SCTV (1976–1981)
"Second City TV" (original title)

The staff of Melonville's TV station put on programming that is unique in its own silly way.

Creator:

Andrew Alexander

Stars:

Joe Flaherty, Eugene Levy, Andrea Martin

Cast

Series cast summary:
Joe Flaherty	...	Various (76 episodes, 1976-1981)
Eugene Levy	...	Various (75 episodes, 1976-1981)
Andrea Martin	...	Various (75 episodes, 1976-1981)
Dave Thomas	...	Various (75 episodes, 1976-1981)
John Candy	...	Various (50 episodes, 1976-1979)
Catherine O'Hara	...	Various (50 episodes, 1976-1979)
Tony Rosato	...	Various (36 episodes, 1977-1981)
Robin Duke	...	Various (28 episodes, 1976-1981)
Harold Ramis	...	Various (28 episodes, 1976-1978)
Shelley Long	...	Various Characters (26 episodes, 1976-1977)
Rick Moranis	...	Various (25 episodes, 1980-1981)

Storyline

Sketch comedy show set around the fictitious TV station SCTV. The programs broadcast by SCTV were parodies of films and other television shows. They included "Farm Film Report", Woody Allen's "Play It Again, Bob!", "Monster Horror Chiller Theatre", and "Great White North." Other skits involved the staff of SCTV, like president Guy Caballero, clueless newscaster Earl Camembert, washed up actor Johnny LaRue, and leopard-skin print wearing station owner Edith Prickley.

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Plot Keywords:

tv station | sketch comedy | television | parody | cult tv | 

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Taglines:

Don't touch that dial! Don't touch that one either! And stop touching yourself! SCTV is on the air!

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Genres:

Comedy

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Details

Country:

Canada USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

1 September 1977 (USA)

Also Known As:

SCTV

Filming Locations:

Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

Company Credits

Production Co:

Second City Entertainment, Old Firehall Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

30 min 30 min (78 episodes)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Trivia

The McKenzie brothers characters, from the "Great White North" sketch, were essentially reincarnated in animal form, when Rick Moranis and Dave Thomas reunited to voice the mooses Tuke and Rutt in Brother Bear.

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Quotes

Moe Green: [on Dialing for Dollars]
[to camera]
Moe Green: We're trying to reach Mr. Paul Pope of Melonville to see if he knows the name of tonight's movie.
Moe Green: [sfx phone ring] Hello?
Moe Green: Hello, is this Paul Pope?
Pope Paul: No. This is Pope Paul.
Moe Green: Pope Paul?
[to camera]
Moe Green: We seem to have reached the Vatican, ladies and gentlemen.
Moe Green: [to phone] Well, hello, your Holiness, this is Moe Green on Dialing for Dollars.
[...]

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Crazy Credits

In the first 2 seasons the cast names were given by voiceover (by Dave Thomas) instead of opening credits, and the last name was given as "And Dave Thomas as the Beaver". In the first 2 seasons the opening includes a parody of the Indian-head test pattern.

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Connections

Referenced in Mystery Science Theater 3000: Werewolf (1998)

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Soundtracks

"Dance of the Hours"
by Spike Jones and His City Slickers
(1976-1978)

User Reviews

Hilarious, eh?

Bittman, Maudlin, La Rue, Camembert, Todd... what else can you say? Pure genius. You gotta love the classic old SCTV bits... I could watch them over and over. It's great that Eugene Levy has become a popular icon through American Pie, but probably the best post-SCTV comedy has to be the Christopher Guest films (Waiting for Guffman, Best In Show)where Levy and O'Hara really get to flex their comedic muscles.