The Dana Carvey Show is an American sketch comedy television show that aired on ABC during the spring of 1996. Dana Carvey was the host and principal player on the show while Louis C.K. served as head writer. The show's cast consists heavily of "Saturday Night Live" and Second City alumni including Carvey, Steve Carell, Stephen Colbert, Bill Chott, Elon Gold, Chris McKinney, Heather Morgan, Peggy Shay, Robert Smigel, and James Stephens III. The writing team also included Louis C.K, Charlie Kaufman, Jon Glaser, Dino Stamatopoulos, Spike Feresten, and Robert Carlock. In addition, Carvey and Smigel's former "Saturday Night Live" colleague Greg Daniels contributed material for the premiere episode.
Introduction
The Dana Carvey Show
The Dana Carvey Show | Introduction
ABC ABC ABC. ABC
what episode did pam and jim first kiss
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"Casino Night"
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what is it's premise about?
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It depicts the everyday lives of office employees in the Scranton, Pennsylvania branch of the fictional Dunder Mifflin Paper Company.
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which series does this episode belong to?
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"The Office"
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when was it released?
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March 24, 2005
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who produced it?
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Co-produced by Deedle-Dee Productions, and Reveille Productions (later Shine America), in association with Universal Television.
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who are the main characters in it?
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Michael Scott, Dwight Schrute, Jim Halpert, Pam Beesly
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what sort of a character is the first one?
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Apart from his masterful salesmanship, he is lacking in almost any other skills, management or otherwise; places personal interests as a priority over work; often resorts to scapegoating employees to cover himself.
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who played this character in it?
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Steve Carell
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was this his debut series?
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No, he started with "The Dana Carvey Show" and "Saturday Night Live".
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where did the former get broadcasted?
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The Dana Carvey Show is an American sketch comedy television show that aired on ABC during the spring of 1996. Dana Carvey was the host and principal player on the show while Louis C.K. served as head writer. The show's cast consists heavily of "Saturday Night Live" and Second City alumni including Carvey, Steve Carell, Stephen Colbert, Bill Chott, Elon Gold, Chris McKinney, Heather Morgan, Peggy Shay, Robert Smigel, and James Stephens III. The writing team also included Louis C.K, Charlie Kaufman, Jon Glaser, Dino Stamatopoulos, Spike Feresten, and Robert Carlock. In addition, Carvey and Smigel's former "Saturday Night Live" colleague Greg Daniels contributed material for the premiere episode.
The Dana Carvey Show | Introduction
An animated sketch that first appeared on the show, "The Ambiguously Gay Duo", featuring the voices of Stephen Colbert and Steve Carell, became well known on "SNL" after Carvey's show was canceled. Additionally, a sketch used in the unaired eighth episode about Tom Brokaw prerecording the announcement of Gerald Ford's death was used verbatim when Carvey hosted "Saturday Night Live" on October 26, 1996.
The Dana Carvey Show | Format
As an inside joke to the fact that an ABC television show was being recorded at a rival network, each show's opening announcement stated, "from the ABC Broadcast Center in New York, it's The ________ Dana Carvey Show!" The blank was where the sponsor's name is heard as a man stands at the top of a ladder outside of the Broadcast Center placing the ABC logo over the CBS Eye logo. Dana would then begin the show surrounded by dancers wearing (for example) gigantic Mug Root Beer soda can costumes.
The Dana Carvey Show | History
When "The Dana Carvey Show" first appeared, it was greeted with above average reviews and a lukewarm response from the audience. Despite the fact that ABC only aired seven episodes of the series, it has maintained a small but loyal following. The first six episodes that aired were officially titled based on the presenting sponsor of the show: This was a homage to the classic television shows that Dana Carvey grew up watching in the 1950s and 1960s, wherein a variety show would have a single sponsor whose advertising and promotion were integrated with the show. The show was videotaped at the CBS Broadcast Center at 524 West 57th Street in New York City.
The Dana Carvey Show | History
In 1996, Brillstein-Grey Entertainment produced "The Dana Carvey Show" at the Broadcast Center for ABC. As a jab at CBS (ABC's competition), the show's opening credits had a man with a paper version of the ABC logo on a ladder outside of the Broadcast Center covering over the CBS Eye logo while the announcer proclaimed "From the ABC Broadcast Center".
CBS Broadcast Center | ""From the ABC Broadcast Center...""
As Perot—recorded and timed to give the appearance of interacting with the live Bush and Clinton—Carvey eschewed the show's signature "Live from New York" opening line, telling Bush "Why don't you do it, live-boy?" Carvey left "SNL" in 1993.
Dana Carvey | "Saturday Night Live"
Colbert sent them a homemade audition tape in which he used his newborn daughter as a puppet. He later noted, "I was completely desperate." The writing staff for "The Dana Carvey Show" included, Louis C.K. (head writer), Steve Carell, Stephen Colbert, Robert Smigel, Charlie Kaufman, Bob Odenkirk, Robert Carlock, Greg Daniels, and Dino Stamatopoulos. Carvey also saw the new show as an opportunity to move his family away from Los Angeles and raise his two young sons in New York. His family moved to Greenwich, Connecticut, however, causing Carvey to commute several hours to the studio during a brutal winter.
The Dana Carvey Show | Development
A Dana Carvey sketch. Debuted September 29, 1990.
Recurring Saturday Night Live characters and sketches introduced 1990–91 | Larry Roman the Talent Scout
Dana Carvey plays a "holier-than-thou" talk show host. Debuted October 11, 1986.
Recurring Saturday Night Live characters and sketches introduced 1986–87 | The Church Lady
"The Dana Carvey Show" aired only seven of its planned 10 episodes. While the program was short-lived and featured controversial material, it has since been considered ahead of its time. The show is also recognized for providing early exposure to Steve Carell and Stephen Colbert, two comedians who would go on to have massive success many years later. In addition, "The Dana Carvey Show" served as a launchpad for Smigel's series of "TV Funhouse" cartoons.
The Dana Carvey Show | Introduction
As a lifelong Douglas fan, Carvey threw in an affectionate impression of his mentor, while describing a hairy scene they did together on a moving train. Carvey was a finalist for the hosting role on the Nickelodeon TV game show "Double Dare". He ultimately withdrew his name from consideration after he was cast on "Saturday Night Live". The job would go to Marc Summers.
Dana Carvey | Early career
The show's humor varied between crude and sophisticated. It debuted on Tuesday, March 12, 1996 at 9:30 ET. On its premiere, following the family-friendly "Home Improvement", the notorious first sketch featured Carvey as President Bill Clinton, demonstrating his compassion by having a human baby (which was a doll), several puppies (real ones) and a kitten (also real) suckle milk from his multiple prosthetic nipples. Years later, Carvey claimed that "having that right out of the box sent the wrong message about the show. The show got really panned because of that, and we were in trouble from that point forwards." Carvey also recreated some of the characters he developed on "Saturday Night Live", including his signature Church Lady, and parodied the news of the day, as well as the media, politics, commercialism, and other sketch comedy shows.
The Dana Carvey Show | Format
The series is currently able to stream on Crackle. It was available to stream on Hulu from its launch until its removal around May 2020.
The Dana Carvey Show | Streaming
A Dana Carvey sketch. Debuted December 3, 1988.
Recurring Saturday Night Live characters and sketches introduced 1988–89 | Celebrity Restaurant
Dana Carvey impersonates the Weekend Update anchor beside him.
Recurring Saturday Night Live characters and sketches introduced 1987–88 | Dennis Miller
They quickly corrected its appearance after angered security guards complained. Carvey returned to stand-up comedy, specifically corporate shows, where he was in high demand and turned down many gigs. His family returned to Los Angeles where he could revolve his schedule around raising his children. Smigel's "Ambiguously Gay Duo" concept carried on with further installments on "Saturday Night Live" and led to the creation of several other cartoons. Steve Carell and Stephen Colbert were later cast on Comedy Central's "Daily Show" where its co-creator, Madeleine Smithberg, was a fan of their waiters nauseated by food sketch. The two went on to have significant comedy careers in film and television.
The Dana Carvey Show | Cancellation and beyond
In 1986, Carvey became a household name when he joined the cast of NBC's "Saturday Night Live". He, along with newcomers Phil Hartman, Kevin Nealon, Jan Hooks, and Victoria Jackson, helped to reverse the show's declining popularity and made "SNL" "must-see" TV once again. An important part of the show's revival was Carvey's breakout character, the Church Lady, the uptight, smug, and pious host of "Church Chat". Carvey said he based the character on women he knew from church while growing up, who would keep track of other churchgoers' attendance. He became so associated with the character that later cast members such as Chris Farley referred to Carvey simply as "The Lady".
Dana Carvey | "Saturday Night Live"
A parody of "The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson", with Dana Carvey impersonating Johnny Carson and Phil Hartman impersonating Ed McMahon.
Recurring Saturday Night Live characters and sketches introduced 1989–90 | The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
Needing money, he also worked as a script consultant for VH1 and MTV, before taking a job filming humorous correspondent segments for "Good Morning America". Only two of the segments he proposed were ever produced and only one aired, but the job led his agent to refer him to "The Daily Show's" producer, Madeline Smithberg, who hired Colbert on a trial basis in 1997.
Stephen Colbert | "The Dana Carvey Show" (1996)
In 1977, he won the San Francisco Stand-Up Comedy Competition.
Dana Carvey | Early life
In 1991, Carell performed with Chicago troupe The Second City where Stephen Colbert was his understudy for a time. Carell made his film debut in a minor role in "Curly Sue". In spring 1996 he was a cast member of "The Dana Carvey Show", a short-lived sketch comedy program on ABC. Along with fellow cast member Colbert, Carell provided the voice of Gary, half of "The Ambiguously Gay Duo", the Robert Smigel-produced animated short which continued on "Saturday Night Live" later that year. While the program lasted only seven episodes, "The Dana Carvey Show" has since been credited with forging Carell's career.
Steve Carell | "The Dana Carvey Show" (1996)
Dana Carvey and Kevin Nealon play two Austrian jocks, inspired by Arnold Schwarzenegger. Debuted October 17, 1987.
Recurring Saturday Night Live characters and sketches introduced 1987–88 | Pumping Up with Hans and Franz
A Dana Carvey and Phil Hartman sketch.
Recurring Saturday Night Live characters and sketches introduced 1989–90 | Singing Cowboys
A parody of the late-night news program "Nightline", with Dana Carvey impersonating its host Ted Koppel.
Recurring Saturday Night Live characters and sketches introduced 1986–87 | Nightline
A Dana Carvey and Kevin Nealon sketch. Debuted January 19, 1991.
Recurring Saturday Night Live characters and sketches introduced 1990–91 | The Elevator Fans
Upon its debut, Joyce Millman of "Salon" called the series a "rousing blast of kamikaze satire" and summed up by declaring, "In his relentless flogging of the advertiser-driven TV biz, Carvey delivered prime time's funniest biting the-feeding-hand stuff since Michael Moore's short-lived NBC (and briefly, Fox) series "TV Nation"." Caryn James of "The New York Times", however, gave a negative review, claiming, "the debut already looked tired and old" adding, "Right now, the Carvey writers had better be thinking up something edgier than a dancing mug of root beer." In 2009, "New York Times" writer Dave Itzkoff lamented, "Comedy fans may remember it as a crucible in which many future stars were forged.
The Dana Carvey Show | Critical reception and retrospect
Nealon played in bands in high school and gravitated to comedy in college. In 1977 he moved to San Diego and then to Los Angeles, where he learned his craft at the Improv while tending bar there for a living. He had been doing stand-up for six years when he made his network television debut on "The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson" in 1984. He later became a regular there and on "Late Night with David Letterman". In 1986, "Saturday Night Live" recruited his friend Dana Carvey, and Carvey in turn recommended Nealon. Both joined the cast that year, and Nealon became a full-time performer in the 1987–1988 season, and remained for nine seasons.
Kevin Nealon | Career
But for the people who created the show, it was a stark lesson that when idiosyncratic talents are given the freedom to follow their personal muses, a mass audience does not always follow." "Entertainment Weekly"'s Alynda Wheat gave the DVD a B- and proclaimed "You can see why Carell and Colbert became famous [...] But just as clear is that "Carvey" was too wildly hit-or-miss to work." "Paste Magazine" gave a "respectable" 73 rating and noted that while the show's topicality hasn't dated well, "when the "Dana Carvey Show" is on its game it’s outstanding, especially towards the end of its short run when it really found its voice." CHUD.com also commended the show's writing and gave an 8/10 rating.
The Dana Carvey Show | Critical reception and retrospect
A Dana Carvey and Kevin Nealon sketch. Debuted November 8, 1986.
Recurring Saturday Night Live characters and sketches introduced 1986–87 | The Two Sammies
NBC executives hoped to get Carvey to take over the 12:30 am ET weeknight spot in the network's lineup in 1993 when David Letterman left his show, "Late Night with David Letterman," for an 11:30 pm ET show on CBS. The "Late Night" hosting spot eventually went to Conan O'Brien. In 1994, Carvey starred in the film "Clean Slate". The following year, Carvey filmed his first HBO stand-up special "Critic's Choice". The show featured Carvey doing many of his "SNL" impersonations, as well as making fun of the premium channel's name, pronouncing it "hobo". He had to turn down a role in "Bad Boys" because he felt overwhelmed as a new father.
Dana Carvey | After "SNL"
Following the cancelation of "Exit 57", Colbert worked for six months as a cast member and writer on "The Dana Carvey Show", alongside former Second City castmate Steve Carell, and also Robert Smigel, Charlie Kaufman, Louis C.K., and Dino Stamatopoulos, among others. The series, described by one reviewer as "kamikaze satire" in "borderline-questionable taste", had sponsors pull out after its first episode aired and was canceled after seven episodes. Colbert then worked briefly as a freelance writer for "Saturday Night Live" with Robert Smigel. Smigel brought his animated sketch, "The Ambiguously Gay Duo", to "SNL" from "The Dana Carvey Show"; Colbert provided the voice of Ace on both series, opposite Steve Carell as Gary.
Stephen Colbert | "The Dana Carvey Show" (1996)
Robert Smigel turned down an offer to rejoin "SNL" as a producer, favoring the challenge of working with Carvey on primetime. Smigel and Carvey were given "SNL"'s audition tapes which led them to hire Bill Chott and Jon Glaser. They were also joined by Louis C.K. who worked with Smigel on "Late Night with Conan O'Brien". Steve Carell was hired through Smigel and Carvey's auditions in which Smigel recalls seeing future "SNL" alumni Tracy Morgan, Jimmy Fallon and Ana Gasteyer; however, "The Dana Carvey Show" had but a small cast to fill. Smigel himself cast Stephen Colbert, whom he had met years prior, and had tried to use on "Late Night".
The Dana Carvey Show | Development
Dana Thomas Carvey (born June 2, 1955) is an American actor, stand-up comedian, impressionist, screenwriter, and producer. He is best known for his work as a cast member on the sketch comedy show "Saturday Night Live" (from 1986 to 1993), which earned him a Primetime Emmy Award from five consecutive nominations. Carvey is also known for his film roles in comedies such as "Tough Guys" (1986), "Opportunity Knocks" (1990), "Trapped in Paradise" (1994), and "The Master of Disguise" (2002), as well as reprising his role of Garth Algar in the "SNL" spin-off film "Wayne's World" (1992) and its sequel "Wayne's World 2" (1993).
Dana Carvey | Introduction
In October 2017, streaming service Hulu released a documentary entitled "Too Funny to Fail" that details the show's rise and fall.
The Dana Carvey Show | Documentary
On June 14, 2008, Carvey filmed a second HBO stand-up special, the first in 13 years, entitled "Squatting Monkeys Tell No Lies". In 2010, Carvey appeared in the "Funny or Die" original comedy sketch "Presidential Reunion". He played the role of President George H. W. Bush alongside other current and former "SNL" president impersonators.
Dana Carvey | After "The Master of Disguise"
Mike Myers and Dana Carvey play two metalheads and best friends who hosted a cable access television program from Wayne's parents basement. Myers had previously played the character of Wayne on several Canadian television shows, and this sketch was the basis of a popular feature film released in 1992. Debuted February 18, 1989.
Recurring Saturday Night Live characters and sketches introduced 1988–89 | "Wayne's World"
Carvey eventually withdrew from the limelight to focus on his family. He later said in an interview that he did not want to be in a career in which his kids would already be grown with him having neglected spending time with them, a major reason for his declining the hosting spot for "Late Night" that ultimately went to Conan O'Brien. Carvey has said that he generally prefers stand-up comedy to acting in movies and regularly performs lucrative corporate dates, boasting of "a few million-dollar months" during a 2016 Howard Stern interview. Carvey made an appearance at the 2008 MTV Movie Awards, reprising his "SNL" character Garth Algar with host Mike Myers for a "Wayne's World" sketch.
Dana Carvey | After "The Master of Disguise"
He regarded Smigel as the true writer and "creative force" behind the show while Carvey considered himself "kind of a zombie." This was due to his tiring schedule of balancing work and fatherhood which he later considered a mistake.
The Dana Carvey Show | Development
Carvey's Bush impersonation was SNL's most sophisticated yet, and together with Hartman's send-up of President Ronald Reagan, they allowed for the most fruitful and successful period of political parody on SNL. Aykroyd returned in guest appearances on the show throughout the late 1980s and early 1990s to impersonate Republican primary candidate Bob Dole, while Jon Lovitz appeared in late 1980s episodes as Democratic presidential candidate Michael Dukakis. Carvey's appearances as President Bush grew so popular that the former President himself made a cameo appearance in 1994 when Carvey hosted the show.
History of Saturday Night Live (1985–1990) | Dana Carvey
Mike Darow hosted the first season with Alan Kalter as announcer, and the series was taped in New York City at CBS's Ed Sullivan Theater. The second season moved production to Don Mills, Toronto, Ontario at Global Television Network's studios. Alex Trebek became host, with model Sylvie Garant as his assistant, and Sandy Hoyt became the announcer.
The $128,000 Question | Hosts and announcers
Dana Carvey played the character Ching Chang, a typical Asian-American stereotype whose only goal in life is to put his chickens in their own show on Broadway. Debuted November 15, 1986.
Recurring Saturday Night Live characters and sketches introduced 1986–87 | Ching Chang
Colbert's earliest mainstream exposure came in the prime time sketch comedy program "The Dana Carvey Show". While only lasting seven episodes in early 1996, it provided Colbert with roles that would help forge his future onscreen persona. This was largely due to its format of delivering sketch performances directly to the camera. Although they did not air, several sketches inspired by "The Onion" also had Colbert playing a deadpan anchor delivering the news. In an interview with "The New York Times" regarding "The Dana Carvey Show", Colbert noted, "If you have an opportunity to give it right to the audience, there’s a special connection that you make by looking at the camera." Upon the show's cancellation, Colbert was cast for "The Daily Show" by co-creator Madeleine Smithberg.
Stephen Colbert (character) | "The Dana Carvey Show"
Aired on January 11, 1992 (Season 17, Episode 10) with Sweeney playing alongside Kevin Nealon as Bill, host Rob Morrow as Frank, Victoria Jackson as Dina, Dana Carvey and Mike Myers as guests, and Phil Hartman as the Narrator.
Pat (Saturday Night Live) | "It's Pat": <a href="Rob%20Morrow">Rob Morrow</a> (Jan. 1992)
Due to the controversial content and declining ratings, the show was canceled after 8 of its 10 planned episodes were taped. Smigel and Carvey recalled wanting a parental warning for the show, but were not granted it because of advertiser concerns. However, the duo considered the program less racy by today's standards, stating, "If you take out the teats and a few things, maybe the Mountain Dew, mostly it was clean and silly and abstract." They also regarded "Two and a Half Men", a later CBS sitcom, as "much dirtier" than "The Dana Carvey Show". "I think that [ABC] wanted a little edgier "Carol Burnett Show", and they got something that was a little more than they bargained for," Carvey recalled.
The Dana Carvey Show | Cancellation and beyond
The most notable series he worked on in this period was "The Dana Carvey Show", which featured writers and performers such as Louis C.K., Robert Smigel, Greg Daniels, Stephen Colbert and Steve Carell. On all these series Kaufman struggled to keep his material from being adulterated or not produced at all, because of his unconventional writing and his quiet nature.
Charlie Kaufman | Early work and television (1983–1997)
Myers introduced many popular new characters during this period, including Linda Richman, host of a talk show "Coffee Talk". Meanwhile, Hartman, who had impersonated President Ronald Reagan on the show, began appearing regularly with his impression of Democratic candidate and soon-to-be President Bill Clinton. Carvey's impersonations of President George H.W. Bush remained an audience favourite, and Carvey also developed a popular impression of independent presidential candidate Ross Perot. In the period leading up to the 1992 presidential election, Carvey and Hartman dominated the show with these impressions, creating mock debates. The Myers and Carvey characters Wayne Campbell and Garth Algar from the "Wayne's World" sketch would become household names during the early 1990s following the release of the successful feature film, "Wayne's World".
History of Saturday Night Live (1990–1995) | Transition in progress (1990–1991)
Portrayed by Dana Carvey, he was an embittered archetypical grandfather figure with white hair, glasses, and a sour sneer. He would appear as a "Weekend Update" commentator complaining about the state of the world, mainly in regard to many modern conveniences. His complaints always included differences between today and "his day". All of these rants would end with "And that's the way it was, and we (you) "liked" it! We (You) "loved" it!". Debuted February 11, 1989 in a sketch with Jon Lovitz.
Recurring Saturday Night Live characters and sketches introduced 1988–89 | Grumpy Old Man
An effeminate character played by Dana Carvey who needs to convince others that he is not gay. Debuted November 11, 1989.
Recurring Saturday Night Live characters and sketches introduced 1989–90 | Lyle the Effeminate Heterosexual
Carvey's other original characters included Garth Algar (from "Wayne's World"), who was based on his brother; Hans (from "Hans and Franz"); the Grumpy Old Man (from "Weekend Update" appearances); and Ching Chang, a Chinese poultry store owner. Throughout the election and presidency of George H. W. Bush, he was the designated impersonator of the president, making him the lead actor of the regular political sketches on "SNL". During the 1992 US presidential election campaign, Carvey also did an impression of independent candidate Ross Perot; in a prime-time special before the election, Carvey played both George H. W. Bush and Perot in a three-way debate with Bill Clinton, played by Phil Hartman.
Dana Carvey | "Saturday Night Live"
The show was an adaptation of radio's "Hear It Now", also produced by Murrow and Friendly. Its first episode, on November 18, 1951, opened with the first live simultaneous coast-to-coast TV transmission from both the East Coast (the Brooklyn Bridge and New York Harbor) and the West Coast (the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge and San Francisco Bay), as reporters on both sides of the North American continent gave live reports to Murrow, who was sitting in the control room on CBS' Studio 41 with director Don Hewitt.
See It Now | Synopsis
Dana Carvey recalls that he was prompted by executive producer Lorne Michaels to introduce the character (when it was still in "SNL" rehearsals) at a Neil Young concert at Madison Square Garden, which Church Lady interrupted, fussing and fuming: "What are we "doing" here? What's all this noise?" During the first season Dana Carvey appeared as a cast regular on "Saturday Night Live", Joe Montana and Walter Payton co-hosted the show and both appeared in a Church Lady skit for a game of football with Church Lady. Montana throws a touchdown pass to Church Lady after she distracted Payton (who was playing defense against her) and hid in the audience.
The Church Lady | Memorable moments
The series, sponsored by Procter & Gamble, premiered on September 22, 1963 and ran for a season-and-a-half, before its run ended on January 17, 1965 (the following week, it was replaced by "Branded").
The Bill Dana Show | Series run
The program was broadcast live on various radio stations as well on Sunday evenings.
Kurt Darren | Introduction
A cartoon by Robert Smigel, part of the "Saturday TV Funhouse" series. Originally appeared on the Dana Carvey Show. Debuted September 28, 1996.
Recurring Saturday Night Live characters and sketches introduced 1996–97 | The Ambiguously Gay Duo
The series began on January 7, 1989 with comic Gilbert Gottfried hosting on Saturdays from New York City. In that first show, Gottfried was seen in an empty office building in Manhattan. The first two films that night were "Cheerleaders Beach Party" and "Stuck on You!". Halfway through the first season, a Friday night show broadcast from Los Angeles hosted by actress/comedian Caroline Schlitt (fresh off of the short-lived "Camp Midnite") was added. When Schlitt left the program in December 1990, comedian/B-movie actress Rhonda Shear replaced her on Fridays, beginning on January 4, 1991. In 1995, the Shear edition moved to New York City (home of the Gottfried edition), and stayed there for the remainder of the run.
USA Up All Night | Hosts
After the end of the 1993–1994 season, having already lost star cast member Dana Carvey, who left midway through the previous season, "SNL's" 1994 post-season saw more departures. Julia Sweeney left due to frustration and burnout. Another departure was that of Phil Hartman, whose final moment on the show was at the end of a musical number, with the entire cast singing a parody of the "So Long, Farewell" song from "The Sound of Music". After all of the cast had left the stage, Farley, in his Matt Foley character, was left sitting on the stage, with Phil walking back on stage, cuddling next to Farley to sing goodbye and waving at the audience.
History of Saturday Night Live (1990–1995) | 1993–1994 season
The two also believe the show could have been more successful had it been given more time to develop, much like "Late Night with Conan O'Brien" did. Smigel put it simply, "Bottom line, the network was the wrong fit, wrong timeslot. Cable obviously would have been -- we would have been given credit for what was good instead of attacked for what wasn’t." Nevertheless, Carvey expressed pride in the program serving as Steve Carell and Stephen Colbert's launchpad and in its creative approach: "We did not compromise anything, literally, in a completely commercialized environment, and did exactly what we wanted - for better or for worse." Colbert has also offered credit to the show's format for developing his satirical onscreen persona, stating, "If you have an opportunity to give it right to the audience, there’s a special connection that you make by looking at the camera." Upon the program's cancellation, its writers rearranged their office in an askew fashion as a parody of destroying it in anger.
The Dana Carvey Show | Cancellation and beyond
Bolstered by strong scripts penned by the writing team, Carvey's impression of George H. W. Bush was a notable advance on earlier ventures in this vein, and helped set a new benchmark for this aspect of the show's political satire. SNL's strongest period of political parody before this was the 1976-1979 era, when Dan Aykroyd appeared frequently as both former U.S. President Richard Nixon (alongside John Belushi as Henry Kissinger), and then current President Jimmy Carter. While Aykroyd's impersonations marked successful efforts to bring well-known political figures to life on the show, the only other well-remembered political impersonation from SNL's 1970s period (or any other period before the 1986–1987 season) was Chevy Chase's slapstick parody of President Gerald Ford.
History of Saturday Night Live (1985–1990) | Dana Carvey
Many changes happened before the start of the season. Dana Carvey had left the show in the middle of the previous season. Chris Rock and Robert Smigel also left the show at the end of the previous season. Ellen Cleghorne, Melanie Hutsell, Tim Meadows, Adam Sandler, and David Spade were all promoted to repertory status. Stand-up comics Norm Macdonald, Jay Mohr and Sarah Silverman were hired as writers and would debut as featured players a few episodes into the season. Veteran comic actor Michael McKean joined the show mid-season as a repertory cast member. At age 46, McKean was the oldest person to join the cast of the show, a distinction he held until Leslie Jones became a cast member (at age 47) in 2014.
Saturday Night Live (season 19) | Cast
In 1950, he created, produced and starred in the Saturday night coast-to-coast radio program, "The Hawthorne Thing", which was the final network radio show to originate in NBC's Hollywood Radio City. At KLAC/Channel 13 in the early 1950s, he created the first late evening talk show on television, "This Is Hawthorne". An article in the "LA Times" reflecting on early TV described the show as "predecessor of NBC's Saturday Night Live."
Jim Hawthorne (DJ) | Introduction
One particularly memorable sketch, "Skinheads From Maine," involved a pair of white power skinheads dressed in plaid, sitting on a porch, whittling, and conversing alternately about their racist beliefs and innocent matters such as the weather in a thick mock Maine accent. ("Nice sunset we're havin'..." "Ayuh, the weather's the only thing the Jews don't control.") Additional post-produced bumper material was often featured between sketches. One such example, "Discovery Channel After Dark", featured an edited montage of wild animals mating, and performing other actions that would be considered obscene if shown being done by their human counterparts. This was a parody of adult-based, late-night cable programming.
The Dana Carvey Show | Format
Dana Carvey and Victoria Jackson play a couple who allow their pet cat Toonces to drive their car; Toonces subsequently drives the car off a cliff. Debuted May 20, 1989. Toonces was the family pet of Lyle (Steve Martin in the first sketch, thereafter by Dana Carvey) and Brenda Clark (Victoria Jackson), an enthusiastic couple who would allow their cat to drive the family car. At first, they were delighted that their cat had such an ability, but were always horrified to discover (too late) that Toonces was actually not a skilled driver at all. The running gag was the punch line: "See, I told you he could drive! Just not very well!" Inevitably, Toonces would drive the car over a cliff whenever he got behind the wheel.
Recurring Saturday Night Live characters and sketches introduced 1988–89 | Toonces The Driving Cat
Initial candidates to host the program included Soupy Sales, host of children's variety shows in the 1950s and 1960s, and comedian Dana Carvey. After Nickelodeon determined Sales to be too old for the role, and Carvey was offered a chance to audition for "Saturday Night Live", the search for a host continued. Producers viewed over 1,000 applicants from New York or Los Angeles. First attending a tryout in lieu of a friend, and later passing multiple auditions, television warm-up comedian Marc Summers was one of two finalists advancing to a final audition. Each hosted a mock game for Nickelodeon to make an ultimate decision on who would host "Double Dare".
Double Dare (franchise) | 1986–1989
Both shows are broadcast in the United States on the Galavisión network. Today the show is transmitted in Latin America and Europe.
XHDRbZ | Introduction
Dana Carvey and Carol Burnett were nominated for Outstanding Guest Actor and Guest Actress in a Comedy Series. Klein and Shandling were nominated for Outstanding Writing in a Comedy Series for the pilot, "The Hey Now Episode", which was broadcast at the end of the season. Shandling, Paul Simms, Peter Tolan and Rosie Shuster were nominated in the same category for "The Spider Episode".
The Larry Sanders Show | Season 1
He starred in a few short-lived television series, including "Come to Papa" and "Over the Top". He has made numerous guest appearances, including in "Funny Girl," an episode of "Just Shoot Me!" Additional screen credits include Brad Hall's short-lived situation comedy "Watching Ellie" (20022003) and Woody Allen's "Melinda and Melinda".
Steve Carell | "The Dana Carvey Show" (1996)
Presented by IT journalist Chris Palmer, it featured a couple of notable TV firsts. It broadcast a computer program live which viewers could record from their TV and upload to a ZX Spectrum. The initial attempt failed due to interference on the feed from the studio floor, but it was re-broadcast the following week and many viewers successfully recorded and loaded the programme. The second 'first' for the show was the game "Up for Grabs" which was a game played live in the studio by a player in their own home via a computer and a modem. The contestant had to steer a robotic arm and pick up prizes from a rotating turntable.
The Saturday Show (1982 TV series) | Introduction
CNN described the show as a "conversational ensemble" with O'Brien at its center. It was broadcast from CNN's studios in New York City, but had also broadcast in various diners around the United States. Frequent panelists included Will Cain, Margaret Hoover, and Roland S. Martin.
Starting Point | Format
The Las Vegas Show was an American late night television program broadcast in May 1967 on the short-lived United Network. The two-hour-long talk show, hosted by comedian Bill Dana, was supposed to be the flagship program of a planned fourth television network.
The Las Vegas Show | Introduction
He also did impressions of various celebrities, including Brad Pitt and Michael J. Fox. According to interviews with Spade, most of the material that he wrote early in his time at SNL was given to Dana Carvey to perform on the show. After the major cast overhaul following the 1994–1995 season, Spade agreed to remain on the show for the 1995–96 season to serve as a bridge between the former cast and new cast members Will Ferrell, Molly Shannon, and Cheri Oteri. During this season, Spade was given a weekly segment called "Spade in America" which was a spin-off of his "Hollywood Minute" and "Weekend Update" commentaries.
David Spade | "Saturday Night Live"
The twenty-second season of "Saturday Night Live", an American sketch comedy series, originally aired in the United States on NBC between September 28, 1996, and May 17, 1997. This season is notable for the host selection. Seven of the 20 hosts were former cast members. They included Dana Carvey, Robert Downey, Jr. (the second of three season 11 cast members to come back and host the show, joining Damon Wayans [who hosted during the show's 20th season] and, later in season 23, Jon Lovitz), Phil Hartman, Chris Rock, Martin Short (who hosted before with Steve Martin and Chevy Chase on the show's 12th season, and the only cast member out of the seven to not have worked under Lorne Michaels, as Short was a Dick Ebersol cast member), Chevy Chase, and Mike Myers.
Saturday Night Live (season 22) | Introduction
This was thanks to his performance as a nauseated waiter on "The Dana Carvey Show".
Stephen Colbert (character) | "The Dana Carvey Show"
Premiere Radio continues its role as distributor. As of October 25, 2010, the show began simulcasting on Fox Sports Net and Comcast Sports Net. The Comcast and Fox Sports Net broadcasts ended in July and on October 17, 2012, respectively, though DirecTV continued carrying the show on their Root Sports regional sports networks which formerly affiliated with FSN. After a short delay, the program began airing on NBC Sports Network on November 5, 2012. The show’s airing on NBCSN is subject to preemption by other sporting events, especially the Tour de France in July.
The Dan Patrick Show | Premiere Radio and Fox Sports Radio
This show usually aired during racing season on Saturdays and once or twice on Sundays, with the same episode airing each time during that weekend. The episodes were almost always taped, edited, and broadcast a week or two after the event had taken place (known in broadcasting as tape delay). The episodes were usually 90 minutes in length. In the mid-'80s, Diamond P and TNN were the first group to televise racing from Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin.
American Sports Cavalcade | Format
A Dan Aykroyd, John Belushi, Jane Curtin and Gilda Radner sketch. Debuted December 16, 1978.
Recurring Saturday Night Live characters and sketches introduced 1978–79 | The Widettes
The popularity of these new cast members helped to offset the departure of several popular long-time players over the first two seasons of this era, including Jan Hooks and "Weekend Update" anchor Dennis Miller after this season, as well as Victoria Jackson after the following season. The remaining cast members of the "older" cast (Dana Carvey, Phil Hartman, Mike Myers and Kevin Nealon) also remained popular with audiences. Nealon succeeded Miller as "Weekend Update" anchor. For the remainder of his tenure, Nealon found himself playing the straight man during "Update" and other sketches, particularly against the newer cast members. His participation in that role increased after Carvey, Hartman, and Myers left the show.
History of Saturday Night Live (1990–1995) | Transition in progress (1990–1991)
Too Funny to Fail: The Life & Death of The Dana Carvey Show is an American documentary film that premiered on Hulu on October 21, 2017. Directed, written and produced by Josh Greenbaum, it explores the creation of "The Dana Carvey Show", how its creative team was assembled, and how the show ultimately came to be cancelled.
Too Funny to Fail | Introduction
Chott toured the country with the Second City, and in 1995 he made his television debut on "The Dana Carvey Show", among a repertory cast that included Stephen Colbert, Steve Carell, and Robert Smigel. His most lasting contribution to the program was as the announcer for "The Ambiguously Gay Duo," a series of animated shorts created by Smigel and J.J. Sedelmaier, which continued to be produced by J.J. Sedelmaier Productions for "Saturday Night Live" after the quick cancellation of "The Dana Carvey Show." His film roles include performances in "Galaxy Quest", "Dude Where's My Car", "Brainwarp", "Dante's Inferno", "Wild Girls Gone", "Dancing at the Blue Iguana" and "The Ringer".
Bill Chott | Career
Carney also had his own NBC television variety show from 1959 to 1960.
Art Carney | Television
Much of the show was improvised, and a whole week of rehearsals plus an extensive dress rehearsal on Friday preceded each live broadcast on Saturday morning.
No. 73 | Introduction
"Theatre Stories" was an SNL skit parodying English actors. Debuted December 14, 1991. It is described by the announcer as produced by the "British-American Theatre Alliance", and centered around several English Shakespearean actors recounting acting experiences and anecdotes. However, one of the most memorable performances was Dana Carvey as embittered former American child star Mickey Rooney, complaining about how the film industry largely turned their back on him, and reminiscing on better times. Mike Myers played the host, Kenneth Rhys-Evans (aka "Cucumber Jones"), an English actor who discovered one day that he could not control the volume of his voice (a joke Myers later used in the first movie).
Recurring Saturday Night Live characters and sketches introduced 1991–92 | Theatre Stories
* formerly "Eyewitness To History" ** formerly "The Chevy Show"
1961–62 United States network television schedule | Friday
§Note that many NBC affiliates chose not to carry the first fifteen minutes of the show during this period, instead preferring to air a local newscast from 11 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. As of February 1965, Carson refused to host the first 15 minutes of the program, preferring to wait until the full network was in place before delivering his opening monologue; Ed McMahon hosted the program's first 15 minutes instead. This persisted for nearly two years, until the show's start time was finally adjusted to 11:30 p.m. in January 1967.
The Tonight Show | First run episodes
At the time of his laying off, the show was scheduled to enter syndication nationwide.
Michael Castner | Introduction
Coulier met future "Full House" co-star Bob Saget through the Los Angeles comedy circuit. The two became good friends and Coulier briefly lived with Saget and his then-wife Sherri on their couch in the early 1980s as he struggled to get his career started. He was initially cast as a player for "Saturday Night Live" for the 1986 season. However, right before the season started, casting changes were made and he was left off the show. It was said that many of the producers felt he was too similar in humor style to Dana Carvey, who was also joining the show in 1986, and that was why the change was made.
Dave Coulier | Career
First Impressions is an American television game show hosted by Dana Carvey and Freddie Prinze Jr. The series premiered on USA Network on May 10, 2016, and concluded on June 14, 2016.
First Impressions (game show) | Introduction
In 1974, NBC "Tonight Show" host Johnny Carson asked that the weekend broadcasts of "Best of Carson" (officially known as "The Weekend Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson") come to an end ("The Tonight Show" was a 90-minute program at the time), so he could take two weeknights off; NBC would thus air those repeats on those nights rather than feed them to affiliates for broadcast on either Saturdays or Sundays. Given Johnny Carson's undisputed status as the king of late-night television, NBC heard his request as an ultimatum, fearing he might use the issue as grounds to defect to either ABC or CBS.
Saturday Night Live (season 1) | History
It was taped at the AMV Unitel 53rd Street, 433 West 53rd Street Studio in New York City for most of its entire run. The first season, however, was produced and recorded at CBS Television City in Hollywood.
The Montel Williams Show | Production and distribution
Show with Bob and David". He then also had a starring role in Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul.
Saturday Night Live (season 16) | Writers
Carvey had a minor role in "Halloween II" in 1981, and co-starred in "One of the Boys" in 1982, a short-lived television sitcom that also starred Mickey Rooney, Nathan Lane, and Meg Ryan. In 1984, Carvey had a small role in Rob Reiner's film "This Is Spinal Tap", in which he played a mime, with fellow comedian Billy Crystal (who tells him "Mime is money!"). He appeared in the music video for the Greg Kihn song "Lucky" in 1985. He also appeared in the short-lived film-based action television series "Blue Thunder". His big break came in 1986, when he co-starred opposite Kirk Douglas and Burt Lancaster in "Tough Guys".
Dana Carvey | Early career
After a year on DuMont, the show moved to CBS for half a year, much of the time being broadcast every weeknight, then ran for another year each Saturday night on NBC, where it debuted on October 10, 1948. It broadcast the final episode on March 11, 1950.
Mary Kay and Johnny | Broadcast history
NBC occasionally used "Tomorrow" to plug various holes in its late-night schedule. Snyder did a special Saturday show with Jerry Lewis as the only guest on 4 October 1975 because a new program meant to premiere that evening was not ready to launch. Lewis was interviewed for one hour and fifteen minutes, before Snyder brought out the "Not Ready for Primetime Players" (Gilda Radner, Laraine Newman, Jane Curtin, Dan Aykroyd, Chevy Chase, Garrett Morris, and John Belushi) for the last fifteen minutes of the show so that the national audience could meet the debut cast of the network's new sketch series "Saturday Night" (the "Live" would not be appended to the title until 1977).
The Tomorrow Show | "Saturday Night Live" and Dan Aykroyd's impersonation of Snyder
During Carson's 1980 contract negotiations, the show was shortened to sixty minutes beginning that September, where it has remained since. NBC also broadcast "The Best of Carson" which were repeats of some of Carson's popular older albeit usually recent shows. Prior to the debut of "Saturday Night Live" in October 1975, NBC aired "The Best of Carson" on Saturday nights at 11:30 pm.
The Tonight Show | Introduction
The first three seasons (1968–1971) originated from Studio 50, the home of the original series. In 1971, production of "What's My Line?" moved from the Broadway studio to Studio 6-A at NBC in Rockefeller Center, and the series remained there for the rest of its run. As it had with the original series, Goodson-Todman went to ABC News to seek out a host, whose title had ceased to be that of "moderator," and hired Wally Bruner to take over for John Charles Daly. Bruner left the series at the conclusion of its fourth season, the 1971–1972 season, and actor Larry Blyden stepped in at the beginning of the 1972–1973 season to host the remaining three seasons.
What's My Line? | Premiere
Big Top was a children's television show that aired on CBS from July 1, 1950 to 1957. The cast included Ed McMahon, Johnny Carson's longtime sidekick, as Ed the Clown and America's Most Muscular Man Dan Lurie as "Sealtest Dan The Muscle Man". The series first aired in Primetime from its debut until January 6, 1951, it then moved to Saturday mornings for the remainder of its run, The program originated live from the 32nd St. and Lancaster Ave. Philadelphia Armory.
Big Top (American TV series) | Introduction
The show returned in the summer on Tuesdays after "Full House", which raised the ratings temporarily. Bill Cosby then became a consultant on the series. However, the show was moved to Saturday nights with the debuting "George" as its lead in for its second season and the ratings were even lower than before. Eight episodes were produced for the second season, but the series was cancelled after only three of them had aired. "George" was subsequently moved to Wednesdays and canceled after airing nine episodes.
Where I Live | Synopsis
The famous show which was broadcast by King World Productions, the producers of shows like "Jeopardy!" and "Wheel of Fortune" and distributor of "Oprah", was hosted by John Palmer.
Dan Cooper | ABC & King World Productions
A Gail Matthius and Denny Dillon sketch. Debuted November 15, 1980.
Recurring Saturday Night Live characters and sketches introduced 1980–81 | Vickie & Debbie
"Car 54, Where Are You?" originally aired Sunday at 8:30–9:00 p.m. on NBC, following "Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color" and preceding "Bonanza".
Car 54, Where Are You? | Broadcast history
Wayne lives with his parents and broadcasts his show "live" from the basement of their house every Friday evening at 10:30. The first "Wayne's World" sketch appeared in the 13th "Saturday Night Live" episode of the 1988/1989 season.
Wayne's World | Introduction