Brian McConnachie obit

Brian McConnachie, Writer for ‘National Lampoon,’ ‘SCTV’ and ‘Saturday Night Live,’ Dies at 81

The "Clark Kent of Comedy” also founded ‘American Bystander’ magazine and showed up in ‘Caddyshack,’ ‘Strange Brew,’ ‘Bullets Over Broadway’ and ‘Small Time Crooks.’ 

He was not on the list.

Brian McConnachie, the Emmy-winning writer with the offbeat sense of humor who worked on SCTV Network and Saturday Night Live and appeared in Caddyshack and several films for Woody Allen, has died. He was 81.

McConnachie died Friday of complications from Parkinson’s disease in Venice, Florida, Michael Gerber, editor and publisher of The American Bystander, told The Hollywood Reporter. The duo relaunched the humor magazine in 2015 after McConnachie — an original staff member at National Lampoon — originally got it going in 1981.

Every day, on every page, he has been our North Star,” Gerber said in a statement. “From his days at National Lampoon, Brian was ‘every comedy writer’s favorite comedy writer,’ crafting an unmistakable one-of-a-kind laid-back eccentricity that inspired generations.

“He is the only person I know who wrote for the Holy Trinity of Seventies Comedy — National Lampoon, SNL and SCTV. This speaks to not only his writing talent, but his bonhomie and ability to be a good friend.”

McConnachie was prominently and deservedly featured in Drunk Stoned Brilliant Dead, Rick Meyerowitz’s 2010 book about National Lampoon.

He wrote for the classic Canadian comedy show SCTV Network in 1981 and shared his Emmy in ‘82 with the likes of John Candy, Joe Flaherty, Eugene Levy, Andrea Martin, Rick Moranis, Catherine O’Hara and Dave Thomas.

Earlier, he worked on SNL during its fourth season (1978-79), after which he landed his first Emmy nom, and contributed to sketches for the show in 1987, ’93, ’95 and ’96.

The rangy, bespectacled McConnachie played Bushwood Country Club member Drew Scott, one of Al Czervik’s (Rodney Dangerfield) pals, in Caddyshack (1980).

He later showed up in small roles in the Allen projects Husbands and Wives (1992), Bullets Over Broadway (1994), the ’94 telefilm Don’t Drink the Water, Deconstructing Harry (1997), Celebrity (1998), Small Time Crooks (2000) and The Curse of the Jade Scorpion (2001).

McConnachie was born on Dec. 23, 1942, in Garrison, New York. His first IMDb credit came for playing a LaserBra 2000 scientist in Mr. Mike’s Mondo Video (1979), starring Michael O’Donoghue (also from National Lampoon and SNL) and Dan Aykroyd.

He would later appear on The Adventures of Bob & Doug McKenzie: Strange Brew (1983) — sharing scenes with none other than Max von Sydow — Sleepless in Seattle (1993), Six Degrees of Separation (1993), People I Know (2002) and Marie and Bruce (2004).

From 1989-95, McConnachie wrote for Shining Time Station, the program that introduced Thomas the Tank Engine to the U.S., and he worked on another animated kids show, Noddy, from 1998-2000.

And he penned a 2013 episode of The Simpsons, “The Fabulous Faker Boy.”

It was SCTV’s Thomas who gave him the nickname the “Clark Kent of Comedy,” he revealed during a 1983 appearance on Late Night With David Letterman. During his interview, he called The American Bystander a “humor magazine for grown-ups and tall children, big kids, triple-E sized, 44-longs.”

McConnachie also wrote the books Elmer and the Chicken vs. Big L, published in 1992, and Blowing Smoke: The Wild and Whimsical World of Cigars — complete with a caricature of Letterman on the cover — published in 1997.

Survivors include his wife of 56 years, Ann; daughter Mary and son-in-law Tim; and three grandchildren.

 

Writer

Julie Kavner, Nancy Cartwright, Dan Castellaneta, and Yeardley Smith in The Simpsons (1989)

The Simpsons

8.7

TV Series

written by

2013

1 episode

 

Katie Boland, Jayne Eastwood, Taborah Johnson, Sean McCann, Frank Meschkuleit, Max Morrow, Matt Ficner, Kyle Kass, and Noreen Young in Noddy (1998)

Noddy

5.6

TV Series

written by

writer

1998–2000

13 episodes

 

Noddy: Anything Can Happen at Christmas (1998)

Noddy: Anything Can Happen at Christmas

TV Movie

written by

1998

 

Saturday Night Live (1975)

Saturday Night Live

8.0

TV Series

additional sketch by

additional sketches by

additional sketches ...

1978–1996

26 episodes

 

Shining Time Station: One of the Family (1995)

Shining Time Station: One of the Family

6.9

TV Movie

written by

1995

 

Shining Time Station: Second Chances (1995)

Shining Time Station: Second Chances

7.2

TV Movie

written by

1995

 

Shining Time Station: Once Upon a Time (1995)

Shining Time Station: Once Upon a Time

7.4

TV Movie

written by

1995

 

Shining Time Station (1989)

Shining Time Station

8.1

TV Series

written by

writer

1989–1993

16 episodes

 

Shining Time Station: 'Tis a Gift (1990)

Shining Time Station: 'Tis a Gift

8.0

TV Movie

written by

1990

 

Earthday Birthday (1990)

Earthday Birthday

6.2

TV Movie

screenplay

1990

 

Encyclopedia (1988)

Encyclopedia

9.1

TV Series

Writer (1988)

1988

 

Dan Aykroyd in The Best of Dan Aykroyd (1986)

The Best of Dan Aykroyd

7.4

Video

written by

1986

 

John Belushi in The Best of John Belushi (1985)

The Best of John Belushi

8.1

Video

written by

1985

 

SCTV Network (1981)

SCTV Network

8.4

TV Series

writer

series writer

1981

8 episodes

 

The TVTV Show

5.6

TV Movie

Writer

1977

 

Actor

Marie and Bruce (2004)

Marie and Bruce

4.5

Guy

2004

 

Kim Basinger, Al Pacino, and Téa Leoni in People I Know (2002)

People I Know

5.4

Jamie Hoff

2002

 

The Curse of the Jade Scorpion (2001)

The Curse of the Jade Scorpion

6.7

Voltan's Participant

2001

 

Small Time Crooks (2000)

Small Time Crooks

6.6

Paul Milton

2000

 

Kenneth Branagh, Leonardo DiCaprio, Winona Ryder, Charlize Theron, Melanie Griffith, Famke Janssen, Judy Davis, Joe Mantegna, and Bebe Neuwirth in Celebrity (1998)

Celebrity

6.3

Exercise Tape Fan

1998

 

Woody Allen, Demi Moore, Elisabeth Shue, Robin Williams, Kirstie Alley, Billy Crystal, Mariel Hemingway, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Richard Benjamin, Judy Davis, Amy Irving, Tobey Maguire, and Stanley Tucci in Deconstructing Harry (1997)

Deconstructing Harry

7.3

Dr. Reese

1997

 

Don't Drink the Water (1994)

Don't Drink the Water

6.2

TV Movie

Washington Reporter

1994

 

John Cusack, Jennifer Tilly, Chazz Palminteri, and Dianne Wiest in Bullets Over Broadway (1994)

Bullets Over Broadway

7.4

Mitch Sabine

1994

 

Will Smith, Stockard Channing, and Donald Sutherland in Six Degrees of Separation (1993)

Six Degrees of Separation

6.8

Mrs. Bannister's Guest

1993

 

Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan in Sleepless in Seattle (1993)

Sleepless in Seattle

6.8

Bob

1993

 

Husbands and Wives (1992)

Husbands and Wives

7.5

Rain's Parents

1992

 

Bill Murray in Quick Change (1990)

Quick Change

6.8

Bank Manager

1990

 

Till We Meet Again (1989)

Till We Meet Again

6.9

TV Mini Series

1989

2 episodes

 

Saturday Night Live (1975)

Saturday Night Live

8.0

TV Series

Attorney

Bob (uncredited)

1979–1987

3 episodes

 

Rick Moranis, Max von Sydow, and Dave Thomas in Strange Brew (1983)

Strange Brew

6.6

Ted

1983

 

Bill Murray, Chevy Chase, Rodney Dangerfield, and Ted Knight in Caddyshack (1980)

Caddyshack

7.2

Drew Scott

1980

 

Michael O'Donoghue in Mr. Mike's Mondo Video (1979)

Mr. Mike's Mondo Video

4.9

Laser Bra 2000 Scientist

1979