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An Opening With Mixed Reviews

This was an interesting way to start the season, weird that they opted to come back from the summer break to have a host that isn't even in studio. Though I really like the idea of Chevy literally phoning in his appearance as a joke on its own, I'm just not sure about the timing.

Then again, not having a host to get in the way did make it so the three new Not Ready For Prime Time Players got a little more time on the air. I'm now fully on board with the returning cast members, and I feel that I should be able to grow to like the new cast.

Julia Louis-Dreyfus made her debut with an over the top character that seemed cliche with the passing of time but may have been original then. I wasn't a huge fan of it, but knowing her from the future leaves me to believe she'll have no problem fitting in. Brad Hall did a pretty good job with the news where even though his delivery was a little stiff, it seemed like he'll be pretty quick to find his voice. I have no opinion of the other guy yet, he didn't even stand out enough to where I felt the need to look up his name, but I'm willing to give him a shot.

All in all, this was a pretty good premiere, and I can't wait to dig in. So, with that, it's time to move on from my ramblings about potential and start to share what I saw as I give you...

The Wicker Breakdown:

This week's show starts with Chevy Chase talking on the phone before he starts his introduction. It turns out that he is actually not in studio but addressing the audience via satellite explaining how he missed his flight. The monitor is on a stand that falls over in the tradition of Chevy's old opening routine which leads him to announce, "Live from Burbank..."
The broken monitor is still on the ground as Chevy throws to the first official sketch of the season.
We then go to an art gallery for the opening of Eddie Murphy's "Kill my landlord," character's new Harlem-themed art exhibit where the talks harshly to the white folks who love the immersive experience.
Joe Piscopo tells the tale of an extraordinary woman that he is now seeing, that woman being Rose Kennedy and we see home video footage of the two hanging out on the beach. He then proposes to her even though his friends are against him seeing a woman who is 93.
We then hear from John Hinckley who pitches his run to be president the President claiming to be the perfect wacko to be able to navigate America's wacky ways.
The Web is a fake commercial that I can't find anywhere on its own, but according to a site that I reference, it comes up as a repeat in a few episodes so I will wait until it comes up again later to share what it's about.
Mystery Theatre is a parody of the horror movie show hosted by the real Zacherley who throws to the latest Land Shark bit.
Chevy Chase starts an introduction from the monitor only to be interrupted by Danny DeVito Queen then takes the stage to perform Crazy Little Thing Called Love.
We then meet Alan: A Video Game Junkie who is obsessed with video games highlighting the growing epidemic in a short film that is still pretty relevant today. Meanwhile, the people who want to fix this problem are more interested in getting children to spend their money on material goods and use Pavlovian response electric training to cure the kids of their vice.
Popiel Galactic Prophylactic is a fake ad for the strongest condoms ever made that are so durable that they can become family heirlooms.
This week, new cast member Brad Hall gives us the newly named Saturday Night Live News where Piscopo gives us the sports. Brad Hall calls a corrupt politician at home and tells him off. Sweetchuck plays a Father who reviews The Readers Digest Bible, and Chevy checks in via satellite where he claims to be in Beirut even though he is clearly on the Tonight Show set.
We then get a sketch that makes fun of Late Night With David Letterman as he interviews Eddie as Gumby. Piscopo actually makes a pretty good Letterman when you keep in mind the Letterman from that time. Awe, they also parody Larry Bub Melman who was always my favorite of Dave's novelty guests.
PTC Club is a parody of a TV preacher show where Julia Louis-Dreyfus makes her SNL premiere as the host who is only interested in money.
Siskel And Ebert then break new grounds by reviewing the show while it's still in progress with genuinely interesting insights. Their biggest criticism is Chevy's phoned in appearance as he, in the monitor, makes faces behind their backs.
Queen then returns to the stage to perform Under Pressure.
Finally, Chevy Chase closes the show by thanking the audience and saying his goodnights.

This felt like a fun start to a promising season, and these are my favorite moments. First, I loved the Siskel And Ebert sketch not only because I used to love them as guests on a couple of my favorite talk shows but also because I thought their reviews of the sketches that just aired were legitimate and not a prewritten bit. Next, I really like seeing Gumby on David Letterman because I was a huge fan of Letterman around this time so it was fun to be reminded of his old school style humor from the NBC days especially when seeing Larry Bud Melman. Finally, I was a fan of Alan: A Video Game Junkie, because it was the best of the short films to date.