# What was this comedy special? (1980s?)

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-this-comedy-special-1980s/685726>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [April 9, 2014, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-this-comedy-special-1980s/685726 "2014-04-09T16:00:38Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\
**Post date:** [April 9, 2014, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-this-comedy-special-1980s/685726/1 "2014-04-09T16:00:38Z")

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I saw…something…on TV, twice, in the time frame appx 1980-1985. If I am not mistaken, it was a sketch comedy special, not a regular show. I am pretty sure it was not an SNL special.

Two of the skits I remember were one about a guy taming the big cats, and they were actually Cats (bulldozers and loaders, and he could command them to raise and lower blades, etc.). The second skit had a debate between Moon Zappa (in full Val-speak mode) and G. Gordon Liddy.

I’ve checked IMBD and neither of them seem to be in anything familiar from about that time. So, maybe their ‘appearances’ were made by SNL-like players and not the real persons.

Anybody have any idea what I saw?

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**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\
**Post date:** [April 9, 2014, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-this-comedy-special-1980s/685726/2 "2014-04-09T16:06:22Z")

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If it wasn’t SNL, it might have been SCTV.

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**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\
**Post date:** [April 9, 2014, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-this-comedy-special-1980s/685726/3 "2014-04-09T16:11:19Z")

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The “debate” looks like it’s on Youtube, which I can’t watch from here. Just Google “moon zappa g. gordon liddy debate.”

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**Author:** ![Superdude](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superdude/32/13450_2.png) [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)\
**Post date:** [April 9, 2014, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-this-comedy-special-1980s/685726/4 "2014-04-09T16:21:25Z")

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According to [this](http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20083310,00.html) cite, it was Twilight Theatre. Link to youtube [here](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AbVsoI3iIr8).

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**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\
**Post date:** [April 9, 2014, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-this-comedy-special-1980s/685726/5 "2014-04-09T16:37:55Z")

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**I love this place!**

Amazing how little info about it there is. The wikipedia page is one sentence. At least imdb has the cast (minus Moon and G.). A couple youtube clips.

I think one of the links said it was in the SNL timeslot, but I would have sworn it was primetime (like, 9 central).

Funny how time dulls the memory. I never thought the ‘debate’ was a hilarious masterpiece, but watching the clip, well… at least it was short.