SCTV Network 90

1981

Seasons & Episodes

  • 5
  • 4
  • 3
  • 2
  • 1
  • 0
8.4| 0h30m| en| More Info
Released: 16 May 1981 Ended
Producted By: Old Firehall Productions
Country: Canada
Budget: 0
Revenue: 0
Official Website:
Synopsis

After a successful Canadian run as Second City TV on Global and SCTV on CBC, the cast packed up and moved to America (theoretically) when NBC offered them a timeslot under the title SCTV Network 90. With them, they brought their unique, quirky characters, their personalities, and the shows they had appeared on. Dick Blasucci had begun writing for the cast in their second series, SCTV, and joined them here, serving as a recurring straight man for the characters. Tony Rosato and Robin Duke wrote scripts at the beginning of the show as they had before, until quickly leaving to write and perform for Saturday Night Live. The appeal of SCTV Network 90, however, doesn't only come from the writing, but from the sheer wit of its legendary stars.

... View More
Stream Online

The movie is currently not available onine

Director

Producted By

Old Firehall Productions

AD
AD

Watch Free for 30 Days

All Prime Video Movies and TV Shows. Cancel anytime. Watch Now

Trailers & Images

Reviews

Karry Best movie of this year hands down!
Spoonatects Am i the only one who thinks........Average?
Casey Duggan It’s sentimental, ridiculously long and only occasionally funny
Rexanne It’s sentimental, ridiculously long and only occasionally funny
animal_8_5 Toronto's comedy scene in the 1970s had become intensely vibrant. So great that the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) once devoted the awkward Saturday night half-hour+ time slot following "Hockey Night In Canada" and preceding national news, to the spirit of what would one day become the SCTV phenomenon.Speaking of which, IF anyone out there has a video copy of their hilarious version of the 1958 film, "Queen Of Outer Space", starring Paul Birch, LET ME KNOW! I remember Eugene Levy's voice and those of others dubbed over the actual soundtrack. This was the predecessor to the brilliant Mystery Science Theatre 3000! The spoof had to be just about the most brilliant, if not the funniest, thing I had seen to that point in my young life - it played some time in the mid to late 1970s. I've been told by reliable sources the show was called "Stay Tuned."It seems John Candy was the man NBC was originally interested in to form a new sketch comedy series, but this generous and kind giant invited his friends and colleagues from 1970s Toronto Second City to be involved and we comedy aficionados can be thankful he did. The result was the most intelligent, creative and funny television series on the North American continent.At this point in time, comedy in Canada had finally become comparable to anywhere in the world. For the writing/performing ensemble on "SCTV Network 90," they had reached the apex of brilliance during this time. Most of the cast went on to greater fame in later projects.The series raised the confidence for Canadians who pursued comedy as a career and now the nation can boast many top notch domestic comedy series. Comedy is now an industry in which Canadians rival the best in the world and the development of SCTV Network 90 was an important part of that process.
pheidias 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.
beny23 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.
Raymond Valinoti, Jr. When NBC hired the producers and cast members of "Second City Television" for "SCTV Network 90," they provided them with a larger budget and longer programming time than the original show had. As a result, the performers/writers elaborated on the show's original premise of a cheap TV station. Established characters like Joe Flaherty's Guy Caballero and Andrea Martin's Edith Prickley were deepened with more quirks that often thematically unified the sketches, such as an episode when Guy's job as station owner is threatened when he forges a check. The sketches became lengthier and more layered, exploring further possibilities in television satire, such as a "Godfather" parody likening TV executives to mob bosses. And SCTV still maintained its comic bite, thanks to both the writing and the performers. The humor remained intelligent and insightful and unlike SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE never became self-consciously hip or stale. SCTV 90 provided some of the greatest TV comedy ever, the like which we may never see again.

Similar Movies to SCTV Network 90