How Would You Review the 2003-2004 "SNL" Season?

[TMC]

-I kind of hate to say this, but I don't really think that I'm going to be so bent out of shape over Jimmy Fallon leaving. Fallon has proven to be an excellent impressionist (e.g. Chris Rock) and has been apparently been pushed into the main event/fronter status after Will Ferrell left. But at the same time, Fallon's frequent giggle-fits w/ Horatio Sanz seriously took their toll. Because of this, Fallon became more of a liability (especially the more often he was paired w/ Sanz) than something very beneficial like when he was starting out on SNL.

-Personally, rather than have Tina Fey do "Weekend Update" all by herself if not simply find another male co-anchor, I would want her to either take a behind the scenes roll (which she was already doing as the head writer) or push herself in regular skits more often. To be fair, Tina Fey isn't as bad of an achor as her predecessor Colin Quinn, but Fey's unabashed smugness and shameless habit at using WU as an all out excuse to create a personal left-wing soapbox (i.e. her frequent variations about how George W. Bush is "dumb" yet nothing to say about John Kerry or any other Democratic opponent as far as I can recall to say the least) became just as big as a distraction as Jimmy Fallon & Horatio Sanz's giggle-fits. "Weekend Update" as gradually gone down-hill ever since Norm McDonald was booted anyway!
Tina Fey's Politics

-Can anybody fill me in on why Jeff Richards was kicked off the show mid-season when Tina Fey, Jimmy Fallon, and Horatio Sanz were a much more obvious liability (at least if you ask me) to the season!?

-I notice that "SNL" really wanted to aim deeply for the MTV crowd (which isn't necessarily a good or bad thing) w/ Justin Timberlake, Nick & Jessica, Christina Aguilera, Snoop Dogg, Lindsey Lohan, Janet Jackson, and the Olsens hosting. Not to mention a blatent "Flavor of the Month" pick in the form of Donald Trump given his "Apprentice" success. The only people who seemed to be there based mainly and/or first and fore-most for their comedic skills were Jack Black, Megan Mullally from "Will & Grace", and I guess in a way, Alec Baldwin (given that he's hosted "SNL" a lot of times).

-Bringing back Ana Gasteyer, Chris Kataan, and Tracy Morgan (not once, but twice for the latter) so soon after they initially left just screamed desperation if you ask me. Especially in the case for Gasteyer was "SNL" apparently couldn't find anybody else that was suitable to play Martha Stewart.

-I really hate to say this, but frankly, I'm afraid that it's time to let Darrell Hammond go, whom I'm afraid has stayed about a season or two too long. You had to have known that Hammond's time was up when "SNL" had to rely on him to protray a rather flat & uninspired George W. Bush (in between, Chris Parnell & Will Forte).

-Why did "SNL" insist on showing us the "Huggies Thong" bumpers at least three times this past season!?

Best/Worst Episodes of 2003-2004

1st Annual Birddogger Awards (2 articles)

Subject: Thoughts on the show and season (J-Kwon?)

Comic Book Resources Forums > Miscellaneous Forums > TV/Film

[Dean Winchester]

--- way too much pandering to the TRL crowd

--- I personally liked the fact that Kattan, Gasteyer (sp?), Ferrill and Morgan all made appearences this season. Good to realize they all know SNL made them, and that they aren't ingrateful. Compare that to someone like Eddie Murphy or Adam Sandler who once they left, never bothered looking back once at the show that made them superstars.

--- way too many rap musical guests. SNL used to be LIVE MUSIC. Ever since Christina Aguilera lipsynched on SNL a few years ago (even Jennifer Lopez tried to sing live... tho her voice cracked), SNL had gotten more and more pre-recorded, that's not cool IMO

--- Tina Fey, Maya Rudolph, Will Forte, Chris Parnell and the guy who did Prince were the best this season

--- I loved the Prince skits

--- I am shocked Jimmy Fallon left, but most of his regular characters (the webcam dorm-room stoner, the rude radio host) got old fast

--- many of the "featured players" this season seemed to have more fun than the regulars.

--- I am also shocked Darrell Hammond is still here, when basically everyone else from the 1995 cast has left



I wonder if SNL will reshuffle again in 2005 much like it did in 1985 and 1995... giving the show a new look and cast.

[dlemond]

SNL needs new blood fast.

And the pandering to the TRL crowd shows how off base and grasping they are.

Get to reality- 13 year olds really aren't watching SNL as much as people think.

No SNL show ever begged for the teeny boppers before, it's pretty embarrasing.

[Dean Winchester]

Originally posted by dlemond
SNL needs new blood fast.

And the pandering to the TRL crowd shows how off base and grasping they are.

Get to reality- 13 year olds really aren't watching SNL as much as people think.

No SNL show ever begged for the teeny boppers before, it's pretty embarrasing.

I agree, SNL has had a lot of "hot" stars before, but usually it was someone who appealed to 20-somethings. Lindsey Lohan just isn't very well-known to people over 16.

When I was a teen, I don't remember so many MTV-type hosts.

[*Pleasant Tomorrow*]

Eh, I do agree with the whole TRL crowd thing. With Lindsay Lohan, it just had to happen because she was in Tina's movie...but Mary Kate and Ashley...eh. I'm 15, but that crap doesn't appeal to me. Still, I love the cast and try to focus more on them. I think overall the season was pretty good.

Need better musical guests, too, though. I usually go take a pee or something when they come on.

[TMC]

http://www.defamer.com/topic/fallon...date-004161.php

Jimmy Fallon has broken character and cracked up at his own antics on Saturday Night Live for the last time. Fallon will leave the show to pursue a movie career; too bad his last episode was marred by the Olsen Twins proving themselves to have the comic gifts of your average, developmentally disabled poodle. We can only hope that Lorne Michaels and Fallon are going to spare us a movie version of pot-smoking webcam sketch "Jarret's Room," which was Wayne's World plus drugs and minus laughs.

But who's going to occupy the empty chair next to Tina Fey on the Weekend Update set? She and Fallon made it the best part of the show. (Okay, mostly Fey.) Fey might wind up going it alone, but we hear that featured player and rising star Fred Armisen might get the call-up while Fallon tries to become more Adam Sandler than Tim Meadows.

[bschmale1113]

Will not be suprise that Hillay Duff or one of stars of the O.C will be hosting next season I was not suprise that the Olsens Twins hosted this season but I was Suprise that Linday Lohan hosted this season I will Love Mandy Moore to host next season beacuse she a great actress and very funny

[barwars]

Originally posted by BuffySlayer79
--- way too much pandering to the TRL crowd

I wonder if SNL will reshuffle again in 2005 much like it did in 1985 and 1995... giving the show a new look and cast.

ditto, and ditto.

I hate the teeny-bopper phase the show has gone into.
And STOP reusing the commercials.

Hopefully 2005 will have SNL see a "new life" with a few cast members staying (mainly the "featured players" and Tina Fey) while bringing in a new cast.

[TMC]

Board: TV General

Re: How Would You Review the 2003-2004 'SNL' Season?

by - Vanilla-sky (Sat May 22 16:44:33) Ignore this User | Report Abuse


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I am a pretty loyal SNL fan, and I'm in my mid teens! But I feel these past 20 or-so episodes have been pretty lame. Not that they were terrible, but the hosts haven't been good. They have really been trying to appeal to the MTV generation, which I can't stand! I think it kills brain cells. I feel very sad the past few cast members left. And I feel the "giggle fits" b/t Fallon and Sanz are hilarious! Mainly when Sanz plays Elton John or Jimmy Buffet...

Re: How Would You Review the 2003-2004 'SNL' Season?

by - jazman-6 6 days ago (Sun May 23 00:50:25) Ignore this User | Report Abuse


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TMC-4, you brought up some excellent points. Jimmy Fallon started to look like a cast member of the Carol Burnett show he lost it on stage so much. Great talent, but so long.

Overall I thought the season was weak, last season as well. Although I thought they finished on a high note with the Olsen twins episode. My favorite part of SNL the past few years has been Weekend Update. Darrell Hammond (despite usually opening the show) had a very reduced role this year - almost as if they are trying nicely to say bye-bye but don't have the heart to let him go.

One of my pet peeves the past couple years is the "cue-card dilema". Yes I know there's a need to use cue cards because of the constant last minute revisions, but you'd think the director of the show could block the scenes a little better so that it wasn't so obvious that the cast are reading off of cards ten feet away. Most of the time, the cast aren't even looking at the characters they are talking too. Doesn't anyone at SNL realize the crap production they are putting out there?

Sadly anytime the show attempts to "push the envelope" it relies on some vomiting special effect or other gross out scene much like the original cast of 75-79 relied heavily on "drug" humor to get the cheap laugh. It is indeed time for some new blood, both in the casting and in the writing of the show. Perhaps it is finally time for Lorne Michaels to realize that he's become soft in his vision and it's time to step it up again.

SNL used to be the major source of parody and topical humor. I think most are finding it elsewhere (such as The Daily Show and Chappelle). Like I said, I believe it's time again for SNL to start taking some chances. Do the writers at SNL pay attention to what's going on in the world today? I sometimes wonder.

"Snack bar closes in five minutes"

Re: How Would You Review the 2003-2004 'SNL' Season?

by - CaptHayfever 6 days ago (Sun May 23 11:09:45) Ignore this User | Report Abuse


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I've actually liked it quite a bit.
Asides from the Huggies Thong fiasco (and yet the studio audience still laughed at it even the third time), it's been a pretty good season.

Richards really wasn't all that funny. Tina still does a good Update (and she's the head writer), and Jimmy had probably told Lorne that it was his last season anyway. As for Horatio....he has his moments.

The hosts have been up & down. Nick & Jessica were actually really good, but Jack Black's episode fell a little flat at points, to be honest. I know, I was surprised too. Lohan was probably hired not as bait for MTVers, but because she was in Fey's movie.

And hiring Kenan Thompson? Brilliant. He's been great when they've actually put him in there.

Re: How Would You Review the 2003-2004 'SNL' Season?

by - georgie_the_robot 6 days ago (Sun May 23 15:39:19) Ignore this User | Report Abuse


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sad to see jimmy go
need clean up tina fey's left-wing reign
darrell hammond-it's your time to go sweetie( but i love "hardball")
maya rudolph- hilarious( but i don't like versace)
kenen thompson is awesome
that finesse guy could leave and i wouldn't notice
love rachel dratch
amy poehler sometimes annoys me
seth meyer can sometimes get a laugh out of me
cris parnell is ok
love horatio
but the writing this year was not that great, it had some hilarious moments but it's got to get something to kick it in gear.

"You were my first kiss ever?"-Monica Bing

Re: How Would You Review the 2003-2004 'SNL' Season?

by - thislove2188 5 days ago (Mon May 24 06:14:43) Ignore this User | Report Abuse


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IT SUCKSSSS SOOO MUCH!!!!! ugh i refuse to watch it if possible ever since Will Ferrell left its been nothin but sh-t tina fey and jimmy fallon are the only two good ones, one of which is leaving so whatever idk wtf lorne michaels is doing but hes sucking at it, reallly badly

YOU GOT SERVED

Re: How Would You Review the 2003-2004 'SNL' Season?

by - Noley 5 days ago (Mon May 24 10:49:29) Ignore this User | Report Abuse


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Dunno, haven't watched since the time of Mike Myers and Dana Carvey

---Owen Wilson is the worst actor in history---

Re: How Would You Review the 2003-2004 'SNL' Season?

by - panaboydean 5 days ago (Mon May 24 15:54:29) Ignore this User | Report Abuse


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i know this isn't really on topic, but i watched satnitelive from the beginning and i can hardly stand to look at it anymore--so bad--i like to catch the weekend update thing......

where did tina fey get that incredible scar?--everyone probably knows the answer to this, but i gave up on satnitelive long ago and i only catch a few minutes of it here and there and she is so good, she is really the only cast member right now i know by name--would someone please indulge me and tell me what everyone else already knows--i like to think she was in some incredible knife fight in a lesbian bar, staking her claim to whitney houston while madonna slashed her with a shiv......



"the world is not black and white, it's gray."--mr. rosso, "freaks and geeks".

Re: How Would You Review the 2003-2004 'SNL' Season?

by - CaptHayfever 5 days ago (Mon May 24 17:05:13) Ignore this User | Report Abuse


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That would certainly be a surprise to her husband.

Re: How Would You Review the 2003-2004 'SNL' Season?

by - Immy 1 day ago (Fri May 28 15:35:33) Ignore this User | Report Abuse

UPDATED Fri May 28 15:37:18

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Been watching SNL since the beginning (with somewhat of a hiatus in the late 80's & early 90's) but I don't recall laughing at some of the skits as much as I did this year. Some shows were clearly duds (Trump, Al Sharpton) but there were some absolute gems (Xtina Aguilera, Janet Jackson).
WU has tranformed into One-Liner Update but some of them are side-splittingly funny. Agree the Fallon/Sands giggle-fests were getting annoying, and is there anybody else besides Horatio who can guest on WU.
Running characters - Really like the majority of them with the exception of Fred Armison's "I'm just keeding!" guy. His "Ay, Dios Mios!" was barely funny to begin with and is now tiresome. Achingly funny is Rachel Dratch's Debbie Downer. O..M...G, did I roll laughing at the Disneyland skit involving her. The whole cast could barely make it through it. More, more, more! Really like the trio of characters (Armison, Dratch, Sanz) who all take part in various social activities, Fred's "Herb Fischer" especially.

I can give or take the musical guests. They could eliminate that all together and I wouldn't mind.

Just wish they wouldn't take so many weeks off.





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