I was in high school when SNL began. I used to occasionally drag my stereo turntable/8-track player into the TV room and record the show on 8-track tapes. EVERYONE watched the show back then. 😊 Thank you Al and Jim for great memories and stories💚 The laughs are very welcome, especially yours Al!
That’s really interesting. You should watch the Jim Downey episode of Conan O’Brien needs a friend, and his episode of Fly on the Wall with Dana Carvey & David Spade. I miss Norm and love listening to all Jim Downey stories
Having been a huge fan of SNL (still am), particularly back when it first started, I so enjoyed listening to this episode. You guys were blessed to have been part of its heyday and early success. Love it!! Thank you!
Hi Al, I am a native Floridian. I agree with you wholeheartedly about the role that Florida played in the 2000 Presidential Election and the 5-4 decision in Bush v. Gore that enabled Bush to become the President. "Officially", Bush won Florida by 537 votes. The world was profoundly changed and not for the better as a result of Bush v. Gore.
First Citywide Change Bank has been, and always will be, one of the best and funniest fake commercials of all time. I will die on this hill. "...we're not going to give you 2,000 nickels."
Jim wrote so many great things over so many decades... lifetime Emmy? Reunion show with all those comedians? Mark Twain Prize? Kennedy center honor? Someone get on it.
I love you you are one of my favorite people on the face of the Earth the one problem in this life that you have is stamping down on definitive if you would only wax poetic and literally your self-help character was all about waxing poetically but saying really biting things so my only criticism to you and I really wish you were a representative of our country I respect you immensely and nobody talks enough about how much Integrity you had by even quitting I didn't want you to but it showed respect to this country very few acknowledged I love you I know you wanted to do well by our country please continue your political life but go for it No Holds Barred I want a record of somebody that said it was insane and God willing it will be saved
I'm basically an atheist but yeah now it's all good I'm just curious to see what it would look like if you jumped into the house😂 it wouldn't be the worst thing we need more figures
by the way....i saw you on colin nealon's hike, where you briefly came across that canadian hiker who i admit was a bit chatty. i have to say i was a bit disappointed about your reply to a canadian it had something to do with poutine. sorry....it was the typical response i'd expect. i was a bit disappointed but still love you and what you stand for. never mind this bitchy, critical canadian. we're pretty fucking touchy. : )
Hi Al! My daughter just moved to LA with an entertainment writing degree and is getting ready to take an improv class at Groundlings. Not sure how much she knows about this whole story - I can't tell it well - but it sure is fun to hear you guys tell it!
Also, I went to John Marshall High School with both Mark and Steve O'Donnell. They were a year behind me. They were brilliant even back then. I remember getting into trouble during dress rehearsals because Mark would make me laugh so hard. He was the type of guy who was super reserved and quiet, so he never got into trouble. I was the rowdy one (plus the drama teacher didn't like me much). Who knew he was hysterically funny like his brother? Anyway, I think he was a writer on SNL during the 1981-1982 season. Naturally, I was jealous. Loved both of them!
I paused this and watched the Bush-Gore debate they were talking about and it is if anything, funnier than I remember. "One of the keys to the lockbox..." dear god. Jim Downey should be kept alive for the next 200 years by any means available to science so he can continue to write sketches
I rememberJack Handy's "Deep Thoughts" being on The Comedy Channel, in 1990; apparently voiced by himself. Did he write for SNL, then for The Comedy Channel, then SNL again?
Whole keggers would cease when SNL was due to come on. Minute it was over back to Steely Dan, Pink Floyd, Zeppelin, Framton , Jethro Tull, etc.. cranked to 11 (Built by the same audio smith as Spinal Tap's, no way you say ? no really man) Nothing ever came close to the original cast. "Hello, I'm Al Franken, & your not"
My favorite "talking heads commercial" sketch was with Roseanne was a help center operator for I think a credit card, and Phil Hartman was a rich idiot customer.
Well you obviously missed the reference to the contrast of the Bush/Gore election and what we’re going through now. (Roughly 2 minute mark) Downey is an unsung hero, and one of the great political satirists of our age, you just didn’t know it came from him.
this is great. i'd like seeing the interaction between the two of you even better. but if you didn't want to show the video, you could have Robert Smigel animate some ambiguously gay duo to go along with this interview.
54:48 "Ohlmeyer was more of a bullying type", a direct, in your face type, a German ... Ohlmeyer was very German. Lovely interview, I'm enjoying it a great deal.
What a fun and entertaining discussion among friends, for a change. 😊
On Monday morning, in Homeroom, all anyone would talk about was, "Oh my God - did you see Saturday Night Live!?"
❤😂❤ exactly!!
Still do!
I was in high school when SNL began. I used to occasionally drag my stereo turntable/8-track player into the TV room and record the show on 8-track tapes. EVERYONE watched the show back then. 😊 Thank you Al and Jim for great memories and stories💚 The laughs are very welcome, especially yours Al!
Thanks Al for interviewing Jim. I haven’t seen him in years. One of the smartest guys I knew in grade school.
That’s really interesting. You should watch the Jim Downey episode of Conan O’Brien needs a friend, and his episode of Fly on the Wall with Dana Carvey & David Spade.
I miss Norm and love listening to all Jim Downey stories
And it’s proof we can have different political beliefs but ignore them in the name of funny and fun
Thank you for a conversation filled with humor and NO TRUMP or politics. Such a joy. I'm 70 and was a big fan of Saturday Night Live back in the day.
Eh here's hoping you're not a trump supporter
@@blacknrd05 Your hopes have been realized.
@@blacknrd05Trump 2024
Hey, everyone, I found the high school dropout! @@tomcarl8021
@@tomcarl8021All Snowflakes love Trump and needs a safe space.
America's too unsafe for the wittle baby.
Welcome to the Wild West Buttercup.
Thanks enjoyed it. It was a good one, for a change.😉
Thank you, this is really a fun one!!
Having been a huge fan of SNL (still am), particularly back when it first started, I so enjoyed listening to this episode. You guys were blessed to have been part of its heyday and early success. Love it!! Thank you!
Thank you Al and Jim! Please do more of these. So great to hear the back stories.
Hi Al,
I am a native Floridian. I agree with you wholeheartedly about the role that Florida played in the 2000 Presidential Election and the 5-4 decision in Bush v. Gore that enabled Bush to become the President. "Officially", Bush won Florida by 537 votes. The world was profoundly changed and not for the better as a result of Bush v. Gore.
I doubt that there would have been a 911 and therefore Iraq war.
If only Gore had balls like Trump. We might have been spared Bush, 9/11, Iraq, Obama and ISIS
@@secef316You mean by balls, denying the election?
Elections should be always denied when they're bullshit. Gore could have prevented a lot of suffering if he was more of a man.@@splunge743
snl began when I was in jr high. I quickly fell in love with the show. It was brilliant. I remember parties would stop when SNL came on.
First Citywide Change Bank has been, and always will be, one of the best and funniest fake commercials of all time.
I will die on this hill.
"...we're not going to give you 2,000 nickels."
Will Farrell as Bush, batting around a ball of yarn above his head like a cat, is my absolute favorite impression!
Whether comedy or politics, I always vote Al.
Because he's good enough & smart enough, an doggone it, people like him.
Thanks for this!! Great stuff.
What a great interview!
Jim wrote so many great things over so many decades... lifetime Emmy? Reunion show with all those comedians? Mark Twain Prize? Kennedy center honor? Someone get on it.
The unscrupulous toy seller was "Irwin Mainway." I'll never forget it. "Bag O' Glass." Genius. And the interviewer was Candice Bergen.
They did the character more than once, and I think Jane Curtin did the second one
Great to hear Jim, do more interviews!
“Invisible Pedestrian” it’s for my money, the single greatest gag in SNL history.
A couple of old(ish) men remembering being teenage boys!
Great pod, thank you
The Change Bank isn’t a bad idea. Someone ought to get right on that. 😂
Awe didn’t want it to end… ❤
Run, Mr. Franken. Run, run again! We so need your voice in the national discussion. Please consider...?
I love you you are one of my favorite people on the face of the Earth the one problem in this life that you have is stamping down on definitive if you would only wax poetic and literally your self-help character was all about waxing poetically but saying really biting things so my only criticism to you and I really wish you were a representative of our country I respect you immensely and nobody talks enough about how much Integrity you had by even quitting I didn't want you to but it showed respect to this country very few acknowledged I love you I know you wanted to do well by our country please continue your political life but go for it No Holds Barred I want a record of somebody that said it was insane and God willing it will be saved
I'm basically an atheist but yeah now it's all good I'm just curious to see what it would look like if you jumped into the house😂 it wouldn't be the worst thing we need more figures
Oh what a cutie picture 😍
6 minutes in & I'm frustrated Al won't let guest finish sentence. I STILL don't know what the guest was TRYING to say
Al, you're strong enough, you're good enough.... now just practice being a good LISTENER. 💜💜💜
Good honest dialogue about their experiences and intentions
this canuck loves you AF!
by the way....i saw you on colin nealon's hike, where you briefly came across that canadian hiker who i admit was a bit chatty.
i have to say i was a bit disappointed about your reply to a canadian it had something to do with poutine. sorry....it was the typical response i'd expect.
i was a bit disappointed but still love you and what you stand for. never mind this bitchy, critical canadian. we're pretty fucking touchy. : )
Hi Al! My daughter just moved to LA with an entertainment writing degree and is getting ready to take an improv class at Groundlings. Not sure how much she knows about this whole story - I can't tell it well - but it sure is fun to hear you guys tell it!
Also, I went to John Marshall High School with both Mark and Steve O'Donnell. They were a year behind me. They were brilliant even back then. I remember getting into trouble during dress rehearsals because Mark would make me laugh so hard. He was the type of guy who was super reserved and quiet, so he never got into trouble. I was the rowdy one (plus the drama teacher didn't like me much). Who knew he was hysterically funny like his brother? Anyway, I think he was a writer on SNL during the 1981-1982 season. Naturally, I was jealous. Loved both of them!
Im in the room where it happened. Or didn't. But i enjoyed your conversation immensely
So happy he found work. I loved him as Pat on SNL
lol!
Al: this was TRULY, the best one ever!!!
I paused this and watched the Bush-Gore debate they were talking about and it is if anything, funnier than I remember. "One of the keys to the lockbox..." dear god. Jim Downey should be kept alive for the next 200 years by any means available to science so he can continue to write sketches
That was fun, for a change.
Nice antidote to the Anne Applebaum episode, which, while brilliant AF, required this one to wash it down.
Great time guys…thanks so much!
I rememberJack Handy's "Deep Thoughts" being on The Comedy Channel, in 1990; apparently voiced by himself. Did he write for SNL, then for The Comedy Channel, then SNL again?
Whole keggers would cease when SNL was due to come on. Minute it was over back to Steely Dan, Pink Floyd, Zeppelin, Framton , Jethro Tull, etc.. cranked to 11 (Built by the same audio smith as Spinal Tap's, no way you say ? no really man)
Nothing ever came close to the original cast. "Hello, I'm Al Franken, & your not"
Good times!
Downey calling Franken "more partisan, than ideological", seems like a strong low key insult, to his principles
What does Jim mean by "cell phone joke" when talking about the typical OJ joke on Weekend Update?
My favorite "talking heads commercial" sketch was with Roseanne was a help center operator for I think a credit card, and Phil Hartman was a rich idiot customer.
Tenth!
I like this one better than Jim’s interview on fly on the wall.
But not the one on Conan Needs a Friend... "no I mean Jeff Epstein, the New York financier!"
Well you obviously missed the reference to the contrast of the Bush/Gore election and what we’re going through now. (Roughly 2 minute mark)
Downey is an unsung hero, and one of the great political satirists of our age, you just didn’t know it came from him.
this is great. i'd like seeing the interaction between the two of you even better. but if you didn't want to show the video, you could have Robert Smigel animate some ambiguously gay duo to go along with this interview.
Can you get Bernie on the podcast? Can't think of another jew with whom Al should connect with.
I thought Chevy Chase's Gerald Ford was just meant to be silly; but later I learned he really did have a few stumbles.
Um. Talking about being funny is different from being funny.
54:48 "Ohlmeyer was more of a bullying type", a direct, in your face type, a German ... Ohlmeyer was very German. Lovely interview, I'm enjoying it a great deal.
That has to be Leo Kottke, right?
I haven’t listened to him in years. I should remedy that.
I knew it! He is the greatest guitarist, it’s as distinctive as a voice!!
They should have switched Don Olmeyer with Dick Ebersole.
2 mins in and we are already whining about Trump? Jesus Christ, stick to the comedy ffs.
Barbara Bush was a sweet old granny type? In what universe? 😮
I used to listen to Barbara's radio show. She read stories for children. Sunday mornings. It really was a sweet Grandma-ish thing.
It's called PR. BTS she was a consummate political wife with her own fiefdom but in public she was mostly demure with a little bit of sass.
I think Dana does an even better W. than he did of his daddy.
3:50
That guy sounds like but doesn't look anything like the guy who was on Conan's podcast.
What are you trying to pull?
I swear... It wasn't that long ago, right?
I think Al is using an old picture.
Supreme court 6
Democrats 3
Think I’ll skip this one… (SNL…not that funny)
it's spotty now, but back then, it was can't miss TV!