George Carlin on First-Ever ‘Saturday Night Live’
June 29, 2008 by Chandra
Last night, NBC paid tribute to George Carlin, who passed away on June 22, by broadcasting the first-ever episode of Saturday Night Live. The comedian hosted the premiere on October 11, 1975 and delivered a memorable monologue to kick the long-running series off properly.
Take a look at excerpts from Carlin’s opening performance below. Instead of doing the right thing and producing a single clip of the entire piece, NBC has chosen to capitalize on the footage by creating shorter sections preceded by advertising. I know many believe fans should just be grateful the network is offering Carlin’s work online. However, I think NBC Universal is disrespectful for trying to make money off of it.
Now that I’m finished griping, on to the three clips…
RIP: Standup Icon George Carlin
Counterculture comedian George Carlin passed away on Sunday, June 22, at the age of 71 due to heart failure.
Idolized by legions for his brutally honest and sarcastic comedy that cut through the crap of society and politics, Carlin was also well-known for his dexterity with words, as evidenced by his (in)famous monologue “Seven Words You Can Never Say on Television” from the 1972 album Class Clown.
The native New Yorker, a four-time Grammy winner for his spoken comedy albums and five-time Emmy nominee for his comedy concerts, was also the author of three books, as well as the first host of Saturday Night Live and the star of an impressive fourteen comedy specials on cable’s HBO.
Survived by his second wife Sally Wade, and one daughter, Kelly Carlin McCall, Carlin will be sorely missed for his obvious talent, originality, and cutting sense of black humor.
A video of his groundbreaking monologue “Seven Words” follows.