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Ane Crabtree on how opportunities have changed since she started in the industry and on the importance on having multi-racial crews 07:41
Interview: Ane Crabtree | Topic: Television Industry
Ane Crabtree on advice to aspiring costume designers -- which includes advice from Patti Smith, William S. Burroughs, and Rick Rubin 15:52
Interview: Ane Crabtree | Topic: Advice
Ane Crabtree on advice to aspiring costume designers -- which includes advice from Patti Smith, William S. Burroughs, and Rick Rubin 15:52
Interview: Ane Crabtree | Topic: Television Industry
Ane Crabtree on how opportunities have changed since she started in the industry and on the importance on having multi-racial crews 07:40
Interview: Ane Crabtree | Topic: Underrepresented Voices
Ane Crabtree on how opportunities have changed since she started in the industry and on the importance on having multi-racial crews 07:40
Interview: Ane Crabtree | Topic: Representation on Television
Ane Crabtree on how opportunities have changed since she started in the industry and on the importance on having multi-racial crews 07:40
Interview: Ane Crabtree | Topic: Historic Events and Social Change
On Al Franken and Tom Davis, who were the new producers on Saturday Night Live, coming to see a show Smigel had written and performed in called "All You Can Eat and the Temple of Doom"; on Lorne Michaels from Saturday Night Live coming to Chicago to see Smigel's show; on auditioning for SNL for Lorne Michaels; on joining the writers room of SNL; on his working relationship with Lorne Michaels, who had just returned to SNL after a hiatus 12:05
Interview: Robert Smigel
On the writers' room at Saturday Night Live when he joined in 1985; on the experience of his first week on the show and learning that even the funniest sketches in the room may bomb in front of a live audience; on what it meant to him to be part of a show he grew up watching; on being a comedy “nerd”; on feeling like he didn’t fit in; on Jim Downey (writer) at SNL; on the importance of the first read-through at SNL for a writer 15:46
Interview: Robert Smigel
On Saturday Night Live writers Jim Downey, George Meyer, and Jack Handey; on when Chevy Chase hosted SNL; on Chevy's controversial sketches and his take on "Weekend Update"; on some of the cast members who were on SNL during his tenure, like Joan Cusack; on Damon Wayans being fired from SNL; on Andy Breckman who was a writer at SNL at the time and his "Mr. Monopoly" sketch; on Damon Wayans' portrayal of a gay character in the sketch which was not written in; on Lorne Michaels firing Damon Wayans for going rogue on live TV; on why SNL is special as a live broadcast rather than pre-taped; on SNL hitting its peak with Tina Fey’s impression of Sarah Palin 15:38
Interview: Robert Smigel
On writing about the ending of SNL while being aware the show was under threat of being cancelled; on Tom Hanks guest-hosting on the show, on the bit with Tom Hanks with three guys who sounded like Jerry Seinfeld (a swipe at that style of conversational comedy) saving his role on the show (1985-86 season); on a cliffhanger sketch about the end of SNL he wrote for the season finale in May 1986 with Billy Martin setting the studio on fire and Lorne Michaels (as himself) only saving Jon Lovitz but sending the writers straight into the flames; on Jim Downey’s contribution to the sketch putting a "?" next to each player's name in the end-crawl; on changes that Lorne Michaels made to SNL when they did return for the next season; on being prepared to be fired from SNL at the time; on moving back to Chicago and doing a sketch show with Bob Odenkirk; on conceiving the “In the Year 2000” bit then; on being asked to return to SNL after getting endorsements from Jon Lovitz, A. Whitney Brown, and Dennis Miller; on the Season 11 (1985) finale sketch which he was proudest of writing 12:05
Interview: Robert Smigel
On his second year at SNL (1986-87), and on changes to the writers' room and cast; on Carol Leifer and E. Jean Carroll being some of the few women writers on SNL at the time; on castmember Jan Hooks' versatility; on the first show back his second season and the sketch "Game Show Psychic" with Dana Carvey and Jan Hooks; on how SNL was a completely different show with the new cast; on Dana Carvey's "Chopping Broccoli" sketch; on his collaborations with Dana Carvey and working on Carvey's impressions of Johnny Carson, Regis Philbin, and the McLaughlin Group; on writing for Phil Hartman as Ronald Reagan (as an evil mastermind) and changing up the way the show and others had done Reagan impressions in the past (portraying him as a dimwit) 15:36
Interview: Robert Smigel
Robert Smigel on meeting Al Franken and Tom Davis, writer/producers on Saturday Night Live at the time, and on them coming to see a show Smigel had written and performed in called "All You Can Eat and the Temple of Doom" 03:28
Interview: Robert Smigel | Person: Al Franken
Robert Smigel on Lorne Michaels coming to see a show Smigel had written and produced, and auditioning for Lorne who had just returned to Saturday Night Live after a hiatus; on the act he performed with comedian Doug Bale for Michaels doing impressions of Howie Mandel and Pee Wee Herman as a take-off of the famous "Who's on First" bit; on getting hired on SNL by Lorne Michaels as a writer; on how Michaels was redefining the show 08:34
Interview: Robert Smigel | Person: Lorne Michaels
Robert Smigel on who he joined on the writing staff at Saturday Night Live when he was hired by Lorne Michaels in 1985; on writers Al Franken and Tom Davis; on sketches Franken and Davis wrote for SNL 03:22
Interview: Robert Smigel | Person: Al Franken
Robert Smigel on who he joined on the writing staff at Saturday Night Live when he was hired by Lorne Michaels in 1985; on writers Al Franken and Tom Davis; on sketches Franken and Davis wrote for SNL 03:22
Interview: Robert Smigel | Person: Tom Davis
Robert Smigel on a sketch he wrote for Madonna when she hosted Saturday Night Live in 1985 where she portrayed a Spanish variety show hostess 01:02
Interview: Robert Smigel | Person: Madonna
Robert Smigel on Jim Downey as a writer on Saturday Night Live which Smigel joined in 1985; on Jim Downey being an inspiration for him when they were both staff writers at SNL; on the importance of the first read-through at SNL for a writer; on Jim Downey coming out of the comedy school at The Harvard Lampoon and how that impacted his humor 09:59
Interview: Robert Smigel | Person: Jim Downey
Robert Smigel on his fellow Saturday Night Live writer Jack Handey, who developed the sketch "Deep Thoughts" 00:40
Interview: Robert Smigel | Person: Jack Handey
Robert Smigel on Chevy Chase's tenure and reputation at Saturday Night Live; on controversial sketches Chase would do, and on his unique take on the "Weekend Update" segments which he hosted 03:36
Interview: Robert Smigel | Person: Chevy Chase
Robert Smigel on Damon Wayans being fired from Saturday Night Live for improvising how he played a character in the sketch "Mr. Monopoly," written by Andy Breckman 04:21
Interview: Robert Smigel | Person: Damon Wayans
Robert Smigel on Tom Hank's role hosting Saturday Night Live; on a sketch about the end of SNL that Smigel wrote and Hanks appeared in; on writer Jim Downey's contribution to the sketch 06:49
Interview: Robert Smigel | Person: Tom Hanks
Robert Smigel on the "Game Show Psychic" sketch on Saturday Night Live with Phil Hartman and Jan Hooks, written by Andy Breckman 00:48
Interview: Robert Smigel | Person: Phil Hartman
Robert Smigel on the "Game Show Psychic" sketch on Saturday Night Live with Phil Hartman and Jan Hooks, written by Andy Breckman 00:48
Interview: Robert Smigel | Person: Jan Hooks
Robert Smigel on the "Chopping Broccoli" sketch on Saturday Night Live with Dana Carvey; on Dana Carvey as a performer on SNL and his collaborations with Smigel and enjoying improvising while doing impressions; on contributions from writers Bonnie and Terry Turner; on working with Carvey on his Johnny Carson impression; on Carvey's catchphrases; on Carvey's Regis Philbin impression; on "finding the music" in an impression with Carvey 06:45
Interview: Robert Smigel | Person: Dana Carvey
Robert Smigel on Phil Hartman's impression of Ronald Reagan (as an evil mastermind) on Saturday Night Live, and on changing up the way the show and others had done Reagan impressions in the past 02:34
Interview: Robert Smigel | Person: Ronald Reagan
Robert Smigel on Phil Hartman's impression of Ronald Reagan (as an evil mastermind) on Saturday Night Live, and on changing up the way the show and others had done Reagan impressions in the past 02:34
Interview: Robert Smigel | Person: Phil Hartman
Robert Smigel on the writer Jim Downey and what he brought to the writers' room at Saturday Night Live, and on how Downey's tenure at The Harvard Lampoon impacted his humor 09:52
Interview: Robert Smigel | Profession: Writers
Robert Smigel on Dana Carvey as a performer on Saturday Night Live and his collaborations with Smigel and enjoying improvising while doing impressions; on contributions from writers Bonnie and Terry Turner; on some of Carvey’s sketches and impressions; on working with Carvey on his Johnny Carson impression, on The McLaughlin Group impression being one of Smigel’s favorite sketches that he wrote; on his Regis Philbin impression; on “finding the music” in an impression with Carvey 05:50
Interview: Robert Smigel | Profession: Writers
Robert Smigel on working with Dana Carvey on his Johnny Carson impression; on the McLaughlin Group impression being one of Smigel’s favorite sketches that he wrote along with Bob Odenkirk; on Carvey's Regis Philbin impression; on “finding the music” in an impression with Carvey; on writing for Phil Hartman as Ronald Reagan (as a mastermind), and changing up the way the show and others had done Reagan impressions in the past 05:01
Interview: Robert Smigel
Robert Smigel on the writers' room at Saturday Night Live when he joined in 1985; on the experience of his first week on the show and learning that even the funniest sketches in the room may bomb in front of a live audience; on when he first started writing on SNL and what it meant to him to be part of a show he grew up watching; on being a comedy “nerd”; on feeling like he didn’t fit in; on not knowing what kinds of sketches Lorne wanted him to write; on the early sketches he was writing being more oddball 09:32
Interview: Robert Smigel | Show: Saturday Night Live