Happy birthday to Seth Meyers who turns 37 today! Have a good 'un, sir!

It has been announced that SNL featured player Jay Pharoah will appear on NBC's New Year's Eve with Carson Daly. Pharoah, along with Bono & The Edge, Jimmy Fallon, Brian Williams, Antoine Dodson and Greyson Chance, will stop by the NYE special for an interview. Last year's special attracted 9.3 million viewers, so it is quite the platform for Pharoah!
NBC's New Year's Eve with Carson Daly airs December 31, beginning in primetime at 10.00 -11.00PM ET and continuing from 11.30PM to 12.30PM ET.

A Very Special Christmas Message

Wishing all my readers a very merry Christmas! 
2010 has been a great year for my blog - |I had the opportunity to interview the likes of Bobby Moynihan, Alex Baze and Michael Patrick O'Brien, my traffic increased significantly and I've gained a loyal following. 
Thank you for all your continued support and look out in 2011 for lots of great stuff.
Have a good one!

Amy xo

 A Somewhat Obsessive Guide to All 36 Seasons of SNL Streaming on Netflix | Splitsider

So, hundreds of SNL episodes are finally available to stream and watch on Netflix. To celebrate this, comedy site Splitsider has compiled a comprehensive list of historic/memorable episodes to watch. Now, not all SNL episodes are available on SNL - seasons 26-30 are still unavailable - but there's still tons of material to wade your way through and this guide is super helpful. Check it out here.

SNL - Midseason Review (Season 36 Episodes 1-10)

So, now that 2010 is drawing to a close and SNL has offered us ten episodes of season thirty-six, I think it’s high time that I complile my top ten favourite sketches of the season. Without further ado, here are my top ten sketches of season thirty-six thus far.

1. Les Jeunes de Paris - If forced to pick my favourite sketch of the season thus far, this would probably be it. Not to get too pretentious about things, but I just felt like this was comedy in its purest form - all physical and visual. Just an incredibly well-executed and joyful sketch, featuring a nice interplay between host Emma Stone and featured player Taran Killam. 
2. “Sex Ed” Vincent - This was a taped infomercial which featured Paul Brittain front and center playing his character Sex Ed Vincent, an amateur sex educator. Long a stalwart of the Chicago improv scene, Sex Ed Vincent’s debut on SNL was hilarious and really solidifed Paul Brittain’s status as a “one to watch”. 
3. Back To The Future Screen Tests - I mean, this was absurdly good and showcased so many of the cast’s impressions, including Bill Hader’s dead-on impression of Alan Alda, Taran Killam’s impression of Pee-Wee Herman, Jay Pharoah’s impression of Eddie Murphy - the list goes on. Everyone was on their game here and it was tremendous and fun to watch.
4. Stars of Tomorrow - A hilarious send-up of child actors starring Vanessa Bayer and Scarlett Johansson front and center. When will an eleven year old girl performing Bubba’s monologue from Forrest Gump not be funny? Never, that’s when. And this sketch was never not funny.
5. Wikileaks - TMZ - Firstly, I’ll go on the record to say that I think Hader as Assange is absolute gold. I loved this sketch and I think it’s easily the best cold open of the season, in that it kind of killed two birds with one stone - satirising Julian Assange and Harvey Levin’s TMZ operation. Everything was so on point - from the schlubby guys in the TMZ newsroom to the paparazzi voiceovers in the clips to Hader as Assange. Just brilliant.
6. Visiting The Queen - This is the sketch which featured Anne Hathaway as the soon-to-be princess Kate Middleton visiting Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip who, behind closed doors, are a couple of old geezers. I’m sure this has been done before and possibly done better, but in light of the royal engagement, I thought this was very simple and well-executed. Fred Armisen just slayed me as “Debra” as did Hader as Prince Philip who, at one point, calls in a servant just to tell him to “piss off”. Who are these people? Characters from Sexy Beast? Loved it.
7. Mega-Mart - Infomercial for a super sale, “12 Minute Madness” on Black Friday. Kind of in the same vein as Kickspit Underground Rock Festival and just as hilarious. That Kirk Douglas would be hidden somewhere in a store, for customers to find him, touch him and win an iPad will never not be funny to me. Also - “DJ Thunderthrust”.
8. The Ladies Who Lunch - This was such a wonderful lady-centric sketch from the season premiere with Amy Poehler which featured Kristen Wiig as a lady whose hats are consistently upstaged by her friend’s even tinier hats. It was so absurd and ridiculous and a reminder that the ladies should all collaborate on sketches more often.
9. Stumblin’ - A musical reworking of 9 To 5 with Andy Samberg and Paul Rudd flailing and stumbling all around New York City with a cameo from Paul McCartney performing a tiny harmonica solo. I don’t think I need to explain why I loved this so.
   
10. The Bjelland Brothers - I could see that some people might have really disliked this sketch or found the refrain, “I sent a bottle of sparkling apple juice to your house/Did you get it?” to be annoying or irritating. Me? I found it to be wonderfully silly and charming.

OTHER NOTABLE MENTIONS -

• Every appearance by Stefon on Weekend Update has been superb. “Eleven Little Richards.” Okay.
• Watching Jay Pharoah’s appearances in sketches and on Weekend Update has been like watching the birth of a comedy star. His Thanksgiving Rap Medley where he debuted his impressions of Drake, Jay-Z and Notorious B.I.G was the tops. Pharoah has surpassed Hader as the best impressionist on the show - no easy feat and one that ought to be acknowledged and lauded.
• The Miley Cyrus Show is probably my favourite new recurring sketch.

Check Out First Still from Portlandia

Check out this still from the debut episode of Portlandia. Entitled "Farm" the episode will feature Portlandia stars Fred Armisen and Carrie Brownstein as well as guest star Jason Sudeikis.

Promos for Portlandia (VIDEO)

Fred Armisen's new IFC series, Portlandia, will debut January 21 at 10.30/9.30c and IFC has posted a promo video as well as a clip from the show entitled "Dream of the 90s" - which is kind of an absurdly catchy song. Both videos are embedded after the jump.

Portlandia is Armisen's collaboration with Carrie Brownstein and is a sketch comedy series based in the hipster haven of Portland. 

Jeff Bridges/Eminem & Lil Wayne - Thoughts

Post your thoughts on tonight's edition of SNL after it airs! How did The Dude fare sketch-wise? What about Eminem/Lil Wayne? Any surprises for the Christmas show? Favourite sketch? MVP of the show?

Comment, comment, comment.

Seth Meyers to join cast of "I Don't Know How She Does It"

Seth Meyers to join cast of "I Don't Know How She Does It"

The Los Angeles Times is reporting that SNL star Seth Meyers is to join the cast of the upcoming film adaptation of the bestseller "I Don't Know How She Does It". The film, which will star Sarah Jessica Parker in the lead, is a comic tale of a high-powered finance type struggling to balance each aspect of her life - personal, professional etc. Also set to star are Mad Men star Christina Hendricks, Olivia Munn, Pierce Brosnan and Kelsey Grammar. No word yet on what Meyers' part entails.

Both Vanessa Bayer and Jay Pharoah were cited as being among the best performers of 2010 by The New Yorker. From The New Yorker -

"Vanessa Bayer and Jay Pharaoh on “Saturday Night Live.” They are the two newest cast members to the venerable show, and the most interesting they’ve had in a while. Bayer’s take on a sickly sweet and craven child actor, not to mention her Miley Cyrus, are quickly becoming must-sees for anyone interested in brazen cluelessness, while Pharaoh, if given the right material—a bit of color-blind comedy, say, instead of blacking it up for the show’s writers, who have always dealt with race in a more or less stereotypical way—could evolve into an artist."

Illustration - Puny

Trailer - Paul (2011)

Embedded below is the first full-length trailer to the upcoming sci-fi comedy Paul which stars, among others, Kristen Wiig and Bill Hader. Enjoy!

SNL Backstage - Jeff Bridges Shaves His Beard (VIDEO)

Jim Carrey to host SNL

NBC announced today that Jim Carrey will be 2011's first host of SNL with musical guest The Black Keys. Carrey, who is currently filming Mr. Popper's Penguins, will tread the boards of Studio 8H on January 8.

Snooki Meets Snooki

Snooki, meet Snooki.

Star of Jersey Shore, Snooki, met her SNL counterpart on Tuesday while shooting scenes for MTV New Year's Bash in New York.

There are no words. This is too perfect.

Jeff Bridges/Lil Wayne & Eminem Promo #1

In New York?

If so, Jay Pharoah is doing two stand-up shows in the city tomorrow night. The first one is at Jazzin, a new show hosted by comics Julian McCullough and Sean O'Connor. It's on between 8.30 and 10.30 tomorrow night at Jimmy's No. 43, 43 East 7th St. New York, NY. More info here. 
Secondly, he'll be performing at Whiplash tomorrow night at the UCB. Ticket reservations can be made here.  Admission is free, but hurry - Whiplash is one of the hottest comedy shows in NY and tickets go like hot cakes. Facebook event here.

Paul Rudd/Paul McCartney - Thoughts

Share your thoughts on tonight's edition of SNL. How did Paul Rudd fare in his second stint as host? Did former Beatle Paul McCartney appear in any live sketches? Favourite sketch of the night? MVP of the show?


Comment, comment, comment!

Paul Rudd/Paul McCartney Promo #2

SNL Promo Photo -

A promo photo of this weekend's "Two Pauls Variety Hour Special".

Seth Meyers to Host 2011 White House Correspondent's Dinner

SNL head writer Seth Meyers has been tapped to host next year’s White House Correspondent Dinner. 


Meyers has plenty of hosting experience under his belt having served as host of the ESPYs and the Webby Awards. The White House Correspondent’s Dinner has been described as “the Oscars for the C-Span set,” so it’s kind of a big deal. Seth Meyers has a weak act to follow - this year’s host Jay Leno was deemed a “comic disaster”. 

Saturday Night Live nominated for WGA Award

Congratulations to Saturday Night Live's writers who were nominated for a WGA Award in the category of Comedy/Variety Series. SNL faces steep competition from the likes of The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, The Colbert Report and Penn and Teller - Bullshit. 


Let's have a toast for the WGA-nominated writing team -


Seth Meyers,  Doug Abeles, James Anderson, Alex Baze, Jillian Bell, Hannibal Buress, Jessica Conrad, James Downey, Steve Higgins, Colin Jost, Erik Kenward, Jessi Klein, Rob Klein, John Lutz, Seth Meyers, Lorne Michaels, John Mulaney, Christine Nangle, Michael Patrick O’Brien, Paula Pell, Ryan Perez, Simon Rich, Marika Sawyer, Akiva Schaffer, John Solomon, Emily Spivey, Kent Sublette, Jorma Taccone, Bryan Tucker


Congratulations, everybody!

SNL Promo #1 - Paul Rudd/Paul McCartney

Happy belated birthday to Fred Armisen who celebrated his birthday yesterday! Hope you had  a good 'un, sir!

Robert DeNiro/Diddy Dirt Money - Thoughts

Share your thoughts on tonight's SNL after it's aired. How did De Niro fare? Did P. Diddy have his wish to appear in a sketch granted? Favourite sketch? MVP of the show?

Comment, comment, comment!

SNL writer Simon Rich discloses his eating habits to New York Magazine's Grub Street. Check it out here.

Robert DeNiro/Diddy Dirt Money Promo Photo

P Diddy to appear in an SNL sketch this weekend?

Well, he certainly thinks he is. Look at this series of Tweets :

 

SOMEBODY SEND ME ROBERT DENIROS PHONE # SO WE CAN REHEARSE +GO OVER OUR LINES FOR THE SKIT WE’RE DOIN TOGETHER ON SNL ……lol

OK SO DENIRO DONT KNOW IT YET BUT WE DOIN A SKIT TOGETHER ON SNL. BECAUSE I SAID SO. ITS LIVE TV SO IMMA BUMRUSH THE STAGE LILMAMA STYLE LOL

@nbcsnl U BETTER CALL JUDD APATOW OR JONAH HILL+ASK BOUT MY IMPROV GAME-FUCK A SCRIPT. LETS JUST START WITH THE TOPIC HAIRY NIPPLES. GO. LOL

YO TWITTERNATION-LET @NBCSNL KNOW WHO THEY DEALING WITH+THAT DENIRO+I ARE DOIN A SKIT ON SNL. IMMA LET U TAKE IT FROM HERE. #IMPROVKING lol

If I were a betting woman, I’d say that Diddy will most likely make some kind of sketch appearance this weekend. Hell, after his performance in Get Him To The Greek, I’ll be disappointed if he doesn’t.

"Painting the Town Fred" - NY Post

The NY Post talked to Fred Armisen about his life, his comedy and his newfound bachelor status. Check it out here.

Robert DeNiro/Diddy Dirt Money SNL Promo #1

Hollywood Hotel's Very SNL Greeting | NY Times

From NY Times -

How many businesses can boast that their holiday video greeting card was made by a “Saturday Night Live” threesome?

In September, the boutique Sunset Tower Hotel, an entertainment industry hangout in West Hollywood, Calif., already had holiday card plans on its mind to send to its list of 5,000 customers. Trying to come up with something unique, the hotel’s owner, Jeff Klein, decided to ask Andy Samberg, Akiva Schaffer and Jorma Taccone if they would make a video for him.

The three have been writing and performing sketches together since junior high but now work for “S.N.L.” They have been behind now-classic viral videos like “Lazy Sunday” and “Motherlover.” The three New York comedians, who use the hotel as their California home base, agreed.

The one-minute video is reminiscent of their hit 2008 short, “Andy Popping Into Frame,” in which Mr. Samberg suddenly appears in mundane footage shot on the streets of Manhattan. Instead of starring Mr. Samberg, the Sunset Tower video features Dimitri Dimitrov, Mr. Klein’s maître d’hôtel.

Mr. Klein declined to say if he had paid the entertainers to make the video, but added that “we always take great care of those boys when they stay with us.”

Watch the video here.

Jay Pharoah on Letterman (VIDEO)

Guess what? He kills it!

Jay Pharaoh to appear on Letterman 11/22

Tune into Letterman tomorrow night where SNL featured player Jay Pharoah will be appearing as a guest! Videos will be posted here Tuesday.

Anne Hathaway/Florence and The Machine - Thoughts

Share your thoughts on last night's episode of SNL. How did Anne Hathaway fare her second time around? Favourite sketch? MVP of the show? How were Florence and The Machine?


Comment, comment, comment!

SNL Stars Attend Natural History Museum Gala

Stars of SNL attended last night's American Museum of Natural History's 2010 Museum Gala. Among those in attendance were Kristen Wiig, Abby Elliott, Bill Hader, Fred Armisen, Seth Meyers, Taran Killam, Andy Samberg, Jay Pharoah, Kenan Thompson, Paul Brittain, Bobby Moynihan and this week's host Anne Hathaway. 
More pictures from the event after the jump.

Robert DeNiro, Paul Rudd & Jeff Bridges hosting SNL This December

NBC announced today that Robert DeNiro, Paul Rudd and Jeff Bridges would all be hosting this December. They will be joined by musical guests Diddy-Dirty Money, Paul McCartney and Eminem. On 4 December, veteran actor Robert DeNiro will host, promoting his movie Little Fockers no less. He will be joined by Diddy-Dirty Money, which is P Diddy's new musical group venture. On 11 December, Paul Rudd will host ahead of the release of How Do You Know? which is released December 17. He will be joined by ex-Beatle/God Paul McCartney. Finally, to end 2010, Academy-Award winning actor Jeff Bridges will host. Bridges stars in this winter's True Grit and Tron Legacy. He will be joined by rapper Eminem. 


So just to recap, here are the shows -


December 4 - Robert De Niro/ Diddy-Dirty Money;
December 11 - Paul Rudd/ Paul McCartney;
December 18 - Jeff Bridges/ Eminem

Happy birthday, Lorne Michaels!

Happy birthday to SNL head honcho, Lorne Michaels, who turns 66 today! Have a great one, sir! 

(Side-note, I wonder what ex-Beatle/Rolling Stone Lorne will have dinner with tonight?)

Anne Hathaway/Florence and the Machine Promo #1

Belated happy birthday to Vanessa Bayer who celebrated her birthday this past Sunday! Hope you had a good one, Bayer! 

SNL Cast at "Saturday Night Live - The Game Launch Party"

Many of the SNL cast - Fred Armisen, Bill Hader, Bobby Moynihan, Jason Sudeikis, Kristen Wiig, Kenan Thompson, Vanessa Bayer, Paul Brittain and Taran Killam - were in attendance at last night's launch party for the new Saturday Night Live board game. Photos of the cast are embedded after the jump.

Scarlett Johannson/Arcade Fire - Thoughts

Post your thoughts on last night's SNL. How did Ms. Johannson fare her third time out? Favourite sketch? MVP of the show? How were Arcade Fire?


Comment, comment, comment!

Promotional Still of Scarlett Johansson & Arcade Fire from this weekend's show | EW

Bill Hader on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon November 26

Just a heads up. Obviously I'll post a reminder closer to the time.

Want to win tickets to Saturday Night Live?

Peeled Snacks are giving you the opportunity to win two tickets to Saturday Night Live. How might one go about winning this fabulous prize? It's simple! 

1. Go to Peeled Snacks' Facebook page and "like" them.
2. Post your favourite SNL character/sketch on their Facebook wall.
3. Tell your friends to like Peeled Snacks and your comment on their wall.
4. The comment with the most likes by 11.59PM EST on November 18 wins two tickets to the December 11 taping of SNL. 

See? Simple! So get over to Peeled Snacks' Facebook page and who knows? Maybe one of my loyal readers will get to attend an SNL taping!

Will Forte on Conan

Newly departed SNL cast member Will Forte appeared on Conan O'Brien's eponymous TBS show last night. Forte appeared as TBS founder Ted Turner. In other Forte news, it was announced that he will guest star in the NBC comedy series Parks & Recreation next season as Kelly, a Twilight-loving resident of Pawnee. 

Scarlett Johannson/Arcade Fire Promo #1

SNL Stars Attend Mark Twain Prize Event!

Many SNL stars were out for last night's 12th Annual Mark Twain Prize event which saw former SNL head writer and cast member Tina Fey honoured with the prestigious award. Seth Meyers, Fred Armisen and Amy Poehler were all at the event, while stars like Steve Carell, Jon Hamm, Steve Martin, Betty White, Jane Krakowski and Jimmy Fallion were also in attendance. Photos after the jump -

Seth Meyers at Caroline's

Seth Meyers performed at comedy club Caroline's last night as part of the 2010 Cool Comedy - Hot Cuisine Gala. Check out photos of Meyers after the jump -

David Beckham to host SNL?

That's what British tabloid The Mirror is reporting today. The newspaper reports that SNL producers have offered a hosting gig to the LA Galaxy soccer star after they were allegedly wowed by his comic chops having seen him participate in a hidden camera segment on Ellen Degeneres' show last week. Beckham has agreed provisionally to host SNL early 2011.


View the video of the Ellen segment after the jump and see if you are as impressed by Beckham's comic chops as SNL apparently was. (Click through)

SNL featured players in EW

Check out Taran Killam, Jay Pharoah, Paul Brittain and Vanessa Bayer in the latest edition of Entertainment Weekly. 

Follow Taran Killam on Twitter -

It has come to my attention that SNL featured player Taran Killam is on Twitter. You can follow him here.

Sample tweet -

"Amy Poehler = insane talent X unbelievable niceness / butterflies + kitten sneezes."

Abby Elliott in No Strings Attached

So, I happened to view the trailer for the upcoming romantic comedy No Strings Attached this morning and was pleasantly surprised to briefly see SNL's Abby Elliott toward the end of the trailer. No Strings Attached is about two friends who decide to enter a "friends with benefits" type deal but soon fall for each other. Ashton Kutcher and Natalie Portman play the lead roles, while the ensemble cast is comprised of people like Greta Gerwig, Olivia Thirlby, Cary Elwes, Mindy Kaling, Kevin Kline and Ludacris. 
No Strings Attached hits theaters January 21. Trailer embedded after the jump.

ATTENTION - HELP WANTED.

I've received a request for the Season 17 cast and crew photo - similar to this one from Season 35. The request is from someone who formerly worked at SNL, so if you or anyone you know can be of assistance in providing a scan of the photo or if you know how to obtain a copy, please e-mail me at amyfairycakes@gmail.com 

Thanks,

Amy

Hall Pass Trailer (VIDEO)

Embedded below is the newly-released trailer for the upcoming comedy "Hall Pass", which stars Jason Sudeikis alongside Owen Wilson. The film marks Sudeikis' first time as a leading man. Enjoy!

SNL season box sets discontinued?

From TVShowsOnDVD.com -


"We get a LOT of e-mails from our readers, asking whether season sets of Saturday Night Live will continue or not. Fans have been treated to at least one each year, usually available around the holidays, for several years in a row now. All-in-all, five season sets have been released so far.

However, no season set SNL titles have been announced for any time in 2010. So we checked in with Broadway Video (the people behind the show) to ask about this, and they told us that unfortunately, due to the high music costs (and an unwillingness to deliver the season sets without the music segments), they will not be able to continue with any further season set releases. We presume that this is why we’re seeing a large number of ”best-of’ titles released this year instead, including “expanded” versions of old titles, collection packs of the old versions of those titles, plus brand-new releases such asThe Best of 09/10 and A Very Gilly Christmas…but no season sets."

Well, that's disappointing.

Seth Meyers at naag.com launch party

Seth Meyers was in attendance at the launch party of culture website naag.com. Photos after the jump. At the party, NYMag caught up with Meyers to grill him about his internet habits. When asked about how much time he spends online, Meyers said, ""How much time do I spend online every day? It's probably an embarrassingly high number, but I'll say two hours." NYMag then proceeded to ask Meyers about consuming online porn. Meyers remained coy on the subject before offering, ""Here's the deal, I'm really into politics, so probably, like, to me, that's my pornography. Reading about, like, the Nevada Senate race, that's as hardcore porn as you get." His favourite sites include Slate, Salon, New York Times, Wall Street Journal, NY Mag and Pitchfork. 

Jon Hamm/Rihanna - Thoughts

Share your thoughts on last night's episode of SNL. How did Jon Hamm fare in his third stint as host? Favourite sketch? MVP of the show?

Comment, comment, comment!

Jon Hamm/Rihanna SNL Promo Shot -

The Lonely Island to release sophomore album in 2011 (VIDEO)

The Lonely Island have announced, via the video embedded below, that they will release their second album sometime in 2011. The Lonely Island, comprised of Andy Samberg, Jorma Taccone and Akiva Schaffer, have not revealed any other details on the album, but rest assured, it’s coming

Here's the promo for next Monday's much-anticipated Women of SNL special. In addition, NBC have posted interviews with SNL alum Maya Rudolph and Cheri Oteri on their website. They can be viewed here and here respectively.

Jon Hamm/Rihanna Promo #1 (VIDEO)

Scarlett Johannson, Anne Hahaway to host SNL | EW

Entertainment Weekly is reporting that Scarlett Johansson and Anne Hathaway have been booked to host SNL this November. Scarlett Johansson will host November 13 will musical guest Arcade Fire while Anne Hathaway will host November 20 with musical guest Florence and The Machine. 


Delighted for both hosts - Hathaway was my favourite host in Season 34, while Johannson has been terrific both times she's hosted. Also, great choice for both musical guests. Did anyone catch Florence and The Machine at the VMA's? Her performance was Kanye-on-SNL good and I have high expectations for her. And then of  course, Arcade Fire are one of the greatest bands in the world right now. 


EDIT - Additionally, it was announced yesterday that Academy Award-winning actor and star of the upcoming Tron Legacy Jeff Bridges will host SNL December 18. Hurrah!

Seth Meyers on Letterman (VIDEO)

Seth Meyers appeared on Letterman last night. Embedded below is the video. (If sound doesn't work, please comment. The sound is not working on my computer, but that could very well be a computer problem.)

Seth Meyers To Appear on Letterman This Tuesday.

SNL head writer/WU anchor Seth Meyers will appear on Late Show with David Letterman this Tuesday. Videos will be posted here.

Emma Stone/Kings of Leon Thoughts -

What did you think of last night's show? Did the uber-enthusiastic Stone do a good job? How about Kings Of Leon? Favourite sketch of the night?


Comment, comment, comment!

Paul Brittain to perform in Ted and Melanie at UCB

"Paul Brittain from Saturday Night Live and Jet Eveleth from The Reckoning bring the original sketch show “Ted and Melanie” to the UCB Theater in New York. The show is a collection of favorite scenes from their improvised show at the iO Theater in Chicago. The show is sometimes compared to a collection of short comedic plays with vulnerable characters and a “long-form” feel."


Buy tickets here.

Universal's "Paul" Gets a Teaser Trailer!

Paul - Teaser Trailer

This came out a few days ago, but I’d still be remiss not to post it, as it stars SNL stars Kristen Wiig (who is the lead female & gets fourth billing!) and Bill Hader (who is sadly absent from this trailer.) It also stars Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Jason Bateman, Sigourney Weaver, Jane Lynch, Blythe Danner, Joe Lo Truglio and John Carroll Lynch, as well as the voice of Seth Rogen.All in all, a recipe for hilarity. 

Emma Stone/Kings of Leon Promos #1

It has been announced that Seth Meyers will appear on Martha Stewart's "The Men Who Make Us Laugh" special. Meyers, a frequent guest on The Martha Stewart Show, will be one of numerous comedians appearing on the special. The special will air in November.

SNL cast/writers at Comiskey

Vanessa Bayer, Paul Brittain and Michael Patrick O'Brien

SNL cast and writers/Chicago imports Vanessa Bayer, Paul Brittain, Shelly Gossman, Michael Patrick O'Brien and John Lutz all took to Upright Citizen's Brigade's stage on Sunday to perform in Comiskey. Fortunately for us, Keith Huang documented the event photographically and after the jump are photos from the show. 

Happy birthday, Jay Pharoah!

Happy birthday to SNL featured player Jay Pharoah. Have a good 'un, sir! Keep being great!

Jane Lynch/Bruno Mars - Sketch-by-Sketch Review

Sorry for the delay in posting this. 


Cold Open - This week's cold open featured Nasim Pedrad as famed attorney Gloria Allred. I thought Nasim Pedrad did a great job at anchoring the sketch and I like that SNL didn't hold back in calling out Allred on the despicable human being she is - I mean really, that sketch was vitriolic in tone. That said, there was something about it that didn't work for me? Maybe it just didn't work as a cold open. Don't get me wrong though, there was some great stuff here - most of all, Nasim's performance.
7.5/10


Monologue - This marked the second consecutive sing-song monologue but who's complaining? This was, as one Sue Sylvester might say, "outstanding". And that can be attributed to comedy goddess herself Jane Lynch who just killed this. The premise of the monologue was Lynch singing a Glee theme song penned by hers truly. The only problem is that the theme song centers solely around Sue Sylvester. Some great stuff here including, "Blame my co-writer, Jose Cuervo," "This will all be clay-mation" and "Glee, glee, glee, glee, glee, me, me, me, me, me". Great start to the show.
9/10


Damn It, My Mom Is On Facebook - Commercial parody featuring a filter which scans your page for references to things like sex, drugs or alcohol and cleans it up lest your mother see. Great concept that was executed brilliantly and made all the more relevant in the wake of The Social Network's release. Some choice quotes - "Who's your friend? She looks ill." Or "October means getting all my fall motif sweaters down. Or maybe I should just leaf them up there. Ha ha ha."
8/10


Gilly - So, a Glee sketch was inevitable, right? It's funny though, because for a show (disclaimer - which I love) that is so ripe for parody, I didn't think SNL went as far as they could. And while incorporating Gilly into the sketch was a clever touch, I'm not sure it actually worked. For the most part though, I just felt like it paled in comparison to 6-Bee from Late Night with Jimmy Fallon. This sketch did have its moments though - Taran Killam as Finn was pretty hilarious. "What does it mean - believe?" Likewise Fred Armisen's resemblance to Artie was uncanny. "You know that I couldn't have done it, 'cause of my glasses." Kenan Thompson probably stole the sketch based on his appearance alone. I also have "Little Orphan A-Hole" written in my notes, so there's that. But aside from that, it just didn't go as far as I would have liked and the parodies all seemed very pedestrian and obvious. Just as not as sharp as I would have expected.
6/10


New Boyfriend Talk Show - Andy Samberg starred in this sketch which featured a young boy interviewing his mother's latest conquests. It was a simple enough concept with a great execution. Jane Lynch and Jason Sudeikis were both terrific in their respective parts - Lynch as the whorish mom and Sudeikis as the incredulous one night stand. Some of my favourite bits include, "Are you my new daddy?" and Sudeikis' dismay at 100 episodes in just 4 months. All in all, this was a great vehicle for Andy Samberg and he did a great job.
8/10


Christine O'Donnell - I loved this. It was a campaign ad "paid for by the coven to elect Christine O'Donnell, who is not a witch". Concise, to the point, absurd and hilarious. Kristen Wiig did a wonderful job here, possibly outdoing her previous impression of O'Donnell. There was also this -
"Besides, if I were a witch, why wouldn’t I just cast a spell making all of you forget that I’m a witch? It’s certainly not because the spell requires one newt per person and I lack a sufficient number of newts."
Perfection. SNL should concentrate on these silly and absurd depictions of politicians - the pay-off is so much better than some of the straight cold opens we've become accustomed to.
9/10


Secret Word - Ordinarily, I wouldn't consider myself a fan of this sketch and I'll admit, I groaned slightly upon seeing the title card on my screen. But you guys, the writing on this sketch this week was on a different level possibly owing to the presence of Jane Lynch who killed in her part of a Phyllis Diller-esque comedienne. Kristen Wiig was more hilarious than usual as Mindy Grayson, delivering lines such as "I sleep with my face in mayonnaise!" However it was Lynch who stole this sketch with her delivery of bawdy lines that included jokes about her less-than-endowed breasts. (TB also stands for "tiny boobs", didn't you know?) Also, kudos to Bill Hader who cracked me up with the line, "And I am not full of bananas!"
8/10


Digital Short - Definite step-up from the previous two efforts. This featured Jane Lynch as a therapist who incorporated herself into her patient's relaxation exercises. The simple and linear structure really paid off while the typical absurdity of the digital shorts remained intact.   Lynch managed to yet again steal this one. Not one of the best digital shorts ever, but a step in the right direction.
7.5/10


Point Of No Returns - This saw newbie Jay Pharoah showcase his impressionist skills - this time he took on two-time Academy Award winner Denzel Washington. The impression was, of course, spot-on.  I'm not sure that the sketch content was fully there, but the writer of this sketch deserves credit for at least creating a situation to put Denzel Washington in - they could have resorted to something like "The Denzel Washington Talk Show". It worked to a certain extent and the commitment from Jay Pharoah was nothing short of impressive.


Weekend Update -  I feel like Weekend Update was a little condensed this week, probably owing to the high number of sketches. Anyway, here were some of my favourite jokes -


"North Carolina state representative Larry Brown created controversy this week when he sent an e-mail to other lawmakers referring to homosexuals as "queers" and "fruit loops". And the "Larry Brown gets caught with a male escort" countdown begins now."


"According to a new study, 85% of men said that their latest sexual partner had an orgasm while only 64% of the women surveyed reported having an orgasm. I think that the takeaway here is that women are kinda bad at noticing their own orgasms."


Andy Samberg made an appearance as Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg i.e the subject of The Social Network. That was good for a couple of laughs - Zuckerberg's assertions that parents do count as friends and his insistence that all guys use what they've got to attract girls ("I guarantee you that the first thing the guy who invented the wheel did was roll it over to some ladies - 'Hey girls, it's called a wheel - hop on!'") were pretty funny. Fred Armisen's bit as Mexico's tourism spokesman was amusing if not a little repetitive. 
7/10


The Suze Orman Show - Were you dying for some lame-ish lesbian jokes? Fear not, 'cause The Suze Orman Show made an appearance. Basically, Jane Lynch played an old girlfriend of Suze Orman who was now insisting that she was straight. "Tell that to your haircut and crocs." Just a little one-note and definitely one of the weaker ones of the night.
5.5/10


Sunday Night Football - Bizarre much? It featured Jane Lynch singing an extended theme tune to Sunday Night Football. Funny enough at first, but dragged on a little. Bill Hader's impression of Cris Collinsworth was the sketch's saving grace, at least for me. Jane Lynch can belt out a tune though. 
6/10


Tax Masters - So, it's a shame that this one got cut early, because it was certainly a good premise and featured a good performance from Jason Sudeikis. Sudeikis played Patrick Cox, a spokesman for Tax Masters who has a half-formed twin brother on the side of his face. Unfortunately, it was kind of cut off early and the pay-off with Fred Armisen at the end was super-rushed. But nevertheless, I liked what I saw.
7/10


OVERALL -
So overall, Jane Lynch definitely met my high expectations and I was glad to see that SNL used her to such a great extent. She was featured in most of the sketches and I feel like it's a testament to Lynch and her genius that the show had so much content this week. She acquitted herself exceedingly well and I realised that she would have made an excellent SNL cast member in an alternate universe.  So, let's give a hand for Jane Lynch!


Cast members-wise, the stand-outs were Kristen Wiig, Jason Sudeikis and Andy Samberg. Wiig was particularly good in Secret Word and as Christine O'Donnell while Samberg delivered on New Boyfriend Talk Show, Dammit My Mom's On Facebook and as Mark Zuckerberg. Sudeikis impressed in Tax Masters, Gilly and New Boyfriend Talk Show.
Meanwhile, the conspicuous lack of Bill Hader continues. I'm not sure what this can be attributed to, but this absence of Hader is rubbing me up the wrong way.


On the featured player front - I'm still kind of waiting for Paul Brittain to arrive. His Johnny Depp impression last week was stellar, but aside from that, he hasn't had a moment. Get on that, writers! Vanessa Bayer was largely out of view this week, while Pharoah had his Denzel Washington sketch. Taran Killam has impressed me thus far - despite not headlining a sketch yet, he's shown himself to be great at playing a sidekick or second funny guy. That may not seem like high praise, but he's blending in with the cast exceedingly well and it's only week three of the season. Can't wait to see more from him. 


Overall, I really enjoyed this show - dare I say it's my favourite thus far? Lynch was an excellent host and the writing was largely improved on last week (which, don't get me wrong, I still enjoyed.)


8/10