jakobnicholas Posted September 15, 2008 Share Posted September 15, 2008 I was excited about SNL starting off its season....and the opening bit with Fey and Poehler as Palin and Hillary delivered. Both actresses did a good job...Poehler especially. I was hoping to see Hammond and Armisen as McCain/Obama, but that will come in the next few shows I'm sure. The good: The T-Mobile skit towards the end was funny. Samberg's digital short was weird, amusing and kinda funny in a demented way. The Weekend Update had just a couple good moments (Samberg as Cathy was sorta funny....Armisen's character who can never make a point), but seemed over-obsessed with poking fun at Sarah Palin. Kristin Wiig shined in lame skits. The bad: Michael Phelps predictably cannot act...at all. Lil Wayne would not make my top 200 choices for musical performers. The Charles Barkely impersonation/show was horrendous. Basically every skit seemed lame or done before (game show slamming home shool children?...not funny. A crazy, raving, dancing coach...Petyon Manning did that last year). I WILL predict this: Next week's show can only be better....Kings of Leon is a great start! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
austrya Posted September 15, 2008 Share Posted September 15, 2008 I think that with Obama backing out on Friday, they had a lot of rearranging to do. They were also supposed to have Chuck Norris do a cameo but he also backed out. Sounds like there was a lot of last minute scrambling going on. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Sir Stewart Posted September 15, 2008 Share Posted September 15, 2008 I dropped out after the news. Pretty much the only time I laughed was the opener. I hope Armisen has revised his Obama - it's not bad, it's just boring. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
GtrPlyr Posted September 15, 2008 Share Posted September 15, 2008 The opening sketch and the News were the best parts... that seems to be the case for most episodes. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
watch me fall Posted September 15, 2008 Share Posted September 15, 2008 So Amy Poehler's still on? I knew she was pregnant so wasn't sure. (didn't see the episode) Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Sir Stewart Posted September 15, 2008 Share Posted September 15, 2008 The "Alaska Pete" bit on the news was a painful indication that SNL is basically The Daily Show without good writing. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Jules Posted September 15, 2008 Share Posted September 15, 2008 So Amy Poehler's still on? I knew she was pregnant so wasn't sure. (didn't see the episode)Yeah, she looks to be pretty far along, so I don't know how long she'll be around. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
uncool2pillow Posted September 15, 2008 Share Posted September 15, 2008 The Charles Barkely impersonation/show was horrendous. Hmm... I agreed w/ pretty much everything but this. I usually hate hate Kenan Thompson, but I thought that sketch was hilarious. Esp. when Michael Phelps said something like, "You know how hard it is to train to win a gold medal" and Barkley said, "Yeah, ummm... no. Michael Jordan basically asked me to come play poker in Barcelona for 2 weeks. There's only one catch. You have to leave the casino every once in a while to go play basketball against Angola." Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Winston Legthigh Posted September 15, 2008 Share Posted September 15, 2008 Wow. That ep. was really really really unfunny. The Quiz Show skit should have been retired about 20 years ago, when SCTV milked it for what it was worth. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Analogman Posted September 15, 2008 Share Posted September 15, 2008 There's always Mad TV. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
cryptique Posted September 15, 2008 Share Posted September 15, 2008 Huh. I thought this was the best episode I've seen in years. Among other things, they seem to have figured out that sketches can't go on and on and on and still be funny. The weaker sketches were also mercifully short (by comparison to prior years). I thought the Barkley thing had two or three of the funniest lines in the whole show. Yes, Phelps can't act, but they found interesting ways to use him. I've been really down on SNL in recent years and only watched this one because I wanted to see how much of a train wreck Phelps would be. The "Alaska Pete" bit on the news was a painful indication that SNL is basically The Daily Show without good writing.Alaska Pete was definitely the weakest thing on the show. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
jakobnicholas Posted September 15, 2008 Author Share Posted September 15, 2008 Anyone who's seen Frank Caliendo do Barkley will understand how mediocre Thompson's portrayal is. I still think SNL is THE comedy show to watch on Saturday nights, I just think it fell flat this past Saturday. Bill Hader, Jason Sudeikas, Daryl Hammond, Fred Armisen and Kristin Wiig are all top-notch in my opinion. Hopefully the writing is more funny as the season move on. I still say I'd rather roll the dice and watch SNL than watch Mad TV. Mad TV seems way over the top most of the time. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
cryptique Posted September 15, 2008 Share Posted September 15, 2008 Anyone who's seen Frank Caliendo do Barkley will understand how mediocre Thompson's portrayal is.A. I can't stand Frank Caliendo. I used to not mind him, but now he's way overexposed and his talent doesn't quite measure up to his ubiquity. If I see his John Madden impression one more time, I may become violent. B. Thompson wasn't great as Barkley, true, but there were some good lines in that sketch. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
jff Posted September 15, 2008 Share Posted September 15, 2008 Alaska Pete was hilarious. You're all crazy. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
jakobnicholas Posted September 15, 2008 Author Share Posted September 15, 2008 In my opinion, SNL seems to suffer mostly when it's acting guest isn't up to par. Phelps' acting skills (or lack thereof) was a HUGE handicap for the show. Compare that to say, Alec Baldwin or Jim Carrey, who almost single-handedly makes the show hilarious and great. Although, I'll contradict myself a little bit.....I remember Giulliani's appearance being a good one. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Edie Posted September 15, 2008 Share Posted September 15, 2008 I fell asleep pretty soon after the Clinton/Palin bit. Didn't miss much apparently. Phelps seemed like a fish out of water . Quote Link to post Share on other sites
stooka Posted September 15, 2008 Share Posted September 15, 2008 I fell asleep pretty soon after the Clinton/Palin bit. Didn't miss much apparently. Phelps seemed like a fish out of water . The Amy & Tina skit was the funniest that show has been in a while.................... and honestly, these are 2 of the sexiest women on TV. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
jakobnicholas Posted September 29, 2008 Author Share Posted September 29, 2008 So, is SNL still just working out the kinks? I'm a big fan of some of the players, but it's just lacking something so far. A few bits have been amusing, but the show overall is just sputtering. I cannot warm up to Poehler and Myers on the Update...I long for the days of Dennis Miller and Norm McDonald. And we don't need to make another political thread, but c'mon....the piling on by SNL on McCain/Palin is embarrassing. It wouldn't be that big of a deal if the skits were funny, but Fey as Palin is so incredibly weak (Tina Fey writes funny, but CANNOT act funny....she just isn't funny....at all). And Armisen (who is very talented and comical) as Obama has NOTHING funny whatsoever about it....is he TRYING to do something funny with the character...it doesn't seem like it. Saturday night, it seemed like Armisen's Obama was playing the straight man to Hammond's goofy, wierd, eccentric McCain character. As usual, Obama's getting a free-pass. Biden, Mr. Foot-in-his-mouth if there ever was one, has not been referenced one time in all 3 shows....are you kidding me?! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
rareair Posted September 29, 2008 Share Posted September 29, 2008 wow. snl slants to the left and is not that funny! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
jff Posted September 29, 2008 Share Posted September 29, 2008 Biden, Mr. Foot-in-his-mouth if there ever was one, has not been referenced one time in all 3 shows....are you kidding me?! I read at the beginning of the season that they are sticking only to the most up-to-the-minute topics, since TV in the internet age is a very slow medium. If they don't do a Biden (VP debate) sketch this weekend, you'll have a valid point. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
myboyblue Posted September 29, 2008 Share Posted September 29, 2008 Most disagree with you on the Fey as Palin being weak. It's pretty spot on and it's fucking hilarious. I've only watched the first 4 or 5 skits but thought it was much better than the previous weeks. They should have ample material heading into this election period. Maybe you just have a difficult time laughing at the GOP candidates? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
jakobnicholas Posted September 29, 2008 Author Share Posted September 29, 2008 My complaint has nothing to do with who is being made fun. It comes down to the actor and material and is it funny. Dana Carvey doing HW Bush was genius funny.Will Ferrel as W. Bush was goofy but funny.Phil Hartman as Bill Clinton was hilarious.Hammond as Clinton is always funny (and it was again Saturday)Hammond portrayed Gore in a unique funny way. Armisen as Obama is BLAND. I remember Will Forte did a W. Bush impersonation that wasn't good, but it had a little quirkiness about it that made it interesting. Armisen adds NOTHING to Obama. The only thing funny is the big ears. Tina Fey acts like a dumb, white-trash bimbo. Okay...that's funny....I guess. How hard is that?! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
myboyblue Posted September 29, 2008 Share Posted September 29, 2008 Tina Fey acts like a dumb, white-trash bimbo. Okay...that's funny....I guess. How hard is that?! I wouldn't say bimbo but, otherwise, pretty accurate. Except, I think it's funny and pretty spot on. regarding the trip to New York and "that goofy evolution museum" and the United Nations. "So many interesting people," "Though I have to say, I was disheartened by how many of them were foreigners." Quote Link to post Share on other sites
jff Posted September 29, 2008 Share Posted September 29, 2008 Armisen as Obama is BLAND. I agree. And his Nicholas Fehn character is anoying and terrible. Armison just isn't all that good. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
jakobnicholas Posted September 29, 2008 Author Share Posted September 29, 2008 To each their own. I sense more anger and mean-ness from the Palin impersonation than humor. Do you agree that the Obama bit is weak? I think a more-skilled and telented actor could find a way to make Obama funny. Obama has a sort of cockiness about him that could be played up in a big way. The way he pauses to choose every word correctly could be played up. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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