SNL Season 35: What’s Wrong?

[TMC]

http://bjdwsm.wordpress.com/2010/04/...5-whats-wrong/

The current SNL season is almost finished, and by and large it’s been a disappointment. It’s not quite at the point it was in the infamously bad seasons (1980-81, 1994-95), but after coming off a particularly strong 2008-09 season (buoyed in part by Tina Fey’s cameo appearances as Sarah Palin), the drop in quality is still noticeable and that if things don’t get fixed soon, it’s going to get worse.

The biggest changes in the makeup of the show over the last summer were the departure of longtime castmember Darrell Hammond (who made several cameos this season anyway) and the replacement of two of last year’s featured players, Michaela Watkins and Casey Wilson. Hammond, the last remaining member of the 1995-96 “comeback” cast was long expected to leave for years but kept sticking around to do his customary one impression per episode. It always seemed surprising that he would continue to be back every fall, shattering previous castmember longevity records each season he was on; it was even more jarring when the show’s opening montage no longer featured him. Of the featured players, Casey Wilson seemed most likely to be replaced either way; I did think she had solid comedy chops and was a refreshingly different presence on the show, but she never really got many significant roles in her 30 show tenure. Michaela Watkins, though, was a surprise: with two recurring bits (Bitch Pleeze and Today Show) in not even a full season, she seemed all but certain to be back for next year. Despite the outcry on several SNL message boards and rumors that their dismissal may not have been entirely based on performance, both are now part of a growing list of castmembers who didn’t necessarily reach their full potential on the show.

Watkins and Wilson were replaced by Jenny Slate and Nasim Pedrad. The petite Pedrad had a relatively strong first season, doing a number several spotlight sketches and Weekend Update commentaries. Slate had a rougher year, owing partially to the incident on the season opener where she accidentally uttered *beep* instead of ”freakin’”, and hasn’t been getting a lot of airtime, let alone chances for a breakout. It didn’t help that for the first part of the season Slate had this obvious awkwardness and discomfort whenever she was on camera (again, probably due to the premiere incident). Last year’s sole returning female featured player, Abby Elliott, has been getting a few impressions on the show, including a particularly ill-timed take on Brittany Murphy, but has yet to carry a sketch on her own.

The three featured females have been overshadowed by Kristen Wiig, the alpha female and breakout star of SNL’s last few years. Wiig has been getting a good deal of coverage as the new face of SNL, but like a lot of other times SNL’s reaction to a bit of positive notice is to milk it for all its worth: Wiig has been front and centre on SNL, especially now that Amy Poehler is off the show. By default, all the significant female roles in sketches go to Wiig, to the point of overexposure. As well, a lot of her more recent recurring characters, such as psychopathic schoolgirl Gilly and dimbulb Trina, are not that strong and could be seen as Wiig-for-Wiig’s-sake. It reminds me of how when Jimmy Fallon star power rose after he hosted the 2002 MTV Video Music Awards, there were a lot more bad, directionless sketches with him and Horatio Sanz such as the aquarium repairmen or the interminable 8-minute Saddam and Osama.

As much as Wiig’s dominance is a problem, it’s the writing that’s been the weakest part for years. Before the season began, the overstuff writing roster added a number of new members, but instead of fresh ideas, the writing seems even more stale and uninspired than ever. This season in particular has been the year of the pointlessly recurring character: chances are that if a sketch in an episode isn’t a recurring one yet, you’re going to see it again later this year. The most egregious examples are the Kenan Thompson rave-up What Up With That and the ESPN Classic Ladysports featuring Jason Sudeikis and Will Forte; the latter sketch appeared 5 times over the past 19 episodes. Recurring characters have been an integral part of the show since its inception, but it seems that they no longer have the ability to keep recurring sketches fresh for even the second appearances: sketches that had been done on the show one time before are dug out, revised slightly to change some of the variables, and acted out again (the Hip Hop Kids from last weekend’s show with Ryan Phillippe last showed up as a one-off from the 2006 Justin Timberlake episode).

It really is a shame the writing is so bad, because I find a lot to like in the current cast. Bill Hader, Fred Armisen and Will Forte are solid castmembers and have this ability to commit to whatever character they play, no matter how outlandish or ridiculous the situation (I’m giving Armisen a pass for his Obama; he doesn’t really have too much of a “hook” as President). I’m also getting a big kick out of Jason Sudeikis, the show’s utility guy who is usually at his best whenever his character has a big ridiculous grin on his face. Featured player Bobby Moynihan continues to impress me and deserves to be bumped up to the main cast. Seth Meyers’ Weekend Update has a little hint of Norm MacDonald’s much missed crankiness. Kenan Thompson, arguably the main cast’s weakest link, is a decent straightman and usually the show’s “quick laugh” guy when he’s not doing impressions he should have no business doing (particularly O.J. Simpson, Tiger Woods, and Flavor Flav). And even though the producers started shoving Wiig down the audiences’ throats, she still does have her strong moments like before, though less wheat than chaff these days.

As for the individual episodes, it’s been hit-and-miss, but with fewer true highlights than past seasons, a number of decent to strong shows, more than their share of middling outings and at least one outright stinker on a level not seen in years. Jon Hamm of Mad Men delivered a knockout episode the second season in a row, and first-timer Joseph Gordon-Levitt brought much-needed energy to the show in November, but this year also brought disappointing outings from Tina Fey and Zach Galifianakis (the latter’s show possibly the biggest letdown in years), and a depressing trainwreck hosted by January Jones, a host on the level of Nancy Kerrigan and Harry Dean Stanton in terms of sketch comedy ability (at one point she audibly asks “Which camera?”). The booking strategy seems to be a lot blander than in years past: besides Betty White (the first host booked due to a Facebook petition), we got barely relevant former hosts like Charles Barkley and Jennifer Lopez and utterly predictable choices in Megan Fox and Taylor Lautner. Unfortunately, this has extended to the musical guest bookings: I have really enjoyed some of the guests they’ve had over the last few seasons (including Fleet Foxes and Arcade Fire), but the show’s been getting back to the short-lived one-hit-wonder novelty act booking it was guilty of from the late '90s through the earlier part of the decade, particularly in the last two weeks with Justin Bieber and Ke$ha.

For the most part this year has actually had at least one funny sketch per show. But the cracks are visible and unless something changes over the summer, next year could have the makings of another bad year on the level of 1994-95, when the show could no longer successfully navigate the line that divides the uninspired and the terrible.

http://www.saturday-night-live.com/f...269b68&start=0

[TV Knowledge Fan]

....a VERY disappointing season, 'TMC'.

I suspect Nasim and Jenny won't be back next season; how could they return if they mostly appeared in sketches that were cut before airtime?

As for Andy Samberg[listen, the novelty has worn off, enough already!!!!]...who decided the "SNL Digital Shorts" were HIS domain? I'd like to see a variety of other talent starring in more of them as well.

The writing staff not only has to be pared down considerably {out of 14+ writers, very few "funny" sketches failed to be generated by the majority of them}, better performers must be sought and nurtured...


ME: (confronting Lorne Michaels in his office) The show has to be better, Mr. Michaels.
LORNE: Get out.
ME: I'm a viewer. Without me, you're nothing!
LORNE: No, it's the other way around....(reaching into his desk, and pulling out an 8X10 glossy of "me") without ME, you're nothing!
[tears it up, as I disappear in a flourish of digital effects]
I should have thought of this years ago...{reaches over to intercom, flicks switch} Send Bobby Moynihan in here- then Jenny, and...ah, what's-her-name, er, Nasal Pedalpusher.....[smug, satisfied expression on face] and a large wastebasket.....

[MickeyMac]

SNL Whats wrong??




Everything!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[EmoJoe]

the Betty White episode was amazing, i don't understand why it can't be at that quality every week. it's shown it has the potential to be great again, why can't they live up to it?

[ThomasE]

Originally Posted by EmoJoe

the Betty White episode was amazing, i don't understand why it can't be at that quality every week. it's shown it has the potential to be great again, why can't they live up to it?

LOL. "Wizard of A*%"!

[steevo]

SNL, throughout its history, seems to have bad seasons every so often (1980-81 was the most wretched with that infamous "F-bomb") then bounces back again. Hopefully with new writers they can do it again.

[70s show watcher]

Originally Posted by steevo

SNL, throughout its history, seems to have bad seasons every so often (1980-81 was the most wretched with that infamous "F-bomb") then bounces back again. Hopefully with new writers they can do it again.

season 19 1993/94 was really awful too if they can bounce back from that they can bounce back from anything

[steevo]

Originally Posted by 70s show watcher

season 19 1993/94 was really awful too if they can bounce back from that they can bounce back from anything

Yes, that was a bad season, too. There was one show that year hosted by Patrick Stewart, and being a Star Trek The Next Generation Fan, I was really looking forward to it. Needless to say, with the exception of the TNG skit, it was abysmal.

[Reverend Jim]

[bialystock93]

Originally Posted by EmoJoe

the Betty White episode was amazing, i don't understand why it can't be at that quality every week. it's shown it has the potential to be great again, why can't they live up to it?

You DO realise that it was the OLD characters, and the pressence of Tina Fey, who obviously chipped in with writing, that made the show what it was that week. The others were only funny because they thought "HEY, let's have Betty White say the dirtiest thing that comes to mind!" That was the case with the "newer" sketches.

Don't get me wrong, it was a great episode. I loved it. I'm just pointing that out there!

[McGillicuddy]

Why is Kirsten Wiig the only female regular? Betty White's show was amazing not just cause of her but the six ladies they brought back! The cast needs to be balanced out between the sexes.

[TV Knowledge Fan]

...Kristin Wiig being the "only" female cast member, it's just that she's the most featured (there's a big difference). There's also Abby Elliott, Nasim Pedrad and Jenny Slate...and quite frankly, they're just not "cutting it". That's why the latter two will no doubt be eliminated from the cast this fall, and Lorne Michaels will try once more try to find some "fresh" female support. Maybe he'll get "lucky" this time. Or maybe not...

[MrCleveland]

Originally Posted by markway895

Why is Kirsten Wiig the only female regular? Betty White's show was amazing not just cause of her but the six ladies they brought back! The cast needs to be balanced out between the sexes.

Wigg's only best appearance is Junice Meryl from the "Lawrence Welk" sketches.

AND I'M JUNICE!!!

[TMC]

Originally Posted by TV Knowledge Fan

....a VERY disappointing season, 'TMC'.

I suspect Nasim and Jenny won't be back next season; how could they return if they mostly appeared in sketches that were cut before airtime?

As for Andy Samberg[listen, the novelty has worn off, enough already!!!!]...who decided the "SNL Digital Shorts" were HIS domain? I'd like to see a variety of other talent starring in more of them as well.

The writing staff not only has to be pared down considerably {out of 14+ writers, very few "funny" sketches failed to be generated by the majority of them}, better performers must be sought and nurtured...


ME: (confronting Lorne Michaels in his office) The show has to be better, Mr. Michaels.
LORNE: Get out.
ME: I'm a viewer. Without me, you're nothing!
LORNE: No, it's the other way around....(reaching into his desk, and pulling out an 8X10 glossy of "me") without ME, you're nothing!
[tears it up, as I disappear in a flourish of digital effects]
I should have thought of this years ago...{reaches over to intercom, flicks switch} Send Bobby Moynihan in here- then Jenny, and...ah, what's-her-name, er, Nasal Pedalpusher.....[smug, satisfied expression on face] and a large wastebasket.....

The fact that they fired Michaela Watkins from SNL, practically in favor of Jenny Slate just proves that they're no justice in the world. Watkins was genuinely talented and versatile. Jenny Slate on the other hand, comes across as awkward and always speaks in that nasally voice. It pisses me off that they had Slate replace Watkins as Hoda Kotb on that fourth hour of Today skit. But of course, they didn't want to overshadow/steal Kristen Wiig's thunder. Hence, they got somebody younger just in case Wiig went off to pursue a movie career.