Buns…and buns. The very first episode of “Tush” in 1980 featured a game show takeoff with the titular @billtush and Bonnie Turner and Jan, showing off her own stuffed peppers.
A reminder, if you want to see more of Jan, and you happen to be in the Rome, GA area, head to the @pchsmuseum in Cedartown. There are some fun articles in the files. There’s also some pictures of Jan, but none as sassy as this one.
(The museum has a lot of other nice stuff too. It’s probably the only place you’ll see Jan and Winnie the Pooh in close range.)
#janhooks #janhooksforever #billtush #snl #saturdaynightlive
A documentary about the life and career of Martin Short debuts today (May 12) on Netflix.
“Marty, Life is Short” will take a look back at his life and career. Jan was a big part of his professional career for about ten years, from 1994 to 2004. They were also friends offscreen.
“We both hate jokes - we find humor in the reality of things,” Jan told The Orlando Sentinal in August 1994.
Short hosted SNL early in Jan’s tenure on the show. They didn’t really connect until she came onboard “The Martin Short Show” in ‘94, to replace Catherine Hicks. Why the show didn’t work out is a long story. I’ve covered it in a mostly half-assed way.
Short brought her back for “The Show Formerly Known as The Martin Show” in 1995. This was a better showcase of Jan’s talents. She did a wicked Brett Butler impression. It also reunited her with Phil Hartman, her “work husband.”
“Actually, the smartest thing I did in that special is that I totally shared it with Jan Hooks. That work she does in that - you can't believe how good she is,” Short said recently.
Jan and Short’s last project today was the Jiminy Glick universe. Jan played his wife Dixie on Comedy Central’s “Prime Time Glick.” She reprised the role in 2004’s “Jiminy Glick in Lalawood.”
Will any footage of Jan be in the documentary? Maybe. Even if there isn’t, they made a lasting connection in each other’s lives. She came up during a Variety actors on actors conversation he had with another of Jan’s costars, Jean Smart.
“There was no one funnier,” he said.
#janhooks #janhooksforever #jiminyglick #martinshort #snl
“Jan was just delightful. She was incredibly brave and would go to places that were really out-there.” ~ Jane Curtin writing for Entertainment Weekly, December 19, 2014
And just how far out there was “3rd Rock From the Sun”? Not only did Jan get a chance to work with friends from Atlanta (Bonnie and Terry Turner) and SNL, her role as Vicki Dubcek garnered her an Emmy nomination.
I don’t have a date for this publicity photo, but I’ll guess 1997. Those are flying saucers behind her.
Jan became particularly close to co-star French Stewart. He called her his “drinking buddy.”
Many members of the cast have spoken about what a fun set it was, including John Lithgow and Jane Curtin. Curtin went in for a guest spot and had so much fun she jumped at the opportunity to join the cast permanently. Jan and Jane shared the SNL bond.
“She had all the qualities you need to just gut people’s hearts,” Jane wrote. “I don’t think many people have that capability.”
#janhooks #janhooksforever #3rdrockfromthesun #saturdaynightlive
Jan’s big break came at WTBS, right as it was transitioning from a quirky local station to a satellite and cable powerhouse. Ted Turner gave station perennial @billtush the go-ahead for a comedy show. Some of the talent came from Atlanta’s improv scene. Jan was recommended by Bonnie and Terry Turner.
As Tush later put it, Jan became the star of the show. Her most popular character was Tammy Jean, a precursor to her Tammy Faye Baker takeoff. Jan said she based Tammy on some of the preachers her mother liked to watch.
“Tush” went on the air in December 1980 and was gone by the middle of 1981. Rumor has it Ted Turner thought the show was too expensive to produce.
Jan was sad about the show’s end, and some opportunities it presented didn’t pan out. Still, it cemented her in the comedy world and she made lifelong friends, especially with Tush and the Turners.
Ted Turner took a chance on a young group of comedic upstarts. He took a lot of chances. CNN was a chance. You just never know until you try. Even though Turner has a complicated legacy, we can all learn from his attitude (although millions of dollars helps).
Also, will his funeral start at :05?
#janhooks #janhooksforever #wtbs #tedturner
Here’s the headshot used for Jan’s entry in the 1992 Hollywood Players Directory, a reference book for casting directors.
Her blue eyes are on full display, even in black and white.
Jan started 1992 on a high note. “Designing Women” was doing well in the ratings. She was living a bicoastal lifestyle with her boyfriend and her dog, Frank. Photographers at LAX snapped shots of her coming and going.
All of this seemed to stop when “Designing Women” came back for its last season. Jan was back on SNL for guest appearances as it became obvious her main gig was a sinking ship.
When Jan appeared on “Late Night with David Letterman” on April 2nd, 1993, she didn’t mention “DW” at all. She knew it was over and the last episode was in the can. Jan talked about her role in the Coneheads movie and her new horse, which sounded like a handful.
She did a couple plays between 1993-94 but otherwise hung around her home in Sag Harbor, NY.
"I walked on the beach. I read. I didn't watch TV for four months. I got on some other level of consciousness,” Jan told the Orlando Sentinel, when she was starting on “The Martin Short Show” in late July 1994.
#janhooks #janhooksforever #designingwomen #saturdaynightlive
This Sweeney Sisters sketch aired during the Paul Shaffer show on January 31, 1987. The sisters in song serenaded partygoers on Chinese New Year.
This and the Steve Guttenberg show were probably the weakest ones of the 86-87 season.
It’s always nice to see Nora and Jan performing together, though.
Nora had this to say about the Sweeneys on Facebook after Jan passed away:
“In character Jan and I knew exactly who we were without discussion. It happened on its own. As Liz and Candy (Sweeney) we shared an uncomplicated bond and an enduring sisterly love. The fact that they became a hit was secondary to the joy of being them.”
In Mike Thomas’s article for Grantland about Jan’s last few years, he detailed Jan’s chance to play Candy at a Carnegie Hall tribute to SNL and Tony-winning composer Marc Shaiman. Jan waffled a bit and ultimately said no. This was right before she was diagnosed with the neck cancer that took her life. Nora didn’t get to see Jan again, or sing a silly medley with her.
#janhooks #janhooksforever #noradunn #sweeneysisters #saturdaynightlive
After Jan passed away, Bill Tush told journalist Mike Thomas she “could have easily been the next Julia Roberts.”
Jan’s charisma on camera came early. Here she’s about 23 and part of the ensemble that made the “Tush” show click on WTBS in late 1980/81.
That’s Jan in the shades. Future SNL writers and power producers Bonnie and Terry Turner are there too. Bonnie’s in green and Terry is wearing the Beach Blanket Bingo wicker gumdrop hat. @billtush is the dapper guy in the suit.
This fall will mark the 40th anniversary of Jan’s debut on SNL. But around 45 years ago, she was in her hometown (Atlanta) working and having fun with this cast of characters. I think it was Jan’s happiest time in showbiz. “Tush” was canceled in June 1981.
As for Jan being “the next Julia Roberts,” it didn’t happen. She burned out on Hollywood and retreated to the Catskills. But we have her amazing work on “Tush” and SNL - and you can say she never really sold out.
#janhooks #janhooksforever #saturdaynightlive #snl #atlantatv
Just after starting her run on “Designing Women,” Jan was a guest on the “Tonight Show” with Jay Leno on August 27, 1991.
During her spot, a very animated Jan talked about having bicoastal Jaguars (bought used). She touched on her role in “Batman Returns” but couldn’t say too much about it at that point. She also talked about why she’s named Janet. Janet Leigh was her father’s favorite actress.
It’s a very good interview. Plus, remember there was that rumor Jan would be Jay’s sidekick. Obviously that didn’t happen, but they got along very well. He let her be her dramatic self.
Quite an outfit she has on too. Ah, the 90s.
The interview link is posted in my profile. Enjoy!
#janhooks #janhooksforever #saturdaynightlive #designingwomen #90sfashion
Jan and Nora are spies who take advantage of two muddled soldiers in this 1987 sketch. Phil and Lovitz are also on hand to add some intrigue. This was the cold open sketch of the John Lithgow-hosted show. Jan would go on to work with Lithgow again on “3rd Rock From the Sun.”
I like this shot because it shows a good chunk of 86-87 cast. Lorne Michaels called it a “charmed” group - but also noted nearly all had been knocking around in showbiz for a while, and were grateful to be there.
#janhooks #janhooksforever @kevinnealon@thedanacarvey@jon_lovitz #saturdaynightlive #snl
The summer of 1992 was something different for Jan. For starters, she had a gig that was less competitive than SNL. “Batman Returns” also came out, which marked her biggest movie appearance. When Jan appeared on “The Dennis Miller Show” in early March, Dennis asked about summer plans with her boyfriend and she mentioned Hawaii with a big maybe.
Did they make it to Hawaii? Hard to say. There was something else going on in her life, though.
“Designing Women” creator Linda Bloodworth-Thomason and her husband Harry were cozy with Bill and Hillary Clinton. Soon-to-be first brother Roger Clinton was hired to warm up the crowd before the show. Roger and Jan were friends (I think that’s him under her elbow in the first picture). As a matter of fact, according to a UPI article, Jan would attend Roger’s 1994 wedding in Dallas.
All of this brought Jan in close proximity of the Clinton family. Even then, it is surprising to read she may have traveled with the Clinton campaign in April 1992. This came up in an April 29, 1992 article in the Fort Myers News-Press about Jan’s father Wyatt. He was married on the 25th and the paper says Jan took time away from the campaign to fly to Florida to attend the ceremony.
Fast-forward to early September 1992, when Entertainment Weekly reported Jan would return to SNL for a few shows to impersonate Hillary.
“Jan is a very close friend of mine. I’m sure anything they do will be done in good taste,” Roger Clinton told EW.
Jan did return as Hillary and did the special guest star thing for a few years. In one memorable sketch, a “Cops” spoof, she hides in a closet after roughing up Bill. There’s your good taste buddy!
According to Rolling Stone, the one thing Hillary did not find funny was SNL’s portrayal of Chelsea Clinton. Jan (as Hillary) has a pointed line in one of the sketches about leaving the teenager alone.
#janhooks #janhooksforever #saturdaynightlive #designingwomen
“The Crosby Show” aired on Jan’s (and Dana and Phil’s) second SNL on October 18, 1986. The sketch throws Malcolm-Jamal Warner into Bing Crosby’s family. Crosby uses his belt to administer his own special kind of guidance.
As an 80s kid, it’s hard to believe Malcolm’s gone, along with Phil and Jan.
So how was Jan doing at this point on SNL? It was rough on her. But in an interview at the time, she talked about her excitement.
“I’m so cranked up when I'm out there. It's thrilling.
Sometimes I have to slap myself to believe I'm part of it. This is the cream of the crop.”
#janhooks #janhooksforever #saturdaynightlive #snl @thedanacarvey
