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2006-2007 Saturday Night Live in HDTV on NBC - Page 5

post #121 of 182
11/13/06 at 3:40pm
Nice to drop in to see others were as pleasantly surprised as I was that we got a truly funny new SNL! Best I can remember seeing in years. Baldwin is great and the bits were pretty much all of very high caliber. Where did this come from, besides totally out of the blue? Loved the carpool routine where it ended up Bobby McPheran (SP?) had raped Baldwin's wife (I think it was), in an ever-crescendoing bid for worst life-grievances that could be mounted.

Also, don't know if Ken H was being silly, but I did think CA's performance WAS rather thrilling. That is the best she has sounded in a while -- loved the choreography and energy -- one of the very very very few musical performances on a show that I actually sat through. The latter one as well -- very nice. I think they promoed a TonyB duets special at the end of SNL -- I remember Tuesday, but I don't think it appeared in my Yahoo TV schedule?
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post #122 of 182
11/13/06 at 4:38pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Emaych View Post


Also, don't know if Ken H was being silly, but I did think CA's performance WAS rather thrilling.

Silly? Moi?

Although you can't be blamed for the second guess, I was dead serious about Christine. She was great, not to mention hot, to boot.
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post #123 of 182
11/13/06 at 6:49pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Emaych View Post

Nice to drop in to see others were as pleasantly surprised as I was that we got a truly funny new SNL! Best I can remember seeing in years. Baldwin is great and the bits were pretty much all of very high caliber. Where did this come from, besides totally out of the blue? Loved the carpool routine where it ended up Bobby McPheran (SP?) had raped Baldwin's wife (I think it was), in an ever-crescendoing bid for worst life-grievances that could be mounted.

"Bobby McFerrin raped my grandmother..."

I never thought I would hear those words put together in that way for my entire lifetime.
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post #124 of 182
11/13/06 at 7:00pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Emaych View Post

I think they promoed a TonyB duets special at the end of SNL -- I remember Tuesday, but I don't think it appeared in my Yahoo TV schedule?

I think it was Tuesday the 21st.
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post #125 of 182
11/13/06 at 8:10pm
Even Smigel's "Kobayashi" TV Funhouse cartoon was amusing in its own weirdness (I can see how people that don't know who the guy is or have not seen 'Dragon Ball Z' would not find it the least bit amusing) contributing to the most together and consistently funny "SNL" in ages (all the way to the 12:30AM half-hour, when they dump the crap that's least funny). I would have made the cartoon follow Weekend Update and move 'The Tony Bennett Show' into the first hour of the show, but that's why Lorne gets the big bucks.

This is one of the few times watching "SNL" that has made me want to be a fly on the wall of the after show party (especially after seeing Sorkin's 'Studio 60'). I mean, come on: Bennett, McCartney, Short, Martin, Baldwin, Aguilera... stars as far as the eye can see! BTW, did anyone notice that Baldwin looked completely stunned when McCartney showed up and covered his mouth in amazement? This looked like a surprise walk on like the time Pesci and DeNiro dropped in the middle of 'The Joe Pesci Show' sketch about ten years ago. God, I feel old!
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post #126 of 182
11/13/06 at 10:30pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ken H View Post

Silly? Moi?

Although you can't be blamed for the second guess, I was dead serious about Christine. She was great, not to mention hot, to boot.

Forgive my suspicion, just that I thought it entirely rare that one would see the term "thrilling" put into service with regard to a pop Princess nouveau diva extraordinaire -- thought you were being frivolous, and yet when I saw this otherwise unexpected, if not incongruous descriptor, I instantly recognized that was exactly how the performance engaged me, much to my surprise I confess. I've not been a particularly big Christina fan, but that ensemble of synchronized dancers, and the dynamic, brass-backed attack they fronted, blasted me back in my seat -- SWEET! Then to be serenaded with the measured control of her powerful pipes (sans vocal baroque hyperbole) brought to bear on the standard she shared with Tony, was bliss!

God, I am going to hate it when next week's show goes back to blowing bad and hard!
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post #127 of 182
11/13/06 at 10:33pm
Thanks RemyM for the programming info -- I'll look for it after that sample we heard. Hope it is in HD and 5.1!
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post #128 of 182
11/14/06 at 8:37am
Here you go Emaych,


NBC SPECIALS
TARGET PRESENTS TONY BENNETT: AN AMERICAN CLASSIC
11-21-2006 8:00PM

From Academy-Award winner Rob Marshall ("Chicago") and his Oscar-winning production team comes an exclusive, one-hour music special--"Target Presents Tony Bennett: An American Classic." NBC salutes the legendary entertainer's 80th birthday with an exciting television event that includes spectacular dance numbers and duets with the hottest artists in music. Bennett performs songs from his new album TONY BENNETT: DUETS/An American Classic with Barbra Streisand, Christina Aguilera, Elton John, John Legend, Stevie Wonder, Diana Krall, Michael Bublé and k.d. lang. Movie stars John Travolta, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Robert De Niro, Bruce Willis and Billy Crystal also narrate and introduce performances with memorable milestones from Bennett's life. Viewers will be taken on a musical journey through time in "Target Presents Tony Bennett: An American Classic."

http://www.nbcumv.com/entertainment/...ratesthe8.html
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post #129 of 182
12/6/06 at 6:20am
Thread Starter 
I think Lorne must have replaced the entire writing team with a new bunch... WHO CAN ACTUALLY WRITE COMEDY!!! The characters are actually being given lots to say that is truly funny and amusing, and the pacing and their delivery is night and day different from how this season started.

Got to give the 12/2 show (with Matthew Fox) another BIG THUMBS UP. I genuinely laughed (long and hard, resulting in coughing!), during just about every sketch, and did not FF through any of them.

And I have REALLY gotten to like Amy Pohler's "Aunt Linda" (Kristin Wiig) character and her movie reviews. Hysterical! I especially like the way her rating system is converted to onscreen icons (one or two of them) which she verbalizes with exactly the same emotion as the icons show. Very clever, and very very funny.

Giving Mya Rudolph (and the other cast members as well) lots of opportunity to show off their fabulous impression skills (eg. Whitney Houston) is a big reason why the skits are working now. This is real comedy stuff. Getting all the females (aside from Amy, who was previously dominant) into the mainstream action is very helpful.

Fred Armisen is really coming into his own (and being given very clever and funny dialog) as a man of many talents. His elevator New Yorker talking to Matthew Fox about "Lost" was hilarious. After Mya and Amy entered the elevator and were smitten to find Fox in their with them, Fred says "what am I, the Invisible Man?" in thick New Yorkese with that fabulous grin he does so well. The opening bit with him doing Prime Minister Maliki and talking "pigeon Iraqi" while Will Forte translated was terrific... as were the actual lines about car bombs, camel bombs, mouse bombs, etc. Very good comedy.

I though this week's Weekend Update was fantastic... Amy pointing to the picture of Pam Anderson and Kid Rock while describing their split in the most basic of terms: "these (pointing to Pam, falling out of her wide open blouse) will no longer be bouncing on that (pointing to Kid)". Genius. And when Aunt Linda came in, and grumbled hello to "Seth" while making a face (followed by the perfect response from Seth, as if he was Amy's husband and he'd just been dissed by his mother-in-law), I thought it was perfect. All in all, a great segment.

Anyway, the last few episodes (starting with the Alex Baldwin show) are so different from the first episodes of the season that I can only attribute it to a total wipeout of the previous writing staff.

My two cents.
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post #130 of 182
12/6/06 at 12:43pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by DSperber View Post

I think Lorne must have replaced the entire writing team with a new bunch... WHO CAN ACTUALLY WRITE COMEDY!!! The characters are actually being given lots to say that is truly funny and amusing, and the pacing and their delivery is night and day different from how this season started.

Got to give the 12/2 show (with Matthew Fox) another BIG THUMBS UP. I genuinely laughed (long and hard, resulting in coughing!), during just about every sketch, and did not FF through any of them.

And I have REALLY gotten to like Amy Pohler's "Aunt Linda" (Kristin Wiig) character and her movie reviews. Hysterical! I especially like the way her rating system is converted to onscreen icons (one or two of them) which she verbalizes with exactly the same emotion as the icons show. Very clever, and very very funny.

Giving Mya Rudolph (and the other cast members as well) lots of opportunity to show off their fabulous impression skills (eg. Whitney Houston) is a big reason why the skits are working now. This is real comedy stuff. Getting all the females (aside from Amy, who was previously dominant) into the mainstream action is very helpful.

Fred Armisen is really coming into his own (and being given very clever and funny dialog) as a man of many talents. His elevator New Yorker talking to Matthew Fox about "Lost" was hilarious. After Mya and Amy entered the elevator and were smitten to find Fox in their with them, Fred says "what am I, the Invisible Man?" in thick New Yorkese with that fabulous grin he does so well. The opening bit with him doing Prime Minister Maliki and talking "pigeon Iraqi" while Will Forte translated was terrific... as were the actual lines about car bombs, camel bombs, mouse bombs, etc. Very good comedy.

I though this week's Weekend Update was fantastic... Amy pointing to the picture of Pam Anderson and Kid Rock while describing their split in the most basic of terms: "these (pointing to Pam, falling out of her wide open blouse) will no longer be bouncing on that (pointing to Kid)". Genius. And when Aunt Linda came in, and grumbled hello to "Seth" while making a face (followed by the perfect response from Seth, as if he was Amy's husband and he'd just been dissed by his mother-in-law), I thought it was perfect. All in all, a great segment.

Anyway, the last few episodes (starting with the Alex Baldwin show) are so different from the first episodes of the season that I can only attribute it to a total wipeout of the previous writing staff.

My two cents.

It has gotten better. There are some obvious places where I miss certain cast members who were let go last summer. But the Seth Meyers writing era is definetely trying to up the game. I'm not knocking Tiny Fey, but after 7 years, she needed a change too. I agree about Fred Armisen...the guy is like the Man With 1000 faces...you can plug him into just about anything and get away with it. Every cast era seems to have at least one member destined for greatness past the show. If I had to pick someone from this cast, it would have to be Andy Samberg....the guy is hilarious, especially with the right material. Second on that list is Bill Hader...I don't think we've seen this guy's best stuff yet. Whoever thought of putting him in a Vincent Price Christmas special deserves an Emmy. And Kristen Wiig is unique in that few SNL comediennes in the last 30+ years have been good impression actors. They'll need that when Hillary Clinton runs for President.

One other change worth mentioning is having Jason Sudekis take over the coveted role of doing George W. Bush. Will Forte had been doing it for a number of years and I can't remember when an established character was taken over by another actor while the original actor was still a member of the cast. Sudekis is technically better at Bush and his mannerisms than Forte, but Forte had wickedly portrayed Bush as a child in over his head ("It's HARD WORK!!!").
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post #131 of 182
12/6/06 at 3:29pm
Given the recent cuts, I'm surprised that SNL has improved. I actually make a point to DVR it now. And Seth Meyers is doing a great job at the WU desk.
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post #132 of 182
12/6/06 at 4:17pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Sevenfeet View Post

If I had to pick someone from this cast, it would have to be Andy Samberg....the guy is hilarious, especially with the right material. Second on that list is Bill Hader...I don't think we've seen this guy's best stuff yet. Whoever thought of putting him in a Vincent Price Christmas special deserves an Emmy. And Kristen Wiig is unique in that few SNL comediennes in the last 30+ years have been good impression actors.("It's HARD WORK!!!").

I agree. I think Adam's "out of breath jogger from the 80's" is an example of how versatile he is. I think Kristin's "Aunt Linda" is easily up there with Gilda Radner, Jane Curtin, etc. This girl is VERY good! Amy Pohler is now at her peak, and her range is tremendous.

I still think that the opening episode from last season, at a party where all of the players (including the five that are no longer with us this season) did impressions of celebrities, was the primo episode of the past few years. Or at least that sketch was an award winner.

Bill Hader does a fantastic Al Pacino, and several sketches they've had him in this year and last have been based on that impression.

As I see the sketch writing and comedic performances of SNL improving of late, with impressions and characters providing the most fun, I'm somewhat reminded of how "SCTV" skits from the early 80's made me laugh late on Saturday nights back then. That cast (also relatively small) and their assorted characters and impressions was pure gold.
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post #133 of 182
12/20/06 at 7:02am
An encore presentation of the recent Alec Baldwin hosted show will air on 1/6/07. If you missed it the first time here's your chance to see the best episode in years.
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post #134 of 182
12/20/06 at 8:07am
Quote:
Originally Posted by RemyM View Post

An encore presentation of the recent Alec Baldwin hosted show will air on 1/6/07. If you missed it the first time here's your chance to see the best episode in years.

Thanks for the heads-up RemyM, I figured it would be sometime during their holiday break....
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post #135 of 182
12/20/06 at 9:07am
wow, this thread has flipped 180 deg ...
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post #136 of 182
12/20/06 at 12:22pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by eddie_d_lopez View Post

wow, this thread has flipped 180 deg ...

Well, maybe just for a few isolated shows.

For example I thought the Annette Benning show two weeks ago was pretty dreadful. I was back to fast-forwarding through painfully long and unfunny sketches.

On the other hand last week's Justin Timberlake show was a mixed bag. Quite frankly I was disappointed in the much anticipated Jimmy Fallon cameo sketch "Barry Gibb's Talk Show". Just nothing going on there and the two terrific physical costume/makeup and impersonations were wasted because they had nothing to say that was funny. However the opening musical number (Alvin and The Chipmunks singing "The Christmas Song") was wonderfully funny. The absolute highlight of the night had to be the SNL Digital Short "D*** In A Box" musical number WHICH HAD ME SCREAMING IT WAS SO FUNNY!

When they do skits involving impressions, capitalizing on the remarkable abilities of a number of the cast members (Amy Poehler, Kristin Wiig, Andy Samberg, Fred Armisen, Bill Hader, Darrell Hammond, etc.) and the now-favorite characters they do so well, that's becoming the highlight. Other stuff... not so much.

But overall, given the way this season started off with total clunker after total clunker, even just a few stellar sketches over the past month or so has been rewarding. And Seth Meyers (and his facial expressions, etc.) has really worked out well in WU with Amy. I've always enjoyed that piece the best, but they've really got the comedy cooking there now. Great timing, great delivery, funny funny 2-liner jokes (setup -> punch).
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post #137 of 182
12/20/06 at 12:50pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by DSperber View Post

For example I thought the Annette Benning show two weeks ago was pretty dreadful. I was back to fast-forwarding through painfully long and unfunny sketches.

On the other hand last week's Justin Timberlake show was a mixed bag. Quite frankly I was disappointed in the much anticipated Jimmy Fallon cameo sketch "Barry Gibb's Talk Show". Just nothing going on there and the two terrific physical costume/makeup and impersonations were wasted because they had nothing to say that was funny. However the opening musical number (Alvin and The Chipmunks singing "The Christmas Song") was wonderfully funny. The absolute highlight of the night had to be the SNL Digital Short "D*** In A Box" musical number WHICH HAD ME SCREAMING IT WAS SO FUNNY!

Oh yeah, complete agreement here. Annette Benning was not made for this show, she was pretty horrid for the most part. I did get a kick out of her turn as an uptight close-minded upper-midwesterner (the happy hour bar scene).

Last Saturday's Justin Timberlake episode was a riot. The opening was great (the guy playing Alvin is a genius impressionist), the **** in a Box video (laugh out loud funny), the competing street charities, and "Hip Hop Kids" were all great. Even the misses (like timberlake's turn as a Target employee) had their moments.

The only weak part of the show, as you said, was the ridiculous "Barry Gibb Show" with Jimmy Fallon's return (whoopee). I always thought Fallon was vastly overrated on this show (he could never keep a straight face when the real talent around him was actually being funny) and this was a perfect example of that. The only reason they did it was because it got a decent response the last time that Timberlake was hosting. They went back to the well once too often in this case though.
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post #138 of 182
12/20/06 at 1:32pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by IrmoGamecoq View Post

Oh yeah, complete agreement here. Annette Benning was not made for this show, she was pretty horrid for the most part. I did get a kick out of her turn as an uptight close-minded upper-midwesterner (the happy hour bar scene).

Last Saturday's Justin Timberlake episode was a riot. The opening was great (the guy playing Alvin is a genius impressionist), the **** in a Box video (laugh out loud funny), the competing street charities, and "Hip Hop Kids" were all great. Even the misses (like timberlake's turn as a Target employee) had their moments.

The only weak part of the show, as you said, was the ridiculous "Barry Gibb Show" with Jimmy Fallon's return (whoopee). I always thought Fallon was vastly overrated on this show (he could never keep a straight face when the real talent around him was actually being funny) and this was a perfect example of that. The only reason they did it was because it got a decent response the last time that Timberlake was hosting. They went back to the well once too often in this case though.

The last time they did that skit, can't remember when or where, was already one time too many. (First one or two times, it was very funny though. First time anyway...)

Disagree on Fallon -- he had a lot of funny bits during his time there.
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post #139 of 182
12/20/06 at 5:37pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by IrmoGamecoq View Post

The opening was great (the guy playing Alvin is a genius impressionist),

Bill Hader. He's a recent acquisition but has a rubber face and is fabulous. His Al Pacino is still the best.


Quote:


the **** in a Box video (laugh out loud funny

The intercut of Maya Rudolph's wonderful facial expressions (and her eyes opening wide as she looks into the box) was hysterical. Both she and Kristiin Wiig are superb, and having them both glammed up with hair and makeup like rapper molls and do nothing more than make faces was a terrific idea.
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post #140 of 182
12/21/06 at 8:21am
Quote:
Originally Posted by IrmoGamecoq View Post

...the **** in a Box video (laugh out loud funny),...

I thought I would hear more buzz about this sketch. I've never been so anxious to have friends watch a skit from SNL as I am about this one. The problem is, you can't tell them about it, because it ruins it. What was especially funny was that once the initial punch line surprise hits, it kept being funny after that through the whole sketch. So many times, the point of a sketch or punch line is funny, but then it drags on for minutes not being funny. Great stuff.
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post #141 of 182
12/21/06 at 10:20am
Quote:
Originally Posted by DSperber View Post

Bill Hader. He's a recent acquisition but has a rubber face and is fabulous. His Al Pacino is still the best.

His voice work is where he shines. The Vincent Price Special(s) are good examples. He didn't look much like VP, but he had the voice *down*. Same with Alvin. I still don't know how he managed that voice. Hilarious.

He tends to be the highlight of whatever skit he's in.


Quote:
Originally Posted by DSperber View Post

The intercut of Maya Rudolph's wonderful facial expressions (and her eyes opening wide as she looks into the box) was hysterical. Both she and Kristiin Wiig are superb, and having them both glammed up with hair and makeup like rapper molls and do nothing more than make faces was a terrific idea.

Yep, terrific idea. The only weak part was having Wiig react negatively to the feather in the face. It would've been funnier had she went with it as a turn-on the way Maya Rudolph did with hers (can't remember what it was at the moment).
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post #142 of 182
12/21/06 at 10:22am
Quote:
Originally Posted by jake14mw View Post

I thought I would hear more buzz about this sketch. I've never been so anxious to have friends watch a skit from SNL as I am about this one. The problem is, you can't tell them about it, because it ruins it. What was especially funny was that once the initial punch line surprise hits, it kept being funny after that through the whole sketch. So many times, the point of a sketch or punch line is funny, but then it drags on for minutes not being funny. Great stuff.

Same here, especially since it's up on the NBC website as an easy link email forward.

The execution of the video kept the joke from being one note. It looked exactly like something produced for somebody like "Color Me Bad" in the early 90's.
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post #143 of 182
12/21/06 at 11:26am
The D*** in a box skit was the funniest thing on SNL in years.The Jimmy Fallon cameo was the least funny thing in years,mostly because Jimmy Fallon is the worst cast member SNL has EVER had.
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post #144 of 182
12/21/06 at 11:36am
Quote:
Originally Posted by hobbs47 View Post

The D*** in a box skit was the funniest thing on SNL in years.The Jimmy Fallon cameo was the least funny thing in years,

Agreed.

Quote:
Originally Posted by hobbs47 View Post

mostly because Jimmy Fallon is the worst cast member SNL has EVER had.

That's pretty extreme, but since I can't think of anyone that was worse, I can't disagree. He's certainly one of the worst ever in my opinion. Definitely the most over-rated. Good riddance.
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post #145 of 182
12/21/06 at 12:28pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by hobbs47 View Post

he Jimmy Fallon cameo was the least funny thing in years,mostly because Jimmy Fallon is the worst cast member SNL has EVER had.

Someone hasn't watched much mid 80's SNL. But yes Fallon is a terminally unfunny wash up.
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post #146 of 182
1/6/07 at 8:14am
Bump

Quote:
Originally Posted by RemyM View Post

An encore presentation of the recent Alec Baldwin hosted show will air on 1/6/07. If you missed it the first time here's your chance to see the best episode in years.
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post #147 of 182
1/21/07 at 8:49am
Thread Starter 
1/20/07 episode (with Jeremy Piven).

Well I thought the new "Really!!! With Amy and Seth" segment on Weekend Update was absolutely hilarious! Hope they do more of it, as well as some more movie reviews with "Amy's Aunt Linda" (Kristin Wiig), which is also great but has been absent for a while.

Amy as the elf protecting the unicorn against big business development plan to cut down the unicorn's forest was also nice.
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post #148 of 182
1/21/07 at 4:45pm
I thought the best bit was the dancing caveman.
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post #149 of 182
1/21/07 at 4:51pm
I liked Blizzard Man and the MacGruber skits.
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post #150 of 182
1/21/07 at 7:39pm
That will move the chains!
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