I thought it was pretty fun seeing all the old SNL clips and appearances by old cast members. Both Paul Simon and Paul McCartney performed, and they sounded good considering their ages....
I've been watching SNL since the beginning. Sometimes it's really funny and sometimes it's a flop, but I'm still a fan and will continue watching...
What about you - are you a SNL fan?
It has a special place in my heart. I was working at NBC at the time and my boss was the unit manager on the show when it first started. I actually typed up Gilda Radner's and Chevy Chase's contract. Doesn't mean I ever got to see it, though. Tickets were as hard as hens teeth to come by, even for employees and especially for lowly employees like me--you see how small Studio 8H is.
But one time, my boss told me he couldn't use his tickets one weekend--would I like them? So I called DH and asked him if he wanted to go. "Who's the guest star?" he asked. "I don't know--some guy named Steve Martin." DH said, "Never heard of him. Let's just stay home." Well that was his "wild and crazy guys" night, and I've always regretted not going!
Last night brought back so many great memories. Their lack of consistency served them well, because when that were bad they were ridiculously bad, but when they were good they were genius--and Lorne Michaels managed that beautifully. What a lab for upcoming comics. Their political humor is always my favorite, and I'll probably start recording it when primaries kick in next year.
"Do any human beings ever realize life while they live it--every, every minute?" Emily Webb, Our Town
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Had a great time watching it last night with our boys.
Pretty cool to hear about your connection to the show, Catherine.
Float On: My "Happy Place" is on my little kayak in the coves of Table Rock Lake.
Don't know if it was just an off night but I would say that there was a big difference between the two performances. Paul Simon's voice definitely showed his age but he did a decent enough job of giving the best possible performance considering his limitations. McCartney on the other hand just sounded flat out terrible. A mere shell of what he used to be as a singer. Very, very sad. Or maybe just a case where he can still sing a lot of his songs but feels obligated to do others that he no longer has the chops for.Originally Posted by Yarrow
I thought it was pretty fun seeing all the old SNL clips and appearances by old cast members. Both Paul Simon and Paul McCartney performed, and they sounded good considering their ages....
I've been watching SNL since the beginning. Sometimes it's really funny and sometimes it's a flop, but I'm still a fan and will continue watching...
What about you - are you a SNL fan?
Or he's a lot older now and he can't do two performances in two days (he did an impromptu concert in a small NYC venue the day before SNL)....
DW and I watched; she's always been more of an SNL fan than I have. SNL40 was a good show, though, like pretty much every SNL I've watched, it deteriorated noticeably after Weekend Update. I still don't know what the deal was with Eddie Murphy on stage -- he spent less time on than Chris Rock did introducing him and did almost nothing more than say 'hi'. Weird. Also wish they'd spent a little more time on some of the old classic sketches -- maybe found the time by knocking out some of the tired ones (every "The Californians" sketch I've seen has been several minutes too long and this update didn't bring enough to the table for me).
It is amazing that they've kept it up for 40 years and still manage something that becomes a first-class parody or catchphrase. In fact, I can't think of another show that's run anywhere near as long that has done that. The Simpsons comes close, but they're still 10-15 years back of SNL.
Success is to be measured not so much by the position that one has reached in life as by the obstacles which he has overcome. - Booker T. Washington
I watched most of it and although there were a few parts that I really enjoyed, I was disappointed. The recreation of the bass-0-matic skit had me laughing even if it was old material. The way too short clips from the classic older shows went so fast they almost gave me a headache. I barely cracked a smile with Eddie Murphy, but his older skits as Gumby or Mr. Robinson were riots. And McCartney and Paul Simon had their times in wonderful music and that time has passed. The only sad part of that I saw is that there are few musicians of their equal in the young up and coming ranks.
On the other hand I've watched old reruns of whole shows and been delighted. I watched one earlier in the week with George Carlin as the host with Billy Preston and Janis Ian as musical entertainment and it was great. I've Netflixed many of the old SNL live shows from it heyday and many are pure genius. If there there is a time and season for things, SNL's time was many years ago. I agree with Steve, there's not been much it's equal of a similar venue since.
Not surprised by this. But, you figured that. I have seen the show, SNL many, many times, though not a regular viewer. It has had it's ups an downs over the years. The turnover of cast members and bringing new people in has probably been the secret to it's longevity, though it was kind of disappointing when the good ones leave. I haven't seen the show lately, but I've seen video clips of Tina Fey doing her "Sarah Pailin", and it's spot on. Her colleague Amy is funny, too. I guess the "Palin" thing came about after they had left the show, though. My favorites back when were Dana Carvey with his "Church Lady" character and Chris Farley's Motivational speaker. Also, Dan Ackroyd and Jane Curtin and Phil Hartman and Garrett Morris and others. But, that was 20 years or more ago. You kids already know what I think about old geezers trying to sing. That said, I was watching a video of a reunion performance of Simon & Garfunkle, circa 2007, and by golly, they did pretty good. But, that would be 7-8 years ago, now. Maybe it was lip-synched. Cynical Me. Those two guys(Cartney & Simon) prolly appeared on the show just for the adoration of worshipping fanatics, surely not for the money. Hope that helps you some. Thankk Mee.
Last edited by Packy; 2-24-15 at 6:58am.
I think they peaked with "Jane, you ignorant slut," personally.
I watched the 40-yr show and loved most of it. I miss Gilda Radnor...she always cracked me up. Like someone else said, I wish there had been a few more Eddie Murphy sketches, and The Californians really did go on way too long.
I thought it was overall a good representational cross-section of SNL history.
On Paul McCartney, I think if he had sung something a bit less strenuous it may have done him better; maybe "Blackbird" or something. I thought Paul Simon did fine for his age and current vocal range. He seemed to be enjoying performing for the audience. I like that he did "Still Crazy." It fit the show.
My therapist told me the way to achieve true inner peace is to finish what I start. So far today, I have finished two bags of M&Ms and a chocolate cake. I feel better already!
Oh, good! Thankk you for the tip, KayLR. I had never seen The Californians, since it is fairly recent, but I watched one episode on YouTube. It is very funny how every character starts speaking with a preamble about logistics. Ha. The thing is, it is easier to get where you are going in So Cal than it is here. Driving is a way of life, there. The Bass-O-matic skit, in which Dan Ackroyd makes Callyfornya Smoothies out of Fish, probably was responsible for creating a great demand for blenders in SW Zurra.
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