That Show - Bill Murray and a Very Dark Christmas
Nick revisits what may be the strangest and darkest Christmas episode Saturday Night Live ever put on the air, when Bill Murray returned to host on December 12, 1981. What should have been a holiday show quickly turned unsettling, starting with a deeply odd monologue featuring a silent Santa, followed by sketches that veered from uncomfortable to outright disturbing. There was a fake tampon commercial led by Father Guido Sarducci, played by Don Novello, a tasteless designer jeans bit, and an offbeat musical performance by the Yale Whiffenpoofs.
Things took a sharp turn when Sarducci returned with Murray to share predictions for 1982, including World War III and nuclear annihilation. Almost immediately after, the show was interrupted by a real NBC news bulletin announcing that Russia had invaded Poland. What followed was one of the most surreal moments in the show’s history, a bleak, apocalyptic sketch about global destruction written by Michael O'Donoghue, which ended up being his final contribution before he was fired that same night. [Ep 162]
Podcast (tshbfiy): Play in new window | Download (Duration: 57:22 — 39.4MB)
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That Show - The Most Annoying SNL Characters Ever
Nick digs into a crowdsourced list that tried to crown the five most annoying characters in Saturday Night Live history, and as you might expect, he has some thoughts. The list came from an online survey, and while a few of the picks make sense, others spark some serious pushback, especially when genuinely funny characters get lumped in with the truly grating ones.
He walks through each character, playing clips and breaking down where they came from, how they were written, and why audiences reacted so strongly. Performers like Julia Sweeney, Kristen Wiig, Chris Kattan, Rob Schneider, and Dana Carvey all make appearances, with guest turns from John Goodman, Joan Allen, Kirstie Alley, and Sting adding to the mix.
It turns into a fun debate about why some characters wear out their welcome, why others get misunderstood, and how audience taste shifts over time. Annoying or not, these characters clearly left an impression, and Nick isn’t shy about calling out the list when it misses the point. [Ep 161]
Podcast (tshbfiy): Play in new window | Download (Duration: 51:15 — 35.2MB)
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