Ovid

I hate to bring any critizism to a show that was much better than normal, but...

While watching the Richard Pryor clip, I was just thinking that there is no way in hell they would do anything like that these days. It's wierd becuase media has supposed to have gotton much worse.

Second, do they have to do a stupid song intro and exit for every stecth?

FRwL

Well the season tally on this thread is a pandering joke. Alec Baldwin should just join the damn cast already and stop the hosting for the inth time. The Richard Pryor "tribute" proves it. I haven't watched much over the last few years because of how low it's sunk. RIP Richard Pryor, die already SNL. I wish SNL had gone first.

Dr. DVD

The weekend update gave off a "we're the two running this show now, and we're funny, deal with it dammit!" vibe from Tina Fey and Amy Poehler. Is that the way they normally are? I haven't seen the two of them do one before, but they seem as though they are the two people running the show, and not in a positive way.

Jadzia

We both laughed our asses off during the facial transplant sketch when the doctor said his wife needed the drugs to prevent rejection and he went over to the IV and knocked it down and said "Oops!"

Not that funny of a line, but just wonderful delivery.

Chaza

Yeah, I'm a huge Poehler fan (from the UCB days, and have seen her do improv many times), but WU has been quite lame(r) lately. I end up ffwing it most of the time. Tina Fey really needs to be replaced as head writer.

zebop

You know I have gotten that lately. I didn't see much of Viig last night either. That's not cool, she can actually do impressions.

Big Boy Laroux

good show overall. and i'm surprised that this was barely mentioned:

the best WU joke in a LOOOOOOOOOOOOOONG time (the brokeback mountain one), and it's revealed that Fey's father wrote it. hmmm, so he's better than everyone else that writes for WU? seems that way.

Jadzia

I turned to my husband and said "Where can I start sending her my jokes?"

Surely the longtime viewers of SNL could write better material than has been offered uplately by these "professionals".

Bill Needle

You put it very well. As someone alluded this has sadly been a long running problem now. If only they were 1/10 as funny as they think they are.

Jadzia

They've turned into SNL's version of "Mean Girls".

TheBigDave

Loved the elf skit. That'll go down as a classic.

For anyone that wants a replay of the Shakira bits, check out:

http://www.shakiramedia.com/?page=lastaddedvids

LorenzoL

Thanks for the link.

neiname

If you don't understand the last elf parody go rent Glengerry Glen Ross, an unbelievable movie with some of the best talent and acting ever assembled.

dhmac

AB is still a great host and lifted this episode singlehandedly into this season's best. However, they should've chunked that hideous "Carol" skit and shown a full-length, old Richard Pryor skit in tribute instead. (And I was really, really hoping this show would have a Zinger/Burns rematch between Meyers and AB - with AB winning this time - so not getting one was a little disappointing.)

As for the musical guest, Shakira's first song was disappointing because she didn't really dance, but the second song gave us a full helping of her ass-shaking, although not as great as the full-on shimmy dance she did at the MTV awards. (BTW, does anyone watch her to actually hear the music?)

dhmac

Or more in the spirit of the movie:

"YOU! PUT DOWN THE COFFEE AND GO RENT IT NOW!!"

Bill Needle

I was sipping my coffee the moment I read your post. OK, I'm convinced.

maxpower

are there repeats on any of the cable stations?

dhmac

Good - but I got the quote from the movie a bit wrong, dammit! (The original quote is "PUT THAT COFFEE DOWN! Coffee is for closers.")

Grimm1

Post a link to the Glengarry Glen Ross elf parody if you find one. I saw it on SNL myself but know a bunch of GGR fans that probably missed it.

Rypro 525

I personally found Mean Girls to be quite funny and good, so she has some tallent in writing.

Oh and i hope they replay this episode soon. since now that snl is in hd we can fully see Shakira shaken it in full on high defenition. (and my dumb ass missed it)

mike7162

Excellent show, more proof that the host's the thing. I'd only seen Shakira on those phone commercials, but I must admit I liked the second tune (the first sounded like an Alanis Morrissette wannabe) and she is hot!
On the Richard Pryor tribute - one of the legendary broadcasts of all time and all we get is one snippet of a sketch? I woudn't have minded a repeat of that entire show on Saturday!

Grimm1

A snippet of a sketch that they always show...it's as if the only thing he did on SNL was that one sketch.

mike7162

It was nice seeing Tim Meadows again. Any one catch his guest shot recently on the "The Office"? He was very funny.

Decker

Finally caught this off TIVO. God bless Alec Baldwin. With all due respect to Hanks and Martin, I think he may be their best host ever. I still find it shocking that he's never been cast as a lead in an all-out comedy. The guy has amazing delivery and if the wouldn't-know-funny-if-it-bit-them-in-the-ass writers can get comedy gold from him every single time, why can't Hollywood bigwigs?

That Elf sketch had me in tears. I knew where they were going from the moment he walked in and was delighted that they went there. Most big actors won't revisit their best work on SNL, but this hit all the right notes (maybe a little too much, as with the Always Be Closing line, but still). Did anyone think they might have missed an opportunity at another Pacino impersonation with that bit, though.

Bill Needle

I would put Baldwin ahead of Hanks, but he's no Steve Martin as far as SNL hosts go. Steve is the gold standard of hosts.