Harold Ramis RIP

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Joe Migliore
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Re: Harold Ramis RIP

Postby Joe Migliore » Thu Feb 27, 2014 12:24 pm

Gary Johnson wrote:
Humor-wise, SCTV's strength were parody and satire. SNL's was anti-establishment. Even though both shows dug into the same talent pool of Second City, SNL had just as many National Lampoon alums on their staff, which played into the post-Watergate "fuck you" attitude that permeated the country at the time.

To me these two shows (and for SNL I am speaking of the first 5 years) are Astaire and Kelly. They both excel at dance - just in different ways.


I think it's self-evident that SCTV survives the test of time far better than SNL. Yes, both shows were hiring from this talent pool, but the end result could not be more different. SNL was a pressure-cooker, with everyone fighting for their own material to make air (not to mention the drug use), while SCTV had a deliberate pacing that ignored topicality and invested instead in universal memes. Even when they became part of the NBC line-up in the fourth season, they pretty much ignored network notes, and kept doing what they were doing they way they had been doing it for three years. (They were secluded up in Canada, away from network influence, unlike SNL, located at corporate headquarters.)

Just compare them A/B. The complexity of characters is far richer on SCTV: A station owner that rolls around in a wheel-chair purely for sympathy is far more compelling than Goat Boy. Perhaps it's a cheat to use the worst SNL character for comparison, but I can find nothing as thoughtless or knee-jerk in the entire run of SCTV, even on that last season on Cinemax, when they knew it was the end of the road.

Robert Moulton
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Re: Harold Ramis RIP

Postby Robert Moulton » Fri Feb 28, 2014 1:04 pm

The initial few series of SCTV were shot in Toronto, at the Global Network's studio at 21 Barber Greene Road. I used to see the performers hanging out for dinners together, most often at Mr. Greenjeans. (Not at its current location (or even state of food), I think it was on Adelaide in the 1970s). I remember talking to Eugene Levy and Joe Flaherty, and they were always quite modest. If my mind they were superstars but they didn't see themselves that way.

Not sure what went on business wise with the ownership of the early shows but I do remember there always used to be a sketch played under the closing credits with a Global Network logo coming up. That part is now cut out and replaced by the graphic of the Old Fire Hall. It was often Harold Ramis as Moe Green hosting Dialing for Dollars.

Gary Johnson
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Re: Harold Ramis RIP

Postby Gary Johnson » Mon Mar 03, 2014 10:35 am

Global was the shows distributor for the first two series in Canada. They then dropped the program and it was off the air for a year until the CBS picked up the option on the stipulation that the show be filmed in Edmonton. Even though the cast made fun of being out in the boondocks, there were better facilities up there and the production values improved enough to get NBC interested.


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