For a few years now, fans have been enjoying the crazy antics of J.B. Smoove as Leon Black on “Curb Your Enthusiasm” opposite Larry David and as the host of Comedy Central’s “Russell Simmons Presents: The Ruckus.” What far fewer people know is that he was a part of the writing team on “Saturday Night Live” for three seasons from 2003-2006. Mainly, according to Smoove on “Jimmy Kimmel Live” (Weeknights, 12 a.m. EST on ABC), none of his stuff ever got on the air.
Tina Fey was one of the head writers during his tenure with the show — he left the same season she did — and according to Kimmel, “he said that you were hilarious and you had hilarious ideas and yet none of them ever got onto the show.”
Smoove pulled out a book of ideas from that time to go over a few of them. They were as wacky as anything seen on the venerable sketch comedy show, like the idea of Tarzan in a turtleneck, or Johnny Knoxville solving crimes by drinking the suspect’s urine. Probably the one that feels the most like a sketch idea was having a family that lives in their house as if they’re living in or under a helicopter.
“They’re always talking loud,” Smoove explained, shouting, “‘What’s for dinner tonight? I’ll go get the turkeys!” And then doing that classic under-the-chopper ducked down running. It would be interesting to see which sketches were chosen over some of his ideas during those years.
Watch “Jimmy Kimmel Live” every weeknight at 12 a.m. EST on ABC.
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