SNL Digital Short: 3 Way (The Golden rule)

Saturday Night Live's season finale was this weekend, and it was one of the better ones of late. It was still uneven, but with Justin Timberlake as host, and Lady Gaga as musical guest, you had two game players there. The best bit was a sequel to Dick in a Box and Mother Lover, with Timberlake and Andy Samberg doing their cheeseball boy band characters. Susan Sarandon was back again too.

Saturday Night Live w/Gwyneth Paltrow

After a string of so-so episodes (and some downright unfunny ones), SNL may be getting its groove back. Last week's Jim Carrey episode was better than average, and this weekend's was actually pretty darn funny. They started with a strong cold opening, making fun of FOX "News" trying to be civil. The monologue was okay, with Gwyneth Paltrow--who is currently starring in a movie as a country singer--acting like she knows nothing about country music, and Weekend Update was funny too. Those three elements make or break any SNL episode. Some of the other skits were hit-or-miss, but over all, a decent show.



The SNL Digital Short with Pee Wee Herman was weird, but was the highlight of the show.

Holiday Cheer: "D**k in a Box" from SNL

A holiday classic!

Saturday Night Live: Jane Lynch, Oct. 9, 2010

As a long-time fan of both Saturday Night Live and Saturday's host, Jane Lynch, I was pretty excited to see how the show would turn out. Truthfully, it was better than last week's Bryan Cranston episode, but not as good as Amy Poehler's season opener.  Weekend Update wasn't memorable, the cold open (featuring a Gloria Allred spoof) was too dry and obscure, and the monologue was only mildly amusing.  Those three elements must be good to buoy the rest of the program, so really, it turned out better than it should have. Here are the clips that were the best of the night:

Christine O'Donnell "Not a Witch" Ad:



The New Boyfriend Talk Show w/Andy Samberg & Jane Lynch:



SNL Digital Short Relaxation Therapy w/Andy Samberg & Jane Lynch:



Your Mom's on Facebook Ad Parody:

SNL: Pepto-Bismol Ice; iPhone 911 App

The second episode of this season's Saturday Night Live was somewhat underwhelming, after a very funny season opener. This week's host was Bryan Cranston, and I don't fault him--he's great--it just wan't all that great. The Miley Cyrus parody at the beginning may have required familiarity, which I certainly don't have with her.  The monologue was meh, and honestly, even Weekend Update doesn't stand out in my memory.  There were, however, two moments where I actually laughed out loud, so here they are now. . .

Commercial parody: Pepto-Bismol Ice



SNL Digital Short: Rescue Dogs 911 App

Repost: Saturday Night Live's "Great Day" (Digital Short)

Reposting since this episode re-aired tonight. Hi, Nick!  FYI: Nick's been in something like 35 episodes of SNL over the years. Am I--as a pop culture junkie--jealous? You betcha. . .

Original post:

Last night's season-ending Saturday Night Live was a weak episode, even in this sub-par season. Of course, every season in the last 30 years has been called "bad" by somebody. But as a charter fan (since the first episode), even I lamented the quality of the show this year. The problem isn't the performers, it's the writing. I know, I know, some of the performers are writers.


The show is treating Kristin Wiig like the movies treat Leslie Nielsen: just put them in something, it will automatically be funny!  In the never-ending quest for more catchphrases and repeating characters, they put the talented Ms. Wiig out there in a goofy outfit, and just expect magic. It ain't happening.  "Starfish" last night, for instance, had no point and no laughs.

SNL desperately needs to stop trying to create characters, and let them be born out of good sketches. Weekend Update, the nearly 100%-reliable funny spot on the show, is now always used to wheel out character after character, with all the subtlety of an anvil. It works in segments that have at least something tangentially related to the news. More often, Seth Myers might as well say, "Ladies and gentlemen, our latest try at a word-of-mouth sensation, 'Nervous Girl.'" 

I often wonder how a comedy program can create an entire episode that contains only mild chuckles at best. Do these professional comedic writers and performers not see that it isn't working? How is that possible?  For me, SNL has had more episodes like this (and like last night) this season than in any recent one. They've got some great talent there, but they desperately need to do something with it.  Yes, they brought the funny with Betty White's outing last week, but even there, the laughs had more to do with White and all of the returning funny women from previous seasons than it had to do with their material.  I hope next year is funnier.

And now after all that, I really have to post the clip from Andy Samberg's most recent SNL Digital Short. These clips are as likely to be odd as they are to be funny. Last night's Great Day was more odd, but it featured The Other Half's cousin, Nick Kenkel, as one of the dancers (and possibly choreographer?).  He's the one in the yellow hard hat. And he's good!

SNL Digital Short: "Great Day" (and a Little SNL Critique)

Last night's season-ending Saturday Night Live was a weak episode, even in this sub-par season. Of course, every season in the last 30 years has been called "bad" by somebody. But as a charter fan (since the first episode), even I lamented the quality of the show this year. The problem isn't the performers, it's the writing. I know, I know, some of the performers are writers.

The show is treating Kristin Wiig like the movies treat Leslie Nielsen: just put them in something, it will automatically be funny!  In the never-ending quest for more catchphrases and repeating characters, they put the talented Ms. Wiig out there in a goofy outfit, and just expect magic. It ain't happening.  "Starfish" last night, for instance, had no point and no laughs.

SNL desperately needs to stop trying to create characters, and let them be born out of good sketches. Weekend Update, the nearly 100%-reliable funny spot on the show, is now always used to wheel out character after character, with all the subtlety of an anvil. It works in segments that have at least something tangentially related to the news. More often, Seth Myers might as well say, "Ladies and gentlemen, our latest try at a word-of-mouth sensation, 'Nervous Girl.'" 

I often wonder how a comedy program can create an entire episode that contains only mild chuckles at best. Do these professional comedic writers and performers not see that it isn't working? How is that possible?  For me, SNL has had more episodes like this (and like last night) this season than in any recent one. They've got some great talent there, but they desperately need to do something with it.  Yes, they brought the funny with Betty White's outing last week, but even there, the laughs had more to do with White and all of the returning funny women from previous seasons than it had to do with their material.  I hope next year is funnier.

And now after all that, I really have to post the clip from Andy Samberg's most recent SNL Digital Short. These clips are as likely to be odd as they are to be funny. Last night's Great Day was more odd, but it featured The Other Half's cousin, Nick Kenkel, as one of the dancers (and possibly choreographer?).  He's the one in the yellow hard hat. And he's good!

SNL Digital Short: "Boombox"

It's not often these days that I'm laughing at Saturday Night Live. I watch it out of habit or muscle memory or something. I mean, the actors are mostly good, and capable of pulling laughs out of me. But SNL, what is up with the writing these days? The show has always been spotty-- as I suppose every sketch comedy show is--but lately the hit to miss ratio is very heavy to the miss side. Still, there were a few chuckle-worthy moments in last night's show, chief among them the SNL Digital Short, Andy Samberg's regular feature.

The digital shorts are usually musical, usually a bit twisted, maybe a little gross. . .but they have a much higher "hit" factor than the rest of the show. "Boombox" is about a song so good it makes people dance uncontrollably. . .and old people. . .well. . .Just watch!

SNL Digital Short: Motherlover

Funny and innapropriate. Just my cup of tea. And Susan Sarandon? Justin Timberalake and Andy Samberg are a great team. Happy Mother's Day!