Brian McConnachie Dies: Emmy-Winning Writer For ’70s Comedy Trifecta Of ‘SNL,’ ‘SCTV’ And ‘National Lampoon’ Was 81

Tom Tapp
·2 min read
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Brian McConnachie, who was one of the chief contributors to the groundbreaking National Lampoon magazine, a writer on Saturday Night Live and SCTV and also an actor in seven Woody Allen films has died, according to a statement from The American Bystander, which McConnachie founded in 1981. He was 81.

McConnachie became a writer at National Lampoon by sending the magazine a series of badly-drawn cartoons the best (or worst) of which were published. He later became a writer for the publication, specializing in the absurdist pieces with titles like “Amish in Space” and parodies such as Guns and Sandwiches magazine and Negligent Mother, a takeoff on women’s magazines. He also penned Kit ’n’ Kaboodle, a Tom and Jerry-esque comic with very real violence.

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McConnachie went on to become a writer for SNL during the 1978-1979 season and SCTV in 1981, where he won an Emmy for his work.

He appeared in Woody Allen’s Husbands and Wives, Bullets Over Broadway, Don’t Drink the Water, Deconstructing Harry, Celebrity, Small Time Crooks and The Curse of the Jade Scorpion.

McConnachie’s other big screen appearances included playing Drew Scott in Caddyshack, Ted in The Adventures of Bob & Doug McKenzie: Strange Brew, Bob in Sleepless in Seattle and “Mrs. Bannister’s Guest” in Six Degrees of Separation.

The American Bystander‘s statement on his passing reads as follows:

“It’s with great sadness that we announce the death of our dear Brian McConnachie. In addition to being the Founder of The American Bystander back in 1981, Brian was essential in its relaunch in 2015. Every day, on every page, he has been our North Star.”

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