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.
