AFTER SCTV - MARTIN SHORT SHOWS

Martin Short with Jan Hooks | Andrea Martin | Joe Flaherty | Harry Shearer | Paul Shaffer

Martin Short Shows

Martin Short has had no less than three shows called The Martin Short Show, including a sitcom, a sketch comedy show, and a talk show. While the formats of the shows were all pretty traditional, all three were replete with that slightly left field manic Martin Short-ness that keeps him out of the mainstream.

1994 The Martin Short Show
1995 The Show Formerly Known as The Martin Short Show
1999 The Martin Short (Talk) Show

Following the final Martin Short (Talk) Show, Martin returned to television on Comedy Central with Primetime Glick.

TV 1994 The Martin Short Show

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30 minute sitcom, debuted 15 September 1994; ran for 3 episodes.

Featured a very typical sitcom setting (complete with kids), next to Martin's manic sketches, featured on the show he starred in as his character (named Marty Short) in the show. Andrea Martin co-starred as his co-worker Alice, while Jan Hooks played his wife. It also featured Brian Doyle-Murray, Zack Duhame and Noley Thornton. A Hippo Never Forgets is the one episode I remember - it featured Marty's wicked impersonation of Elizabeth Taylor.

15 Sep 94 Who's Afraid of Snowball Fortensky?
20 Sep 94 The Steve Martin Show
27 Sep 94 A Hippo Never Forgets

According to epguides.com, there was an unaired episode called The Joker is Me. The Show Formerly Known as The Martin Short Show (see below) features a sketch satirically referring to The Martin Short Show Lost Episodes.

The Steve Martin Show episode reviewed at Split Sider.

TV 1995 The Show Formerly Known as The Martin Short Show

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90 minute special aired 20 May 1995 on NBC, in Saturday Night Live's time slot as a summer replacement.

Martin's comeback after the sitcom was cancelled was a called The Show Formerly Known as the Martin Short Show. They abandoned the sitcom and kept the sketches. This special has a strong SCTV (and SNL) flavor, as it was written by many veterans of the SCTV team, including Dick Blasucci, Paul Flaherty, Michael Short, Doug Steckler, and of course Martin Short, and directed by SCTV's John Blanchard; Eugene Levy even directed a couple of bits (Hard Days Journey and Jackie Rogers Jr). It features most of Marty's classic characters: Ed Grimley, Jackie Rogers Jr, Irving Cohen, and, from the SNL days, lawyer Nathan Thurm. Also featuring Jan Hooks, Joe Flaherty, Phil Hartman, Bruno Kirby, Paul Shaffer, Harry Shearer and Chad Lowe.

1 Martin Short: I'm Back Intro

Martin's back, and he's not going to let anything stop him. He does a stunt with a trampoline to prove it. A funky musical number.

Martin Short, Nora Short, Mrs Selerno, Jan Hooks, Jay Leno - themselves

2 Commercial: 30 Love Martina Toilette

When defeat is more than you can bare.

Martina Navratilova - Short; Hunks, crowd, diners - extras; Announcer - Hartman

3 Promo: The Kato Kaelin Goodtime Hour

Kato improvises, dances, reads from his memoir "I'm Kato, He's Ito" (a popup book). The Three Tenors sing ("Bronco, Bronco!"). Kato goes one on one with the latest member of OJ's dream team, lawyer Nathan Thurm.

Kato Kaelin - Short; Nathan Thurm - Short; The Three Tenors - extras; Cheerleaders - extras; Announcer - Hartman


4 Martin Short: Intro to Models Amalgamated

Marty reminisces about watching Guiding Light when he was young. Now he's hooked on a new soap opera: Models Amalgamated.

Martin Short

5 Models Amalgamated Part 1

Magenta Crane runs Modeling Channel and is very posessive of her star Zach, a beefcake model. Meanwhile, Bill is trailing in the polls and needs more money from his mother-in-law, Pearl. Zach tries to assert his independence from Magenta, but is still haunted by the memory of his dead girlfriend Teesa.

Shemp Johnson III as Zach Duham - Short; Douglas Bowles as Bill Pierce - Hartman; Candace Nunnalee as Beryl Pierce - Hooks; Whitney Gallo as Brittany Pierce - extra; Lacey Lansing as Amber - Hooks; Lettie Hale as Mother Pearl - Short; Faye Dunaway as Magenta Crane - Hooks; Margo - extra; models - extras

6 TV Memories 1: Ed Grimley

Ed's favorite shows: Webster, After MASH, Kung Fu and Facts of Life.

Ed Grimley - Short

BUMPER: Later Tonight: Brett Butler


7 Promo: Prime Time Edition Close-Up Tonight

This week: interviews with Dustin Hoffman, Rosie Perez and a profile of Neil Sussman, super-agent.

Sandy Spracklin - Hooks; Taylor MacGillivray - Short; Dustin Hoffman - Short; Rosie Perez - Hooks; Neil Sussman - Short

8 Commercial: Gump Chocolates

Forest and Mrs Letterman debate about who's luckier. Because life is like a box of chocolates.

Forest Gump - Short; David Letterman's Mother - Hooks; Announcer - staff announcer

5a Models Amalgamated Part 2

Bill tries to suffocate Mother Pearl but is interrupted by Beryl. Zach orders some coffee at the cafe where Brittany works. Turns out Brittany was a friend of Teesa, and she has some information about Magenta. Zach barges in on Magenta and accuses her of killing Teesa. Magenta claims Brittany did it. But Zach doesn't believe her...

Shemp Johnson III as Zach Duham - Short; Douglas Bowles as Bill Pierce - Phil Hartman; Candace Nunnalee as Beryl Pierce - Jan Hooks; Whitney Gallo as Brittany Pierce - extra; Lacey Lansing as Amber - Jan Hooks; Lettie Hale as Mother Pearl - Short; Faye Dunaway as Magenta Crane - Jan Hooks; people in coffee shop - extras

BUMPER: Later Tonight: Ringo Starr


6a TV Memories 2: Kato Kaelin

Kato finds it difficult to recall his favorite TV memory.

Kato Kaelin - Short; interviewer - Hooks

9 The Making Of...

Tonight, the making of Tim Burton's "A Nightmare to Remember", a remake of the classic "An Affair to Remember".
Week 1 Scene: Terry on board the ship. Brett and Tim battle on the set; Brett wins. Scene: Nicky and Terry meet on the ship. Lyle is looking forward to meeting the legendary Irving Berlin, who plays the grandfather. Scene: Nicky introduces Terry to his grandpa. Week 5: Tim attempts to get back his hostile cast and crew. The attempt backfires. Scene: Nicky confronts Terry at her apartment. Brett beats Tim up. Week 7: Tim has left the film.

Tim Burton - Short; Brett Butler as Terry Mackay - Hooks; Lyle Lovett as Nicky Ferrante - Flaherty; Irving Cohen as Grandpa Irving - Short; crew - extras; Announcer - staff announcer

10 Promo: NBC Prime Time

This week, mostly Wings, Seinfeld and ER. And an episode of Empty Nest.

Announcer - Phil Hartman


11 Promo: A Hard Day's Journey Into Night

Ringo stars in this adaptation of Eugene O'Neil's classic play.

Ringo Starr - Short; Jamie - extra; Mother - extra; Father - extra; Announcer - staff announcer

6b TV Memories 3: Irving Cohen

Irving remembers TV in the old days. He writes a song about TV.

Irving Cohen - Short; medics - extras

BUMPER: Coming Up: Jackie Rogers Jr


12 Prime Time Edition Close-Up Tonight

Tonight, a profile of super-agent Neil Sussman. Neil's newest client is Rob Tarda, who's "That's right" character has been a big splash on SNL and is now shooting a movie. They go on location for The That's Right Guy Movie.

Sandy Spracklin - Hooks; Taylor MacGillivray - Short; Neil Sussman - Short; Male secretary - extra; crew - extras; Neil's family - extras; Rob 'That's Right' Tarda - Chad Lowe

13 Promo: The Bodyguard One Mo' Time

Jackie's been receiving death threats, and needs protection. So his manager gets him a bodyguard.

Jackie Rogers Jr - Short; Manager - Bruno Kirby; Whoopi Goldberg as the Bodyguard - Jan Hooks; Announcer - Phil Hartman

6c TV Memories 4: David Letterman's Mother

Her memory is Kennedy's assassination.

David Letterman's Mother - Jan Hooks


14 Martin Short: PETER Awards

Martin's table at the People's Entertainment Television Excellent Awards, where Paul, Martin and Jan engage in witty conversation. They are joined by fashion critic Mr Blackwell.

Martin Short, Jan Hooks, Paul Shaffer - themselves; Mr Blackwell - Harry Shearer

6d TV Memories 5: Lyle Lovett

Lyle talks about Pancake Willie.

Lyle Lovett - Flaherty


15 Commercial: The Martin Short Show Lost Episodes

The three unaired episodes of the original Martin Short Show now available on video.

Martin Short, Jan Hooks - themselves; Announcer - Phil Hartman; family - extras

6e TV Memories 6: Jackie Rogers Jr

His favorite memory is his father's last special, Old Mother Nature She Loves Me, in which Jackie Rogers Sr was mauled by a cougar. Jackie tells the story.

Jackie Rogers Jr - Short; Voice of Jackie Rogers Sr - Phil Hartman


16 Martin Short: SNL-type Conclusion

Martin says goodbye. Jan and Martin drive away.

Martin Short, Jan Hooks, Norah Short, Mrs Selerno - themselves; Announcer - Phil Hartman

TV 1999 The Martin Short (Talk) Show

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Martin Short Show60 minute syndicated daytime variety/talk show, debuted 13 September 1999.

The final Martin Short Show was Martin's talk show, shown in syndication across the states for one series. Pretty standard talk show fare, complete with celebrity guests, hooting crowd, band leader and band, second banana, lotsa crane shots. It also had a cast of recurring players, including Mary Scheer, Kevin McDonald and Michael McGraw, who do sketches and commercial parodies; this is the aspect of the show that reflects Martin's Second City/SNL past. Martin once again recruited SCTV collaborators, including John Blanchard (director), and Michael Short and Paul Flaherty (head writers). The show featured some of Martin's classic characters, including appearances by Irving Cohen, Ed Grimley and lawyer Nathan Thurm, along with new character Jiminy Glick, the overweight Hollywood gadfly. Jiminy subsequently got his own show on Comedy Central - Primetime Glick.

Many former SCTVers were also recruited for interviews, including Eugene Levy, Andrea Martin, Joe Flaherty and Dave Thomas.