Best of SNL 40

Saturday Night Live celebrated 40 Years with a Sunday Night special...live from New York, of course. Overall it was an enjoyable show, and quite amazing to the crew that pulled it all together in what was probably a pretty crazy week. The show was big on nostalgia with plenty of clips from 1975 to the present.

My one gripe is that there weren't quite enough sketches, yet there were three musical performances. And one of them was Kanye West and his Auto-Tune...yawn. So if you tuned in expecting to see 3 hours full of new versions of your favorite sketches from the 1970's to now, you were kind of out of luck. Here are the best moments:

1. Wayne's World. Possibly the most famous recurring sketch was thankfully brought back to life towards the end of the special to deliver one of their always fun Top 10 lists. The best was when they ran through the list of musical performers. Three of The Beatles, U2, Nirvana, Beyonce & Beck were some named. And of course, Garth mentioned how he thought Beck was a better performer than Beyonce. Cue Kanye West jokes, which he was in on, having "security" hold him down.

2. Weekend Update. Tina Fey, Amy Poehler & Jane Curtin came together for a funny and entertaining version of the SNL staple. It featured some tributes to classic SNL characters portrayed by former stars who have since passed away (such as Emma Stone playing Gilda Radner's "Roseanne Roseannadanna"). Stefon made an appearance, and he and Seth Meyers are parents now! But the highlight goes to Curtin: "I used to be the only pretty blonde reading fake news. Now there's a whole network devoted to that." Then the Fox News logo pops up.

3. Jim Carrey. This was technically before the show, but Carrey asked Matt Lauer & Savannah Guthrie if he could ask them something. His question: "Where are you hiding Brian Williams?" Lauer awkwardly responded, "Oh, look at the time." Carrey followed with, "In his defense, if the helicopter in front of me gets hit, I'm taking the story." Perfect!

 

4. Celebrity Jeopardy. Will Ferrell & Darrell Hammond did battle again as Alex Trebek & Sean Connery and it was just as good as it always was. Kate McKinnon also did her perfect Justin Bieber impression, and Norm Macdonald brought back Burt Reynolds.

5. Martin Short & Maya Rudolph (as Beyonce). They paid tribute to the musical sketches of SNL, with perfect use of a fan on Maya-Beyonce. It featured Will Ferrell & Ana Gasteyer as their desperately trying to be hip church singers, The Culps. Adam Sandler brought back Operaman and the Blues Brothers showed up.

6. Justin Timberlake & Jimmy Fallon Opening. The dynamic duo did a musical rundown of the most memorable characters in SNL history. Molly Shannon showed up as Mary Katherine Gallagher and then Rachel Dratch appeared as Debbie Downer to bring down the mood just a little bit as only she can. Always remember - Feline Aids is the number one killer of domestic cats.

7. Ellen Cleghorne. Jerry Seinfeld did a segment which we see a lot of on SNL, taking questions from cast members & others sitting in the audience. He called Sarah Palin Tina which provided an amusing skit between the two. But, Larry David and former cast member Cleghorne were the best, with it going something like this:
Cleghorne - "Why aren't there more black women?"
Seinfeld - "On the show?"
Cleghorne - "No just in general. There should be black women popping out of drawers." Jerry agreed that there should be more, and then she asked where they were on his show Seinfeld. Burn!

8. Betty White & Bradley Cooper Kiss. The Californians went way too long, and there were so many other sketches they probably could have done instead. It did however feature a fun performance from original cast member, Laraine Newman. And it also had a long kiss between Betty White and Bradley Cooper, which wasn't just a peck on the lips. That's something you might never see again!

The Annual Golden Globes Censor Fail

There were about four reasons to watch the Golden Globes this year.

1. Tine Fey & Amy Poehler, who are guaranteed to bring out some laughs.

2. To see if anyone would curse and/or have a drunken speech that sends the censors into a panic.

3. To get a speech that is actually interesting to listen to, from Sandra Bullock and/or Tom Hanks, two people who know how to deliver a top notch speech with humor and humility without being dramatic.

4. U2.

Well, 20 minutes into the show and Jacqueline Bisset said "Shit" and NBC botched the censorship and only got the words leading up to "Shit". I thankfully flipped back just in time! And she definitely seemed drunk as well, which is what sets the Golden Globes apart...alcohol on the tables. It is no doubt boring sitting there for hours (as most awards shows are), so it seems someone curses and rambles every year after knocking back copious amounts of wine/champagne.

Poehler and Fey were great of course, playing off each other perfectly, featuring a nice bit with Julia Louis-Dreyfus and an electronic cigarette. Poehler also jokingly made out with Bono after winning Best Supporting Actress in a TV comedy. Sandra Bullock & Tom Hanks presented an award together, and hopefully one or both will win later in the show to show everyone how a speech is done.

Sandra Bullock Cleans Up

Award Show season has arrived. Usually that tends to elicit a yawn and a big "who gives a rats ass?" from most people. And usually they can be a big fat bore fest.

However, Sandra Bullock is back on the scene this year, and nobody knows how to give an interesting speech or interview quite like she does. At the People's Choice Awards, she took home prizes for "Favorite Actress", "Favorite Comedic Actress" and "Favorite Dramatic Actress". It's safe to say we know who America's favorite actress is. And sure enough her speech was funny, humble, and authentic. 

Tina Fey and Amy Poehler are also back to host the 71st Golden Globes this year, adding a level of fun to the awards show that is sure to bring out some laughs much like it did last year. Even if you just keep it on in the background, be sure to perk your heads up whenever they come on screen. 

Amy Poehler & Billy Eichner Go Caroling

The streets of New York City are always an interesting place, so Amy Poehler and Billy Eichner decided to go Christmas Caroling and trying to get people to join in with them for a dollar. Of course, hilarity ensues. It's quite amazing how many times they were snubbed! I would carol with them in a heartbeat. Be sure to watch Billy on the Street's hysterical videos with SNL alum Rachel Dratch as well.

Why 'Modern Family' Shouldn't Win The Outstanding Comedy Series Emmy in 2013

Neil Patrick Harris hosts the 65th Emmy Awards

Nominations for the 65th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards will be announced on July 18. Modern Family is one of the best written shows on Television, and has won the Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series three straight years. Its actually the only show to win it this decade so far. You can be sure it will be a finalist once again. However, even though I love the show, it would be a shame if it won a fourth straight time.

This past season, while good as usual, wasn't quite as strong as the previous three, and was out-shined by a number of other comedy series. Here are the following comedy shows I would rather see win the Emmy Award this time around.

The Big Bang Theory - Well this is the most obvious choice. In a time where broadcast shows are getting lower ratings thanks to rapidly increased competition from cable & pay channels (as well as streaming services like Netflix & Amazon), The Big Bang Theory has become a juggernaut. The show is the most watched sitcom since Friends. Its also really grown and come into its own since it premiered in the fall of 2007. The first & second seasons ended up 68th & 44th respectively in the final Nieslen Rankings. The most recent fifth & sixth seasons ranked 8th & 3rd. You can bet that the seventh season is a safe bet to become the top rated show by the end of the 2013-2014 season. The series has made nerds cool, and its time for the rise of the nerds to be capped off with an Emmy.

Parks & Recreation - One of the most underrated shows on Television. Parks & Rec, much like NBC's former 30 Rock, suffers from low ratings. However, it is one of the most laugh out loud shows currently on Television. Amy Poehler is the driving force, and the cast around her including occasional characters makes it feel like a live action version of The Simpsons.

The Middle - Modern Family gets most of the attention on ABC, yet The Middle has stood well on its own for the past few years. This season it exuded a sense of warmth around its dysfunctional family comedy with each & every episode, outshining the higher rated Modern Family for the first time. This year could be its best chance to strike Emmy gold.

The Office - The 2006 winner for Outstanding Comedy Series gave a final season that satisfied fans and critics alike. The show brought a satisfying conclusion to each and every one of its quirky characters that we grew to love over the past 9 seasons. The ensemble cast has been the shows strong point, and this year all their story lines came to a close in an emotionally funny way, without being too over the top. And I'm still mad that Steve Carell never won an Emmy for portraying Michael Scott. Its unlikely to be nominated, but I still think the final season is worthy, and was better than Modern Family this year.

Veep - The political satire stars Julia Louis-Dreyfuss as Vice President Selina Meyer, who just can't help but screw up time and again in the most hilarious of ways. The series uses its political humor without actually taking shots at any specific parties (which aren't mentioned), its more about the system we have and how ridiculous politics in general can be, which is much more satisfying.

I'm tempted to include The Mindy Project, but its tough for a freshman series to get a nomination & win. Mindy Kaling has a great chance to leave with some hardware herself though.

The 65th Primetime Emmy Awards will be held on September 15 on CBS, and hosted by the hilarious & reliable Neil Patrick Harris once again.

'Anchorman 2' First Full Trailer

The first full trailer for Anchorman 2 has been released, and it delivers some pretty funny lines without showing any footage from the film or giving away any of the plot. The trailer only features Ron Burgundy (Will Ferrell), Brick Tamland (Steve Carell), Brian Fantana (Paul Rudd) & Champ Kind (David Koechner).

The sequel to the 2004 hit comedy also stars Christina Applegate, Kristen Wiig, Harrison Ford, Meagan Good, Chris Parnell, Fred Willard, Luke Wilson, & Vince Vaughn. There are also reportedly cameos from Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, Sacha Baron Cohen, Kirsten Dunst, and Jim Carrey.

I'm most excited to see if Carell will have more screen time, and Kristen Wiig as his wife. Her and Carell should easily play off each other to deliver the best laughs of this movie. When the first film came out in 2004, Carell had yet to break out, which he did in 2005 as the lead in The 40-Year-Old Virgin and of course as Michael Scott on The Office. He was in Bruce Almighty in 2003, though Anchorman was the first film that showcased his ability, and now he is the biggest star in the film right now, along with Wiig.

Anchorman 2 is out in December.

SNL Says Goodbye to Some Veterans

The season finale of Saturday Night Live was also the final episode for Kristen Wiig, Andy Samberg and possibly Jason Sudeikis; all of which joined the show together in 2005 along with Bill Hader. Some reports say Sudeikis is unsure if he wants to leave. He does portray Mitt Romney, so unless someone else takes that over he could be back for the fall.

SNL sent Kristen Wiig off in memorable style, one of the best they've ever done. With Arcade Fire and Mick Jagger performing The Rolling Stones classic songs "She's a Rainbow" and "Ruby Tuesday", she danced with each of the cast members and shed some tears. Some alumni also returned for that moment - Amy Poehler, Rachel Dratch and Chris Kattan. Her humor will be missed, but this just gives her more time for movies and TV. The "Bridesmaids" star has six movies in the pipeline as of now.

Andy Samberg also said farewell, with the final SNL Digital Short airing - "Lazy Sunday 2" with Chris Parnell. The duo started the Digital Short idea back in 2005 with "Lazy Sunday" and it went viral on the web, ushering in a new era and coolness-factor for SNL. It also helped YouTube reach new heights, which is referenced in "Lazy Sunday 2." One of my favorite shorts is the "Natalie Rap" with Natalie Portman from 2006.

Now of course people will be saying "How will SNL survive without 'so-and-so'" and "The show will not be the same." People have been saying that since the 1970s, and the show continues on and new talent rises. While its sad to see them go, this is how SNL works. New people step up, and hopefully some of the newer cast can do that now that they have the chance. Former cast members of Wiig, Sudeikis and Samberg's caliber go on to do much more. (And they always return to SNL for fun) Here are some examples of former cast currently making us laugh elsewhere:

Tina Fey - If Fey didn't leave SNL, we wouldn't have gotten the great "30 Rock". Next year is the final season for "30 Rock".
Amy Poehler - Left SNL to star in NBC's "Parks & Recreation", one of the best comedies on TV.
Jimmy Fallon - Has his own late night talk show.
Will Ferrell - Don't even need to mention the countless movies he has done.
Maya Rudolph - On NBC's new hit "Up All Night". Her character Ava is one of the best on TV. Also did "Bridesmaids" with Wiig.
Julia Louis-Dreyfus - Went on to the TV classic Seinfeld, and currently stars on HBO's incredibly funny new show "Veep".
Ana Gasteyer & Chris Parnell - Currently playing a funny and dysfunctional couple on ABC's best new comedy "Suburgatory."
Molly Shannon - The queen of guest roles, recently featured in "Up All Night", "Glee" and "The Middle."

So basically, SNL will be fine. Taran Killam and Vanessa Bayer will probably be getting more screen time. No pressure. Watch Wiig's Farewell and "Lazy Sunday 2" below.

The Office After Steve Carell

So how has The Office fared without Steve Carell as Michael Scott the past two weeks? The episode two weeks ago, Will Ferrel's last episode was good but a bit awkward. Probably because it was the first one without Carell. Last night's episode titled "Dwight K. Schrute (Acting) Manager" was much better, and seeing the regular cast members just interact with each other created some great laughs, courtesy of Dwight being the acting manager of Dunder Mifflin. There were a lot of fresh laughs, so if you stopped watching after Carell left then you missed plenty of great laughs last night. We'll see what they do with the one hour season finale next week.

Parks & Recreation had two new episodes last night. The first introduced Tom's drink that got everyone wasted, Snake Juice. Leslie and Ann's drunken fight was spot on, mimicking many you may have seen before. The second episode featured Ron teaching a 9 year old girl about the horrors of the government and how they steal tax money. And he gave her a land mine to protect her property. This show keeps churning out hilarious material. Watch it!    http://www.nbc.com/parks-and-recreation/

And let's give some love to the always funny Donna:

Parks and Recreation & Other Funny Things

NBCs Parks and Recreation, starring SNL alum Amy Poehler, has been one of the smartest and funniest shows on TV, especially the current 3rd season. The three show punch of Parks & Recreation, The Office, and 30 Rock may not have the ratings of Friends and Seinfeld, but all three shows pack the laughs and interesting characters.

This weeks Parks & Recreation finally gave us the Harvest Festival that they've been planning. It was my favorite episode so far, mainly due to some small things, like the Festival appearance of "Larry Bird's 84 year old Aunt Tilda Bird" signing autographs, and the Pawnee star mini horse Li'l Sebastian. Another favorite was a spoof of the Taiwanese animation videos:

Check out the first season if you've never seen it. 

And some randomness, but here is the exclusive new Lady GaGa music video. She's really outdone herself this time, and got out there with the people and has some great ice skating technique: