Eddie Murphy is returning to his TV comedy roots.
“Saturday Night Live” recently announced the hosts for its first shows of the 2019-20 season and Murphy — who was a “SNL” cast member from 1980 to 1984 and left a towering legacy behind — is returning to host for the first time since he left (sans his brief and comedy-less appearance during the “SNL” 40th anniversary special in 2015). We aren’t sure what to expect in his return. Could we see a revival of his popular “SNL” character Buckwheat or motivational guru Velvet Jones? Let’s take a look at the possibilities below:
Mister Robinson
The timing of this return would make a lot of sense. The children’s TV personality Mr. Rogers has been the topic of a tear-jerker of a documentary and an upcoming film with Tom Hanks and the Emmy-nominated Matthew Rhys “A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood.” Could we see Mr. Robinson take us to see President Trump in the Magical Land of Make Believe?
Watch a Mister Robinson sketch here.
Buckwheat
Based on a character from “Little Rascals,” grown-up Buckwheat (Or as he would say, Buh-Weet) charmed “SNL” fans by reciting classic music with the harshest of southern drawls. “Looking for Love” was now “Wookin’ Pa Nub.” Let’s get Buckwheat’s to sing Billie Eilish’s “Wad Nye” for posterity’s sake.
Watch Buckwheat highlights here.
Gumby
Those who lived through the ’80s (not me) might remember Gumby as the green claymation whose head looked like an eraser. But on “SNL,” Gumby is just another jaded New York actor trying to get a damn sandwich. Rick Dalton from “Once Upon A Time in Hollywood” knows the feeling all too well.
Watch a Gumby sketch here.
Stevie Wonder
Imagine U2’s Bono sitting down to talk race relations with rapper A$AP Rocky. That was what it was like when Murphy transformed into the legendary music Stevie Wonder during a sketch between him and comedian Joe Piscopo as Frank Sinatra in 1982. Piscopo, who was an “SNL” player with Murphy, has already commented on Murphy’s upcoming return to SNL. He recently said:“Eddie is going to come on the scene — boom — at the perfect right time, man with the Netflix special, he goes on SNL, and you watch this, he will push the envelope, and people will just be blown away by how far he can push it… it’s about time.”
Watch the sketch here.
James Brown
Unconventional interview shows are on the rise with Complex’s “Hot Ones” grabbing every star on a press tour to eating progressively spicy wings, but one man (Eddie Murphy as James Brown) dared to take celebrities into a piping hot tub.
Watch James Brown’s Celebrity Hot Tub Show here.
Velvet Jones
Guaranteed, Murphy as silky wig-wearing motivational speaker Velvet Jones can get you out of working Postmates and Uber and into being a “High Paying Ho.” We’re not sure if there’s an app for that.
Watch the Velvet Jones sketch here.
Professor Shabazz K. Martin
Murphy pulled out shades and a booming voice for this history lesson sketch, breaking down how Edward “Skippy” Williamson and Frederick “Jif” Armstrong stole George Washington Carver’s peanut butter recipe. In the age of rampant meme theft on social media, maybe Martin can call class back in session.
Watch the classic improvised line from the sketch here.
Cincinnati Bengal Kicker Archie
Archie swears the reason the Bengals lost the Super Bowl in this 1982 sketch was because of an inside job, but his teammates have another idea. If there’s a time to revive a sketch about a missed field goal, it’s the year after a certain Bears kicker hit the post to win a team a playoff game for the first time since 2011. I digress.
Watch the sketch here.
Pudge from Pudge and Solomon
Murphy and Piscopo had excellent chemistry, and Murphy as a grumpy, down-on-his-luck old man and Piscopo as a bar pianist made for a wholesome series of sketches about a different side of New York City: the lower class.
Watch a Solomon and Pudge sketch here.
White Eddie Murphy
In a famed December 1984 mockumentary bit, Murphy went undercover in New York City as a white man, opening his eyes to what happens when minorities are not around.
Watch the clip here.
