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November 12, 2023 12:43 pm  #1


How Comedian Albert Brooks Single Handedly Changed "Sat. Night Live"

I was lucky enough to have the chance to see the Albert Brooks documentary (made by his childhood friend Rob Reiner) that debuted on HBO Saturday night. In the film, Brooks drops a stunning revelation that he insists he rarely talks about and it centres on one of the longest running variety shows on network television. 

He says before Saturday Night Live debuted on NBC in 1975, they asked him to become the permanent host of the show. He refused, saying that every show of that kind had a returning host every week. Instead, he strongly suggested that they have a different person come out to guest host every time, giving it something no other show ever had - true variety. 

Producer Lorne Michaels and Dick Ebersol both liked the idea and it's become a hallmark of the program that continues all these decades later. 

Pretty amazing how one small suggestion from a guy turning down a fulltime gig changed the make-up of one of the biggest shows on TV. (Instead, he agreed to make six short film for the program, another regular feature that's still used to this day.)

And by the way, this is a terrific documentary that's worth seeing if you have a chance. 

‘Albert Brooks: Defending My Life’ Review: Rob Reiner’s Delightful HBO Doc Tribute Leaves You Wanting More

 

November 12, 2023 10:27 pm  #2


Re: How Comedian Albert Brooks Single Handedly Changed "Sat. Night Live"

Albert Brooks was also an entrepreneur.  Here he's demonstrating his Impressionist Kit : )) .. 


 

 

November 12, 2023 10:58 pm  #3


Re: How Comedian Albert Brooks Single Handedly Changed "Sat. Night Live"

Albert Brooks is a genius. I think I've written about this before, but on the tail end of one of his LPs, there's a 30 sec. bit I've never been able to find on the Internet that's simply brilliant - and it has to do with radio. It's called "The Disc Jockey's Nightmare" and with apologies for the profanity, there's simply no way to describe it without listing it here. 

A DJ is extroing a record on air when he says something like this:

"That's the latest hit for The Beatles and it's a hell of a good song.

Oh damn, I said hell.

Oh, shit, I said damn.

Oh, fuck, I said shit!

Oh, asshole, I said fuck!

Oh cocksucker, I said asshole..."

and it just fades out from there. 

I would love to find this on the web if anyone knows if it's ever been uploaded. Been searching for it for years, because it never fails to me me laugh. 

     Thread Starter
 

November 13, 2023 7:07 pm  #4


Re: How Comedian Albert Brooks Single Handedly Changed "Sat. Night Live"

I really hope this show runs again.  I love Albert Brooks!!!

 

November 14, 2023 10:56 am  #5


Re: How Comedian Albert Brooks Single Handedly Changed "Sat. Night Live"

Maybo wrote:

RadioActive wrote:

Albert Brooks is a genius. I think I've written about this before, but on the tail end of one of his LPs, there's a 30 sec. bit I've never been able to find on the Internet that's simply brilliant - and it has to do with radio. It's called "The Disc Jockey's Nightmare" and with apologies for the profanity, there's simply no way to describe it without listing it here. 

A DJ is extroing a record on air when he says something like this:

"That's the latest hit for The Beatles and it's a hell of a good song.

Oh damn, I said hell.

Oh, shit, I said damn.

Oh, fuck, I said shit!

Oh, asshole, I said fuck!

Oh cocksucker, I said asshole..."

and it just fades out from there. 

I would love to find this on the web if anyone knows if it's ever been uploaded. Been searching for it for years, because it never fails to me me laugh. 

A lot of alliteration from anxious anchors placed in powerful posts!  🤣
 

"I say it here, it comes out there."