So far, so bad. I watched the show last night with Sarah Michelle Gellar and was able to make it through the first hour only because I was sure there had to be at least A LAUGH somewhere in the show. I was wrong. Not only did I not laugh, but there were long periods of silence from the audience. Silence so complete you could have heard a pin drop. Where to begin?
Well, for a second straight week, Dick Cheney is used to help open the show. Much like a B-2, the bit bombed. It was bad enough last week to have to endure the Cheney bit, but it's worse when the producers clearly don't learn from their previous mistakes.
The only highlight of the show was the title sequence with the accompanying SNL score (which is a pretty catchy tune). That was followed by a bizarrely boring and unfunny monologue that starts off as if Gellar is going to play a guitar but she quits when she realizes her comments have offended real-life vampires (the bit may have been worth more than a chuckle if they'd actually put someone in the audience who was into real-life vampirism and not some caricature of Dracula).
That is then immediately followed by a commercial for childrens pajamas that also serves as dust busters/floor cleans (oh Lord, stop me now before my sides split from so much laughter...I can..hardly....contain.......myself).
That was then followed up immediately by a sketch involving three safety team members coming into a high school and giving all the wrong types of advice (like don't use condoms but if you do, prick a hole in the end of the condom to allow bacteria room to breathe). This COULD HAVE been funny, but it never was. Talented players like Fallon and Dratch were forced to play it straight off of three leads who were just not funny if their lives depended on it. The one guy who was a safety team member looked like he used to be on Kids In The Hall (but that couldn't be the same guy, could it?)
The Weekend Update segment was tragic in every sense of the word. I used to think Norm MacDonald's stint on WU was the all-time low for this segment, but i'm beginning to wonder if the Fey/Fallon combination will blow MacDonald out of the water. Sad thing is, I've seen reruns of last season on E! and it was funny and you believed Fallon and Fey were having a good time. Now they just look like they are going through the motions. Were new writers brought in over the summer? Did anyone leave? I mean seriously, not a single solitary laugh was to be found throughout that whole segment.
The one sketch that had the most potential was the Christina Aguilera "Dirty" video segment, which poked fun at what a whore this girl has publicly turned into. That was clearly the point behind the sketch and it was comforting to know that SNL still had its pulse on what the rest of America was apparently beginning to feel. That still didn't translate into any laughs though. Maybe some minor chuckles. The acting was fine and Fallon did the best he could with the material he was given, but clearly the writing is just not sharp, intelligent or witty. It leaves much to be desired.
What I find galling is to hear the long stretches of silence that the audience is suffering through, only to roar in applause as the sketch ends and we segue into a commercial break. It's extremely phony. I realize that the audience is prompted by the studio when to applaud, but one has to wonder if the audience put some extra effort into their thunderous clapping because they were truly grateful their misery had just ended and another sketch was mercifully put out to pasture. _______________
Sheriff J.W. Icebreaker - "What are you boy? Some kind of doomsday machine?"
> Well, for a second straight week, Dick Cheney is used to help open the show. > Much like a B-2, the bit bombed. It was bad enough last week to have to > endure the Cheney bit, but it's worse when the producers clearly don't learn > from their previous mistakes.
That was supposed to be Cheney? I came in with about 15 seconds left to that bit, I thought it was a bad Dubya impression.
> That is then immediately followed by a commercial for childrens pajamas that > also serves as dust busters/floor cleans (oh Lord, stop me now before my > sides split from so much laughter...I
can..hardly....contain.......myself).
Yup, that was a real head-scratcher.
> The Weekend Update segment was tragic in every sense of the word. I used to > think Norm MacDonald's stint on WU was the all-time low for this segment
I never figured this out - I actually liked Norm's version of WU. People seem to either have loved him or hated him at it.
But yes, I couldn't find anything redeeming in this one, either.
> So far, so bad. I watched the show last night with Sarah Michelle Gellar and > was able to make it through the first hour only because I was sure there had > to be at least A LAUGH somewhere in the show. I was wrong. Not only did I > not laugh, but there were long periods of silence from the audience. Silence > so complete you could have heard a pin drop. Where to begin?
> Well, for a second straight week, Dick Cheney is used to help open the show. > Much like a B-2, the bit bombed. It was bad enough last week to have to > endure the Cheney bit, but it's worse when the producers clearly don't learn > from their previous mistakes.
> The only highlight of the show was the title sequence with the accompanying > SNL score (which is a pretty catchy tune). That was followed by a bizarrely > boring and unfunny monologue that starts off as if Gellar is going to play a > guitar but she quits when she realizes her comments have offended real-life > vampires (the bit may have been worth more than a chuckle if they'd actually > put someone in the audience who was into real-life vampirism and not some > caricature of Dracula).
> That is then immediately followed by a commercial for childrens pajamas that > also serves as dust busters/floor cleans (oh Lord, stop me now before my > sides split from so much laughter...I
> That was then followed up immediately by a sketch involving three safety > team members coming into a high school and giving all the wrong types of > advice (like don't use condoms but if you do, prick a hole in the end of the > condom to allow bacteria room to breathe). This COULD HAVE been funny, but > it never was. Talented players like Fallon and Dratch were forced to play it > straight off of three leads who were just not funny if their lives depended > on it. The one guy who was a safety team member looked like he used to be on > Kids In The Hall (but that couldn't be the same guy, could it?)
> The Weekend Update segment was tragic in every sense of the word. I used to > think Norm MacDonald's stint on WU was the all-time low for this segment, > but i'm beginning to wonder if the Fey/Fallon combination will blow > MacDonald out of the water. Sad thing is, I've seen reruns of last season on > E! and it was funny and you believed Fallon and Fey were having a good time. > Now they just look like they are going through the motions. Were new writers > brought in over the summer? Did anyone leave? I mean seriously, not a single > solitary laugh was to be found throughout that whole segment.
> The one sketch that had the most potential was the Christina Aguilera > "Dirty" video segment, which poked fun at what a whore this girl has > publicly turned into. That was clearly the point behind the sketch and it > was comforting to know that SNL still had its pulse on what the rest of > America was apparently beginning to feel. That still didn't translate into > any laughs though. Maybe some minor chuckles. The acting was fine and Fallon > did the best he could with the material he was given, but clearly the > writing is just not sharp, intelligent or witty. It leaves much to be > desired.
> What I find galling is to hear the long stretches of silence that the > audience is suffering through, only to roar in applause as the sketch ends > and we segue into a commercial break. It's extremely phony. I realize that > the audience is prompted by the studio when to applaud, but one has to > wonder if the audience put some extra effort into their thunderous clapping > because they were truly grateful their misery had just ended and another > sketch was mercifully put out to pasture. > _______________
> Sheriff J.W. Icebreaker - "What are you boy? Some kind of doomsday machine?"
>So far, so bad. I watched the show last night with Sarah Michelle Gellar and >was able to make it through the first hour only because I was sure there had >to be at least A LAUGH somewhere in the show. I was wrong. Not only did I >not laugh, but there were long periods of silence from the audience. Silence >so complete you could have heard a pin drop. Where to begin?
There were laughs as well.
The spoof of Steven the Dell guy was hilarious, and I enjoyed some of the fake ads (mainly the one about "our jobs and money are gone - we hate you Sadaam!")
>Talented players like Fallon and Dratch were forced to play it >straight off of three leads who were just not funny if their lives depended >on it.
What would that genius Fallon have done? Snickered and giggled his way through the sketch? Amy Poehler (one of the leads) has more talent in her fingernail than he has in his whole body.
> I used to >think Norm MacDonald's stint on WU was the all-time low for this segment,
You must have avoided the Colin Quinn years.
You obviously don't like the current SNL, and I can understand that. What I don't understand is why you think Fallon would make this better. Were you actually laughing more last year, when he pissed on so many sketches by breaking up in them? Is that now considered great humor?
On Sun, 13 Oct 2002 05:27:57 -0400, "Sheriff J.W. Icebreaker"
<icebrea...@mindspring.com> wrote: >That is then immediately followed by a commercial for childrens pajamas that >also serves as dust busters/floor cleans (oh Lord, stop me now before my >sides split from so much laughter...I can..hardly....contain.......myself).
This was the only thing I laughed at, and only at the end when those kids were so over-the-top elated at being covered in dirt and dustbunnies.
It was painful to watch. The opening monologue was torture, and you're absolutely correct-loads of time when the audience didn't even react. I turned it off halfway through the first skit. This is the worst season in a long time.
On Sun, 13 Oct 2002 05:27:57 -0400, "Sheriff J.W. Icebreaker"
<icebrea...@mindspring.com> wrote: >So far, so bad. I watched the show last night with Sarah Michelle Gellar and >was able to make it through the first hour only because I was sure there had >to be at least A LAUGH somewhere in the show. I was wrong. Not only did I >not laugh, but there were long periods of silence from the audience. Silence >so complete you could have heard a pin drop. Where to begin?
>Well, for a second straight week, Dick Cheney is used to help open the show. >Much like a B-2, the bit bombed. It was bad enough last week to have to >endure the Cheney bit, but it's worse when the producers clearly don't learn >from their previous mistakes.
>The only highlight of the show was the title sequence with the accompanying >SNL score (which is a pretty catchy tune). That was followed by a bizarrely >boring and unfunny monologue that starts off as if Gellar is going to play a >guitar but she quits when she realizes her comments have offended real-life >vampires (the bit may have been worth more than a chuckle if they'd actually >put someone in the audience who was into real-life vampirism and not some >caricature of Dracula).
>That is then immediately followed by a commercial for childrens pajamas that >also serves as dust busters/floor cleans (oh Lord, stop me now before my >sides split from so much laughter...I can..hardly....contain.......myself).
>That was then followed up immediately by a sketch involving three safety >team members coming into a high school and giving all the wrong types of >advice (like don't use condoms but if you do, prick a hole in the end of the >condom to allow bacteria room to breathe). This COULD HAVE been funny, but >it never was. Talented players like Fallon and Dratch were forced to play it >straight off of three leads who were just not funny if their lives depended >on it. The one guy who was a safety team member looked like he used to be on >Kids In The Hall (but that couldn't be the same guy, could it?)
>The Weekend Update segment was tragic in every sense of the word. I used to >think Norm MacDonald's stint on WU was the all-time low for this segment, >but i'm beginning to wonder if the Fey/Fallon combination will blow >MacDonald out of the water. Sad thing is, I've seen reruns of last season on >E! and it was funny and you believed Fallon and Fey were having a good time. >Now they just look like they are going through the motions. Were new writers >brought in over the summer? Did anyone leave? I mean seriously, not a single >solitary laugh was to be found throughout that whole segment.
>The one sketch that had the most potential was the Christina Aguilera >"Dirty" video segment, which poked fun at what a whore this girl has >publicly turned into. That was clearly the point behind the sketch and it >was comforting to know that SNL still had its pulse on what the rest of >America was apparently beginning to feel. That still didn't translate into >any laughs though. Maybe some minor chuckles. The acting was fine and Fallon >did the best he could with the material he was given, but clearly the >writing is just not sharp, intelligent or witty. It leaves much to be >desired.
>What I find galling is to hear the long stretches of silence that the >audience is suffering through, only to roar in applause as the sketch ends >and we segue into a commercial break. It's extremely phony. I realize that >the audience is prompted by the studio when to applaud, but one has to >wonder if the audience put some extra effort into their thunderous clapping >because they were truly grateful their misery had just ended and another >sketch was mercifully put out to pasture. >_______________
>Sheriff J.W. Icebreaker - "What are you boy? Some kind of doomsday machine?"
>It was painful to watch. The opening monologue was torture, and you're >absolutely correct-loads of time when the audience didn't even react. >I turned it off halfway through the first skit. >This is the worst season in a long time.
If you turned off that early, how do you know the rest of the show was bad?
SNL has been this way, very uneven, for several years now. The only difference is that because Will Ferrell is gone, the fans and the press are now paying attention. I don't know why people are now finding fault with what has been there for quite a long time.
>Yeah, well wait until next week...Sen. John McCain is the host, and we all know >how good he is at comedy. What are they thinking? >Billie
What - really?? Who's the musical guest? I might actually have to tape this one (can't stay up that late - am I old or what - lol).
-- Sophie See us at http://www.mcgehees.com "No one should pass an American in uniform without saying "Thank you, we are grateful." Always mindful that they are prepared to risk all their dreams so that all of us can reach ours." - former Secretary of Defense, William Cohen
>> So far, so bad. I watched the show last night with Sarah Michelle Gellar and >> was able to make it through the first hour only because I was sure there had >> to be at least A LAUGH somewhere in the show. I was wrong. Not only did I >> not laugh, but there were long periods of silence from the audience. Silence >> so complete you could have heard a pin drop. Where to begin?
> There were laughs as well.
> The spoof of Steven the Dell guy was hilarious, and I enjoyed some of the fake > ads (mainly the one about "our jobs and money are gone - we hate you Sadaam!")
>> Talented players like Fallon and Dratch were forced to play it >> straight off of three leads who were just not funny if their lives depended >> on it.
> What would that genius Fallon have done? Snickered and giggled his way through > the sketch? Amy Poehler (one of the leads) has more talent in her fingernail > than he has in his whole body.
>> I used to >> think Norm MacDonald's stint on WU was the all-time low for this segment,
> You must have avoided the Colin Quinn years.
> You obviously don't like the current SNL, and I can understand that. What I > don't understand is why you think Fallon would make this better. Were you > actually laughing more last year, when he pissed on so many sketches by > breaking up in them? Is that now considered great humor?
You are correct, his in-skit laughter was the cheap cue to the audience that, yes, hilarious things were in fact happening, and even if you didn't get it, now's the time to guffaw, because, after all, the witty and knowing Jim Fallon is splitting his gut over the sophisticated funny business.
> SNL has been this way, very uneven, for several years now. The only difference > is that because Will Ferrell is gone,
Say what? Ferrell wasn't the end-all, be-all of the show. He had his moments but the show can definitely live on without him.
> the fans and the press are now paying > attention. I don't know why people are now finding fault with what has been > there for quite a long time.
I'm accutely aware of the unevenness of the show. The quality goes in cycles. Personally I don't consider the loss of Gasteyer or Ferrell that big. If they had to leave, I wish they'd take Chris Parnell with them (he's the white version of Tim Meadows: consistently unfunny. If he made the cut with Jimmy Fallon, I shudder to think of the people who applied to get on SNL that Lorne Michaels actually thought had less talent that Parnell).
The two new shows of the season haven't just been mediocre...they've been awfully bad. Did MAD-TV think they really couldn't stand head-to-head competition against this? At 12: 30 I turned over to MAD-TV and within 30 seconds had laughed as much as I had in a whole hour of SNL. _______________
Sheriff J.W. Icebreaker - "What are you boy? Some kind of doomsday machine?"
>Say what? Ferrell wasn't the end-all, be-all of the show. He had his moments >but the show can definitely live on without him.
I'm glad you agree. So many don't.
>I'm accutely aware of the unevenness of the show. The quality goes in >cycles. Personally I don't consider the loss of Gasteyer or Ferrell that >big. If they had to leave, I wish they'd take Chris Parnell with them (he's >the white version of Tim Meadows: consistently unfunny. If he made the cut
Chris is the straight man, the person who plays the supporting role. Sometimes he gets to step into the limelight and do more. He isn't perfect, but I enjoy him far more than I do Horatio Sanz, Fallon, Chris Kattan, Dean Edwards, etc. I wish they hadn't chosen him to play Bush though. I wish they'd do away with those sketches altogether.
> If he made the cut >with Jimmy Fallon, I shudder to think of the people who applied to get on >SNL that Lorne Michaels actually thought had less talent that Parnell).
There are probably thousands out there who have less talent than Parnell. You call him the white Tim Meadows, which I don't totally agree with, but Tim had some funny moments as well. People like him and Chris are taken for granted while people like Chris Farley fall over tables, or Horatio Sanz sneers at the camera and jokes about bongs.
>The two new shows of the season haven't just been mediocre...they've been >awfully bad.
The first was. Last night's had it's moments. Hopefully the third will continue to improve.
Did MAD-TV think they really couldn't stand head-to-head
>competition against this? At 12: 30 I turned over to MAD-TV and within 30 >seconds had laughed as much as I had in a whole hour of SNL. >_______________
I'm glad MAD's improved, because by the time I quit watching at the beginning of last season, I had only laughed once or twice in a 6-month period. They managed to drive their recurring characters and bad impressions into the ground even faster than SNL does. I guess I should watch again, but I was burned so bad the last time, it doesn't seem to be worth the commitment.
>"AnthonyM1970" <anthonym1...@aol.comdown> wrote in message >news:20021013215918.09534.00000917@mb-cb.aol.com... >> Best line of the night was on WU Tina Fey said "Justin Guarini from >American >> Idol just signed a record deal..... for 99 cents he gets 10 CDs."
>And that's the reason why the show is awful right now. >_______________
I'd think a better reason would have been no funny lines. That was a *good* line.
I also enjoyed her protest cries against the Jewish Federation League, or whatever the title was (not because of them, because it was funny and unexpected).
Most of the Update jokes are usually funny. They were on the last one. They weren't very good on the premiere though.
>"AnthonyM1970" <anthonym1...@aol.comdown> wrote in message >news:20021013215918.09534.00000917@mb-cb.aol.com... >> Best line of the night was on WU Tina Fey said "Justin Guarini from >American >> Idol just signed a record deal..... for 99 cents he gets 10 CDs."
>And that's the reason why the show is awful right now. >_______________
I'd think a better reason would have been no funny lines. That was a *good* line. >>
Yes it was a good line but in a 90 minute show to have just one laugh out loud line is pretty sad.
>Yes it was a good line but in a 90 minute show to have just one laugh out >loud >line is pretty sad.
I laughed a few times. If not for some of those huge bombs that took up so much time (like the Christina "dirrrrrrrty" sketch), there probably would have been more laughs.
>>Yes it was a good line but in a 90 minute show to have just one laugh out >>loud >>line is pretty sad.
>I laughed a few times. If not for some of those huge bombs that took up so much >time (like the Christina "dirrrrrrrty" sketch), there probably would have been >more laughs.
Many of the sketches seem to drag on for a long time. They might be funny for the first minute or two, but after a while they become long and tiring. The Christina skit is a perfect example.
> Many of the sketches seem to drag on for a long time. They might be > funny for the first minute or two, but after a while they become long > and tiring. The Christina skit is a perfect example.
It's an SNL rule of thumb: If the sketch is great, it will be over too quick, but if it's terrible with no potential whatsoever, it will be stretched and padded into a marathon.
