If anyone should be able to engineer a reunion of “Saturday Night Live” alumni, it should be Dan Aykroyd.
A member of the show’s first cast of “Not Ready for Prime-Time Players,” Aykroyd was also among the first to jump from “SNL” to Hollywood and continues to tour with a band based on The Blues Brothers group he and John Belushi originated on the NBC mainstay.
But Aykroyd’s new project takes “SNL” formers to decidedly new terrain.
Aykroyd, Jim Belushi, Jon Lovitz, Kevin Nealon and “Cheers” alumni George Wendt (who made a name on “SNL” as the character Bob Swerski of the Chicago Superfans), have teamed up to lead subscribers of the streaming outlet Fox Nation through a history of drinking. In “A History of the World in Six Glasses,”which debuted this week, the comic sextuplet examines some of the political and cultural ramifications in the rise of beer, wine, coffee, tea, soda and spirits. Tea, says Aykroyd, affected relations between England and China, while the business of soda “massively impacted the world.”
There’s so much to discuss that “we rammed the facts in there,” says Aykroyd, who praises all his colleagues, including Lovitz (“great personal charm”), Belushi (“an eager puppy dog”) and Nealon (“hilarity and brilliant intelligence”) .
The comedians are just the latest in a growing line of prominent entertainment personalities to turn up — unexpectedly perhaps — on Fox Nation. The subscription-based service aims for the politically conservative viewers who flock to Fox News Channel, but has increasingly worked to serve them with lifestyle fare, while continuing to make available the red-meat programs that Fox News aficionados crave. Kevin Costner, Dennis Quaid and Kelsey Grammer are among those backing shows on the service.
At first blush, this isn’t the “SNL” crew one might think would turn up on a Fox News product. There are others who, over the years, have demonstrated more right-wing proclivities. Dennis Miller, the former “Weekend Update” anchor, has been open in recent years about his conservative leanings. Indeed, Fox Nation on Wednesday unveiled a new series led by Miller that looks at infomercials. Joe Piscopo, who once dazzled with impressions of Frank Sinatra and Andy Rooney, is a conservative radio host. And Victoria Jackson, who used to do handstands on the “Update” desk, has expressed hard right viewpoints over the years.
Aykroyd acknowledges there could be some disparity in political views between his colleagues and Fox. “I know that Fox has sort of a right-leaning sensibility as broadcasters,” he notes, adding that “I don’t think you’ll find a right of center individual in any of the comedians that I was with.” Still, he says, Fox Nation was the company that bought the project. “Here’s a corporate entity that is providing work for artists, and they should be hailed for that.”
Aykroyd, who hosts “The UnBelievable” on A+E Networks’ History Channel and says he is taking part in a new chapter of the “Ghostbusters” franchise in development, thinks his new series about drinking offers a necessary alternative to much of the programming available for consumption. He sees many scripted and documentary series focused on crime and criminals, and thinks the average viewer might crave a break. His on air team represents “the top names working in sketch comedy, and for them to come to the project was essential,” he says.
He remains a big believer in the show that helped launch his long career. He believes Lorne Michaels, the executive producer of “Saturday Night Live” will stay well beyond the program’s looming celebration of its 50th season. “I see Lorne doing it, well, certainly through his nineties, if he can help it,” says Aykroyd, who says he remains in touch with Michaels, as well as Chevy Chase, and, on occasion, Jane Curtin. “He is the impresario of the century. There is no doubt about it, and he enjoys doing it. He laughs every week.” The program, says Aykroyd, benefits from “his particular sensibility. You don’t want to lose that.”
The actor says he called in no favors to assemble the crew for “A History of the World in Six Glasses>” When the executive producer of the series asked how Aykroyd would feel if her team reached out to other “SNL” alumni, he told her that “you have got to pay them, There has to be a solid cash fee offer,” he says. ”I don’t call in favors like that. None of us do. We don’t do that.”
Still, as the Fox Nation series shows, he might be willing to buy them a drink.
