SNL's 40th Anniversary Special (1 Viewer)

[Ti Rider]

I rarely watch SNL these days but tuned in for the special last night. A few thoughts -

It was a pretty good microcosm of the show over those 40 years. Some funny bits, some unfunny bits, some real touching moments, some fake respect (for Chevy Chase).

Miley Cyrus as a musical guest? Very odd choice. Even odder was (and even weirder to write) she was actually good with her rendition of "50 Ways to Leave Your Lover".

Poor Eddie Murphy....he wins the "most uncomfortable moment" award. After Chris Rock gave him a lengthy intro crediting him with saving SNL (which he did) and inspiring thousands of want to be comedians Murphy took the stage. He looked unprepared, lost, like some guy they just pulled off the street. Not a single signature laugh or any attempt at humor (which was actually probably for the best - Murphy hasn't been funny in a decade).

Aren't Kanye's 15 minutes about up?

Funniest moments of the night didn't even involve a cast member - it was Jerry Seinfeld taking Q&A from the audience.

So what were your thoughts?

 

[Sandman]

I thought the Jeopardy skit was great. The Californians...not so much.

 

[Pancakes]

Great show. Loved the long jeopardy skit. Awesome to see some of the greats back.


Murphy was weird. So was Chevy. But overall the best snl Ive ever seen.

IF I really had one prob, it was they didn't replay shcmits gay with Sandler and Farly. One of he greatest all time. Wasn't even mentioned in the video clips.

 

[guidomerkinsrules]

Didn't see it
I am amazed at its legacy - except for Madtv, it's probably the least funny (and most inconsistent) of the sketch comedy shows
Putting Monty Python in its own category you have SCTV, Kids in the Hall, Mr Show, Key & Peele, Ben Stiller, (in living color had the same consistency problem) et all that were much better written, better performed, more insightful and MUCH funnier than SNL
Even looking back at the original even the greatest of sketches is balanced by some real clunkers

The obvious difference is that the others were taped, but so?

I think snl was a zeitgeist phenomenon, and it had a brilliant counterculture cast that entrenched it into our consciousness and then it became the dominant culture

I'm not going to put Lorne Michaels into the Jerry Jones category, but he seems to be given WAY more credit than is due

 

[Mr. Blue Sky]

Miley Cyrus as the first musical guest? Very odd choice. Even odder was (even weirder to write) she was actually good with her rendition of "50 Ways to Leave Your Lover".



So what were your thoughts?

She actually wasn't the first musical guest, Paul McCartney did Maybe I'm Amazed first...... And I thought it was odd that they let Cyrus butcher a Paul Simon song when Paul Simon was actually *there*and could've performed the song himself.. Incidentally, I thought Simon doing Still Crazy After All These Years was the *perfect* way to end the show.. Yes, I am old and white.

In re. To the show overall, I thought it was a very enjoyable 3.5 hrs, my main critique is that they tried to squeeze in too much, to the point where you wanted much, much more of whichever clip or tidbit they showed.. They should have left out more, and spent more time on the bits they did choose.. Oh, and less Kanye West would have been very very welcome.

 

[Saint_Ward]

I only got to catch the end, right around Miley coming on.

So, I'll need to go back and see how the rest went. I thought the last hour was drawn out and only had the funny bit with Sandler and Sandberg. (loved how they got on Fallon)

 

[FLIPPY]

Fell asleep when Eddie Murphy came out..(Rode Sat night, and was on about an hour sleep Sunday) Was Norm McDonald ever on the show...? Considering how things went when he was kicked off...?

 

[Brandon13]

Norm was on it.

The Californians was bad, but I thought the rest of the night was pretty golden.

 

[efil4stnias]

I just watched the Jeopardy skit.

For my money, Ferrell as Trebek, Connery and Turd Ferguson will always make that my favorite skit of all time.

Throw in Alec Baldwin ( who has a uncanny ability to mimic ) and that had me in tears.

 

[JimEverett]

Martin Short is still one of the best.

 

[Meachemdat]

I rarely watch SNL these days but tuned in for the special last night. A few thoughts -

It was a pretty good microcosm of the show over those 40 years. Some funny bits, some unfunny bits, some real touching moments, some fake respect (for Chevy Chase).

Miley Cyrus as the first musical guest? Very odd choice. Even odder was (even weirder to write) she was actually good with her rendition of "50 Ways to Leave Your Lover".

Poor Eddie Murphy....he wins the "most uncomfortable moment" award. After Chris Rock gave him lengthy intro crediting him with saving SNL (which he did) and inspiring thousands of want to be comedians Murphy took the stage. He looked unprepared, lost, like some guy they just pulled off the street. Not a single signature laugh or any attempt at humor (which was actually probably for the best - Murphy hasn't been funny in a decade).

Aren't Kanye's 15 minutes about up?

Funniest moments of the night didn't even involve a cast member - it was Jerry Seinfeld taking Q&A from the audience.

So what were your thoughts?

Pretty much everything I wanted to say. It's funny about the Miley performance, I remember turning to my wife and being shocked at how well she did with it. If only her career could be about her talent instead of her...well anyways, kinda crazy how much better Steve Martin and Martin short look than Chevy....jeesh that dude has really dropped off the edge. Jeopardy skit was killer, and Melissa McCarthy as Farley was pretty epic, never realized how much of her comedy style she took from him.
Was Jim Belushi standing in for John on the blues brothers bit?

 

[Mr. Blue Sky]

I just watched the Jeopardy skit.

For my money, Ferrell as Trebek, Connery and Turd Ferguson will always make that my favorite skit of all time.

Throw in Alec Baldwin ( who has a uncanny ability to mimic ) and that had me in tears.

Jim Carrey as Matthew McKindagay hit it out of the park IMO

 

[efil4stnias]

Jim Carrey as Matthew McKindagay hit it out of the park IMO

yeah that was just great too.

But i just enjoy the interaction between Trebek and Connery/Reynolds. The way they play that is just great comedy.

 

[El Caliente]

Did they show all the funny skits that they have been holding back for the last 30 years?

 

[Madmarsha]

If anything about Miley Cyrus is ever about her "talent", I'll never know. I can't ever look at her or listen to her without retching.

Maybe I'm Amazed is a, well, amazing song; but it's getting painful to hear Paul sing anymore.

Pretty much everybody -- who is still alive -- that I expected to show up, showed up. I thought it was well done, I had quite a few laughs, but I'm still not sure how it all lasted 40 years.

I laughed from start to finish at the Jeopardy skit. There isn't a Kate McKinnon character I don't like, but her "Bieber" really gets me. She is what I thought Wiig was going to be, but all she ever was to me was annoying (I mean, we REALLY had to drag Garth and Kat out? It's a one-joke premise and it's never been funny).