The Early Years of SNL: S05E17 Strother Martin/The Specials (4/19/80) Artwork

The Not Ready for Prime Time Project: An SNL Retrospective

An in-depth journey into the legacy of one of television's most iconic and influential shows - Saturday Night Live. Through deep dives into its most memorable eras, behind-the-scenes stories, and analysis of its evolution, we celebrate and debate all things SNL - the show that has become an institution, defining comedy for over 50 years.

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The Not Ready for Prime Time Project: An SNL Retrospective

The Early Years of SNL: S05E17 Strother Martin/The Specials (4/19/80)

February 03, 2026 • Two Pints Productions, Inc.

Just when you thought Season 5 of SNL might have thrown in the towel, it delivers one of THE BEST episodes of the season! Host Strother Martin knocks it out of the park – whether carrying a sketch or simply in a supporting role – and the veteran character actor delivers in all night long.

The writing is smart, the performances are on point, and the laughs are plentiful. You don’t even have to be familiar with what the show is satirizing to get the jokes (as one of us shamefully is called out about). To top it all off, The Specials – in their first US television appearance – deliver one of the most energized performances of the season. Top to bottom, everything in this episode clicks – so much so that even we are hard-pressed to find something to complain about with this one.

If that wasn’t enough to get excited about, we are joined one last time by our dear friend Thomas Sena from “The Podcast Which Shall Not Be Named.” We couldn’t ask for a better final guest as we look to bring S5 and the original era of Saturday Night Live to a close!

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