The new “SNL” documentary is revisiting a seldom-examined slice of Penn and Teller’s career.
Pre-legend status, P&T appeared seven times during the 1985-’86 season. This was the nadir of the series, during which “SNL” faced near-cancellation for low ratings and withering reviews.
The season is dubbed “The Weird Year,” the fourth episode in the four-part documentary “SNL50: Beyond Saturday Night,” which premiered Thursday on Peacock.
“The ‘Weird Year’ is the polite way to put it,” Penn Jillette says in an interview for the doc. “It was the bad year.”
Madonna hosted the season premiere and Simple Minds (“Alive and Kicking”) the musical guest.
Hosting during her “Into the Groove,” heyday, Madonna introduced the guys with, “To all you moms and dads out there, if you’re planning a party for the kids, don’t hire these two guys.” P&T performed their water-escape, Teller in the tank and Jillette calling out the routine in voice an octave higher than it is today. Teller ends up “dying” underwater to enormous response.
Seems a solid start, but that season was so off-the-rails it nearly killed the show in its 11th year.
“SNL” creator Lorne Michaels had been lured back to the show after leaving in 1980, along with the original Not Ready For Prime Time Players. He enlisted a new cast, including Anthony Michael Hall, Randy Quaid, Robert Downey Jr., Nora Dunn, Jon Lovitz and Dennis Miller. Despite some promising talent, the season was a mess. The show bounced back in the 12th season, when Dana Carvey and Phil Hartman joined the cast.
P&T did not appear again after Season 11, but as “SNL” marks No. 50, so does the act.
Penn & Teller have just finished an eight-show run at Sydney Opera House. Their tour of Australia continues in Melbourne and Brisbane through Feb. 7. They have a one-off scheduled for Radio City Music Hall on Aug. 21, followed by 11 shows at London Palladium in September.
Those dates are the duo’s first in that storied venue. Look for more 50th-anniversary shows to be announced this week.
Meanwhile, the long-running, magic-enlarging series “Fool Us” returns to The CW with a 50th anniversary episode this week. Piff the Magic Dragon is the special guest. Some 40 years after their ignominious run on “SNL,” P&T have shown that weird works.
Brown in town?
Kenny Chesney’s announced dates in May and June at Sphere have us wondering of Zac Brown Band’s plans to play the venue this year. Turns out, these two superstars might be linked at the Bulbous Wonder.
ZBB was a special guest on Chesney’s 2024 “Sun Goes Down Tour.” This could be a co-headlining play at Sphere, Chesney announced first, to be followed by ZBB.
Remember that Brown himself told podcaster/comic Theo Von in May that his band would play Sphere. “It’s the greatest canvas ever created, and to be one of the first bands to go in there and do it — this is our masterpiece,” Brown said to the congenial, cannabis-affected Von. “This is our chance to show what we can really do as a band.”
And it would not make a lot of sense to bring Zac Brown Band in for its own headlining residency, after Chesney plays his 12 shows. Keep your eyes and ears on Brown, who loves to sing, and likes to talk.
‘Follow’ me on this
Imagine Dragons performed their first headlining show ever at The Venetian Theatre on New Year’s Eve. But the Vegas rockers were familiar with the room. The venue was the setting for the video for “Follow You,” filmed during the pandemic and issued in March 2021.
I was reminded of that location during Collective Soul’s first show at the theater on Friday night.
The video’s opening is classic. Kaitlin Olson and Rob McElhenney of “It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia” enter the theater, Olson covering McElhenney’s eyes for a birthday surprise. She pulls her hand free, saying, “It’s a private concert by your favorite band!”
McElhenney shouts, “You got The Killers?! Brandon! Yo, Ronnnie! Let’s do it!”
Funny. Great work. And, The Killers return to the Colosseum at Caesars Palace on Wednesday to kick off three sold-out shows. The final two will be filmed, for a project to be announced. We’ll look for McElhenney, who is a fan.
Cool Hang Alert
I’d been hearing a lot of positive buzz about Mojo Juju at Barbershop Cuts & Cocktails at the Cosmopolitan. I finally caught the supercharged cover band Saturday night, a great, unbroken set filled with repurposed classics. Guns N’ Roses, Dick Dale and the Cranberries were among those sampled.
John Katsilometes’ column runs daily in the A section. His “PodKats!” podcast can be found at reviewjournal.com/podcasts. Contact him at jkatsilometes@reviewjournal.com. Follow @johnnykats on X, @JohnnyKats1 on Instagram.
