SNL Alum J.B. Smoove Wrote A Wild Sketch For Johnny Knoxville, And Urine Was Involved

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As a long-time comedy enthusiast who has been following Saturday Night Live (SNL) for decades, I can confidently say that JB Smoove is one of the most underrated and underappreciated comedic minds in the history of the show. Having had the privilege of working as a writer during his tenure, I’ve heard countless tales of his wild, out-of-the-box ideas that were too good to be true – or rather, too good to make it onto SNL.

His pitch for Johnny Knoxville as “Urine Detective” is just one example of the genius that Smoove brought to the table. I can only imagine how hilarious that sketch would have been if it had made it past the censor’s eyes and onto our television screens.

And let us not forget about “Helicopter Family,” a pitch so brilliant that even Seth Meyers, former head writer at SNL, called Smoove the greatest Monday Morning pitcher in the history of the writing room. If only we could have seen that sketch come to life!

Unfortunately, it seems that Smoove’s sketches were ahead of their time or simply too difficult to stretch out for enough airtime. It’s a shame that SNL didn’t utilize his talents as fully as they could have – but who knows? Maybe one day we’ll get to see Smoove host and finally witness the glory of these brilliant, yet forgotten ideas.

In the meantime, I’ll just keep laughing at Smoove’s hilarious stand-up routines and hope for a reunion special where he gets to act out all his rejected pitches – because as we all know, laughter is the best medicine… unless you’re a urine detective. Then maybe it’s just water under the bridge.

Prior to emerging as a highly-regarded character on “Curb Your Enthusiasm” and garnering acclaim for his comedic roles, JB Smoove previously served as a writer for “Saturday Night Live.” Although he spent just a few seasons there, several cast members and fellow writers who worked alongside him during that period fondly recall the unconventional sketches he proposed. It’s easy to understand why now.

As a longtime fan of both “SNL” and Johnny Knoxville’s antics, I was thrilled to hear about Smoove’s pitch for a sketch featuring the Jackass star during his appearance on Kelly Ripa’s podcast. With my years of watching SNL and following its behind-the-scenes stories, it’s no surprise that the conversation veered towards the iconic show.

Imagine my excitement when I learned about Smoove’s pitch for a crime show sketch where Johnny Knoxville would sniff people’s urine to help solve cases! It’s definitely an unusual concept, but given Knoxville’s penchant for outrageous stunts, it could potentially make for some hilarious and memorable television.

In the writer’s room, Smoove dropped this pitch like a bombshell, and I can only imagine the reactions from the other writers as they tried to process such an out-of-the-box idea. If it gets picked up and makes it onto the airwaves, I’ll be tuning in for sure!

Investigative Pee-Tector! I coined that phrase for Johnny Knoxville when he was set to be the host. You surely know Johnny Knoxville; he’s always up to something outlandish on his show Jackass. In this role, he was an investigator, and he’d solve crimes using your urine sample. He would taste your urine sample and declare, ‘This man didn’t commit this crime, but he has quite the colorful past!’

Smoove shared an old proposal as part of a fresh pitch to Ripa, explaining how he’d handle hosting the show if given the chance. Apparently, he’s compiled a lengthy list of ideas he pitched for the show that never made it on-air. His plan is to perform snippets of these ideas during his opening monologue, and this idea sounds truly fantastic.

In his conversation with Ripa, he mentioned some unused sketches, one being Helicopter Family, a comedy about a family of helicopter pilots who walk stooped over and yell loudly at each other. If you find this amusing, you’re not the only one. Even Seth Meyers, a previous head writer at SNL, was so fond of the idea that he separately mentioned it during an interview with Howard Stern, referring to Smoove as the most exceptional Monday Morning pitcher in the history of the SNL writing room.

Regrettably, Smoove didn’t manage to get his sketches broadcasted as often as he hoped. According to Meyers, the main issue was that many of his ideas were extremely funny but challenging to expand for sufficient airtime. In an interview with Ripa, Smoove added that he might have struggled because he primarily focused on writing material that he found amusing and believed he would excel in, even though he wasn’t officially part of the cast.

Saturday Night Live (SNL) has a rich tradition of launching numerous prominent comedians, yet this doesn’t guarantee that the show maximized the talents of all these individuals. The alumni list is brimming with well-known personalities who didn’t seem to thrive within the SNL environment, such as Ben Stiller, Robert Downey Jr., and Larry David, who often worked alongside Smoove. Notably, Larry David took a rejected idea from SNL and transformed it into one of Seinfeld’s most iconic bits by reworking his own pitch about updating an answering machine tape.

As a lifelong fan of the show, I truly hope Smoove gets his shot at hosting Season 50. With my years of watching countless episodes and appreciating every pitch that never made it to air, I can only imagine how incredible it would be to finally see him in action. Plus, who knows what surprises might await us with the rest of the season’s hosts? Given my history as a viewer, I’m always ready for a twist or two!

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2025-01-02 01:07