The Not Ready for Prime Time Project: An SNL Retrospective

This week we have a VINTAGE episode of The Early Years of SNL, looking back at one of the most pivotal moments in the show's original era - Season 2, Episode 11. Ralph Nader takes the hosting reins while George Benson provides the musical entertainment, and the legendary Andy Kaufman appears as special guest. But the real headline? Nearly three months after Chevy Chase's departure, viewers finally meet the newest Not Ready for Prime Time Player - Bill Murray. Doug Hill & Jeff Weingrad, co-authors of Saturday Night: The Backstage History of Saturday Night Live, help us not only break down this landmark moment in television history but also share stories from their book - THE definitive account of the original era of SNL. This episode was originally released on December 12, 2023. --------------------------------- Subscribe today! Follow us on social media: X (Twitter): NR4PTProject [https://x.com/NR4PTProject] Bluesky: nr4ptproject.bsky.social [https://bsky.app/profile/nr4ptproject.bsky.social] Instagram: nr4ptproject [https://www.instagram.com/nr4ptproject/] Facebook: The Not Ready for Prime Time Project [https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100089010324178] Contact Us: Website: https://www.nr4project.com [https://www.notready4ptpod.com] Email: nr4ptproject@gmail.com

Are you ready for the summer? We kick off our off-season coverage with a look back at Meatballs, the scrappy Canadian comedy that surprisingly became one of 1979's biggest successes. Released just a month after SNL's fourth season wrapped, this summer camp romp marked Bill Murray's first starring role and set the stage for what would become one of cinema's most beloved comedy careers. From the muddy fields of Camp North Star to the heights of Hollywood success, we celebrate this little film about summer camp misfits that helped launch what is quite arguably the greatest film career of any Saturday Night Live alumnus. Join us as we explore how director Ivan Reitman set out to create "his own Animal House" as we discuss the behind-the-scenes antics that defined this production including the last-minute casting of its star, shooting at an operating summer camp, and the reshoots that completely shifted the film's focus. Because in the end, it really just doesn't matter how a classic gets made. It just doesn't matter. --------------------------------- Subscribe today! Follow us on social media: X (Twitter): NR4PTProject [https://x.com/NR4PTProject] Bluesky: nr4ptproject.bsky.social [https://bsky.app/profile/nr4ptproject.bsky.social] Instagram: nr4ptproject [https://www.instagram.com/nr4ptproject/] Facebook: The Not Ready for Prime Time Project [https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100089010324178] Contact Us: Website: https://www.nr4project.com [https://www.notready4ptpod.com] Email: nr4ptproject@gmail.com

And just like that, another season of SNL is in the books. What a journey Season Four has been—filled with soaring highs and crushing lows that has gone on to help define an era of television comedy. While it was the most popular season of Saturday Night Live to date, it's also tinged with melancholy, foreshadowing the end of a golden age and some massive changes that would reshape the show when it returned for Season Five.  In this season wrap-up episode, Brad and Gary discuss everything that made Season Four so memorable and significant. They reflect on the lessons learned, remember what they loved most,  and confess what surprised them from this iconic outing. They also shine a light on their favorite episodes, hosts, and musical guests, as well as compile their lists of “Best Bits” for the season. --------------------------------- Subscribe today! Follow us on social media: X (Twitter): NR4PTProject [https://x.com/NR4PTProject] Bluesky: nr4ptproject.bsky.social [https://bsky.app/profile/nr4ptproject.bsky.social] Instagram: nr4ptproject [https://www.instagram.com/nr4ptproject/] Facebook: The Not Ready for Prime Time Project [https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100089010324178] Contact Us: Website: https://www.nr4project.com [https://www.notready4ptpod.com] Email: nr4ptproject@gmail.com

Another season of The Early Years of SNL comes to a close, which can only mean one thing… Buck is Back! Buck Henry returns for his 8th time hosting and this time he gets a proper season finale musical guest with the one and only Bette Midler. Saturday Night Live brings its highest-rated season yet to a close and while things are mostly upbeat, there is still a sense that this is somewhat of a goodbye. In what will end up being the final episode for Dan Aykroyd (unknowingly) and John Belushi (pretty evident) as cast members we see the final appearance of The Samurai, The Olympia Café closes its doors, and Richard Nixon makes one last appearance in the original era. On a brighter note, we get one of the most well-known cold opens of the era courtesy of Mr. Bill and an appearance by master impressionist Michael O’Donoghue! We're once again joined by Jon Schneider of The Saturday Night Network to reminisce about the joys of Buck hosting, argue about Garrett giving his best performance of all time, lament the final episode of two of the show’s original stars, and teach Brad a thing or two about... well, nothing to do with SNL whatsoever. It's a hell of a way to go out! --------------------------------- Subscribe today! Follow us on social media: X (Twitter): NR4PTProject [https://x.com/NR4PTProject] Bluesky: nr4ptproject.bsky.social [https://bsky.app/profile/nr4ptproject.bsky.social] Instagram: nr4ptproject [https://www.instagram.com/nr4ptproject/] Facebook: The Not Ready for Prime Time Project [https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100089010324178] Contact Us: Website: https://www.nr4project.com [https://www.notready4ptpod.com] Email: nr4ptproject@gmail.com

On the surface, veteran stage and screen actress Maureen Stapleton may seem like an odd choice to host Saturday Night Live. After watching this episode, that assessment might hold true. Season 4's penultimate episode stands as one of the more peculiar outings from SNL's original era. The accomplished host finds herself surprisingly underutilized, appearing in only a couple of sketches that truly showcase her talents. The show meanders through a mix of recurring characters and familiar formats—some expected, others quite surprising. And while the musical guests – Linda Ronstadt & Phoebe Snow – look good on paper, their performances just don’t seem to click. The entire episode feels oddly restrained, as if everyone involved was operating at half-speed. Was this the inevitable result of Season 4's notoriously grueling production schedule finally catching up with the cast and crew? Or were they simply coasting, saving their energy for the following week's season finale host? We try to answer these questions and more, though first one of us had to figure out exactly who Maureen Stapleton was—and perhaps more importantly, who she wasn't. --------------------------------- Subscribe today! Follow us on social media: X (Twitter): NR4PTProject [https://x.com/NR4PTProject] Bluesky: nr4ptproject.bsky.social [https://bsky.app/profile/nr4ptproject.bsky.social] Instagram: nr4ptproject [https://www.instagram.com/nr4ptproject/] Facebook: The Not Ready for Prime Time Project [https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100089010324178] Contact Us: Website: https://www.nr4project.com [https://www.notready4ptpod.com] Email: nr4ptproject@gmail.com