Saturday Night Live

[strummer]

Oh man I just googled Mary Gross pretty recently and she had to basically quit acting because she went blind. She had a solid four year run on the show but like almost everyone in that era was overshadowed by Eddie and then the .ringer cast in 84-85

 

[Valeyard]

The cast behind Eddie in the peak years was really good. Kazurinsky, JLD, and Gary Kroeger carried some good weight. I don't think that cast gets the appreciation they deserve. People at least took to them far more vs the season six cast. I haven't seen the ringer season in a bit but the pretapes were amazing compared to the live stuff. The marathon will get there, but I'm preparing in advance to be let down by them cutting out Men's Synchronized Swimming.

 

[Baby Shoes]

I don’t know if it is a new camera crew or if they are running with less people for COVID protocols or something but the camera work this season has been noticeably poor with tonight‘s episode being especially awful. There were multiple skits where the camera was not even properly focused on the right people in the scene.

 

[Valeyard]

Bill elevated that cast SO much. He gave them some serious shine all through this show.

 

[King Kamala]

That has got to be one of the top three hosting jobs in history of the show. It is really too bad it’s mostly forgotten cause it was a lame duck show and IIRC they had already decided to fire basically everyone.

 

[Valeyard]

He could've carried it all alone but gave people shots even if it was their last real run. He tried to do for them what Steve Martin did for the original cast. Peacock hacked this show up BAD, though.

 

[King Kamala]

Bill Murray was also the only person who had anything nice to say about Jean Doumanian in Live From New York. I mean, sure, I feel like a lot of the stuff written about her incompetency as show runner is justified but at same time, she seems like a sacrificial lamb that was set up to fail from the beginning.

 

[Valeyard]

It wouldn't surprise me if it was just a way for Ebersol to get the gig without taking any heat.

Franken just destroying them is a top ten moment. Straight curbstomping. That whole bit is funny anyway because you have Chevy Chase reading the stupid shit they made Rocket and Matthius do and for once his being a dick is wonderful.

 

[Valeyard]

Audience is so happy the cast changed. Kinda hurts. Monkeys get pops.

 

[King Kamala]

I was listening to a year old episode of Gilbert Gottfried’s podcast with Alan Zweibel this evening and I think @The Valeyard will like to know that Buck Henry liked to spend his downtime in porno theaters and peep shows of pre Giuliani Times Square.

 

[Valeyard]

That's exactly what I always thought. He either was a porn theater guy or a real life Uncle Roy.

 

[King Kamala]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1380207674927763461

Damn. RIP

 

[strummer]

Bummed about Anne Beats. Loved Square Pegs as a kid

 

[strummer]

Wait, what now? Chloe Fineman is a Scientologist!?!?! And I had liked a lot of her stuff on the show. Gross, Lorne.

 

[Brocklock]

Man that last group of talent they auditioned should've been vetted or something with the racist guy originally getting through before being fired and now a Scientologist got through from the same group.

 

[strummer]

Okay, Kid Cudi wearing a Farley shirt got a pop out of me

 

[King Kamala]

30 Years Ago: Steven Seagal's 'Hilariously Awful' ‘SNL’ Episode

Steven Seagal hosted 'Saturday Night Live' in April 1991.

ultimateclassicrock.com

30 year anniversary of most inexplicable SNL host ever (at least non contest winners). Lorne hadn't had any of the other '80s/early '90s action heroes host yet (besides Bruce Willis, who at least had a comedy background) and he picks the one worst suited for sketch comedy!? Maybe he thought it was going to be so unfunny, it'd circle back to being funny? I guess it kind of has.

 

[Mickey Massuco]

OR DEAD HEAT? JOE PISCOPO AND TREAT WILLIAMS IN A ZOMBIE COP BUDDY COMEDY EXISTS IN MY WORLD

this movie is really not good and i say that as a fan of martial arts trash movies but he did a good kreese impersonation in Sidekicks:

 

[Valeyard]

That was my frame of reference for Piscopo for years and once I got why my brother said he was pathetic, movie was almost ruined. Winnie Cooper keeps that movie together.

Of all the shows I wish the Cock had in full, it's Donald Pleasance with Fear. You cut Fear out of that episode and it has nothing. Best hacked up ones are like George Kennedy where they literally cut all his sketches and just have him open and close the show. Ebersol's initial vision for the show is so just counterintuitive as it is. Fire Pardo and get rid of "Life from New York!" and you take out the spine of the show.

Also I really really wish they would bring back letting comics or novelty acts get some time for exposure. Harry Anderson pre-Cheers, let alone Night Court, doing his standup is a blast. It's a cool way to break up the show and give someone a decent shot to make a name.

 

[King Kamala]

Lorne even had stand ups and magic acts perform during his first season or two back in the mid '80s but once the Phil Hartman/Jon Lovitz/Jan Hooks era cast got hot, I guess he felt he didn't need any other added bells & whistles besides the cast, host, and musical guests. Hell, even the SNL Band has barely been a factor since GE Smith got booted in '95. I doubt most casual SNL fans even know who Lenny Pickett is!

 

[Valeyard]

A name value house band would do a lot for me. The only reason I acknowledge Jimmy Fallon's existence is because of the Roots.

 

[King Kamala]

I feel like even though late night talk shows have declined, there's been a weird revival of bandleaders being important since start of 2010s. You also have Reggie Watts on Corden, Jon Batiste on Colbert, and Fred Armisen (even though he's only on like maybe 10% of the episodes I watch) on Seth Meyers. It's weird that the old guard of late night (Conan and SNL) has either made their background band anonymous or done away with them entirely. Jimmy Kimmel's 2nd oldest and most famous musician on his show is the announcer.

 

[Valeyard]

I think budget killed Conan's band. That and Max touring with Springsteen, which is probably all related. But SNL should just bring Paul Schaffer in, given his history with the show and distinctiveness.

 

[King Kamala]

Max left before the TBS show. His replacement Jimmy Vivino was a boring comic foil, I guess and you can't rag on La Bamba all the time so band dynamic just felt different. It was a weird sign that Andy Richter moved with them to cable but not Max. Sign being that Andy had given up on a solo career, I guess.

I think official reason that was given for Conan cutting his band was that show got bumped down from hour to half hour.

 

[Brocklock]

I loved Conan and Max's weird anti chemistry and awkward banter and Max usually made me laugh whenever he would talk. Him leaving Conan was a really big blow tbh. Those bits where Conan, Joel, and Max are "hanging out together" for some holiday or event and they show the pictures were always incredible.

Jimmy Vivino was really bland and I can barely remember him. La Bamba was great for a reaction shot every few shows, but you can't do it every joke.

Honestly, I think I find some of the Conan and Max bits funnier than Conan and Andy's. But I got into Conan in 99 and those 00's years were the ones that I really grew up with and loved.

 

[King Kamala]

Andy Richter's the dude but his and Conan's comedic senses are too similar at times and their dynamic can feel like two smart aleck best friends laughing at an inside joke that you don't know about. He was a great crutch for Conan during the struggling early years but the show as a whole had kind of outgrown him.

In retrospect, adding him back wasn't just a step back for Andy's career but a step back for the show as a whole. I was really surprised that he even moved on to the half hour show but it is nice to know that they're such good friends IRL, I guess.

 

[treble]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1386033593772826624

 

[Incandenza]

That's it, I'm becoming the Joker

 

[King Kamala]

This isn't as bad as Trump but it's definitely the worst thing they've done since Trump. And tbh if I'm a comedy writer, I'd almost rather write for 2015 Trump than 2021 Elon.

 

[Incandenza]

Trump could actually be funny sometimes! Musk has meme brain.