7.7/1097 votes#1 - Backstage
Season 1 Episode 1 - Aired 9/21/1976
The inaugural show introduces several major characters, including Johnny LaRue, Earl Camembert, Floyd Robertson and Moe Green. It features a somewhat tenuous wraparound concept involving LaRue - according to Dave Thomas' book, the running time for this episode ran well past 30 minutes, much of the linking material for the wraparound being cut to achieve the final running time. The show also introduces four programs that would feature frequently throughout the show's run: Sunrise Semester, a vehicle for an assortment of characters to educate viewers, would end up appearing in every series except the last; Words To Live By, the inspirational station signoff, would also appear frequently in the first three series; SCTV News; and Masterpiece Theatre, hosted by Alistair Cook.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
- 7.7/1093 votes
#2 - Murder At SCTV
Season 1 Episode 2 - Aired 10/21/1976
Perini Scleroso and Gus Gustofferson's first appearance. Gus is featured in a wraparound concept dealing with the murder of puppeteer Lampeer.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
- 7.7/1092 votes
#3 - Ethnic Humour
Season 1 Episode 3 - Aired 11/18/1976
Harold Ramis warns viewers that this show contains ethnic slurs, and all the jokes are about the gypsies. From ""Gypsy Mythology"" on Sunrise Semester to the Hints for Homemakers (a gypsy recommends holding up an Amish family and stealing their food), this show is indeed a gypsy rogue. Sunrise Semester, The Leutonian Hour, Out-Patient, Hints for Homemakers, Theatre North American, Words to Live By
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
- 8.1/1092 votes
#4 - Crosswords
Season 1 Episode 4 - Aired Unknown
Sammy Maudlin, Sunrise Semester, The $211,000 Triangle, Cooking with LaRue, Backstage, Masterpiece Theatre, Words to Live By
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
- 8.1/1090 votes
#5 - Match Unto My Feet
Season 1 Episode 5 - Aired 1/13/1977
Sunrise Semester, Witness to Yesterday, PSA:So You're Dead...Now What?, Match Unto My Feet, Words to Live By
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
- 7.8/1091 votes
#6 - Memoirs of Anton Chekhov
Season 1 Episode 6 - Aired 2/10/1977
Star Trek comes to the steppes of Russia in a very funny parody of Chekhov. Heavenly Bodies, Mr Science, Masterpiece Theatre, The Memoirs of Anton Chekhov
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
- 8.3/1091 votes
#7 - Dialing For Dollars
Season 1 Episode 7 - Aired 2/24/1977
BEAUTY AND THE BEETS Beauty learns to like beets... the hard way. Beauty and the Beets, Firing Squad, Alice, the Wonder Dog, Dialing for Dollars, Changing Partners
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
- 8.0/1088 votes
#8 - Shock Theatre
Season 1 Episode 8 - Aired 3/10/1977
Dining with LaRue, The Wacky World of Poverty, Eye on Science, Shock Theatre:Early to Bed
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
- 7.9/1088 votes
#9 - Philosophy Street
Season 1 Episode 9 - Aired Unknown
Good-Bye America, Sunrise Semester, Philosophy Street, Total Women, A Fistful of Ugly, Feedback with Moe Green
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
- 7.8/1089 votes
#10 - Therese et Joe
Season 1 Episode 10 - Aired 4/7/1977
On SCTV News, Floyd Robertson (Joe Flaherty) and Earl Camembert (Eugene Levy) report earthquakes, deli crises, the arms race, and Earl asks terrorists to surrender; Dr Hammond Greer (Dave Thomas) delivers a speech against scientists; Johnny LaRue (John Candy) cleans out the food at Lin Ye Tang's (Dave Thomas) garden restaurant; Lou Jaffe (Eugene Levy) witnesses Irish group techniques (and a bombing); On the SCTV Movie of the Week, a depressing French film about a live-in couple, Jerry Lewis-impersonating Joe (Joe Flaherty) and his fawning lover, Therese (Andrea Martin). Sunrise Semester, Dining With LaRue, Perspective '77, Therese et Joe
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
- 7.7/1089 votes
#11 - Broads Behind Bars
Season 1 Episode 11 - Aired 4/21/1977
Broads Behind Bars is a classic, with Candy's over the top prison guard Shultzy ("Lock 'em up, keep 'em down, and work 'em over") and Martin's lifer Kitty ("No Dice!"). Trivia: the crew put real liquor in Ramis' bottle for the Mort Finkel sketch. (ref: sctvguide.com) Sunrise Semester, Dining With LaRue, Broads Behind Bars
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
- 7.9/1088 votes
#12 - The Taxidermist
Season 1 Episode 12 - Aired 5/5/1977
Farm Report, Welcome Back President Kotter, Alistair Cook's Armenia, The Taxidermist
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
- 7.9/1089 votes
#13 - Ben Hur
Season 1 Episode 13 - Aired 5/19/1977
A landmark show, featuring a show-length parody of the film, introduced by Moe Green on Dialing For Dollars. Additional Viewing: William Wyler's 1959 epic Ben-Hur.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
- 7.9/1088 votes
#14 - The Hefty Neil Story
Season 1 Episode 14 - Aired Unknown
SCTV Sports Central: The Hefty Neil Story, PSA: Shoplifting
Director: George Bloomfield
Writer: N/A
- 8.3/1088 votes
#15 - Leave It to Beaver
Season 1 Episode 15 - Aired 9/26/1977
Exorcising, Leave it to Beaver 25th Anniversary Party, PSA:Rip Masters for Children on Booze, Dr Tongue and his Animal Friends
Director: George Bloomfield
Writer: N/A
- 7.8/1088 votes
#16 - Goodbye America
Season 1 Episode 16 - Aired 10/3/1977
Winning Chess with Borris Morris, PSA:So You're Dead...Now What?, Good-Bye America, Johnny LaRue
Director: George Bloomfield
Writer: N/A
- 7.8/1088 votes
#17 - Galaxy 66
Season 1 Episode 17 - Aired 10/10/1977
Diving for Dollars, Sunrise Semester, Sci-Fi Theatre: Galaxy 66, Beside the Point, Words to Live By
Director: George Bloomfield
Writer: N/A
- 7.8/1089 votes
#18 - Madame Blitzman
Season 1 Episode 18 - Aired 10/17/1977
PSA: Re-criminalize Marijuana, Dante's Inferno, Monster Chiller Horror Theatre: Madame Blitzman
Director: George Bloomfield
Writer: N/A
- 7.9/1087 votes
#19 - $129 000 Question
Season 1 Episode 19 - Aired Unknown
Wake Up With Alki Stereopolis, PSA: Do Not Remove Tags, The $129,000 Question, Elvira Mad Again Part II, Words to Live By
Director: George Bloomfield
Writer: N/A
- 8.0/1087 votes
#20 - Dr Tongue's House of Wax
Season 1 Episode 20 - Aired Unknown
Sunrise Semester, It Was That Way With Keith Hampshire, I Cry Each Day I Die, SCTV Boogie
Director: George Bloomfield
Writer: N/A
- 7.8/1087 votes
#21 - Sammy Maudlin Show
Season 1 Episode 21 - Aired Unknown
Paul's Workshop With Paul Fistinyourface, The Sammy Maudlin Show, PSA: Shoplifting, Dialing For Dollars: Sandy Moss
Director: George Bloomfield
Writer: N/A
- 7.9/1087 votes
#22 - World at War
Season 1 Episode 22 - Aired 11/14/1977
Passport to Adventure:Africa, The World of Mystery: Sandwich on the Orient Express, World at War:Baseball, Lowell Thompson Remembers
Director: George Bloomfield
Writer: N/A
- 7.9/1088 votes
#23 - The Grapes of Mud
Season 1 Episode 23 - Aired 11/21/1977
Muley's Roundhouse, Promo: Library Police, The Three Dummies: Of Mice and Dummies, SCTV AM News Today: Terrorist Picnic, Commercial: Spray-On Socks, SCTV Movie of the Week: The Grapes of Mud Part, Commercial: Mrs Prickley's Jams Jellies and Preserves, Disco Farming
Director: George Bloomfield
Writer: N/A
- 7.9/1087 votes
#24 - Officer Friendly
Season 1 Episode 24 - Aired 11/28/1977
Message from Moe: License Suspended, A.M. Little America with Tom Brokraw, Promo: Dan Money, SCTV AM News Today: Mafia Interview, Commercial: Civil Engineering, Officer Friendly, Promo: The Undersea World of Marcel Cousteau, Promo: Masterpiece Theatre: All the Long-Leggedy Beasties, Dream Interpretation with Dr. Raoul Wilson
Director: George Bloomfield
Writer: N/A
- 7.9/1087 votes
#25 - King of the Popes
Season 1 Episode 25 - Aired Unknown
Commercial: Tiny Tops, Morning Facial with Princess Carlotta, Promo: Check Please, Promo: The Man Who Would Be King of the Popes, Commercial: Mr. Coffee-Table Book from Venerable Electric, The Uncle Earl Show, Promo: Harry Filth, Insights with Hugh Betcha: Socrates, Commercial: Get Tough self-help book, Commercial: Grumbles Restaurant on Route 41, Enough About Me: Antonio Luciani
Director: George Bloomfield
Writer: N/A
The Best Episodes of Second City Television Season 1
Every episode of Second City Television Season 1 ranked from best to worst. Discover the Best Episodes of Second City Television Season 1!
Second City Television is a Canadian television sketch comedy show offshoot from Toronto's Second City troupe that ran between 1976 and 1984.
Genre:Comedy
Season 1 Ratings Summary
"Backstage" is the best rated episode of "Second City Television" season 1. It scored 7.7/10 based on 97 votes. Directed by N/A and written by N/A, it aired on 9/21/1976. This episode is rated 0.0 points higher than the second-best, "Murder At SCTV".