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Posts tagged as saturday night live

SNL

Saturday Night's Children: Matthew Laurance (1980-1981)

by | May 21st, 2013

Saturday Night Live has been home to over a hundred cast members throughout the past 37 years. In our column Saturday Night’s Children, we present the history, talent, and best sketches of one SNL cast member every other week for your viewing, learning, and laughing pleasure.

While it's difficult enough to track down the stories of oft-forgotten SNL cast members, early eighties bit player Matthew Laurance poses an added level of complication: He's an identical twin to slightly-older brother Mitchell Laurance, who not only worked alongside him as an SNL staffer in the late seventies but also appeared on HBO's Not Necessarily the News from 1983-1990. The sibling rivalry [...]

Guides

Here's Everyone Who Was at Stefon's Wedding

by | May 20th, 2013

Stefon and Anderson Cooper's wedding on Saturday Night Live this weekend was jam-packed with appearances from characters and creatures Stefon had mentioned in previous Weekend Update reports. We freeze-framed our way through the scene to offer you this guide to all of Stefon's wedding guests. From Gizblow the coked-up Gremlin to DJ Baby Bok Choy, they're all here:

Videolists

Videolist: Fred Armisen's Best 'SNL' Sketches

by | May 16th, 2013

Fred Armisen's departure from Saturday Night Live was announced today, and though the news came somewhat expectedly after Bill Hader's announcement on Tuesday, it's still sad to see one of SNL's strangest and most absurdity-driven players move on from the show. In the spirit of Fred's departure after eleven seasons, we've collected some of his most memorable characters and sketches, from the rambling Update frequenter Nicholas Fehn to his impressions of Liberace, Penny Marshall, Prince, and more.

Reviews

'SNL' Review: Kristen Wiig Disappoints with More of the Same

by | May 13th, 2013

An episode of SNL feels most satisfying when the sketches come from a place of inspiration, as opposed to obligation. For example, when Justin Timberlake hosts the show, I don't need to see the "Dick in a Box" characters, but I would like to see them if the writers come up with a fresh and exciting way to bring them back. Whether or not a sketch addresses a recent news event or upcoming holiday is secondary to whether or not the sketch is funny. I'm sure the SNL staff shares this mindset — they really are just trying to produce the funniest show possible. But occasionally, in pursuit of [...]

Reviews

'SNL' Review: Risk Pays Off for Zach Galifianakis

by | May 6th, 2013

SNL works best when it hits a balance between structure and chaos. As a show that's broadcasted live after only a week of production time, chaos is pre-installed into the system. The show attempts to offset that chaos with as many safety nets as possible: a cast of multitalented actors, a writing staff that can turn out an abundance of material in a pressure-cooker environment, and one of the best crews in television. Over time, some of those safety nets turn into crutches that annoy the hard-core fans: recurring characters, sketches that rely too heavily on celebrity impersonation, talk show formats, etc. So periodically, the show will reintroduce a [...]

SEASON IN REVIEW

The Best of 'SNL' Season 38

by | May 21st, 2013

It snuck up on us, didn't it? The end of SNL Season 38 brought along with it key staff changes, among them the upcoming departure of head writer Seth Meyers and the immediate departures of cast members Bill Hader, Fred Armisen, and (unofficially) Jason Sudeikis. Few people have shaped SNL over the past 8 years more than these men — Meyers with his leadership in the writers room and charm as Weekend Update host, and Hader, Armisen and Sudeikis as the cast's workhorses and loadbearing performers. Indeed, many pegged Season 38 as a "transitional year" in the wake of Kristen Wiig and Andy Samberg leaving the show a year ago, [...]

Goodbyes

Jay Pharoah Confirms Jason Sudeikis's 'SNL' Exit on Twitter

by | May 20th, 2013

While it was officially announced last week that Bill Hader and Fred Armisen were leaving Saturday Night Live following this weekend's season finale and each of them received their own goodbye sketch, Jason Sudeikis is expected to depart too but the news isn't official yet. Fellow cast member Jay Pharoah revealed via Twitter yesterday morning that Sudeikis is leaving, writing "Hader, Armisen & Sudekis the talent of those three and just them as people in general will be missed but we will be strong and carry on.." Pharoah quickly deleted the tweet after posting it, which is a little weird, but it's archived on Favstar where it will live [...]

Videolists

Videolist: Bill Hader's Best 'SNL' Sketches

by | May 14th, 2013

With today's news that Bill Hader is leaving Saturday Night Live after eight seasons as a wildly-popular cast member on the show, we've collected videos of Hader's best sketches for a nice look back at the excellent work he's done on SNL. From characters like everybody's favorite clubhopper Stefon to ancient reporter Herb Welch and dead-on impressions of Al Pacino, Alan Alda, and Vincent Price, they're all here. SNL has some awfully big shoes to fill next year.

Check out a ton of classic Bill Hader sketches below:

Promos

Kristen Wiig Returns to 'SNL' This Week and Made Some Fun Promos with Fred Armisen

by | May 8th, 2013

Kristen Wiig is returning to host SNL this weekend after a year away, and she made this series of funny promos for the episode with help from Fred Armisen and no help from Olivia Newton-John, who is maybe guest starring on the show this week.

Music

There's a Website and Free EP for Fred Armisen's "History of Punk" Character Ian Rubbish

by | April 30th, 2013

IanRubbish.com, a website for Fred Armisen's punk rock character Ian Rubbish (of Ian Rubbish & the Bizarros) sprang up today. The character, a '70s punk rock frontman with a soft spot for "Iron Lady" Margaret Thatcher, debuted in a sketch called "History of Punk" (embedded below) from SNL's Vince Vaughn episode earlier this month. The website features photos of Ian Rubbish, an album cover, and a Best of Ian Rubbish EP composed of four complete downloadable songs – "Maggie Thatcher," "Hey Policeman!," "Living in the Gutter," and "Sweet Iron Lady." The songs are actually pretty amazing and a nice tribute to first wave English punk while standing on their [...]

Reviews

'SNL' Review: Ben Affleck and the End of an Era

by | May 20th, 2013

What a weepy week it was for comedy nerds. NBC packed a double-whammy of goodbyes, with The Office's poignant series finale last Thursday, followed by Saturday's season finale of Saturday Night Live and final episode to feature Bill Hader, Fred Armisen, and (perhaps) Jason Sudeikis as regular cast members, which was announced only days before. It is indeed the end of an era, not just for the network, but for TV comedy as a whole, and we will talk plenty more about this changing landscape over the coming days, weeks, and months.

Unlike last year's farewell to Kristen Wiig, which had a best-of-Wiig vibe that unfortunately repeated itself a week [...]

Promos

Watch Bill Hader's Last-Ever 'SNL' Promos with Host Ben Affleck

by | May 16th, 2013

Here's departing SNL cast member Bill Hader doing a bunch of promos for this weekend's SNL season finale alongside host Ben Affleck. Affleck's Bill Hader impression is solid gold.

Goodbyes

Bill Hader Is Leaving 'SNL' After 8 Years; Last Episode This Saturday

by | May 14th, 2013

After eight seasons as a cast member, Bill Hader is leaving Saturday Night Live. Hader tells The NY Times, "It was a hard decision, but it has to happen at some point. It got to a point where I said, 'Maybe it’s just time to go.'" In the Times announcement, Lorne Michaels recalls a young Bill Hader reminding him of Dan Aykroyd. "In terms of intelligence and talent, he was in that same tradition. He was so completely committed to the art of it and enough a student of it that there’s something strikingly original. He didn't explode onto the air, but gradually he found his voice, and [...]

SNL

Saturday Night's Children: Paul Brittain (2010-2012)

by | May 8th, 2013

Saturday Night Live has been home to over a hundred cast members throughout the past 37 years. In our column Saturday Night’s Children, we present the history, talent, and best sketches of one SNL cast member every other week for your viewing, learning, and laughing pleasure.

When the news broke in January 2012 that Paul Brittain was leaving SNL "effective immediately," I had a somber moment of silence for Funky Boy and the Little Lord. Though he appeared infrequently during his year and a half stint as a featured player, Brittain's small frame, shy-flirty delivery, and ability to sway from joyful to creeptastic and back again in even [...]

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