The Samberger (Andy Samberg) will be making an appearance on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon this Tuesday night (that's 12th May) & the Tonight Show with Jay Leno on 21st May.
I'll remind you guys closer to the time obviously, but just thought I'd tell you so you can clear your schedules.
Saturday, May 9, 2009
Land of The Lost Trailer
Just thought I'd share this with all the Jorma Taccone fans of the world. It's just a little independent movie starring a few guys called Will Ferrell & Danny McBride, and the lovely Anna Friel. Nothing major. Jorma plays a furry little guy called Chaka.
Enjoy!
Enjoy!
Andy Samberg to Host SNL Short Films Special
From the AP:
NEW YORK (AP) — Sometimes the memorable moments on "Saturday Night Live' aren't live.
From Mr. Bill to "Lazy Sunday," the late-night show has occasionally presented short films, and is collecting many of the best for a two-hour prime-time special airing May 17 at 9 p.m. EDT. Andy Samberg is the host.
For a program that has sliced and diced material for all manner of prime-time compilations, it's the first time one is being devoted specifically to the short films.
"It's great to be able to show all these great ones from the past to a generation that is not familiar with them," Samberg said. "For me to do hosting segments and be able to (introduce) `Synchronized Swimmers,' this is not just something that influenced me heavily but influenced everybody in comedy."
That film featuring Martin Short's water acrobatics was directed by Christopher Guest.
Samberg also remembers Eddie Murphy's short film, "White Like Me," where the actor impersonated a white man.
"When I was a kid and saw that, my brain exploded," Samberg said. "It was like the greatest thing I'd ever seen in my life."
Robert Smigel's "TV Funhouse" was a frequent "SNL" feature, and the 2007 film featuring Justin Timberlake and a gift box won an Emmy Award.
But the granddaddy of "SNL" films featured Mr. Bill, a clay figure given a high-pitched voice and a tendency to meet untimely ends. Samberg, in his fourth season at "SNL," may be better known for his work on short films than live skits. "Lazy Sunday," a rap video about cupcakes and movies on an otherwise boring afternoon, became a sensation on the Internet and was key to the early success of YouTube.
Samberg has created several other films with partners Jorma Taccone and Akiva Schaffer, including a rap song with Natalie Portman and "Iran So Far Away," a tribute to Iranian President Mahmoud Amadinejad.
Samberg, Taccone and Schaffer were active posting comic videos on the Internet before joining "Saturday Night Live." That wasn't the work that got them a job on "SNL," however. Samberg said the show's staff noticed him when he wrote for an MTV awards show that was hosted by Jimmy Fallon.
Now Samberg is hosting MTV's Movie Awards after the "Saturday Night Live" season ends.
Live or taped? Samberg said he doesn't have a personal preference when he's working on the show.
"It depends on the material," he said. "I've had some of the most fun of my time here live in the studio. When something is really working in there and you're feeling the audience's energy and playing off each other, that can be kind of electric."
NEW YORK (AP) — Sometimes the memorable moments on "Saturday Night Live' aren't live.
From Mr. Bill to "Lazy Sunday," the late-night show has occasionally presented short films, and is collecting many of the best for a two-hour prime-time special airing May 17 at 9 p.m. EDT. Andy Samberg is the host.
For a program that has sliced and diced material for all manner of prime-time compilations, it's the first time one is being devoted specifically to the short films.
"It's great to be able to show all these great ones from the past to a generation that is not familiar with them," Samberg said. "For me to do hosting segments and be able to (introduce) `Synchronized Swimmers,' this is not just something that influenced me heavily but influenced everybody in comedy."
That film featuring Martin Short's water acrobatics was directed by Christopher Guest.
Samberg also remembers Eddie Murphy's short film, "White Like Me," where the actor impersonated a white man.
"When I was a kid and saw that, my brain exploded," Samberg said. "It was like the greatest thing I'd ever seen in my life."
Robert Smigel's "TV Funhouse" was a frequent "SNL" feature, and the 2007 film featuring Justin Timberlake and a gift box won an Emmy Award.
But the granddaddy of "SNL" films featured Mr. Bill, a clay figure given a high-pitched voice and a tendency to meet untimely ends. Samberg, in his fourth season at "SNL," may be better known for his work on short films than live skits. "Lazy Sunday," a rap video about cupcakes and movies on an otherwise boring afternoon, became a sensation on the Internet and was key to the early success of YouTube.
Samberg has created several other films with partners Jorma Taccone and Akiva Schaffer, including a rap song with Natalie Portman and "Iran So Far Away," a tribute to Iranian President Mahmoud Amadinejad.
Samberg, Taccone and Schaffer were active posting comic videos on the Internet before joining "Saturday Night Live." That wasn't the work that got them a job on "SNL," however. Samberg said the show's staff noticed him when he wrote for an MTV awards show that was hosted by Jimmy Fallon.
Now Samberg is hosting MTV's Movie Awards after the "Saturday Night Live" season ends.
Live or taped? Samberg said he doesn't have a personal preference when he's working on the show.
"It depends on the material," he said. "I've had some of the most fun of my time here live in the studio. When something is really working in there and you're feeling the audience's energy and playing off each other, that can be kind of electric."
Thursday, May 7, 2009
Kenan Thompson Interview
http://www.starpulse.com/news/index.php/2009/05/07/kenan_thompson_talks_sit_down_shut_up_sn
He talks about the Fox show Sit Down, Shut Up and Will Forte's moustaches. Enjoy!
He talks about the Fox show Sit Down, Shut Up and Will Forte's moustaches. Enjoy!
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Monday, May 4, 2009
Weekend Update to Return This Fall
From the NY Times:
“Weekend Update,” the satirical television news segment, worked during the presidential election year, and now NBC will again try to capitalize on interest in the news by producing it as half-hour specials during its next prime-time season, as well as the usual segments in “Saturday Night Live.”
The network will announce to advertisers in New York on Monday that it is ordering at least six and as many as 13 prime-time editions of “Update,” most likely for use on its Thursday night schedule, which has become the home once again of a critically praised comedy lineup on NBC.
Last season NBC produced special prime-time editions of “Update” during the weeks leading up to the presidential election and all were highly rated. This will be the first time the “Update” specials will be a weekly part of NBC’s fall schedule, even on weeks when “S.N.L.” is not in production.
The prime-time shows will be anchored by Seth Meyers, who does the same job on “S.N.L.” (He is also that show’s head writer.)
But NBC will look to take advantage of the presence of two former “Update” anchors, Tina Fey and Amy Poehler, on other Thursday night comedies (“30 Rock” and “Parks and Recreation,” respectively) by inviting them to serve as occasional guests at the “Update” desk.
I'm not sure what I think of this. I enjoyed the WU segments last fall, but at the same time, the reason they worked so well was because of the presidential election. And if it is going to impact on the quality of regular Weekend Update, I'm not too sure...
What do you think? Are you excited to see them return?
“Weekend Update,” the satirical television news segment, worked during the presidential election year, and now NBC will again try to capitalize on interest in the news by producing it as half-hour specials during its next prime-time season, as well as the usual segments in “Saturday Night Live.”
The network will announce to advertisers in New York on Monday that it is ordering at least six and as many as 13 prime-time editions of “Update,” most likely for use on its Thursday night schedule, which has become the home once again of a critically praised comedy lineup on NBC.
Last season NBC produced special prime-time editions of “Update” during the weeks leading up to the presidential election and all were highly rated. This will be the first time the “Update” specials will be a weekly part of NBC’s fall schedule, even on weeks when “S.N.L.” is not in production.
The prime-time shows will be anchored by Seth Meyers, who does the same job on “S.N.L.” (He is also that show’s head writer.)
But NBC will look to take advantage of the presence of two former “Update” anchors, Tina Fey and Amy Poehler, on other Thursday night comedies (“30 Rock” and “Parks and Recreation,” respectively) by inviting them to serve as occasional guests at the “Update” desk.
I'm not sure what I think of this. I enjoyed the WU segments last fall, but at the same time, the reason they worked so well was because of the presidential election. And if it is going to impact on the quality of regular Weekend Update, I'm not too sure...
What do you think? Are you excited to see them return?
Friday, May 1, 2009
Will Forte Interview on Starpulse
Click here to read a nice, in-depth interview with Will Forte on Starpulse:
http://www.starpulse.com/news/index.php/2009/04/28/will_forte_of_saturday_night_live_talks_
http://www.starpulse.com/news/index.php/2009/04/28/will_forte_of_saturday_night_live_talks_
SNL Cast in Chicago
Some of the SNL cast & crew paid a little visit to the windy city this week. Read all about it here:
Officially, the visit by stars of "Saturday Night Live" was a secret, but secrets seldom stay secret long in the chattery world of Chicago improv.
So the generally hectic Wednesday night at the iO theater in Wrigleyville was exceptionally frenzied this week, with fans lining up outside starting at 6:30 for the 8 p.m. show and stuffing every seat in the downstairs cabaret. Some of them surely were drawn by the prospect of seeing people they knew from TV -- people who wouldn't even be taking the stage.
The rumors proved true: Longtime "SNL" cast members Will Forte and Jason Sudeikis settled into reserved seats just before showtime, along with co-stars Casey Wilson and Abby Elliott, relative newcomers to NBC's late-night comedy powerhouse. A swarm of writers from the show completed the party.
They watched comedy typical of what iO visitors see most any night. The team 3033 made up and demonstrated various historic phases of improv, all of them preposterous. Bullet Lounge built the suggestion of "banana split" into a poignant scene of a man losing his dying wife, as actors pretended to embellish them with whipped cream and sprinkles. Carl & the Passions made up a school assembly where kids ignored the lessons on refrigerator safety and probed the janitor about his vomit cleaner.
The "SNL" folks laughed, just as they'd hoped to during an outing that was more vacation than business trip.
The group was 18 strong and could have been even bigger; cast members Michaela Watkins and Kenan Thompson dropped out when they got last-minute gigs. Kristen Wiig, one of this season's most prolific "SNL" talents, came for a while but split before the night at iO.
John Lutz, an iO alum and "SNL" writer who put the trip together, patterned it after annual sojourns the show staff takes to Cambridge, Mass. "SNL" writers with roots at the Harvard Lampoon give their colleagues a look at where they come from, and Lutz thought staffers from Chicago could do a similar tour.
"A lot of ['SNL'] people haven't come to Chicago at all, let alone the Second City or iO," said Lutz, who also appears on "30 Rock" as a hapless writer named Lutz. "It's part of 'SNL' history as well."
The comics arrived Monday and hit Second City as well, catching the mainstage show "America: All Better" on Tuesday. Along the way they've made stops on the standard tourist circuit: pizza at Giordano's, ribs at Twin Anchors, drinks atop the Hancock.
"And the orgies!" Sudeikis said. "Oh my God, the orgies have been insane."
It was a homecoming for Sudeikis, who used to perform at iO and with Second City's touring companies. For Elliott, it was a fresh experience, her first visit to Chicago since a childhood trip to the top of the Sears Tower.
She'd heard much about improv here during her training at New York's Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre -- a company founded by Chicago-trained comics -- and was excited to see it and study it. That done, she has one more goal to accomplish before heading home on Thursday.
"I heard that Portillo's has a chocolate cake milkshake," she said, "and I am craving that I will get it."
http://blogs.suntimes.com/tv/2009/04/the_snl_gang_lives_it_up_in_ch.html
Officially, the visit by stars of "Saturday Night Live" was a secret, but secrets seldom stay secret long in the chattery world of Chicago improv.
So the generally hectic Wednesday night at the iO theater in Wrigleyville was exceptionally frenzied this week, with fans lining up outside starting at 6:30 for the 8 p.m. show and stuffing every seat in the downstairs cabaret. Some of them surely were drawn by the prospect of seeing people they knew from TV -- people who wouldn't even be taking the stage.
The rumors proved true: Longtime "SNL" cast members Will Forte and Jason Sudeikis settled into reserved seats just before showtime, along with co-stars Casey Wilson and Abby Elliott, relative newcomers to NBC's late-night comedy powerhouse. A swarm of writers from the show completed the party.
They watched comedy typical of what iO visitors see most any night. The team 3033 made up and demonstrated various historic phases of improv, all of them preposterous. Bullet Lounge built the suggestion of "banana split" into a poignant scene of a man losing his dying wife, as actors pretended to embellish them with whipped cream and sprinkles. Carl & the Passions made up a school assembly where kids ignored the lessons on refrigerator safety and probed the janitor about his vomit cleaner.
The "SNL" folks laughed, just as they'd hoped to during an outing that was more vacation than business trip.
The group was 18 strong and could have been even bigger; cast members Michaela Watkins and Kenan Thompson dropped out when they got last-minute gigs. Kristen Wiig, one of this season's most prolific "SNL" talents, came for a while but split before the night at iO.
John Lutz, an iO alum and "SNL" writer who put the trip together, patterned it after annual sojourns the show staff takes to Cambridge, Mass. "SNL" writers with roots at the Harvard Lampoon give their colleagues a look at where they come from, and Lutz thought staffers from Chicago could do a similar tour.
"A lot of ['SNL'] people haven't come to Chicago at all, let alone the Second City or iO," said Lutz, who also appears on "30 Rock" as a hapless writer named Lutz. "It's part of 'SNL' history as well."
The comics arrived Monday and hit Second City as well, catching the mainstage show "America: All Better" on Tuesday. Along the way they've made stops on the standard tourist circuit: pizza at Giordano's, ribs at Twin Anchors, drinks atop the Hancock.
"And the orgies!" Sudeikis said. "Oh my God, the orgies have been insane."
It was a homecoming for Sudeikis, who used to perform at iO and with Second City's touring companies. For Elliott, it was a fresh experience, her first visit to Chicago since a childhood trip to the top of the Sears Tower.
She'd heard much about improv here during her training at New York's Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre -- a company founded by Chicago-trained comics -- and was excited to see it and study it. That done, she has one more goal to accomplish before heading home on Thursday.
"I heard that Portillo's has a chocolate cake milkshake," she said, "and I am craving that I will get it."
http://blogs.suntimes.com/tv/2009/04/the_snl_gang_lives_it_up_in_ch.html
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Michaela Watkins Q&A
http://www.syracuse.com/entertainment/index.ssf?/base/entertainment-2/1240563406261600.xml&coll=1
She talks about SNL, her childhood etc. etc.
Enjoy!
She talks about SNL, her childhood etc. etc.
Enjoy!
Amy Poehler article in New Yorker
Even though she's not on SNL anymore, I thought I should alert you to this article about Ms. Poehler in the prestigious New Yorker.
http://www.newyorker.com/arts/critics/television/2009/05/04/090504crte_television_franklin
http://www.newyorker.com/arts/critics/television/2009/05/04/090504crte_television_franklin
Fred's Blog
Fred Armisen has put up another new blog detailing the John Malkovich/T.I show - one of my favourites of the season. It's filled with pictures of scripts and pitch meetings!
http://blog.nbc.com/fred/
Enjoy!
http://blog.nbc.com/fred/
Enjoy!
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Michaela Watkins Cast in "The Back-Up Plan"
LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Comic Michaela Watkins, who recently joined "Saturday Night Live," has been cast in the romantic comedy "The Back-Up Plan" opposite Jennifer Lopez and Alex O'Loughlin.
Watkins will play Mona, the longtime best friend of Lopez's character, a fed-up wannabe mother who meets a promising romantic prospect the same day she receives artificial insemination.
Kate Angelo ("Will & Grace") wrote the screenplay, and Alan Poul ("Six Feet Under") is directing.
The movie will be CBS Films' first feature release, set to hit theaters in January.
Watkins is a member of the Groundlings comedy troupe. Her TV credits include "The New Adventures of Old Christine," "Californication" and "Medium." Her next feature is the comedy "The Prankster."
Congrats!
Watkins will play Mona, the longtime best friend of Lopez's character, a fed-up wannabe mother who meets a promising romantic prospect the same day she receives artificial insemination.
Kate Angelo ("Will & Grace") wrote the screenplay, and Alan Poul ("Six Feet Under") is directing.
The movie will be CBS Films' first feature release, set to hit theaters in January.
Watkins is a member of the Groundlings comedy troupe. Her TV credits include "The New Adventures of Old Christine," "Californication" and "Medium." Her next feature is the comedy "The Prankster."
Congrats!
Kenan Thompson at Miss USA Pageant
Here is SNL's very own Kenan Thompson asking Miss Arizona a question about universal healthcare at the Miss USA pageant, where he was apparently a judge.
The answer she gives is spectacularly stupid, so it brings the laughs.
Say What!?
Andy Samberg spotted clubbing with Jonah Hill & Aziz Ansari!
Off the hizzle!
Oh E! News, you're my favourite type of news.
Off the hizzle!
Oh E! News, you're my favourite type of news.
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