Series synopsis
Almost Live! is an American comedy television series that premiered on KING-TV on September 23, 1984. It ended on May 22, 1999. It stars John Keister, Pat Cashman, Tracey Conway and Nancy Guppy.
Almost Live! was a local sketch comedy television show in Seattle, Washington, USA, produced and broadcast by NBC affiliate KING-TV from 1984 to 1999. A re-packaged version of the show also aired on Comedy Central from 1992 to 1993, and episodes aired on WGRZ-TV in the late 1990s. The show was broadcast on Saturday nights at 11:30, pushing Saturday Night Live back to midnight. The show is now aired in reruns by the Seattle NBC affiliate following Saturday Night Live.
Premise
Almost Live! was a local sketch comedy television show in Seattle, Washington, USA, produced and broadcast by NBC affiliate KING-TV from 1984 to 1999. A re-packaged version of the show also aired on Comedy Central from 1992 to 1993, and episodes aired on WGRZ-TV in the late 1990s. The show was broadcast on Saturday nights at 11:30, pushing Saturday Night Live back to midnight. The show is now aired in reruns by the Seattle NBC affiliate following Saturday Night Live.
Cast and characters
Leading cast
- John Keister as Self / Various
- Pat Cashman as Self / Various
- Tracey Conway as Self / Various
- Nancy Guppy as Self / Various
- Ross Shafer as Self / Various
- Bob Nelson as Self / Various
- Bill Nye as Self / Various
- Joel McHale as Self / Various
Supporting cast
- Steve Wilson as Self / Various
- Darrel Suto as Billy Quan
- Bill Stainton as Self / Various
- Rhonda Watson
- Tamara Paris
- Lauren Weedman
- Matt Smith
- Brooks McBeth
- Kevin Calabro
- David Scully
- Dan Lewis
- Steve Raible
Guest cast
Episodes
This series spans 16 seasons with 318 episodes.
| Season | Episodes | First aired | Last aired |
|---|---|---|---|
| Season 0 | 32 | February 20, 2025 | |
| Season 1 | 0 | September 23, 1984 | May 12, 1985 |
| Season 2 | 0 | September 22, 1985 | May 25, 1986 |
| Season 3 | 0 | September 21, 1986 | May 24, 1987 |
| Season 4 | 0 | September 20, 1987 | May 22, 1988 |
| Season 5 | 26 | October 2, 1989 | October 2, 1989 |
| Season 6 | 26 | September 23, 1989 | May 26, 1990 |
| Season 7 | 27 | September 29, 1990 | May 18, 1991 |
| Season 8 | 26 | September 28, 1991 | November 25, 1992 |
| Season 9 | 26 | October 3, 1992 | May 22, 1993 |
| Season 10 | 26 | September 25, 1993 | May 21, 1994 |
| Season 11 | 26 | September 24, 1994 | May 20, 1995 |
| Season 12 | 26 | September 23, 1995 | May 18, 1996 |
| Season 13 | 26 | September 21, 1996 | May 17, 1997 |
| Season 14 | 26 | September 27, 1997 | May 16, 1998 |
| Season 15 | 25 | September 26, 1998 | May 22, 1999 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Almost Live Roasts The Seahawks | |
| 2 | Post Seattle Earthquake Episode 1995 | |
| 3 | Bill Clinton Special |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Episode 1 | September 23, 1984 |
| 2 | Episode 2 | September 23, 1984 |
| 3 | Episode 3 | September 30, 1984 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Episode 1 | September 22, 1985 |
| 26 | Episode 26 | May 25, 1986 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Episode 1 | September 21, 1986 |
| 27 | Episode 27 | May 24, 1987 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Episode 1 | September 20, 1987 |
| 2 | Episode 2 | September 27, 1987 |
| 26 | Episode 26 | May 22, 1988 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Episode 1 | October 2, 1989 |
| 2 | Episode 2 | |
| 3 | Episode 3 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Sitizens To Save Selig Expresso Letter Express; Shame of Seattle; Neptune’s Moon Triton with JPL; College Tips; Needles in Seattle Parks. |
September 23, 1989 |
| 2 |
Mind Your Manners with Billy Quan Ordering Pizza at Halftime; Artsy Fartsy Commercial; Bill Nye the Science Guy; This Here Place Home Improvement. |
September 30, 1989 |
| 3 |
Chainsaw C.P.A. Boeing Strike; Chainsaw C.P.A.; Centennial Celebration: Bigfoot; Mariners Locker Room; The Urban Sportsman; The Lame List. |
October 7, 1989 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Get a second chance with ‘Life Rewind’ Get a second chance with ‘Life Rewind’; ‘The Boz: A Tribute’; Selling the station; The John Report; High-Five’N White Guys; Lynch’s Home Videos. |
September 29, 1990 |
| 2 |
Working out with the Cooking Psychologist Short passes cold open, Mind Your Manners, The 1 Minute Relationship, Working out with the Cooking Psychologist and more. |
October 6, 1990 |
| 3 |
DJ/Waiter takes your order DJ/Waiter, Jake Johannsen standup, Middle management suck-ups, The John Report. |
October 13, 1990 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Wonderful Discoveries and Apple Keith Nerdy Something, Urban Wildlife, Apple Keith, Wonderful Discoveries and more. |
September 28, 1991 |
| 2 |
Involuntary Bungee Jumping Big Hair Patrol;City Name Changes; Almost Live Training Film No. 53 How to Watch the Big Game; How Seattle Is It? 1; Men Are Bad; How Seattle Is It? 2; The Songs That Make You Cry; The John Report; How Seattle Is It? 3 |
October 5, 1991 |
| 3 | Big Hair Patrol | October 12, 1991 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
High Pitched Girls The High Pitched Girls; Other Buy-Backs; The Cool Dying Olympics; Monday on A Woman's Place; Book Beat; Tuesday on A Woman's Place; Uncle Fran's Musical Forest; The John Report; Wednesday on A Woman's Place; The Lame List or What's Weak This Week |
October 3, 1992 |
| 2 |
The Crappiest Gardner in the World The Crappiest Gardner in the World; Bellevue Historic Sites; Frenetic Pace; Urban Wildlife - Stairway Gazelle; Up With Human Beings; Urban Wildlife - Parking Pig; Folk Songs of the Slightly Inebriated; The John Report; Urban Wildlife - Copy Machine Crab; Trivial Pursuit Radical Feminist Edition |
October 10, 1992 |
| 3 |
Helium Week In Review Helium Week In Review; Why Seattle is No. 1 For Business; Trendsetters; TV Listings (1); The Speaking Dynamics Institute; Me!; TV Listings (2); Dysfunctional Family Shopping Network; The John Report; TV Listings (3) |
October 17, 1992 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Season 10 Press Conference | September 25, 1993 |
| 2 |
Let's Scare the Amish Let's Scare the Amish; Romantic Progression; Lisa Simmons Bad Date - Lisa Gets a New Job; Good Morning Madonna; STP, Better then Syrup; "Do you think she's a little too thin?" The John Report; Doubles; The Lame List or What's Weak This Week |
October 2, 1993 |
| 3 |
Sleepless In Seattle Sleepless In Seattle; Harvey Kane Crossed Eyed Cop; What Bugs Stan - Lyrics to Bread Songs; Public Access Channel 29 - Emerald City Eligibles; Eternal Questions - Breast Size; The John Report; How Much of a Chance Do You Have of Winning the Washington Lottery? |
October 9, 1993 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Kingdome Song | September 24, 1994 |
| 2 | Nature Walk With Chuck - Snoqualmie Falls | October 1, 1994 |
| 3 | JK One | October 8, 1994 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Grateful Dead Convention Talk With Pat; Sequel Pictures Summer Movies; Grateful Dead Convention; Absentee Voters; Late Report; Puyallup Fair Vendors. |
September 23, 1995 |
| 2 |
Staff Meeting With Murderers O.J. Simpson Trial Terminology; How to Hold a Garage Sale; Courtney Love PSA; The Late Report; Mariners Merchandise. |
September 30, 1995 |
| 3 |
Is It Pike or Pine? Game Show Messages Between Boeing and Machinists Union; Roscoe’s Oriental Rug Emporium; Late Report; Gotchic Laundry Detergent. |
October 7, 1995 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Aliens Attack Seattle! Seattle Summer ’96; Dining a la Card; MTV Rocks with Eddie Vedder; The Late Report; Norm Rice For Governor. |
September 21, 1996 |
| 2 |
Superhero Hotline with The Capitulator! Ellen Craswell Bit Cut; The Guy Who Sits Near You At the Game; Ugly Bridesmaids Dresses; The Late Report. |
September 28, 1996 |
| 3 |
Telephone Etiquette Interview Ask the Seattle Mayoral Candidates; Kid Never Gets Over Lost Balloon; The Late Report; William Wallace. |
October 5, 1996 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
The Town It Is A-Changin' The Town It Is A-Changin’; Nature Walk with Chuck; WSU Student Orientation; Late Report; Gates Mansion Weather Update. |
September 27, 1997 |
| 2 |
Stop the Canadians! Stop the Canadians!; Daredevils with Stan Hicks; The Late Report; Sister Wendy's Def Art Jam. Chris Cashman guest stars. |
October 4, 1997 |
| 3 |
Lord of the Green Riverdance Lord of the Green Riverdance; The Late Report: Forum: Mayoral Joke Debate; The Lame List. Cameo by Kim Thayil. |
October 11, 1997 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Season 15 Premiere Clinton Calls Murray Campaign; Drug Dealer Deodorant; Late Report with John Keister. Joel McHale stars. |
September 26, 1998 |
| 2 |
Fool the Guesser Fool the Guesser; Dummy Shot Theatre; Antiques Roadshow; The Late Report with John Keister. Lauren Weedman guest stars. |
October 3, 1998 |
| 3 |
Lemon-Scented Downsizer Lemon-Scented Downsizer; Job Search Workshop; The Late Report with John Keister. Lauren Weedman guest stars. |
October 10, 1998 |
Production
Release
| Original network/platform | KING-TV |
|---|---|
| First aired | September 23, 1984 |
| Last aired | May 22, 1999 |
| Runtime | 30 minutes |
| Status | ended |
| Schedule | Saturday at 11:30:00 |