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

[vb68]

I do remember that Luke Perry hosted in the early '90s.  I wish I remembered more of it, but the the one major thing I recall is the monologue  where Phil Hartman is Obi One and keeps interrupting him with "Luke....use the force to be funny".

RIP Luke Perry. I hope they rerun your episode this next week.

[Lantern7]

4 hours ago, vb68 said:

I do remember that Luke Perry hosted in the early '90s.  I wish I remembered more of it, but the the one major thing I recall is the monologue  where Phil Hartman is Obi One and keeps interrupting him with "Luke....use the force to be funny".

RIP Luke Perry. I hope they rerun your episode this next week.

I had the same thought. “Kick his ass, Luke.” “I’m the only one here getting any laughs.”

I know the “90218” sketch was when Jason Priestly was hosting. I think that was also the one with the cold open of him figure skating at the Olympics and epically eating shit.

[Pete Martell]

I went back and watched the other two "What's My Name?" sketches. I couldn't make it through the Timberlake one, because I just find him offputting and Lady Gaga was overacting every second she appeared. The Paul Rudd one was decent. I preferred the newer one, I think because it had a much tighter focus and also steadily built up into the "chaos" Bill Hader's character craved. 

[cpcathy]

I watched both the other What's my Name sketches as well, and I did like the newest one the best. Hader was on pointe and I enjoyed Mulaney's reactions.

[Dr.OO7]

On 3/4/2019 at 1:59 PM, vb68 said:

I do remember that Luke Perry hosted in the early '90s.  I wish I remembered more of it, but the the one major thing I recall is the monologue  where Phil Hartman is Obi One and keeps interrupting him with "Luke....use the force to be funny".

RIP Luke Perry. I hope they rerun your episode this next week.

So do I.

On 3/4/2019 at 6:23 PM, Lantern7 said:

know the “90218” sketch was when Jason Priestly was hosting. I think that was also the one with the cold open of him figure skating at the Olympics and epically eating shit.

Here it is!

Eerily preminiscent--everyone was falling left and right that year.

[Phishbulb]

My online TV guide confirms Perry's episode is being rerun this Saturday as the SNL Vintage.

[mtlchick]

(sigh) I teared up when I saw they are re airing Luke Perry's episode.  This is a death that hit a lot of people very hard.  

Edited March 10, 2019 by mtlchick

[theredhead77]

12 minutes ago, mtlchick said:

(sigh) I teared up when I saw they are re airing Luke Perry's episode.  This is a death that hit a lot of people very hard.  

It's just the opening credits and I'm already crying. 1993 seems like a much better time. I was in high school and it was hell but looking back....

[M. Darcy]

And aw, seeing Phil, Jan and Chris again. 

I wish they showed from episodes from this era on the Sat night repeats. I think the Phil Hartman years are the best. 

[Spartan Girl]

Love this Luke Perry episode. He was so funny. God, I still can't believe he's gone.

Yay, Operaman and the Keith Richards (Mick Jagger) and Mick Jagger (Mike Myers) Point/Counterpoint! Classic!

[SoMuchTV]

Really, who would have thought Mick Jagger would outlive Luke Perry? 

Just to be clear, nothing against mick jagger. I want to say, for the last 20 to 30 years, whenever I see him on tv, I say, i hope I’m that good when I’m his age! Still haven’t caught up with him, thank goodness!

Edited March 10, 2019 by SoMuchTV

[M. Darcy]

The Sassy sketch! So......sassy. 

[freddi]

Phil Hartman.  ❤️❤️❤️ Takes my breath away whenever he is suddenly in an episode.  “SASsy.” What an impish smile.  

[Jaded]

My DVR didn't pick up tonight's Vintage episode like it usually does weekly. I'm not a happy camper.

[ombelico]

The thing that really guts me about this Luke Perry/Mick Jagger re-air is that you can see that Mick Jagger already looked ancient way back in 1993, but the reason it's getting aired is because the young vibrant guy is the one who died, from a stroke no less. (Not that I want Mick Jagger to die any time soon, but you know what I mean.)

"Mick, you ignorant slut!"

[SomeTameGazelle]

On 3/7/2019 at 12:09 PM, Phishbulb said:

My online TV guide confirms Perry's episode is being rerun this Saturday as the SNL Vintage.

I have to say I was shocked to see that there was only one female full cast member (Julia Sweeney). Jan Hooks was a special guest appearance and Ellen Cleghorne and Melanie Hutsell were featured players. Wondering about it led me to these SNL gender balance charts . I'd really like to have seen the line with the percentage of female cast members laid over the one with the sketch composition for reference, but it was interesting nevertheless.

[freddi]

I know, this amazed me also in the opening credits; especially as SNL  started in 1975 with 3+4 in gender balance. 

4 hours ago, SomeTameGazelle said:

I have to say I was shocked to see that there was only one female full cast member (Julia Sweeney). Jan Hooks was a special guest appearance and Ellen Cleghorne and Melanie Hutsell were featured players. 

[M. Darcy]

10 hours ago, freddi said:

I have to say I was shocked to see that there was only one female full cast member (Julia Sweeney).

There was a season where I think there were basically two women.  I remember when Kyle MacLachlan hosted, Jan had to run out and quickly change to play another character (the Log Lady)  in the Twin Peaks sketch because there weren't enough women. 

[vb68]

10 hours ago, M. Darcy said:

There was a season where I think there were basically two women.  I remember when Kyle MacLachlan hosted, Jan had to run out and quickly change to play another character (the Log Lady)  in the Twin Peaks sketch because there weren't enough women. 

Yep. I totally remember that. It was after Nora Dunn had left the previous season, and the only other woman with Jan was Victoria Jackson,  who let's be honest didn't have the biggest range as a cast member. I'm sure that put a lot of pressure on Jan. I think Julia Sweeney was hired not long after that.

[JakeyJokes]

Jonah Hill/Mariah Carey (3/15/08) was random, but it was Jonah's first time hosting (he is now a Five Timer) and I *love* that era of Mariah's career -- she looked and sounded sooo good and this was before the E=MC2 album came out. She was a sub for Janet Jackson that week, who had come down with the flu.

Edited March 21, 2019 by JakeyJokes

[Pete Martell]

 

This was another one of my 'away' years with SNL. So I guess this was the new cast that led to more diversity the next season, which is good (even though I don't really feel like the show has known to use the players they may have cast for diversity any more than they knew what to do with this group). Of the group I only knew 4 - Beck, Kyle, the one who quit midway in a season, and Brooks Whelan (I only knew him because I saw him in the E-Meth ad a few days ago - he was pretty good actually). Reading up more I see that the woman was Noel Wells and she slammed SNL as a "dinosaur" and the "establishment" (which I can't disagree with, although she knew what the show was when she joined it), and there is still one man I don't know!

Never mind - I just realized the guy I thought was the one who quit midway is Paul Brittain, who was on the year before this. So that makes another guy in this I don't know.

I think this is a humiliating and unfunny way to introduce a new cast, but Beck Bennett's thighs are incredible, so there's that at least.  

[Jaded]

5 hours ago, Pete Martell said:

This was another one of my 'away' years with SNL. So I guess this was the new cast that led to more diversity the next season, which is good (even though I don't really feel like the show has known to use the players they may have cast for diversity any more than they knew what to do with this group). Of the group I only knew 4 - Beck, Kyle, the one who quit midway in a season, and Brooks Whelan (I only knew him because I saw him in the E-Meth ad a few days ago - he was pretty good actually). Reading up more I see that the woman was Noel Wells and she slammed SNL as a "dinosaur" and the "establishment" (which I can't disagree with, although she knew what the show was when she joined it), and there is still one man I don't know!

Never mind - I just realized the guy I thought was the one who quit midway is Paul Brittain, who was on the year before this. So that makes another guy in this I don't know.

I think this is a humiliating and unfunny way to introduce a new cast, but Beck Bennett's thighs are incredible, so there's that at least.  

Does this cast list with pictures from that season help at all?

[Pete Martell]

6 hours ago, Jaded said:

Does this cast list with pictures from that season help at all?

Yes. Thanks. I've been to there site sometimes to watch clips but it's so hard to load.

I hadn't heard of either of those guys then. It's interesting how you hear about the short-lived women more often - I guess either they get more work post-SNL, or it's just SNL's struggles with women are so well-documented they are more likely to get focus. 

So what did you think of the featured players that year?

I wonder what people would consider the best or worst year for featured players. 

I guess the 2005-2006 year would be considered the best for many, especially more modern viewers. 

[vb68]

So John Milhiser and Mike O'Brien?  O'Brien is pretty well known. He had quite an interesting history with the show. He started as a writer and was/is very highly thought of personally. I think he had a lot of supporters within the show who propelled him into the cast. But once he started as a cast member, he was pretty stiff and just awkward. I think before that season was even over he had transitioned into doing short films for the show instead of appearing live.  Those ran intermittently for a few seasons and most of them were quite good. ( I think Sad Mouse with Bruno Mars was one.)    He created the sitcom AP Bio with Seth Meyers, so I would say he did make the most of the opportunity.

I definitely think Beck was the best of that featured group, with Kyle taking longer to develop. I don't know if it's ever been confirmed, but as members of Good Neighbor, I totally believe they are a packaged duo. I believe Kyle did his morose comic character Bruce Chandling on Update on that first episode. 

Noel Wells hit right out of the gate with a fantastic Girls parody (That's probably on Youtube too) and looked like she was going to be a star. But then she couldn't top that or find her groove on the show, really. Brooks Whelan was like a forerunner for Pete a year later. He did his stand up material at the Update desk but never totally connected.  

I also think when there are that many newbies, they never intend on keeping them all. Just the two or three who fit in the best.

Edited March 26, 2019 by vb68

[helenamonster]

20 hours ago, vb68 said:

So John Milhiser and Mike O'Brien?  O'Brien is pretty well known. He had quite an interesting history with the show. He started as a writer and was/is very highly thought of personally. I think he had a lot of supporters within the show who propelled him into the cast. But once he started as a cast member, he was pretty stiff and just awkward. I think before that season was even over he had transitioned into doing short films for the show instead of appearing live.  Those ran intermittently for a few seasons and most of them were quite good. ( I think Sad Mouse with Bruno Mars was one.)    He created the sitcom AP Bio with Seth Meyers, so I would say he did make the most of the opportunity.

At the time I always just thought of Mike O'Brien as "Cecily's boyfriend." I don't think they're together anymore but I remember feeling slightly uncomfy about that a couple of times when he was a cast member--she made a joke on Update* once where the punchline was about her boyfriend having longer erections and it was like yikes no thanks!

*Guys, remember when Cecily was an Update anchor? What a journey.

[Pete Martell]

21 hours ago, vb68 said:

I definitely think Beck was the best of that featured group, with Kyle taking longer to develop. I don't know if it's ever been confirmed, but as members of Good Neighbor, I totally believe they are a packaged duo. I believe Kyle did his morose comic character Bruce Chandling on Update on that first episode. 

I was reading about the third guy in their group (Nick Rutherford) who briefly got hired as a writer but was never chosen as a cast member. He seems pretty funny in the Good Neighbour clips I've seen, but I suppose that might not translate to SNL (he reminds me more of Kids in the Hall - if that was around today). Or maybe they didn't want three people from the same group.

Sometimes I wonder if Kyle and Beck would have lasted this long if the show had a bit stronger men in the last 5-6 years, or if Taran Killam hadn't been let go (although I think he said he was only staying one more season anyway). Their comedy seems so far out of SNL's wheelhouse - modern SNL, anyway. I know Beck does political stuff but I don't really think it's very funny (I don't think any political stuff on SNL in recent years is funny though). They don't have big recurring characters. And Kyle's videos are more of the slightly awkward, deadpan variety. I have to admit that it took me a while to get anything out of his videos because one of the first I actually watched was the one where he wanted to become Pete and it was just such blatant cashing in on Pete dating Ariana Grande. I thought the way SNL mined that relationship was just crass and embarrassing. Recently I've gone back and watched more and while some just aren't funny or interesting, some are pretty clever and worth sitting through. Kyle also seems to take the whole being cut every week thing in stride. I guess because he knows Lorne could just easily cut him.

What did people think of Taran on SNL? I think he's very talented but his comedy is a little too OTT/in your face/overly broad for me. I'd say he's better suited for a sitcom but from what I've read his sitcom isn't very well-rated.

Sometimes I wonder if Alex Moffat was cast as a potential Beck replacement. He kind of reminds me of Beck, only more generic. 

1 hour ago, helenamonster said:

At the time I always just thought of Mike O'Brien as "Cecily's boyfriend." I don't think they're together anymore but I remember feeling slightly uncomfy about that a couple of times when he was a cast member--she made a joke on Update* once where the punchline was about her boyfriend having longer erections and it was like yikes no thanks!

*Guys, remember when Cecily was an Update anchor? What a journey.

I wasn't watching at the time but I remember some of the controversy over her leaving WU. I always wonder if that's one of the reasons many didn't care for Che and Jost right out of the gate.

Cecily reminds me so much of some of the women who were on the show in the '70s and '80s. Not quite as good, but still, very sharp and incisive and not going for the broader stuff. I'm glad the show still has a few women who fill this role.

Edited March 27, 2019 by Pete Martell

[possibilities]

2 hours ago, Pete Martell said:

I wasn't watching at the time but I remember some of the controversy over her leaving WU. I always wonder if that's one of the reasons many didn't care for Che and Jost right out of the gate.

I thought Cecily was a terrible WU anchor-- and I like her in the cast in general quite a bit. Jost and Che were TERRIBLE at first. They have improved a lot, though, and I like them now. I think Che made a lot of enemies when he made some gross, sexist comments. That kind of thing leaves a mark on how people will view you. But just from the point of view of WU, I have no problem with him anymore. But in the beginning? Both he and Jost were AWFUL. They've come a long way. Maybe Cecily would also have improved, though. I don't know. I think she's really good in the cast right now, and I like that it gives her a chance to show a wide variety of roles, which we wouldn't get if she was still doing WU.

[Pete Martell]

32 minutes ago, possibilities said:

I thought Cecily was a terrible WU anchor-- and I like her in the cast in general quite a bit. Jost and Che were TERRIBLE at first. They have improved a lot, though, and I like them now. I think Che made a lot of enemies when he made some gross, sexist comments. That kind of thing leaves a mark on how people will view you. But just from the point of view of WU, I have no problem with him anymore. But in the beginning? Both he and Jost were AWFUL. They've come a long way. Maybe Cecily would also have improved, though. I don't know. I think she's really good in the cast right now, and I like that it gives her a chance to show a wide variety of roles, which we wouldn't get if she was still doing WU.

I think she said that's why she left the role. I'd say she made the right decision, as WU is brutal on females (I'd say unless you're Amy Poehler or Tina Fey but they may have some stories themselves). 

I think the WU format works best when it's about parodying a news program (which other shows have now done to death) or about the personalities of the anchors. When you don't have that you just have to hope you have really, really good jokes, wonderful correspondents, and wonderful comic timing. 

[helenamonster]

21 hours ago, Pete Martell said:

I wasn't watching at the time but I remember some of the controversy over her leaving WU. I always wonder if that's one of the reasons many didn't care for Che and Jost right out of the gate.

Cecily reminds me so much of some of the women who were on the show in the '70s and '80s. Not quite as good, but still, very sharp and incisive and not going for the broader stuff. I'm glad the show still has a few women who fill this role.

18 hours ago, possibilities said:

I thought Cecily was a terrible WU anchor-- and I like her in the cast in general quite a bit. Jost and Che were TERRIBLE at first. They have improved a lot, though, and I like them now. I think Che made a lot of enemies when he made some gross, sexist comments. That kind of thing leaves a mark on how people will view you. But just from the point of view of WU, I have no problem with him anymore. But in the beginning? Both he and Jost were AWFUL. They've come a long way. Maybe Cecily would also have improved, though. I don't know. I think she's really good in the cast right now, and I like that it gives her a chance to show a wide variety of roles, which we wouldn't get if she was still doing WU.

I remember not liking Cecily in the role and feeling like she was too inexperienced--she was promoted to WU in only her second or third year and it didn't feel earned. She was with Seth for about half a season until he left and was replaced with Colin...and next to Colin, Cecily looked like the second coming of Tina Fey. Their pair-up was dire and they had no chemistry, but at least I "knew" her in a way that I did not know the sentient jar of mayonnaise with the bad haircut next to her.

When they got rid of Cecily for Michael, who ended up being a sexist marble mouth, she did suddenly seem a lot more appealing. I don't want her back in the role--I'm still not confident it's the right fit and she shines so well in the rest of the show that she doesn't need it. She's probably one of the most dependable cast members we currently have: she can do characters, impressions, and play the straight (wo)man. She doesn't steal focus, rarely breaks, and almost never flub lines. I feel like she gets to be a utility player in a way that most female cast members never do. I see her having a really strong (pun not intended but acknowledged) post-SNL career, especially since she's also pretty conventionally attractive and that never hurts in this business.

I have no idea who the next WU anchor(s) will be, but it'll still be a party over here when Colin and Michael are finally gone. Maybe depending on their replacement I'll be pining for the days of their forced banter and self-congratulating smugness, but as it stands now they can't leave soon enough.

[mtlchick]

Tonight's rerun is a young The Rock.  One I never would have guessed would be legendary 5 Timer, but here we are.

(Still waiting on Johnson/Hannks 2020 to be real.) 

[SoMuchTV]

I wonder if there’s a particular reason for the vintage show they’re showing tonight. Anyway, looking forward to seeing the rock before he was the rock Obama 

this one fell in the valley between “I’m young and cool” and “my kids are on their own, I can watch late night tv again “

[Spartan Girl]

I loved this one. Even before he hit it big, The Rock was hilarious.

[VCRTracking]

Ugh, I posted the above video because I thought this was the Sandra Oh episode thread and the editing feature can't remove it. Here's a classic SNL to make up for it:

Edited March 31, 2019 by VCRTracking

[Pete Martell]

I was wondering...who do you think are some of the personalities who popped up on SNL in recent years but don't seem likely to do so anymore, because of scandal or other reasons? 

Louis CK is the obvious one, but didn't James Franco also host several times? 

This one isn't down to scandal, but did Timberlake stop appearing once he moved on from his acting career and started doing the pseudo-country music? 

[vb68]

I think with Timberlake it was more trying to top himself each time (like with Dick in a Box) and figuring out what else he could bring to it without repeating all the signature beats.  (Come on down to --ville!).

I have no idea why Jon Hamm stopped hosting. He was so good at it. He's still in movies, so he's still relevant.

[cpcathy]

I'm glad Timberlake is seemingly too busy to host lately. His episodes were getting to "insider-y." When he showed up at WU to tell us what he would have done as host one week that was it for me.

[Phishbulb]

21 hours ago, vb68 said:

I have no idea why Jon Hamm stopped hosting. He was so good at it. He's still in movies, so he's still relevant.

The only reason I can figure is that Hamm had an affinity for that particular cast, the Bill-Kristen-Andy cast (especially Kristen), and he doesn't have the same connection with anyone who's on the show now. 

He last hosted in 2010- if he hosted now the only person he's worked with before would be Kenan (who's kind of his way out the door this season now anyway). 

He has made cameos though (most recently as "Hamm Solo" in the 2015 Matthew McConaughey episode) so hopefully he'll host again. I would also really like Anne Hathaway to host this season- with her movie "The Hustle" coming out, she has something to promote, and it's been a while since she last hosted too (2012). She's always been a great host.

[Pete Martell]

This was the main Adam Sandler character on SNL I enjoyed.

[VCRTracking]

Amy Poehler's Coming-of-Rage Story: Comedy's Subversive Star Is Defining Her Own Feminism

[Pete Martell]

I have a lot of respect for Amy Poehler, but the stuff with Dave Becky is a huge minefield. I am not surprised they avoided it as much as possible. 

[Pete Martell]

For Sandler's upcoming episode, SNL's Youtube channel put up three old sketches. I saw the inevitable talk of how the show was funnier then, and a lot of talk of how hilarious Chris Farley was and how he carried the sketches all by himself, and so on. I sometimes wonder if I'm too hard on Farley, as I do think he had a great deal of talent and charisma, but no - he's still doing the same incoherent screaming through sketches that drove me away from the show back then. While there was a certain raw edge to SNL in that period that understandably resonated with many (especially as they've aged as have that as a formative memory of happier years), I would still say, even with the dead spots and awful political humor and flat attempts at namechecking pop culture moments instead of actually commenting on them, that I enjoy the current show more. 

(it's also kind of sad seeing Phil Hartman, near the end of his run, having to play a heavy in an interminable Canteen Boy sketch).

This is probably the best of the three they put up.

[lou ann b]

Yeah,I wasn't a huge Farley fan..I know he worshiped Belushi,but Belushi had more involved in his work than screaming. Belushi could be subtle. That being said, I did like The Chris Farley show,when he was pretty sweet and amusing.I am very sorry he couldn't beat his demons.

[VCRTracking]

Edited May 10, 2019 by VCRTracking

[VCRTracking]

[Pete Martell]

Bill Hader and John Mulaney talk about Barry (Barry spoilers!) They talk quite a bit about SNL, to the point where they jokingly apologize and act ashamed. I'm sure you've heard these stories before but a few were new to me. 

https://livestream.com/accounts/1249127/events/8676409/videos/191190202?t=1557702174070

[VCRTracking]

[Pete Martell]

Will Forte has aged so well.

I always wanted Lisa Kudrow to pop back up on SNL. I guess this is the closest I'll get to that happening.

 

[cpcathy]

The cast that includes Forte and Sudeikis seems to have bonded so well. Seth Meyers seems to adore everyone, he is especially close with Samberg and Keenan. Forte and Sudeikis say they are like brothers, and Armisen and Hader seem to do a lot of stuff together. It also happens to be my favorite cast of any out of the show.

[VCRTracking]

Hearing the way Fred Armisen would prank Colin Jost during the weekly pitch meetings is hilarious!

[Pete Martell]

So good to see Bill and Seth doing some comedy together again.