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Old 02-07-25 | 09:57 PM
  #1076  
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Re: SNL General Discussion Thread

Originally Posted by JeffTheAlpaca
Yes but it that kind of a recency bias since maybe a lot of the younger people that voted might have missed the older classic characters



Unless they are comedy/SNL nerds, I would expect that the only reference anyone under 40 has for Roseanne Rosanna-Dana is that Emma Stone played her for 30 seconds on the 40th anniversary special.
Old 02-07-25 | 11:28 PM
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Re: SNL General Discussion Thread

Originally Posted by Count Dooku
Yeah, Matt Foley was a predictable character after the first appearance. Farley's energy and commitment made it a great performance, but not a great recurring character like some of the others. But I can't fault people for voting for the dead guy. Tommy Boy
Gilda Radner is still alive?
Old 02-08-25 | 12:07 AM
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Re: SNL General Discussion Thread

As a kid I never really got the appeal of Rosanna Rosannadanna, but really loved Emily Litella.
Old 02-08-25 | 12:39 AM
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Re: SNL General Discussion Thread

Originally Posted by Decker
As a kid I never really got the appeal of Rosanna Rosannadanna, but really loved Emily Litella.
This!! So with you here. Emily Litella was both hilarious and sweet. Rosanna Rosannadanna was kind of annoying. I loved Gilda's Baba Wawa a lot too.
Old 02-08-25 | 03:49 PM
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Re: SNL General Discussion Thread

This is probably heresy, but I don't think the old 1970s Saturday Night Live episodes have aged particularly well. I mean, yeah, there are a few great sketches here and there, but I don't think their average was much better than the current incarnation. Humor tends to be subjective and reflects the times it was made in, so a bunch of gags about Gerald Ford falling down and knocking stuff over isn't going to have the same cultural cachet it might have fifty years ago.

I downloaded all of the episodes from 1975 to about 2001 from archive.org a while back (they've since been pulled from the site), and a lot of the older material can get pretty tedious.

I think the best era of Saturday Night Live is always the one you started watching. (For me it as the early 1980s Eddie Murphy years).
Old 02-08-25 | 03:57 PM
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Re: SNL General Discussion Thread

Originally Posted by Decker
As a kid I never really got the appeal of Rosanna Rosannadanna, but really loved Emily Litella.
I think Gilda Radner based RR on a real NYC anchorwoman, so the character might have been funnier if you lived in New York or New Jersey at the time.

She's sort of funny once, but quickly becomes annoying. (Foreshadowing Kisten Wiig's extensive repertoire of annoying recurring characters?)
Old 02-08-25 | 04:04 PM
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Re: SNL General Discussion Thread

Originally Posted by Josh-da-man
I think the best era of Saturday Night Live is always the one you started watching. (For me it as the early 1980s Eddie Murphy years).
I've said that forever.

The first seasons brought something new to the table, and the novelty of what they did made them "the best" to so many. And, we wouldn't have gotten so much without them.

And, when they came out on DVD, and people had a chance to watch them for the first time or sit back and truy revisit them instead of just in their mind's eye, the incessant clamor of how they were "the best" sure did go away quickly...​​
Old 02-09-25 | 11:11 AM
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Re: SNL General Discussion Thread

Originally Posted by Josh-da-man

I think the best era of Saturday Night Live is always the one you started watching. (For me it as the early 1980s Eddie Murphy years).
Actually, that's not really true for me. I started watching it in the late 70s when I was a kid, but my favorite era was and still is the late 80s to early 90s, with Hartman, Hooks, Carvey, etc.
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Old 02-09-25 | 11:30 AM
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Re: SNL General Discussion Thread

Originally Posted by cultshock
Actually, that's not really true for me. I started watching it in the late 70s when I was a kid, but my favorite era was and still is the late 80s to early 90s, with Hartman, Hooks, Carvey, etc.
The 70s SNL will always be held in high regard because the show was bringing a kind of humor that had not been on TV before, and that then took over American comedy in movies and TV.

That being said, the decade from 1986-1995 was much stronger. Not just the cast, but also the writers, were packed with heavy hitters. By then, the show was where everyone in comedy wanted to be, or at least have a shot.
Old 02-09-25 | 02:28 PM
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Re: SNL General Discussion Thread

Originally Posted by cultshock
Actually, that's not really true for me. I started watching it in the late 70s when I was a kid, but my favorite era was and still is the late 80s to early 90s, with Hartman, Hooks, Carvey, etc.
Yup. I call that the "murderers row" era, with all the talent on the show. In addition to the three you mentioned, there was Myers, Farley, Spade, Sandler, Rock, Miller, and more.

That said, you guys are making me worry about my love of the Roseanne Roseannadanna character (I haven't seen clips of her in years). That was what got me into SNL. I was a tween around that time (it was towards the last couple of years of the original cast), and I tuned in just hoping she's be on WU, and usually turned the show off afterwards regardless. I used to have a cassette tape recording the show (just audio, not VHS, it didn't really exist yet), and often would memorize the RR bits and recreate them at school.

But I sure as shit don't still like everything I liked as a tween. I wonder if it would still hold up...
Old 02-09-25 | 03:02 PM
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Re: SNL General Discussion Thread

That cast debuted in my first year of college - after the disaster season where they fired everyone but Lovitz. (I had barely watched it that season, it was SO bad.) I remember watching the Sigourney Weaver episode, which was the Season Premiere, in the communal TV lounge of my dorm (Oct 11, 1986) and everyone there was just kind of stunned -- this cast was AMAZING! We all knew right away that this group was gonna be special.
By the time Shatner hosted the Christmas show, everyone knew.
Old 02-09-25 | 05:51 PM
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Re: SNL General Discussion Thread

The '85-'86 cast had a lot of talent on it -- Randy Quaid, Robert Downey Jr, Anthony Michael Hall, Damon Wayans (who got himself fired) -- but it they never connected.

Reminds me of the '94-'95 cast that was also packed with talent -- Chris Elliot, Janeane Garofalo, Michael McKean, half of the Kids in the Hall -- but could never make it land.
Old 02-09-25 | 07:30 PM
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Re: SNL General Discussion Thread

Originally Posted by Josh-da-man
I think Gilda Radner based RR on a real NYC anchorwoman, so the character might have been funnier if you lived in New York or New Jersey at the time.
Just the name. There was a local NY anchorwoman named Roseanne Scamaradella, but she was nothing like Radner's character. I think it was just the name that was such a mouthful, it always came off a little odd "and now to your lead anchorwoman, Roseanne Scamaradella".
Old 02-09-25 | 07:52 PM
  #1089  
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Re: SNL General Discussion Thread

The SNL 50th 3hr or + concert special is coming to Peacock on Fri Feb 14 on Valetines Day

Saturday Night Live will be crossing the street and taking over the stage at Radio City Music Hall with a star-studded concert special. In celebration of the show’s 50th anniversary.

SNL50: The Homecoming Concert will be hosted by none other than SNL alum Jimmy Fallon, with a diverse line-up of musicians: Lady Gaga, Bad Bunny, Miley Cyrus, Post Malone, Chris Martin, Jelly Roll, David Byrne, Post Malone, Eddie Vedder, Jack White, Brittany Howard, the Roots, Devo, Brandi Carlile, Mumford & Sons, Backstreet Boys, Arcade Fire, the B-52s, and Preservation Hall Jazz Band will all perform, with more performers to be announced.

In addition to the jam-packed musical lineup, special guests and SNL “hall-of-famers” will also be present for the three-hour show, which will be livestreamed on Peacock on Feb, 14 at 8p.m. ET. Additionally, select IMAX theaters across the U.S. will host live screening events for fans.

SNL50: The Homecoming Concert is executive produced by SNL producer Lorne Michaels and music producer Mark Ronson. The single night event will kick off the show’s celebratory weekend. On Sunday, Feb. 16, SNL 50: The Anniversary Special will air live at 8 p.m.

https://www.rollingstone.com/music/m...us-1235251807/





Old 02-09-25 | 10:55 PM
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Re: SNL General Discussion Thread

Originally Posted by Paff
Just the name. There was a local NY anchorwoman named Roseanne Scamaradella, but she was nothing like Radner's character. I think it was just the name that was such a mouthful, it always came off a little odd "and now to your lead anchorwoman, Roseanne Scamaradella".
You can find brief clips of Roseanne Scamardella on YouTube.

She was an Italian-American from Brooklyn, and a woman, and she spoke with a slight Brooklyn accent. However, all that was still unusual for TV in the 1970s. News anchors were WASP men who all spoke with no distinct accent.

So I would guess that Radner's character was a take-off on the idea of a real ethnic New Yorker getting on the news and telling it like it is.
Old 02-10-25 | 11:08 AM
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Re: SNL General Discussion Thread

Hmm....maybe. I can tell you that at that age, I wasn't watching local news shows. But I do think that a distinct reason I liked the character so much is because, let's face it, it was mostly toilet humor and I was 12 so it was right up my alley. I remember RR bits about nose hair, celebrities with their flies open, fart jokes, etc. In other words, things a 12 year old finds funny. Like I said, haven't watched the bit in a while, I'll have to see if it still works for me. I'm pretty juvenile, it just might.

That said, SNL definitely did spoof local ads and personalities that must have been baffling to viewers outside of the Northeast, especially the so-called Tri-State area. I remember bits about Beefsteak Charlie's and Crazy Eddie's that couldn't have connected with west coast, mid-west, or southern viewers. And they still kinda do it today, with the jokes about Colin Jost and Pete Davidson buying a decommissioned Staten Island Ferry.
Old 02-10-25 | 02:36 PM
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Re: SNL General Discussion Thread

Originally Posted by Count Dooku
You can find brief clips of Roseanne Scamardella on YouTube.

She was an Italian-American from Brooklyn, and a woman, and she spoke with a slight Brooklyn accent. However, all that was still unusual for TV in the 1970s. News anchors were WASP men who all spoke with no distinct accent.

So I would guess that Radner's character was a take-off on the idea of a real ethnic New Yorker getting on the news and telling it like it is.
Originally Posted by Paff
Hmm....maybe. I can tell you that at that age, I wasn't watching local news shows. But I do think that a distinct reason I liked the character so much is because, let's face it, it was mostly toilet humor and I was 12 so it was right up my alley. I remember RR bits about nose hair, celebrities with their flies open, fart jokes, etc. In other words, things a 12 year old finds funny. Like I said, haven't watched the bit in a while, I'll have to see if it still works for me. I'm pretty juvenile, it just might.

That said, SNL definitely did spoof local ads and personalities that must have been baffling to viewers outside of the Northeast, especially the so-called Tri-State area. I remember bits about Beefsteak Charlie's and Crazy Eddie's that couldn't have connected with west coast, mid-west, or southern viewers. And they still kinda do it today, with the jokes about Colin Jost and Pete Davidson buying a decommissioned Staten Island Ferry.
I am not saying that an over-the-top spoofing of a local NY anchor was what a national audience was supposed to find funny. I am saying that is the premise for the character: What if this someone so outrageously inappropriate were on the news as a reporter.
Old 02-10-25 | 03:06 PM
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Re: SNL General Discussion Thread

Very cool.
Old 02-13-25 | 06:58 PM
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Re: SNL General Discussion Thread



Also double-posting my new favorite commercial here.

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Old 02-13-25 | 09:53 PM
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Re: SNL General Discussion Thread

That is a great ad, Decker

Old 02-13-25 | 10:20 PM
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Re: SNL General Discussion Thread

It is too late now but maybe they could have done separate episodes with casts from different eras with the surviving cast members.

There could be shows with the original 1975 crew, the early 90's and mid 90's casts, the aughts cast, and the 2010's cast.

Maybe the mid 80's cast would be left out.
Old 02-13-25 | 10:52 PM
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Re: SNL General Discussion Thread

There were two hour specials for each decade (70s, 80s, 90s, 2000s) that were on NBC and then rerun a lot on VH1 (I think). I wonder if they are on peacock or just lost to the sands of time
Old 02-14-25 | 09:08 PM
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Re: SNL General Discussion Thread

I know but I am talking about those cast members doing a separate live sketch show for their era.

I assume the 50th will combine everybody from all the eras into sketches.
Old 02-14-25 | 10:04 PM
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Re: SNL General Discussion Thread

Originally Posted by JeffTheAlpaca
I know but I am talking about those cast members doing a separate live sketch show for their era.
.
Remember on the 40th when they had Dan Ackroyd do the Bass-o-matic sketch live?

It would be an exciting idea to mix the casts from various eras into an entirely all-new show, but then they just run the risk of it being like every SNL where most of it is mediocre. Plus, all these people have no interest in working that hard. They just want to come to NYC and see their old friends and attend parties.

I assume the 50th will combine everybody from all the eras into sketches.
They will do some like that, like on the 40th when they did a big Celebrity Jeopardy and a big Californians, but it's mostly going to be a celebrity parade and a lot of clips, I bet. But they are doing a Debbie Downer.
Old 02-14-25 | 10:44 PM
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Re: SNL General Discussion Thread

I watched bits of the concert tonight. The Lonely Island medley was good with Gaga filling in for Timberlake on Dick in a Box and Eddie Vedder replaced Michael Bolton on Jack Sparrow.



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