SCTV Network 90

SCTV Network 90

1981
SCTV Network 90
SCTV Network 90

SCTV Network 90

8.4 | en | Comedy

After a successful Canadian run as Second City TV on Global and SCTV on CBC, the cast packed up and moved to America (theoretically) when NBC offered them a timeslot under the title SCTV Network 90. With them, they brought their unique, quirky characters, their personalities, and the shows they had appeared on. Dick Blasucci had begun writing for the cast in their second series, SCTV, and joined them here, serving as a recurring straight man for the characters. Tony Rosato and Robin Duke wrote scripts at the beginning of the show as they had before, until quickly leaving to write and perform for Saturday Night Live. The appeal of SCTV Network 90, however, doesn't only come from the writing, but from the sheer wit of its legendary stars.

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Seasons & Episodes

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EP6  3D Firing Line: Midnight Cowboy II
Mar. 18,1983
3D Firing Line: Midnight Cowboy II

A set of unconnected sketches featuring many recurring characters, including a new Count Floyd vehicle, 3D Firing Line, which takes a look at Midnight Cowboy II, Ed Grimley in Whatever Happened to Baby Ed, the final episode of The Days of the Week (with cameos by Catherine O'Hara and Carol Burnett), as well as The Fishin' Musician, Stars In One, and perhaps the finest Mel's Rock Pile - the tribute to punk rock. Not a bad way to leave network television.

EP5  Sammy Maudlin: South Sea Sinner
Mar. 11,1983
Sammy Maudlin: South Sea Sinner

William B Williams returns to the Sammy Maudlin Show, the Shmenges host a beauty pageant, and Jackie Rogers Jr plugs his upcoming special, Jackie, We Hardly Knew Ye.

EP4  Sweeps Week
Feb. 25,1983
Sweeps Week

SCTV's longest wraparound show finds a poltergeist of television's past haunting the station during sweeps week, and Guy must call in the services of a technology savvy clairvoyant. Originally aired during February, which is apparently a Sweeps Month in America, when the networks pull out all the stops to get ratings. The Days of the Week is the only sketch not linked in some way to the wraparound. Johnny LaRue's final appearance on SCTV is in a minor promo, Jumping For Dollars

EP3  Bobby Bittman Retires
Feb. 18,1983
Bobby Bittman Retires

Features a short wraparound about Bobby Bittman's retirement from showbiz and subsequent comeback. Also features the continuation of William B Williams' mutli-story arc as he hosts his very own show. A classic of discomfort comedy, the William B Williams Show is such a disaster that not even William B can take it and he walks off his own show. The William B Williams Show includes the first appearance of legendary songwriter Irving Cohen

EP2  SCTV Classifieds / Vic Arpeggio
Feb. 11,1983
SCTV Classifieds / Vic Arpeggio

To encourage small business advertising, SCTV cuts its ad rates, resulting in a series of homemade ads for several micro-businesses. Also features the classic Stars In One profile of child star Rusty Van Reddick and the first episode of Vic Arpeggio Private Investigator. Jayne Eastwood guests as the moderator for Philosophers at work

EP1  A Star Is Born with Crystal Gayle
Jan. 28,1983
A Star Is Born with Crystal Gayle

The Days of the Week returns for another six episode run. Other notable sketches: the first Half Wits, Artisans and Their Art with the inimitable Bradley P Allen, and A Star is Born, starring Crystal Gayle.

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8.4 | en | Comedy | More Info
Released: 1981-05-16 | Released Producted By: Old Firehall Productions , Country: Canada Budget: 0 Revenue: 0 Official Website:
Synopsis

After a successful Canadian run as Second City TV on Global and SCTV on CBC, the cast packed up and moved to America (theoretically) when NBC offered them a timeslot under the title SCTV Network 90. With them, they brought their unique, quirky characters, their personalities, and the shows they had appeared on. Dick Blasucci had begun writing for the cast in their second series, SCTV, and joined them here, serving as a recurring straight man for the characters. Tony Rosato and Robin Duke wrote scripts at the beginning of the show as they had before, until quickly leaving to write and perform for Saturday Night Live. The appeal of SCTV Network 90, however, doesn't only come from the writing, but from the sheer wit of its legendary stars.

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The tv show is currently not available onine

Cast

Martin Short , Catherine O'Hara , Dave Thomas

Director

Doug Holtby

Producted By

Old Firehall Productions ,

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Reviews

animal_8_5 Toronto's comedy scene in the 1970s had become intensely vibrant. So great that the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) once devoted the awkward Saturday night half-hour+ time slot following "Hockey Night In Canada" and preceding national news, to the spirit of what would one day become the SCTV phenomenon.Speaking of which, IF anyone out there has a video copy of their hilarious version of the 1958 film, "Queen Of Outer Space", starring Paul Birch, LET ME KNOW! I remember Eugene Levy's voice and those of others dubbed over the actual soundtrack. This was the predecessor to the brilliant Mystery Science Theatre 3000! The spoof had to be just about the most brilliant, if not the funniest, thing I had seen to that point in my young life - it played some time in the mid to late 1970s. I've been told by reliable sources the show was called "Stay Tuned."It seems John Candy was the man NBC was originally interested in to form a new sketch comedy series, but this generous and kind giant invited his friends and colleagues from 1970s Toronto Second City to be involved and we comedy aficionados can be thankful he did. The result was the most intelligent, creative and funny television series on the North American continent.At this point in time, comedy in Canada had finally become comparable to anywhere in the world. For the writing/performing ensemble on "SCTV Network 90," they had reached the apex of brilliance during this time. Most of the cast went on to greater fame in later projects.The series raised the confidence for Canadians who pursued comedy as a career and now the nation can boast many top notch domestic comedy series. Comedy is now an industry in which Canadians rival the best in the world and the development of SCTV Network 90 was an important part of that process.
bucksix Finally SCTV on DVD. The first 5 DVD's released contain the first 9 episodes from the 90 minute series on NBC. Thirteen and one half hours. There are more to come. HOORAY!!!!!!!!!!!! Mine arrived today. Already I have watched the first three episodes. Talk about holding up. After 23 years, these shows are just as funny and refreshing as they were in 1981. In fact, I think I laughed harder today then I did a long time ago. SCTV never took cheap shots or the easy way. Their sketches had wit, charm, and intelligence. They never played down to the viewers. For example, I remember their version of T S Eliot's Murder in the Cathedral. Except they set it around a space shot at Cape Canaveral. One of my sons and I once tried to list all the characters each person played. Try it yourself. You may never get to the end. I could go on and on, but the time I spend writing this is keeping me away from the next episode. PSI'm glad my Spam blocker let the e-mail notice for these DVD's from Amazon come through. I bought 6 sets. One for me and one for each of my grown offspring. When they were little I let them stay up late on Friday nights for SCTV. Probably the best thing I ever did for them.
Raymond Valinoti, Jr. When NBC hired the producers and cast members of "Second City Television" for "SCTV Network 90," they provided them with a larger budget and longer programming time than the original show had. As a result, the performers/writers elaborated on the show's original premise of a cheap TV station. Established characters like Joe Flaherty's Guy Caballero and Andrea Martin's Edith Prickley were deepened with more quirks that often thematically unified the sketches, such as an episode when Guy's job as station owner is threatened when he forges a check. The sketches became lengthier and more layered, exploring further possibilities in television satire, such as a "Godfather" parody likening TV executives to mob bosses. And SCTV still maintained its comic bite, thanks to both the writing and the performers. The humor remained intelligent and insightful and unlike SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE never became self-consciously hip or stale. SCTV 90 provided some of the greatest TV comedy ever, the like which we may never see again.
Daniel Crean What more can I say? Maybe it just came along at the right time in my life, but SCTV really expanded my mind and my conception of what was possible with comedy. Never as self-consciously hip as Saturday Night Live. Just funny.