Saturday Night Live: Discussion Thread

[Gray Bunny]

Count me in as a longtime fan and supporter of SNL too. I loved how this past summer they re-aired on Sunday nights some special retrospectives of SNL as each decade progressed, and how the cast would change through the years and outside influences (9/11, cultural events) that would affect the material they showed.

It's always amazing how just when you think the show is dead and they cannot possibly recover, and then over time things catch on; the new cast gets their groove, they create new hilarious characters, and the show produces a new crop of Hollywood big names.

I think Cecily Strong is hilarious and I'm sure she'll do fine as the new weekend co-host. She hasn't been on that long, but she's already had me laughing over some of her characters (like the Girl You Don't Want to Talk To At A Party, and the Moet & Chandon Champagne porn girl). My only gripe over who does the Weekend Update hosting is that it means they no longer appears in skits. I always enjoyed Seth Meyers in skits, but once he became Update host, you never saw him in skits again.

[BKuzak]

I think Tina Faye hosting helped this season. I'm still not comfortble with all the new cast but i'm sure i will be by the end of the season. I bet many of the featured players will become full cast members next season.

I didn't catch on that when you fo Weekend Update you don't get sketches anymore. but now that you said it, it's true. Even back in the Dennis Miller days. I don't remember him doing sketches, he was just the anchor. I hope they make an exception with her. I beleive they are setting up for her to be the first woman sole host of the anchor desk. I know Lorne wants Seth to stay until the end of the season but I think he'll be too busy in January starting his new show.

[DRW50]

The show's political humor has been terrible for a long time now. They lost their edge. I think they should drop that angle.

I also think they should drop gay characters until they can move past LOL OMG A GAY GUY EW LOL!

[Soaplovers]

Actually I think Jane Curtain was sole anchor for one season back in the 70s.

[DRW50]

Jane was solo anchor for part of 76-77 and all of 79-80. Mary Gross was also sole anchor very briefly.

[Y&RWorldTurner]

I've not found the show to be amusing in like 15-20 years. It's painful for me to sit through an episode these days. Like, really painful.

[DRW50]

I think it depends on how much you enjoy seeing people focus on making each other go ha-ha, which is ironic, since Lorne Michaels hated the Carol Burnett Show because of this.

Edited September 30, 2013 by DRW50

[BKuzak]

To me, it all has to do with the guest star. If it's a good one, i'll watch a lot more of it than if it's someone i don't know and don't care about.

[jcar03]

Seth stopped appearing in skits because he was also HW. Tina Fey started as a writer than was put on the update desk with Jimmy Fallon. Jimmy still appeared in skits as did Amy Poehler when she was the co-anchor. One of Cecily's best characters was the girl you don't want to talk to at a party and we won't be seeing that anymore.

[Toups]

I still love the show too and watch it every week no matter who the host is. I think Cecily is great and is going to be one of the shows big stars and giving her Weekend Update was a good choice. I wish they would try to give Jay Pharoah, who I think is funny, more to do than just impressions. As for this season's newbies, I already like Noel Wells after one episode.

[Wales2004]

[slick jones]

Did anyone watch the season premiere? I liked the new kid, Pete Davidson, actually the whole news section was great. FFd thru Ariana Grande's **itty musical clips[surprised her fame whore brother didn't jump up on stage!]. Chris Patt fit right in. Welcome back SNL!

[BKuzak]

Saturday Night Live is turning 40. WIll anyone be watching the big anniversary. They are also doing a red carpet thing right before it. This is actually the third big anniversary thing they've done. They did one in 1989 for the 15th (i used to have it on video tape) and they did one in 1999 for the 25th. I'm looking forward to seeing all the old cast members. I see Garret Morris all the time on Two Broke Girls. Eddie Murphy is suposed to be there, the first time he's associated with the show at all since he left in the early 80's.

I've been watching the VH1 Clasic marathon. They are doing i think almost 500 episodes going all through the decades going backward so the hour before the big anniversayr, they will replay the first episode (although i plan on watching that the saturday night before because it probably won't be as edited.) It's all great fun to see my favorites from the late 80's like Victoria Jackson and Phil Hartmen.

[slick jones]

I know I'm looking forward to it,

[Ryan Chamberlain]

We already have a thread! LOL.

Who's watching the red carpet?

Palin and Baldwin was weird. But, I think it proves that comedy/humor bonds us all together. No matter what else we believe in. So, that was kind of nice in a way.

I'm looking for my faves. One of them (Dan Aykroyd) has already been interviewed. Just trying to spot Dana Carvey, Norm MacDonald, and Bill Murray now.

This is gonna kick ass.

One skit I heard about is David Spade doing Total Bastard Airlines again. And, Betty White is gonna be on board. I hope that don't get cut.

And, I'm praying for some Church Lady!

Edited February 16, 2015 by Golden Duck