tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post2929191322913176328..comments2024-03-19T05:50:19.572-04:00Comments on What's Alan Watching?: NPH + SNL = LOL?Alan Sepinwallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03388147774725646742noreply@blogger.comBlogger47125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-90421588791981121402009-01-18T15:10:00.000-05:002009-01-18T15:10:00.000-05:00Does anyone have a link to the "Two First Names" s...Does anyone have a link to the "Two First Names" skit? Anyway, I LOVED the Broadway skit. I got every joke and it was non-stop laughing. I think SNL is actually better when they get actually funny people and not A-List actors. The Doogie jokes were really funny. Fran and Freba was funny but there was nothing to it. Overall, I just love NPH!Fionahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04714032555685287491noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-88982230977695601672009-01-12T22:49:00.000-05:002009-01-12T22:49:00.000-05:00For the most part I enjoyed it. My favorite bits w...For the most part I enjoyed it. My favorite bits were the BCS song, the Maddow opening (except Maddow herself was kinda personality-less, but she's not a particularly charismatic news anchor in real life), both parts of the monologue (though I wish they had chosen one joke and run with it more), Fran and Freba, and the BK Virgins. <BR/><BR/>I'm too young to get the Doogie stuff, frankly, but the short was funny anyway.<BR/><BR/>Two First Names had some good impressions on it...but it felt like the only point of it was to showcase impressions? Kinda annoying as a skit. Penelope...oh jeez. I hated it until the Liza moment but that was a good moment. Broadway was ok, but a little too 'inside' broadway, while at the same time...CATS? Hasn't that been off broadway since I was in elementary school? Everything else was too forgettable to remember an opinion about.Jessicahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16683422378349027508noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-16910862622368279432009-01-12T17:15:00.000-05:002009-01-12T17:15:00.000-05:00A very strong episode from top to bottom. NPH was ...A very strong episode from top to bottom. NPH was fantastic and it was packed with good sketches. The monologue and digital short were especially funny, and "Whopper Virgin" is one of the best sketches to appear in the final half hour of the show in years. Everyone talks about how SNL is terribly inconsistent but it seems to me that the show is almost always great when they have a truly funny comedic actor as host AND its the first episode back after a break (when the writers have lots of fresh ideas and are not scraping the bottom of the barrel or overusing the recurring characters). I had high expectations for this episode for those reasons and it easily surpassed them.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-10612488617862391492009-01-12T17:10:00.000-05:002009-01-12T17:10:00.000-05:00I can't believe they made a comment about racism i...I can't believe they made a comment about racism in "Save Broadway," HAD KATE MONSTER/HER PORTRAYER RIGHT THERE, and did NOT break into "Everyone's A Little Bit Racist." Good lord, how did they miss that?<BR/><BR/>I think NPH did the best he could with what he got handed.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16906089927390662087noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-18771172018876562462009-01-12T16:21:00.000-05:002009-01-12T16:21:00.000-05:00I was too distracted by NPH's double time exercise...I was too distracted by NPH's double time exercise moves. Wow. :D<BR/><BR/>But yeah. He's a good host, and I'd love to see him again soon, but the material was just all right, with some funny bits here and there (mostly from the delivery as supposed to the actual material.) I wish he'd sung a song a la Dr. Horrible too. :D,<BR/><BR/>So yeah, it was average, not terrible, but definitely not one of those OMG super fantastic episodes (which....when was the last one of those?<BR/><BR/>What I did notice was that the show was much more evenly casted, with a lot of the newer/less used cast members (though, I don't particularly like that girl in the cold open. She doesn't seem to be very good at impressions) getting something to do as supposed to running Wiig and Armisen to the ground like they did with the earlier episodes.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-70258472548376621322009-01-12T11:49:00.000-05:002009-01-12T11:49:00.000-05:00Oops. When I posted the link to the short, I thoug...Oops. When I posted the link to the short, I thought that the YT link was to that weird one where someone had videotaped their television. I just caught the link above on a livejournal and went to see the comments on it. Those YT commenters just make me sad.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-88461683598260565922009-01-12T11:45:00.000-05:002009-01-12T11:45:00.000-05:00I did laugh at the Two First Names theme song, a r...I did laugh at the Two First Names theme song, a reworking of "Say My Name" by Destiny's Child. As a nearly-decade-old(!) point of reference, that caught me off guard.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-60518444334367092702009-01-12T11:29:00.000-05:002009-01-12T11:29:00.000-05:00Besides the joke in the Broadway sketch, what othe...Besides the joke in the Broadway sketch, what other Piven jokes were there? I must have totally blocked them out if they were there.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-50508164414086668702009-01-12T11:12:00.000-05:002009-01-12T11:12:00.000-05:00NPH was good, but some of the sketches felt dull. ...NPH was good, but some of the sketches felt dull. Luckily, I DVRd it, so I just skipped to all the NPH parts. The airtraffic one was amusing for about 30 seconds and then I had to skip that.<BR/><BR/>Highlights:<BR/>-Thrusting NPH<BR/>-Monolouge and running Piven jokes<BR/>-Liza Minelli. Weird, but also cool.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-35699117473059293352009-01-12T10:52:00.000-05:002009-01-12T10:52:00.000-05:00And in case anybody doesn't know, the fact that Mi...And in case anybody doesn't know, the fact that Michaela Watkins played JL-D is funny because she just did a recurring guest role on Old Christine. (In which her vague resemblance to Julia was noted.)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-69720685599204431842009-01-12T09:48:00.000-05:002009-01-12T09:48:00.000-05:00NPH was as good as he could be with the material h...NPH was as good as he could be with the material he was given. Almost every sketch was too long by half. Seth Meyers is funny but I don't know that he's strong enough to carry the news by himself. The best thing on the show (Whopper virgin) for som reason was buried at the end. I'm thinking we might be in for another of SNL's dry spells for awhile.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06336003200003462670noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-87851149556461412812009-01-12T08:54:00.000-05:002009-01-12T08:54:00.000-05:00Until NBC finds it and removes it, here's the digi...Until NBC finds it and removes it, here's the digital short. <BR/><BR/>http://www.vimeo.com/2796105<BR/><BR/>I loved it and have had that stupid theme in my head for two days now. <BR/><BR/>The show, as a whole, amused me, but there was little in there that I would watch again. I totally agree that the monologue should have picked one bit and gone with it, but both halves made me laugh. The Broadway bit was also fun.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-80235508122500093592009-01-12T05:11:00.000-05:002009-01-12T05:11:00.000-05:00What do I think? That whoever writes this despera...What do I think? That whoever writes this desperately unfunny show must be spewing that Palin isn't going to be taking the oath of office next week -- that girl was comedy gold, and you don't actually need to be up on Broadway/Hollywood media gossip with a shelf life of twenty four seconds to have a hope in hell of getting the alleged joke. <BR/><BR/>As Alan put it, way too much "high concept" and not enough Comedy 101 -- well-observed and performed characters interacting.Craig Ranapiahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08923246310584658857noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-22330148288414206942009-01-12T03:41:00.000-05:002009-01-12T03:41:00.000-05:00I was greatly disappointed.They didn't really writ...I was greatly disappointed.<BR/>They didn't really write and use NPH to his fullest potential. <BR/>There were some great laughs, but few and far between.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-7829791656889305592009-01-12T03:32:00.000-05:002009-01-12T03:32:00.000-05:00Julia Louis-Dreyfus has one first nameYes, they me...<I>Julia Louis-Dreyfus has one first name</I><BR/><BR/>Yes, they mentioned that at the end of the skit. NPH told us what she was going to be doing next week, then she corrected him that she only has one first name and two last names, so he changed his mind and said that she would no longer be on the show after this week.Michaelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15001530336692435773noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-4525683333372276822009-01-12T00:00:00.000-05:002009-01-12T00:00:00.000-05:00anonymous, dear, you must be new here.alas, I coul...anonymous, dear, you must be new here.<BR/><BR/>alas, I couldn't see the Frost skit - something in the DVR died around 1:05 into the show (there was more show, but everything past 1:05 wouldn't play). i'm trying a transcode to see if I can get the rest of it back. if that doesn't work, i'll try the web.<BR/><BR/>I pretty much haven't watched a lot of SNL since the (circa) 85 cast. If it wasn't for Tina Fey, and then comments here, I wouldn't have put it and left it in the DVR's record list. But I do like NPH. Saw him in an ep of Numb3rs a few seasons ago - almost made me start watching the show (he was a guest star, though, and the pilot, which I saw later, didn't grab me. too bad - it's a great concept but I still don't get into crime shows. Medium maybe. It alway seems to be something different - but i'm two seasons behind)<BR/><BR/>and that, anonymous, was "digression" (you're lucky you don't know my friends. they can digress for twelve hours. I counted)Pamela Jayehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06135379188588301400noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-32342161307963324322009-01-11T23:16:00.000-05:002009-01-11T23:16:00.000-05:00wow I never saw oral diarrhea in comment form befo...wow I never saw oral diarrhea in comment form beforeAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-43887145457376837002009-01-11T23:08:00.000-05:002009-01-11T23:08:00.000-05:00oops. and yes, the picture went out when that part...oops. and yes, the picture went out when that part of the skit happened - and that was cause the tv turned off. the sound was coming out of separate speakers and i didn't figure it out for a minute. (there was some digital crap earlier in the show, so i thought it was the DVR. nope: simple stupid technology)<BR/><BR/>sorryPamela Jayehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06135379188588301400noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-39231215451045856232009-01-11T23:05:00.000-05:002009-01-11T23:05:00.000-05:00Julia Louis-Dreyfus has one first nameor according...Julia Louis-Dreyfus has one first name<BR/><BR/>or according to imdb:<BR/>Julia Elizabeth Scarlett Louis-DreyfusPamela Jayehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06135379188588301400noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-53072684378417433022009-01-11T22:50:00.000-05:002009-01-11T22:50:00.000-05:00anything with NPH and the DH theme song is good wi...anything with NPH and the DH theme song is good with me! (loved it when Barney wrote in his blog to it (brother thought it was the theme to 30something. i think that was during the brother's no tv period)Pamela Jayehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06135379188588301400noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-35008619695222256052009-01-11T22:37:00.000-05:002009-01-11T22:37:00.000-05:00maybe the Frost thing will be better. Kathie Lee w...maybe the Frost thing will be better. Kathie Lee was even more annoying than she was trying to be, Fred Savage might have been amusing if you hadn't mentioned him (liked the comment about NPH's girlfriend, though) and Rachel Whoever went on forever and ever (let's see, i'm guessing she's gay) The Broadway thing looked like something I only wanted to have to watch once, and really, I liked the closing of the local 11 o'clock news more than most of it (they hovered a mouse cursor arrow around the screen then zoomed out to video of them on their set on a laptop. it was cool)<BR/><BR/>hanging in cause someone says it's interesting. I'd rather be watching those eps of Big Bang Theory and just figured out that that HFPA could be members of the TCA, hence the timing.<BR/>Then again, i just realized the next member of the cast of Scrubs is named Cox.<BR/>And i think my roommate burned the pie (my whipped cream, however, came out very nice. it's okay. i can never tell when pumpkin pie is done, myself)Pamela Jayehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06135379188588301400noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-4326838394864670792009-01-11T22:28:00.000-05:002009-01-11T22:28:00.000-05:00Frost/Other People reminded me of a great piece of...Frost/Other People reminded me of a great piece of SNL trivia I gleaned this week. <BR/><BR/>Fred Barry (ReRun from What's Happening, A.K.A. The fat dancing guy) was on the one of the 3rd episode of SNL during the first season. The Lockers, a dance troupe, did a number on the show and Fred was a part of it. He wasn't featured or anything he was just a member of the team. They all wore variations on that weird costume he always wore on What's Happening. <BR/><BR/>Also the very first episode had a few more members of the Not Ready For Prime Time Players besides Akroyd, Belushi, Chase, Morris, Curtin, Radner, O'Donnahue and Newman. <BR/><BR/>In other words I got the First Season DVDs for XMas.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17612053998028595087noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-84459256285155157922009-01-11T20:44:00.000-05:002009-01-11T20:44:00.000-05:00It was a pretty good show by SNL standards. I tho...It was a pretty good show by SNL standards. I thought that absolutely the strongest parts were the first half of the opening monologue (loved the reference to the long-ago girlfriend), the Broadway sketch (great delivery on "Wow. THAT's racist" from the Wicked witch, and Sudeikis was simply brilliant as the Phantom), and that Digital Short, which caused me literally to scream when by the end of the second bar.<BR/><BR/>I hated hated hated the Kathie Lee Gifford sketch, and also fast-forwarded through it until NPH came out. But even when the material was so-so, he shone like the sun.<BR/><BR/>I'm bummed he didn't win the Golden Globe tonight.Karenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01288100796201737845noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-68798882056645115202009-01-11T20:10:00.000-05:002009-01-11T20:10:00.000-05:00Digital Short:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x1-AJ...Digital Short:<BR/><BR/>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x1-AJS1k4P0Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08096227415195492562noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-2637190065532135672009-01-11T19:53:00.000-05:002009-01-11T19:53:00.000-05:00Will - the story I heard about Jeremy Piven was th...Will - the story I heard about Jeremy Piven was that he got "mercury poisoning" from eating too much sushi, but the real story was that he was just such a douchebag prima donna that no one in the play wanted to work with him anymore. But I'm an L.A. person and hear a lot more Hollywood-related gossip and info than Broadway, so I don't know if that's accurate.<BR/><BR/>I agree with pretty much everything everyone said. I'm not a regular viewer - in fact, the only SNL I've seen in probably the last 15 years was some of the political stuff, and then only as a side effect of checking out Mary Poppins and Mark Wahlberg talking to animals after this blog linked to it. So for me the Mark Wahlberg/Entourage callback was funny, especially since I just finally got around to watching Entourage (I'm in the middle of season 2 right now).<BR/><BR/>NPH was great, not given great material, as has been pointed out. His fitness guru routine had me laughing so hard I was gasping for air, but we fast forwarded through all the Kathy Lee stuff after watching for about 30 seconds. Even though NPH was great, the only other stuff that got much of a reaction from me was the Music Man bit from the Broadway sketch (and okay, the Rent bit), the Digital Short, the BCS song, and everys single thing the one black cast member did. I don't know the actor's name, but his various impressions (Charles Barkley, "Senator" Burris, etc.) I didn't think Frost/Other People was that funny, although the quick David Crosby flash was brilliant.<BR/><BR/>But as Mac said, how do you have a cameo by Liza Minelli AND a Broadway sketch, and not have her in it?<BR/><BR/>And finally - I actually used to work with someone who was working as a SECURITY GUARD of all things who had fingernails like the air traffic controllers. It always pissed me off because I and everyone else ended up doing half of her job duties because she was incapable of doing things like locking a padlock because of her fingernails. The creepy thing is that they were real, and possibly even longer than the ones in the sketches. Some of them were so long they'd begun to curl.electriciahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18265084293417817923noreply@blogger.com