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 The Film Crew: Hollywood After Dark (2007)

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Soundtracks

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

User Reviews

Brilliant satire of television

Like SATURDAY NIGHT, SECOND CITY TV was a sketch comedy show with a repertory cast. But there, the resemblance ended. Instead of a bunch of disconnected sketches with musical interludes, SECOND CITY TV was a concept show about the programs and behind-the-scenes shenanigans of a cheesy, low-budget TV station. Therefore, unlike SNL, which took potshots at anything from current events to whatever celebrity was guesting, SECOND CITY TV concentrated on the television industry.

The results were some of the most incisive and skillful parodies in TV history, from commercials for useless products to self-congratulatory talk shows to pompous "cultural" programming. The talented cast members skewered such icons as Bob Hope and Barbra Streisand and created such memorable characters like Joe Flaherty's sleazy station owner Guy Caballero and Andrea Martin's vulgar station manager Edith Prickley. Unlike SNL, SECOND CITY TELEVISION never pandered to the lowest common denominator; it always respected its audience with intelligent humor that satirized the foibles of both the television industry and the people in it. The syndicated show's success would result in a 90-minute network version.