TVSquad

That's definitely how I felt when I reviewed the show last year -- you put it well Joel. It got to the point where every week I was just repeating myself and echoing the previous episode's post. I was saying the same stuff over and over again because the show just wasn't improving. It's too bad, but I agree with your assessment of this season. I've only seen the premiere but everything I've read speaks of improvements.

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I've seen all 4 episodes this season and quite frankly it's a step up in my opinion. Hell this is not the time to give up on SNL. Hugh Laurie's episode was a step in the right direction, given the protest song, Queen sketch, and Frankenstein sketch. The Borat CO was much recieved and I think Weekend Update is coming along quite nicely. Yes there are some rough spots, but I see a bright hope with SNL. The key is that with the dead weight gone, I am seeing alot more creative ideas. If you will notice last season tended to get redundant with carbon copy and one gag premises. Plus Tina and Amy on the WU faltered. Seth's smugness and Norm Mcdonald style jokes are working. Now on November 11, Alec Baldwin is hosting. Alec Baldwin is up for pretty much anything and is a perfect choice right now. I WOULD NOT GIVE UP ON SNL YET!

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I can measure my interest with how fast I turn off SNL each week. I'm so loyal, I'll still tune in, but will always tune back out after the first lame sketch. Usually, that's before the first musical number, which means I'm missing the News Update.

The Smeigel cartoon was put close enough to the front of the show so that I did manage to catch that, though... Good stuff, and watch it if you can find it.

But no, I won't sit through the entire show.

Has SNL done a skit where they make fun of Studio 60 making fun of SNL yet?

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I totally agree. I was going to attempt to write a review every week about the show on my blog as well (http://www.mediamorgue.blogspot.com) but I quickly realized that there is only so many ways one can describe the same turd every week.

If SNL is going to do pathetic, rubber-stamp sketches that generate barely an exhale of air from our diaphragms every week, what is the point of following suit with a review?

What might make better sense is what people thought was the worst sketch of the show. There seems to be FAR more things to discuss that way.

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What I find interesting about this year's SNL is that they have finally realized alot of thier sketches run way too long. Just when you seem to start squirming and right before the sketch starts dragging, BOOM, done! I have been waiting for years for them to do that. I wonder if the promotion of Paula Pell as one of the head writers has anything to do with that. Anyway, I would love to cover SNL, seriously. Even the worst episodes have thier gems in them and writing about the show would be awesome.

If you guys would have me, I would totally do it.

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Hugh Laurie was pretty good last week and so was Beck but as usual, SNL was overall kind of weak. I only taped it because I wanted to see Hugh Laurie.

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I'm reposting a comment (with an addendum) I made in the Best of Hammond post:

Here are my thoughts on people who don't think SNL is "funny anymore": SNL evolves and changes, as does the humor of the show. You just have to adapt to it, and get into it. I remember watching the show while Mike Meyers Chris Farley were on it and thinking that it wasn't as funny anymore, and then looking back on it and realizing how priceless it was. I think eight years from now people will be like "SNL isn't as funny as when Bill Hader and Kristin Wiig were on it."

FURTHERMORE

SNL needs to be reviewed by someone who has an appreciation for it, and can pluck the "gems" from the "turds." Sorry for that visual...

Maybe it's time to recruit someone. Fans of this blog rely on the reviews not only for opinions, but for missed episodes.

Athankyou.

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I'll do it.

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Thanks for addressing my question.

I agree that the quality of the show and the demands of writing a review every week might result in some repititious comments. What I like about TV Squad, though, is not what the bloggers themselves have to say, but the ability for readers to comment. It's like someone said in a thread about The Office earlier today: Just put up a subject line and let us have at it.

That said, I think last week's episode (with Hugh Laurie) was a rare opportunity to say some good things about the show. The first half was pretty damn good, in fact.

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The skits DO RUN WAY past their effectiveness more times than not. Hit and run folks, hit and run.
But what about Tina's new show 30 Rock? I don't see much written about it here at the Squad. It's fantastic, smart, whitty and DAMN funny. Finally Tracy Morgan can show off some of his comedic talent and Tina is awsome. And Alec Baldwin plays off all of them perfectly. When it moves to Thursday nights, I think NBC will re-gain the title.

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Jim -- I must have missed the comment on The Office you're talking about. Are you talking about a thread here?

We've been considering the thought of putting up some sort of "placeholder" for readers to at least comment, but we're not sure yet if/how we'd do that. It's sort-of on the table, though.

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joel, this has nothing to do with snl (although, as an aside, i will say that reviewing snl would, indeed, be a big fat waste of time). i want to actually comment on your piece in this month's jane magazine - is there a forum where i can do that? thanks in advance!

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For Keith McDuffee: From Post #11 on the "Diwali" thread ...

"One of the first things I do upon coming into work the morning after one of my favorite shows is on is log on to TV Squad to get even MORE of a fix. As it turns out (more and more often), the commentors have about 100x more relevant and significant things to say than the TV Squadder does. Do you guys really watch the shows? I mean, you'd probably be better off by just having your entry say "The Office was on TV last night" and then leave the rest to the commentors."

http://www.tvsquad.com/2006/11/03/the-office-diwali/#c2579710

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Jim -- Of course the more eyes you have on a show the more you're going to catch. Everyone's going to miss at least one thing. If we didn't think the commenters would have something constructive to say, we wouldn't allow comments!

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I've always had a theory about SNL - it is only funny when the cast has become famous. You can't watch "new SNL" and laugh. When it is "classic SNL" it earns a few more laughs.

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Smikwily just put into simple terms what I was trying to explain above. Thank you!

If no one is going to review SNL, I might be inclined to put my own little review right here in the comments.

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