TV: Saturday Night Live 40 years live? and beyond -MOD 724

Pilky01

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Jan 30, 2012
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Many times SNL will start with a good concept and have no clue how to wrap it up ('Dog-head Guy' being a prime example of this), but ATM wasn't one of those cases.

I know I have read that often time that is the hardest part of any sketch, but this happens so often that I treat most sketches like a 30 second bit and then click away knowing I have already seen the good part.

Also these people are professionals, at the pinnacle of the genre of sketch comedy....surely it isn't too much to expect a tight ending at least a couple times an epsiode.

The fall off in the "LIVE FROM NEW YORK...." cold openings is my biggest pet peeve of the show. The line is almost never written into natural dialogue the way it used to be.....now they simply finish the sketch and the "LIVE FROM NEW YORK...." has literally no connection to the sketch or dialogue that preceded it.
 

Tasty Biscuits

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Aug 8, 2011
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I know I have read that often time that is the hardest part of any sketch, but this happens so often that I treat most sketches like a 30 second bit and then click away knowing I have already seen the good part.

Also these people are professionals, at the pinnacle of the genre of sketch comedy....surely it isn't too much to expect a tight ending at least a couple times an epsiode.

Absolutely. As someone who does and has done sketch comedy at theaters, it's definitely tough, and even easier to overthink it, but it's obviously not impossible. In any (good) sketch, you've got your premise, and then you continue to hit that initial premise and heighten it. After that, in my experience (which doesn't really mean much), there are four main ways to end the a sketch: 1) Over-heighten the premise, 2) De-heighten the premise 3) Put a twist on the premise 4) Resolution of plot with a funny joke. 3 is usually the best and oftentimes goes hand-in-hand with 1 and 2 (both of which are rooted in 3). You can probably guess which one of those is the weakest.

From this past episode, the drunk boyfriend video was a solid example of #3. You've got drunk boyfriend doll premise, you play it, you play it some more, and then you end it with a pop-in twist of a drunk girlfriend to give you a good button.

Key and Peele usually did a solid job of wrapping up their sketches. The very first East/West bowl always comes to mind. You've got your crazy name game, you heighten it by making the names weirder and weirder, and then you de-heighten/twist it with the white mormon guy "Dan Smith."

Granted, Key & Peele had the benefit of not being a live show. I think the toughest thing for this current crop of SNL writers/performers is the time constraint and the production of the show. They've probably only got like 3-4 days max to write the sketches before all those crazy sets needs to be build and the sketches get blocked and all that stuff.

I'm completely with you though. It's not too much to expect. Clearly, 90s/00s SNL followed the same format and were able to consistently deliver better sketches (though the sets then weren't as crazy as they are now. I personally think they've gone a bit overboard whenever they use special effects and the like). Part of it is probably too many cooks, but I do think it mainly is just a talent thing. Very few can thrive under that type of format.
 

Langdon Alger

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Apr 19, 2006
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And I don't understand how it wasn't.

Different strokes for different folks. :dunno:

I mean, did you really think Keenan looked like a threatening mugger?

I agree with you about it being predictable with the Keenan and Rockwell part. I was just saying the stuff that came after with Chris Redd I didn’t see coming. I just assumed the whole sketch was going to be with Thompson and Rockwell and it would end there.

Gnome sane?
 

donkshow

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Aug 19, 2007
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Is there anywhere other than YouTube where the SNL sketches are posted? SNL YouTube blocks Canadians which is so stupid.
 
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Pilky01

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Moron audience had no idea who Leslie Jones was supposed to be until Ferrell literally spelled it out for them. :shakehead

Also she f***ed up like the second word out of her mouth. Almost have to wonder if she has a legit learning disability.
 
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Pilky01

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The reality show bit was great. They should do a version of that every week, just updating the mundane bullshit.
 

Langdon Alger

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I’ve been rewatching some shows from like 5-6 years ago. What a cast.

Wiig
Armisen
Hader
Seudekis
Meyers
Samberg
Moynihan
Keenan
Pedrad

McKinnon, Killam, Bayer, Pharoah as featured players

That’s a strong period in the shows history in my opinion. Not the best, but pretty damn good.
 
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Pilky01

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Seemed like a really poor episode this week. Weekend Update was unusually weak.

Favourite line of the show was in the new Natalie Portman rap when the shrink guy says to her "you seem the exact same just with updated references". At least they're self aware.
 

Paul Dipietro

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Dec 16, 2009
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Seemed like a really poor episode this week. Weekend Update was unusually weak.

Favourite line of the show was in the new Natalie Portman rap when the shrink guy says to her "you seem the exact same just with updated references". At least they're self aware.
They mailed it in this episode. The opening Fox and Friends skit was especially terrible

Best part of the show was Dua Lipa (and I'm not a big fan of her music)
 

The Mars Volchenkov

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I didn't see last night but the times they've had the Trump brothers on Weekend Update have been great. I've seen some say they don't like Mikey Day but I think he's great.
 

Langdon Alger

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Apr 19, 2006
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I didn't see last night but the times they've had the Trump brothers on Weekend Update have been great. I've seen some say they don't like Mikey Day but I think he's great.

He and Moffat are good. They could really overhaul the cast though. Lots of dead weight there imo.
 

Tasty Biscuits

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He and Moffat are good. They could really overhaul the cast though. Lots of dead weight there imo.

I don't think a massive overhaul would be needed. Right now there are a lot of solid performers but barely any all-stars.

Aidy Bryant, Leslie Jones, Pete Davidson, that new guy who's in nothing (Luke Null?) should all go. They've had enough time to make a significant mark. I like Villasenor, and though it seems like they might be giving her more to do, I don't think they're utilizing her (a voice specialist) to her strengths, so that might be another spot that's better served on someone else. So you've got 5 right there whose absence would hardly be felt.

Sidenote, the last 2 episodes have been fairly solid. Sterling K. Brown in particular was one of the best hosts (certainly best first time host) of the season, no question.
 

Langdon Alger

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Apr 19, 2006
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I don't think a massive overhaul would be needed. Right now there are a lot of solid performers but barely any all-stars.

Aidy Bryant, Leslie Jones, Pete Davidson, that new guy who's in nothing (Luke Null?) should all go. They've had enough time to make a significant mark. I like Villasenor, and though it seems like they might be giving her more to do, I don't think they're utilizing her (a voice specialist) to her strengths, so that might be another spot that's better served on someone else. So you've got 5 right there whose absence would hardly be felt.

Sidenote, the last 2 episodes have been fairly solid. Sterling K. Brown in particular was one of the best hosts (certainly best first time host) of the season, no question.

I’d like to see more of Null before we banish him, but I can’t say I’ve been too impressed so far. The other three you mentioned I agree with. I can’t figure Aidy Bryant out. Sometimes she’s funny, amd other times I feel like I’m done with her. I’ve warmed up to Leslie, used to hate her, but I wouldn’t miss her if she left. Pete Davidson is just not funny to me. If I’m the only one I’ll shutup, to quote the cowbell sketch.

Not sure about Heidi Gardner to be honest. I’d like to see more from Chris Redd.

The show has lost a lot of talent in the last few years.
 

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