That Show – Banned For Life: Frank Zappa

Nick revisits one of the most notorious episodes in Saturday Night Live history, when Frank Zappa hosted during Season 4. The night has gone down as one of the worst ever, thanks largely to Zappa’s smug, condescending approach and his open disdain for the format. From his monologue, where he flatly admitted to reading cue cards, to his constant mugging and deliberate attempts to derail sketches, it was a train wreck in slow motion.

To try and salvage the episode, the show even shoehorned John Belushi’s Samurai Futaba into one of Zappa’s musical performances, but it wasn’t enough. The result was a bizarre, uncomfortable mix of Conehead antics, a drugged-out Halloween sketch, and one very annoyed cast.

Nick shares behind-the-scenes stories, testimonials from people who endured that rough week, and even Dana Carvey’s later parody of Zappa’s failed hosting gig. While Zappa remains a legendary musical innovator, his time at Studio 8H was such a disaster that he was banned from ever returning. [Ep 143]