Tough Pigs Anthology

The Decline and Fall of Gorch

Part Two: The Fall -- July 2002

The Gorch Anthology

Anthology Contents

 

Chapter 11

Buzzkill

 

in which Scred discovers the unbearable lightness of bee-ing

 

(January 24, 1976 -- hosts Peter Cook & Dudley Moore)

 

 

[ Gilda Radner is in front of a black screen, ready to introduce the musical guest. ]

 

Gilda

 

And now...

 

[ Scred enters, wearing a killer-bee costume. ]

 

Scred

 

Okay, here I am! I'm ready!

 

Gilda

 

Scred... what are you doing here?

 

Scred

 

Hey, where is everybody? Where's all the bees?

 

Gilda

 

Scred, there aren't going to be any bees on this show.

 

Scred

 

Are you sure?

 

Gilda

 

Yeah!

 

Scred

 

Oh... well, they told me that they were doing a sketch on The Andy Griffith Show, and that I could play Aunt Bea.

 

Gilda

 

Scred... they decided not to do it. Didn't anybody tell you?

 

Scred

 

Aww, that's just great! That's really great! Boy, how come nobody tells us Muppets anything? No, don't laugh. We're tired of being second class citizens around here.

 

Gilda

 

Oh, Scred...

 

Scred

 

Don't gimme that aw Scred stuff! I mean, how come we're not in any of the major sketches? Really! I could do News Update. I'm capable.

 

Gilda

 

Okay.

 

Scred

 

Good evening. I'm Scred. And you're not.

 

[ The audience applauds. ]

 

Scred

 

I mean, y'know, toy boat, toy boat, big deal. But nooo... you know, I have to go to a lot of trouble just to get extra tickets!

 

Gilda

 

Really!

 

Scred

 

Yeah! And let me tell you...

 

Gilda

 

What?

 

Scred

 

My parents are sick about it.

 

Gilda

 

Really? You know something, Scred, is there anything else you want to say?

 

Scred

 

Uh. Just one more thing... Can I play with your moogies?

 

Gilda

 

[ She giggles and tickles him. ]  No, you can't play with my moogies! You know something, now that you're here, there is something you can do.

 

Scred

 

Oh, yeah?

 

Gilda

 

Yeah.

 

Scred

 

What?

 

Gilda

 

Why don't you introduce Neil Sedaka.

 

Scred

 

Hey, I'd love to.

 

Gilda

 

Okay.

 

Scred

 

Ladies and gentlemen... Neil Sedaka. 

 

[ Gilda kisses Scred and nuzzles with him. ]

 

 

illustration by Chris Smigliano 

 

Gorch Fact

 

   This is another Gorch sketch that manages to evade the re-run editors, who typically cut out the Gorch sketch when they edit the show down to an hour. 

 

   It's a neat little artifact -- the first time the Gorch characters actually expressed the real resentment that was building between the SNL folks and the Henson folks. Gilda obviously adores Scred and the Muppets, and she takes every opportunity to touch him and kiss him. But the Muppets weren't working on the show, and everybody knew it. 

 

   There's a two-month break between this appearance and the next Gorch sketch -- this was late January, and the next time the Muppets appear on SNL, it's mid-March. And all sorts of things have happened while they were away... 

 

 

Next in the Gorch Anthology:

Homeless!

 

The Gorch Anthology

Anthology Contents

 

 

Danny@ToughPigs.com