The Not Ready for Prime Time Project: An SNL Retrospective

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An in-depth journey into the legacy of one of television's most iconic and influential shows - Saturday Night Live. Through deep dives into its most memorable eras, behind-the-scenes stories, and analysis of its evolution, we celebrate and debate all things SNL - the show that has become an institution, defining comedy for over 50 years.

  1. The Early Years of SNL: Season 5 Recap

    4D AGO

    The Early Years of SNL: Season 5 Recap

    Well, we made it! Season Five of Saturday Night Live has come to an end. Brad and Gary look back and discuss what they liked (and didn’t), what they learned, and what surprised them from the final season of SNL’s original era. They pick their favorite hosts and musical guests, rank the best (and worst) episodes, and – of course – pick their Best Bits of the season.  In addition, they highlight forgotten and underrated moments from the season as well as try to agree on who it was that picked up the mantle in the absence of John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd.  They look back at quality contributions from Harry Shearer as well as lament the too-often absence of Garrett and Laraine (and sometimes Gilda). And, after all is said and done, they try to decide if this season really is as bad as history would have you believe. The final season of “The Early Years of SNL” has come to a close. One last season wrap-up. Here we go…  --------------------------------- Subscribe & Follow today! And follow us on social media: Twitter: @NR4PTProject Instagram: @nr4ptproject Bluesky: @nr4ptproject.bsky.social Facebook: The Not Ready for Prime Time Project Contact Us: Website: https://www.nr4project.com Email: nr4ptproject@gmail.com

    57 min
  2. The Early Years of SNL: S05E20 Buck Henry/Andrew Gold; Andrae Crouch, The Voices of Unity (5/24/80)

    FEB 24

    The Early Years of SNL: S05E20 Buck Henry/Andrew Gold; Andrae Crouch, The Voices of Unity (5/24/80)

    It’s the end of an era. Saturday Night Live brings the original era to a close as Buck Henry (naturally) hosts the season finale of Season Five.  Andrew Gold (it’s okay, you can ask “Who?”) and Andrae Crouch with The Voice of Unity are the musical guests. The show leans into the “will they or won’t they be back” elephant in the room often throughout the episode – from the monologue right up to the goodnights. In between, Buck gives another solid performance as host, we get to say goodbye to some well-loved recurring characters, and are gifted one of the most iconic sketches in the show’s history up to this point. A lot has been said about SNL during this era – and this season – and it is bittersweet to see it come to an end. We say goodbye to Gilda, Jane, Laraine, Garrett, and Bill (and Lorne), and no one is sure what the future holds for Saturday Night Live. With one last self-referential nod, the show bows out and leaves the audience wondering just what might come next. A special guest also stops by to help say goodbye to the original era and one of the greatest hosts in SNL history. --------------------------------- Subscribe & Follow today! And follow us on social media: Twitter: @NR4PTProject Instagram: @nr4ptproject Bluesky: @nr4ptproject.bsky.social Facebook: The Not Ready for Prime Time Project Contact Us: Website: https://www.nr4project.com Email: nr4ptproject@gmail.com

    1h 12m
  3. My SNL Story: Marc Shaiman

    FEB 19

    My SNL Story: Marc Shaiman

    Marc Shaiman has won a Tony award, two Grammy awards, two Emmy awards, and has been nominated for seven Oscars. Unsurprisingly, after a career spanning over 50 years rubbing shoulders with the "who's who" of entertainment he is not at a loss for stories to share. In honor of his hilarious new memoir, Never Mind the Happy: Showbiz Stories From a Sore Winner, we talked with Marc about a brief, but pivotal, section early in his career – Saturday Night Live. Beginning as a freelance performer during the Dick Ebersol years, he began backing up cast members such as Julia Louis-Dreyfus and went on to form life-long friendships with the likes of Martin Short and Billy Crystal. When Lorne Michaels returned to the show, he was hired as a full-time writer and helped create one of the most iconic recurring characters of SNL’s second Golden Era – The Sweeney Sisters. Marc talks about working on SNL with Jan Hooks, Phil Hartman, Maya Rudolph, Paul Shaffer, Steve Martin, and Mary Tyler Moore, as well as shares hilarious behind-the-scenes tales about Bill Murray, William Shatner, Paul McCartney, and Prince! He also tells the story of meeting, working, and living with Bette Midler (when he was only a teenager), discusses his decades-long relationship working with Rob Reiner, and reveals the most outrageous story from his book. We had such a blast talking Saturday Night Live with Marc, we didn’t even get a chance to talk about: *Being one of the originators of the Rocky Horror Picture Show screenings *Producing songs with Mariah Carey and Harry Connick, Jr. *Backing up Bette Midler on Johnny Carson’s final show *Writing songs for South Park: Bigger, Longer, and Uncut *Creating Hairspray for Broadway All of which are in the book – which you can order HERE! Or the amazing audio book - HERE! Or...as Marc says (or sings) himself - GET BOTH! --------------------------------- Subscribe & Follow today! And follow us on social media: Twitter: @NR4PTProject Instagram: @nr4ptproject Bluesky: @nr4ptproject.bsky.social Facebook: The Not Ready for Prime Time Project Contact Us: Website: https://www.nr4project.com Email: nr4ptproject@gmail.com

    55 min
  4. The Early Years of SNL: S05E19 Steve Martin/Paul & Linda McCartney, 3D (5/17/80)

    FEB 17

    The Early Years of SNL: S05E19 Steve Martin/Paul & Linda McCartney, 3D (5/17/80)

    Steve Martin returns to host SNL for his 8th time. He won’t return to the show (aside from a memorable cameo) for over 6 years. Perhaps it was because of the deer outfit they had him wear? Steve hosting Saturday Night Live gets overshadowed by one of the very few people who could pull off such a feat at the time – Paul McCartney. Hiding out in London after his public drug bust, the ex-Beatle was supposed to open the show. But, due to the time change, a mix-up ensued and the runner about getting Paul on the air (he’s debuting the video for his first solo single in 10 years) is the centerpiece of this episode. The episode is fine and Steve does a good job of having fun (especially when paired with Bill or Gilda), but one of SNL’s greatest hosts leaves the original era on a whimper. Oh, aside from Paul McCartney’s music video we also get an in-studio performance from 3-D! --------------------------------- Subscribe & Follow today! And follow us on social media: Twitter: @NR4PTProject Instagram: @nr4ptproject Bluesky: @nr4ptproject.bsky.social Facebook: The Not Ready for Prime Time Project Contact Us: Website: https://www.nr4project.com Email: nr4ptproject@gmail.com

    58 min
  5. Bill Swerski's Tournament Talk: Favorite SNL Olympic Moments

    FEB 12

    Bill Swerski's Tournament Talk: Favorite SNL Olympic Moments

    With Saturday Night Live off for a few weeks due to the Olympics, we thought it would be fun to get some friends together to debate our “Favorite SNL Olympic Moments.” That’s right, Tournament Talk is BACK. Sadly, Bill Swerski is not. From John Belushi up to the recent SNL51 Olympic pre-tape, our panel of SNL superfans discuss, dissect, and debate the best Olympic sketches, pre-tapes, and bits from the show’s 51-year history. Will your favorite Olympic moment from SNL history make the list? Tune in and see what made the cut, what didn’t, and what took the gold medal. --------------------------------- Subscribe & Follow today! And follow us on social media: Twitter: @NR4PTProject Instagram: @nr4ptproject Bluesky: @nr4ptproject.bsky.social Facebook: The Not Ready for Prime Time Project Contact Us: Website: https://www.nr4project.com Email: nr4ptproject@gmail.com

    1h 30m
  6. The Early Years of SNL: S05E18 Bob Newhart/The Amazing Rhythm Aces, Bruce Cockburn (5/10/80)

    FEB 10

    The Early Years of SNL: S05E18 Bob Newhart/The Amazing Rhythm Aces, Bruce Cockburn (5/10/80)

    SNL finally gets comedy legend Bob Newhart to host the show, and we finally get back together for a “live” episode. In honor of being in the same room, we try something a little different and record immediately after watching each bit. This episode of Saturday Night Live is famous for not having a lot of material, with only four live sketches (in addition to the cold open). The show doesn’t stray far from the host’s strong suit, but is that a good thing? We’re not sure. But one thing that is certain – if you’re a Bob Newhart fan you’ll enjoy this episode. The musical guests are a bit of a conundrum. The Amazing Rhythm Aces were a request from Bill Murray (who joins them on stage for one number) and we’re still trying to figure out how Bruce Cockburn got an invite.  We’ve only got two more episodes left! Here we go... --------------------------------- Subscribe & Follow today! And follow us on social media: Twitter: @NR4PTProject Instagram: @nr4ptproject Bluesky: @nr4ptproject.bsky.social Facebook: The Not Ready for Prime Time Project Contact Us: Website: https://www.nr4project.com Email: nr4ptproject@gmail.com

    57 min
  7. The Early Years of SNL: S05E17 Strother Martin/The Specials (4/19/80)

    FEB 3

    The Early Years of SNL: S05E17 Strother Martin/The Specials (4/19/80)

    Just when you thought Season 5 of SNL might have thrown in the towel, it delivers one of THE BEST episodes of the season! Host Strother Martin knocks it out of the park – whether carrying a sketch or simply in a supporting role – and the veteran character actor delivers in all night long.  The writing is smart, the performances are on point, and the laughs are plentiful. You don’t even have to be familiar with what the show is satirizing to get the jokes (as one of us shamefully is called out about). To top it all off, The Specials – in their first US television appearance – deliver one of the most energized performances of the season. Top to bottom, everything in this episode clicks – so much so that even we are hard-pressed to find something to complain about with this one. If that wasn’t enough to get excited about, we are joined one last time by our dear friend Thomas Sena from “The Podcast Which Shall Not Be Named.” We couldn’t ask for a better final guest as we look to bring S5 and the original era of Saturday Night Live to a close! --------------------------------- Subscribe & Follow today! And follow us on social media: Twitter: @NR4PTProject Instagram: @nr4ptproject Bluesky: @nr4ptproject.bsky.social Facebook: The Not Ready for Prime Time Project Contact Us: Website: https://www.nr4project.com Email: nr4ptproject@gmail.com

    1h 7m
  8. My SNL Story: Andy Aaron

    JAN 29

    My SNL Story: Andy Aaron

    While the average SNL fan might not know Andy Aaron by name, they almost certainly know his work—his short films have been showcased on the show several times. His most well-known, "Push Button to Cross Street," was featured in Season 7 and shows an unknowing Tom Davis accidentally push the wrong button and cause a building to collapse. But Andy's connection with Saturday Night Live goes way back. His friendship with Chevy Chase predates the show and his first short film was one of the best pieces included in Mr. Mike's Mondo Video. He also has a really great one in the Burt Reynolds episode from Season 5 - so good that it prompted us to go out and track him down. We talk to Andy about ALL his short “disaster” films (including some he did for Sesame Street), his time as a writer on the short-lived The Chevy Chase Show, and working on such film classics as Apocalypse Now, The Empire Strikes Back, and Return of the Jedi. Note to listeners: We talk to Andy about many particulars of his work. We highly encourage you to check out Andy’s YouTube page to watch his short films before listening to this episode. Don’t worry, they’re very short (and fun)!  --------------------------------- Subscribe & Follow today! And follow us on social media: Twitter: @NR4PTProject Instagram: @nr4ptproject Bluesky: @nr4ptproject.bsky.social Facebook: The Not Ready for Prime Time Project Contact Us: Website: https://www.nr4project.com Email: nr4ptproject@gmail.com

    52 min
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An in-depth journey into the legacy of one of television's most iconic and influential shows - Saturday Night Live. Through deep dives into its most memorable eras, behind-the-scenes stories, and analysis of its evolution, we celebrate and debate all things SNL - the show that has become an institution, defining comedy for over 50 years.

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