SCTV Network 90 with John Candy et al

I remember it as just SCTV and it was awesome. Really talented and funny cast.

HERE is a Best Of special that aired on ABC after Candy hit it big. It can serve as an intro for newbs.

HERE is the classic Christmas special, w/the Neil Simon spoof and Johnny LaRue demanding a crane shot. It might be the 2nd GOAT Christmas special (after "Christmas With The Lettermans", the undisputed numero uno).

There are other classic episodes, such as the Godfather parody, Soviet TV taking over the station, Zontar the Thing from Venus, The Bowery Boys Go To Vietnam (w/Robin Williams), the great Ocean's 11 takeoff, and their brilliant parody of The Grapes Of Wrath, maybe the GOAT movie spoof ever on TV. But the above pair of links will do for a start.

The "problem" w/SCTV is so many of the references are specifically geared toward baby boomers. I'm just out of that demo, but I'm sort of an amateur semi-expert on old TV, so I get most of the jokes. But many people, especially younger people, may be mystified by a lot of the humor. IMHO this is the reason SCTV has lapsed into a sort of semi-obscurity, despite the presence of John Candy.

Bleh. Canadian humor is lame AF.

The TV station gimmick really worked well, allowing them to do a ton of short promo/commercial gags in one show. SNL at its worst is when they drag out a lame sketch to fill time. With SCTV, even if a fake commercial didn't land well, it didn't matter because it was over quickly and an awesome spot would follow.

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Canadian humor is lame AF.

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Just like old Saturday Night Live,I think people would gnaw their face off if forced to watch a large number of SCTV vids. Similar to SNL, it was very hit and miss with more miss than hits.

I liked the cast, but it was very forgettable when aired. I seem to recall, the original old episodes were aired on PBS.

Not really. Most of it was terrible like most comedy shows of that genre. Lots of hit and miss. The cast was talented just like SNL but the writing was off and on. Just like SNL.

I didn't say it wasn't funny, but there was plenty of crap.

Furthermore the local PBS did air episodes of the original show so not wrong on every point.

Comedy is subjective. Good on you that you are so easily amused.

Understand that some of the bits are dated, late 70's, early 80's world and such, but SCTV is awesome. Lotta greats came out of that cast - Andrea Martin, John Candy, Joe Flaherty, Martin Short, Rick Moranis , Dave Thomas, Eugene Levy, and Catherine O'Hara.

SCTV was (and is) awesome.