saturday night live

sphinx · **on:** March 09, 2003, 05:38:36 PM

thoughts on the series? i finished reading that huge book of quotes from people in and working on SNL that recently came out during christmas, and i gained a whole new perspective on the show. it's insane. and anyone who says the show is dead will just get proven wrong in the next three years. oh, and weekend update is better than ever.

more specifically, anyone see last night's episode with ms. latifah hosting? don't care much for her, but i really did enjoy the ham sketch.

'that's my ham!'

av8raaron · **Reply #1 on:** March 09, 2003, 05:48:01 PM

So much of SNL is based on the players and writers at the time are. That explains why the mid-90s weren't quite the pinnacle of late-night entertainment and shows from the late-90s to the present have been generally good. In the past couple seasons, I've been sorry to see Molly Shannon and Will Ferrell go, but there are enough seasoned players and emerging talent to keep the show good for the next couple of years, at least.

Lorne and whoever else selects new talent for the show on both sides of the camera are pretty good at their jobs as reflected by both actors and writers who have gone on to very successful careers afterwards. As long as they keep recruiting good people, there's no end to the show.

Xixax · **Reply #2 on:** March 09, 2003, 05:58:45 PM

There are some really promising up and comers on the show these days. I think that people like Amy Poehler and Horatio Sans will become big names in a few years. And Jimmy and Tina's chemistry is the best that "Update" has been since the NBC exec ruined it with Norm McDonald.

I'm still convinced that they put Colin Quinn on after Norm McDonald just to make Norm look better. I think Colin was the worst ever. He's completely useless in any setting.

av8raaron · **Reply #3 on:** March 09, 2003, 06:02:04 PM

I honestly can't remember a single Colin Quinn WE that got major laughs for anything other than how bad a joke flopped. Jimmy and Tina are by far the best since the days of Bill Murray and Jane Curtain.

Duck Sauce · **Reply #4 on:** March 09, 2003, 06:58:57 PM

Quote from: av8raaron

Molly Shannon and Will Ferrell go.

Whats she doing now?

av8raaron · **Reply #5 on:** March 09, 2003, 07:03:12 PM

Among other things, a remake of "The Music Man" with Matthew Broderick. Eiigsh...

fulty · **Reply #6 on:** March 09, 2003, 07:45:13 PM

I still miss "Mr Bill"

Sleuth · **Reply #7 on:** March 09, 2003, 08:24:10 PM

Quote from: Duck Sauce

Quote from: av8raaron
Molly Shannon and Will Ferrell go.

Whats she doing now?

She's also going to get her own show on...FOX, I think

Gold Trumpet · **Reply #8 on:** March 09, 2003, 08:34:36 PM

This show, for the most part, has become very lame. Fact is, its been lame for a long period of time. I still watch the show and enjoy some parts, but I can't help but feel all the restrictions brought upon SNL for being on a basic channel. HBO and cable have so much more freedom in showing topics and bringing a harder edge comedy to it, that it feels like SNL is saving face with doing its normal schict of mostly stupid humor. And worst, stupid humor that is not edgy. South Park is the funniest show on tv right now. It not only consistently pushes the envelope every season, but remains very clever and smart in its writing. The best thing with South Park, is that it is past its early years of spotlight attention and now is considered a 'been there, done that' thing and it is finding only more freedom and taking risks in doing stuff it would never have done in its first few seasons, which do seem kinda lame compared to its new episodes. SNL has been riding off the same pattern of jokes, since well, I can remember.

I must say that Tina Fey is gorgeous though.

~rougerum

sphinx · **Reply #9 on:** March 10, 2003, 12:29:32 AM

i don't think that SNL would be the same if it didn't have restrictions that it was constantly trying to break free of...

Victor · **Reply #10 on:** March 11, 2003, 03:55:34 PM

exactly. i think there should be more short film work, along the lines of the pta FANatic or the one with ben stiller. give some short filmmakers a chance to shine, cause right now there not a lot of variety, and its definitely hurting since ferrel left. itll snap back though.

btw the least funny weekend update guy was kevin nealon. colin got a bad rap i think, because norm was so funny.

Sleuth · **Reply #11 on:** March 11, 2003, 05:07:11 PM

Colin got a bad rap because his timing was absolutely terrible

polkablues · **Reply #12 on:** March 11, 2003, 05:58:37 PM

I've always liked the show; even the things that fall flat tend to have some humor as a result of the people in them. I desperately miss Will Ferrell... his recent guest appearance just proved how valuable he was. I think Chris Parnell's one of the most underrated guys out there. He's ill-suited to playing Bush, but he's funny otherwise. His rap love songs to Kirsten Dunst and Jennifer Garner were inspired.

Maya Rudolph, too, kicks all sorts of ass.

picolas · **Reply #13 on:** March 11, 2003, 06:48:46 PM

Quote from: polkablues

I think Chris Parnell's one of the most underrated guys out there.

agreed.

and for the record, snl's a

/

Satcho9 · **Reply #14 on:** March 11, 2003, 07:11:08 PM

Chris Parnell should have stayed fired.

Tracy Morgan is the most underrated/underused on the cast.