SCTV Channel

SCTV was a real gem...consistently funny without resorting to cheap shots or bathroom humor to make you laugh out loud. One of the funniest bits in this incarnation of SCTV was John Hemphill as Happy Marsden, drunken children's show host whose show was filmed in a bar. When the show would begin, Happy would get the bartender to change the channel on the TV above the bar to a show called "Six-Gun Justice" which was a take-off on the old serial westerns of the '40's and '50's. He had a puppet sidekick who resembled Ollie of "Kukla, Fran and Ollie" fame. The puppet couldn't talk, but only made flapping noises with his rather large beak. The whole premise was so bizarre, but when you start to think about the kids' show hosts from your childhood, you may realize that probably more than a few of them had tossed back a couple of shots before introducing that Popeye cartoon. The Schmenge Brothers (Yosh and Stan, played by John Candy and Eugene Levy) were also incredibly funny. We will not see their like again.

When NBC cancelled SCTV NETWORK 90 at the end of the 1982-83 season, the show was picked up by Cinemax for the 1983-84 season. Now called SCTV CHANNEL, the program's time was reduced from an hour and a half to forty-five minutes. The cast was also reduced. There were only four members left- Joe Flaherty, Eugene Levy, Andrea Martin, and Martin Short. The absence of John Candy, Rick Moranis, Catherine O'Hara and Dave Thomas created a void in the show that the remaining performers, for all their talent, could not fill. (The void was temporarily filled whenever one of the former cast members guest appeared.) The current cast was supported by John Hemphill, Mary Charlotte Wilcox, and Valri Bromfield but these actors lacked the charisma to erase memories of Candy, et al.

Nevertheless, thanks to the gifted, if truncated, cast and talented writers, the Cinemax show still had moments of satirical brilliance. Among the highlights was a devastating spoof of tabloid television called "Hollywood Dirt Tonite" and a gritty, blood-soaked version of "Harvey" as directed by Martin Scorcese. There were also inspired segments involving long-established characters such a sketch in which a drunken Floyd Robertson (Joe Flaherty) mocks a chagrined Earl Camembert (Eugene Levy) on Earl's last day as SCTV newscaster. Thus, when SCTV was cancelled after one season, it went out on a (relatively) high note. SCTV may never be revived again not only because of John Candy's untimely death but, as Joe Flaherty said, "We will never have that chance again. We will never get that kind of a shot at it."

This tv show featured the brilliant character acting of some of today's finest comedic actors. John Candy, in full make-up was Luciano Pavarotti, Curly Howard, or Alfred Hitchcock in various skits... and he created some brilliant characters of his own: Johnny LaRue, Yosh Schmenge, Gil Fisher, Bruno, and countless others. The show was an early launching ground for other comedic rockets from Harold Ramis, Martin Short, Catherine O'Hara, Eugene Levy, Rick Moranis and many others... a veritable Who's Who of today's filmed comedy. The ongoing characters created worlds of their own that were endlessly fascinating... and they also spoofed the classic tv shows. Imagine John Candy as an overgrown Beaver Cleaver! Forgettabouttitt. Scour your local tv listings for re-runs of this show, or find the tapes. This is tv comedy at its finest!

After SCTV was I guess dropped by NBC, the show changed to an hour long format (45 minutes of content) and moved to Cinemax. Most notable change is there is no musical acts.

In the interviews and commentary on the SCTV Network 90 DVD sets, I was surpised by how many times this season was referenced. The Raymond Massie joke, the intensely ambitious stunt with the man falling from the crane and landing on just a cardboard box, Levy playing a drunken Henry Kissinger on the Maudlin show, the introductions containing scenes from the current episodes, the A Christmas Carol themed show and Floyd Robertson showing up to do the news drunk and in his Count Floyd makeup. I dont know if they mentioned these things because they remembered them more clearly or if this was their favorite season working on the show.

This season has alot going for it and the comedy ideas are no less ambitious. If a movie spoof idea wasn't working as planned or too expensive, it got cut down and used as a trailer and there are a lot of ideas used. A show themed around Stalag 17, 2010 The sequel to 2001, Thicke of the Night, Officer and a Gentleman, Risky Business, Das Boot, A Christmas Carol, Flashdance, Gimme Shelter, Oliver Twist, Cujo, Entertainment Tonight and my favorite, Harvey all were spoofed. There is a great 40s Western serial spoof hosted by a drunk at a bar named Happy Marsden (played by John Hemphill) doing a kids show. Andrea Martin does the strangest spoof of Sophia Loren I don't think anyone else could conceptualize. She appears in commercials selling things like olive bath oil, meatball sandwiches and mufflers. They are all well done.

Many familiar characters return even though many are lost with the departure of regular cast members. John Candy seemed to really cut loose in the last season of Network 90 with truly bizarre impressions like his playing Ed Grimley's brother. He appears only in the first episode of this season reprising Steve Roman and Yosh Shmenges. While I am a fan I honestly can't say I missed him while watching this season. The talent is still there and the writing is excellent. There are two new regular cast members in recurring characters, Mary Charlotte Wilcox (Idella Voudri will haunt your nightmares. A fantastic character to think about if you are seeking to delay climax during intercourse) and John Hemphill. Past cast members and SC alumni show up in some episodes. Fred Willard, Catherine O'Hara, Dave Thomas and Valri Bromfield make appearances.

I always preferred watching and rewatching SCTV to SNL. SCTV is a taped show which means more preparation and thought is put into it instead of 4 days before doing it live. The humor is much more character based instead of relying on topical jokes, most of which painfully dates the show after 3 to 5 years. The cast obviously have great chemistry and they knew it since so many of them continued to work together after the show ended and still do (Schitt's Creek). At times this season dates itself but not too often. I think what I love most is how the show freely mocks any actor or celebrity they felt they could convincingly impersonate. That kind of daring in sketch comedy is LONG gone now.

This season is hard to see nowadays but worth searching out. Its got alot going for it and its still as enjoyable as what was commercially released on video.

John Candy, Martin Short, Eugene Levy -- film stars we have seen come and go. They all got their start on SCTV, which spells out "Second City TV."

The group of Canadians were hilarious, and every time I see a rerun with John Candy it makes me feel sad. As everyone knows, he passed away in a few years back while wrapping up filming on "Wagons East," which probably was such a bad movie because they had to cut it short and use footage they had shot with Candy.

SCTV wasn't as big a hit as SNL, but it was still a legacy in comedy. Most of the stars from the show went on to be in "Saturday Night Live."

5/5 stars --

John Ulmer