S40.E03: Bill Hader / Hozier

[editorgrrl]

Bill Hader’s Saturday Night Live episode hit an all-time ratings low

Despite a return from one of the show’s most valuable players and the most consistent batch of sketches seen this season, this weekend’s Bill Hader-hosted Saturday Night Live tied as the series’ lowest-rated ever. The numbers have been in decline since last season, and Hader’s episode dropped to a 1.8 average among adults 18 to 49, matching the Charlize Theron-hosted episode from May.

 

One of the likeliest explanations is that live viewing for SNL is simply dwindling, period, as more people opt to wait for sketches to turn up on the Internet the next day. (Or they’ve already caught them at a Groundlings show.)

 

I think that's kind of a cheap shot , really.  But SNL always seems to get more than its share of those.

 

I didn't quote the entire linked article. Here's another excerpt:

And of course, Hader’s name appeals primarily to fans of Saturday Night Live itself, not the casual viewers who tune in just to see specific celebrities or bands, then complain about Saturday Night Live. Surely some of those people will tune in to see Jim Carrey on Oct. 25, and then those numbers will be reported as SNL “bouncing back,” as this cycle has perpetuated itself for the past four decades. Still, the news of it hitting its worst-ever ratings should provide ample ammunition for the show’s many critics to deride it, an opportunity that only comes around for them once a week.

[pythonite]

That's a shame people are bypassing the live show, because this was definitely the best episode in a long, long time!

 

It's most popular on Hulu. I hope this doesn't affect Bill's chances of returning to host because the show really needed the boost of confidence he brought. The first two shows of the season where still stuck in season 39 quality. This one was a winner.

 

People will still see the clips, even Gossipy Coal Miner, so it's an important step forward for SNL. 

Edited October 14, 2014 by pythonite

[Lakewood27]

[Kristen's] Kathie Lee pales so much when I think back on Jan's impression, which nailed her and was a giant hoot.

 

The self righteous KLG of the early 1990s is nothing like the blowsy KLG of the 2010s. The Kathie Lee of today (Today) is a mean, snarky drunk and she just DGAF, so the parody version kind of has to match.

 

I will never tire of Herb Welch and his utter contempt for his younger, more progressive successors.

 

I think I laughed loudest at the "Barack/Mitt" joke.

 

Sasheer needs to work with the writers to come up with something interesting before she completely recedes into the background. I don't mind that all of her characters speak in the same voice. The same can be said about Aidy. But at least Aidy's characters are funny.

[Miss Scarlet]

Cold Open - This was so ridiculous that I kind of liked it. I was glad it didn't drag on too long though. I thought it was funny how Cecily was totally in character and looking at the floor the whole time and only looking up tentatively when she spoke.

 

Monologue - They could have done so many things with Bill Hader and this is what they came up with?

 

Herb Welch - I laughed really hard at the "I know you're smooth down there" part. Thought it was good, but I don't remember the other Herb Welch sketches, so that's probably why I wasn't tired of it yet.

 

Group Hoppers - I get what they were going for, but maybe I just haven't seen enough YA films for this to work for me. It just felt too thrown together or something, I'm not sure. Loved Bill in it, especially the parts where he/she was talking about being a king or queen and when his horns got stuck.

 

Hollywood Game Night - I thought parts of this were funny, like the part when "Jane Lynch" is saying "yes, these are real games that we play" because they actually are. I remember her Jane Lynch impression as being really accurate and although it was funny in this sketch, it wasn't accurate at all. Beck's Nick Offerman was really accurate, but I think that's because his natural voice is already somewhat similar to Nick's. Cecily sounded a lot like Sophia Vergara in the first part of the sketch, but then in the second part just seemed to be doing a generic "Hispanic" voice. Or maybe I just misheard her one of the times. They seem to really be pushing her to do the pretty woman/party girl characters. I feel like maybe she has more range, but just hasn't been able to show it because she's getting type-cast or something. 

 

39 Cents a Day - The joke was funny to me initially, but wore off pretty quickly. I think it would have been funnier to make parody how a lot of these "charitable" organizations are actually missionaries who will only help people who agree to convert. Leslie Jones is good in small doses. I think she's too over the top all the time to be a good featured player.

 

WU - Something about the timing of Pete Davidson's bit seemed off. Maybe the lack of reaction from the audience threw him off. Loved Stefon. I laughed every time Bill broke. I had to google Dan Cortese afterward. I think both Colin and Michael are okay, but maybe I don't know what makes a really good update anchor. I just feel like it shouldn't really be that hard or complicated? 

 

Puppets - So I guess Howard Stern actually does have some influence on Bill Hader/SNL. It was fine. I liked that they tried something different with the video "flashback". Oh and I also liked when Bill's puppet was listing the emojis he would use to describe his time in Grenada.

 

Inside SoCal 2 - Ugh. Why does this need to be shown on SNL? What high school student has not made a video like this? Again, I get that it's supposed to be a parody of that, but it's not creative or funny enough to do it.

 

Cat in the Hat - Wasn't a fan, but I don't expect much for the 10 to 1 sketches. 

 

I don't understand why they're giving Kate McKinnon, who was nominated for an Emmy last year, so little air-time, but Cecily was in all the live sketches in this episode? There was way too much of her and hardly any of the other women in the cast. I like it when the air-time is more evenly distributed.

[helenamonster]

The self righteous KLG of the early 1990s is nothing like the blowsy KLG of the 2010s. The Kathie Lee of today (Today) is a mean, snarky drunk and she just DGAF, so the parody version kind of has to match.

 

Sasheer needs to work with the writers to come up with something interesting before she completely recedes into the background. I don't mind that all of her characters speak in the same voice. The same can be said about Aidy. But at least Aidy's characters are funny.

 

Yeah, I've always enjoyed Kristen's KLG, though she definitely works better when she has a Hoda foil (oh, Michaela Watkins, gone too soon!). Modern-day KLG is still a sanctimonious twit, she just gives less of a fuck about it, and Kristen has always been good at getting to the bare bones of those kinds of characters (and I've spent too much time pondering her psyche to get into this comment any further, so I'll just leave it there).

 

As for Sasheer, every week I say to myself, "Okay, I'll give her one more episode" but I think enough time has passed where we just have to realize she was hired to quell the diversity controversy and the show has no real interest in utilizing her any further. I feel really bad for her, but I can't even judge whether or not I want to see more of her because I have no idea what she's capable of. They trot her out when a black female makes the news and the rest of the time she flounders in the background.

[nowandlater]

Yeah, I've always enjoyed Kristen's KLG, though she definitely works better when she has a Hoda foil (oh, Michaela Watkins, gone too soon!). Modern-day KLG is still a sanctimonious twit, she just gives less of a fuck about it, and Kristen has always been good at getting to the bare bones of those kinds of characters (and I've spent too much time pondering her psyche to get into this comment any further, so I'll just leave it there).

 

As for Sasheer, every week I say to myself, "Okay, I'll give her one more episode" but I think enough time has passed where we just have to realize she was hired to quell the diversity controversy and the show has no real interest in utilizing her any further. I feel really bad for her, but I can't even judge whether or not I want to see more of her because I have no idea what she's capable of. They trot her out when a black female makes the news and the rest of the time she flounders in the background.

 

I really wonder about her competition. Was it her looks that got her over the top?

[Fannysue]

 

 

 

I don't understand why they're giving Kate McKinnon, who was nominated for an Emmy last year, so little air-time, but Cecily was in all the live sketches in this episode? There was way too much of her and hardly any of the other women in the cast. I like it when the air-time is more evenly distributed.

I think they gave her more air time because they took her off WU - a consolation prize!

[helenamonster]

But Cecily had plenty of face-time in sketches last year, even as a WU anchor. At this point, the only way they could increase said face-time would be by getting rid of the rest of the cast and renaming the show The Cecily Strong Program.

 

But yeah, it's been three episodes and Kate hasn't really been given much of a chance to shine this season. #JusticeForKateMcKinnon2K14

[Milburn Stone]

My take: Cecily Strong is more versatile than Kate McKinnon. McKinnon cracks me up on occasion, don't get me wrong. But she's always McKinnon. Strong disappears into her roles more. She can be a Latina school principal, or a bitchy/friendly blonde soap opera character (in the sketch with Sarah Silverman), or just about anything, and she brings something different to each role. While Kate brings something the same to each role.

 

Strong's versatility is the reason the writers plug her in to so many different sketches. McKinnon's is a more specialized talent.

 

In other news, I think the dynamic between Colin Jost and Michael Che is working pretty well. I don't think Che leaves Jost in the dust at all. Jost's calm demeanor is a good foil to Che's animation. They both make me laugh when the material is there.

Edited October 15, 2014 by Milburn Stone

[cpcathy]

To me, Che has a personality (or one burgeoning) but Jost is just....blank. I've seen early Seth-Amy WU's where Seth was a little bland, but he stepped it up big time. Who can tell I'm a huge Seth fan?

[vb68]

I also think Colin is still trying to be Seth even down to how he delivers a joke.  I wish he would move beyond that.

 

 

My take: Cecily Strong is more versatile than Kate McKinnon. McKinnon cracks me up on occasion, don't get me wrong. But she's always McKinnon. Strong disappears into her roles more.

 

I think I disagree there.  I see quite an overlap in Cecily's characters too, like  her character in Girlfriends' Talkshow or that employee character she does with Bobby that is always yelling at people.   I don't know that she's done anything as versatile as Kate's hilarious sendup of Bieber.  Don't get me wrong.  I like them both, but I really have to think if I've seen Cecily disappear into a role.

[Miss Scarlet]

I disagree too. I think one of the biggest problems with Cecily, whether it's because of her or the writers or Lorne, is that she doesn't show too much versatility. She is usually the pretty/ditzy girl (which I think they rely too much on for her), a Latina character (who is usually also pretty/ditzy) or a tough-talking woman. That's part of why I don't like when she gets so much air time - because all of her characters are the same. Versatility aside, I don't think she's at the same level of talent as Kate, so I'm not sure why she gets like quadruple the air time. It might be because even though Lorne removed her from WU she's probably still his favorite. I doubt he wanted to remove her, but felt stuck, because it would have been more difficult to remove Colin.

Edited October 15, 2014 by wudpixie

[briochetwist]

Weighing in on the Kate/Cecily debate here,  I've never really been all that interested in characters.  If a recurring bit works, fine, that's great, but really, I just want to be entertained.  No one was better than Phil Hartman, and he didn't have all that many characters, but I was always happy when he was in a sketch.  And between Kate and Cecily, I find Kate far more entertaining than Cecily.

[vb68]

 

No one was better than Phil Hartman, and he didn't have all that many characters, but I was always happy when he was in a sketch.

 

i was just thinking about that too with Jan Hooks.  How many recurring  characters did she even have beyond the Sweeney Sisters?  She did a bunch of impressions, but she really didn't repeat characters.  She just made every sketch better.

 

I'm starting to see Taran really start to take on the Bill/Phil Hartman role on the show with doing the less glamorous but necessary roles like the anchor in the Herb Welch sketch and the instructor with the puppets. 

[formerlyfreedom]

Guys, we're going off topic here. Please take the cast discussion over to the appropriate topic.

[Princess Sparkle]

I meant to mention this in my previous post - I don't know if anyone else has seen Michael Che's standup, but I recognized the gay marriage jokes as coming straight from his act.  When I saw him, he had some great jokes, so if he can work more of his standup into WI when appropriate, I think it'll be great.

[Bruinsfan]

Ugh, for a moment during the tribute clip I was worried Kristen Wiig would push Jan Hooks aside and take over the duet with Phil Hartman. The woman just doesn't know when it's time to go.

[pythonite]

Looks like a lot of people decided to watch the rebroadcast of Bill Hader's episode.

 

 

"Saturday Night Live" scored the highest rating in metered-market households for an "SNL" rebroadcast since April 19 (with host Melissa McCarthy and musical guest Imagine Dragons, 2.9/7) and equaled the show's top 18-49 rating in the LPMs since that same date (1.4/7)

[Bruinsfan]

Sadly, what Lorne will probably take from that is that Kristin needs to come back every other week.

[vb68]

Were the repeat's ratings higher than the live show's?   All we heard after that was how it was the lowest rating in the show's history.

[pythonite]

I'm no expert but it looks like nearly as many 18-49 y/o's watched the repeat as the live show, and it's the highest rated rerun since Melissa McCarthy's. So they made the right decision in repeated it so soon.

[pythonite]

I hope the cold opening doesn't disappear from future broadcasts. I just watched it on the nbc site, and it's much funnier in light of recent events. And to think I thought it was the one weak spot. Fixed! The Bill Hader episode may become my new "perfect snl episode"

 

http://www.nbc.com/saturday-night-live/video/kim-jongun-cold-open/2818589

Edited December 19, 2014 by pythonite

[Pete Martell]

One of the cut sketches from this episode has, almost five years after being put on Youtube, become something of a meme. 

There's a Twitter account that puts a short fragment of the dancing scene to various songs. One example:

Lizzo retweeted her version ("Truth Hurts"). And the SNL people, presumably knowing they can always use positive attention and that memes fade fast anyway, gave it their seal of approval.