Original sketch
The Land Shark first appeared in a sketch entitled "Jaws II" on thethe Land Shark is considered the cleverest of all sharks. Unlike theThe sketch depicted the Land Shark (voiced byGreat White shark The great white shark (''Carcharodon carcharias''), also known as the white shark, white pointer, or simply great white, is a species of large mackerel shark which can be found in the coastal surface waters of all the major oceans. It is nota ..., which tends to inhabit the waters and harbors of recreational beach areas, the Land Shark may strike at any place, any time. It is capable of disguising its voice, and generally preys on young, single women.
cene: Interior. A New York City apartment. There is a knock at the door.br/> Woman: peaking through closed doorYes?
Voice: (mumbling) Mrs. Arlsburgerhhh?
Woman: Who?
Voice: (mumbling) Mrs. Johannesburrrr?
Woman: Who is it?
Voice: auseFlowers.
Woman: Flowers for whom?
Voice:ong pause Ong or ONG may refer to: Arts and media * Ong's Hat, a collaborative work of fiction * “Ong Ong”, a song by Blur from the album The Magic Whip Places * Ong, Nebraska, US, city * Ong's Hat, New Jersey, US, ghost town * Ong River, Odisha, India ...Plumber, ma'am.
Woman: I don't need a plumber. You're that clever shark, aren't you?
Voice: ause Candygram.
Woman: Candygram, my foot! You get out of here before I call the police! You're the shark, and you know it!
Voice: Wait. I-I'm only a dolphin, ma'am.
Woman: A dolphin? Well...okay. pens doorbr/> uge latex and foam-rubber shark head lunges through open door, chomps down on woman's head, and drags her out of the apartment, as ''Jaws'' attack music plays./blockquote> The Land Shark attack scenes are intermixed with other scenes directly spoofing ''Jaws'', featuringDan Aykroyd Daniel Edward Aykroyd ( ; born July 1, 1952) is a Canadian actor, comedian, producer, musician and writer. He was an original member of the "Not Ready for Prime Time Players" on ''Saturday Night Live'' (1975–1979). During his tenure on ''SNL'' ...as Chief Brody andJohn Belushi John Adam Belushi (January 24, 1949 – March 5, 1982) was an American comedian, actor, and musician, best known for being one of the seven original cast members of the NBC sketch comedy show ''Saturday Night Live'' (''SNL''). Throughout his c ...as Matt Hooper.
Other appearances on ''SNL''
The character returned in later episodes with the original cast, after which it did not appear for many years. ;Season 1, Episode 6 Titled "Jaws III". The women were played by regularsLaraine Newman Laraine Newman (born March 2, 1952) is an American actress, writer and comedian. She was part of the original cast of NBC's ''Saturday Night Live''. She took an interest at improv in high school. After graduating, she studied mime with Marcel ..., Jane Curtin, andGilda Radner Gilda Susan Radner (June 28, 1946 – May 20, 1989) was an American actress and comedian, and one of the seven original cast members of the "Not Ready For Prime Time Players" on the NBC sketch comedy show ''Saturday Night Live'' (''SNL''). In h ..., and guest hostLily Tomlin Mary Jean "Lily" Tomlin (born September 1, 1939) is an American actress, comedian, writer, singer, and producer. She started her career as a stand-up comedian as well as performing off-Broadway during the 1960s. Her breakout role was on the varie ..., who is seen being attacked at the last minute. The shark was earlier heard attacking a newsman offscreen (voiced by long-time SNL announcerDon Pardo Dominick George "Don" Pardo (February 22, 1918 – August 18, 2014) was an American radio and television announcer whose career spanned more than seven decades. A member of the Television Hall of Fame, Pardo was noted for his 70-year tenure with ...) reporting on the shark's reign of terror. As Tomlin's character is being attacked at the end, only Aykroyd's self-absorbed, oblivious Brody is still alive. ;Season 1, Episode 23 In the opening monologue with guest hostLouise Lasser Louise Marie Lasser (born April 11, 1939) is an American actress, television writer, and performing arts teacher and director. She is known for her portrayal of the title character on the soap opera satire '' Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman.'' She was ..., the Land Shark attempts to lure Lasser out of her dressing room. ;Season 2, Episode 6 In a sketch titled "Trick-or-Treating Land Shark", having luredGilda Radner Gilda Susan Radner (June 28, 1946 – May 20, 1989) was an American actress and comedian, and one of the seven original cast members of the "Not Ready For Prime Time Players" on the NBC sketch comedy show ''Saturday Night Live'' (''SNL''). In h ...out of her home by claiming to be withUNICEF UNICEF (), originally called the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund in full, now officially United Nations Children's Fund, is an agency of the United Nations responsible for providing humanitarian and developmental aid to c ..., the shark attacks her, then pops his head back through the doorway, opening its mouth to reveal Chevy Chase, who announces, "Live from New York, it's Saturday Night!" (thecold opening A cold open (also called a teaser sequence) is a narrative technique used in television and films. It is the practice of jumping directly into a story at the beginning of the show before the title sequence or opening credits are shown. In Amer ...). ;Season 2, Episode 22 Titled "Lucky Lindy", the shark meets aviatorCharles Lindbergh Charles Augustus Lindbergh (February 4, 1902 – August 26, 1974) was an American aviator, military officer, author, inventor, and activist. On May 20–21, 1927, Lindbergh made the first nonstop flight from New York City to Paris, a distance o ..., played byBuck Henry Buck Henry (born Henry Zuckerman; December 9, 1930 – January 8, 2020) was an American actor, screenwriter, and director. Henry's contributions to film included his work as a co-writer for Mike Nichols's ''The Graduate'' (1967) for which he r ..., on a transatlantic flight. Since Chase left the show after this season, the character did not return as a regular. ;Season 3, Episode 11 Titled "No Funny Ending". The final sketch of the show; various sketch endings are attempted. Chevy Chase is guest star for this episode. ;Season 3, Episode 19 Twice during the episode, hostRichard Dreyfuss Richard Stephen Dreyfuss (; born Dreyfus; October 29, 1947) is an American actor. He is known for starring in popular films during the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s, including '' American Graffiti'' (1973), ''Jaws'' (1975), '' Close Encounters of the ...hears the ''Jaws Jaws or Jaw may refer to: Anatomy * Jaw, an opposable articulated structure at the entrance of the mouth ** Mandible, the lower jaw Arts, entertainment, and media * Jaws (James Bond), a character in ''The Spy Who Loved Me'' and ''Moonraker'' * ...'' theme. During the closing credits, he is finally attacked by the shark. ;Season 8, Episode 1Chevy Chase Cornelius Crane "Chevy" Chase (; born October 8, 1943) is an American comedian, actor and writer. He became a key cast member in the first season of '' Saturday Night Live'', where his recurring ''Weekend Update'' segment became a staple of the ...hosted the eighth season premiere on September 25, 1982, live via satellite from the West Coast (he was represented by a TV on the set which interacted with the other performers). He opened the show as the Land Shark, who attacked through the TV set. ;Season 27, Episode 2 During ''Weekend Update ''Weekend Update'' is a ''Saturday Night Live'' sketch and satirical news program that comments on and parodies current events. It is the show's longest-running recurring sketch, having been on since the show's first broadcast, and is typic ...'', asTina Fey Elizabeth Stamatina "Tina" Fey (; born May 18, 1970) is an American actress, comedian, writer, producer, and playwright. She is best known for her work on the NBC sketch comedy series ''Saturday Night Live'' (1997–2006) and for creating the ...introduces a segment about that year's spate ofshark attack A shark attack is an attack on a human by a shark. Every year, around 80 unprovoked attacks are reported worldwide. Despite their rarity, many people fear shark attacks after occasional serial attacks, such as the Jersey Shore shark attacks of 1 ...s, the Land Shark knocks at the door to the newsroom, then attacksTina Fey Elizabeth Stamatina "Tina" Fey (; born May 18, 1970) is an American actress, comedian, writer, producer, and playwright. She is best known for her work on the NBC sketch comedy series ''Saturday Night Live'' (1997–2006) and for creating the .... As Fallon closes the segment with "I'm Jimmy Fallon", Chase turns to the camera and replies, with a variation on his own former ''Weekend Update'' turn of phrase, "And I'm not. Good night, and have a pleasant tomorrow." ;40th Anniversary Special During the ''Weekend Update ''Weekend Update'' is a ''Saturday Night Live'' sketch and satirical news program that comments on and parodies current events. It is the show's longest-running recurring sketch, having been on since the show's first broadcast, and is typic ...'' tribute withTina Fey Elizabeth Stamatina "Tina" Fey (; born May 18, 1970) is an American actress, comedian, writer, producer, and playwright. She is best known for her work on the NBC sketch comedy series ''Saturday Night Live'' (1997–2006) and for creating the ...,Amy Poehler Amy Poehler (; born September 16, 1971) is an American comedian, actress, writer, producer, and director. After studying improv at Chicago's Second City and ImprovOlympic in the early 1990s, Poehler co-founded the improvisational-comedy tro ...and Jane Curtin, a doorbell rings; Curtin, in terror, warns Fey not to open the door because of the Land Shark, but Fey dismisses her. Fey initially appears to be right:Matt Foley Matt Foley is a fictional character from the sketch comedy program ''Saturday Night Live'' performed by Chris Farley. Foley is a motivational speaker who exhibits characteristics atypical of someone in that position: whereas motivational speakers ...(played byMelissa McCarthy Melissa Ann McCarthy (born August 26, 1970) is an American actress, comedian, producer, writer, and fashion designer. She is the recipient of numerous accolades, including two Primetime Emmy Awards, and nominations for two Academy Awards and tw ...) appears, giving one of his traditional motivational speeches, but behind Foley is the Land Shark (this time played byBobby Moynihan Bobby Moynihan (born January 31, 1977) is an American actor, comedian and writer who was a cast member on ''Saturday Night Live'' from 2008 until 2017. He also voiced Louie Duck on Disney's ''DuckTales'' from 2017 to 2021, Panda in ''We Bare B ...), who again attempts to eat Fey. Curtin and Poehler work to free Fey from the shark's jaws as the sketch closes.
References in popular culture
Though the Land Shark character appeared only irregularly on ''Saturday Night Live'', it has entered the Americancultural Culture () is an umbrella term which encompasses the social behavior, institutions, and norms found in human societies, as well as the knowledge, beliefs, arts, laws, customs, capabilities, and habits of the individuals in these groups.T ...zeitgeist In 18th- and 19th-century German philosophy, a ''Zeitgeist'' () ("spirit of the age") is an invisible agent, force or Daemon dominating the characteristics of a given epoch in world history. Now, the term is usually associated with Georg W. .... References to a "land shark" (often preceded by the word " candygram") can be found in movies, print, video games, and other places. Often it is spelled as a solid compound, that is, as one word. In many forms of fiction, it is used as a name or nickname to a land-dwellingmonster A monster is a type of fictional creature found in horror, fantasy, science fiction, folklore, mythology and religion. Monsters are very often depicted as dangerous and aggressive with a strange, grotesque appearance that causes terror and fe ...similar in appearance, temperament, or appetite to a shark. *Jimmy Buffett James William Buffett (born December 25, 1946) is an American singer-songwriter, musician, author, and businessman. He is best known for his music, which often portrays an "island escapism" lifestyle. Together with his Coral Reefer Band, Buffe ...'s 1979 song "Fins A fin is a thin component or appendage attached to a larger body or structure. Fins typically function as foils that produce lift or thrust, or provide the ability to steer or stabilize motion while traveling in water, air, or other fluids. Fin ..." is based on the concept of "sharks that live on the land" preying on young women; in this case, the land sharks are in fact pick-up artists swarming in resort towns.Land Shark Lager Anheuser-Busch, a wholly owned subsidiary of AB InBev, Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV, is the largest brewing company in the United States, with a market share of 45 percent in 2016. The company operates 12 breweries in the United States and nearly 2 ...was later named after the Buffett song. * BMW featured the Land Shark (takenverbatim Verbatim means word for word. Verbatim may also refer to: * Verbatim (brand), a brand of storage media and flash memory * Verbatim (horse), an American racehorse * ''Verbatim'' (magazine), edited by Erin McKean * Verbatim theatre Documentary th ...from the original skit) in a commercial for the Z4 in 2003. * In the 1993 movie ''Striking Distance ''Striking Distance'' is a 1993 American action thriller film starring Bruce Willis as Pittsburgh Police homicide detective Thomas Hardy. The film co-stars Sarah Jessica Parker, Dennis Farina, and Tom Sizemore. It was directed by Rowdy Herrington ...'', Bruce Willis' character says "Landshark" shortly before knocking out a drug dealer on a boat. * In the computer game ''Warcraft III ''Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos'' is a high fantasy real-time strategy computer video game developed and published by Blizzard Entertainment released in July 2002. It is the second sequel to ''Warcraft: Orcs & Humans'', after ''Warcraft II: Tides ...'', the unit quotes for the Goblin Sappers include "Candygram", "Package for (mumble)", and "Flowers for (mumble)". * In a 1989 episode of ''Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers may refer to: * ''Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers'' (TV series), 1989 television series * ''Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers'' (film), 2022 film * ''Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers'' (video game), 1990 game based on the TV series ...'' titled "A Case of Stage Blight", an alligator with theatrical ambitions named "Sewernose de Bergerac" attempts to get an actor named Dudley to open the door to his dressing room with announcements of "Flowers", "Candygram", and finally "Singing telegram". * The members ofprofessional wrestling Professional wrestling is a form of theater that revolves around staged wrestling matches. The mock combat is performed in a ring similar to the kind used in boxing, and the dramatic aspects of pro wrestling may be performed both in the ring or ...team A team is a group of individuals (human or non-human) working together to achieve their goal. As defined by Professor Leigh Thompson of the Kellogg School of Management, " team is a group of people who are interdependent with respect to inf ...D-Generation X D-Generation X (DX) is an American professional wrestling stable, and later a tag team, who consisted of Triple H and Shawn Michaels. The group originated in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now known as WWE) in the midst of the "Attitud ...announced themselves as a "candygram" and "land shark" as they attempted to getJonathan Coachman Jonathan William Coachman (born August 12, 1973), also known as "The Coach", is an American sports analyst and former professional wrestling personality currently signed to WWE and XFL. Early life Before embarking on an announcing career in p ...to open a locked door on the October 2, 2006 episode of '' RAW''. * In the video game '' Sins of the Fathers'', protagonist Gabriel Knight attempts to gain access to a character's home by using various door-to-door sales tactics. When none of these are successful, he shouts "Landshark!" — to which the resident replies, apparently mistaking which ''SNL'' actor actually played the creature in question, "You are noBill Murray William James Murray (born September 21, 1950) is an American actor and comedian. He is known for his deadpan delivery. He rose to fame on ''The National Lampoon Radio Hour'' (1973–1974) before becoming a national presence on '' Saturday Nig ...." * In the 2000 video game ''Escape from Monkey Island ''Escape from Monkey Island'' is an adventure game developed and released by LucasArts in 2000. It is the fourth game in the ''Monkey Island'' series, and the sequel to the 1997 videogame ''The Curse of Monkey Island''. It is the first game in t ...'', protagonistGuybrush Threepwood Guybrush Ulysses Threepwood is a fictional character who serves as the main protagonist of the '' Monkey Island'' series of computer adventure games by LucasArts. Guybrush is voiced by actor Dominic Armato in the third, fourth, fifth, and sixth g ...yells "Landshark!" when he sees shark jaw bones on an island shore. The reputation for references topopular culture Popular culture (also called mass culture or pop culture) is generally recognized by members of a society as a set of practices, beliefs, artistic output (also known as, popular art or mass art) and objects that are dominant or prevalent in a ...in the series makes it quite probable that this is allusion to the ''SNL'' skit. * In '' The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius'' episode " Return of the Nanobots", the Nanobots attempted to get into Jimmy's lab. Carl asked who was at the door and the Nanobots replied he had atelegram Telegraphy is the long-distance transmission of messages where the sender uses symbolic codes, known to the recipient, rather than a physical exchange of an object bearing the message. Thus flag semaphore is a method of telegraphy, whereas .... Carl responded by saying that he wasn't falling for it, whereupon the Nanobots changed their offer to allama The llama (; ) (''Lama glama'') is a domesticated South American camelid, widely used as a meat and pack animal by Andean cultures since the Pre-Columbian era. Llamas are social animals and live with others as a herd. Their wool is soft ...gram (for which Carl proceed to open the door, only to get deleted by the Nanobots). * In the movie ''Hoodwinked ''Hoodwinked!'' is a 2005 computer-animated musical comedy mystery film. It retells the folktale ''Little Red Riding Hood'' as a police procedural, using backstories to show multiple characters' points of view. It was produced independently by ...'', the Wolf knocks on the door while saying "Hello, paper boy!... Publisher's, uh... Candygram!" * In the game '' Dead to Rights 2'', Jack Slate is asked to identify himself to a guard through a door, to which he replies "Landshark." and kicks in the door. * In the 2008 movie ''August'' featuring Josh Hartnett, Hartnett's character is proprietor of a failing tech company called LandShark; he utilizes various sleights and ruses in attempt to gain clients and financing for his company. * In the comic book ''Iron Man Iron Man is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was co-created by writer and editor Stan Lee, developed by scripter Larry Lieber, and designed by artists Don Heck and Jack Kirby. The cha ...'' #138,Jim Rhodes James Allen Rhodes (September 13, 1909 – March 4, 2001) was an American Republican politician who served as Governor of Ohio from 1963 to 1971 and again from 1975 to 1983. , Rhodes was one of only seven U.S. governors to serve four four-yea ...and Tony Stark are sneaking into the compound of a company controlled by the Maggia when they duck into a room to avoid security guards. Unfortunately, the room is filled with thugs who demand to know who they are. Rhodes replies, "Uh, candygram for Mr. Mongo?" and Tony adds, "Land Shark?" * In the beginning of the ninth episode of season 6 of the ''Gilmore Girls ''Gilmore Girls'' is an American comedy-drama television series created by Amy Sherman-Palladino and starring Lauren Graham (Lorelai Gilmore) and Alexis Bledel ( Rory Gilmore). The show debuted on October 5, 2000, on The WB and became a flag ...'', Lorelai is locked out of her house by a security chain recently installed by her friend Luke. As she waits for him to open the front door to her house, she says, "Landshark! Candygram... Here's Johnny!" as an homage to both the ''SNL'' skit — and also to a scene from '' the Shining'' which itself referenced ''The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson ''The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson'' was an American late-night talk show hosted by Johnny Carson on NBC, the third iteration of the ''Tonight Show'' franchise. The show debuted on October 1, 1962, and aired its final episode on May 22, ...''. * In ''Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure ''Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure'' is a 1989 American science fiction comedy film directed by Stephen Herek and written by Chris Matheson and Ed Solomon. The first installment of the ''Bill & Ted'' franchise, it stars Keanu Reeves, Alex Winte ...'',Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln ( ; February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was an American lawyer, politician, and statesman who served as the 16th president of the United States from 1861 until his assassination in 1865. Lincoln led the nation throu ...is interrupted in theWhite House The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. It is located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., and has been the residence of every U.S. president since John Adams in ...by a knock at his office door and someone saying, "Candygram." When Lincoln answers the door, he is grabbed suddenly byGenghis Khan Genghis Khan (born Temüjin; ; xng, Temüjin, script=Latn; ., name=Temujin – August 25, 1227) was the founder and first Great Khan (Emperor) of the Mongol Empire, which became the List of largest empires, largest contiguous empire in history a .... * A picture of a land shark was etched into anAnalog Devices Analog Devices, Inc. (ADI), also known simply as Analog, is an American multinational semiconductor company specializing in data conversion, signal processing and power management technology, headquartered in Wilmington, Massachusetts. The ...AD1939 codec chip aschip art Chip art, also known as silicon art, chip graffiti or silicon doodling, refers to microscopic artwork built into integrated circuits, also called chips or ICs. Since ICs are printed by photolithography, not constructed a component at a time, th .... * The original name for the 90s western horror comedy cult classic '' Tremors'' was titled 'Land Shark', but it was renamed to 'Tremors' as the crew was worried that they would most likely get a lawsuit from ''SNL''.
See also
* Recurring ''Saturday Night Live'' characters and sketches
References
{{Jaws movies Saturday Night Live sketches Saturday Night Live in the 1970s Fictional sharks