Friday A/V Club: Requiem for Jan Hooks
Two sketches from the late 1980s
Jan Hooks, who just died at age 57, is best known for her stint on Saturday Night Live in the late '80s. Watch this—it's one of the funniest sketches ever to air on SNL, and while Jon Lovitz is the star of the skit, Hooks is note-perfect in a supporting role as the plaintiff's mom:
And here she stars in a campaign-ad-that-should-have-been:
As far as I'm concerned, this was the show's true golden age. When you're assigning credit for that achievement, make sure Hooks and her characters get their share.
(For past editions of the Friday A/V Club, go here.)
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That People's Court sketch was always one of my favorites. Hooks was one of the few female SNL performers to be consistently funny, especially when paired with Phil Hartman.
"I am a barfly."
Still one of the best delivered lines in all of SNL history.
Ah, sweet mint julep. I'll be at Moe's.
Levils is Mephistopheles IS one of the all-time great SNL skits.
Lovitz. Sorry. W.T.F.?
Lovitz is highly underrated. One of my favorite SNL characters is Master Thespian.
With John Lithgow that was great!
He is and he was excellent on Newsradio.
Kevin Nealon is shitting his pants right now.
Yea but how about 90's Rosanna Arquette...
The real Wapner wasn't ranting and screaming all the time like *some* TV judges. But I can imagine him rebuking Mephistopheles.
Jan Hooks was actually one of the good actresses on SNL. RIP
As far as I'm concerned, this was the show's true golden age.
Let's just pretend that '76-'79 never happened.
Come on, Bass-O-Matic!
Blue Brothers? Killer Bees? Baba Wawa? Generalissimo Francisco Franco is still dead? Ackroyd as Carter visiting TMI?
And, they had Muppets in '75 and part of '76. MUPPETS!
Belushi's Samari? Emily Litella?
FUCKING CONEHEADS.
Mr. Bill!
"Jane, you ignorant slut."
If you can remember when SNL was funny, then you're old.
I'm old...
Very sad. She was a very good comic actor. Much better than some of the more famous females who have been on SNL (cough Tina Fey cough). Hard to believe there was once a time when SNL was actually funny and even a bit subversive.
Most of the rest aren't even fit to shine Gilda Radner's shoes.
Tina Fey is a much better comedy writer than actor.
RIP. Weird how so many SNL alumni die younger.
I'll always remember Hooks with Nora Dunn in the Sweeney Sisters. There should be a DVD with all the sisters' sketches, which included bits with William Shatner, available here (at the bottom of 12 sketches) in what looks like third-hand VHS
http://www.scpr.org/blogs/newm.....ooks-dies/
What kind of car do you drive?
A Trans Am...