Product Description

This work offers a complete episode guide and comprehensive history of Second City Television. With unforgettable parodies of game shows (Shoot at the Stars) and classic movies (The Man Who Would Be King of the Popes), and freewheeling commercials for products like Oil of Oil, the Canadian sketch comedy series won devoted fans and influenced many films and television shows that followed. The SCTV crowd created dozens of memorable characters (such as station president Guy Caballero and showbiz mogul Johnny LaRue) and featured many well-known performers and writers--among them John Candy, Eugene Levy, Catherine O'Hara, and Harold Ramis--on the rise to stellar comedic careers. This book provides a sketch-by-sketch breakdown and review of each of SCTV's 135 episodes, including a vote for the best moments of each. Two appendices provide guides to the program's compilation shows and recently released boxed sets on DVD.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1042458 in Books
• Published on: 2007-08-30
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 291 pages

About the Author
Jeff Robbins is assistant program director for Television Wisconsin in Madison, Wisconsin. He also writes and edits on entertainment and sports for the company's Web sites. He lives in Cottage Grove, Wisconsin.

Customer Reviews

An absolute must-read for fans of SCTV!!!
When SCTV hit the airwaves, not everybody was ready for it. As John Candy's Pattoo said to Egene Levy's Ricardo Montalban, "Maybe they had more contemporary comedians in mind, like Cheech and Chong?" But for those of us who loved (and still love) old films and television, this perfect blend of scripted and spontaneous comedy created the most mouth-watering treat a gourmet of parodies and spoofs ever tasted. I can think of no other person on the planet who could've written a better book about SCTV than Jeff Robbins. Reading this book is like sitting down with a new best friend and reminiscing about a show you absolutely adored and have been dying to share with somebody else. I bet most people you come into contact with vaguely remember SCTV, didn't like it (the cretins!), or have never even heard of it. Not so with Jeff Robbins. He'll remind even the most diehard fan of things they may have forgotten or missed about the show. Believe me, it's an unparalleled joy to know that somebody else out there knows what you mean when you say things like, "Look, Pepe, it's a potato," "How ARE ya!?," "The RATS, Billy!," and "Bruno...now take off their blouses!" If you're a fan of SCTV or any of the wonderful stars that appeared on it, buy this book! Chalk full of information, it covers SCTV like no other book or cast recollection audio commentary ever could. I haven't been this thrilled about a book since COME AND KNOCK ON OUR DOOR hit the shelves honoring the great THREE'S COMPANY with the same attention to detail. Don't be a Hoser, buy SECOND CITY TELEVISION: A HISTORY AND EPISODE GUIDE! Take a walk down memory lane with old pals like Guy Caballero, Johnny LaRue, Lin Yee Tang, Harry "The Guy With The Snake On His Face", Edith Prickley, Yosh and Stan Schmenge, Julia Child, Howard Cosell, Bobby Bitman, Ed Grimley, Bob & Doug MacKenzie, and so many more! You'll be glad you did!