Changes for SNL's 38th season

[WMC2006]

Saturday Night Live premiers its 38th season this coming Saturday night. Seth McFarlane hosts and Frank Ocean is the musical guest.

Changes this season (following the departures of Kristin Wiig, Andy Samberg, and Abby Elliot):

-Jay Pharaoh (now a fullfledged castmember) takes over the Barack Obama role from Fred Armisen
-Jason Sudeikis (with his Joe Biden and Mitt Romney roles) is sticking around until January
-3 new featured performers have been added
-Much like the 2008 campaign season, there will be several Weekend Update Thursday programs with anchor Seth Meyers

http://www.southcoasttoday.com/apps...=/20120915/ENTERTAIN12/209150314/-1/ENTERTAIN

http://www.celebuzz.com/2012-09-11/...s-aidy-bryant-tom-robinson-and-cecily-strong/

http://www.nbcchicago.com/entertainment/television/The-SNL-Fall-Campaign-169369826.html

Joseph Gordon Leavitt returns to host (his 2nd time) on September 22nd with musical guest Mumford and Sons.

Daniel Craig hosts on October 6th, Muse performs.

 

[WMC2006]

An hour into the show and there's been nothing too remarkable.

Turns out there are 4 new featured players, not 3, although the 4th, Kate McKinnon, apparently joined the show late last season but I don't recall her. I was not impressed with any of them tonight.

Spoiler for other time zones: The opening skit had Jay Pharaoh as Obama (funnier than Fred Armisen's Obama) and Jason Sudeikis as Mitt Romney. Fred Armisen, who appeared in the skit for about 3 seconds as a convention type speaker, introduced Obama. Kind of a passing of the torch kind of thing, I suppose. And then Fred didn't show up in a skit again until after 12:30 I think. Jason didn't show up again at all.

Vanessa Bayer seems to be getting more airtime now that Kristin Wiig is gone.

Weekend Update was lame. Overall, 90 minutes of my life I won't get back.

There will be a Thursday edition of Weekend Update next week.

 

[KML0224]

1- Seth is being over reliant on the cue cards as well.

2- I had no clue on who the South Korean singer was supposed to be in the Lidz Store sketch.

3- No Stefon (Bill Hader) on "Weekend Update".

4- Seth as the stuttering drill sergeant was p-p-p-painful to watch.

 

[fybush]

I didn't stay up to see the end credits - was Don Pardo credited as the announcer? It didn't sound quite like him, though it was a credible impersonation at least; supposedly Bill Hader has a decent Pardo imitation and had quietly filled in on occasion last season, and I wonder if that's what happened last night.

 

[WMC2006]

3- No Stefon (Bill Hader) on "Weekend Update"

i was hoping for a Stefon sketch as well. The good thing about Kristin Wiig's departure is no more "Garth and Kat", my least favorite Update sketch. Seems to me that Fred Armisen will have a lot less to do now although I do like his Update character "Nicholas Fehn". Hopefully, he does that soon.

Don't know if Don Pardo did the announcing or not. He supposedly pre-tapes everything from a home studio in Arizona. It's been said in the past that former cast member Darrell Hammond fills in as Pardo on occasion.

 

[rnigma1]

Never cared for Armisen; I've never watched "Portlandia" because he's on it.
I think Don Pardo's been in Arizona since retiring from NBC in 2004 (after 60 years!)... and he phones it in.

 

[brian4]

3- No Stefon (Bill Hader) on "Weekend Update"

i was hoping for a Stefon sketch as well.

Even though I love Stefon, I'm glad he wasn't on. Officially, he appeared 5 times last season, way too many times. Should be a maximum of 3. I will be disappointed if Stefon appears in September. However I will enjoy the skits.

 

[ajc_trw]

Saturday Night Live premiers its 38th season this coming Saturday night. Seth McFarlane hosts and Frank Ocean is the musical guest.

-Jason Sudeikis (with his Joe Biden and Mitt Romney roles) is sticking around until January

And from the first sketch it seems he looks like and calls himself Mitt but acts like Joe. Way to stay classy SNL. :

Watching "Mitt/Joe" ask a guy without arms for a high-five. If he was in a wheelchair he'd ask him to stand up. For those who remember ...

 

[Studio20]

Yes, friends, its still Don Pardo on the ISDN from Arizona. He's now 94 and in his 37th season of the 38, and I hope he's the one that makes the call to quit. Incredible career. (Was it Lettermans former announcer Bill Wendell that did the one season Pardo didnt'?)

With regards to the new "Obama", much better, but I can't help but think that Fred's line "I'm glad I don't have his job" might have been an ad lib poke...

And I noticed and have to agree that they are making Romney look more like Joe Biden. Romney, while stiff as a board soaked in starch, doesn't make the kind of cringe inducing real life gaffes that our VP is known for...

 

[WMC2006]

but I can't help but think that Fred's line "I'm glad I don't have his job" might have been an ad lib poke...

I thought the exact same thing.

 

[formeraa]

And I noticed and have to agree that they are making Romney look more like Joe Biden. Romney, while stiff as a board soaked in starch, doesn't make the kind of cringe inducing real life gaffes that our VP is known for...

Romney has certainly had his moments...like betting Rick Perry $10K during the debate and acting like its $10.

 

[oldiesfan6479]

Yes, friends, its still Don Pardo on the ISDN from Arizona. He's now 94...

This was noted in a September 2010 Arizona Daily Star article--that he now "phones it in."

http://azstarnet.com/entertainment/movies/article_d60d3256-5961-55a4-b0c5-b5a9491610d2.html

 

[johnnya2k6]

Yes, friends, its still Don Pardo on the ISDN from Arizona. He's now 94 and in his 37th season of the 38, and I hope he's the one that makes the call to quit. Incredible career. (Was it Lettermans former announcer Bill Wendell that did the one season Pardo didnt'?)

Mel Brandt did the 81-82 season (when Dick Ebersol ran SNL for a few years).

 

[LKellerIII]

Yes, friends, its still Don Pardo on the ISDN from Arizona. He's now 94...

This was noted in a September 2010 Arizona Daily Star article--that he now "phones it in."

http://azstarnet.com/entertainment/movies/article_d60d3256-5961-55a4-b0c5-b5a9491610d2.html

Pardo retired to Arizona quite a few years ago, but until recently, would fly to New York once a week to announce SNL. Given that this is the day of reasonably priced home studios, and sound that can be sent digitally over satellite, and given that Don is in his mid 90s, that seemed crazy.

Don Pardo's first radio job was in Providence RI in 1938. He joined the NBC radio network in 1944 - 68 years ago.