Jim Downey | Full Episode | Fly on the Wall with Dana Carvey and David Spade
Episode Description
Weekend Update with Norm, presidential parodies, and may god have mercy on your soul with Jim Downey.
On Cadence13’s Fly on the Wall, Saturday Night Live stars Dana Carvey and David Spade take listeners behind the scenes and reminisce about their favorite SNL moments, memories, and sketches with special guests.
Listen free: Apple: https://link.chtbl.com/fotwapyt Spotify: https://link.chtbl.com/fotwsyt Audacy: https://link.chtbl.com/fotwayt
Brief Summary
Jim Downey discusses his SNL experiences, iconic sketches, and political comedy dynamics with Dana Carvey and David Spade.
Key points
- A Unique Writing Style. Jim Downey's approach to writing and his influence on SNL's comedy is discussed.
- Jim Downey's Journey. Former head writer of SNL, Jim Downey, shares his experiences and insights from the show.
- Belushi's Wardrobe Discovery. A friend finds John Belushi's pants and feels lucky wearing them.
- The Honest Critique. A friend tells Belushi he needs to time his singing better, leading to a tense moment.
- Norm's Solidarity. Norm Macdonald was fired from SNL in solidarity with a friend.
- The Rewrite Table Experience. At SNL, the rewrite table was a collaborative space where writers sought each other's input.
Ask about Fly on the Wall with Dana Carvey and David Spade
Episode highlights
- A Unique Writing StyleJim Downey's approach to writing and his influence on SNL's comedy is discussed.“He literally goes to libraries at Yale and just reads.”5:33Oct 7, 2022
- Jim Downey's JourneyFormer head writer of SNL, Jim Downey, shares his experiences and insights from the show.“He was a very young man out of Harvard and was hired to write on Saturday Night Live.”10:50Oct 7, 2022
- Belushi's Wardrobe DiscoveryA friend finds John Belushi's pants and feels lucky wearing them.“These are [ __ ] Belushi's!”25:18Oct 7, 2022
- The Honest CritiqueA friend tells Belushi he needs to time his singing better, leading to a tense moment.“That's ballsy!”28:07Oct 7, 2022
- Norm's SolidarityNorm Macdonald was fired from SNL in solidarity with a friend.“Norm went out of solidarity with me.”45:01Oct 7, 2022
- The Rewrite Table ExperienceAt SNL, the rewrite table was a collaborative space where writers sought each other's input.“It was like the dirty dozen of great people...”50:13Oct 7, 2022
- Returning to SNLAfter being fired, I returned to SNL as a regular sketch writer, avoiding office politics.“I was much happier during my first four years at the show.”51:11Oct 7, 2022
- Political Comedy ChallengesNavigating political impressions, especially of Obama, proved to be a complex task.“Obama is genuinely a cool guy; he's the funniest president.”1:02:41Oct 7, 2022
Tension
45/ 100Some tension
