Great SNL with Martin Short and Paul McCartney 12/12/2012

[WMC2006]

This was the annual Christmas show.

The cold open had the New York Children's Choir singing Silent Night. I don't know if it was planned or in response to the Newtown CT Elementary School tragedy but it seemed just right.

Martin Short did a fantastic job. The best sketch was probably the one with Kate Middleton's gynecologist (Bill Hader) and Martin.

Making appearances of varying lengths were Paul Shaffer, Alec Baldwin, Tom Hanks, Tina Fey, Lorne Michaels, Jimmy Fallon, Kristin Wiig, Samuel L Jackson and actress Kerry Brownstein.

Jackson and Brownstein were guests on the What's Up With That sketch. Jackson managed to swear twice, live on the air, near the end of the sketch, using both the F word and the BS word. Didn't seem to be any attempt to bleep it out so all you viewers in other time zones can keep your ears out for that. Brownstein is castmember Fred Armisen's acting partner and "friend". Armisen is the sax player in the sketch. Both of them were guests on David Letterman's show earlier in the week. So was Jackson for that matter. And if you saw Jackson on Letterman earlier in the week, maybe it's me, but Jackson seemed to be wearing the exact same clothes in his quickie monologue appearance as he did on Letterman.

McCartney sang three times. First appearance was My Funny Valentine; second was some very noisy piece that seemed very un-McCartney-like to me; and the third, just before the goodbye, was A Wonderful Christmastime, joined by the New York Children's Choir.

Sadly, we did not get an Ed Grimley sketch although Martin did do a couple of Grimley moves during the monologue. But still a very good show, definitely the highlight episode of the season although Bruno Mars did a decent job.

Speaking of Bruno Mars, his repeat is on next week.

SNL gets a long winter break. They are off until next year when they return live on January 19th with Jennifer Laurence and musical guest Luminere.

 

[KML0224]

You kinda saw the cameo overload coming. I believe the cold open was likely scrapped due to the Connecticut tragedy (which was 33 miles away from me). Jay Pharoah's Kanye impression was off the hook! Lastly, how does somebody of Samuel's stature forget that he's on live TV?

 

[WMC2006]

According to this article, SNL added the choir opening to pay tribute to the kids involved in the Newtown shootings.

And Samuel L Jackson offers his excuses, putting the blame on Kenan Thompson:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/16/snl-newtown-shooting-show-silent-night_n_2310589.html

 

[firepoint525]

McCartney sang three times. First appearance was My Funny Valentine; second was some very noisy piece that seemed very un-McCartney-like to me; and the third, just before the goodbye, was A Wonderful Christmastime, joined by the New York Children's Choir.

Agreed with that! McCartney should definitely STOP hanging around with the Foo Fighters. He is giving them too much credibility.

The skit immediately preceding "Wonderful Christmastime" was hilarious! I had told the wife that he would probably sing that, given that it was a Christmas-themed show. She loves that song, so she was glad to hear it.

 

[justpassingthough]

Before this week's episode, Ken Tucker reviewed this season of SNL and noted that despite the common protests that SNL is never as funny as it once was, this is actually a pretty solid season.

http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20655916,00.html

I'd have to agree- as some of the newer cast like Jay Pharoah, Kate McKinnon and Cecily Strong are true stand-outs, and some of the veterans are still turning in solid performances.

If you include this week's episode with Martin Short, which I'd consider one of the best episodes of the past 5 seasons, I'd give this season an even higher grade.

 

[visaman]

McCartney sang three times. First appearance was My Funny Valentine; second was some very noisy piece that seemed very un-McCartney-like to me; and the third, just before the goodbye, was A Wonderful Christmastime, joined by the New York Children's Choir.

Agreed with that! McCartney should definitely STOP hanging around with the Foo Fighters. He is giving them too much credibility.

FOO FIGHTERS NOOOOOOOOOO! That was a reunion of NIRVANA, with Sir Paul filling in for the Late Kurt Corbain. If you saw the 12.12.12. concert the other night. Sir Paul, mentioned that a "bunch of blokes asked if they could join me...I didn't realize it was a Nirvana reunion!" Of which Courtney Love was very very upset about, but thought it would have been cool if John Lennon would have filled in, if he wasn't you know like dead and all that.

 

[visaman]

This was the annual Christmas show.




McCartney sang three times... second was some very noisy piece that seemed very un-McCartney-like to me
Luminere.

Helter Skelter (from the White Album) is a very noisy song (in fact it it is credited for being the first Heavy Metal song, before there was Heavy Metal). I think the song suited Sir Paul, as the guitars drowned out his voice. ;D

 

[firepoint525]

McCartney sang three times. First appearance was My Funny Valentine; second was some very noisy piece that seemed very un-McCartney-like to me; and the third, just before the goodbye, was A Wonderful Christmastime, joined by the New York Children's Choir.

Agreed with that! McCartney should definitely STOP hanging around with the Foo Fighters. He is giving them too much credibility.

FOO FIGHTERS NOOOOOOOOOO! That was a reunion of NIRVANA, with Sir Paul filling in for the Late Kurt Corbain. If you saw the 12.12.12. concert the other night. Sir Paul, mentioned that a "bunch of blokes asked if they could join me...I didn't realize it was a Nirvana reunion!" Of which Courtney Love was very very upset about, but thought it would have been cool if John Lennon would have filled in, if he wasn't you know like dead and all that.

Regardless of that, I still disagree with him "palling" around with them. Nirvana was never good enough to even carry water for Paul! :

 

[firepoint525]

This was the annual Christmas show.
McCartney sang three times... second was some very noisy piece that seemed very un-McCartney-like to me Luminere.

Helter Skelter (from the White Album) is a very noisy song (in fact it it is credited for being the first Heavy Metal song, before there was Heavy Metal). I think the song suited Sir Paul, as the guitars drowned out his voice. ;D

Actually, "Born to Be Wild" gets that distinction. It even mentions "heavy metal." And I believe that it predated "Helter Skelter" by a few months.

 

[The Voice of Reason]

The opening number with the children singing made me cry. :'( Who ever came up with this idea, versus a comedy monolog, should be congratulated.

 

[LKellerIII]

Yes, replacing the regular opening with the kids singing was terrific and moving. I love Martin Short, and laughed a few times, but was underwhelmed with the show.

And yes - the new talent is excellent, as was much of the talent that recently left.

But to me, the problem is the writing which is atrocious. Skit comedy is hard, but the skits on SNL the last decade tend to be overly long and often just un-funny. The writers seriously need to learn editing skills.

I have to ask - What up with "What up with Dat?" It was fairly funny the first time, mildy amusing the second, and now painfully stupid. None of the guests can get a word in edgewise because the host keeps singing "oooo-eeee...what up with dat." We get it. It reminds me of MacGruber. Both SNL and David Letterman seem to think that repeating a comedy bit way past the point of boredom is funny in itself. I stopped watching Letterman after the 453rd time he did "Will It Float?".

I don't care if Samuel L. Jackson accidently let rip with a profanity, I'm more concerned that he showed up to do that awful skit. He must not watch the show.

 

[justpassingthough]

"What's Up Wit That?" is the worst recurring skit of the past decade. Actually, whoever told Kenan Thompson that he was funny needs to be punished. Certainly he has done some funny things throughout the years in individual skits, but I blame the writers for continuing to put him as the lead in poorly written skits.

I don't know how many or if the writers changed this year, but I noticed that Jason Sudeikis and Vanessa Bayer have all but disappeared.

 

[KML0224]

Rampid speculation that Sudekis is leaving in January 2013. Stay tuned!

 

[justpassingthough]

Rampid speculation that Sudekis is leaving in January 2013. Stay tuned!

I thought it was already reported that he had only signed on until January. It was essentially Lorne Michael's bet that President Obama would win re-election and Jason's services as Mitt Romney would only be needed through 2012, at which point he could leave to pursue other opportunities like his film career.

 

[rnigma1]

I think Kenan was funnier on "All That" and "Kenan and Kel." Agreed that the "What's Up wit' That?" sketches have long worn out their welcome and are making me nostalgic for "Good Burger."

The sketch about Kate's gynecologist was silly, but was kind of livened up by the bizarreness of Fred Armisen as the Queen.

The cold open with the children's choir was touching.

 

[WMC2006]

but I noticed that Jason Sudeikis and Vanessa Bayer have all but disappeared.

Vanessa is usually there quite a bit. She does a pretty good Miley Cyrus impression but that character hasn't been on lately.

It's actually Jason and Fred Armisen who don't have much to do anymore. Once Kristin Wiig left, Fred lost most of his work. Kristin's and Fred's godawful Weekend Update duo of Garth and Kat was in my opinion about the worst sketch going. I enjoy What Up Wit Dat much more. One of Fred's characters that I always enjoy, and whom hasn't been on since maybe last year, is "Nicholas Fein". He's the guy who appears on Update and comments on current news by saying absolutely nothing. It's stupid but stupid-funny, if that makes sense.

 

[justpassingthough]

but I noticed that Jason Sudeikis and Vanessa Bayer have all but disappeared.

Vanessa is usually there quite a bit. She does a pretty good Miley Cyrus impression but that character hasn't been on lately.

It's actually Jason and Fred Armisen who don't have much to do anymore. Once Kristin Wiig left, Fred lost most of his work. Kristin's and Fred's godawful Weekend Update duo of Garth and Kat was in my opinion about the worst sketch going. I enjoy What Up Wit Dat much more. One of Fred's characters that I always enjoy, and whom hasn't been on since maybe last year, is "Nicholas Fein". He's the guy who appears on Update and comments on current news by saying absolutely nothing. It's stupid but stupid-funny, if that makes sense.

I always thought that Fred Armisen was the most overused player in the repertoire. I'm glad to see his role get scaled down now that he doesn't have Kristen Wiig to justify his existence. The only skit I find him remotely funny in is "the Californians", and even that seems to have played itself out at this point.

I'm glad the writers use it sparingly but I always enjoy the "Fox and Friends" skits with Vanessa Bayer, Taran Killam and Bobby Moynihan.

 

[LKellerIII]

but I noticed that Jason Sudeikis and Vanessa Bayer have all but disappeared.

Vanessa is usually there quite a bit. She does a pretty good Miley Cyrus impression but that character hasn't been on lately.

It's actually Jason and Fred Armisen who don't have much to do anymore. Once Kristin Wiig left, Fred lost most of his work. Kristin's and Fred's godawful Weekend Update duo of Garth and Kat was in my opinion about the worst sketch going. I enjoy What Up Wit Dat much more. One of Fred's characters that I always enjoy, and whom hasn't been on since maybe last year, is "Nicholas Fein". He's the guy who appears on Update and comments on current news by saying absolutely nothing. It's stupid but stupid-funny, if that makes sense.

I always thought that Fred Armisen was the most overused player in the repertoire. I'm glad to see his role get scaled down now that he doesn't have Kristen Wiig to justify his existence. The only skit I find him remotely funny in is "the Californians", and even that seems to have played itself out at this point.

I'm glad the writers use it sparingly but I always enjoy the "Fox and Friends" skits with Vanessa Bayer, Taran Killam and Bobby Moynihan.

Killam is a major talent, IMO. I noticed that even last year when he was just a "featured player," he tended to be in more skits than many of the top-billed stars.

It's easy to predict that he will have a solid career in other venues (movies or TV), even if SNL continues to suck - much like Sudekis or Wiig. Of course, I probably thought the same of Darrell Hammond and Joe Piscopo, and they both more-or-less disappeared from the scene after SNL.

I've seen Hammond in small TV drama parts one or two times, usually playing bad guys and killers.

 

[justpassingthough]

After he left the show, Darrell Hammond copped to a major drug (cocaine, if i remember correctly) problem that most likely forced him away from show business.

If he wasn't doing impersonations, though, DH was always a straight man and nothing else. Taran Killam seems to have a little more range, so I could see him doing plenty of other things outside of SNL.

 

[jfrancispastirchak]

Visaman, good catch on McCartney's collaboration with surviving Nirvana members, not FOO FIGHTERS!

I missed the SNL show. Did any of you notice him scratching his scalp every few minutes the way he did on 12.12.12. ?? My wife observed this might have been a self conscious, though vain attempt at concealing a growing bald spot.