SNL Classic: Re-Airings, Past Casts, Past Sketches, Past Hosts, the Past

[punkypower]

I've been showing that it's the Martin Short/Sir Paul episode.

If it is, they just played it very recently on Comedy Central.

[stonehaven]

Is that the one with the kids singing opening? I'm not sure I can watch that one yet...

[M. Darcy]

Damn - it took me a few seconds to figure out why the kids were singing but I just did.

[punkypower]

Wow, I had assumed when I watched it that it was a Christmas special.

Well, damn. :,(

[helenamonster]

 It's probably the January Jones episode.  They know no one will watch if they spill the beans before they let it rip.

 

I like to think that poor January Jones watched the Donald Trump episode and felt vindicated that she was no longer the worst host this show has ever had.

[stonehaven]

I will say I flipped over from Johnny Carson on Antenna and caught "Girl" on Update....and then watched Foster Brooks on Carson..there's a bit of a resemblance between the two...

[lou ann b]

Thanks for the correction.long time ago...lol

Edited January 3, 2016 by lou ann b

[ktwo]

I like to think that poor January Jones watched the Donald Trump episode and felt vindicated that she was no longer the worst host this show has ever had.

Heh. I caught a bit of the rerun of this the other day. I have NEVER seen a 1-hour rerun that included both musical performances before.

[VCRTracking]

Whoa. This is a nightmare story from Jeff Daniels on when he hosted SNL and he was supposed to play Liam Neeson in a sketch so they put a mold on his face to make the fake nose but they used the WRONG kind of plaster!

 

 

I remember that episode and sketch and it was so not worth it! I hope that makeup artist was fired.

[M. Darcy]

The 10 pm classics are back. Tonight is from 2008 with Ben Affleck and David Cook. And special guests John McCain and Tina Fey (which is my guess why they are showing it).

[stonehaven]

Is this the one with Ben's "Keith Olbermann"? God, I loved that sketch....

[M. Darcy]

It is! I hope they show it. It's also the first appearance of Stefan.

[stonehaven]

Ahhh..they didn't show Olbermann...I would have switched out the Target Lady sketch...and I will admit I have not missed Kristen Wig one bit...

[cleo]

I didn't watch snl when Kristen Wig was on it but she is awful the few reruns I've seen over the years. The essential mannerisms of her characters seem repetitive and off putting 9 times out of 10.

I missed the beginning of this one. Weekend update was okay, missed Amy.

[vb68]

I would have switched out The View sketch for Olbermann.  I didn't think that was a good sketch.  I generally like Casey Wilson but boy howdy that was an awful Jennifer Aniston impression.

 

I wonder if they didn't show The Olbermann sketch because he is long gone from MSNBC and doesn't really hold much relevance now? Maybe they thought people wouldn't get the humor of all of that now?

 

That Palin line in the cold open that "I'm certainly not going back to Alaska" was certainly prescient.

Edited January 31, 2016 by vb68

[possibilities]

That plaster on the face story (in the Fallon clip above) is really upsetting.

 

I fast forwarded all the sketches with Wiig in them. If I skip all Wiig's appearances, the show goes by really fast and I don't wind up super-irritated by the time I'm done watching. I thought Stefon was much better on WU, playing off Seth, than in the movie pitch in this episode; I'm glad they didn't scrap the character and instead moved him to Update. It's like Seth knew how to be the straight man without sucking all the energy out of the scene-- and Affleck, Sudeikis, and Armison somehow didn't hit that mark. I also enjoyed Kenan's sex moves for longtime married people.

[M. Darcy]

 

I would have switched out The View sketch for Olbermann.....I wonder if they didn't show The Olbermann sketch because he is long gone from MSNBC and doesn't really hold much relevance now?

 

I thought that also but then when has The View ever had relevance :-)  I thought it might have been a time issue since its long but they could have skipped the Target sketch and the View sketch for it.  But then, when have they ever not shown Wiig when they had the chance.  Its a shame because Ben Affleck was great in that sketch. 

[ktwo]

I looked this up and watched it, and it was even better than I remember. I sort of understand them skipping it, though, because they have to cut stuff for time and Olbermann has kind of faded from public consciousness.

http://www.nbc.com/saturday-night-live/video/countdown-with-keith-olbermann/n12348

[M. Darcy]

It's just part of the conspiracy against Miss Precious Perfect. 

[M. Darcy]

The 10 pm repeat is a good one tonight - Peyton Manning and Carrie Underwood from 2007.

[Princess Sparkle]

That is one of my favorites (and is probably my favorite "athlete-as-host" episodes), and usually the reruns are the only way to see that locker room dance sketch.

Edited February 8, 2016 by Princess Sparkle

[peeayebee]

Man, I love the locker room dance. Half the fun is watching Bill Hader lose it.

[cpcathy]

I can't decide who I need to keep my eyes on during that sketch--Hader or Forte!

[M. Darcy]

 

I can't decide who I need to keep my eyes on during that sketch--Hader or Forte!

I'm always watching Hader.  Because he's great - you really can't tell unless you are really paying attention.

 

It would have been awesome if after he won last night, Payton said that he was going now make snickerdoodles with his bros. 

[Traveller519]

I remember enjoying the Peyton as one of the monsters from "300" sketch when that episode aired. But I get why they cut it, it would feel really dated these days.

[Princess Sparkle]

I can't decide who I need to keep my eyes on during that sketch--Hader or Forte!

I just love that no matter which basketball player you look at, eventually, every cast member in the sketch ends up sticking his face behind a towel to control their laughter.  But Will Forte's absolute glee in his dance is perfection.

[Maverick]

 It's just a good thing they couldn't see Will's face during that bit...otherwise they never would have been able to finish it.

[punkypower]

EEEE!!!! Tonight's vintage is supposed to 88's Tom Hanks/Keith Richards!!

 

My favorite era for both Hanks (Splash? Bosom Buddies? I miss that man!) and SNL. I yearn and pine hopelessly for when Comedy Central, VH1, or LOGO will start showing the 86-92 years!

EEEE!!!! Tonight's vintage is supposed to 88's Tom Hanks/Keith Richards!!

 

My favorite era for both Hanks (Splash? Bosom Buddies? I miss that man!) and SNL. I yearn and pine hopelessly for when Comedy Central, VH1, or LOGO will start showing the 86-92 years!

[methodwriter85]

Nothing in this episode is really grabbing me. I'm guessing I'm still waiting for Michael Myers to show up.

 

Why did they have a little kid playing Dan Quayle? That really confused me. (I mostly remember Dan Quayle from reruns of Murphy Brown because he was her nemesis.)

Edited February 14, 2016 by methodwriter85

[stonehaven]

I noticed a lot of commercials..very little show..and no Weekend Update....I feel like we got shorted somehow...

[vb68]

 

Nothing in this episode is really grabbing me. I'm guessing I'm still waiting for Michael Myers to show up

The Halloween character?   Heh.  Sorry I couldn't resist.  Calling him Michael looks weird to me.

 

This was also my favorite era of the show.  Of course I always love seeing Jan. I was reminded once again in the bank commercial how attractive I always thought she was.

 

They never show a lot of Dennis Miller's Updates.  I think it's true that he had a very serious falling out with the show and Lorne. 

 

 

Why did they have a little kid playing Dan Quayle?

 

That was always a thing.  I think the kid did it for the whole four years.

Edited February 14, 2016 by vb68

[jjj]

Dan Quayle looked like he was in high school, especially next to the original President Bush.  The Marilyn Quayle actress was the spitting image of her. 

 

"I can't believe I'm losing to this guy!"  Us either, Governor Dukakis. 

[nowandlater]

Nothing in this episode is really grabbing me. I'm guessing I'm still waiting for Michael Myers to show up.

 

Why did they have a little kid playing Dan Quayle? That really confused me. (I mostly remember Dan Quayle from reruns of Murphy Brown because he was her nemesis.)

 

Quayle was 41 and looked younger than his age. I think people felt he was picked because of his looks.

 

If Marco Rubio is elected, he'll be the same age that Bill Clinton was when he was elected (and 1 year younger than Obama when he was elected).

 

Yet Rubio -- who is 5 months younger than Ted Cruz -- is sometimes also mocked as kid-like because of his youthful looks, like this recent Conan sketch.

 

[absnow54]

Jan was wearing Bobbi Mohan-Culp's striped dress during the "Jew or not a Jew" sketch!

[lou ann b]

Phil and Jan..*tears*

[vb68]

Jan's Diane Sawyer impression still holds up. That was very funny.

 

BTW there was a Conan cameo in the monologue long before he got Late Night. 

[methodwriter85]

For me, it's just weird to think of Dan Quayle as young, because like I said, he was Murphy Brown's nemesis and I watched that show in reruns as a little boy in the mid/late 90's, and they all just seemed like middle-aged grownups to me.

 

1992 is the first election year I can actually remember. Although there were some funny references to the '88 one in Donnie Darko.

[nowandlater]

Jan's Diane Sawyer impression still holds up. That was very funny.

 

BTW there was a Conan cameo in the monologue long before he got Late Night. 

 

And Bob Odenkirk, who would go on to be part of Conan's first writing staff...good timing with Better Call Saul returning Monday.

 

 

 

 

For me, it's just weird to think of Dan Quayle as young, because like I said, he was Murphy Brown's nemesis and I watched that show in reruns as a little boy in the mid/late 90's, and they all just seemed like middle-aged grownups to me.

 

1992 is the first election year I can actually remember. Although there were some funny references to the '88 one in Donnie Darko.

 

I started watching SNL around 1988, or 1987...when I was 9 or 10...So this brings back childhood memories. That episode felt so surreal..but the 1988 campaign is the first that I vividly remember, especially thanks to SNL.

 

[punkypower]

They never show a lot of Dennis Miller's Updates.  I think it's true that he had a very serious falling out with the show and Lorne. 

Yup, so disappointing. If it was about political beliefs, VJ wouldn't have been at the 40th. How could they not show the update?? Part of "Vintage" is showing us the different styles through the decades. *sigh*

I noticed a lot of commercials..very little show..and no Weekend Update....I feel like we got shorted somehow...

Not counting cold open--I think I counted THREE sketches?! THREE?!

 

Phil and Jan..*tears*

Right there with you. It gobsmacked me during the debate sketch when it hit me again that Phil would never get to the age he was playing. Then he did the "food for maggots," and I had to find something else to focus on. :'(

 

Bwah at the goodbyes. Keith Richards, smoking. 

[peeayebee]

That was a good ep. I didn't see it originally. Tom Hanks is always great. I thought he did a passable Peter Jennings.

 

Was this the first time Dana Carvey did Bush? It was a bit toned down from how he later did it. Plus, the audience wasn't reacting like this was as great as it was. 

[lovinbob]

Jan was wearing Bobbi Mohan-Culp's striped dress during the "Jew or not a Jew" sketch!

Good catch! I actually noticed the dress and thought it looked familiar but I didn't put two and two together.

 

I loved seeing Bob Odenkirk. (And Conan.)

[M. Darcy]

Tonight's 10 pm is from 2000 with Rob Lowe and Eminem.

[stonehaven]

God, that Eminem segment was good...He looked so baby-faced....forgot what a great narrative and powerful storyteller Eminem is....

The opening sketch was good..that Anna Nicole joke in WU made me groan....other than that, nothing else grabbed me.

[M. Darcy]

It was the first episode with Tina and Jimmy at the Update Desk.

I know it's been 16 years but I still can't laugh at the Bush/Gore debate skit. It's still painful. And then to have Nadar show up in this episode - that's just salt in the wound.

[mtlchick]

I hope that one day they show the Va Kilmer/U2 episode from 2000.  "Palm Beach" was one of my favourite sketches EVER with Val playing Jeb! Bush. Would be very fititng given the past 24 hours.

 

Rob Lowe's Shaggy impression will never fail to make me laugh.   (And he probably did the Scooby one too.) 

 

Meanwhile was the "drag queen mother" Bradley Cooper?!  If it's not, they look VERY similar. 

Edited February 21, 2016 by mtlchick

[M. Darcy]

Tonight is from 1996 - with Robert Downey Jr and Fiona Apple.

[Spartan Girl]

And the real Bob Dole!

I really wish RDJ would host SNL again...if only to see him react to being ranked Worst Cast Member by Rolling Stone.

Edited March 13, 2016 by Spartan Girl

[nowandlater]

I was watching this episode thinking "Why did they cut out the sketch where Robert Downey Jr. fights Lorne Michaels for dropping him from SNL"?

 

And I realized that was another dumped '80s cast member who went on to '90s success and to host the show, Ben Stiller.

 

Anyways, The West Side Story sketch is one of my favorites.

[possibilities]

I didn't watch in the 90s, so this was all new to me. I loved the WSS sketch, too.

 

I think I finally figured out that Will Ferrell is just a less facially elastic version of Jim Carrey. I don't just mean here, but always.

[mtlchick]

 

Anyways, The West Side Story sketch is one of my favorites.

For months my brother and I would do "Cobras! HISS!  Panthers! MEOW!"

 

20 years later it's almost hard to believe Downey's life and career had sunk that low and that the one person who had his back was... Mel Gibson.  Times have changed.