SCTV Network 90

Unlike SNL, which is 30 minutes of comedy crammed into 90 minutes, the entire hour and a half of SCTV was hilarious. In fact, the shows intricate plot lines usually built and built and built upon themselves, rewarding the dedicated viewer with great comic payoffs near the END of the show.

It's truly unfortunate that when the shows are re-broadcast, these 90 minute gems are chopped up into 30 minute "episodes". The pacing and the build-up of comic energy, that was so integral to the original show, is completely lost. Indeed, I feel very fortunate to have watched the original airings. I doubt we'll see anything like it again.

In an alternate universe, SCTV is still on the air after 30 years, and SNL was cancelled after the 1979 season. And the people living in that alternate universe are both much happier and better off than we will ever be.

SCTV is simply one of the greatest television programs ever. Surreal, topical, and laugh out loud funny, it simply must be experienced to be believed. And the performers were easily the most talented bunch ever to work on a television comedy. Now an entirely new generation can behold and enjoy this gem.

Thank God for DVD!

Too bad they don't Write shows like this any longer. Canada truly Delivers With Comedy and it's Actors!

Sorry to pose the question, since I have to say I don't know myself. This was easily the cleverest show I have seen. And it's the only TV comedy I know that is sometimes really fascinating.

In the episode where the broadcast is jammed by the Soviets, I found that along with the funny premise and its very funny execution (the stroboscopic image, the "new mini-cam", "Uzbeks"), there was a genuinely creepy vision of media under state control.

But it would give entirely the wrong impression to suggest that the show was ever preachy, even though it belittled the socially irresponsible from time to time. It was always exuberant fun.

Just so everyone understands, this was the series made for NBC, not the original lower-budget (but very good) years, nor the following year on Cinemax, which I didn't see.

Unfortunately I haven't seen any of them in over ten years. This is one of the very few things I would own on DVD if it were available.

"Battle of the PBS Stars", "Chariots of Eggs", Guy Caballero forgetting to stay in his chair, the frightening lust of Edith Prickly, and of course "Great White North". They deserve to be preserved.

I can't tell from looking, but I believe this is the Cinemax show, from the appearance of Happy Marsden. Like I said in the syndicated SCTV listing, over the years, a lot of good writers stole some great ideas from this show. Those who didn't steal from SCTV weren't smart enough and are probably writing crap!

Everyone on this show has gone on to do bigger and better things...they were that talented, and the show was that funny. If NBC didn't bury this show in the post-SNL timeslot on Saturdays or 12:30 on Friday, more people may have seen it and recognized its genius.

The early years had a lot of funny stuff going on, but once Moranis got on board and the show went 90 minutes, its place in History was sealed. There has NEVER been a more witty, intelligent, funny 90 minutes in TV history.

As for the Cinemax years...there was a lot of funny stuff, but overall, it didn't match up with the SCTV heyday on NBC. But hey...bad SCTV is still better than most TV.