Best bits / An unscientific ranking of the five best ‘SNL’ skits
5. Wayne’s World: Mike Myers brought his character Wayne Campbell to “Saturday Night Live” from the CBC television series “It’s Only Rock and Roll.” On “SNL,” Myers was joined by Dana Carvey as Garth Algar. The two taped a cable show from Wayne’s basement in Aurora, Ill. The sketch inspired movies in 1992 and 1993: “Wayne’s World” and “Wayne’s World 2.”
4.Two Wild and Crazy Guys: Georg and Yortuk Festrunk, two Czech brothers played by Steve Martin and Dan Aykroyd, who swaggered through life in high-waisted tight plaid pants, flowered shorts and caps, confident of their ability to attract “many swinging foxes.”
3.The Blues Brothers (Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi as Elwood Blues and Joliet Jake Blues) made their debut as the musical guest on the show on April 22, 1978. The band released an album, “Briefcase Full of Blues,” in 1978, then a movie, “The Blues Brothers,” in 1980.
2.“More cowbell”: The popular catchphrase was said on an April 8, 2000, sketch in which host Christopher Walken played music producer Bruce Dickinson and Will Ferrell was cowbell player Gene Frenkel during the recording of Blue Oyster Cult’s “(Don’t Fear) the Reaper.” “I could have used a little more cowbell,” says Dickinson, urging the player to “Explore the studio space this time.”
1. Tina Fey was brilliant as Sarah Palin, but when Palin herself appeared on the show Oct. 18, it reached new heights and drew more viewers than any show since ice skater Nancy Kerrigan appeared in 1994. The high point of the show on which Palin appeared was a rap done on Weekend Update by Amy Poehler that featured dancing Eskimos, the “First Dude” in a snowmobile suit, and Palin herself “raising the roof” to the lyric, “all the mavericks in the house put your hands up!”
— Anne Neville
Do you remember? / Big names, short time at ‘SNL’
It’s impossible to think of Mike Myers, Dana Carvey or John Belushi without remembering their classic “Saturday Night Live” roles. But some other well-known people either stayed for such a short time on the show or were so identified with other work that it’s a surprise to know that they, too, spent time in Studio 8H at 30 Rock.
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