Second City Television Season 1 poster

Second City Television — Season 1

197627 episodes7.8/10 (30 votes)

About this season

Second City Television is a Canadian television sketch comedy show offshoot from Toronto's Second City troupe that ran between 1976 and 1984.

Episodes (27)

Backstage
E1

1. Backstage

Aired 21 September 1976 • 30 min

The inaugural show introduces several major characters, including Johnny LaRue, Earl Camembert, Floyd Robertson and Moe Green. It features a somewhat tenuous wraparound concept involving LaRue - according to Dave Thomas' book, the running time for this episode ran well past 30 minutes, much of the linking material for the wraparound being cut to achieve the final running time. The show also introduces four programs that would feature frequently throughout the show's run: Sunrise Semester, a vehicle for an assortment of characters to educate viewers, would end up appearing in every series except the last; Words To Live By, the inspirational station signoff, would also appear frequently in the first three series; SCTV News; and Masterpiece Theatre, hosted by Alistair Cook.

Murder At SCTV
E2

2. Murder At SCTV

Aired 21 October 1976 • 30 min

Perini Scleroso and Gus Gustofferson's first appearance. Gus is featured in a wraparound concept dealing with the murder of puppeteer Lampeer.

Ethnic Humour
E3

3. Ethnic Humour

Aired 18 November 1976 • 30 min

Harold Ramis warns viewers that this show contains ethnic slurs, and all the jokes are about the gypsies. From ""Gypsy Mythology"" on Sunrise Semester to the Hints for Homemakers (a gypsy recommends holding up an Amish family and stealing their food), this show is indeed a gypsy rogue. Sunrise Semester, The Leutonian Hour, Out-Patient, Hints for Homemakers, Theatre North American, Words to Live By

Crosswords
E4

4. Crosswords

Aired 16 December 1976 • 30 min

Sammy Maudlin, Sunrise Semester, The $211,000 Triangle, Cooking with LaRue, Backstage, Masterpiece Theatre, Words to Live By

Match Unto My Feet
E5

5. Match Unto My Feet

Aired 13 January 1977 • 30 min

Sunrise Semester, Witness to Yesterday, PSA:So You're Dead...Now What?, Match Unto My Feet, Words to Live By

Memoirs of Anton Chekhov
E6

6. Memoirs of Anton Chekhov

Aired 10 February 1977 • 30 min

Star Trek comes to the steppes of Russia in a very funny parody of Chekhov. Heavenly Bodies, Mr Science, Masterpiece Theatre, The Memoirs of Anton Chekhov

Dialing For Dollars
E7

7. Dialing For Dollars

Aired 24 February 1977 • 30 min

BEAUTY AND THE BEETS Beauty learns to like beets... the hard way. Beauty and the Beets, Firing Squad, Alice, the Wonder Dog, Dialing for Dollars, Changing Partners

Shock Theatre
E8

8. Shock Theatre

Aired 10 March 1977 • 30 min

Dining with LaRue, The Wacky World of Poverty, Eye on Science, Shock Theatre:Early to Bed

Philosophy Street
E9

9. Philosophy Street

Aired 24 March 1977 • 30 min

Good-Bye America, Sunrise Semester, Philosophy Street, Total Women, A Fistful of Ugly, Feedback with Moe Green

Therese et Joe
E10

10. Therese et Joe

Aired 7 April 1977 • 30 min

On SCTV News, Floyd Robertson (Joe Flaherty) and Earl Camembert (Eugene Levy) report earthquakes, deli crises, the arms race, and Earl asks terrorists to surrender; Dr Hammond Greer (Dave Thomas) delivers a speech against scientists; Johnny LaRue (John Candy) cleans out the food at Lin Ye Tang's (Dave Thomas) garden restaurant; Lou Jaffe (Eugene Levy) witnesses Irish group techniques (and a bombing); On the SCTV Movie of the Week, a depressing French film about a live-in couple, Jerry Lewis-impersonating Joe (Joe Flaherty) and his fawning lover, Therese (Andrea Martin). Sunrise Semester, Dining With LaRue, Perspective '77, Therese et Joe

Broads Behind Bars
E11

11. Broads Behind Bars

Aired 21 April 1977 • 30 min

Broads Behind Bars is a classic, with Candy's over the top prison guard Shultzy ("Lock 'em up, keep 'em down, and work 'em over") and Martin's lifer Kitty ("No Dice!"). Trivia: the crew put real liquor in Ramis' bottle for the Mort Finkel sketch. (ref: sctvguide.com) Sunrise Semester, Dining With LaRue, Broads Behind Bars

The Taxidermist
E12

12. The Taxidermist

Aired 5 May 1977 • 30 min

Farm Report, Welcome Back President Kotter, Alistair Cook's Armenia, The Taxidermist

Ben Hur
E13

13. Ben Hur

Aired 19 May 1977 • 30 min

A landmark show, featuring a show-length parody of the film, introduced by Moe Green on Dialing For Dollars. Additional Viewing: William Wyler's 1959 epic Ben-Hur.

The Hefty Neil Story
E14

14. The Hefty Neil Story

Aired 19 September 1977 • 30 min

SCTV Sports Central: The Hefty Neil Story, PSA: Shoplifting

Leave It to Beaver
E15

15. Leave It to Beaver

Aired 26 September 1977 • 30 min

Exorcising, Leave it to Beaver 25th Anniversary Party, PSA:Rip Masters for Children on Booze, Dr Tongue and his Animal Friends

Goodbye America
E16

16. Goodbye America

Aired 3 October 1977 • 30 min

Winning Chess with Borris Morris, PSA:So You're Dead...Now What?, Good-Bye America, Johnny LaRue

Galaxy 66
E17

17. Galaxy 66

Aired 10 October 1977 • 30 min

Diving for Dollars, Sunrise Semester, Sci-Fi Theatre: Galaxy 66, Beside the Point, Words to Live By

Madame Blitzman
E18

18. Madame Blitzman

Aired 17 October 1977 • 30 min

PSA: Re-criminalize Marijuana, Dante's Inferno, Monster Chiller Horror Theatre: Madame Blitzman

$129 000 Question
E19

19. $129 000 Question

Aired 24 October 1977 • 30 min

Wake Up With Alki Stereopolis, PSA: Do Not Remove Tags, The $129,000 Question, Elvira Mad Again Part II, Words to Live By

Dr Tongue's House of Wax
E20

20. Dr Tongue's House of Wax

Aired 31 October 1977 • 30 min

Sunrise Semester, It Was That Way With Keith Hampshire, I Cry Each Day I Die, SCTV Boogie

Sammy Maudlin Show
E21

21. Sammy Maudlin Show

Aired 7 November 1977 • 30 min

Paul's Workshop With Paul Fistinyourface, The Sammy Maudlin Show, PSA: Shoplifting, Dialing For Dollars: Sandy Moss

World at War
E22

22. World at War

Aired 14 November 1977 • 30 min

Passport to Adventure:Africa, The World of Mystery: Sandwich on the Orient Express, World at War:Baseball, Lowell Thompson Remembers

The Grapes of Mud
E23

23. The Grapes of Mud

Aired 21 November 1977 • 30 min

Muley's Roundhouse, Promo: Library Police, The Three Dummies: Of Mice and Dummies, SCTV AM News Today: Terrorist Picnic, Commercial: Spray-On Socks, SCTV Movie of the Week: The Grapes of Mud Part, Commercial: Mrs Prickley's Jams Jellies and Preserves, Disco Farming

Officer Friendly
E24

24. Officer Friendly

Aired 28 November 1977 • 30 min

Message from Moe: License Suspended, A.M. Little America with Tom Brokraw, Promo: Dan Money, SCTV AM News Today: Mafia Interview, Commercial: Civil Engineering, Officer Friendly, Promo: The Undersea World of Marcel Cousteau, Promo: Masterpiece Theatre: All the Long-Leggedy Beasties, Dream Interpretation with Dr. Raoul Wilson

The Man Who Would Be King of the Popes
E25

25. The Man Who Would Be King of the Popes

Aired 5 December 1977 • 30 min

Commercial: Tiny Tops, Morning Facial with Princess Carlotta, Promo: Check Please, Promo: The Man Who Would Be King of the Popes, Commercial: Mr. Coffee-Table Book from Venerable Electric, The Uncle Earl Show, Promo: Harry Filth, Insights with Hugh Betcha: Socrates, Commercial: Get Tough self-help book, Commercial: Grumbles Restaurant on Route 41, Enough About Me: Antonio Luciani

Lust for Paint
E26

26. Lust for Paint

Aired 12 December 1977 • 30 min

Dialing for Dollars: Lust For Paint features a show-length parody of Moulin Rouge, with promos for celebrity tattletales and the Babe Ruth story

27
E27

27. Best Of (US)

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