30 Rock
Saturday Night Live and TV Icons
May 19, 2010
by David Krell
david@davidkrell.com
Saturday Night Live has been and continues to be a launching pad for actors to break into the movies.
Chevy Chase and Foul Play.
John Belushi and Animal House.
Eddie Murphy and 48 Hours.
Mike Myers and Wayne’s World.
Tina Fey and Mean Girls.
But Saturday Night Live is also the launching pad for television icons beyond Saturday nights in Studio 8H in Rockefeller Center.
In 1993, SNL creator and executive producer Lorne Michaels took over NBC’s Late Night franchise after David Letterman bolted for CBS. Michaels tapped Conan O’Brien to succeed Letterman. O’Brien was a writer on Saturday Night Live in the late 1980’s and early 1990’s. He hosted Late Night for sixteen years, from 1993 to 2009.
Again, Michaels need to find a Late Night host. He went to the ultimately likable Jimmy Fallon, an SNL icon who had the keystone role of a Weekend Update co-anchor with Tina Fey.
Fey created and stars in the comedy 30 Rock airing Thursday nights on NBC. Michaels’ company Broadway Video produces 30 Rock.
30 Rock, a multiple Emmy Award winner, concerns the behind-the-scenes antics of the staff at TGS or The Girlie Show, an NBC comedy-variety show, like Saturday Night Live. Fey plays Liz Lemon, the head writer. Alec Baldwin, a longtime guest host of SNL, also stars on 30 Rock. He plays NBC executive Jack Donaghy. Donaghy retools TGS by bringing in Tracy Jordan, played by Tracy Morgan in a thinly veiled depiction of his bombastic, hilarious, and affable public persona.
Another former Weekend Update anchor has a Thursday night comedy on NBC. From the team that brought you The Office, you now have Parks and Recreation starring Amy Poehler as Leslie Knope, a dedicated public servant in the fictional Pawnee, Indiana. Though idealistic about Pawnee’s Parks and Recreation Department, she encounters apathy, bureaucracy, and ignorance among her staff, the town, and other public servants.
david@davidkrell.com
Saturday Night Live has been and continues to be a launching pad for actors to break into the movies.
Chevy Chase and Foul Play.
John Belushi and Animal House.
Eddie Murphy and 48 Hours.
Mike Myers and Wayne’s World.
Tina Fey and Mean Girls.
But Saturday Night Live is also the launching pad for television icons beyond Saturday nights in Studio 8H in Rockefeller Center.
In 1993, SNL creator and executive producer Lorne Michaels took over NBC’s Late Night franchise after David Letterman bolted for CBS. Michaels tapped Conan O’Brien to succeed Letterman. O’Brien was a writer on Saturday Night Live in the late 1980’s and early 1990’s. He hosted Late Night for sixteen years, from 1993 to 2009.
Again, Michaels need to find a Late Night host. He went to the ultimately likable Jimmy Fallon, an SNL icon who had the keystone role of a Weekend Update co-anchor with Tina Fey.
Fey created and stars in the comedy 30 Rock airing Thursday nights on NBC. Michaels’ company Broadway Video produces 30 Rock.
30 Rock, a multiple Emmy Award winner, concerns the behind-the-scenes antics of the staff at TGS or The Girlie Show, an NBC comedy-variety show, like Saturday Night Live. Fey plays Liz Lemon, the head writer. Alec Baldwin, a longtime guest host of SNL, also stars on 30 Rock. He plays NBC executive Jack Donaghy. Donaghy retools TGS by bringing in Tracy Jordan, played by Tracy Morgan in a thinly veiled depiction of his bombastic, hilarious, and affable public persona.
Another former Weekend Update anchor has a Thursday night comedy on NBC. From the team that brought you The Office, you now have Parks and Recreation starring Amy Poehler as Leslie Knope, a dedicated public servant in the fictional Pawnee, Indiana. Though idealistic about Pawnee’s Parks and Recreation Department, she encounters apathy, bureaucracy, and ignorance among her staff, the town, and other public servants.
My Favorite Year
September 30, 2009
by David Krell
david@davidkrell.com
Everybody has a favorite movie star.
For some of us, our favorite movie star is an everyman, like Tom Hanks or Jimmy Stewart.
For some of us, our favorite movie star is a sex symbol, like Marilyn Monroe or Jennifer Lopez.
For some of us, our favorite movie star is a swashbuckling action hero.
The 1982 movie My Favorite Year pays homage to this popular actor genre.
Set in 1954, My Favorite Year focuses on one week in the life of junior television comedy writer Benjy Stone and his hero, movie star Alan Swann.
Benjy’s assignment -- make sure that Alan Swann is sober, prepared, and ready to be the guest star on Comedy Cavalcade starring Stan “King” Kaiser and airing Saturday nights at 8:00pm on NBC.
Mark Linn-Baker plays Benjy.
Peter O’Toole plays Swann.
And Joe Bologna plays Stan “King” Kaiser.
The movie takes us on a journey through Benjy’s eyes as he balances on the line between being Swann’s worshipper and his chaperone.
It’s a wonderful tale about hero worship, identity, and fame.
On the day of the show, Swann reveals a deep secret to Benjy.
His name is not really Alan Swann. It’s Clarence Duffy.
Alan Swann is a fictional name, created by a Hollywood studio in the 30s, a common practice in those days.
Another secret revealed -- the only reason Swann agreed to do the guest spot on Comedy Cavalcade is to satisfy a debt to the IRS.
Later that day, Swann tries to reach out to his estranged 12-year-old daughter, Tess. But when he arrives at the house in Connecticut, he cannot even bring himself to get out of the car. He instructs his driver, Alfie, to take him back to the city.
In just a few hours, the live broadcast of Comedy Cavalcade will take place. When Swann finds ouit it’s actually a live broadcast with no chance of a second or third take, he ends his quasi-sobriety and begins drinking. Heavily.
Benjy calls his hero’s bluff and tells Swann that he did not even have the courage to see his daughter, so his backing out of the show is not a surprise.
Now Benjy gives instructions to Alfie. Take Swann back to the Waldorf.
Alfie, disgusted with Swann by this point, throws the keys at Swann. It’s a turning point because Alfie has been Swann’s loyal driver and confidante for years whenever Swann comes to New York City.
And now the emotional climax comes when Swann makes his way into the halls of 30 Rockefeller Center and tells Benjy that he’s just a man, life-size, not the hero on the silver screen.
Benjy then screams the lament of any hero worshipper. Don’t tell me you’re life-size. I can’t use you life-size. I need Alan Swanns as big as I can get them. What does it matter if it was an illusion? It worked!
While Benjy and Swann make their way to the studio balcony, King Kaiser has an urgent problem.
He frequently parodies a well-known mob boss, Carl Rojeck. Kaiser’s character of Boss Hijack inspires the rage of the real mob boss. He sends henchmen after King Kaiser in front of a live studio audience and 40 million people watching at home.
A brawl begins on the Boss Hijack set.
Alan Swann then becomes that hero on the silver screen.
Captain from Tortuga.
Defender of the Crown.
The Last Knight of the Round Table.
With improvisation, athleticism, and grace.
Swann grabs a rope, swings down to the stage, and joins King Kaiser in beating up the henchmen.
The studio audience erupts in applause because it all looks planned.
Kaiser grins at Swann and whispers sarcastically before introducing him to the audience, What took you so long?
Already dressed as a swashbuckler for a musketeer sketch later in the show, the scene of Swann swinging down to save the day seems plausible and actually parallels an earlier scene when Benjy shows the writing staff a similar clip from one of Alan Swann’s movies as an introduction to Swann’s work.
Benjy tells us in the closing narration while Swann takes an extended bow that Swann saw his daughter the following day.
The characters and setting of My Favorite Year are very loosely based on fact.
Alan Swann and Errol Flynn.
King Kaiser and Sid Caesar.
Comedy Cavalcade and Your Show of Shows.
Indeed, Your Show of Shows starring Sid Caesar aired Saturday nights at 8:00pm on NBC just like its fictional counterpart.
The writing, producing, and broadcasting of the fictional Comedy Cavalcade and the real Your Show of Shows both take place at NBC’s headquarters, 30 Rockefeller Center or 30 Rock
And there is yet another connection.
Mel Brooks. Yes, that Mel Brooks. He was a writer on Your Show of Shows and his company produced My Favorite Year.
david@davidkrell.com
Everybody has a favorite movie star.
For some of us, our favorite movie star is an everyman, like Tom Hanks or Jimmy Stewart.
For some of us, our favorite movie star is a sex symbol, like Marilyn Monroe or Jennifer Lopez.
For some of us, our favorite movie star is a swashbuckling action hero.
The 1982 movie My Favorite Year pays homage to this popular actor genre.
Set in 1954, My Favorite Year focuses on one week in the life of junior television comedy writer Benjy Stone and his hero, movie star Alan Swann.
Benjy’s assignment -- make sure that Alan Swann is sober, prepared, and ready to be the guest star on Comedy Cavalcade starring Stan “King” Kaiser and airing Saturday nights at 8:00pm on NBC.
Mark Linn-Baker plays Benjy.
Peter O’Toole plays Swann.
And Joe Bologna plays Stan “King” Kaiser.
The movie takes us on a journey through Benjy’s eyes as he balances on the line between being Swann’s worshipper and his chaperone.
It’s a wonderful tale about hero worship, identity, and fame.
On the day of the show, Swann reveals a deep secret to Benjy.
His name is not really Alan Swann. It’s Clarence Duffy.
Alan Swann is a fictional name, created by a Hollywood studio in the 30s, a common practice in those days.
Another secret revealed -- the only reason Swann agreed to do the guest spot on Comedy Cavalcade is to satisfy a debt to the IRS.
Later that day, Swann tries to reach out to his estranged 12-year-old daughter, Tess. But when he arrives at the house in Connecticut, he cannot even bring himself to get out of the car. He instructs his driver, Alfie, to take him back to the city.
In just a few hours, the live broadcast of Comedy Cavalcade will take place. When Swann finds ouit it’s actually a live broadcast with no chance of a second or third take, he ends his quasi-sobriety and begins drinking. Heavily.
Benjy calls his hero’s bluff and tells Swann that he did not even have the courage to see his daughter, so his backing out of the show is not a surprise.
Now Benjy gives instructions to Alfie. Take Swann back to the Waldorf.
Alfie, disgusted with Swann by this point, throws the keys at Swann. It’s a turning point because Alfie has been Swann’s loyal driver and confidante for years whenever Swann comes to New York City.
And now the emotional climax comes when Swann makes his way into the halls of 30 Rockefeller Center and tells Benjy that he’s just a man, life-size, not the hero on the silver screen.
Benjy then screams the lament of any hero worshipper. Don’t tell me you’re life-size. I can’t use you life-size. I need Alan Swanns as big as I can get them. What does it matter if it was an illusion? It worked!
While Benjy and Swann make their way to the studio balcony, King Kaiser has an urgent problem.
He frequently parodies a well-known mob boss, Carl Rojeck. Kaiser’s character of Boss Hijack inspires the rage of the real mob boss. He sends henchmen after King Kaiser in front of a live studio audience and 40 million people watching at home.
A brawl begins on the Boss Hijack set.
Alan Swann then becomes that hero on the silver screen.
Captain from Tortuga.
Defender of the Crown.
The Last Knight of the Round Table.
With improvisation, athleticism, and grace.
Swann grabs a rope, swings down to the stage, and joins King Kaiser in beating up the henchmen.
The studio audience erupts in applause because it all looks planned.
Kaiser grins at Swann and whispers sarcastically before introducing him to the audience, What took you so long?
Already dressed as a swashbuckler for a musketeer sketch later in the show, the scene of Swann swinging down to save the day seems plausible and actually parallels an earlier scene when Benjy shows the writing staff a similar clip from one of Alan Swann’s movies as an introduction to Swann’s work.
Benjy tells us in the closing narration while Swann takes an extended bow that Swann saw his daughter the following day.
The characters and setting of My Favorite Year are very loosely based on fact.
Alan Swann and Errol Flynn.
King Kaiser and Sid Caesar.
Comedy Cavalcade and Your Show of Shows.
Indeed, Your Show of Shows starring Sid Caesar aired Saturday nights at 8:00pm on NBC just like its fictional counterpart.
The writing, producing, and broadcasting of the fictional Comedy Cavalcade and the real Your Show of Shows both take place at NBC’s headquarters, 30 Rockefeller Center or 30 Rock
And there is yet another connection.
Mel Brooks. Yes, that Mel Brooks. He was a writer on Your Show of Shows and his company produced My Favorite Year.