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Saturday Night Live is one of the longest-running television
series ever, and rightfully so. With an all-star cast of
comedians, constantly changing for various reasons, the
show has always managed to hold together, providing over
30 years of laugh-out-loud sketch comedy. ***
The eighties started off a difficult time for Saturday
Night Live. Lorne Michaels, who had made the series what
it was, was forced to depart the show. And to make things
worse, several of the key cast members had parted ways with
the series. But despite this, the series still managed to
spawn an impressive cast, including several individuals
who would become big-name stars in their own right - Joe
Piscopo, Gilbert Gottfried, and Eddie Murphy, to name a
few. New players who would come later in the decade include
Dana Carvey, Phil Hartman, Jan Hooks, Mike Myers, and Jon
Lovitz. But when Michaels finally made a return to the series,
he found it more difficult to work on than ever. This special
chronicles the series, and everything it went through in
the eighties - cast members coming and going, behind-the-scenes
stuff, and plenty more. ***
If you're a fan of Saturday Night Live, especially
if you're one of those die-hards who has followed the show
all the way from its infancy, this is a set that's definitely
worth picking up. Not only does it pay tribute to the series,
it also serves as an enlightening look at everything that
went on for the series in the decade of decadence, one of
the most turbulent times for the long-running comedy series.
***
This presentation originally aired in the fall of 2005,
and at long last, after pleas from numerous fans wanting
a DVD version, Universal has finally released it. ---
Image And Sound:
The quality here tends to differ depending on the part
of the presentation being viewed. The archival clips shown
throughout the presentation show their age, both audio and
visual-wise. But the newly-filmed-for-the-show interview
footage looks and sounds great. I wish they'd made more
of an effort to polish the archival footage, but it doesn't
make the presentation any less enjoyable.
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| Special
Features: |
The set only includes a single extra feature, which
is a bonus featurette. However, it's a great supplement
to the main presentation, and if you're a fan you'll definitely
want to watch the entire thing. When you SNL fans pick up
the DVD, don't overlook this!
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