Recurring Saturday Night Live characters and sketches introduced 1987–1988
The following is a list of recurring Saturday Night Live characters and sketches introduced between October 17, 1987, and February 27, 1988, the thirteenth season of SNL.
Pumping Up with Hans & Franz
Dana Carvey and Kevin Nealon play two Austrian jocks, inspired by Arnold Schwarzenegger. Debuted October 17, 1987.
Tonto, Tarzan & Frankenstein's Monster
This trio showcased three popular film characters who were probably least likely to get together and sing because they are all known for their inability to speak proper English. Tonto (played by Jon Lovitz) and Tarzan (played by Kevin Nealon) mostly spoke the lyrics in broken English, leaving out certain verbs and pronouns, while Frankenstein's Monster (played by Phil Hartman) usually just growled and moaned, rarely forming any semblance of the actual words, though he could opine that "bread good" and "fire bad". They came together to sing "We Are the World", and during the holidays they would usually sing Christmas carols. On one occasion, they recited Edgar Allan Poe's classic poem "The Raven". For Easter, the trio were joined by Frankenstein's Monster's evil twin (Mel Gibson), who spoke whole sentences; they sang "Here Comes Peter Cottontail". All four, plus Tarzan's own Jane, starred in their own sporadic soap opera, "As World Turn" (taken from the long-running As the World Turns). Debuted December 19, 1987 and appeared in the early 1990s.
Learning To Feel
A Nora Dunn sketch. Debuted January 23, 1988.
Girl Watchers
A Tom Hanks and Jon Lovitz sketch. Debuted February 20, 1988.