do is to remind everybody who is currently in the SNL Hall of Fame We've had two wonderful seasons and we've inducted three separate classes. The inaugural class was, of course, lauren Michaels. In this class of season one, we inducted Dan Ackroyd, chris Farley, tina Fey as a writer, phil Hartman, steve Martin as a host, eddie Murphy and Gilda Radner All, if they weren't noted, were cast members. Then the class of season two we had Alec Baldwin as a host, will Ferrell as a cast member, bill Hader as a cast member, tom Hanks as a host, norm MacDonald as a cast member, seth Meyers as a writer, mike Meyers as a cast member and Kristen Wiig as a cast member. So pretty highfalutin company to be rubbing elbows with. But we've got a really excellent list of nominees and I just want to go through them for you before we kick off the show, because this is a stellar list right here. Amy Poehler, beyonce, Bill Murray, bach, henry, candice Bergen, christopher Walken, conan O'Brien, dana Carvey, dave Grohl, dick Ebersol, drew Barrymore, elliott Gould, elvis Costello, emma Stone, frank and Davis, herb Sargent, jack Handy, james Downey, jan Hooks, jane Curtin, john Belushi, john Goodman, john Malaney, justin Timberlake, lily Tomlin, maya Rudolph, melissa McCarthy, michael O'Donohue, miley Cyrus, molly Shannon, paul McCartney, paul Rudd, paul Simon, paul LaPell, prince, rihanna, robert Smigel, scarlett Johansson, the Lonely Island and Tom Pretty and the Heartbreakers Guys, this would be a great if this was the lineup for the 50th anniversary show. you would be like that's a pretty freaking good lineup. 0:05:06 - Speaker 4And how did John Belushi get out of his get out of hell? 0:05:11 - Speaker 2Oh boy, oh boy, it's on already. Well, no comment, let's jump right into it. Then We'll start to my right with John, and the way we'll do this is John will announce one of his nominees. I will tabulate it here. I've got a little sheet that I'm keeping keeping score with to make sure that everybody stays in their allotment of 15 votes up to 15 votes and to make sure that everybody elects at least one of each of the four main categories. There's been a lot of questions with Dick Abrasall being nominated and he does not fall into any of the four categories. Currently He is a producer and that's where he'll stay. So John is going to name his first ballereteer and then I'll go to Andy and Andrew to ask if they have them on their ballot and we'll go from there. That's how this show is going to work. Let's do it, john, with your first pick. Who have you got? All right, you're on the clock. 0:06:10 - Speaker 3This is a stacked lineup of people to choose from, but looking through there is one person that I looked at this list and said there is no question whatsoever that they should not be on everyone's ballot. This person has to get into the SNL Hall of Fame and it might be a little bit of a hot take, an unconventional pick, but it's Amy Poehler. And the reason why it's Amy Poehler is because she has the highest sketch per episode average among women in the history of the show. If you take out Charlie Rocket, she's actually top four among everybody in the history of the show. Before she was on the show, the show was on for 28 years or 27 seasons. There had never been a woman who led a season in sketch appearances until Amy Poehler did that. To me she is fantastic. Did weekend update, had amazing characters, impressions, blended a couple of eras. To me she is a surefire Hall of Famer. Slam Dunk. 0:07:10 - Speaker 2Wow, you heard it here first. Folks Slam Dunk, Andy, what do you think? 0:07:16 - Speaker 4Respectfully, amy is not on my ballot. Actually I totally understand John's rationale. I will say just as a bit of context you know, when Ryan Tibbs, when he circulates all the Hall of Fame ballots for baseball every year, i'm always fascinated by the rationale that individual voters give or don't give. I just think it's really fascinating color. So just for the listeners to adjust their radio dials to my frequency a little bit. I followed two rules when I came up with my ballot. The first is Justice Potter Stewart's famous phrase where he described his threshold for obscenity in his 1964 landmark Supreme Court decision, jacob vs Ohio, and I know it when I see it, which is to mean I instinctively have a very pure bar for who belongs or does not belong in the Hall of Fame, like Ted Knight and Caddyshack. But the second is also like baseball sportswriters, i'm leaning a little bit towards the historic picks, you know, and I'm a little disinclined to give it to some of the newer cast members. So Amy unfortunately sort of fell into that category a little bit where I just my mind went to more towards people in the 70s or 80s And Amy I kind of associate with some of the newer eras, even though it has been 20 years So she's not on my ballot And honestly she kind of mugs it a little bit for me So I don't like the mugging and I was just disinclined with everyone else who was available. 0:08:51 - Speaker 2Wow, shots fired. Yeah, Andrew, Mr Clark, I can do that too. 0:08:58 - Speaker 5Yes, i did have Amy on my ballot because I think that she was important for the show, for the success of that show and making it sort of, you know, rejuvenate itself when it did. And also I kind of see Amy Poehler and Tina Fey as being very important as influences in comedians who are now in their early 20s, who are inspired by those two. So I kind of number one her contributions, the characters that she brought, the writing that she brought, all of those strengths And then also, i think, her importance almost as something that people aspire to become. So now we have all these wonderful young comedians, female and female identifying comedians, who are doing a lot of work. So I kind of give her her props. But I could see and I agree 100% with Andy that you know we're going to get as we go down the list. There are some people who are very, very significant in the history of the show In the 70s. It may be people who just started watching in the last five to 10 years who recognized who. We're going to disappoint each other today, i guess, is what I'm trying to say, but I got to tell you I think Amy belongs in the whole thing. 0:10:11 - Speaker 4Can I challenge John on air right now? You can do whatever you want. John, if I'm not mistaken, I believe you and I are aligned that several of Amy's years are among the shows worse, is that not accurate? 0:10:28 - Speaker 3Yes, there are a couple in there that are rough. 0:10:33 - Speaker 4So, john, i just want to throw that out, not to call out, but being the best of the worst, that is a crazy argument, stop this. 0:10:42 - Speaker 3I'm sorry this is a crazy argument, because if you're going to say that, then we're saying anyone who participated in those two years. The fact is that Amy Poehler was not a cast member for those two years. She was a cast member for much longer, like I said, for six years in a row, from 2002 to 2008,. every single season she led the cast in sketch appearances. To me, she dominated those years on the show which, by the way, weren't just those two bad years. they led into a golden era of the show, probably for the first time in a generation. So I respect and I will have people on my ballot who were on the show in the 70s and the 80s, but we're not doing the Hall of Fame of the 70s, we're doing the Hall of Fame of Saturday Night Live and, let's be real, amy Poehler has been a major part of the second half of the existence of the show. 0:11:27 - Speaker 4Yeah, no argument, just wanted to get that on the record briefly, just for full context, that John does think Amy's era is among the worst. 0:11:37 - Speaker 3I did not know. That is not what I think, but I'll fight you on that another time. 0:11:44 - Speaker 2Yeah, let's move forward here and, Andrew, we're going to continue with you. 0:11:48 - Speaker 5Okay, well, my pick is somebody who, without whom I don't think there would be have been any history of Saturday Night Live. It's someone who, when he sadly passed away, my friends and I held a toga party for which I was roundly punished by my parents. We were at the ripe old age of 16. I'm talking about John Belushi. So I believe that John Belushi absolutely has to be in the Hall of Fame because he and that cast, and him and Dan Acroy particularly, were really what made the whole thing explode. Chevy Chase was a huge part of it, but I think they were the engine that really ran the show And he was the first true, true breakout star. He had a much brighter trajectory, if you ask me, than Chevy Chase. I'm going to. I got to say John Belushi's hands down, in my opinion, has to be in. 0:12:39 - Speaker 2Great pick. 0:12:40 - Speaker 4Thank you, andy, totally agree, yeah, i mean. any words to use to describe John Belushi's legacy on SNL or in comedy have already been uttered before, so I don't have too much to contribute beyond that. continental divide is an underrated romantic comedy. 0:13:00 - Speaker 2All right, mr Schneider, he is definitely on the list. 0:13:04 - Speaker 3I'm of the belief that every original cast member should be in the Hall of Fame just by default for what it's worth. But you know there would be. You know Saturday Live was was good and Chevy obviously brought a lot, but there was nothing like the energy that John Belushi brought to the show, like he made it a, like he made it must watch television because he never knew what he was going to do on a given night, starting all the way from the beginning with the Joe Cocker stuff, moving to the Blues Brothers stuff, like everything. He was a force. So you know, like Andy said, there's been so much written about him. If you know SNL, you know John Belushi, even if he's been gone for so many years, and that's a testament to the legacy of him. So I think it's a no brainer to put him in. 0:13:40 - Speaker 2Yeah, so that's our first, our first, well, in honor of the new Zelda game, our first try for us. So, andy, who have you got up? 0:13:51 - Speaker 4I have Bill Murray, who is arguably the the most accomplished and talented cast member to come out of the show. You know, i think you know. All all things being equal, he does have a bit of asterisk on on his legacy, courtesy of Kiki Palmer, but nevertheless his accomplishments since living leaving 8h are Unrivaled. Give or take a ghostbuster, you know, oscar nomination or Wes Anderson collaboration. But look like, even those merits aside, you know Murray is a pivotal figure in the show's history, the first replacement cast member. There's been what like a hundred and seventy cast members in the show's history. Eight or nine, like John just mentioned, are that original 1975, you know, upstart, not ready for prime-time players. You know Murray sets the mold for joining a cast in midstream, which is a path that almost everyone else in the show's history has has had to emulate in one way or another. And Look, i'll be honest, i'm not in high school anymore. The, that combination of smarm and self-aware irony that made him a legend to Letterman fans and and the geeks and freaks and geeks. It doesn't quite do it for me as it as it once did, but still honker, the nerds, nick, the lounge slinger, his, his awards commentary on update. These are essential early SNL characters. The show simply post-chevy, doesn't exist without them. So that's my argument and stick into it. 0:15:17 - Speaker 2John, how do you feel about Bill Murray? 0:15:19 - Speaker 3Yeah, i totally agree. He's definitely a shoe in for me for the Hall of Fame. His analytics are off the charts. He's also a top five sketchbook episode. Um, get her in the in the history of the show. Just, he was producing every single night once he finally found his groove, i guess towards the end of season two, and he, you know, you don't think of him as when you look back at season three, four, five, lot of people don't think of him as the star. But he really really was. He was so good and did so much. And I Totally agree with Andy. I think that the show is in a dark, dark place if he doesn't jump onto it when he did so. For me I mean, think about that, right, we talk. You know, we may end up talking about Jim Downey at some point tonight. I mean the fact that that Bill Murray and Jim Downey joined the show to add some life into it. When the show is losing Chevy, i mean it just incredible stuff. So for me Can't, can't have a Hall of Fame without Bill Murray. 0:16:08 - Speaker 5Well, we're breaking all the rules of podcasting and radio by agreeing with one another. But yeah, i Bill Murray absolutely. Some people get changed by being on Saturday Night Live. Bill Murray changed Saturday Night Live. He didn't alter himself. I don't believe at all. When he went on that show He had deep us. You know second city chops. The reports about him when he was in Toronto are legendary How he would deal with hecklers, we'll just leave it at that. He didn't take crap from anybody and he's had an absolutely stunning career, dramatically and comedically right. And I work with Robin Duke, who's just retired at Humber, and you know some of the stories she talked about. Bill Murray sort of Helping her when she was on Groundhog Day and Explaining how the cameras worked and how you had to sort of act in order so the editing could happen Shows you that it's not only kind of a creative genius, it's a real technical skill and an understanding of how movies and stuff work. So I think that all goes together for Bill Murray. I agree He's absolutely should be in there. Great. 0:17:15 - Speaker 2Wow, another try, force, boom. Where are we at then? We're back to John, right, yeah? Okay, john, create some controversy. I. 0:17:25 - Speaker 3Mean, i think, controversy was already created, when I suppose so yeah, well, even even going into last season, when the biggest travesty to be left out of getting into the hall of fame to me was Jan Hooks because that was that was insane to me. I mean you're talking about you know, andy was talking about what he sees when he looks for in a cast member. The eye test is definitely there when I was going away. Yeah, i mean this is, this is insanity. I mean she comes in season 12, just is Incredible, like, just can do everything that you possibly would have wanted on the show, and Just the heart and soul of that second generation, the second golden era of the show, and obviously we lost her and 2014 and it was just, you know, her, you know thinking about the stuff She produced with Phil Hartman, and stuff is so heartwarming, so many great sketches, so many amazing impressions to me, you know, i always, you know, hear from people who were Just obsessed with Jan hooks, absolutely fell in love with her on the show, and it wasn't even just that. She was, you know, so beautiful in the way that she performed. She was just so naturally talented and gifted to be on the show and it was so important For the generation that was to come. You hear Tina Fey and Amy Poehler and my riddle talk about how Jan hooks was so important. Tina Fey put Jan hooks on 30 Rock at some point. You know, like that's the type of thing that you know, she. She left a legacy behind and to me she needs to be in all of him. 0:18:48 - Speaker 2Yeah, i agree. She finished last last vote with like what 40%, 39.8%. She's got a long hill ahead. I'm afraid it's not gonna happen in this bet. She's round for her either. But but I agree with you, it's shameful. She's she's an all-timer. She's an all-timer, you know She's in. She's in the female rush more right or the yeah, the female SNL cast rush more. 0:19:10 - Speaker 4Everything that John said about Amy Poehler is true about Jan hooks. I'm gonna do a hot take that minus the analytics. 0:19:18 - Speaker 2Well that's. 0:19:18 - Speaker 4That's Mike Murray. 0:19:22 - Speaker 2So you have, you have her, is it safe to say, then, in your Hall of Fame, andy. 0:19:27 - Speaker 4Absolutely, and it doesn't. I don't even know why, why we should justify it. It's just, it's so clear to me that she belongs there. Why? why even let's have like like 30 seconds of dead space and then just move on. 0:19:42 - Speaker 5Yeah, i mean, i think part of what Jan hook and people in that cast suffer from a little bit is that that skip between Internet and not internet. So a lot of the stuff comes later. And so the other cast members, the later cast members, their stuff is available online a lot more easily than Jan hook stuff Because when it's getting filmed it's not been signed off copyright for Dispersal on the web and everything, so it's you have to work harder to get some of it. So I think actually there's just people who haven't seen what she did with Phil Hartman as much. You kind of have to be a bit more of a of an aficionado. But yeah, there's absolutely no question that the stuff she did with just with Phil Hartman alone is so iconic for that show. I mean, it's hard to imagine her without and the range of characters and also doing a kind of She kind of epitomized, the kind of like I don't know how to put it not po, yeah, post feminist Anxed, being run through Reaganomics and then through the Clint near and everything that kind of. You know, there was always a real edge to her material, even if she was doing like a sweet domestic character. 0:20:48 - Speaker 2Oh, she was great. She was just great. I just recently watched the diner, the Alec Baldwin diner sketch, and just So, so funny. You know, she's just natural gosh. Okay, so far we've had hooks on all three ballots. Another try force That one actually makes a triangle in my little, in my little spreadsheet that I made. Wow, that's funny. So we're gonna come back to Andrew Clark and I'm gonna challenge you to do something other than a cast member. 0:21:19 - Speaker 5Okay, well for me then I would go with Christopher Walken as host. Great, even though I spoke about Elliot Gould as host this season. I and who and I would make an argument for him too. But it's hard to make the argument over Christopher Walken because of his relationship with the show. You can almost give it to him just for cowbell, because it's become. You know that when your sketch has its own range of t-shirts Not just a t-shirt but range you know you've entered the vernacular. I think Christopher Walken Was a sort of must-watch host. People will always be attentive. He again didn't let the show really change what he did. He sort of brought what he did into the show. The fact that he has so many iconic Recur like characters as a as a host, i think is a good argument for Christopher Walken to be, you know, in the Hall of Fame as a host. 0:22:11 - Speaker 2Great John or Andy to either of you have mr Walken in the Hall of Fame on your balance, Oh right. 0:22:18 - Speaker 4Yeah, i mean, look, he has his own best of right, he has recurring characters. I mean, you know I don't remember offhand Deferred a John on the number of times that he's literally hosted, but you know, it almost gets to the point where when you have that, that body of work, you know You're, you're not, you're not a cast member, but there's just so much there that your, your, you know your tombstone deserves a reference to. You know You're time with the show. So shout out to the, the continental. And yeah, i totally agree. 0:22:49 - Speaker 3Yeah, same here He was. I'll say he was a little bit more borderline for me. Nothing against Walken, he didn't make my ballot, but he was. He was close being cut because there's a lot of really good options this time, including among those. I don't think he I wouldn't put him in the upper pantheon of greatest hosts in the history of the show. I think he's probably I mean, unless you're gonna put all the five timers there But I think he's that like next grouping and he's probably near the top of that. So for me there was a few of those on the list and he just made it. 0:23:20 - Speaker 2Oh, wow, okay, you guys have agreed a lot, so we'll go to Andy and, andy, i'll challenge you to do the same thing, something that isn't in the cast member category. 0:23:31 - Speaker 4Yeah, yeah, no, not a challenge at all. It's the, the next name on my list. Matter of fact, it's, it's buck Henry. Bring him on as a host. You know, one of the, the early, important hosts who kind of validates the show right Cuz, because buck Henry belongs in a Different comedic generation. You know, get smart and all that you know. But he's he's, he's a steady presence during those, those for five years, lending, lending a lot of credibility. And then, if I recall correctly, is the host of the, the final show of that era To. You know, and and John mentioned Jan hooks on 30 Rock. I mean, as as as Jane Krasinski's mom, buck Henry, as as Liz lemons dad was, was always so funny to me. But I think his, his tenure on on SNL throughout those first five years Definitely warrants his inclusion onto the hall and and has one of the the darkest sketches in the, the show's history. And I love when, when the show kind of makes, makes a bold play like that and it makes Child molesting part of the fun. You know, cuz you don't see that enough People are so uptight when you agree, John. 0:24:42 - Speaker 3I mean can't, can't, not watch Uncle Roy. Yeah, i mean, i got to talk. I was blessed to get to talk about Buck Henry on one of the episodes of the SNL Hall thing, so I've made my case for him. I am as big of a fan as Buck Henry, as you know. Anyone could possibly be. I think he, like, is so good He people say Steve Martin could have been a cast member. Well, i think Buck Henry could have been a cast member. He fit in so seamlessly. We talked a lot about Buck being the one who would take the sketches that no one else wanted to take. That is such an important Rule as a host and I do believe for decades. When they, you know, bring on hosts, they use Buck Henry as a template for what they look for if a host will return or not. They judge them on the Buck Henry category, like did you do the buck stuff? and I think that he is just to me. We talked I mentioned, you know, the upper pantheon of hosts. I think he's in that, that top room of greatest hosts in the history of the show. 0:25:39 - Speaker 5Andrew, yeah, you're probably gonna regret me on the show because I'm just gonna keep going. Oh yeah, that guy was great. But with Buck Henry I think the other thing that he did for the show was he lent a certain gravitas to the show because you remember, he's someone who Work, you know, adapted cash 22, he did the owl in the pussycat, he worked as a co-writer on the graduate, so he's kind of like Hollywood Hip and so being on Saturday Night Live really I think gave that element to to the show and, of course, to him as well. And then he did. He did so fantastically and he's always so game. So I agree with John's point. Like, if you know, when you talk, when you hear people interviewed who was a great host, they always seem to say cast members It doesn't matter what cast say that the host was game, they were willing to try, they're willing to do something. And you got that in spades with Buck Henry. He was obviously happy to be there and, yeah, some seminal characters and and a lot of his work later. I still love his work in the player you know it's the graduate, but with the stroke I mean he had those improvisational chops that he brought to the show or heaven can wait. 0:26:45 - Speaker 4He's great in that. 0:26:46 - Speaker 2There you go another try for Stryforce. Holy John, will you throw a Curveball here and strike us out? I'm gonna challenge you again to Pick from another category. 0:27:00 - Speaker 3Sure, I would love to other than cast members. I mean I'm gonna try and do something that I've been trying to do since this podcast started, which is get the lonely island Into the Hall of Fame. I mean, what, what is going on with people? I mean, do they not realize that they changed Saturday Night Live for the better? like, the show you're watching now is Influenced by the Lonely Island more than most of the names on this list. Like, let's just be real. So You know, and and outside of SNL was often, you know, influenced by the Lonely Island, including a lot of things you see on social media now. So, but you know, for just talking about what happened on the show, i mean, these guys came in, they wrote Brilliant pre-tape sketches. They went viral. People who were not watching Saturday Night Live came back to the show because of the things that the Lonely Island was producing. They were largely responsible for creating cast members becoming huge stars And as hosts as well. I mean they would bring in, you know, hosts into these Music videos or sketches that they were doing and then people would learn and get to know these hosts and they would become bigger Stars outside of the show. And then, you know, every now and then, they throw in this random Music video with an artist that would just come in. It's like, oh my god, t-pain this year now, like just the craziness that they would get into. I mean, for there's a lot of hyperbole when it comes to the Lonely Island, but I think it's well deserved, because they are some of the greatest writers in the history of the show. 0:28:19 - Speaker 2Absolutely 100%. The most baffling thing so far that has occurred in in the Hall of Fame is the voting for the Lonely Island 52% to start and last year went up to 62.6%, just a smidge under the requisite 66.6, but I just can't figure it out. The. I've made a correction on the ballot this year and I've included any of the group for David Frank and the Davis, for example. I have a parenthetical Al Franken, tom Davis, i have for Lonely Island. I haven't broken down by their members too, so people can see maybe Andy Sandberg and Have a better understanding. We'll see, we'll see. Does anybody else have the Lonely Island on their ballot? 0:29:07 - Speaker 5I didn't, and I think that says more about me than it does. The Lonely Island, to be quite honest, because I think John made a very strong case and I think they're heard a little bit by being a group to be honest, and not just a person. And then when I think about McGroober, which is my favorite film of all time, and that it comes out of the Lonely Island with Jorma Directing it, that I'm almost to just make the Lonely Island put them back onto my ballot just based on that, that McGroober comes out of it, yeah, i would just say they weren't on mine. I think that has more to say about me than it does to say about the Lonely Island, quite honestly, because I Don't think at the time when I was watching it that I understood how important those videos were for bringing new viewers to the show via Online, not through traditional broadcast. And then, of course, later on, i don't want to go on and on, but, like you know, never stop, never stop, stopping. It comes out of it. Yeah, what was like one of my daughter had like on a loop. So I again I think I'm gonna plead the old man card slightly here and so I will yield, if need be to put them on. I'm gonna push over, i'm afraid, but but they weren't on, but that doesn't mean they don't deserve to be. Do you have to be far too agreeable? I'm sorry, i apologize. 0:30:21 - Speaker 2I will start to be mean. Do you have space on your ballot? Did you use all 15 votes? I'd have to get rid of somebody. 0:30:30 - Speaker 5Let's see, it would have to be. It would have to be a writer, wouldn't it? Well see, i have Jackhand. Well, i shouldn't give it away, so I would have to give away somebody. Can I wait and see? 0:30:42 - Speaker 3Yes, We're gonna convince you Yeah. 0:30:44 - Speaker 5Yes, i'll put them on ice for Andy. 0:30:47 - Speaker 2Where are you at? Do you have a lonely island on yours? 0:30:49 - Speaker 4I'm embarrassed to say that they're not on mine. I I totally, totally agree with everything that John said. You know, we were definitely still in the shadow of the Lonely Island. You know, 15 years later. You know, please don't destroy P Davidson and Chris Redd, like these guys are making just really pale imitations of what Lonely Island did. And you can't write the the history of YouTube without Lonely Island, right? like you really can't. I'm embarrassed, but my philosophy going into this was it's they'll have time to to make it into the Hall of Fame. You know Buck Henry won't. You know Buck Henry's dead. He's not coming back. 0:31:27 - Speaker 3The list is not on the show anymore, andy. I just want you to know that they're not producing new content. They're both Buck Henry and the Lonely Islands. Their careers at SNL are done. Come back and host like there's, but this is not an. Andy Samberg hosting thing. This is the Lonely Island writers on the show as writers on the show See okay, Well, all right. 0:31:46 - Speaker 2Well, let's get cute about this, You know okay so you're gonna be nominated at some point, i'm sure. 0:31:51 - Speaker 4Hold on, let's, let's, let's just double check for a second. So it says Lonely Island as a writer. So that means it's not really the videos, right, it's about they wrote all the videos? Well, yes, but when you watch those videos you're like the writing is really what makes it here. You know, or is it Andy Samberg's performance, or is it T-Pain singing? So if we want to get cute for a second, maybe it's not that at all. 0:32:16 - Speaker 3It's. It's the writing. What this is insane. 0:32:18 - Speaker 2This is what you're. If you're a sketch troupe, you you know you're you're likely going to be Attributed writer status to everything you do, whether it's you know Performance or or not you know. 0:32:34 - Speaker 4I guess my point is maybe Right. It would be a Hall of Famer as a cast member. Maybe Lonely Island, maybe it's not their time yet, i don't know. There's there's a lot of, there's a lot of competitive people here and You know, if I want to justify myself Which I do, it's it's maybe the categories not right. Maybe they shouldn't be here as a writer right now. 0:32:56 - Speaker 2Interesting. 0:32:57 - Speaker 3Well, this is the most insane thing I've ever heard. I love Andy, i this is insane. Okay, nobody is walking around being like oh yeah, i love it. When Rihanna was like that, like oh yeah, that was that, you know. Like it was the Lonely Island It wasn't the people appearing in the sketches with them Like that was great, that was a cherry on top, but this is an insane take. Well, i'm not sure what that meant, but, okay, sorry you, you drove me nuts, that's what. I don't know who Rihanna is. First of all, sorry, canadians. 0:33:31 - Speaker 4Look, look, i mean, this is an important argument to have. I just wonder. I mean the McGroober thing that almost if you guys want to call me out on my BS here, you should say they wrote McGroober, they should be in, you know they wrote McGroober They should be in. 0:33:49 - Speaker 3There you go. 0:33:51 - Speaker 5I'm easily pushed around. I just want to establish that. I hope I've established that for anybody watching, listening at the moment. Yeah, i'm gonna come up tough soon, believe me. 0:34:00 - Speaker 4It was Samberg as a cast member, i'd be like, hmm, but I don't know. Does the whole group deserve to be in? yes, maybe maybe not a couple of cobley Maybe, so I think so. 0:34:11 - Speaker 3Sorry, jamie, i know, i know we don't like to do 20 minutes on the Lone Island, but I just have to ask just one more question. Yeah, just just just as sink Lee explained to me your thesis statement for why the Lonely Island should not be in the Hall of Fame right now. 0:34:24 - Speaker 4Absolutely So. As I said at the start of this podcast you know, if, john, you want to rewind a couple minutes I said that my approach is similar to the sports writers who, philosophically, have blinders on and say I'm not, not anyone from the stair from the steroids era. You know, there's sports writers who say Clemens bonds, they just don't deserve to be in. Or they say, oh well, maybe this person will get in on a later ballot, but right now, historically, i want to get Michael O'Donoghue in, or I want to get Harold Baines in, or whatever you know. So it's just that my argument is more philosophic than it is a Representation of their legacy on the show, because what you said actually was very eloquent and well put. But this is a competitive Conversation and there's a lot of other people who I think aren't in the Hall of Fame yet, you know, including Bill Murray, including, you know, for God's sakes, dana Carvey. They pick up the slots. The slots get eaten up, i'm sorry, by people who've been waiting for years, john, years. 0:35:29 - Speaker 2They've got the call now, though. 0:35:31 - Speaker 4Exactly. Think of Dana Carvey at home right now. You know with his sons What, how he's gonna feel when Jamie calls him and let him know. Do you want to deny? 0:35:39 - Speaker 2him that, no that he can win one of these. 0:35:42 - Speaker 3Oh wow. Let me just say to all the listeners as we wrap up this conversation Andy Hogan is unequivocally wrong about this. Please think about the history of the show and how influential these guys are. 0:35:55 - Speaker 4Think about how Roger Clemens and Barry Bonds aren't in the baseball Hall of Fame. That's where I'm coming from. 0:36:01 - Speaker 2Listen, they potentially cheated. They did cheat, but who? 0:36:07 - Speaker 4cares. So did Willie may. Willie mays cheated who cares? 0:36:10 - Speaker 2Yeah, I remember all right, all right. 0:36:12 - Speaker 3We were covering the show and then we found out that Yorma was doing steroids. Like how crazy was that. 0:36:16 - Speaker 2That's right. That's right. 0:36:18 - Speaker 4I'm sure they were cocaine is the steroids of Studio 8. age Balushi out Yeah right, all right, andrew. 0:36:26 - Speaker 2Who have you got next? 0:36:28 - Speaker 5I'm gonna make things a little controversial and I'm gonna pick Prince as the musical guest. Oh okay, i believe he was on four times. Every time is a home run. It's Prince, he's the greatest, like he should just get in on virtue of having been Prince. I'm a little bit of a fan, but I also think that Prince always brought a little bit of a sense of humor about himself, even when he was being the most Prince like, so to speak. And I also speak as someone who saw Prince live and He wasn't an absolutely Unquestionably probably one of the greatest performers I've ever seen. So I'm gonna say Prince as As musical guests. I want to put it out there Everybody, vote for Prince. 0:37:17 - Speaker 2Does anybody else have Prince on their ballot? 0:37:20 - Speaker 3I don't, i mean I love Prince, prince, i would die for you, but I just. But, yeah, i mean the musical guest category for me is as limited as possibly be because there are so many Like stacked people in the other categories. Yeah, so for me I had to pick one, maybe two, one that I think is at the top of that list, and fortunately there are other people that did have more influence on SNL than Prince did. 0:37:46 - Speaker 2I should think Prince has a career that the trajectory is similar to SNL. It's a few years off. But that first performance in 79 I think it is is like really, really good and He's sort of unknown. You know he's just this, you know Performer, one of those cool ones that you get to see on SNL and turns out they turn into you know A really big deal. And then the right parenthetical on the on the end of his career is just the legend of him playing the. It was the 40th right. 0:38:20 - Speaker 5That's right. 0:38:21 - Speaker 2The after party you know, so really interesting. Cool, andy, who have you got up next? 0:38:27 - Speaker 4My next person is Actually we talked about this briefly Dana Carvey. How is Dana Carvey not in this hall of fame yet? Is this really his first ballot? 0:38:36 - Speaker 2This is his first ballot. Yeah Well, because we produced the show where we You know having a lot of him every year. Right, it's staggered. It's just staggered across the board because I Didn't do, i didn't think of this idea in 1980. If I did, you know that would have been well, that's not here, nor that I mean to me. 0:38:54 - Speaker 4Dana Carvey, you could argue, is the best pure cast member in the show's history. So the fact that he's just now on the first ballot and isn't yet in the Hall of Fame, it raises a lot of Troubling questions. 0:39:08 - Speaker 2Do you think he will get a higher voting percentage Than the current holder, which is Will Ferrell? 0:39:17 - Speaker 4Probably not just because Will Ferrell came of age as a cast member with, with people who you know, maybe Participating this a little bit more. I mean, that's the only argument that I could really understand is that Carvey's, you know, made his debut 37 years ago, you know. so maybe people don't quite appreciate, but when I started watching SNL in the 90s I mean Garth Hansen, franz, Oh my god, absolutely, that's. 0:39:42 - Speaker 2That's why I started watching in 86. It's 91.8% is what will Ferrell got last year. 0:39:48 - Speaker 3Here's. The major difference, though, is that will Ferrell dominated his era, whereas Dana Carvey didn't. He's definitely on my ballot and I agree with the notion that he's one of the best Cast members of all time, but he is among a group of elite cast members, including Phil and Jen, and he slides into that generational group really well. But, yeah, the reason that I loved how Andy said best is because best is typically defined as having like the skill set to succeed on the show. Right, it's like are you a naturally born sketch performer that it was just built in a lab to do Saturday night live? Yeah, and a Carvey is that. 0:40:23 - Speaker 4So there's impressions. Yeah, i mean to John's point and this kind of goes back to our initial Conversation about Amy Poehler. You know, will Ferrell is on at a time that I wouldn't consider a golden age, you know. So he dominated. Yeah, dana Carvey is probably the best, or among the best, cast members of, obviously, a golden age, a second golden age Like murderers row, though it's like. 0:40:52 - Speaker 2You know how do you pick between Gary and and babe, right, you know what I mean. 0:40:56 - Speaker 4Yeah, i mean, they're both first balladers. 0:40:58 - Speaker 5Yeah, Yeah and he also. He's also working with Mike Myers, that's right. This is who's also and he's sort of garth to Mike. I mean that I would agree that he's definitely should be in, because if you try to order an SNL cast member over the phone and Then Amazon shipped it to your house, it would be Dana Carvey, right, right. He literally epitomizes all of the things that you would want and you know, i think he's, he's for me, he's, he's unquestionable. 0:41:26 - Speaker 2Cool, back to John. 0:41:28 - Speaker 3Yeah, so I'm gonna round out my cast category, if that's okay with you, jamie, with someone who I think was so important in the history of the show and that's Jane Curtin. She comes in to host weekend updates right after Chevy Chase and Jess absolutely crushes it, see. You know, shows everybody why. You know She was meant to do that job and it was. You know it was a man's world. Unfortunately, at the time a lot of people felt like it and like for her to break through that mold was so great. I mean, let alone not not not only the stuff on weekend update, but the fact that she would anchor sketches the way that she did and have like play that straight woman role so well, where she would be like you know, think about, like looks at books and sketches like that, where she would be side-by-side with Gilda Radner And Gilda would be doing a crazy character. Or her interactions with Emily Latella or Rosanna, rosanna Dana. She was like to me, the host of the 70s among the cast and She is one of my favorite cast members of all time, if I'm being completely honest. Just her ability to just show like the strength and poise that she did on that show when all this craziness was happening around her, so for me a she went as well great, nicely put Andrew. 0:42:38 - Speaker 5I got. You make some great points And I didn't have her. And again, it's no knock on her, but she wasn't there only because, although I think she was an integral part of that cast, if I had, if there was one person that maybe it's a terrible thing to say, honestly, it sounds like such an awful thing to say, but if she had not, if she, if she wasn't there, would it? would things be that much different? I don't know necessarily that they would, but you know, again, she's incredibly talented. Nobody we're discussing here is bad, let's put it that way. So if they're not getting it, it's not for any deficit on their part, and I think you're making some great points about her And I've heard those arguments made like, hey, jane Curtin was great. She's not getting her props by other people as well. So I don't think you're in a minority, john. So you know you make a good case, but she wasn't on mine. 0:43:33 - Speaker 3Can I? can I push back Andrew for a second? Because please? yeah, you discussed the like your argument is based in value, right? If you were to take Jane Curtin out, how does that change the 70s? So if you were to remove her from the cast? and then everything happens as is, so Chevy Chase leaves the show, who, to you, then replaces Chevy on update? and would that be better? Because I can't envision a scenario where that happens. 0:43:55 - Speaker 5Neither can I. I don't know how to answer that question. I think you make a good point. I guess it's more on the lines of I'm looking at my list and thinking who might? who would I bump for Jane Curtin? If it happens, i'd be happy. You know what I mean. If she gets in, i'll be super happy because I think she's absolutely brilliant. I guess you use the word host in a way. I think maybe she hasn't getting, hadn't got some of her credit because she was an anchor and maybe that's literally and figuratively, in an improv sense. She was an anchor at a lot of those scenes and the anchor doesn't always get all of the attention. You know, she's a little bit I hate to put like football analogy like the offensive lineman. They only get noticed if they make a mistake, if they do their job really well. It doesn't always get seen And I feel like in her cast maybe Jane Curtin was a little bit like that. There were other people getting all the press and she wasn't getting in the press for bad reasons, like bad behavior and those sorts of things. But I can't answer your question. I don't know who I would put in. 0:44:52 - Speaker 3I'm at somewhere right now. Jane Curtin is flashing her bra at the screen just hearing about getting some attention. 0:44:59 - Speaker 5Well, perhaps I hope so, John. she has Jane, I agree. I'm just getting dirty. 0:45:10 - Speaker 2All right, Andy, where are you with Jane Curtin? 0:45:13 - Speaker 4Well. So John detected I flinched a little bit when he brought her up and it's because, to be candid, about 10 minutes ago I realized, with the quirks of us picking one from each category, like Noah's Ark, i'd inadvertently left off a musical guest. So as we were talking, i had to remove Jane Curtin from my ballot. She was on there and I needed to add a musical guest. So, elvis Costello, today's your lucky day, but Jane Curtin unfortunately gets the stick, not the carrot. 0:45:46 - Speaker 2Wow, i'm pretty stunned. This is going to be an interesting vote this year. if you three are representative of the majority, i love to keep her on. 0:45:58 - Speaker 4But it's just the way this is set up. We have to include a musical guest Because, like I said, philosophically a part of me is like if Eminem's not on, i don't know if anyone deserves to be on. 0:46:10 - Speaker 2All right, andrew, your next pick. 0:46:13 - Speaker 5So then, I will be picking from the writer category because I picked a host, i picked a performer and I picked a musical guest, correct, right? And this is going to be very, very difficult for me because I spoke, i was happy enough to speak, about someone who I don't think I'm going to nominate Because does that make any sense? 0:46:33 - Speaker 2I mean, I think what you, the way it's put is, there's what? 45 nominees? 0:46:39 - Speaker 5Yeah, yeah. 0:46:40 - Speaker 2Something like that There's a lot of really talented people and you got to nominate one, but it doesn't mean that when you nominated them, maybe you were influenced by a couple of the other episodes. 0:46:49 - Speaker 5Well, no, i've got to. I got to go with James Downey as a first pilot. 0:46:54 - Speaker 2Yeah, I think so. 0:46:55 - Speaker 5I don't think there's. There's no show without him. He was the guy who also brought a certain impartiality to it And by that he always pushed back, whether it was left or right of center politically. He came to Humber and did a workshop for us and it was great to hear him talk about the work. And one thing I remember him saying was was student asked him about Norm MacDonald and the OJ Simpson jokes And why did they keep going? And I think he compared it almost to Thelma and Louise, like driving off the cliff, like they just couldn't stop. They didn't even dislike OJ or Embersol or any of those things, they just had to keep going. When you look at his influence, particularly on American elections, just some of his, yeah. So to me it's, it's Jim Downey for sure for the writer category, even though I would love to mention Jack Handy, who I'm a huge fan of. But I'm going to go James Downey for my pick today. 0:47:48 - Speaker 2Okay, well, you can have more than one writer. You can, you know you can do whatever you wish, but but I will say James Downey. I'm really interested to hear what Andy and John have to say to. Either of you have James Downey on your ballot, absolutely. You both do So, andy, tell us, tell us why he's on your ballot. 0:48:06 - Speaker 4Yeah, i mean, andrew, hit the nail on the head. You know Jim Downey was on the show. For what? Over 30 years. You know he's he's one of the most important writers in the show's history. He's one of the most important, you know, political, satirical minds or whatever However you want to put it. I love that. He's, even technically a former cast member. You know he just checks so many of the boxes and probably behind the scenes contributed to so many of the cast members that we love too, like he's talked about. You know his, his role helping Chris Farley with, with some of his characters and moments on the show, and not for nothing. Also want to shout out his, his role in there will be blood. Love his little part as Al Rose as well too. So I'm a huge Downey fan and he 100% gets my endorsement. 0:49:00 - Speaker 3John greatest writer in the history of the show No doubt gets in. 0:49:04 - Speaker 5Great, okay. Do you think that there will be blood appearance? was it was influenced by his appearance in? was it Tommy boy? 0:49:12 - Speaker 4or Billy Madison, billy Madison. 0:49:15 - Speaker 5That wonderful speech you know, I wonder. 0:49:18 - Speaker 4PT Anderson is a huge SNL fan, right Like he was there in those early 2000 days when he was courting Maya Rudolph. So yeah, probably I mean he's cast his smigol too in a in a punch drunk love. 0:49:30 - Speaker 2So oh wow, I didn't realize that was smigol Andy. Who have you got next on your ballot? 0:49:38 - Speaker 4The next person on my ballot and I apologize, i'm going alphabetical is Dick Ebersol, actually, who I don't know if that's going to be contentious or not, but you know, a part of me is like you can't write the history of the show without you. literally, he helps create the show in 70 and then he, you know, is such an important, you know voice behind the scenes that that allowed the show to exist until you know, norman Michaels came, came out of his hibernation, you know so there's no Eddie Murphy without you know, dick Ebersol, and just an important person in the history of American broadcasting. 0:50:17 - Speaker 3So why is there no Eddie Murphy without Dick Ebersol? 0:50:21 - Speaker 4Because while Eddie is under Gene Dominion's tenure, technically you know, ebersol is the one that doesn't fire Eddie and then allows Eddie to become as big as he does during his time of the show. But I appreciate the the pushback there. 0:50:41 - Speaker 3I was just gonna say like if you got delivered like a really good steak and it's like sitting on your desk like you're not going to eat it, Right, right, But he doesn't he doesn't, can Eddie either. 0:50:49 - Speaker 4You know, And I just I don't know. I think that it's still, you know, nevertheless it still exists, But I kind of think of it. As you know, the Hall of the Baseball Hall of Fame you got to, you got to have some executives in there too, you know. Or Melvin Miller should be in the Baseball Hall of Fame as well, Absolutely, And Ebersol, I think, is that kind of figure. 0:51:13 - Speaker 2So, yeah, that's my take An architect. 0:51:15 - Speaker 4Yes. 0:51:16 - Speaker 2Yes, john or Andrew is Ebersol on either of your ballots. 0:51:22 - Speaker 3He's not on my ballot for what it's worth. I do think he should be in the Hall of Fame and I think he should get the Lorne Michaels Honorary Award that you gave to Lorne to put in there, because I think he's of the category of his own. But I didn't put him in because, as he is known as his first name, he's kind of a dick, so I sort of left him off. 0:51:42 - Speaker 4Oh, that's the bar. 0:51:43 - Speaker 3Yeah, that's the bar. 0:51:45 - Speaker 4Isn't John Belushi on your list? 0:51:47 - Speaker 3Yeah, look, it's really hard to Oh Murray. No, the real reason, to be honest, is just, I'm looking through this and he makes no sense to put him in any category with any of these other people. So for me it's like his contributions are so different than everybody else here. It's like comparing apples and oranges to me, So I couldn't put him on my list, but I also know he needs to be in there. 0:52:09 - Speaker 5All right, okay, yeah, i didn't have him. I didn't have him, and you know there's some good points, but I don't know. I'd almost say, well then, maybe Rosie Schuster, only because she played an important part of those first few seasons. 0:52:24 - Speaker 4When did she run SNL? 0:52:26 - Speaker 5She never ran it but she certainly played a huge role creatively. I know It was Mary Delorn And this very funny wrote for Larry Sandershow, but I would demure, but I do think he should be in, so I just don't know where you put him. So I think an honorary exec category, maybe we should start. 0:52:44 - Speaker 2The Miller category. That's a great idea. All right, there's a lot of behind the scenes. 0:52:48 - Speaker 5People are for sure. 0:52:50 - Speaker 2Yeah, well, i even think the announcer. I can't think of his name right now off the top of my head. Don Pardo, don Pardo. 0:52:57 - Speaker 4Jesus. 0:52:58 - Speaker 3Louise, right, like Don Pardo, should be in for sure I would recommend to the committee at the SNL Hall of Fame to consider a once a year award to just give someone an auto pass in. 0:53:09 - Speaker 4Yeah, dick Ubersol, don Pardo, jeff Richards, patrick Weathers, eminem, eminem. 0:53:14 - Speaker 5Yeah, james Spoons, but I mean Andy's making a good point, because it was Dick Ubersol, along with Barry Dillard and a few others, who approached Lord Michael's a bit. So he's sort of like is the opening of the door, so to speak. Yeah, i don't know how influential he was in giving Lord Michael's a long run. I think it was 17 episodes or something that they guaranteed. But yeah, it's hard to imagine. but I guess it's spoiled for choice a little bit here. 0:53:40 - Speaker 2John, who have you got next? 0:53:43 - Speaker 3So I'll put somebody in from the musical guest category who, to me, is going in just for being for really fitting into all categories, and that would be Paul Simon. He is not in the Five Timers Club, but he is an amazing host and musical guest in the history of the show, also very influential and, a lot of you know, creative, i'm sure, but he's becoming very good friends with Lord Michael's. But yeah, i mean, paul Simon hosts the most unique episode in the history of Saturday Night Live. The second episode of the show has some really, really great appearances. You basically retire. 0:54:18 - Speaker 2Paul Simon variety show. you mean Yeah, yeah, basically exactly. 0:54:23 - Speaker 3Basically retires on the show, most recently when Seth Meyers hosted the show. He pretty much retired from music after that. But you can see his entire career throughout the history of the show And you know I wouldn't necessarily if someone says, hey, like John, who's the greatest musical guest in the history of the show, paul Simon wouldn't be top of mind. But because Paul Simon is in the musical guest category and he also has those hosting appearances and additional cameo appearances, for me just his contribution to the history of the show would lead him to be my number one musical guest choice. 0:54:51 - Speaker 2Does he appear on any other ballots? 0:54:53 - Speaker 5No, not mine, Just Prince. 0:54:57 - Speaker 2Because he's Prince. You already know. 0:54:59 - Speaker 3No, no no, Why not Paul Simon? Like? what's the reason for not putting Paul Simon on the ballot? 0:55:05 - Speaker 5I guess I just like Prince better, but I can't make any rational argument against Paul Simon, so I'll just plead the. Instead of pleading the fifth, i'll plead the Prince, but I think that next to Paul McCartney, maybe Lord Michaels has a thing for Paul's, but I think as a musical influence. And I think when and I don't want to speak for obviously I'm not speaking for Lord Michaels, but when you I think he always saw the show as part of that whole experience for that generation which was so music being so important. Paul McCartney and Paul Simon, the two Pauls, are the sort of musical anchors of that show, so to speak, and of course, sir, i think, part of his identity as a baby boomer and a member of that waves. 0:55:51 - Speaker 2How about you, Andy. 0:55:53 - Speaker 4I did not have him on my ballot, as mentioned. I'm just sort of disinclined to have musical guests on here. It's just not where I went. The one that I have is Elvis Costello, like I mentioned, but John makes a excellent historic argument in favor of Mr Simon. 0:56:11 - Speaker 2Okay, Let's move forward, then, with Andrew's next pick. 0:56:16 - Speaker 5I've got somewhat of a I think we'll be controversial pick, which is Maya Rudolph. 0:56:23 - Speaker 2Oh okay, Why do you think it's controversial? 0:56:26 - Speaker 5Well, i guess when we start looking at everybody, i mean everybody's so impressive. So maybe I'm just getting starstruck. But for my money Maya Rudolph should be in the Hall of Fame because of her unbelievable character work and her range. Especially the musically Bronx beat was always one of my favorite Sketches that she did with Amy Poehler. So I see her as someone who belongs in the Hall of Fame. But I think if you're looking, you know, and I'll leave it to Andy and John but historically I think you can argue for other people. Like you know, john could say how can you have Maya Rudolph in if you're not going to have Jen? or like how does that make any sense whatsoever? So I'm going partly on my own instinct and intuition, which is not always rational, but I'm going to say Maya Rudolph, i have that I, and she was pretty quick for me to pick her, so I'm going to go for Maya Rudolph. 0:57:21 - Speaker 2How about you, gentlemen, is Maya Rudolph on either of your ballots? No, and is there any remorse here There? 0:57:29 - Speaker 3is I mean like some what? you've heard or Yeah, i mean, look, personal taste, she's definitely on my ballot. I love her on the show. She was, you know, the you know actually watching it growing up. Her leaving the show was one of the most impactful losses I felt while watching the show because I think that she's so important and such a great cast member. But just in terms of where we are at right now in the SNL Hall of Fame voting, there are a lot of cast members I would put above her And even in her own era I don't think she was ever the number one cast member And right now I'm voting in people who are really like dominated the field. 0:58:05 - Speaker 2Yeah, And I mean you've only got what? four votes left as well At this point. You know it becomes, they become more valuable, sort of right. Right, All right, Andy. 0:58:15 - Speaker 4Yeah, i mean, look, i like my Rudolph Again. I'm just a little disinclined to have someone who you know is part of this millennium. That's just again how I went about it. I'm a little bit more slanted to people from the 70s, 80s, 90s. Actually I have a lot of writers on my ballot, to be honest. But that said, one other historic host that did make it that we've talked about briefly is Elliot Gould, again kind of similar to Buck Henry, just someone who you know gets the show early on, kind of brings some cashier when the show needs it, helps, makes it hip, and I think generally people just forget about what a big star Elliot Gould was in the 70s. Long goodbye and whatnot You know. So he's next up. You know, i'm not sure if my comrades are with me on this one, but I think you think about the Mount Rushmore of guests outside, steve Martin and Buck Henry in the 70s. You got to go with Elliot. 0:59:19 - Speaker 3Gould, i think in the 70s, is what is key here. That's why I don't have him on my list right now. I do think he is definitely a Hall of Amor, but I just think that there's hosts that are above him, that transcended multiple eras, that I think are more impactful. 0:59:34 - Speaker 4I would say Well, let's not forget about his season six stint where he's in bed with Denny Dillon and Gail Matthias and whatnot. 0:59:42 - Speaker 3I'm not forgetting about that, but I think like you know him hosting. Thank you, my best. I didn't. I just think in a span of you know those, i guess like five years in one episode. It's still like all in the same generation for the most part. So for me it was a debate for me between Christopher Walken and Elliot Gould, who would take that last spot on my ballot, and I'm pretty sure that Elliot Gould would make my next year's ballot. But I have other hosts that I think are more important or personally ones that I think are more impactful. 1:00:11 - Speaker 5Yeah, i mean, i was between Christopher Walken and Elliot Gould for me and I actually was able to talk about Elliot Gould on the show And I think you know your points are great. The other thing, of course, was you saw his musical chops. Like he had a musical theater background. I think every one of his opening model was as a musical number And he was the first one where the female cast members pretended to have a crush on him. He was the one who came on the show and canceled Star Trek. So he's a lot of really great stuff. And I

Join us for a lively SNL Hall of Fame Roundtable discussion with our esteemed panel of SNL aficionados - Darrin Patterson, Jamie Burwood, Victoria Franso, and Deremy Dove. We dive into the credentials of our SNL Hall of Fame nominees, including the impact of musical guest Paul Simon and iconic cast members like Dana Carvey and Bill Murray. We also ponder the lasting effects of writers like Paula Pell on the show's legacy and debate the influence of guests like Christopher Walken, Conan O'Brien, and John Belushi.Our spirited conversation takes us through the contributions of John Goodman, Jim Downey, and Candice Bergen, considering their potential induction into the SNL Hall of Fame. We reminisce about Goodman's versatile performances and chemistry with fellow cast members, Downey's daring comedic choices, and Bergen's groundbreaking legacy as a host. Throughout the discussion, we examine each nominee's lasting impact on SNL and the comedy landscape.As the debate heats up, we touch on the credentials of beloved cast members like Molly Shannon and Bill Murray, and consider their iconic characters and performances. We also discuss the underappreciated talents of Anna Gasteyer and Cheri O'Teri, and explore Darren's outside-the-box pick for his ballot, Jan Hooks. So, prepare to laugh and reminisce with us as we celebrate the legends who shaped SNL and consider who deserves a coveted spot in the SNL Hall of Fame.Transcript0:00:08 - Speaker 1It's the SNL Hall of Fame podcast with your host, Jamie Dube, Chief Librarian Thomas Senna, and featuring Matt Bardille At now. Curator of the Hall, Jamie Dube. 0:00:41 - Speaker 2Yes, hello and welcome to the SNL Hall of Fame Roundtable. This is the show in which we invite SNL Hall of Fame voters, in this case all former guests on this podcast. We invite those voters former guests to share their ballot and their thought process behind their choices. So this is always an interesting exercise to get the psyche of some of our voters. So in previous roundtables as well, we've had panelists even cut deals with each other for votes. We've had panelists change each other's minds. So there's going to be some like, willing and dealing. There's going to be a lot of that going on, maybe tonight, maybe with our esteemed panelists that we have on this particular SNL Hall of Fame Roundtable. So why don't we get to it? Let's introduce our wonderful panel And I'm doing something a little different just off the top. I'm going to let the listeners know that I'm doing a little icebreaker question to just kind of briefly get to know each of our panelists. So the question is which current cast member not including Kenan Thompson, because he's the obvious choice? So which current cast member not including Kenan Thompson could you see in the SNL Hall of Fame one day? So that's going to be our little icebreaker once I introduce our wonderful guests. So let's get started. Darren Patterson. Cohost of the SNL Nerds podcast. Darren, thank you so much for returning. You were on our Tom Hanks and Dana Carvey episode. Tom Hanks and SNL Hall of Famer. We'll see about Dana Carvey. Thank you so much, darren, for joining me today. 0:02:19 - Speaker 4Thanks for having me, Tom. This is fantastic. 0:02:21 - Speaker 2Yeah, yeah, we're excited. So the question is aside from Kenan Thompson, which current SNL cast member could you see in the SNL Hall of Fame one day? 0:02:32 - Speaker 4I can only pick one, because I kind of. 0:02:34 - Speaker 2Well, I don't know. Let's see. Well, who's your main one? 0:02:38 - Speaker 4The main one from this cast, I probably would say Colin Geo's. Just because he's been on this show for so long, he's written so many, he's written a ton of called-opens and he's Him and Che have been the longest running SNL Weekend Update anchors, news anchors to date. That's why I was thinking, just and Che probably the duo I could definitely see making it into the Hall of Fame. I could also see Boan making it into the Hall of Fame in the future. I mean, you know, first Asian cast member and he's made so many memorable, you know, snl Weekend Update. 0:03:27 - Speaker 2Oh, the classic instant play, the Iceberg sketch alone. 0:03:30 - Speaker 4Just exactly, Yeah. And even before that, I still remember when he made his first appearance he wasn't a cast member. It was in the Sandra Oh episode where he had to keep playing. I forget who he played, but he loved and impressed a lot of people's minds. People were like who's that guy? That guy is hilarious. And then the next season he became the cast member, So I could see, I could see Joe's Che Boan. There you go, That's a little. I like that. 0:03:56 - Speaker 2I think Eggos is a good choice. I think Joe's and Che some day going in as a duo is interesting. It'd be like the Al Franken and Tom Davis, they kind of be on the ballot together. So yeah, wonderful choices. I can see all three of them some day. So next we have on our panel from TV show graphs. I say from TV show graphs, but I don't know if you are TV show graphs, if you just have taken on like that's your persona, like you are TV show graphs, or you're just from, or the creator of, tv show graphs. 0:04:28 - Speaker 5I'll take it either way. 0:04:30 - Speaker 2Just taking it either way. Yeah, so Jamie Burwood, who was a previous guest for the Molly Shannon episode in season one, also my guest for Will Ferrell, who is in the SNL Hall of Fame, and somebody who's on the ballot right now, christopher Walken. So, jamie, thank you so much for joining me and you got to answer this question. 0:04:48 - Speaker 5Yeah, the icebreaker Okay. So I feel like those were all really good answers. Bowen was my initial just like gut reaction. I feel like just in terms of like having that like it factor where I feel like he'll continue to have that like longevity and like association with the show. I would say my other like maybe future looking pick would be like JJ, just like thinking about where I could see things going in the next few years and just like how unique it is, i think, for someone to come in with such the positive reception that he had and I feel like there's just an element of what he's doing that feels like really timeless comedy that like people could continue to appreciate for many, many years. So I would throw him into the mix but agreed with the other, with the other options as well. 0:05:42 - Speaker 2Yeah, i could definitely see JJ master impressionist. I feel like we'll be talking about his impressions for years to come, like how we talk about Darrell Hammond, for instance. I think that's a really good choice. So, thank you so much. Jamie Next we have, who is the co host of the bigger than the game podcast, which is a really great sports and pop culture kind of podcast that I enjoy listening to, and he was my guest this season on the Dick Ebersol episode, which I found fascinating. He's going to be a really fascinating one here on the ballot. So, mr Jeremy Dove, thank you so much for joining me. Jeremy. 0:06:21 - Speaker 6Thomas, i'm so pumped to be on with everybody. I'm honored honestly to talk about SNL Hall of Fame and see if my ballot can measure up to everyone else's and I'm open minded. So if someone brings up a great point and maybe I'm like I got to add this person or cut someone off, so I'm excited. 0:06:39 - Speaker 2That's what we're doing here. We're willing and dealing. 0:06:41 - Speaker 6We're willing and dealing. 0:06:42 - Speaker 2Yeah, you can. You can exchange votes. You can talk somebody into or out of a vote. It's going to be yeah, you can do it this as you please. So, Jeremy, which current cast member not named Keenan Thompson Could you see in the SNL Hall of Fame someday? 0:06:55 - Speaker 6For me it was the slam dunk and you kind of made that point of the way. Like Franken and Davis are duo and they're always going to be remembered as that duo. But Colin Joest and Michael Che just what those two, the chemistry that they have, the way that they bring I always love it when someone makes weekend update appointment television And those two have really done that and they've really, you know, brought that to the zeitgeist where I know plenty of people who don't watch SNL but want to watch those two and see what they're going to do And I think also what they're doing, as you know, head writers and behind the scenes. I'm interested in, once they're done with the show, to kind of look at their legacy and see like they're going to be in that category where I don't know if we fully appreciate it all that they've, you know, put it to the show. So those are my two that I look at as slam dunk. Hall of famers. 0:07:49 - Speaker 2Yeah. So it sounds like when it's time for Michael Che and Joest to be up for consideration for the Hall of Fame, jamie do and I are going to have to have a conversation about should we put them in as a duo, right? Should we put them in together? So that, yeah, that's going to be interesting. You and Darren both brought up really great things for consideration. So, yeah, jeremy, thank you so much. And finally, we have someone who's an improv and sketch performer, currently based in Chicago, also a frequent guest on our good friends at the Saturday Night Network. She's a frequent guest on their network and also my recent guest on the Amy Poehler episode of the SNL Hall of Fame. So, victoria Fronto, thank you so much. Welcome to the SNL Hall of Fame round table. 0:08:36 - Speaker 3I am so excited to be here. This is my first, hopefully not my last, but this is a. It was very difficult to try to rank these people because you think everyone deserves not everyone, but deserve to be in the Hall of Fame. 0:08:52 - Speaker 2So, aside from Kenan Thompson, who we can all agrees the obvious choice among the current cast member, who from the current cast could you see in the SNL Hall of Fame someday? 0:09:03 - Speaker 3So I'll be really honest and say that this current cast is killer. They have some really awesome folks on here And I think, besides Kenan, the obvious would be as mentioned a few times here would be Colin Joseph and Michael Che, but I'm actually stuck between Chloe Feynman, heidi Gardner and Ego Newotem. I think yeah, i think Chloe Chloe's impressions and characters is are really one of a kind and really unique to her. And then, of course, heidi and Ego I think arguably too, could potentially be a duo as well, kind of like a teen and Amy situation. But yeah, those are the three I would say could be up in the Hall of Fame one day. 0:09:52 - Speaker 2Yeah, especially, i think I hope Ego and Heidi especially I think, they've turned in with a lot of. Chloe is still potential, but I think, with Heidi and Ego, i think they've already started to establish a body of work. Yeah, i hope they get their proper dues. So yeah, thank you so much for. 0:10:09 - Speaker 3I do want to give an honorable mention to James Austin Johnson Like I think Jamie just said too, because he did his first episode, was the first person we saw in a cold open. I don't think we've ever seen that. 0:10:23 - Speaker 5Or if we have. 0:10:24 - Speaker 2If we have, it's been a while, so that's in itself, i think, hall of Fame, where they Yeah, when he was a newbie he just came out and just did Joe Biden an impression of Joe Biden like immediately. 0:10:36 - Speaker 5Yeah. 0:10:36 - Speaker 2So, yeah, that has to be points once a long time from now, maybe, when James Austin Johnson is up for nomination, i'm sure that'll be mentioned. So thank you all of you panelists. And now I want to ask you guys. So we changed the voting process a little bit this time around. So now voters are required to vote for at least one person in each of the main categories. So we have as the categories cast member, host, musical guest and writer. So voters have to vote for at least one person in one of those categories, and then you have 11 votes to do as you please. You can just vote for four nominees and that's it. You can use all 15 votes that you have at your disposal. It's up to you. We've had a wide range over these last few voting cycles, so I'm going to start with you, victoria. How many votes Did you use on your ballot and why? 0:11:32 - Speaker 3I used all because I'm a sucker, i can't choose. 0:11:38 - Speaker 2You're just positive, putting pretty positivity out into the world. 0:11:41 - Speaker 3I mean it's, if you're on Saturday Night Live, you're on there for a reason, right? they don't just choose anybody. So I think it's hard to not use all of my votes. I had a hard time, so yeah. 0:11:55 - Speaker 2So Victoria, yeah, victoria, 15 votes that she's going to use on her ballot. Jeremy, how many votes are you using? 0:12:03 - Speaker 6I used all 15 as well. So I'm with Victoria. I went off 15 and for me it's just. I mean, this ballot is, i start to feel now for people who have to really vote for people in Hall of Fame, like you know, in Sports Hall of Fame, like I'm always getting on them, how could you leave this guy out or how you leave that person out. But it is hard and for me, being a lover of history and I love looking at things in a historical aspect, so there's like the heavy hitters who are like the automatic slam dunks on the ballot, but then there's other people who maybe they don't get the recognition from the public, but their historical value to the show and what the impact that they made. I take that into consideration big time. So I used all 15. 0:12:48 - Speaker 2So Jamie Burwood. how many votes did you use on your ballot? 0:12:53 - Speaker 5Yeah, so keeping it going, i used all 15 of my votes as well. For me, this was just a super stacked ballot, honestly, even more so than the last voting round. I really struggled to even narrow it down to the 15. And I think, for me, just realizing how many different ways people can contribute to the show as well like looking at the list of writers, looking at hosts it's just, it's so hard to compare apples to apples. So, yeah, i had no problem using all 15. 0:13:22 - Speaker 2Yeah, and I do have a feeling that most of our voters will use all 15 of their votes. I know I'm a voter as well. I think I'll probably use all 15 votes. It's just kind of a stacked class and there's a lot of tough decisions to be made, so I think you all are not alone in using all 15 votes. So let's get to it. I'm going to name the nominees just to just to reiterate again for our listeners, and then we will reveal everybody's ballots. So the nominees for this this year's class. For the cast member category, we have John Belushi, dana Carvey, jane Curtin, jan hooks, bill Murray, amy Polar, maya Rudolph and Molly Shannon. For hosts, we have Drew Barrymore, candice Bergen, john Goodman, elliott Gould, buck Henry, scarlett Johansson, melissa McCarthy, john Mulaney, paul Rudd, emma Stone, justin Timberlake, lily Tomlin and Christopher Walken lot of hosts on the on the ballot this year. Musical guests we have Beyonce, elvis Costello, miley Cyrus, dave Grohl, paul McCartney, tom Petty and the heartbreakers Prince, rihanna and Paul Simon. And for the writer category, we have James Downey, al Franken and Tom Davis, jack Handy, the Lonely Island, conan O'Brien, michael O'Donohue, paul Appel, herb Sargent and Robert Smigel, and we also have kind of a wild card nominee here. So it's not. He's not part of one of the four main categories, so voters do not have to vote for him. There's no separate producer category, but if somebody chooses, they could use one of their 11 remaining votes to vote for Dick Ebersol, who is on the ballot. Darren, he's giving the thumbs up. He was my guest on the Dick Ebersol episode and I'm curious to see what what you all have to say about Dick Ebersol when we get to him. If we get to him, i feel like we will get to him, though. So now's time where we reveal your ballots, so I want to start with Darren Patterson. So, darren, who's the first person you would like to talk about from your ballot? 0:15:39 - Speaker 4First person I'd like to talk about. I hmm, maybe we'll go with musical guest, just because it's like I only chose two people from there, really. So yeah, musical guest the first person who. I think it's a no brainer that they should absolutely be in SNL Hall of Fame, mr Paul Simon, you know he was there. He's been there since the beginning. He's good friends with Lorne. He's always sort of been, i guess, sort of the the fact or the fault musical guest, like when the show was first starting. Of course there was. You know he's been in a few sketches here and there. It was the famous sketch where he had that sort of reunion with Garfunkel and you know kind of you know, maybe not nice word for said. You know, of course there's a they called open waves like a dress or the opening monologue. Rather, we dressed good turkey for Thanksgiving episode, like he's always just sort of been, you know, this sort of old souls, old presence of the of the show for forever. So yeah, number one musical guest Paul Simon. 0:16:46 - Speaker 2And, as I told my guest on that episode, maddie Price, were kind of playing fast and loose with the criteria for Paul Simon because he was only billed as a musical guest eight times I think, but he played music on the show about 15 times. So I think we should probably I would import voters to maybe take into account all 15 of those times he was host and he performed music. He performed music when he wasn't billed as anything on the show. So Paul Simon, maybe Lorne Michael's best friend and just part of the fabric of SNL. So wonderful pick, darren. Do any of you have Paul Simon on your ballots? 0:17:27 - Speaker 6Yes, yes, he was my slam dunk musical guest as well. I think about two things the what happened after 911 and him singing the boxer and that whole moment kind of helped to In a way heal the country and such an iconic moment in SNL history you know, with Giuliani and all the firemen You know behind in Lauren coming on stage. And I also think about the SNL 40th And the fact that I think Paul was touring I forget where but Lauren pretty much saying like I need you here, you have to come. So Paul Simon flying in like on the red eye to be there for that event, but just kind of showing how important his place is, not just for Lauren but SNL history. So Paul Simon was my musical guest, slam dunk now very good. 0:18:17 - Speaker 2So, jamie, victoria to either of you. Jamie, do you have Paul Simon on yours? 0:18:22 - Speaker 5Yeah, i did, and I struggled with the music category a bit as well, but I did end up including him. I think Something that comes into play for me and it's there's so many different factors, but I think, like impact across decades is something I talked a little bit about last time and I think, for all the reasons that were said before, but also I think for that like Longevity and like having impacted different types of ways, was what pushed him over over the edge for me. 0:18:51 - Speaker 2Yeah, his first appearance was in the second episode of the show And if that was basically the Paul Simon show, which is in 75 in season one, and then his most recent, i believe, was 2018. So you're right, i mean just spanning eras, more so than almost anybody in the show's history. Victoria, what do you think Paul Simon make your cut? 0:19:10 - Speaker 3You know what He did not, but that doesn't mean I don't think he's eventually worthy. I mean, i do think he's worthy, but I only had. So no. For my musical guest I chose Beyonce. Has the most Grammys, has, you know, played such a significant part of SNL outside of her physical appearance on the show has made? She's a global icon. And you know who's are we gonna forget? like the Justin Timberlake, you know Lonely Island sketch No Beyonce. So double dipping, triple dipping. 0:19:47 - Speaker 2Yeah, a musical guest, though. That's great, and we I've noticed in the past that musical guests have been kind of shut out. I mean, they have been shut out as far as voting goes. So it's kind of neat to see all of you have at least one musical guest, if not more. So, specifically to Beyonce, jamie Dermey Darren. Do any of you have Beyonce on your ballot, jamie? why not? 0:20:13 - Speaker 5I didn't. I think it was just a limited. I feel like there's folks where I'm like, okay, next time, like next time, i'm getting them on and then we'll see what the battle looks like next time. I feel like it's always super crowded, but I'll keep her on my shortlist for next time. 0:20:27 - Speaker 2Jeremy, are we, are you on Victoria's side or? 0:20:31 - Speaker 6sorry, victoria. So for three, i gotta Not go with Beyonce on my list. It's just, she's iconic, she's great And, like Darren said, no disrespect to the beehive because they're always listening, but I just don't associate her For SNL Hall of Fame. She hauled very good, but not the Hall of Fame. So I have those. I got tough standards, so no, no Beyonce on my list. 0:20:58 - Speaker 2So if we're taking this four-person sample size, beyonce may have to wait Next voting cycle and we'll see unless, unless the unless the beehive kind of gets wind of this And I'm sure they'll push her over the edge. 0:21:12 - Speaker 3All in that one tweet it just takes one. 0:21:14 - Speaker 2Oh no, that sounded like a threat. I heard that. I heard that in your voice, victoria. We'll see. Alright, mobilized the beehive, let's go. Jeremy, i want to stay with you. Who do you want to talk about? 0:21:28 - Speaker 6I'm gonna go with the host category and mine might be a little bit different, i don't know, but I'm going with someone on the first ballot It was this season, i believe episode 2. I gotta go with Buck Henry. For me he was my slam dunk for the host For just the way his impact was on those initial five years and I'm someone who is Very partial to anything that's like the foundation of something I'm gonna give a lot of credit to. And when you think of there's two people in that era who were hosts and a Lot of people get confused and think they were a part of the cast and obviously that's Steve Martin, number one and number two It's Buck Henry and just for a long time, until I think, like the 88 89 season, had the most hosting Appearances than anyone else. So I mean, we talked about five timers club and how big of a deal that is for SNL lore. We got to give it to like the OG of that and that's, you know, buck Henry. And even just it was his suggestion for recurring characters, which is, you know him telling like to Lauren and all the writers, like that Belushi samurai sketch. We should, you know, got to do it again And you know just his impact on the show and his impact with influencing the original cast. Buck Henry is my slam dunk for host. 0:22:50 - Speaker 2All right, buck Henry the first go-to host in SNL history. He hosted twice a year the first five seasons of the show. Pretty good and understandable choice. Jamie, how do you feel about Buck Henry? 0:23:04 - Speaker 5Yeah, so I did include him as well. I think just really being like first member of the five-timers club for me was like okay, that's, that's a big credential like that. That really holds a lot of weight, i think. And it also was thinking about like when he was hosting. So like he hosted multiple like series, or season finale is, i Feel like for him like it wasn't just about frequency either. It was really like the role that he played and how people saw him as part of the show and just really being Integral to like the feel that the show had in in those early years. So yeah, for for me He was Not like the very top of my overall list, but definitely like made the cut for the 15. 0:23:44 - Speaker 2All right, darren, you're an SNL scholar, i believe. how do you feel about Buck Henry? 0:23:50 - Speaker 4Yes, yeah, i feel very good about Buck Henry. He actually made my list, um, for a lot of the reasons I dare me said he's just one of the. You know, key integral host has been there since day one. I mean, i mean the man got hit with the samurai sword mid-sketched and kept on going. I mean that's, that's dedication. I mean I don't care what you say and yeah, you know, he's always been there. You know some, some of the characters he played me Maybe, maybe have an age as well. That uncle. 0:24:21 - Speaker 2Roy. 0:24:22 - Speaker 4Yes, i'll go. 0:24:25 - Speaker 2Yeah, let's yeah. 0:24:28 - Speaker 4But uh, yeah, like you know, he's been, he was, he's been there for so long, has a longevity. 0:24:34 - Speaker 2Yeah, for me, yeah, he does all right buck, henry, on three ballots so far, victoria, are we making it four for four? 0:24:41 - Speaker 3We sure are. He is part of the foundation of this show and, as Jamie mentioned as well, the first five-timer, i mean he's a ten-timer at least. So I mean he's, he's iconic, he's a legend and you know, if you're an SNL nerd, you know who he is. So He, i mean, i feel like that's a no-brainer. 0:25:04 - Speaker 2So I guess, going into voting and the reveal of the SNL Hall of Fame this season, you've got to be feeling good about Buck Henry's chances from from how it sounds. So, jamie Burwood, i want to go to you now, and who would you like to talk about from your ballot? 0:25:20 - Speaker 5Yeah, so I'm gonna move it into the writing category Because this is one where I was really disappointed It didn't get in the first time, was even more disappointed They didn't get in the second time. So really gonna try to work on on the pitch for this one, and this is the lonely island. So for me I I just feel like thinking about the impact that they had on the show and taking it to the next era was just so huge and I feel like sometimes Isn't something we recognize enough. Just really the way that they made SNL comedy Viral friendly in a way that allowed the show to evolve and that I honestly think played a big part in the fact that We're still here today. The show made the changes with the times into this more kind of like snippet Viral friendly world. I just think about the era with them and the role that they played and like defining the tone of the The show. I could go on and on, but I will stop there, super passionate about this one in terms of just the, the role that they played in their era. 0:26:31 - Speaker 2So I have cut the the most passionate professional wrestling promos on why The Lonely Island should be in the SNL Hall of Fame and that the fact that they're not It's a really. I think out of anybody who's not in the SNL Hall of Fame who has been on the ballot before, i think I'm most passionate about the Lonely Island, so it's just kind of ridiculous to me that they're not in. so does anybody Agree with me? want to take up that mantle, that? take up that cause, darren? Yes, what do you? 0:26:59 - Speaker 4think, yeah, i'll, i will take that cause up with you, sir. I had them on my list as well, just because, basically a lot of reasons Jamie said, just the way they were able to sort of Bring in SNL to like the new era is like really pretty unprecedented, because I mean, yes, snl has had short films on the On the show before, like you know, the Albert Brooks stuff, the Shiller, tom Shiller, you know. You know Short films and whatnot, but I think the thing that separates Lonely Island from them is they were coming up around the same time YouTube was becoming big and like people were getting into that and So like it was like the sort of perfect marriage where they were coming up with these you know We are little videos and and also the music videos too, and like YouTube sort of helped, you know, elevate them and bring out, sure, snl into like a whole new era and also like the songs that they came out. 0:27:55 - Speaker 2Yeah, really, there's a chance like I'm on a boat. 0:27:59 - Speaker 4My pants, yeah, i, yeah, i mean a dick in a box. I think one of Grammy or at least was like nominated, i'm pretty sure one. I know it was definitely nominated and It was like the impact they left. You can still see it on the show today, like after they left they were still trying to do those catching music videos with Pete and Chris red and Like even now we're pleased on destroyed people. Still, they get compared to Lonely Island. Does you know? I'm time to time. So, yeah, lonely Island. They definitely left like a legacy behind when they left. I mean it's, i mean just that incredible, that incredible bad album. 0:28:36 - Speaker 2I still think, yeah, fantastic and full of bangers classic Jeremy, what do you have to say about the Lonely Island? 0:28:44 - Speaker 6I Hey, I've done it before, I'll do it again. I think I stand alone on the fact that they are not on my list. 0:28:52 - Speaker 2Oh no, I'm sorry, so the person I was yelling at in the past was you. It was. 0:28:58 - Speaker 6All right, it was, and the thing is it's it's someone's Gotta get cut, you know, that's the thing. So I'm not here to say that they're not worthy of the Hall of Fame, because everyone made great points. I just look at everyone else on the list. I want to give props to those of past generations Because I feel like the younger audience will forget them, and I want to give them their props. And I just also to what Jamie said earlier. There's some people on here who have hit like cross-generational as far as either a cast member or a writer or host, and I want to give them their love. So I think the Lonely Island if they don't make it this year, i definitely probably can see me voting for them from the next ballot. But they were a tough one, but they did not make my my top 15. 0:29:47 - Speaker 2Victoria, are you gonna agree with Jeremy, or are you on the correct side? 0:29:56 - Speaker 3I I I'm shook. I Agree with Jeremy in that we should give those who've given SNL It's name and the reason why it's here today, because it's a strong foundation, it's it set the tone for other you know comedic ventures, but the Lonely Island Emmy award winners, grammy nominated, for sure deserve a spot in the Hall of Fame. I mean they were. I don't want to say they're ahead of their time, but I guess they've helped SNL stay on course and be with the times and not be so old-school. And, you know, push forward a new way of thinking. And I Think Darren mentioned it too of you know those music videos with Pete Davidson and Chris Radd. And now, please don't destroy. I mean we wouldn't have those, quite frankly, if it wasn't for the Lonely Island and I'm a mother lover, you're a mother lover, we can love, you know, i mean catchy, like what was it called? I'm on a boat is so iconic to. I mean I Don't feel like that's really an argument, thomas, do you like? I feel like that's just like an, also a no-brainer. 0:31:12 - Speaker 2Yeah well, here on the SNL Hall of Fame, we respect everybody's opinion and it's all valid, but I should point out In order to get into the SNL Hall of Fame And the nominee needs sixty six point seven percent of the vote. Lonely Island had about sixty two last cycle. I think they're gonna get in this. That's just my prediction. Judging by, they got seventy five percent Here, unofficially, including myself. They got eighty percent, so I kind of a feeling. 0:31:44 - Speaker 6I'll say this if they get in, i'm not gonna be like what, like I'll be for it. Okay, you know I'm not like anti. Yeah, i won't do that. There's some other names on here who I might do that for, but not Lonely Island. 0:31:58 - Speaker 3I'm down if they get in, listen all it. All it takes is one tweet. 0:32:04 - Speaker 2Oh, victoria's trying to utilize, like she's trying to weaponize. Okay, he really is. Geez, victoria. So I want to. I want to see when to go back to you, victoria. Who do you want to talk about next on your list? I have zero followers. 0:32:16 - Speaker 3It's funny. Oh Man, I want to say Paula Pell. 0:32:22 - Speaker 2Paul, up hell in the writer category. Yeah. 0:32:26 - Speaker 3I mean one. Her tenure there was Long, i think, from 1995 to 2013. That's almost 20 years. Is that right? my math thing, correctly, okay, yeah, i graduate from the College of Communication where minimal math was required for a reason. But no, i mean you know the Spartan cheerleaders, debbie Downer, the omeletville Justin Timberlake character. I mean she's put up such great characters that are Stand out in SNL history. I mean it would be hard for me to not include her on on my ballot. 0:33:02 - Speaker 2And very influential to Jamie. You have Paula Pell. 0:33:05 - Speaker 5I did. Yeah, i just listened to this podcast episode the other day and Was already convinced, but it really put me over the edge. I think I talk a lot about like her era in SNL, just because I I love that era and I feel like I I maybe don't give enough credit sometimes to the writing beyond that era and I think she was such a critical Writing force of that time and I definitely have a sweet spot, i think, for writers that do a great job of creating characters and, like Victoria said, she really shown in that way. I also just think she's a wonderful Person and so she gets the wonderful person bonus point, but just impact alone for that era from the writing side. I did include her. 0:33:50 - Speaker 2Yeah, she had her thumb prints on a lot of things that we don't even realize. Definitely it was interesting to go back and research. Darren, How do you feel you have Paula Pell? 0:34:00 - Speaker 4Look, i have her on. I wrote her down as one of the writers but I didn't Ultimately choose her just because I think the writers character is like a really Stack deck. And you know, while I do appreciate Paula Pell, i love girls, five ever, i love it all But I didn't, i didn't quite choose it just because I felt there were maybe a few there a little bit more stronger. But yeah, i mean, paula Pell is fantastic. She's like you know, she, i do. Sometimes I do feel like she kind of gone, unsung in a lot of way than meets, you know, a lot more loved. And she, she got on the show, or you know. 0:34:40 - Speaker 2Yeah, and this one is tough. If you had to make that cut, i had to make some tough cuts. Man, we don't have to walk on eggshells. This is a safe space. We can bellow it out with confidence. We didn't and we didn't. If you didn't vote for Paula Pell, then and that's perfectly fine, i think. I think, with writers in general, sometimes it's hard to know what they wrote and what they did, and especially in the late 90s to mid 2000s that she was involved in. So I'm always curious to see how writers are gonna do here. But Definitely fair enough, darren Daryn, me, how about you? 0:35:12 - Speaker 6Absolutely Yes, paula Pell makes my list for what everyone else said, the sketches that are so iconic from cheerleaders Debbie Downer, like that was like all of us love SNL, but everyone had to watch those Debbie Downer sketches, her work in association with Kristen Wiig and she was really a big part of her popular sketches as well, and also in that rise in those like 2000s when Tina Fey and Amy Poehler and Maya and Kristen kind of really You know, put women on the forefront of SNL, like really the first time by really taking over and not making it a boys club, and I feel like Paula Pell was a big part behind the scenes and making that happen. So for me, the way you guys talked about Lonely Island, i think it's a crime that she's on the second ballot. So Paula Pell is a definite one for me. 0:36:02 - Speaker 2Yeah, paula Pell, snl, was much better off having her voice on the writing staff. Absolutely So, darren. You have Paul, simon, buck, henry and the Lonely Island So far. So who's another person on your ballot you would like to bring up? 0:36:18 - Speaker 4Well, let's forget the person I talked to you about on the last time I was here, dana Carvey. I think it's no brainer, i think he's one of those people who maybe people kind of forgot about how impactful he was in his day, just because, like he's still around now and he's still, you know, his own late night shows and he has his podcast. But like you have to remember, like when he was on the show, how hard he hit and how much he just elevated every scene and elevated the show. Like his very first episode he came out with the Chopin Broccoli sketch which was like something he'd done in stand-up and I think, like I mentioned the last time I was on a podcast, like a cast member is lucky if they have one memorable recurring character that they can go to with a catchphrase. And Dana Carvey had multiple recurring characters with multiple, you know, catchphrases. He was the church lady, he was Hans and Franz. He was, you know, garth Wayne and Garth He was. I mean, he had the Johnny Carson impression, he was the George W Bush. He had like all these impressions, all these characters. He was just like knocking it out the park like every episode And he was just like really beloved and everybody really liked him and he was just like a great performer and I don't know like Dana Carvey, like in his prime. 0:37:38 - Speaker 2Yeah, he was a force and I have a feeling that we're gonna have a clean sweep here, but I don't know, somebody might surprise me. Let's see, victoria, what say you? 0:37:47 - Speaker 3What say me? Of course, of course, dana Carvey. I mean it was just mentioned, hans and Franz, church lady, i mean. But more than that, going to Jeremy's point, and I, you know, even though I have some recent folks on here, i do pay homage later in my ballot to those who came before us, especially women, but Dana Carvey is someone who, without him, there is none of these recent folks either. So you know it's where. So we, we keep standing on the shoulders of those before us and he is a shoulder of muscle. I don't know if that's a real phrase, but he's a shoulder of muscle, he's like his and then leave, you know Wayne's world, and then all his other stuff afterward, is, is, is killer. I don't think I feel like that. One is also an obvious one. I'm kind of confused as to why he's not in there already but, we will, but we will discuss, we will discuss. 0:38:49 - Speaker 2Well, he's not in there because this is his first time on the ballot. See at the Esenola fame. We kind of like to space it out a little bit. So this was just his first time on the ballot, so that that's an easy reason. It was no slide against Dana. 0:39:03 - Speaker 3Okay, i'll tell Twitter to back off. 0:39:06 - Speaker 2Yeah, tell him to back off. Thank you, jamie Burwood. Are you a fan of Dana Carvey? 0:39:11 - Speaker 5Yeah, definitely. I think, just when you think about like performers that are just so associated with their era on SNL everyone's already touched on just characters, i think church lady, like in the conversation, for just top one of the top tier, all time characters impressions, i feel like people will still play the like George HW clips and it just has that lasting impact. So, yeah, for me I don't think there is a. I'd be curious to hear an argument to not include him, but for me I think it's a no brainer. Agreed. 0:39:49 - Speaker 2Jeremy do have four for four. 0:39:52 - Speaker 6Absolutely. That was, for you know, the one, the four that we had to have. Dana was my cast member. For me, i look at it like on my episode when I was on with you, thomas, i talked about Dick Ebersol and that Eddie Murphy, joe Piscobo. That's the first cast that saved the show from like being done. The second was with Dana Carvey and Phil Hartman, kevin Nealon and all those And, honestly for me, if I see a greatest SNL list and Dana Carvey isn't in the top 10, that's when I'm just like throwing an outrage, i'm throwing papers, i'm going what the heck is this? Dana Carvey, to me, is a top 10 SNL cast member, so it's a no brainer, dana Carvey. 0:40:37 - Speaker 2Yeah, i think Dana is going to be. I'll go out on a limb and say he's going to be a lock. I think he's going to get voted in here on his first try And with him to me it's not just is he an SNL, snl Hall of Famer, it's, is he on the Mount Rushmore of SNL cast members? And I think that's the conversation that Dana is in. Jeremy, who's who's next on your list? 0:40:58 - Speaker 6For me this person was the writer lock. So the other three are all mentioned for my locks Paul Simon, dana Carvey. I mentioned Buck Henry. I'm going for that writer, robert Schmigel, who was brought up his own first time on the ballot, and just so many of the iconic sketches that he was a part of, from TV Funhouse to the, that finale for the 85, 86 season with the John Lovitz you know, and you know Billy Martin and Lauren, like they're burning up, like that cast and who will survive, and that's pretty gutsy, for like that was Michael's first season, and for him to kind of write that sketch, the iconic not going to phone it in tonight, that code open with Steve Martin that everyone still talks about to this day, the bear sketch. There's just so many things that Robert Schmigel has an impact on And from that initial run in the 80s into the mid 90s and then he's come back and done so many things. Robert Schmigel to me is also like, as far as a writer, a slam dunk Hall of Famer. As far as writers they kind of like what you said, thomas, it's not. If he's going to be a Hall of Famer is, is he on that pantheon of Mount Rushmore of greatest SNL writers. So for me Robert Schmigel is easy. 0:42:16 - Speaker 2Yeah, darren. What do you think about Robert Schmigel? 0:42:20 - Speaker 4I think, yes, i had him down as one of my writers to. He's like one of those writers just really defined his era of SNL. I mean, you know, like Darren me said, like with the TV fun house, a lot of those, if you go back and watch some of those TV fun, a lot of them. He's really pushing the envelope in a lot of oh yeah, like you know, the form with real audio, especially that one, i think, sex in the country which is Jesus. I mean, wow, victoria. 0:42:52 - Speaker 3Well, now that you say that, no, i completely agree with everything Jeremy said. I wouldn't change anything about what Jeremy said, but my only thing is he did not make the ballot this time around, i'm really sorry to say, as just his work is phenomenal just didn't have that much of an impact on me. That's all Nothing against him. If I had 16, he'd be on there. They only gave me 15. Sorry, so you're passing the buck. 0:43:22 - Speaker 2You're blaming me and Jamie. Jamie, do for for our, for our, oppressive rules for voting. 0:43:29 - Speaker 3Yeah, all right, i got it. 0:43:31 - Speaker 2I got it. I'll say this about Robert Smigel and Bill Kenny and I had a good conversation about it. I think if you only looked at his sketch writing, he might be an SNL Hall of Famer, and if you only looked at TV fun house on its own he might be an SNL Hall of Famer, but combined it's a pretty big argument. just the totality of it all, i think. So he would get my vote. Smits gay, I mean it's gay is one of the one of the iconic ad parodies of the early 90s. Yeah, so Robert was just behind. So much And I think at some point he may get in and it'll be very well deserved. So I want to go to Jamie Burwood find out who's next on your list. 0:44:18 - Speaker 5All right. So staying with the cast had to go with Amy. This was tip top of my list. Just no question on this one. for me, definitely like top three across my ballot overall. I think just looking at how she was like promoted so quickly from featured player to full cast member, just thinking about I think the versatility for her is what really stands out. Just thinking about weekend update, impact characters, impressions, like the political bits, like just every little piece she touched upon. And I just when I think, when people think about that era of the early 2000s, like you can't talk about that era without talking about Amy. So for me she was a definite check plus, plus, plus. 0:45:15 - Speaker 2And Victoria Franca. You were my guest on the Amy Poehler episode In this season. Do I even have to ask? 0:45:22 - Speaker 3You don't, you absolutely don't, but I just, jamie, just said it. She was the first woman to be promoted within her first season at Saturday Night Live as someone who's trying to semi-follow on her footsteps of being in the Chicago comedy scene. I don't think people truly understand what she's done. Pre-snl in this realm is such a big deal and not many people get to experience it. And then I mean this will explain why she's she was number one. I also just wanted to defend my episode. It would be silly for me not to have her on my ballot, but she, if you go to her Wikipedia page and you look at her awards it has, you have to go to a different Wikipedia page to list all of her awards and norms. So enough said she's. You know she's one of a kind, she's the first of many And yeah, i mean for my mention this in that episode that I am standing on her shoulders and I know that she's standing on others, but for me she's the one pulling me up to the top. 0:46:30 - Speaker 2So All right, Darren Patterson, does Amy Poehler get the thumbs up from you? 0:46:35 - Speaker 4She does. She was on my list. I mean it's, i don't know how you can not have her on the show. She's, i don't know, she's fantastic, she's phenomenal. You know, founding member of the UCB and the episode she didn't really show that she's like had strong improv chops from the from the jump. You know her time. A weekend update was memorable with both with Tina and with Seth. 0:47:03 - Speaker 6Yeah, that's a no brainer, It's, she's. she's someone like you can make a case kind of like it's hard not to even put her in like anyone's top 10 of all time kind of lists. So Amy Poehler's easy. 0:47:15 - Speaker 2Yeah, Amy Poehler's super beloved. I have a feeling we'll be sending her her Hall of Fame plaque here in the next few months. Darren, I'll go back to you Who's next on your list. 0:47:26 - Speaker 4Well, let's go back to host And this, this host I wrote, i wrote down, i believe one of you guys talked about on the episode Christopher Walken Let's talk about, start talking about walking. I feel like he's yeah, i mean, he's pretty much he's a no brainer just to get into the Hall of Fame again. He's one of those hosts you wouldn't think would be good in comedic sketches, just because he mainly he does drama and he has, you know, he's a bit of an odd character But somehow a Sunnell was able to like funnel that odd energy he has into all these classic sketches. You know, of course, the continental kernel Angus And you know, and of course, the cowbell sketch with the blue oyster skull, one of the most iconic sketch that people are still quoting to this day. You know, i got to have more cowbell. Yeah, it is. It is strange like how, you know, christopher Walken does have this kind of odd energy, is able to funnel that into comedy to show that he's not, you know, such a, you know, kind of weird weirdo, but he's actually pretty funny too And he's actually has comedic chops. 0:48:40 - Speaker 5So, in addition to all those points, i feel like just the way that his episodes had this like kind of total feel to them of like you had certain things you look forward to, like those opening musical numbers that were just always a little bit zamy and fun and certain recurring characters and sketches that he participated in, kind of bringing to the next level. I feel like he was always up for anything And I think like what's really what's really interesting to me about him and we talked a little bit about this in the podcast was not only did like you see him having an impact on the show, you see the show impacting how people think about him. Like when you talk to somebody about Christopher Walken, they think of SNL. Like it's just become so intertwined like his identity and SNL, that I feel like he he had to get one of my votes. 0:49:33 - Speaker 2So, darmie, does Christopher Walken's odd energy and personality resonate with you? 0:49:40 - Speaker 6It does but not for my list. But okay, he doesn't make my list. But, like, i'm a big fan of Christopher Walken And everyone has made great points and you know, got nothing but love for everybody. But I will say this, and I believe, thomas, we spoke about this like back when I was on the show with you, like off air And I might get some heat for it But if you take away in the cowbell sketches iconic top five sketch of all time if you take that away, i don't think Christopher Walken is making the impact with everyone. In my opinion I'd like to weigh everyone else is saying so I feel like there's moments That can be Hall of Fame worthy. There's those Hall of like in sports, hall of Fame type of games, hall of Fame type of contributors, in other ways. But I feel like that sketch is how Christopher Walken, in my opinion, should be in a Hall of Fame. He's a part of a Hall of Fame sketch, a Mount Rushmore sketch, but you take that away. are people really talking about Christopher Walken on SNL like is he hitting it that same way? I Personally don't think so. So Christopher Walken, i could see him getting in in the future on my ballot, but for right now he's. He's a. It's a tough one, but no. 0:50:54 - Speaker 2Victoria, what do you think I? 0:50:56 - Speaker 3Agree with Jeremy here. I outside of cowbell and maybe Colonel Angus, which is like Just recently came a top of mind, i Can't really name anything else I mean in the cowbell itself, i think The star of that was Will Ferrell, so he wasn't even a focal point really in that for me. So I mean not to say he's not talented, not to say he's not iconic, but I think when it comes to I think he deserves to be in a Hall of Fame like an actor or comedy Hall of Fame. 0:51:27 - Speaker 2But just ball. 0:51:28 - Speaker 3Hall of Fame right, but just for me, it wouldn't be the Saturday Night Live Hall of Fame. And if you're listening to this, christopher Walken And I know that you are Don't kill me. 0:51:39 - Speaker 6All it takes is one tweet. 0:51:42 - Speaker 2All right, victoria. Who are gonna be tweeting about next? who's on your list? 0:51:46 - Speaker 3This is hard. This is hard. I moved, i Took someone else out and I, as we were talking, and I replaced this person with them. I won't say it because I feel like this person can be mentioned by someone else, but a writer and, i think, someone who is, who deserves their flowers, at least from NBC The one and only Conan O'Brien. Conan O'Brien is Undoubtedly funny. He's made such an impact on Saturday Night Live and I feel like he's. You know, i think he's earned it and and how much work he's put in. And you know, we all know Conan O'Brien. He's, i think he's a staple in the comedy world low-loan Saturday Night Live and, and his career wouldn't be where it is today without Saturday Night Live. So that's so. 0:52:34 - Speaker 2I've added him in all right, team Cocoa Victoria is. Team Cocoa Is anybody else. Does anybody else have Conan on their list? And if not, why not? I'm actually want to go to Darren. What do you think about Conan O'Brien? 0:52:49 - Speaker 4Hey look, i love Coco, i love mr, mr O'Brien I I came very close to having a moment. Let's very close. Just, you know, just he is, of course, you know, in the eight. I think the 80s era as an L is the era I grew up with, right, that's why I really have an affinity for it. And so to see, like Conan O'Brien in that era, where he was with other writers, like You know, bob, odin, kirk and and Schmeigel, like that really Endured me to him. Of course He was a fantastic writer with a Simpsons. He was in the very first five-timers Club sketch, of course. 0:53:25 - Speaker 6It was a very easy no for me because I Definitely respect Conan as the performer and the late-night host and what he's become. But I feel on the show He was a part of a group of writers that like emerged, but there's not a lot of sketches that were like that's a Conan sketch, i believe. Even on, like the fly on the wall Podcast with Carvey and spade, schmeigel went on and said that the, the girl watcher that love it's in Hanks did. That was a mostly a Conan Like written sketch which I a lot of people gave to Schmeigel, including myself, that Schmeigel only helped out with. But I think Conan because who he became, we know him, i think of him writing wise, more for what he did on the Simpsons than what he did on SNL. So for me, conan not on the list. 0:54:12 - Speaker 2Jamie, do you have anything to say about Conan? 0:54:13 - Speaker 5Yeah, he did not make my list, unfortunately either. I feel like I Was like being pulled a little bit by the fact that he's like a great entertainer and human. But then I like got checked and was like, if I didn't think of him from other things, would he still make my list? and when I applied that check he didn't. 0:54:30 - Speaker 2So I think that's fair. Well, we've just caused Victoria to mobilize the beehive and team Coco, so so right, i think we're all in for it. 0:54:40 - Speaker 3I hope you're all sweating. 0:54:42 - Speaker 2Yeah, Jeremy, I want to. 0:54:44 - Speaker 6I want to know what's who's next on your list for me, i got to go with a guy who I probably would not put him on my top 10 Greatest cast members anymore but he's definitely on top 10 most important, and that's John Belushi. To me, one of the people to establish What SNL was, not just because he was there and on the show, but just that kind of rebellious, kind of anti-establishment counterculture feel that SNL had for so long and now it is part of. It is the establishment now But to kind of give it where like SNL had that cool feeling. I think John Belushi was the first one to really get that. I mean the sketches from the Blues Brothers to, you know, with the samurai, just so many things on there, are just iconic and For someone like him who at one point was on the number one, you know, late night show had a number one album with the Blues Brothers and the number one movie with Animal House, all at one point Kind of really you can say Chevy Chase But I feel like the the blueprint for that SNL star to get into movies and everything. I look at John Belushi As he's that first one to kind of be like, oh, from SNL Stardom to movie stardom. That was him and he kind of paved the way, for you saw what Bill Murray did and Eddie Murphy and Sandler and all these other guys. So John Belushi I I guess that I would got to put him as Top 10 most important cast members. He's a no-brainer. 0:56:19 - Speaker 2Yeah, jamie, is he a no-brainer for you? 0:56:22 - Speaker 5Yeah, he was, and this is where, like, i feel like I sometimes have to separate, like personal preference and historical impact. and I think, like personal preference aside and I mean no, no disrespect, amazing comedian, but Just, yeah, legacy on the show, i think a lot of folks would really have him in the conversation for Top 10, some might even say top five, just impactful Cast numbers. So, yeah, he definitely made my list. 0:56:49 - Speaker 2Yeah. 0:56:49 - Speaker 4Darren Yeah, absolutely, he made my list too. I mean he was he was the first cast member in the first cold open of the show ever. Yeah, and like a lot of things that Darren, me and Jamie already hit the two like his impact on the show, the energy brought, he brought that Sort of rebellious wild card, you know factor to the show. That that really, you know that really Resonated with the young audience at the time, while the college kids and whatever like he, you know, he just like was embodied, that just like the crazy You know party guy and and you know, just doing cartwheels. I mean just his yeah, his impact and his energy was just so Momentous and it affected future cast members too, like like Chris Farley is, you know, said on record numerous times like yeah, i modeled my whole life after John Belushi. 0:57:41 - Speaker 3The trace of him is is throughout comedy for Forever and I mean in Rolling Stone, and I have the magazine He's the cover, and Rolling Stone, in February 2015, did a ranking of, i think, all 141 SNL cast members. At that time, of course, that was eight years ago, and he was number one and I think it just speaks to him and it speaks to his comedy and you know, he's, he's, he's a legend, he's one of the goats, as as the kids say these days, and he's I'll say he's like the Michael Jordan of SNL cast members. 0:58:22 - Speaker 2Yeah, and I think he, I think he's gonna find himself in the SNL Hall of Fame. He's another one of those. When we set up the season and looked at the ballot that it's pretty sure was gonna make it. So this is almost just confirmation of that. I'm gonna go over to Jamie And find out who's next on your list. 0:58:39 - Speaker 5Yeah so Let's maybe talk about dick. Ever saw I Was. I don't want to steal your thunder, dare me, just listen to your podcast on this one as well and I Yeah, i think just when we're talking about like impact on the show and thinking about multiple Touch points where he had a pivotal role, that was what really pushed this over the edge for me. So I think, thinking about that initial role in helping to create the show and the role he played with Lauren, but then also thinking about his role and arguably the biggest save of the show And I think a lot of times we'll throw around the phrase like oh, snl wouldn't be here, wouldn't be what it is without XYZ person, but I think in this case, like it's actually pretty true. So that, to me, pushed me over the edge on this one. It's a little bit of a non-traditional, like getting outside the cast host world, but I did end up including him in my ballot. 0:59:41 - Speaker 2Yeah, dick ever saw. Super interesting to me. I'm gonna clear the the seas for you. Now dare me Tell us what you want to about dick ever saw. 0:59:51 - Speaker 6Jamie, you are amazing. This is so cool. I thought I'd be up here by myself and this you've made my week. Thank you, jamie. Dick ever saw the man who helped to co-create Saturday Night Live. He picked Lauren Michaels We all can agree the most important person in SNL history to run the show. It's a big part in forming it. Then when Lauren leaves and Jean Dominion almost threw it down the toilet and they fire her, they bring in ever saw and By box office numbers and I think it's hard to really argue it the biggest star to come from the show is Eddie Murphy. And who's the one now? Eddie was hired Reluctantly by Jean Domenion who put him in that star seat. That saved the show. That was dick ever saw and I mean those two things right there I got to give love for. But then you can also look at that Steinbrenner year Where you have Billy Crystal and Chris guests and you know Martin short and those iconic sketches that came from one year. That's also dick ever saw. So right on, jamie, dick ever saw slam dunk for me. 1:00:58 - Speaker 2Yes, jeremy, thank you so much and you're a great guest on that show and Dick ever saw just a fascinating candidate to me, victoria. I'm curious to know your thoughts. How much did you give dick ever saw much consideration? 1:01:12 - Speaker 3Yeah, jamie and Jeremy Said it that I mean it is what it is SNL like. As Jamie said, it would literally not be here If it wasn't for him. So, giving, giving him his, his flowers. 1:01:29 - Speaker 2Yes, dick ever saw. all right, darren, are we gonna make me and Jeremy and All the dick ever saw fans happy out there? 1:01:37 - Speaker 4Uh, yeah, yeah, let's do it. Just because I think I know a lot of, for some reason like a lot of purists, i guess. Only consider the Lorne Michael years of SNL, like the true SNL, just, and also, like I mean, with the exception of you know, like it's at the Eddie Murphy episode, no one really talks about the ever saw all years that much, but like I've I Gotta go back and watch them again. But like I do remember there being like a lot of Like solid shows and a lot of solid performers and sketches Happening in those years and they don't really kind of get talked about that much. It's like one of those things where, like people are surprised when you, when they hit I like Julie Louis Dreyfus was on SNL It's like, oh really, i don't. 1:02:20 - Speaker 2Darren, i want to stay with you. Let us know who's next on your list, next on my list. 1:02:29 - Speaker 4All right. Well, i mean I forgot if. Okay, all right, we all right, We got it All right. Bill Murray, we got to have Bill Murray in the SNL Hall of Fame. It's not even it's. What are we doing here? I Mean the guy came in replaced Chevy Chase after Chevy left after season one and Pretty much did a better job Chevy Chase's job than Chevy did. I mean he came out with like Nick the loud singer and did the nerds with Gilda and he just Kind of brought in this really kind of loosey-goosey, laid-back energy to the show that really people really like, really loved and fived with. You know people find him endearing and like that really enjoy working Joy working with him on the show, like I would say I mean, and also he's just gone on to be Be this really great actor and have this really great career. 1:03:22 - Speaker 2Jeremy, how do you feel about Bill Murray? 1:03:25 - Speaker 6another slam dunk. Saturday night live was a hit show. Chevy was the first breakout star and him coming on During the second season and even that sketch that kind of made him get established. Which is I'm not doing well on the show. I need your help and just even watching that clip all the time was some people call me Billy around here. I get called the new guy, like. It's just just a great way to kind of like, which I think you would see now is like not that, but back in you know, 76, 77. That was a different way of kind of like breaking the zeitgeist and saying like you know, i know you guys aren't really looking at me as the you know the audience. You're thinking of Chevy, but I'm here too. So, kind of like what Darren said, he's just synonymous. He wasn't on the first season. Well, a lot of times people associate him with the first year because he just made such an impact the next four. So bill Murray is an easy one. 1:04:19 - Speaker 2Yeah, he's a de facto Original, not ready for playing primetime player. Honestly, in most people's eyes, jamie is Bill Murray on your ballot, yeah absolutely. 1:04:28 - Speaker 5I was curious to see how long we would get into this before his name came up, so I'm glad it finally has. I think Everyone's gonna have covered it really well. But just I have mad respect for anyone who's put in that kind of like Tough position and keeping in mind how early in the show's era it was. In this day and age We're used to cast coming in and out. But for him to kind of be in that role in the second season of having to replace Somebody, so great and just how he stepped up and is now in conversations of again all time among the all-time great. So respect to him on that. 1:05:00 - Speaker 2Yeah, victoria, we got a Chicago boy here. Does he get your, your vote? 1:05:05 - Speaker 3Yeah, he, yes, he is the blueprint for all of us and I, you know, i'm not gonna add anything new to it, except he is why, partially why I am here today, and also my brother would kill me if I did not have him on my ballot as a as a Born-and-raised Chicago boy himself. 1:05:29 - Speaker 2Bill Murray clean sweep on everybody's ballots h

Join us for a trip down memory lane as we discuss who deserves a spot in the SNL Hall of Fame with our panel of former guests, Brad, Dave, and Will! Hear their thoughts on this season's candidates, with Brad kicking off the conversation with his number one pick - the legendary John Belushi.From debating the comedic stylings of Belushi, Bill Murray, and Dana Carvey, to discussing the merits of newer SNL icons like Dave Chappelle, Justin Timberlake, and Maya Rudolph, our panelists offer insightful opinions on the lasting impact these cast members have on the show. They also touch on the early years of SNL and how its pioneers shaped the show into the cultural phenomenon it is today.But don't worry - we don't just cover the A-listers. Listen in as we discuss underrated gems like Jane Curtin, Jan Hooks, and even controversial figures like Dick Ebersol. Plus, we weigh in on whether musical guests like Beyonce and Miley Cyrus deserve a spot in the SNL Hall of Fame. Grab your headphones and join us for a nostalgia-filled, laughter-inducing, and enlightening roundtable discussion!Chapters(0:00:08) - SNL Hall of Fame Roundtable Discussion(0:08:21) - SNL Hall of Fame Candidates(0:13:35) - Debating SNL Hall of Fame Candidates(0:24:56) - SNL Hall of Fame Picks(0:34:02) - SNL Hall of Fame Ballot Discussion(0:45:44) - SNL Hall of Fame Nominations(0:54:11) - SNL Hall of Fame Inductees Discussion(1:07:04) - Debating SNL Hall of Fame Nominees(1:15:37) - Suggesting Musical Guests for SNLTranscript0:00:08 - Speaker 1It's the SNL Hall of Fame podcast with your host, jamie Dube, chief librarian Thomas Senna, and featuring Matt Ardill At now. Curator of the Hall, jamie Dube. 0:00:41 - Speaker 2Hi everyone, welcome to the Saturday Night Live Hall of Fame. I am your guest host for this roundtable, matt Ardill, and it is my pleasure to be hosting an amazing panel of former guests who are going to share their votes for this season's set of candidates going to the Saturday Night Live Hall of Fame. So what we'll do is we'll go around and we'll have everybody introduce themselves. Brad, if you want to start. 0:01:12 - Speaker 3Hi, i'm Brad Robinson from the Not Ready for Primetime podcast. Happy to be here, dave. 0:01:19 - Speaker 4I'm Dave Buckman. I own Coldtown Theater in Austin, texas. I'm a second city alum, boom, chicago alum and general podcast panelist for Saturday Night Live related podcasts. 0:01:33 - Speaker 5It's Dave and Will. Yes, hi, I'm Will Norman and I'm just also an SNL enthusiast and podcast guest here on the Hall of Fame Network. I've been on the Was Only Beyonce episode. I'm just excited to talk with all of you today about this season's nominees. Thanks for having me. 0:01:48 - Speaker 2Great, and what are we all expecting tonight, like? what kind of result, what kind of conversation? I mean, i know I'm spending a fun time, i think it's going to be an interesting combination of opinions here, but what are you all expecting for tonight? 0:02:05 - Speaker 4I'm expecting to have my mind changed on a couple of people. I have more than 15 on my ballot, so I need to be talked off the ledge for a couple of weeks. 0:02:18 - Speaker 3I'm interested to see where the conversation goes old versus new. My ballot's fairly full and it's fairly full with returning nominees and older nominees, so I'm excited to see if I can convince some people to keep these old timers on the ballot. 0:02:36 - Speaker 5I'm expecting an all out blood bath tonight. I guess I might be. Maybe that won't be the case, maybe not be the case, but I'm on the opposite of Dave, where I used about 13 of my votes. I'm still kind of on the. I guess I'm kind of on that border with a few of them and actually just want to have a conversation to see who I might be overlooking and who some of those votes might go to. with returning nominees and first ballot people, i'm excited to see where the conversation goes today. 0:03:03 - Speaker 2So we'll use 13. What made you land at that number? Why did you hold back a couple? 0:03:12 - Speaker 5So I ended up leaving my ballot at 13 because there's a lot of other candidates that were first ballot or returning nominees that I feel like I needed a little bit more time and was actually hoping to get some conversation with the panelists here today to just kind of see where I may have overlooked someone besides, just kind of speaking to my own biases, to see if I could be educated on some people that I might have overlooked that deserve to be in those final two spots. 0:03:35 - Speaker 2Awesome, Dave. how many votes did you use and what was your logic? 0:03:41 - Speaker 4I used all 17. Even though we're only allowed to have 15. 0:03:47 - Speaker 2So could it be some editing on the fly kind of thing going on, Yeah? 0:03:50 - Speaker 4I'm going to have to really I'm going to need Will and Brad to kind of like tell me why somebody doesn't deserve to be on there, because I mean I could have honestly, i could have picked 25 out of these 30. It was very, very hard to get to where I am now and I'm looking at it. I just don't mean how do I, how? the people I have on my bubble are just legendary. So how do you, how do you cut them from that ballot? I don't even know how to like rank them if I was going to. So that's where I'm at. 0:04:22 - Speaker 2And. 0:04:22 - Speaker 3Brad, i'm a bit more like Will. I've got 14 selections. 11 of them are pretty solid. I've got actually 12 because one of them is the musical guest my one musical guest vote. So I've got a couple that I'm on the fence to hear about, and I left an empty spot to see if, you know, someone can convince me. 0:04:40 - Speaker 2I like you, brad, chose 14. I have one where I'm like, oh, like this, last time I did this I filled all 15. Then afterwards I was like, oh, you know, that was a really strong case, but I cast my vote and I'm going to have to stand by it And I'm going to be the one to let somebody convince me at the end of how I'm going to vote. So it makes it for an interesting conversation. Create some stakes when we're doing that Terrific. Okay, well, what we'll do again. Like well, i'll just start working my way around the, around the ring here, and why don't we just start naming off our, our picks? So, brad, do you want to start us off? 0:05:23 - Speaker 3My number one pick is John Belushi Easy pick. If you've heard our podcast, i'm a huge John Belushi fan, saturday Night Live and otherwise and he's hands down my number one pick between iconic characters, great impressions, legendary sketches, does it all, plays himself And you know, in addition to Dan, the first cast members to ever be featured on the show in another role while they were cast members, when him and Dan were musical guests as well, they were the first cast members to actually be shown, showcased in another light as well. So John Belushi is my number one. 0:06:02 - Speaker 2I watched a lot of those very early episodes at an entirely inappropriate age. So you know, i got to know his work really young and he made me laugh then and he still makes me laugh now. I mean, i think I rewatched just recently the Star Trek sketch And it's just that the impersonation that he does of Shatner is hilarious And it's just like it. Just it shows a range that a lot of people especially now as there's been distance from his work people don't credit it with, like they think Animal House and this loud ruckus character. But he had a lot more to him And, yeah, i can totally understand that. 0:06:44 - Speaker 3Yeah, he has a lot more to him, especially in season one. You know he does his Shatner impression. He's got his Marlon Brando impression, the Joe Cocker impression that he does in episode three. I still will put up against anything that's been done in the last 50 years on that show And even stuff you forget, like we've been going back, we've been watching the old Land Shark sketches and he does a Richard Dreyfuss impression which is amazingly great. It's surprisingly good. I don't even remember it, it's so good. So it's even the small stuff. And then, before he gets big, that season one is great watching John because he plays very childish and like impish sort of scenes where, like by season three, that's all gone because he is, he's full blown Belushi by that point. So it's it's. He definitely has a range And if you've watched from the beginning through, you see that whole arc. 0:07:28 - Speaker 5Any other 70 thoughts on Belushi, belushi was near the top of my list as well. I mean, i think it's impossible to tell the story of SNL without mentioning Belushi and his contributions, so obviously taken away too soon. 0:07:42 - Speaker 4I did not put Belushi on my ballot. Maybe in future ballots, perhaps when he stacked up against fourth or fifth rounders, but Belushi never hit me Well. I love little chocolate donuts, i love the Blues Brothers, i love the Marlon Brando impression, i love the Joe Cocker impression, but I don't think that he was much of a team player. I think he was very much about Belushi and Belushi's goals for the show And a lot of his humor hit me is very angry and aggressive rather than funny, and I just that's not my kind of humor. I feel the same way about Michael Adonahue. It just it's not. It was funny, i think, to me when I was 12 or 13, but I think I've grown. I've grown out of that style of humor And I also love Animal House and I love all of his movies too. But when stacked up against some of these other folks, i think their contributions to the genre of Saturday Night Live there's better contributions out there. 0:08:47 - Speaker 3I'll try to argue him in this a little bit. I hear what you're saying with his comedy coming from anger and I do agree it definitely gets there. But if you look at the early seasons, one and two especially, i don't think he's gotten there yet. You know, the Joe Cocker, the Marlon Brando impression is amazing. The Star Trek scene both of the elite cool, are great. His Beethoven impression, the Richard Dreyfus that I mentioned, little chocolate donuts There's so much stuff he does the samurai character that lead up to him getting to that point. I think once he becomes what we've come to know as John Belushi, i agree with you a bit that it does get a bit edgy. Edgy's the wrong word. It does get a bit angry. It does come from that place and it's not as genuinely funny. But to Will's point, i don't know how you talk about Saturday Night Live without John Belushi, without seeing him in the B outfit, without seeing him in the samurai, without seeing him behind the counter of Olympia restaurant, not being Jake Blues, him and Akaroid together final days sketch. there's just so much of those first four years that if you don't have John Belushi I don't know what happens. Season one's all about Chevy. Chevy leaves and Bill Murray didn't jump right out of the gate as blowing the doors off the place, and John really helped keep that together until Bill found his voice. I mean not just John alone, john and Dan and all of them, but John Belushi is a key, key factor as to how we made it from the Chevy Chase era to the Bill Murray era and that show exploding into the zeitgeist of comedy. 0:10:15 - Speaker 2It's a strong argument. It's an interesting case. This is the fun of the round table We get to hear the different points and counter points. So, dave, do you want to share your first pick? 0:10:30 - Speaker 4My first pick is Bill Murray. Bill Murray is, for me, the consummate sketch performer. He basically owned Season 4 and 5. He's come back to host so many times and kind of just lift the crowd and the cast and the show with him every time he comes back. His contributions, beyond his four years in the show you know he set a tone for the kind of cast member A he's the first new hire you know, for all its purposes the first feature performer And just the kind of person that's in every sketch. you know, setting that archetype of like that Phil Hartman, that Bill Murray, will Ferrell, somebody who's just going to consistently get in there every single sketch and destroy and even make bad scenes better just by being in them. And his characters are just so many, so many to mention. you know, from the nerd sketch to Nick the Louncing singer, to his time on the Weekend Update desk doing Oscar picks. There's just so many iconic things that you can point back to Bill Murray which would absolutely be in the Hall of Fame. 0:11:42 - Speaker 2Anybody else? vote for Bill Murray. 0:11:46 - Speaker 3He's my number two. I can't argue with anything. Dave said He's my number two pick Again. I mentioned it before like he had a rough coming in after Chevy. You know Chevy left and he didn't jump right into the spotlight so it took him time. He took the reins and he ran with it and you know he didn't really have that many impressions but didn't need to. Like Dave said, his sketches are great. His characters are great. He held down Weekend Update. There's a lot of anger behind Bill Murray. I'm just going to say He's got that drive in him a little bit as well. Just to relay my John Belushi point. But no Bill. 0:12:15 - Speaker 4Murray. But no, dave, i mean again, but he's impish, he's got like. 0:12:19 - Speaker 3He plays it off much better He does. 0:12:21 - Speaker 4But no, I add him right there. 0:12:22 - Speaker 3Number two with Dave. Same thing You can't talk SNL without Bill Murray, Will any thoughts? 0:12:27 - Speaker 5Yeah. So I think I'm probably going to hop into Dave's camp here and say that Bill Murray is not on my Hall of Fame ballot, so yeah, so I'll explain. I still have two spots left, so it's not definitive. But the reason why is so? I will start by saying that Groundhog Day is one of my favorite movies of all time. I love Bill Murray, but I was worried that I was fading a lot of my feelings about Bill Murray, his post-SNL career versus Jesse down the show. Obviously, most respect to Nick the lounge singer, his work on the update. Also now that one point time he had the obviously innovative for the time, his plea to the viewers and kind of saying hey, i'm new on the show, i don't know if it's actually really working, like, can you guys like write in and, you know, give me some support. And I think kind of even in that, even though it's obviously very innovative, just the fact that he was kind of in that spot, i think about it as a Hall of Fame or someone who is just to me like, are they Hall of Fame or not? I think he was obviously great on the show at the time, but just wondering if I was shading him a little bit too much with my fandom of him post-show, but I think it has made some very compelling arguments. Like I said that early not the one to John Belushi, but, like I said, there's still some wiggle room. So maybe I've overlooked Bill. But just to make it on my first cut of the first view. 0:13:38 - Speaker 2I'll admit, he's not on my list either. Now. I mean, i know, i know, but I love Ghostbusters, i love Grand Hog Day, i love his work in the show, I love his work after the show. But again, it was like it was one of those things where I'm like am I letting this, like the these things that I loved as a kid outside of the show, shade my opinion there? But also I'm like I was trying to balance it out where I'm like not choosing all of these big names and choosing like, just choosing different people And it's like, but, but I have one, i have one, so he's definitely. You know, dave and Brad made good points. When I come to the end, i don't know He's, he's, he's in there. He's in there as, like my baby. Now, will, who did you? who's your first pick? 0:14:29 - Speaker 5So my first pick at the top of my list was Dana Carvey. So for me Dana Carvey, master impressionist, obviously had some iconic characters. He did obviously a great push, a Bush impression. I think most people who impersonate George W Bush are doing an impersonation of Dana Carvey doing Bush. You got Church Lady. I obviously have Garth from Wayne's World, garth Algarso. He has an iconic character on the show as well. That went on to other things And I just think when you think about the, when you think about some of the all timers, we look at the cast members that we love for the Hall of Fame. They are people who can do it all that can carry a sketch, that can do impressions, that can do characters, original characters that get along with the cast, that have things that outlast their time on the show. And I think we don't be looking at the Hall of Fame. You know it's easy to kind of. We just talked about a shading things with, like someone's post career Versus what they did on the show, but we're ice-litting just to someone's timeline. Snl I don't think that there's a time in the future of SNL's existence that someone couldn't mention Wayne's World and Wouldn't be. You know, no Notable as an else. A sketch isn't that special. You know Bush impressions like I'm no data Carby so I'm not gonna do those impressions, but I think it's. It's very hard to say he's not probably one of the best cast members ever come through and During his time in the show and I think he just made it a great impression and so he was no top of my list. 0:15:57 - Speaker 2Anybody else vote for Dana. 0:16:00 - Speaker 4Dana's at the bottom of my bubble. He's somebody that I'm like, i want to put on that list because how him, how He's like the perfect cast member. It's just somebody who's always gonna have fun and be likeable and Come up and come in with characters every weekend, week out. I think a lot of his material doesn't hold up so much. Some of the writings just feels weaker compared to modern-day sketch comedy writing. But he can't deny his level of Talent and just like he was just built for that, for that show. But I I don't know if I don't know if Wally of going back and watching his stuff holds up against some of the other folks On this list. 0:16:49 - Speaker 2Brad, do you? 0:16:49 - Speaker 3have any thoughts. I've got him at number three On my ballot. He is probably, pound for pound, i think, one of the best performers the show's ever had. As will said impressions. I don't know if there's one he can't do bush, our Johnny Carson, car, senio, characters, church at Hans and Franz waning garth. So I mean, right right there, his resume is amazing. He's one of the first guys who would take a cold open and sit by himself in front of the camera for seven minutes and open the show by himself. And I like to look at it at you, look at each era of Saturday night live and where they stood in that era. So you got to remember Dana Carvey showed up Lawrence second year When he came back after his return and the show was not in a good place and that cast is really the reason that that SNL Exists today is guys like Dana Carvey, mike Myers, dennis Miller, john Lovett's, jan Hooks, nor done that cast pulled it Through and Dana Carvey, right off the gate with like chopping broccoli and church chat in the first four or five episodes of That season is just vital for not only that season But the next four or five, six years that he was on that show keeping Sarah night and I have relevant funny hip and Continuing he's on my list as well, just for that. 0:18:03 - Speaker 2I mean, to be fair, that's also like my high school era SNL. So I mean I feel like that. That always kind of burns itself into your, your emotional psyche. So like him and Mike Myers and all of that crew From that era, or just really emotionally important to me, but also like, just like even his little stupid stuff, like the chopping broccoli sketch. It's just such a silly little premise but he Pulls it off in a way that it never becomes stupid, never becomes like okay, we get it. He says I'm chopping broccoli over and over again, let's move on, it just remains fresh. He knows how to keep the, the, the tightness, that's the tension, just right, and And he I found he brought that to like everything. So he is on my list as well. Awesome choice, awesome choice. I am just gonna go by alphabetical order because I can't wait These people. It's so too difficult that that's a level of emotional investment I'm not ready to to give. But I'm gonna start with Amy polar. She is, she is on my list. She's just such a like Dana Carvey, like a workhorse. She would show up for a sketch. She would give it her all. You know it's, it's, it's that massachusetts upbringing kind of thing, like where she she just Fights and goes, and I mean you can see it in like her entire career with like UCB and and all of these other projects that she's. She's lifted from the ground up. When she attacked a sketch She really put all of her energy into it. And I mean like, yeah, these great characters like Betty Caruso, where it's just like she has a way of grounding, even her silly characters, where, you know, bronx beat is just such a silly concept But it never veers into the realm of like coffee talk with Mike Myers when he did coffee talk, where it's just like, okay, this is just a little bit too silly, especially now that Barbara Streisand this showed up. It's just, it just remains true to the premise and Yeah, so that that was my first vote anybody else I agree. 0:20:23 - Speaker 4I mean Amy's on my ballot as well. I think there's Some power. She is just a dynamo, a force to be reckoned with. You know, caitlyn's one of my all-time favorite characters and her stint on we can update is Exemplary. Paired with Seth and with Tina, she had a rough couple first episodes but then just Dominated we can update for many years. I love her characters, i love her energy. I love her Just her general energy and attitude towards comedy and lifting other people up through positivity. And And Bronx beat again also one of my all-time favorites. So Amy Poehler for sure belongs to be the whole thing. 0:21:07 - Speaker 5Yeah, i would. I would agree. She was, like I said, probably I guess number two or so on my list. They said also just an all-time cast member in that like lineage of You know, kristen Wiig and just kind of that dynamo, like that's there throughout the time at the time on the show and They said she has some great characters. Or Sir Hillary Clinton is like the original, like I said, she's just very dependable. There's just those cast members that show up in a sketchy note. It's gonna be good, they're gonna get, but they're all and I just feel like she was one of them And just to me like a no questions asked, first ballahalla famer. 0:21:39 - Speaker 3I do not have her on my ballot, i do not think she's the first time ballot Hall of Famer, but Uh, you guys talk a lot in the podcast. What's a recency bias? I'm probably. Whatever the opposite of that is. So I don't. I don't think I have anybody on my ballot as a first-time nominee. That is Post 1990 something. I think she'll get in eventually, but I there's a lot of other people I think are more deserving to get in, whose time's running out almost. So I didn't vote for Amy Poehler Cuz. I think she'll get in eventually, but I don't think she's first-timer for me. 0:22:11 - Speaker 2Why don't we switch directions will? do you want to share your next choice there? 0:22:17 - Speaker 5Yeah, sure. So I would say next is another first ballot Hall of Famer, but I think has a pretty long tenure. Be mr Christopher walkin Was one of my taught, near top of my list. I think that we look at all the All-time hosts on the show, i think walkin's definitely up there. Obviously it's hosted a lot over his time in his tenure. He has had some notable characters and some great sketches. Is the continental I think I was obviously great sketch his Colonel Angus sketch still makes me laugh and then Tribial, psychic, you know, i think, just the hilarious premise that he just executes to perfection. So it's just. I feel like walking is one of those guys who came on and obviously he was very Easy along the cast and talk about being a team player. When I'm thinking about hosts, people that have been on the show, that are in that, that world, it's You know how able, how are you able to enter like, be within the cast, not just kind of on the outskirts let them do their thing, but really ingratiate yourself to the cat, have your own memorable sketches and and have almost recurring thing, have recurring sketches that Make me think if it weren't for your life outside of ethanol, you could have easily been a cat member, and that's kind of tough to give a host, and not over the cat's members that are there grinding it out every week, over every week but he just feels like someone who once again is is up, up to nominate. I think he's just been a great, great host and I thought that he deserves to get into the whole thing. 0:23:40 - Speaker 2Anybody else vote for Christopher walk. 0:23:43 - Speaker 4He's on my bubble. I don't haven't cut him yet, i know, certainly participating in cowbell and the centaur sketch and sense of sketch and Continental and yeah, all those, just wonderful, just being game for anything. And just I was listening to a couple of his Scenes before the show tonight and just his two handers, which is him and somebody else, going back and forth, is just beauty he has. His rhythm is perfect, his deadpan is perfect, he is game for anything and it's, you know, out of all the people that just reads cue cards, i mean, does anybody do it better than Christopher walk in? no, i don't think so. I think he's one of the all-time best hosts and I wish they'd, i wish they'd bring him back Just once, just one more time. But yeah, i mean he'll probably be on my ballot. I don't see why he wouldn't be, Because I don't think he's gonna. He would be bumped by anybody else on this list. So, sure, he's on my ballot. I'm gonna call it right now. 0:24:48 - Speaker 3Awesome, awesome, brad. Any thoughts? I do not have him on my ballot. He is a great host. He's a fantastic host. I only have one host Cemented on my ballot to on my bubble, but again, he's one of those people where I think I feel like Maybe not first-time ballot, but I can see him definitely in the future. 0:25:08 - Speaker 2He was on my list. I think the thing that put him over the top I mean it was the, the Christmas carol where he's reading it to the kids It was just like it was so dark and so weird and nobody else could pull that off, except for Christopher walkin. It was just like perfect, i have to feel it's like he's. He's almost like a train foddle man, like song song and dance man Came up like during my trivia I talked about how he was hired to dance with Liza Manelli by her mom at A birthday party. Like it's just like he's such a weird human being on so many levels And it's just, it's like it forged him into this perfect. You know you don't get many of those hosts, but those ones that are just make the perfect fit And that's sort of I feel he fits in well. Next up, dave. Who's next on your list? 0:26:09 - Speaker 4The next person on my list is Jan hooks. Jan hooks, to me, is my just Top, top performer. I think she's my number two favorite cast member of all time. She has Such a grace to her but also a little bit of smarm to her Maybe one of the best actresses to ever be on on the show, actors to ever be on the show. Her commitment to The moment is unparallel. She can play heartbreaking. She can play Goofy. She can play straight. She is Maybe one of the best utility players they've ever had, somebody who can do characters, do normal people and Just take Whatever you've given, whatever you've written for her, to another level of humanity, which is brings a three-dimensional Shape to a sketch that a lot of people can't deliver. So I would watch Jan hooks do anything. Rest in peace. And she's by far my Yes. 0:27:23 - Speaker 3Any other votes, Yes. Oh, slam dunk. She's one of my other like slam dunk picks for this, for this class. She everything Dave said and more. Like I mentioned about Dana Carvey. She was in that that cast that kept it going and she's as vital as he was, if not more. Yeah everything Dave said, jan hooks is amazing. 0:27:43 - Speaker 2I totally agree too, because, like she, like I said, that was my high school cast and she was, she was on my list as well. I mean, like the fact that she played Tina or Tammy, faye Baker and Jessica Hahn, like she did both impersonations of this. Like that's mind-bending And Speaks to the power of makeup. But But yeah, like such an amazing kid, amazing performer, and he thoughts will oh. 0:28:12 - Speaker 5Yeah, so, oh yeah, so for Jan hook, she actually is, she's actually on my bubble, so I think there was another earlier cat somewhere that I went with instead. But like I said, I have all respect for the work that she's done on the show. I think, generally speaking, there's a lot of I'm kind of on the opposite side of Brad, where If there's people that have kind of gone through and have been on the ballot, i kind of in my mind I'm always like is my gut instinct, is this person the hall of fame or not? I'm kind of out of less than the baseball film, of like kind of co and get multiple out back to get in. It's kind of like do I think you're in right away? I definitely think she's on my bubble for this first one, like select those spaces open. But it's couple other people that I that I had a lover, but they're still definitely room for her. I know she was a huge contributor to the show and I'm definitely deserves all respect in the world. 0:28:59 - Speaker 3Brad, your next pick, i'll do a Jane curtain. I've got Jane on my ballot again. Original cast show wouldn't be What it would be without her and I think she is the most underrated cast member in the history of the show. You know my show. We're currently halfway through season one and we have a Bit that has just kind of come up organically, which is how great is Jane? because every episode at some point we talk about how great Jane curtain is. Whether she's playing Somebody's wife or mother or this star of the sea of the sketch, she just does everything. She. You know she didn't have a lot of characters. They came about a little bit later in in her run. But you know she had some impressions. She was the Quinn's essential talk show host. Any time They needed a talk show host for those first five years, jane curtain would do it and she would do it well and she would go toe-to-toe against any host Against blue, she against any kind of knucklehead. They would throw against her in any of those those talk shows. Or you know She held and weekend update. You know she was the first person to Do an editorial on the desk when Chevy was hosting weekend update And then she was the first person to take over form by herself, and then her and Dan, her and Bill, and if you just go back and watch it's, it's, you got another. Use baseball analogies on this. Her batting average is very high. It's very it's very rare Jane curtain Strikes out or has an out, she brings it every time. 0:30:25 - Speaker 2You got any other Jane curtain votes. 0:30:28 - Speaker 5She made on my ballot as well. I think you know we're talking about like Jan and Jane, obviously both great, but that's kind of one of the original. For all the reasons that Brad mentioned, like her being able to hold down that forward and be that Constant through the early stages of the show, i thought that she was great and that she out of my ballot, so she definitely made it on mine as well yours to you, dave. 0:30:48 - Speaker 4Yeah, she's my number three, Jane, before John. For sure Yeah she is. But my favorite cast member of all time is Parnell, and Jane curtain invented that role in the cast. She is the backbone of that cast. She makes The sketches have grounded reality. She's the person we identify with in those scenes. As an audience member she Was finally allowed to flourish in that season five and some of the characters she came out with were fantastic and Wonderful. Underrated actress. I wish. I wish She did not have this feud with mourn or the show, because I would love to see her Lorraine host Once before the 50th. It would be a great show. But when I was growing up, of course, my favorite was acroid when I was a kid watching those old shows. But when I started doing comedy for a living it was Jane. I always go back to Jane. Jane was was doing most of the work in those sketches and I really appreciate her as a comedian. What we don't, we don't really call straight man anymore in in the ground in the woke world of comedy. I'm trying to push forth Absurdo and reason here and set up straight man and And crazy guy. You know, but she is the reason here to be For the ages for sure. 0:32:15 - Speaker 2I think this was our first unanimous vote and she was on my list as well just for all of those reasons and, like You know, like Dave said, bit the backbone. I mean, during those first, those chaotic first few seasons, she was almost like a outside of the context of on the screen she would really help keep that cast together and and grounded just as a cast, but then on the screen She, she kept those scenes just flowing and she's just, you know, criminally underrated by by a lot of people, i feel so. So, yeah, if anybody gets a unanimous vote, that is her make. It makes me very happy. Well, my next pick is my. This is my musical guest, dave Grohl. Just like his, his love of the show is so undeniable, like he's game to do stuff every time he's there and and he's willing to become back and be a part of the show, even to not start, just like as like backup for Tom Petty and and like just just put himself out there as a recurring Supporting musical act. And he's been on like an incredible number of times, so like just crazy number of times for a musical act. So I think it technically puts him in the platinum club, which is because he's been on. I think that many times. I gotta wonder what they get when you get into the platinum club. If they get the look that the fancy blazer When you make it into the five timers, what? what happens there? and I feel sorry for whatever Martin Short has made to do for them. I hope because, he seems to be there either go to Minion at the five-timers club. So yes, anybody else? have any thoughts on Dave? 0:34:04 - Speaker 4Dave's on my bubble. I'm considering just. I think he's on the bubble for a couple reasons. Number one is, yes, he's been there more than any other musical guest, which is something to be applauded and Noted, but I can't think of Performances of his that are iconic outside of Nirvana Performance. I don't. I don't look them crooked vultures, was that one of them? Sure, and they're always great, and I love the food fighters. I love when they come on, i love their songs, but I can't think of one that was just like, oh, when I go back and think about That performance, like some of the great musical performances on that show, none of his really come up for me. So that's why he's On the bubble for me. So, definitely, longevity, definitely. You know, fan of comedy gets the show, always brings it. But as far as actual content, nothing stands out to me as iconic. 0:35:03 - Speaker 2So we'll keep going the same direction and I'll switch, switch around next round. So so will what, what, what do you have next? 0:35:12 - Speaker 5All right. So I think I'll go with some more. I'll be on the recency bias side of things today. I think that's a role I'll play today. So I'm gonna go with someone that's actually coming up again That means in controversial conversations but I'm gonna say Justin Timberlake. I know he's kind of been on the ballot before and kind of steadily climbing, but I'll kind of reiterate what I said before. I just think to me he's just he's one of the best hosts that they've had. I think when you look at it for the time that he was on the show. I know he has been there in a while but similar to early hosts in the early days, like Steve Martin, like appointment television for people to say I'm gonna watch your SNL this evening because Justin Timberlake is gonna be on, or doing double duty I thought that he really brought that level of excitement to the show. Obviously felt like he could have been a cast member on the show. He did recurring sketches. He's talking about Omelaville and all the iterations that came thereafter. Obviously a talented musical artist as well, doing double duties I mentioned before, and I mean Dick in the Box will be around for the rest of time. And I think that when you talk about whether you are in utility or in everything and you're just doing a great job consistently, or you're there and you just have some iconic moments. I think he has a little bit of both And definitely the tensions on him because he's the host. Still a lot of stuff is written around him, but I think people that were on the show at that time, people that he worked with and collaborated with, and say that he felt like someone who could have been on the cast And I just feel like he's someone who, to me, is a Hall of Famer And so that's why I would nominate, or I have Justin on my ballot. 0:36:49 - Speaker 2Anybody else got Justin on there. 0:36:52 - Speaker 4Yes, i do. Justin is definitely. He's the only host I have on my ballot. He is a consummate professional as a host. To not only be a musical guest as well, which I think you would have to be in order to be an iconic Hall of Fame host Not have to be, but it certainly helps And his performances I can think of many of his musical performances as well but to have recurring characters as a host, not with one generation but with two generations. He is the singers with Andy Sandberg, the Andy Gibbs show with Jimmy Fallon. He has his own recurring character, as you mentioned, omletville. That is his own, he's him, he's the constant in that. That is insane, just. I mean Christopher Walken, of course, is in there as well with Continental. That makes sense as well. But I mean I would look forward to any Justin Timberlake show. I'd watch any Justin Timberlake repeat If it comes up on the early version at NBC. I'm sticking around and watching the Justin Timberlake show because I know it's gonna be a great show And he represents to me five-star host experience. So all for Justin Timberlake. 0:38:11 - Speaker 3I don't disagree with what you guys said, but he's not on my ballot, but it's just there. I confined I think 13, 14 more people that I'd rather make sure got in or stayed on the ballots before him. I'm sure enough people will vote for Justin Timberlake that he'll. If he doesn't get in, we'll make it through the next round and I will happily vote him in, probably next class. But as you see, the second half of my list, there's a lot of prevent defense and I'm voting for a lot of people because I don't want them to go away. 0:38:39 - Speaker 2I mean, i love his work And, like Dave said, two generations. he was able to forge relationships and have multiple, not just dick in a box, but we got like mother, lover and three-way. So it's a trilogy of very weird and uncomfortable songs. 0:38:58 - Speaker 4And the dating game. 0:39:00 - Speaker 2Yeah, yeah And yeah, and also the Barry Gibb talk show. I mean, that's one of my is. My wife is a huge Bee Gees fan, so she gets excited when that comes on because she says this is so hot, he was on my bubble, he was on my bubble, so I still have one left. I don't know, maybe it'll be Justin, we'll see. So, dave, your next choice. 0:39:24 - Speaker 4I'm gonna go with Maya Rudolph. Maya Rudolph, to me, is a concert professional. It's her third ballot So, like Brad, i don't want her to go away too soon. So I wanna make sure that I vote for Maya Rudolph because she is a phenomenal cast member and a phenomenal host when she comes back. She has so many talents She plays broad, she plays specific, she does accents, she does celebrity impressions, she has a rhythm that is all her own. She does impressions. She is everything that you would want in a cast member. If I'm a director or producer, i want a Maya Rudolph in my all-time cast because I can throw anything at her and she is going to take it and make it better for sure, and she's gonna bring the house down. The audience is gonna love her And I just think she's phenomenal, phenomenal talent. If I was gonna build my top seven cast members, if I had a dream team, maya would definitely be in that cast. 0:40:32 - Speaker 2Anybody else vote for Maya. 0:40:35 - Speaker 5I did as well. I agree with everything that Dave said. I think that she's an all-timer. I think she's incredibly talented and also on the stacked cast. I think it was a time of the show when the women were really dominating and just obviously doing it really great And I feel like she almost got overlooked at times. So it was amazing. Kind of reminds me of how like Cecily was, I also want to stack cast, but I think she just because she never really had that goodbye when she started kind of building her family and kind of would pop back on the show every once in a while near the end of her tenure. I don't think she got the roses she deserved on her exit, But I just think, you know, once you can look at all the generations of the show and some of the talent's coming through there, I just think that she is amazing and definitely made it to my ballot this time around. 0:41:16 - Speaker 3Did not make it to my ballot, but she's on my bubble for the exact reasons Dave was saying. You know, i think she definitely needs to get in and I'm trying to gauge when I finally do give that vote to get her in, because I don't want her to fall off. But she's on my bubble and she's probably one of the leading candidates to sneak in my last spot or two. 0:41:34 - Speaker 2Yeah, Same here, like she's just such an incredible talent. But again it was like without weighing of choices. That makes it tricky. But again, like the Prince show, like her Beyonce on the Prince show is so hilarious, just paired with the Prince impersonation, it's just they're so bonkers together, her and Fred, and it's just it's a thing of beauty. But again it's like there's so many hard choices. This is a real tough one. Okay, brad, what do you have for us? 0:42:11 - Speaker 3You know, i can go for a twofer if I may, because they're kind of intertwined and I have a feeling they'll both get shot down. I have James Downey and Jack Handy, two longtime amazing writers. So I think a lot of casual fans probably don't even know their names or, if they do, don't know them well enough. Second time ballot for Jack Handy. Third for James Downey. I remember I emailed Jamie after season one when James Downey didn't make it in and I emailed him like how the hell did your voters not put James Downey in the Saturday Night of Hall of Fame? He's such an amazing talent and contributor through multiple generations. So the two of these are writers which you know. I think you guys have talked about this before. Writers are a little bit underrepresented in the hall. These are two votes that would be slam dunked. I would put them in for both of their writing work, for all of the work they've done, all their sketches, all their contributions, all the work they've done with the key cast members you know their names and faces of So many of them have worked with Downey and Handy over the years. 0:43:07 - Speaker 5I also had both of them on my ballot for the same reason Thank you Will thank you. Yeah, i mean, you know, I think you know Jack Handy with deep thoughts, you know I say I think alone, like those are, those are, those are classics. And then with with Downey I think obviously he's been involved a lot of sketches. But I also leaned into the fact there are so many people that have passed through SNL that mentioned him and his influence and his notepad and constantly being one of the best, the greatest joke writers of all time. And you know, as you mentioned, Brad, like writers are kind of in the background, they don't get the recognition that they, that they deserve for being the backbottled body sketches. And both those two just felt like they should get their due and they definitely made on my ballot this round. 0:43:48 - Speaker 4Yeah, i had James Downey for sure, just because of his contributions and the longevity of his tenure there. you know, going from the original cast all the way through Norm MacDonald, you know it was quite an impressive run and being a influence in that writer's room for that many years, i don't know he's. for me he's a slam dunk. Jack Handy was an unfortunate cut. I couldn't. I couldn't get Jack Handy on my ballot. I wanted to and I'd listened. actually I listened to. the Jack Handy episode went back today while I was grocery shopping today and listening to it And as he wrote a lot of things that I hadn't realized he wrote which was good for me to hear. But it occurred to me while I was listening to it how singular his voice was and how he doesn't really have a lasting influence on the future generation. So it feels to me like he was. his contribution was very like this very specific style of humor that didn't really like resonate through the generations. Maybe Wolf Ortea, a little bit kind of picks up where Jack Handy left off, maybe a little Kyle Mooney, just that kind of train of thought. But I don't think that Jack Handy had the staying power of his influence as some of the other folks on this on this list, and as much as I love Tunis and who doesn't love Deep Thoughts, deep Thoughts was already a thing before he got to Saturday Night Live, so that wasn't his Saturday Night Live contribution. That's the thing. he got hired, got him hired at Saturday Night Live and he started contributing that to Saturday Night Live, so I wouldn't really count it as his contribution to Saturday Night Live, as much as it is his signature piece. 0:45:36 - Speaker 2Both really influential writers. It's a strong case that Brad makes, so it should be interesting to see if they make it. My next lip selection is the one that I feel is gonna get shot down Very controversial one Dick Eversall. I mean he was there from the beginning. He helped make the show reality. When Lauren stepped away, he got a lot of flack and people are like, oh, the Eversall years. But really he saved the show. Like he made hiring choices bringing on Eddie Murphy. He kept the show going. Only a lot of people blame. There's the terrible Robert Downey Jr cast era. A lot of people peg that on him and don't realize no, that was Lauren's first year back That was his fault. The fact that he had the brat pack as half the cast is not on him. It's not on Dick. So, yeah, i think, if we've got Lauren in there, i think we should have Dick alongside him as one of the founding producers and creators of that show. 0:46:46 - Speaker 4Dick Eversall is definitely on my ballot. He's my number five on my ballot, just above Justin Timberlake, for all the reasons that you said. And I started watching the show regularly during that era. That was when I came online with Saturday Night Live. So Gary Kroger, mary Gross shows were like what I started watching every week, and so when Lauren came back, i didn't understand who that guy was. That's not true, But I like those shows. I love that. Christopher guest, harry Shearer, martin Shortyear I thought that was such a fun And you know he Dick Eversall, of course was in there for the beginning, but he reinvented the show in the 80s and kind of found a rhythm that we're still following to this day, introducing a lot more taped pieces promoting Eddie Murphy, bringing that, julie Louis-Dreyfus and that whole crew from Chicago as a group from the second city in the 80s, and so I love what he did to the show. I know he even tried to kill the show a couple of times, which is fine. You know you can have some villains in the Hall of Fame. For sure Billy Martin's in the Hall of Fame, right In the baseball Hall of Fame, so for sure Dick Eversall belongs to be in the Hall of Fame for what he contributed to the show before his tenure and during his tenure for sure, i have him on mine too. 0:48:13 - Speaker 3Yeah, definitely. 0:48:15 - Speaker 5Same for all the reasons you listed. 0:48:17 - Speaker 2Awesome, excellent, all right Will. Who do you have for us next? 0:48:22 - Speaker 5I will go with The Lonely Island, why not? I might be on an island with this one, but I'm going to go ahead and nominate them, the reason being the reason why I wanted to have them. Like I know, they've been kind of on and climbing And I think that one of the main reasons he talked about kind of the way, and now obviously sorry as being a live show the fact that they came in and were able to bring the show into the 21st century and be able to have prerecords that were more accepted in the format of the show and be able to, even though it's not live, i mean be able to bring another way to help the variety format of the show be relevant nowadays, especially when you look at how the show is consumed now. A lot of people aren't necessarily watching it live, they're watching it the next day And they were kind of helping it be that they had to have those kind of streaming made for the masses hits. They had a lot of obviously great sketches. They had a lot of great prerecords, like over 100. And I guess we've talked about some of them. I'm on a boat, they can a box, laser cats. There's been so many different iterations that they had, that they're able to own As a writing team too I know Andy was kind of the face of it, but being able to prominently feature writers and into those sketches and be able to bring the host into it, and that's something that even now there's prerecords that are more part of the show every single week, that yes, there were some throughout time They weren't the first people to do a prerecord, but that being a staple of the show every single week and not being something that was kind of frowned upon and like we'll do it every once in a while, i feel like they deserve to have a spot in the Hall of Fame And, like I said, i guess kind of talking on both sides and I'm not glad they're getting close to that point where need to figure out they're going to get in or out, and there's a lot of stories to be told about the beginning of SNL. But I feel like when you look at how the show is now and bringing it to modern, like a more modern era now, and the way things are consumed, i think they deserve to be in for their contributions. 0:50:14 - Speaker 3I agree with you, will. They are still not on my ballot, but I'm pretty confident they would make the Hall of Fame without me voting them in. I'm sure they will get into your point about them wanting to get in. This is their third ballot. If they don't get in this time, i would vote for them for their fourth time Because, as much as I don't want them to get in right away, it would be a sin if it took them till their fifth and final ballot. So they're not on mine. I'm sure they'll get in And if not, they'll be a next time, i'm sure. 0:50:42 - Speaker 4Yeah, I think there's very few people who have changed the game. Not only did William and Eddie Murphy change the game, John Lovett's changed the game, Kristen Wiig changed the game, But very few writers changed the game on SNL Live. And then Lowellin definitely did that And you got to give them props. I think step two your dick in that box might be one of the funniest things that's ever been written in SNL Live Every Christmas. That makes my wife laugh out loud Every Christmas without fail. And if you can make my wife laugh at a dick joke out loud, you've earned your spot in the Hall of Fame. 0:51:21 - Speaker 2They're on my list as well For all of those reasons. I mean, the tree tapes have become either really really weird love is a dream, such a weird concept from that 90s era or just these kind of by the numbers commercial parodies. It was like, ok, what drug parody or car parody or whatever, but they brought it back almost to the Albert Brooks level of just leaning into the really silly, the comedic, and making these pre-tapes vital Again, making them feel not like an afterthought but an important part of the show And also being possibly the best musical parody act aside from weird Alianca Vic, who needs to be on the show. I will say this I will go to my grave fighting for him to be on the show. How is he not being on the show? But yeah, they're just an incredible bunch of writers, incredible talent And, yeah, totally, totally agree. 0:52:29 - Speaker 4I will say not only do they change the game of Saturday Night Live, they change the game of comedy while on Saturday Night Live, which is very hard to do Most people, if they're going to change the face of comedy, they do it after Saturday Night Live. They did it while they were on Saturday Night Live, So that's very commendable. 0:52:48 - Speaker 2Dave, who do you have for us? 0:52:50 - Speaker 4I'm going to go with the last person that's on my definite ballot and out of my bubble And that is Paul Simon as a musical guest. I think from the get-go he was one of the people that really supported the show, brought credibility to the show. I kept coming back to the show He hosted. He's done sketches But as far as a musical guest he has had some iconic musical performances. He's got certainly. Here comes a son with George Harrison. He's got still crazy after all these years in the chicken suit And he's got the boxer after 9-11. I think for those three musical performances alone you'd have to consider him as if we're going. If you have to have one from each category, i don't know how you don't pick Paul Simon on your ballot. He is a friend of the show and just wonderfully fits into the vibe of what the show has been since the very beginning. 0:53:51 - Speaker 2Any other votes for Paul? 0:53:53 - Speaker 3I do not have him on my ballot, But I feel like Paul Simon is a very weird and interesting case because I agree, Like all three of those performances Dave mentioned are great, But he wasn't the musical guest for those, He was the host or the 2000 after 9-11, he was an unannounced guest. Paul Simon's first couple appearances on the show was as a host. Now, granted, he sang a lot, but he was technically the host And so putting him as a musical guest, I don't know, And I feel like there's a very weird and this is kind of to the Dick Ebersole of it all weird fourth realm that could exist in this Hall of Fame, where you're not pigeonholed into a particular thing. And I think someone like Paul Simon really would take that, because I don't think he does it on his hosting status and gigs alone. I don't think he does it on his musical guest status alone or his cameos alone, But when you put them all together, one of the best skits he's been a part of is and he's in line with Jan Hooks, I think it is at the movie theater. And he sees all the people walk by and he remembers them from a concert and they bought an album. And then Arco Funko walks by and he has no idea who he is, but again, so I think if there was a weird fourth hodgepodge category hands down, i would give it to him, but as a musical guest I just, yeah, i left him off. 0:55:16 - Speaker 2Yeah, it feels like there needs to be like special achievement inductees. Just just for something. Yeah, you see, he's all these categories coming together, like you both said. So yeah, that's, jamie, something to consider. 0:55:35 - Speaker 4Like that old white guy that's in the background of like a thousand sketches. Yes, The white hair. You know that guy. 0:55:42 - Speaker 2Yeah, yeah, all right, rad, what do you have for us? 0:55:47 - Speaker 3I'll go with my. Now I'm kind of in my. I've gotten through my slam dunks and my bubble-ish realm. I have one host on my list and it's John Goodman. He's again multi-generations. I mean. What was it? 12, 13 years in a row he was hosting. I think there was one time he hosted with Tom Petty again and the running joke in the monologue that they thought it was the same episode from six years ago. You know as a host would throw himself into the sketches, throw himself into the show, whatever was asked, whatever he needed to do, if he had to dress as Linda Tripp. You know whether you like or dislike how he joined the world of the Blues Brothers what have you but it still says something to who he is and what he means to that show. And I, you know we talk about, as we've said before, you know the era that you grew up watching SNL. That era for me, was a lot of times when John Goodman hosted. So he's a third time nominee of all the hosts I have. I don't wanna see John Goodman go and not get in, so I'm keeping him on my ballot as my host spot. 0:56:51 - Speaker 2Anybody else vote for John, not on my ballot. Yeah, he's on there too, like I don't want him to fall off, but he's. It's that bevy of talent. It's hard to choose. All right, well, my next one is going back to the early years. Elliot Gould, elliot Gould, so, as for hosting, he was just such a fixture during that like 76 to 80 era. He was the first movie star to host, like big name movie star to come on. So it created, you know, like Paul Simon helped create legitimacy, elliot Gould helped create legitimacy for the show and it, you know, it's like Lily Tomlin was the same way, where they almost felt like members of the cast just because of the intimacy during those early years and the recurrence and the relationships they seemed to build with the cast. So, yeah, so Elliot Gould is on my list of hosts to be inducted. 0:57:55 - Speaker 4Not on my list. No, As much as I love his movie roles and him as an actor, didn't really stand out to me as a major host. 0:58:04 - Speaker 3Not on my list as well. I agree with you, know. I think everything you mentioned about Elliot Gould take away the movie star aspect and I think there's a better host candidate from that era that's on my bubble above him. 0:58:18 - Speaker 5Yeah, i also didn't have him on there, not the pile on your map, but I also didn't have him on there. But I mean definitely, like you said, great contrast to the early parts of the show. I just didn't have him on my bubble, but I didn't have him on my final ballot. 0:58:32 - Speaker 2Hey, after the surprising turnaround with Dick Embersall's choice that I totally fair, i will take this. Okay, will, who do you have for us? 0:58:41 - Speaker 5So I'll. next one I'll have it's someone that's actually returning, but next one I'll talk about a cast member is Molly Shannon. So for me I think Molly is another one of those cast members that was that's an all-timer, i think. talking about the energy that she brought, the versatile she had on the show. She was obviously with a stat cast as well as one of the most recognizable characters of all time with Mary-Catherine Gallagher Not, i know, spin-offs don't meet in your movies outside of the show, how successful they are or not, don't count for anything, but obviously recognizable enough to get a shot at it. Sally O'Malley something she had delicious dish on NPR. I mean those are some really classic moments and sketches and classic characters And I like to say that she's coming up on that third ballot. I think she's just one of those great cast member And so she made it on my ballot this time around. 0:59:29 - Speaker 2Got any other votes for her. 0:59:32 - Speaker 3Much like Maya Rudolph, i think she'd get in. She's on my bubble, but I needed to be convinced to put her above a few people. 0:59:39 - Speaker 2Well, i am with you on this one. She is on my ballot And what really put her over the top was her recent hosting gig. Honestly, because it is like watching her perform, it's like she's still so vital, like I would love to have her on the cast now, like it would. Just she's so full of energy and like all of those characters that she brought back, like Sally O'Malley, you know, it's just like they still work. They work now better than ever, and that just speaks to the timelessness and like the heart that she brings to the show. So yeah, so she's got my vote. Dave, who do you have for us? 1:00:22 - Speaker 4Oh boy, i guess my next one. I'll go back to my season one episode and that is Frank and Davis, who I spoke for in season one. They were the first team to be hired predating well, the island or good neighbor or any of these other writing teams hired practical theater company. But they actually, between them, have about they each have 20 seasons on the show, which is unreal. 19 of them were in the same season. They each had one season apart. But the contributions that they made on that show to political discourse, to political comedy, to satire they were the first ones that Lauren just gave like five minutes to do whatever you want on the show. This week They had their own mini episode within Serial Life while the Frank and the Davis show. Some of them are unwatchable, but that also shows a lot of trust, how much trust Lauren had in them and their sensibilities. Oh, frank was such a fantastic senator. But they also created so many iconic characters throughout the years The Coneheads from Tom Davis and the Continental from Tom Davis and Stuart Smalley from Al Franken Just so many things that people don't realize were them. And to also have that kind of influence over the writer's room over the course of the first 20, 25 years of the show is unmistakable. So for that alone, especially on the third ballot, they should be in the hall of fame by now. 1:02:06 - Speaker 3I've got these guys. They're on my bubble and they're on the inside of my bubble, But what I try to figure out is separating Frank and Davis from Al Franken and Tom Davis. You know what I mean. Are you putting Frank and Davis in because Al Franken created Stuart Smalley, Like because Frank and Davis was a unit for a brief period of time? Both of these guys contributed a lot years down the road. But what's the difference between Frank and Davis and two different writers combined together? So I look at it and even doing that, I still look at it as Frank and Davis, the team of Frank and Davis, And I still have them on the bubble for all they've done in those early years and what they did. But that's why they're on my bubbles. I'm kind of kind of like you just mentioned with Molly Shannon, like I would not put her recent hosting job towards her getting into the hall as a cast member. But that's just me. 1:03:03 - Speaker 2Well, Brad, who do you have for us for this next round? 1:03:06 - Speaker 3Can I ask Dave, though like what do you think about that, dave? Because I know I remember your episode and it was great. 1:03:10 - Speaker 4That's a really good notion. 1:03:11 - Speaker 3And what do you think about that of you know people? it's kind of like the Paul Simon thing again of Frank and Davis as writers, beyond being the team of Frank and Davis. 1:03:19 - Speaker 4Well, i would say it's a really good notion. As far as Paul Simon goes, i'd say that if he's doing a musical number he is a musical guest, whether he's the announced musical guest or not. He is a musical guest in that sense And I don't the fact that they were in the writers' room together to me constitutes a Frank and Davis

EPISODE 208: COUNTDOWN WITH KEITH OLBERMANN A-Block (1:44) SPECIAL COMMENT: Special Counsel Jack Smith is clearly pursuing a theory of Donald Trump's stolen classified documents conspiracy in which Trump ignored a subpoena to return every classified document, committed Obstruction of Justice and violated the Espionage Act by hiding them from his own attorney's search in order to retain them, and then somehow utilized them in post-presidency business deals with one of seven countries, including China and Saudi Arabia. AND as evidence: Jack Smith has nothing less than the real time hand-written notes from Trump's own attorney. The real-time record (one analyst describes it as “Special Counsel Smith strikes gold”) could be enough to put Trump in prison for ten years PER COUNT for not just willfully retaining classified documents, but deliberately HIDING THEM to keep his own lawyer from finding them and giving them back to the authorities – a brazen violation of a key part of the Espionage Act. And from a separate sourced story and even more astonishingly, it's clear the Special Counsel is ALSO pursuing evidence that Trump may have given, or traded, or SOLD classified documents to China, France, Kuwait, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and/or the United Arab Emitates. Whether the evidence can be obtained – whether it even exists – isn't clear. On the other hand, Jack Smith didn't pick the names of seven countries out of a hat. B-Block (19:23) POSTSCRIPTS TO THE NEWS: Congratulations, Anderson Cooper, you've escaped 4th Place! Chris Wallace? Not so much. SOMETHING good came from that network-ending Trump Town Hall: E. Jean Carroll IS suing Trump again. And the real nightmare of the fake AI of the "explosions" that never happened at the Pentagon and White House? The AI will only get more convincing (22:40) THE WORST PERSONS IN THE WORLD: Marjorie Taylor Greene's boyfriend claims Brittney Griner is a "man;" the GOP wants a NATIONAL stand-your-ground right to murder law; and what does it profit a man to run for president if he loses his face? C-Block (27:50) THINGS I PROMISED NOT TO TELL: My God, it's 23 years since I quit SportsCenter to go try my hand at news at NBC. The story's been told a dozen times in a dozen ways, none of them accurately. Especially the part of how an unexpected development after I quit - the arrival of a letter from the father of an autistic boy - caused me to go back to my bosses and say I was willing to stay, at least for one show a week.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 5 of NBC's Saturday Night had A LOT of off-screen drama to get through just to get the show on air.  Dick Ebersol booked a musical guest no one wanted, said group then proceeds to lip sync their songs, and oh...this is the week that LORNE QUIT THE SHOW?!?!!??!? We get into the whys and hows of this situation and dive into a show that is very uneven (at best) but does manage to include the first ever appearances of Emily Litella and Sherry the valley girl.Subscribe today! And follow us on social media on X (Twitter), Instagram, and Facebook.

Frankie Pace was one the first comedy/novely acts to appear on Saturday Night Live. Frankie shares the story of meeting Dick Ebersol and how he got on SNL.  Frankie is a lovable comic with over 30 years experience in Prop Comedy, Story Telling, and Jokes. Working every venue with stars like Patti LaBelle, Sinatra Jr.,The Pointer Sisters, Aaron Neville, Tom Jones, BB King and more. Frankie worked at his craft alongside other comedians like Eddie Murphy, Bob Nelson, Jackie Martling, and Rosie O'Donnell. Frankie has gone on to be many TV shows and movies as the funny, lovable man he is. Again, Frankie is free and unfiltered here - so we offer you a language warning. That's Frankie with Frank Zappa.

Paul Barrosse joined me to discuss his influence of vaudeville and fifties TV comedians; working with Sid Caser at SNL; Dick Ebersol's host choices; Sid wanting more rehearsal time; he and Tim Kazurisnky fitting the same nichde so he knew he wouldn't get airtime; being in a comedy cabaret troupe with adults at 16; directing Threepenny Opera at Northwestern; student written comedy revues led to the Practical Theater Company; PTC had plays, improv revues and rock; improv was scripted beforehand; his theory of improv; how the Practical Theatre Company (himself, Brad Hall, Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Gary Kroeger) got hired for Saturday Night Live; their love for the Beatles; the network censoring him out of his part in his first SNL sketch, the PTC Club; letters about "A Christmas Message from April May June"; Nukes are for Kukes, Brad's guitar at Weekend Update and Dick nixing political and physical comedy; Davey Wilson nixes ideas if to hard to direct; difference between Letterman and SNL; writing a Tonight Show parody for The Smothers Brothers; writing Best Little Whorehouse on the Prarie for Robert Blake; Blake's being friendly only to him; Blake's hatred for Michael Landon and Hal Roach; writing Hell Bent for Glory for Dave Thomas and Rick Moranis, Battered Husband and My Friend Zeus for Gary Kroeger, and Guy Crazy for Beauand Jeff Bridges; memories of Stevie Wonder; Ed Koch; Northwestern University houses his sketches; his season only writers Ellen Fogle and Tracy Torme; was let go because he was hired at same pay as cast members and was most expensive and newest writer; he did not handle it well with Dick Ebersol who was friendly to him; went back to PTC; producing specials for TV Land including "100 Greatest TV Themes"; creating Little People, Big World; doing documentaries with Elizabeth Smart and Mary Kay Laterneau; his daughters, all of whom are now in show business; future shows of the Practical Theatre Company

At the dawn of the 21st Century, in the winter of 2001, a new gridiron football league appeared on the sports scene. The brainchild of wrestling promotor Vince McMahon and television executive Dick Ebersol, the XFL sought to become the premier weekly sporting event in America during the NFL off season. As most football fans, the original XFL fell short and, as the name of the title suggests, failed spectacularly on television and most importantly, in the ratings. During the season, Brett was there with the league every step of the way as a young freelance writer. His book, Long Bomb, is a compelling tale of hubris and the lessons the league soon learned as ratings fell and America tuned out of a television product few had been clamoring for outside of the cult of spring football. Brett is currently a national security investigative reporter for The Wall Street Journal. He was formerly a senior writer for ESPN The Magazine, where he reported on sports and crime and was a member of the staff that won the National Magazine Award for general excellence. His last film was the ESPN/ABC true-crime documentary, Pin Kings, an Emmy finalist. He is the author of The Big Fix, an international crime bestseller in development as a feature film at Netflix, as well as Long Bomb. Brett's international-affairs reporting has appeared in Vanity Fair, The Atlantic, National Geographic, The New York Times Magazine, Time, Foreign Policy, and Playboy. For a decade, he worked in Russia, Ukraine, and Brazil. He has reported from 50 countries, and his articles have been syndicated in more than 30 languages. His work has appeared in The Best American Science and Nature Writing. You can find all of Brett's books on Amazon and at other major booksellers. Additionally, his writings are also available at this web site, www.brettforrest.com. In addition to this podcast, Brett also appeared recently on the X Fan Show videocast.

At the dawn of the 21st Century, in the winter of 2001, a new gridiron football league appeared on the sports scene. The brainchild of wrestling promotor Vince McMahon and television executive Dick Ebersol, the XFL sought to become the premier weekly sporting event in America during the NFL off season. As most football fans, the original XFL fell short and, as the name of the title suggests, failed spectacularly on television and most importantly, in the ratings. During the season, Brett was there with the league every step of the way as a young freelance writer. His book, Long Bomb, is a compelling tale of hubris and the lessons the league soon learned as ratings fell and America tuned out of a television product few had been clamoring for outside of the cult of spring football.Brett is currently a national security investigative reporter for The Wall Street Journal. He was formerly a senior writer for ESPN The Magazine, where he reported on sports and crime and was a member of the staff that won the National Magazine Award for general excellence. His last film was the ESPN/ABC true-crime documentary, Pin Kings, an Emmy finalist. He is the author of The Big Fix, an international crime bestseller in development as a feature film at Netflix, as well as Long Bomb. Brett's international-affairs reporting has appeared in Vanity Fair, The Atlantic, National Geographic, The New York Times Magazine, Time, Foreign Policy, and Playboy. For a decade, he worked in Russia, Ukraine, and Brazil. He has reported from 50 countries, and his articles have been syndicated in more than 30 languages. His work has appeared in The Best American Science and Nature Writing. You can find all of Brett's books on Amazon and at other major booksellers. Additionally, his writings are also available at this web site, www.brettforrest.com.In addition to this podcast, Brett also appeared recently on the X Fan Show videocast.

This week on the podcast we're joined by Deremy Dove to discuss the idea of Dick Ebersol being a solid candidate for the SNL Hall of Fame. Before that conversation we hear from Matt Ardill in his Minutia Minute and lastly we hear from Ebsersol himself via the Rich Eisen show. Check it out won't you? If you've got questions about the show or would like to be a guest on an episode in the future please reach out - jamie@snlhof.comYou can follow and support the show through discussion and sharing in all the usual places: https://kite.link/snl-hall-of-fameSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/snlhof/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

At the dawn of the 21st Century, in the winter of 2001, a new gridiron football league appeared on the sports scene. The brainchild of wrestling promotor Vince McMahon and television executive Dick Ebersol, the XFL sought to become the premier weekly sporting event in America during the NFL off season. As most football fans, the original XFL fell short and, as the name of the title suggests, failed spectacularly on television and most importantly, in the ratings. During the season, Brett was there with the league every step of the way as a young freelance writer. His book, Long Bomb, is a compelling tale of hubris and the lessons the league soon learned as ratings fell and America tuned out of a television product few had been clamoring for outside of the cult of spring football. Brett is currently a national security investigative reporter for The Wall Street Journal. He was formerly a senior writer for ESPN The Magazine, where he reported on sports and crime and was a member of the staff that won the National Magazine Award for general excellence. His last film was the ESPN/ABC true-crime documentary, Pin Kings, an Emmy finalist. He is the author of The Big Fix, an international crime bestseller in development as a feature film at Netflix, as well as Long Bomb. Brett's international-affairs reporting has appeared in Vanity Fair, The Atlantic, National Geographic, The New York Times Magazine, Time, Foreign Policy, and Playboy. For a decade, he worked in Russia, Ukraine, and Brazil. He has reported from 50 countries, and his articles have been syndicated in more than 30 languages. His work has appeared in The Best American Science and Nature Writing. You can find all of Brett's books on Amazon and at other major booksellers. Additionally, his writings are also available at this web site, www.brettforrest.com. In addition to this podcast, Brett also appeared recently on the X Fan Show videocast.

Kiki Steele joins me to discuss getting hired at SNL at the tail end of Dick Ebersol's regime and the beginning of Lorne Michaels second; watching the Beatles on The Ed Sullivan Show; going to Emerson College; being mentored by Norman Lear; Andy Kaufman wanting to hang out in the ladies room at Fridays; working with Paul Miller again on Norman's Corner and Madame's Place; The Hollywood Cubes; Lorne Michaels; messing up timing at the SNL 15th anniversary and being bailed out by Robin Williams; SNL being like a family; her typical week: clean up on Monday; host pitch meeting; typing up scripts Tuesday night and Wednesday morning; putting together the read through packet; timing sketches in read through; waiting for the sketch cards to go up; asking writers for changes; bound scripts delivered on Thursday; counting down musical guest; rehearsals Friday; Herb Sargent delivering baked goods Saturday morning; dress rehearsal; live show; favorite writers: Robert Smigel, Jack Handey; Franken & Davis; the 86 - 90 cast; Bronson Pinchot worst host; Tom Hanks and John Lithgow favorites; Sigourney Weaver gave the pa's gifts; Buster Poindexter had a song ready every week; Francis Ford Coppola episode; William Shatner; Prince; 15th Anniversary show; Comedy Channel lures her away but she works two jobs; working with Marc Maron, Alan King, and Bob Hope; finding the movies for MST3K; Higgins Boys and Gruber; Alan Zweibel; women writers; Andy Breckman; first job when hired in 1985 was to clean out old scripts from all the way back to first episode; has her SNL jacket; Lorne got her a clock when she left; working with Will Durst; leaving Comedy Central; doing a pilot with Dave Attell; seeing the moonwalk for the first time; Liberty Weekend; Waylon Jennings saves her life; Terry Sweeney; Danitra Vance; Randy Quaid; Victoria Jackson; Paul Simon; Andrew "Dice" Clay; Sam Kinison; her three daughters, two work/worked at SNL; college admissions consultant

[After an entertaining "inaugural" weekend of the XFL's third incarnation, we dig into the archives for this 2019 conversation with author Brett Forrest - and a rewind to the league's original season back in 2001!] As another NFL season closes, we shift gears toward the forthcoming Alliance of American Football – the first of two new leagues attempting to again extend the pro game into viable Spring season play – where the USFL, World League of American Football and NFL Europe have famously tried before. The other – both in 2001 and in a reincarnated form coming next year – was and is the XFL, which we finally sink our teeth into for the first time this week with Wall Street Journal national security reporter Brett Forrest (Long Bomb: How the XFL Became TV's Biggest Fiasco). We drop this episode on the 18th anniversary of when the audacious joint venture between the Vince McMahon-helmed World Wresting Federation (now WWE) and the Dick Ebersol-captained NBC Sports opened play at a raucous Sam Boyd Stadium in Las Vegas to see the hometown Outlaws battle the already-villainous New York/New Jersey Hitmen in front of a national primetime television audience. Nearly two decades later, most who witnessed it (not to mention the tumultuous season that followed) still don't know what to make of it. Forrest digs into: the process of tackling his then-first-ever book assignment with Long Bomb (including the pre-season magazine article from which it came); some of the curious characters (the seemingly-legitimizing presence of Dick Butkus, the unwitting marketing genius of Rod “He Hate Me” Smart, the hungry group of eager players simply wanting one last shot at playing pro football) he encountered along the way; and the less-than-enthusiastic response of McMahon to the idea of a book about the league in the first place. Be sure to check out the great XFL shirts and replica jerseys from our friends at 503 Sports!

Welcome back to SNL Stories, our interview podcast series where the Saturday Night Network catches up with SNL alumni from all eras of the show! Our next guest is Neil Levy, who in addition to being Lorne Michaels' cousin, was a Saturday Night Live extra, writer, and talent coordinator in the early years of the show. Neil joins us to discuss working for Lorne, Jean Doumanian, and Dick Ebersol, and tells us some incredible stories including the hiring of Eddie Murphy. Hope you enjoy this interview hosted by Jon Schneider, James Stephens, & Andy Hoglund! ----- Welcome to the official Saturday Night Network podcast feed, where you will hear audio from our weekly roundtables discussing all things SNL. Podcast hosts, journalists that cover the show, and superfans will look back at the entire history of Saturday Night Live and talk about how the legacy of Season 48 compares to all eras of the show. Make sure to follow us on Twitter and Instagram (@thesnlnetwork) and subscribe on YouTube thesnlnetwork to never miss an episode! Catch up on other interviews: SNL Stories: Bobby Moynihan (Dec 16, 2022) SNL Stories: Michael Streeter (Dec 9, 2022) SNL Stories: Paul Shaffer (Nov 23, 2022) SNL Stories: Jeffrey Gurian (Sept 1, 2022) SNL Stories: Tom "Bones" Malone (Aug 17, 2022) JFL Red Carpet Interviews (Jay Pharoah, Taylor Tomlinson, etc.) (Aug 4, 2022) Chris Redd on Season 47 (June 24, 2022) SNL Stories: Mitchell Kriegman (June 15, 2022) SNL Stories: Keith Raywood (April 1, 2022) SNL Stories: Dean Edwards (Dec 1, 2021) SNL Stories: Judy Belushi Pisano (Nov 5, 2021) Siobhan Fallon Hogan (Aug 10, 2021) SNL Director Don Roy King (May 4, 2021) SNL Stats Roundtable with Gary Kroeger (Apr 6, 2021)

In this week's Marchand and Ourand Sports Media Podcast sponsored by WSC Sports:  Andrew Marchand and John Ourand choose the ten biggest stories they covered over the past 12 months. The duo starts with the free agent frenzy among NFL announcers last off-season and carries on to the upheaval in local sports TV marketplace. Other topics include Amazon and Apple's sports strategy, Big Ten media rights deal, the rise of soccer on TV and executive moves at the top of the biggest companies in sports media. There's also an in-depth conversation about whether the word ‘irregardless' should ever be uttered on this pod again.   Mentioned this week: Joe Buck, Tony Romo, Troy Aikman, Chris Russo, Tom Brady, Kevin Burkhardt, Greg Olsen, Al Michaels, Mike Tirico, Cris Collinsworth, Jim Nantz, Roger Goodell, Brian Rolapp, Hans Schroeder, Chris Fowler, irregardless, Chris Mason, Chris Ripley, Adam Silver, John Leo Ourand, Kirk Herbstreit, Dude Perfect, LeBron James, Abe Madkour, Mark Lazarus, ethos, Judge Acie Wyatt, Eric Shanks, Katie Nolan, Tripp Mickle, JJ Redick, Mike Krzyzewski, Coach K podcast producer, Jeff Zucker, David Zaslav, Dick Ebersol, Luis Silberwasser, Lenny Daniels, Bob Iger, Bob Chapek, Jimmy Pitaro, Dan Loeb, Peyton Manning, Tiger Woods, Mark Silverman, Larry Jones, Lionel Messi, Rob Manfred, John Strong, Pep Guardiola, Michael Nathanson, Garrett Camp, Travis Kalanick, Merriam-Webster, Reggie Walker  For more information on WSC Sports visit bit.ly/3OzggWO Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Andrew Marchand and John Ourand dissect the shocking news coming out of Burbank on Sunday night that Bob Iger replaced Bob Chapek as Disney CEO. The two talk about what the move means for ESPN, the NBA's next rights deal, the direct-to-consumer business and sports betting. Other topics include the Apple's pricing for the MLS out-of-market package and the start of the World Cup.   Telemundo soccer announcer Andrés Cantor joins the pod from Qatar as The Big Get. Cantor talks about being on the ground in Doha and offers a preview of the World Cup. Cantor offers his opinion on the Apple-MLS deal and discusses where MLS falls in the soccer pantheon. Cantor also discusses the origins of his famous ‘Gooooooooooal” call during soccer matches.   Mentioned this week: Bob Iger, Mike Krzyzewski, Mina Kimes, Erin Andrews, Peter Schrager, Kevin Willard, Bob Chapek, Michael Nathanson, Eric Shanks, Acie Wyatt, Alexi Lalas, Harry Kane, Dick Ebersol, Bob Costas, Grant Wahl, Roger Penske, Mario Mendoza, Mendoza Line, Brett Favre, Tom Brady, Jimmy Pitaro, Robert Sarver, Bill Simmons, Dan Loeb, Adam Silver, Gorilla Monsoon, Al Michaels, Bel-Air Country Club, Joe Buck, Troy Aikman, Eddy Cue, James B. Stewart, Tripp Mickle, Everton FC, Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Diego Maradona, Landon Donovan, David Letterman, Jimmy Fallon, Regis Philbin, Kathie Lee Gifford, John Elway, Diego Marchand, Roberto Duran, Jason Benetti, Brock Huard, Emari Demercado, Griffin Kell, Sonny Dykes, Chris Mason For more information on WSC Sports visit bit.ly/3OzggWO Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Oh ho! For our 26th episode we bring on a very special guest: Our cousin Rick Pfeifle! Apparently, he goes by Eric in his professional lawyer life, but we have always known him as Rick. Or Ricky. Whatever you call him, he's from Dallas and he's got an active-reading household. How has he raised voracious readers (8 and 10 years old)? What do he and Kate do to keep them reading and not playing video games? There's been some friction! "They don't like that sometimes!" How does he manage the guilt he feels when he watches sports instead of reading Dick Ebersol's memoir or the Baseball 100 because he's been reading all day as a lawyer? We talk about strategies for keeping kids reading even as they become teenagers and beyond. But also Sam read some Updike and an upcoming book about mermaids and has some thoughts on Updike as a "horndog." 

Sam Rubin, NewsNation reporter filling in for Dean Richards, joins Bob Sirott to provide the latest news in entertainment. Sam and Bob shared details about what Dick Ebersol had to say about Tony Romo and Chris Wallace’s interview show. They also talked about the weekend box office numbers and the controversy from filmmakers.

In hour three on The Ben Maller Show, Big Ben puts the legendary television executive Dick Ebersol under a microscope for the comments he made about everyone's favorite CBS broadcaster, Tony Romo. Plus, Lame Jokes and more!      See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Big Ben lets Ron Rivera air his grievances after his team won on Thursday night in a very commanding fashion. Plus, Ben some talks MLB playoffs, and he specifically zones in on the divisional series between the Astros and Mariners. Then, legendary television executive Dick Ebersol has some words for America's favorite sports broadcaster.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this week's Reagan Forum podcast we go back just one week to October 3, 2022 for our in-person event with legendary sports executive Dick Ebersol for his new book, From Saturday Night to Sunday Night: My Forty Years of Laughter, Tears and Touchdowns in TV. From Saturday Night to Sunday Night is a memoir by […]

In this week's Reagan Forum podcast we go back just one week to October 3, 2022 for our in-person event with legendary sports executive Dick Ebersol for his new book, From Saturday Night to Sunday Night: My Forty Years of Laughter, Tears and Touchdowns in TV. From Saturday Night to Sunday Night is a memoir by the legendary television executive. Mr. Ebersol co-created Saturday Night Live with Lorne Michaels, created Friday Night Videos with Vince McMahon to bring professional wrestling to network TV, took over NBC Sports, created Sunday Night Football, which is still the #1 primetime show in America, and was responsible for Muhammad Ali lighting the Olympic flame in Atlanta. During our event, Dick Ebersol sat down to discuss his book in conversation with his son, Charlie, an American television and film producer and director.

Dick Ebersol was a major player in the world of American entertainment until his retirement over a decade ago. He co-created Saturday Night Live, and created Sunday Night Football, which was once the most watched television program in America. In this episode, we get a glimpse of Ebersol's 40-year career as he talks with NPR hosts Ari Shapiro and Juana Summers about his new autobiography From Saturday Night to Sunday Night. We also hear from Ebersol how he coped with some of the worst, tragic moments in his life.

Rich recaps the Chargers' Thursday Night Football' loss to the Chiefs and ponders why the Bolts always seem to be on the wrong side of strange things that happen during their games. Legendary TV executive Dick Ebersol and Rich discuss his successful launch of Sunday Night Football on NBC with Al Michaels, the inspiration behind his new autobiography ‘From Saturday Night to Sunday Night' that includes how he went from producing sports to co-creating ‘Saturday Night Live,' how Eddie Murphy joined the SNL cast and why the real Mr. Rogers wanted them to stop doing the ‘Mr. Robinson's Neighborhood' sketch, and shares a story about his fond recollections of the late hall of fame announce Vin Scully. In his ‘What's More Likely' segment Rich weighs in on the Rams, Packers, Carson Wentz, Jared Goff, the Saints vs Buccaneers, Browns vs Jets, Tyreek Hill, Lamar Jackson, Raiders, Broncos, Trey Lance, Geno Smith and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Dick Ebersol, former NBC Sports chairman, co-creator of Saturday Night Live and creator of Sunday Night Football joins hosts Michael Barr, Scarlet Fu and Damian Sassower to talk about his new book, "From Saturday Night to Sunday Night", and he shares his thoughts on the current sports media landscape. Plus, Bloomberg's Gerry Smith joins to talk about the massive Amazon Prime/NFL Thursday Night Football deal.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

King Charles visits Ireland as officials prepare to transfer the Queen's coffin to Buckingham Palace. Also, the Emmy Awards fashion round up with Zenna Roberts. And, Dick Ebersol releases his memoir “From Saturday To Sunday Night—My Forty Years Of Laughter, Tears And Touchdowns In TV.”

 Viewership outlook for the NFL; NASCAR and RTA bring on help for upcoming media talks and Dick Ebersol tells his stories in new book.

The Ringer's Bill Simmons is joined by Cousin Sal to talk NFL win totals for the NFC (2:28), before they guess the lines for NFL Week 1 (45:29). Bill is then joined by former chairman of NBC Sports and television legend Dick Ebersol. They discuss what Dick believed to be the key to his career, the inception of 'SNL', Bill Russell stories, making deals with the NBA, NFL, and the Olympics, and more (1:26:52)! Host: Bill Simmons Guests: Cousin Sal and Dick Ebersol Producer: Kyle Crichton Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Andrew Marchand and John Ourand spend much of the pod peppering ESPN's Burke Magnus, this week's Big Get, with questions about the college sports landscape. Magnus discussed what happened during Big Ten media rights negotiations and how ESPN views upcoming Pac-12 and Big 12 negotiations. Magnus also discusses how ESPN plans to schedule SEC and ACC games next year and talks about the future of SEC Network and ACC Network.   Pod topics include Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy's latest venture, Amazon's failure to get Big Ten or UEFA rights and CNN's decision to move away from media reporting. Marchand and Ourand also talk about whether Disney plans to spin off ESPN, Ted Leonsis' purchase of NBC Sports Washington, broadcasters' support of women's sports, Amazon's “Thursday Night Football” debut and the Little League Classic. Mentioned on this week's pod: Chris Russo, Eric Shanks, Mark Silverman, Larry Jones, Andrew Fegyveresi, Brad Zager, Tom Brady, The Masked Singer, Urban Meyer, Mike McCarley, Rory McIlroy, Tiger Woods, Dick Ebersol, John Collins, Jeff Bezos, Brian Stelter, Chris Licht, John Malone, Oliver Darcy, Sean McManus, Ted Lasso, Daniel Loeb, Bob Chapek, Michael Nathanson, Bob Iger, Ted Leonsis, Zach Leonsis, Randy Levine, Kirk Herbstreit, Al Michaels, Kaylee Hartung, Fred Gaudelli, Mark Gross, Cedric Mullins, Austin Hays, Adley Rutschman, Karl Ravech, Mo'ne Davis, Meghan Ourand, Bill Simmons, David Lennon, Dave Anderson, Steve Anderson, George Bodenheimer, Dick Vitale, Burke Magnus IV, Kevin Warren, Michael Smith, John Swofford, John Wildhack, Mike Aresco, Jack Swarbrick, Jimmy Pitaro, Paul Rabil, Mike Rabil, Keyshawn Johnson, Aaron Judge, Mike Francesa   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

February 2016: Michaels and Bill discuss the Hall of Fame broadcaster's "rivalry" with Bob Costas, 'Sunday Night Football' vs. 'Monday Night Football,' Dick Ebersol's role with NBC, L.A.'s new football stadium, the Olympics in L.A., Brentwood's most infamous moments, and a moderately fast speed round with two stellar Pete Rose stories! Host: Bill Simmons Guest: Al Michaels Production Support: Steve Ceruti, Ben Cruz, Tim Angan and Garrett Gonzales Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On this episode of ARN, Arn and Paul continue their journey through 1989, as we revisit April '89 with Arn and Tully in the WWF! The Brain Busters continue there feud with Strike Force, as they face each other at WrestleMania V when Rick Martel turns heel. Plus, the Brain Busters begin feuding with The Bushwhackers, and appear on SNME with a memorable interaction with Dick Ebersol! FREEDOM GROOMING - Stop deli-slicing your scalp with traditional razors. Try Freedom today – or get it as a gift – with your exclusive 20% off by going to freedomgrooming.com/ARN  SHEETZ - Energy drink or Milkshake? Imagine getting your favorite energy-bursting G fuel flavors whipped, iced, and milkshak-ified! Go to www.SHEETZ.com and grab a Focus Freak Milkshake for 3.99 or less! Use offer code ENERGIZE to save $1 when you order on the SHEETZ app!  GEICO - Do you own or rent your home? Sure you do! And it's hard work. But you know what's easy? Bundling with GEICO. Go to GEICO.com, get a quote, and see how much YOU could save. It's GEICO-easy!  STARRCAST V - After a three-and-a-half year hiatus, STARRCAST, the wildly popular professional wrestling fan fest, is back and ready to rock the Music City. Often called “The Woodstock of Professional Wrestling,” STARRCAST V will take place at the world famous Nashville Fairgrounds from Friday, July 29th to Sunday, July 31st. The event will also be made available worldwide, exclusively on FITE. Tickets are on sale right now at www.starrcast.com SAVE WITH CONRAD - If you have credit card debt or in a 30 year loan? Well, we can help you get out of that pinch and save money at the same time! Head over to SaveWithConrad.com for a quick quote.  GOLIATH LIFE - GoliathLife.com streamlines the life insurance purchase process by allowing you to get quotes from more than twenty carriers all at the same time and at the same place: GoliathLife.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Brett Forrest is an author and writer for the Wall Street Journal. Today, Brett joins Aron to discuss his 2002 book Long Bomb: How the XFL Became TV's Biggest Fiasco, in which Brett chronicled the lone 2001 season of the catastrophic XFL through the eyes of the Las Vegas Outlaws and how XFL founders/partners Vince McMahon and NBC's Dick Ebersol failed to capitalize on a prime opportunity.  https://www.thefootballodyssey.com/ https://twitter.com/FootballOdyc https://www.instagram.com/thefootballodyssey/ https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3Kv_NInjlOAlE4lrpWu4zw/playlists

On the 71st episode of “Great Dane Nation,” Morten is joined by a member of both the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame – the legendary sportscaster Bob Costas joins the show for a lengthy conversation on a variety of topics (04:38 – 01:10:50). But first, he checks in with TommyFreezePops (Tom Carroll) for this week's edition of the “Opening Kick” (01:06 – 03:50). This week, Morten reflects on a special night for the Georgia Bulldogs, winning their first College Football National Championship since 1980.We then move to our interview with Bob Costas, where he discusses a wide range of topics: dealing with a terrible eye infection while hosting the 2014 Winter Olympics (05:24); his perspective on the Antonio Brown story, and why he thinks his problems go way beyond football (06:52); returning to HBO and reviving his old show (10:09); why his biggest professional regret is giving up his late night show “Later” on NBC (12:14); why Adam Vinatieri passing Morten on the all-time scoring list was a good thing for Morten, and the next two kickers to be joining him and Jan in the Pro Football Hall of Fame (15:55); his keys to being a great interviewer (17:16); his favorite interview ever (21:25); why he'd love to interview Barry Bonds, and what he thinks will happen with Bonds and Roger Clemens when it comes to Hall of Fame voting (25:57); why he believes Curt Schilling should be in the Hall of Fame, regardless of his political views (27:53); trying to decide which of the major events he covered throughout his career was his favorite (28:16); how to handle the mammoth that is hosting the Olympics in primetime (30:25); the battle on obscure sports he lost to NBC Sports (35:34); why the Barcelona Olympics in 1992 stand above the rest for him personally (37:18); what makes a tough interview (38:32); his thoughts on MLB Network parting ways with Ken Rosenthal after critical remarks made about Rob Manfred (40:14); his thoughts on the MLB lockout and what he thinks is the biggest problem with the game of baseball right now (41:24); why he does not envy the position NBC is in with the Olympics this year (46:38); his thoughts on the Chiefs, Packers and Buccaneers heading into the NFL Playoffs (49:04); “The Name Game,” featuring John Madden, Al Michaels, Mike Tirico, Cris Collinsworth, Dick Enberg and Dick Ebersol (54:46); and why he'd love to sit down for an interview with both Morten and Gary Anderson (01:07:02).Then we move to a special edition of “Morten's Fast 5,” where our Hall of Famer makes picks for all six games being played this Wild Card Weekend (01:12:11 – 01:21:36). Morten gives his picks for Raiders at Bengals (01:13:02), Patriots at Bills (01:14:35), Eagles at Buccaneers (01:16:09), 49ers at Cowboys (01:17:33), Steelers at Chiefs (01:18:44) and Cardinals at Rams (01:20:03).Finally, we close things out with “Morten's Game Winner” – a weekly monologue from The Great Dane on his biggest takeaway of the week. This week, Morten talks about Bob Costas and the art of a great interview (01:21:36).

Parks takes the reigns with his special guest and friend Max. We dive deep into the XFL, a professional football league with huge ambition and a colossal ratings failure on national TV. The lovechild of WWE executive Vince McMahon and NBC sports titan Dick Ebersol, the XFL had serious potential to rival the NFL. But … Continue reading "Episode 55: The XFL"

John Roarke and I discussed early impressionists; Vaughn Meader; audio taping impressions off TV; his stand up act; old vs. young Groucho; getting Fridays; playing Woody Allen in his first sketch; how voices stay in your head and supplant your voice; "Diner of the Living Dead"; "Brotherhood of Men Who Hum Between Words"; his Reagan; Johnny Carson wants his wig when Fridays is cancelled; Three Stooges on Drugs; "A Night in Teheran"; "Road to El Salvador"; "Star Wars Memories"; musical guests; Peter Fonda; Ruth Buzzi; guest hosts; having enough material to withstand the 1981 writer's strike; Dick Ebersol tries to poach the cast; "Ronnie Horror Picture Show"; tape trading episodes vs. Shout Factory release; my crew jacket; "Altered Statesman"; his Bob Hope; riffing with Dave Thomas; Johnny Carson impersonations; Out of This World; DC Follies; Off the Wall; Naked Gun 2 1/2; corporate shows; retirement --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

IN THIS EPISODE: - Unsung Heroes:  Dick Ebersol & NBC - Royal Rankings Week #3:  Best Celebrities in Wrestling - WWF Superstars 11/14/1987 review AND SO MUCH MORE! For extra content: patreon.com/ovppodcast Website: ovppodcast.com Twitter: @ovppodcast

Dick Ebersol talks to Dan about the time Muhammad Ali lit the Olympic torch. Dick said that, at that time, Ali was more popular than the Pope. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com

A bold challenge, a fearless experiment and ultimately, a spectacular failure. In 2001, sports entertainment titans Dick Ebersol and Vince McMahon launched the XFL. It was hardly the first time a league had tried to compete with the NFL, but the brash audacity of the bid, combined with the personalities and charisma of Ebersol and McMahon and the marketing behemoths of their respective companies - NBC and WWE - captured headlines and a sense of undeniable anticipation about what was to come. Bringing together a cast of characters ranging from the boardrooms of General Electric to the practice fields of Las Vegas, "This Was the XFL" is the tale of - yes - all that went wrong, but also, how the XFL ended up influencing the way professional team sports are broadcast today. And at the center of it all - a decades long friendship between one of the most significant television executives in media history and the one-of-a-kind WWE impresario. This documentary explores how Ebersol and McMahon brought the XFL to life, and why they had to let it go.

[Brett walks us through the history of WWE and SNL crossovers, from the notable to the obscure. We discuss Andy Kaufman getting voted off the show, Hulk Hogan & Mr. T on SNL hours before WrestleMania I, The Rock’s star-making hosting gig, MacGruber killing R-Truth, Dick Ebersol, Chris Farley, Billy Crystal, Mick Foley, Triple H, The Big Show, Michael Che, Colin Jost, Jim Breuer and much more.Theme song by Steve DeSiena Produced by Isaiah McBethFollow on Instagram @wrestlingclubwfmu] https://www.wfmu.org/playlists/shows/101922

Neil Levy talks abut getting the job on SNL as its 1st PA; smoking extremely strong pot; the generosity of Dan Aykroyd; the first show; George Carlin's monologue; Jane Crowley, the censor; being an extra in a jury sketch; meeting President Ford; booking Miles Davis; Frank Zappa; Louise Lasser; injuring himself as an extra in a sketch; being a Killer Bee with Elliot Gould; writing the promos, coming up next and audience captions; impressing Mr. Mike with a sketch; being a writer on the third season; Funeral Magician; booking and un-booking Carroll O'Connor; Yvonne Hudson; Paul Reubens 1979 audition; finding and getting Jean Doumanian to hire Eddie Murphy; how Eddie saved SNL; A Fiddler Be on the Roof; Altered Walter; Eddie Atari; the afterparties; Charles Rocket, Prince and the f bomb; Dick Ebersol takes over; Dick gets Lorne's blessing; Dick hires Bob Tischler and Michael O'Donoghue; Denny Dillon bag lady sketch; Captain Beefheart and Jack Bruce & Friends; Rod Stewart; booking fear; Catherine O'Hara; Sunken Submarine; leaving the show; Rude Awakening; Lemmings Inc. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Kevin and I discuss Face the Music; Fridays; Twilight Theater; Laugh Trax; No Soap, Radio; The Jeffersons; getting SNL; Eddie Murphy's showcase; getting stuff on his second show; Subliminal Advertising Sketch, Lie Detector Sketch; Chess Club Coach sketch; Trivial Pursuit sketch; being locked in Dick Ebersol's office to write Eddie Murphy's Christmas 1984 show; Christopher Guest Auctioneer Sketch, I Am Also the World, Prison Rape Sketch; Women in Prison tv show; Night Court and favorite episodes; Boy Meets World and the genius of Will Freidle; Townsend TV; Boogies Diner; Girlfriend Guy; BIFL; and what he's doing now. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Dick Ebersol, Vana White, Norm Macdonald, Lorne Michaels, Rowan and Martin, SNL schedule, after-party, passed over list, banned list, Milton Berle, celebrity dicks, Robert Blake, Andrew Dice Clay, Sinéad O'Connor, and more ...

Season 4 BEGINS! This week, Ian Abramson (SNQ, Gary Busey: Pet Judge) joins us to break down the first TRUE episode of the Dick Ebersol era. We get some classic Eddie Murphy material, a somewhat distasteful Yoko Ono short, juggling antics from Michael Davis and more!

Jim Belushi tells Dan how he got involved with the cannabis industry, how he coped with the tragic passing of his brother, and that one time he threw a fire extinguisher at Dick Ebersol.

Bill Carter in his 3rd episode discusses Carson's advice to Lorne Michaels & Dick Ebersol, Carson phoning Conan, & NBC agonizing over picking Leno or Letterman.

Chasing a bigger audience while disrespecting your core audience comes at hefty price. Laz, as we call him, eloquently breaks down this classic marketing conundrum and mistake. He learned an invaluable lesson in this domain, and so should you! This dude followed a legend at NBC in Dick Ebersol and you will quickly understand why. Listen and learn about why relationships in business are crazy important, get great advice for when to leave the office (#nofacetime) and a lot more. This is what we call a Marketing PLUS episode. Co-host Larry Taman and Laz go way back like four flats on a Cadillac and we benefit from these good friends, along with other co-host Darryl “DC” Cobbin, chopping up heady marketing and business subjects with blissful ease (shout Mrs. Snegroff RIP).

Chasing a bigger audience while disrespecting your core audience comes at hefty price. Laz, as we call him, eloquently breaks down this classic marketing conundrum and mistake. He learned an invaluable lesson in this domain, and so should you! This dude followed a legend at NBC in Dick Ebersol and you will quickly understand why. Listen and learn about why relationships in business are crazy important, get great advice for when to leave the office (#nofacetime) and a lot more. This is what we call a Marketing PLUS episode. Co-host Larry Taman and Laz go way back like four flats on a Cadillac and we benefit from these good friends, along with other co-host Darryl “DC” Cobbin, chopping up heady marketing and business subjects with blissful ease (shout Mrs. Snegroff RIP).

Deb Placey is joined by Sam Flood, Executive Producer & President of Production for NBC Sports. Flood recounts his start in sports television (3:23) and what he learned while working under Dick Ebersol (7:00). He talks about NBC’s coverage of Sunday Night Football (18:50), new technology being integrated into sports broadcasts (25:33), and his relationship with Doc Emrick (28:58). Flood details the best storylines heading into the 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs (40:35) and how he measures success (45:45).

As another NFL season closes, we shift gears toward the forthcoming Alliance of American Football – the first of two new leagues attempting to again extend the pro game into viable Spring season play – where the USFL, World League of American Football and NFL Europe have famously tried before.  The other – both in 2001 and in a reincarnated form coming next year – was and is the XFL, which we finally sink our teeth into for the first time this week with Wall Street Journal national security reporter Brett Forrest (Long Bomb: How the XFL Became TV's Biggest Fiasco). We drop this episode on the 18th anniversary of when the audacious joint venture between the Vince McMahon-helmed World Wresting Federation (now WWE) and the Dick Ebersol-captained NBC Sports opened play at a raucous Sam Boyd Stadium in Las Vegas to see the hometown Outlaws battle the already-villainous New York/New Jersey Hitmen in front of a national primetime television audience. Nearly two decades later, most who witnessed it (not to mention the tumultuous season that followed) still don’t know what to make of it. Forrest digs into: the process of tackling his then-first-ever book assignment with Long Bomb (including the pre-season magazine article from which it came); some of the curious characters (the seemingly-legitimizing presence of Dick Butkus, the unwitting marketing genius of Rod “He Hate Me” Smart, the hungry group of eager players simply wanting one last shot at playing pro football) he encountered along the way; and the less-than-enthusiastic response of McMahon to the idea of a book about the league in the first place. Be sure to check out the great XFL shirts and replica jerseys from our friends at 503 Sports!

Tonight we begin our first ever in-depth series all about the history of the short lived sports experiment: the XFL. On the first part of our six part series, we dive deep into the backstory of the two men who made this league possible: Vince McMahon and Dick Ebersol. Plus we explore what was happening in the world of sports and television in 2000 that made this a great (or not so great) idea. upfordebate.tv Twitter: @upfordebatetv Proud member of the Coffee & Beer family of podcasts, streaming at coffeeandbeer.tv

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RUNNING TIME: 3 HoursHosted by Don Tony SYNOPSIS: Episode 19 (05/08 - 05/14) Verne Gagne retires from pro wrestling as AWA Heavyweight Champion. Bruno Sammartino vs Giant Baba: WWWF Title is defended in Japan for the first time ever. Eddie Gilbert seriously injured in auto accident. WWF tapes its first ever 'Saturday Night's Main Event'. Music Video premiere of Cyndi Lauper: 'The Goonies R Good Enough' featuring lots of WWF stars. Audio: Jerry Lawler def Curt Hennig in Career vs Title Match for AWA Heavyweight Title. Roddy Piper returns to WWF after two year retirement. Arn Anderson and Bobby Eaton wrestle for ECW. Looking back at AAA: Triplemania 2. Randy Savage vs Steve Austin wrestle for the first and only time ever in a singles match. WWF holds its first 'In Your House' PPV. "A Night To Remember": WWF holds it's last card at the Boston Garden. Audio: Bob Backlund revises history and announces a run for President of the United States. Bill Alfonso debuts for ECW. WCW announces change for Nitro from 2 to 3 hours. Audio: Infamous Farooq promo accusing WWF of racism towards black wrestlers. Audio: Rob Van Dam WWF Raw debut against Jeff Hardy. Audio: Excellent WWF segment on Dustin Runnels and Goldust. Audio: Eric Bischoff challenges Vince McMahon to a fight on an upcoming WCW PPV. Ric Flair: One of People Magazine's 'Most Beautiful People In The World' for 1998? Audio: Rain hampers WCW / MTV special from Chelsea Pier in NYC. Audio: Steve Austin on TSN 'Off The Record' with Michael Landsberg. Taz introduces the FTW (F*** The World) Heavyweight Title. Highest rated episode of Raw (8.1) airs. WWF lands the cover and major article in US News And World Report. WCW/ECW valet Chastity gets surprising amount of press for her appearance in a XXX Video. Miss Elizabeth wrestles her only two matches in her career. Lance Storm wrestles last match for ECW. Former wrestling hotline host turned convicted pedophile Jim Thompson (aka M.L. Curly) sentenced for sexual abuse involving minors. Vince McMahon and Dick Ebersol announce the closing of XFL. Audio: Batista makes his debut as Deacon Batista for Reverend D'von. Undertaker hog ties and drags Hulk Hogan from motorcycle. Official announcement for launch of NWA: Total Nonstop Action. Audio: Legion of Doom (Hawk and Animal) make a surprise but sad, short lived return to WWE. John Tenta announcement retirement due to battling bladder cancer. TNA announces the change from weekly PPVs to Fox Sports Net. Amazing Red and CM Punk have WWF tryout matches. Tickets for ECW One Night Stand sell out in hours. Batista and Booker T fight during taping of Summerslam Commercial. Audio: Edge cashes in MITB Briefcase vs Undertaker. NWA ends their relationship with TNA Wrestling. Audio: Roxxi Laveaux shaved bald during TNA PPV. Nick Bollea sentenced for felony reckless driving leading to auto accident. Dixie Carter's desperate plea to fans who DVR Impact. Memorable segment involving Jerry Lawler attacking Michael Cole. Brock Lesnar pulled from UFC 131 due to second battle with diverticulitis.  New Japan Pro Wrestling invades the East Coast, and seriously injures an indy promotion in the process. WWE announces NXT to run full time in Florida. Hulk Hogan's ridiculous idea to add more 'realism' to TNA product. Gail Kim and Robert Irvine get married. Austin Aries 'sexually intimidates' Christy Hemme following an announcing botch. Dolph Ziggler suffers serious concussion and retrograde amnesia on an episode of Smackdown. Buck Zumhofe sentenced to 25 years prison for sexual misconduct with a minor. Audio: TNA tries to be edgy by having several wrestlers use the "F" and "N" word during a live episode of Impact. Audio:  Daniel Bryan relinquishes IC Title due to career threatening injury. Adam Rose arrested for domestic battery. Scott Hall suffers serious health scare while performing for Knight (Paige) Family promotion. Billy Corgan becomes the owner of NWA. And so much more! NOTABLE PRO WRESTLING DEBUTS: Perro Aguayo (1970), Tatsumi Fujinami (1971), Jake Roberts (1975), Ultimo Dragon (1987), Steve Austin (1989), Kelly Kelly (2006), Deonna Purrazzo (2014) NOTABLE DEATHS: Jesse James 83, Judy Grable 82, Fred Ward and Leo Garibaldi 78, Fred Atkins 77, Guy Brunetti 75, Gorgeous George Jr and George Gordienko 74, Penny Banner 73, Frank Tunny 70, John Bilbo (Jules Strongbow) 69, Ilio DiPaolo 68, Danny Little Bear 65, Big Bully Busick 63, Princess Jasmine 60, Little Boy Blue 57, Johnny 'Ram Man' Evans 50, Jumbo Tsuruta 49, Wayne Van Dyke 29, Eric Kulas 22 NOTABLE BIRTHDAYS: Danny Hodge, Killer Karl Krupp, Scott Irwin, Steve Williams, Tommy Rogers, Mike Shaw (RIP), Butcher Vachon 80, Robert Fuller 67, Tito Santana 65, Vader 63, Paul Diamond, Akira Taue, and Dennis Rodman 57, Glacier 54, Humberto Garza Jr 52, William Regal and Kevin Kelly (Announcer) and Hugh Mungus 51, Mantaur 50, Akebono 49, Doug Basham 47, Billy Kidman 44, Truth Martini and Little Jeanne 43, Shawn Osborne and Ricky Ortiz 42, Bobby Roode 41, Nick Berk 39, Nicky Benz 38, Nobuhiko Takada and Jimmy Yang 37, Puck 36, Shinya Aoki and Daizee Haze 35, Tommaso Ciampa and Zack Ryder 33, Lince Dorado 31, Bestia 666 29, Io Shirai 28, Scarlett Bordeaux 27 RIGHT CLICK AND SAVE to download the TWIWH EP19 (05/14/18) CLICK HERE to listen to the TWIWH EP19 (05/14/18) online. ITUNES LINK Please subscribe to us on ITUNES ================= PROGRAMMING NOTE: 'TWIWH (EP20)' HOSTED BY DON TONY Your next episode of 'TWIWH (EP20)' will be posted Tuesday, May 22, 2018. In addition to download links, a preview of TWIWH airs every week immediately following the live episode of Don Tony And Kevin Castle Show. #ThrowbackTuesday =============== IF YOU ARE A FAN OF 'DON TONY AND KEVIN CASTLE SHOW' and 'BREAKFAST WITH BLASI' and just can't get enough of the shows, check out our PATREON PAGE! You'll gain access to our Patreon Exclusive shows such as 'The Castle Chronicles' hosted by Kevin Castle, and 'BREAKFAST SOUP' hosted by Don Tony & Missionary (Wrestling Soup), and early access to other content. You also have exclusive access to lost episodes of 'The Minority Report' from 2004/2005, select vintage episodes of 'The Masked Maniac Show', and retro Blackhearts Hotline reports from 2001/2002. In addition to the shows, we hold monthly PPV Predictions Contests and other prize giveaways! And by signing up, you'll help us keep the DTKC Show and BwB free for everyone, and get interactive with DTKC like never before. You get it all for as little as $5! CLICK HERE to visit our Patreon page and gain access now! =============== DTKC SHOW / BwB / BREAKFAST SOUP / MATARRAZ T-SHIRTS ON SALE!Pro Wrestling Tees has launched the only source for T-Shirts of' Don Tony and Kevin Castle Show', 'Breakfast w/ Blasi', 'Breakfast Soup', and even 'Deli Man'! Please visit our T-Shirt store now. More designs will be added shortly. CLICK HERE to visit our T-Shirt Store now! ===============  PROGRAMMING NOTE: DON TONY AND KEVIN CASTLE SHOWYour next episode of the 'Don Tony And Kevin Castle Show' will air Monday May 21, 2018 LIVE at 11:15PM EST following WWE Raw. Thank you to everyone who enjoys what we do. Please spread the word of our show. You are the reason why our show now receives over 150,000 downloads weekly and over six million downloads annually! =============== CLICK HERE FOR STITCHER CLICK HERE FOR IHEARTRADIO CLICK HERE FOR BLUBRRY CLICK HERE FOR IPHONE,IPAD, & IPOD TOUCH APP