Jim Downey | Full Episode | Fly on the Wall with Dana Carvey and David Spade

Weekend Update with Norm, presidential parodies, and may god have mercy on your soul with Jim Downey.
On Cadence13’s Fly on the Wall, Saturday Night Live stars Dana Carvey and David Spade take listeners behind the scenes and reminisce about their favorite SNL moments, memories, and sketches with special guests.
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Subscribe to the Fly on the Wall KZbin channel: link.chtbl.com/fotw_yts

[@CharlieTWilbury]

Man I love Jim Downey; he has seen it all. Any friend of Norm's is OK by me. Great episode, boys.

[@markhewgill6481]

I admire Norm that he did not tell the world about his cancer. I admire Norm that he did not tell the world that he could of stayed on, and stood up for Downey. Class act.

[@ChrisZ70]

Yeah that blew my mind. All the times he said "Don Ohlmeyer fired me because he didn't think I was funny" and never said the real truth. Amazing.

[@TheKitchenerLeslie]

He had beaten it years before. What you're going to find out soon is that the jab re-ignites latent cancer and that Norm should still be with us, except they used fear to get people to inject poison into themselves.

[@prototek100]

Speaking of Norm. He actually said something really funny on the Norm Macdonald show about being a fly on the wall. Chevy Chase was the guest and he was going on about playing poker with Carson, Rodney Dangerfield and all these famous people all at the same time. Norm turns to his side kick and says "Could you imagine being a fly on the wall for that?...You wouldn't be able to understand anything, you would just be worried about spiders and shit" hahahahaha. That dry Norm humor will be sorely missed!

[@benjohnson4810]

Molly Shannon supposedly spoke up for Norm before he was fired. Norm found out it was her and said he loves her. Good people.

[@benjohnson4810]

@@prototek100 The "Norm Macdonald live" show was funnier, but what i've seen of the Chevy Chase episode of the Netflix show was hilarious. The joke you typed here is great, i think i've heard that part before. Super funny guys.

[@ChrisZ70]

This is fantastic. He was there in 1976 with Murray and Belushi and Aykroyd et al, and there with Carvey and Hartman and Spade and Farley all the way up til 2012. What a legend.

[@rogerhare7886]

Bring Jim Downey back! His stories and humor murder.

[@amylynnhunt55]

One of the things I've liked best about the guests on the show? They're nice. They love making people laugh, and there's something lovely in that.

[@frankbuttacavoli637]

Jim is the best guest yet and we didn’t get to hear nearly enough.

[@wasteofspace20]

Probably one of the most intellectual and reflective people we’ve ever had the pleasure of listening to.

[@kingofthefountain3091]

This is a criminally underviewed podcast episode. Downey is such a great interview. Check out his Dennis Miller appearances, especially the one with guest host Norm Macdonald.

[@ronroberts110]

I had never heard of JD until now, much less heard about how involved and influential he was for so many years. I knew about Robert Smigel and Jack Handey, and I also didn't know how much some of the players wrote. Writers need to get more exposure and credit. Some entertainment corporations have executives think writers are all replaceable, and they throw away so many potential hits by trying to save a few bucks. They saved pennies and threw away dollars.

[@rjonzun5828]

​@@ronroberts110 Same here. I just recently learned that he wrote a lot of the early Late Show bits that made me fall in love with the show.

[@johnlorinc2081]

I've read so much about Downey over the years....to hear him tell the stories was a treat. Great show!

[@WilFennell]

Fun, illuminating, goofy, and Intelligent SNL nostalgia that makes me long for The Change Bank. You will smile warmly and laugh like a fool. Thanks, gents, for doing these shows!

[@comedicmatters]

Downey's writing, as well as Norm's, had a huge impact on my life. I put both into as many of my college classes as I can when I teach. Excellent, stories, Jim. Your cameo in Dirty Work was stellar too!

[@KindredLeela]

This was so good! I worked at SNL Film Unit in the late 80's, this caused some serious laughter and memories. Jim is one of the most funny humans I have ever met. While working on the Change Bank spots nobody in the room could control our laughter, including Jan Hooks, Kevin Nealon and Jim himself. It was a late, late, night.

[@LollieVox]

That must have been such an exciting time! ❤

[@georgesotiriou7051]

We will work with you.

[@KindredLeela]

YES! That was the line that had us laughing and ruining take after take! @@georgesotiriou7051 🤣🤣🤣🪙🪙🪙

[@tleevz1]

I've needed a First Change Bank branch near me for decades. It would be so comforting to know I could get any combination of coins for my cash, a thousand pennies, forty quarters, whatever, I need change.

[@tedrossi1514]

There really needs to be several long form interviews with Jim Downey. Fascinating guy. Needs a better interviewer.

[@tessa4668]

More Downey! Great podcast!

[@caliartstudio]

This is my favorite pod cast right now. I listen to it everyday while I'm drawing my graphic novel. Helps me not over think my art. Thank you!

[@rogerp6903]

Fantastic interview with one of the genius minds behind so much hilarity!

[@vistalite]

This was my favorite interview of all in this podcast series. Well done… and thank you!

[@kevinnovak6511]

OMG - talk about a *GOLDMINE* of an interview! Over the years, we've heard Jim's name plenty - but it's *SO* great to put both a face and a voice to the name! Some of your interviews are cut a bit down - even to under an hour. Fred Armisen's an interesting guy - but we didn't get NEARLY the insight we got from Downey. Geez - he was there at the beginning, and then also for multiple, much-extended runs; This guy's got stories for *DAYS*! By the end, it didn't feel like the reputation of "the second most-important guy" for SNL was an exaggeration at all.

[@wrenjones10]

The First CityWide Change Bank ad was the best SNL ad in the history of SNL ads. Pure genius.

[@ChrisZ70]

Hearing the genesis of Spade's "...and you are...? And this is regarding....?" is fantastic. I love Downey's reaction: "Holy shit!" That is exactly my reaction. I love that snotty receptionist line and I actually use it occasionally.

[@CaseyHarrisSr]

So cool to have Jim on with the terrific memories. Thank you so much.

[@JillKnapp]

This was freaking wonderful. Thank you, gents!

[@janaadams7958]

As a SNL follower from day one I absolutely know who Jim Downey is. I loved his political skits - love his style of comedy and the actors who brought it to life.😊

[@hereticerik]

This is an excellent episode!

[@caricatureparty]

Really hope you guys do another one with Jim.

[@briandockins7497]

Loved hearing all those stories, all from some of my favorite sketches!!!

[@keijobabe1]

True original legend JD luv it

[@spek-27]

55:22 So is nobody gonna acknowledge this conversation? - Dana: "I didn't have a good Bush at that point" Jim: "I thought your Bush was great. It got wilder over time"

[@hking1009]

LOL

[@christopherallen9580]

@@hking1009 he had to trim it

[@seansmith2797]

I love Jim Downey.

[@noodlehat3250]

Chris Farley is dead and you and Norm are fired. That's a tough phone call.

[@AxeMan808]

I *STILL* say "Strategery." and no one ever answers me with "Laaaahk Bahx."

[@IWishUWereTacos]

It's so cool to hear from the creatives from my favorite sketches.

[@FACTSHACK]

"Should I start spreading that news?" Possibly the funniest throwaway line ever on this podcast. Bravo, Spudley.

[@arthurjones9580]

Another awesome episode!!!!

[@jsk8et]

This is great. Looking forward to another episode with Downey.

[@DynastyofDirt]

Love you guys. Really grew up with on SNL and movies. Idolize Farley growing up. Hearing the stories with all you and him. Really a mixed bag of emotions. Glad to hear all the stories gets me through the night shift

[@Estonius]

I am really enjoying these, thank you for doing them!

[@lisabutter6181]

im so excited to hear this guy. Letterman is my other crushes lol Jim Downey im so excited!

[@ChrisZ70]

It was Norm MacDonald who peed in bottles in the office.

[@dryherbvoter]

A lot of people pee in bottles. The main reason for it is to not have to walk to a restroom as much.

[@whitesneeks4499]

Only makes me like him more.

[@goldentheponyboy2400]

Jim Downey us a GENIUS!!!!🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

[@katherinecompton6591]

This was fun, thanks!

[@mimigiggles4199]

The comment section of the Chippendales skit is no longer a Vortex of soul sucking sadness. And I love that skit.

[@theJohnGaltLine]

Funny they mentioned Chris Rock at the end because he was on Stern talking about how he thought that skit was meanspirited.

[@damianzaninovich4900]

That was great guys. The political skit that sticks in my head was Cspan Trek to the White House 1992. Clinton, Jerry Brown and Paul Tsongus with Farley and Mike Myers as trekkies in the audience.

[@dansenepanda]

good guest. good stories and chemistry

[@christopherallen9580]

Great episode DC and DS. Love the podcast!

[@atticus7830]

This one was great!! Please bring Jim back on!

[@becameabird]

i wish this devolved/evolved into 2 hours of Norm stories

[@patrickdepoortere6830]

Need to give him a third seat at your table...great stories. Downey is awesome.

[@netgirljimi3225]

I guess a lot of us owe this man for a bunch of laughing crying tears. Much Respect.

[@danyoungmusic2023]

No discussion of Deep Thoughts? Jim Downey’s finest work.

[@stevenm2699]

That was Jack Handey....

[@RonUSMC]

This was even better than one of those "Evening with .... " shows. Fantastic hearing you guys talk about those days.

[@scottf3588]

That was A Great Show Thank You Guys for The Lift ;- }

[@beaumcmahon2556]

Keep it up. Fantastic.

[@caronte008]

That "youtube comments" story about Chippendale's was hilarious.

[@verticalmatt]

So good

[@caricatureparty]

Love that little New York New York thing at the end.

[@tleevz1]

Great episode. Mr. Downey was also the funniest person in Billy Madison.

[@RudyBoy]

Jim Downey is the GOAT Really an unsung hero of comedy

[@RythymBeast]

bot comment

[@tommcmahon3200]

Yes NORM STORIES!!!

[@AOTS123]

More Jim!

[@ramzcoldlampin5460]

I had no idea he was the moderator for the debate in Billy Madison! I like him even more now. “And the categories are: … Business Ethics, My Wife, The Whore…”

[@RichardCote-dk7eg]

Speaking of Patrick Swayze, how about the "White Trash Bed and Breakfast", I wonder who wrote that one. Such a great skit.

[@chrisfields123]

I can listen to Downey, and his lil dog all day.

[@tonybragassa6855]

I’m just here for the Norm stories.

[@bvarsho1]

I've listened to maybe 12 of these so far, and I've enjoyed them all. However, this is the most interesting to me. The behind-the-scenes with an enduring writer was quite compelling. Can we hear some Carvey Mickey Rooney? "I could have had. Them all. Bang. The wooorld."

[@bradleyjames1340]

Anyone remember Norms Frank Stallone jokes? I still don't get it but they were just funny as hell for some reason. "This seasons WORST selling toy? Tickle Me Frank Stallone."

[@thedrizzle1]

The only person who didn't like those jokes? You guessed it. Frank Stallone

[@bradleyjames1340]

@@thedrizzle1 🤣

[@gob2poof812]

I wonder if Hes talking about norm at 24:30 lol

[@DUCKSAREEVILLLLLLLL]

Closest to Norm now is Jim. More Downey.

[@missyounorm33]

I could listen to this shit all. Day - Marlee Matlin

[@patrickhughes4914]

You gotta start putting the video online. I bet it would double the views

[@AndyFelbab]

Do they film video? I've never seen even a clip of them together doing their podcast

[@davidjunto1008]

After hearing Downey describe the Chippendale sketch comments on KZbin I checked it out and its actually the opposite of what he says, most of the comments are praising it and celebrating Farleys genius and missing him and Swayze. I wonder if the reactions have changed since Downey watched it or he just noticed the negative more like we are aught to do...

[@joshuas4695]

They need to get his ass to host SNL. That would be fu!@#$%n Hysterical!!!!!!

[@_bloodfart]

bless you, jim

[@iLoveMeSomeFire]

One of the greatest speeches of any movie, of all time, was Downey’s speech to Billy Madison after Billy tried to describe the Industrial Revolution: “Mr. Madison, what you have just said is one of the most insanely idiotic things I have ever heard. At no point in your rambling, incoherent response were you even close to anything that could be considered a rational thought. Everyone in this room is now dumber for having listened to it. I award you no points, and may God have mercy on your soul.” “And may God have mercy on your soul.” 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@iLoveMeSomeFire]

Especially because after the crowd cheers you expect him to get a pass and he just completely rips him apart 🤣 Absolutely the best 🤣

[@djjdnewyork1]

Great interview! But Jim Downey is totally underselling the HUGE impact of Norm's OJ jokes. I graduated law school in '94, and paid tons of attention (like everyone else in the world). Norm was a revelation--he was the sole public voice stating what everyone felt & knew: OJ totally did it. (I.e., virtually *decapitated* his ex-wife with a knife, then stabbed a totally innocent dude to death.) That was HUGE at the time---it felt like someone confirming your sanity. No one else but Howard Stern (albeit months into Norm's routine) would so much as *hint* towards that obvious fact.

[@ajplays-gamesandmusic4568]

Man, I have a weird Mandela effect regarding that Norm Update joke about Woody Allen, and the little girl with the clothes on fire. Because I could swear I saw an update segment with that joke. Maybe the "I'm not Norm" channel got ahold of a bunch of jokes that bombed at dress rehearsal. I swear I've seen the clip.

[@jpm199]

Norm is TOP DOG

[@kingofthefountain3091]

I’d love to hear Jim talk about the Petraeus Hearing bit, which was from ‘07 or ‘08. It was so smart and measured…light years away from the craven DNC cheerleading politics in the current era. It’s striking how different and actually subversive it is compared to SNL today.

[@DABA2024]

I love how few people, including Dana, can pronounce Saturday Night Live 😂 “Sarny Night Live!”

[@dryherbvoter]

We all get to catch up to what happened behind the scenes of SNL. I like Bernie. Funny impressions. I have seen Jim D. in some good movies being funny.

[@GeminiGemma83SSlut]

Loved this guy as one of the bums in "Dirty Work" he goes into a long diatribe about how he fell from grace after being offered 2 bucks to rant in the jerk landlord dudes building. Without even acknowledging the bums story norm just goes "so here's the 2 bucks" 🤣

[@cheetahlip]

Franken and Downey have the same voice

[@dryherbvoter]

They have different lips, but the same voice energy.

[@miggity6666]

Spade only getting re-upped for one year at a time is ridick. As I remember him, ESSENTIAL CAST MEMBER. Bubbeye. Bubbeye. Most snarky cast member of all time.

[@dumbguydepot304]

Omg Jim Downey is so dam funny. If anyone out there is a fan of Phil Hendrie, he mentions 'Kissing the Gunner's Daughter' and this was a phenomenal line from the RC Collins character out of Chatsworth Highschool.

[@Exigentable]

This should have been 6 hours long. It flew by.

[@rygarisfun8164]

1:24:00 I see none of those comments ripping that sketch about Farley’s weight. At the very least it is overwhelmingly about how awesome it is

[@JovanGaluit-vy5hr]

Great interview and much appreciated. I wish the industry would acknowledge that everybody definitely did not adore Obama and many people - with brains at your holy levels - have been paying close attention. Comedians' resistance to acknowledge DJT (i.e. the country) with their smirky jokes is their problem. Somebody have some ballllls.

[@mikeruge354]

Fuck me on that one. I'm watching Jim downey on conan had no clue that was the guy asking the questions at the end of Billy Madison. I have the 40 something years of snl on audible. Jim Downey is mentioned more than anyone else.

[@zoozercattacrezooz4646]

Went to Chippendale comments... seems all positive now.

[@abaiah]

Blue's Clues.....we've located the dog

[@geofox9484]

It’s like three actual Doug Bell’s

[@moringaottawa]

13:47 for someone who never used zoom or listened to a podcast at the time, he is kicking a$$ 14:45

[@josephbordonaro]

"And you are?"

[@teledoink]

I have to tell you this - there’s a “true life” biopic or whatever those things are called about Chris Farley about how “tragic” his entire life was, and it claims that he was self conscious about his body and was “forced to do the Chippendales sketch against his will. That never rang true to me as he was always taking his clothes off. But I’m sure that’s where all of those people commenting the same thing got their information because most people have their heads straight up their keisters

[@josephkennedy3541]

I feel like you left a lot of details out of those very detailed stories.😅

[@stevesullivan3503]

Hey! I'm Stephen. It's not so bad

[@williamgatesenson]

this is one of the best episodes so far, and i'm saying this from 10 months in the future

[@grunntalll]

Someone, just post the Norm timestamps already...

[@rustysmith540]

Holy ghost yes!

[@leonardstilwell1894]

34:09

[@soulkiss1001]

1:20:50

[@kalmdown8271]

85 to 95 head writer those were like the best years of SNl in my opinion toonces, hans and franz, waynes world, frozen caveman lawyer, middle age man, sprockets, making copies, tommy flanagan, nat x, im chillin,cajun man, opera man, ladies man, canteen boy, so many more it sucks now its just super left wing political agenda programming and nothing else what happen to making fun of fools from from both sides? politics are boring and controlled by corporations but snl will never call it out cause snl is part of the machine now

[@fuferito]

46:38 _"Well, Woody Allen's dating again..."_ Shows famous photo of the naked little Vietnamese napalm girl. -rejected Norm Macdonald joke idea

[@tylerlee7711]

46:22