TVSquad

Agreed - it was a good-but-not-great episode, which is startling, since Alec Baldwin has been a part of so many fantastic shows to date. I did laugh out loud at the Bobby McFerrin line. Couldn't they get one of the newer guys to dress up like Canteen Boy and just creep us out for old times sake?

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Perhaps you could watch a different local news team and then switch over to NBC for the start of SNL?

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See, your entire theory about the spoilers is entirely contingent on the assumption that people watch things on NBC besides SNL, or that when they do, they actually watch commercials. The only other show I watch on NBC is 30 Rock, and I tivo that, so though I expected Tina and Tracy, they were all still surprises to me.

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I didn't see any previews, so it was all a surprise to me, except Steve Martin. I just KNEW he would appear, since Alec Baldwin was in the opening skit of Steve Martin's last appearance, where it was also a "big deal" about having the most guest hosts appearances on SNL. Yeah, that was funnier than this Baldwin-Martin skit, although somehow Steve Martin always makes me laugh.

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I actually though the episode was pretty solid on a whole, since they've been using their new structure of bowling straight through sketches that might not be that good and ending them quickly. Also, come on, admit it - Alec Baldwin is hilarious. But yeah, the Martin sketch was gold.

I have to agree with the comment above too, I've never seen one of these SNL preview ads you mention either. Was pretty shocked when I saw all those guest stars, but I wasn't really all that impressed either. Just saying, for SNL, the show was pretty decent.

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Alec Baldwin was excellent. I loved the Tony Bennett Show--Alec out Tony Bennetted Tony Bennett. And, of course, having the music icon there made it all the more funny.

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I didn't see that promo either. And I'd say that this episode was the best one so far this season.

The definate highlight was the Steve Martin vrs Alec Baldwin sketch.

I agree Tony and Christina were akward together.

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I. Was in. Schweddy. Balls!

I loves me some Alec Baldwin on SNL. One of the few hosts I've seen who totally commit to the roles they play in their sketches.

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No question the show hasn't been all that funny overall this season, but this one was the best of the year. They pulled out all the stops certainly with the cameos.The Nancy Pelosi open was great and shows they aren't above poking fun at the Democrats right out of the box. Alec Baldwin has a lot of the characters on his own with Tony Bennett and Saddam and the ride with Kristin Wiig in the car was also very well done. Update was uneven with Amy's aunt (Kristin Wiig again) doing movie reviews. Even Sanberg's dumb waiter charging Tom Cruise $10,000 for dinner was not drug out. Tell the joke and get off. The worst was Seth's interview with a congressional leader (was it?) with Kenan Thompson as a mover in the background was lame. I agree that a little of Christine Aguilera goes a long way. She is very talented without all the vocal exercises and should just sing the songs, so you can understand the words.

Adding the cameos was classy and is certainly what this show used to be know for. Keep it up!

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I TiVoed it and skipped all the comercials so all of it was a complete surprise to me. I thought that was the best SNL in years.

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I agree with some of you guys and yeah, it was the best SNL all year. I also TiVoed so I got to fast forward through Aguilera and the commercials. I felt bad for Tony Bennett who was nothing short of great though he looked completely lost. (Bennett couldn't keep his own time during the duet, but still sounded great and is having the later Sinatra career without having the later Sinatra crappiness.) The Pelosi sketch was the best start in years. Alec Baldwin hasn't looked funnier. Weekend Update was borderline old school bad jokes that go on for another fifteen minutes. Samberg's bit was funny only because he was able to sell a bad, old joke. Amy Poehler's aunt's movie reviews was like watching something I'd see in a retirement home where stand-up comics are trying to fulfill their community service for running over a kindergarten class. But overall, for once, the whole thing didn't look and sound phoned in.

The Robert Smigel bit was also awesome. Don't forget to eat a lot of hot dogs really fast.

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OMG Ya'all.....what about the BRitney skit?!?!? That was so funny! AMy P. has got to be the best one on SNL.

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I concur with the previous post - best show of the year minus the always awful Update, which in addition to being its usual bad, also included a Rumsfeld sketch that followed the same exact premise as a bit on Thursday's Daily Show.

Alec Baldwin is a tremendous comedian - impeccable timing - and he brings something to every sketch.

The slimmed down cast is great, most notably Kristin Wiig (who for whatever reason I find very attractive). She reminds me of Catherine O'Hara. It's a very versatile group.

Overall, this year has been pretty good, with only the Dane Cook show being top-to-bottom bad. There haven't been a lot of one-joke premise skits that get old and annoying after 30 seconds, the writers are letting the cast to just be funny. We're however-many shows in and I have yet to see a character get repeated, with the exception of the out-of-breath jogger which shouldn't count 'cause it's just filler, and I think this is a good thing. They've reprieved the "a**hole couple" from last year, but that's about it.

Just please do something about Update, Lorne.

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I am so in love with Kristin Wiig that it's nearly unbearable. She's got a subtlety to her approach that's refreshing and remarkable, making her characters so much richer than those around her, not to mention making her performances the funniest parts of each and every sketch she's in.

Plus, she's a major hottie.

If the world has even an ounce of fairness, she'll be a major comedic star for years to come.

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As everyone else has said, this was definitely the best SNL of the year; I'd even go so far as to say the best since Justin Timberlake hosted a few years back. I actually laughed at many of the sketches. And although it was dragged out and seemed to fly over the audience's heads, Seth's bit on Update with Rumsfeld was... witty and dry, just the way I like it ;)

Having dropped Studio 60 several weeks back, and only watching random episodes of Conan and The Office, I for one hadn't seen any promos about the guest appearances. I read late Saturday night on AICN that Steve was to show up, but that was it. It was too bad they didn't let Paul say anything; his part seemed very improv. And Tony also seemed generally lost but amused. During the Baldwin VS Martin sketch, whenever they mentioned "Oo there's Paul Simon" or "John Goodman", I was hoping they'd be right around the corner too. That would've been a show stopper if they brought all those guys back as well!

The show is really hitting something right now. The writers and cast seem to be breaking into their 'new' format. We'll see if it keeps improving from here on out, or not. But, to summarize, this was one of those episodes that just makes you glad you're invested in SNL every week. I wish TVS was still doing their reviews though :(

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Count me in the majority that
A) didn't see this local promo and was completely surprised by every cameo
B) thought with the cameos and great sketches, this was the best SNL this season, and I might add in a very very long time.

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I bet the duet sounds exactly the same on the CD -- at least, her part. Given that swing isn't her natural medium, odds are she learned every one of those licks by rote.

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I can't for the life of me figure out why they kept Thompson instead of Mitchell. Thompson, in his entire career, has NEVER been funny. Same old stupid crap.

But, Kristin Wiig is the new star of SNL, I think. Maya Rudolph has been subdued (parenthood?) but she is extremely talented. Amy is good, and they should let her do more characters. Andy Samberg is a lamo-why he got to be a regular is a mystery to me.

And Fred is the most talented of the guys-let him just DO IT! From his mute comedian, to the Indian comedian, to Nuni, he gots it goin' on. More Fred.

The cast has lots of talent, but I guess the writers are holding them back.

Hey Lorne: I've got some great ideas for you to wake things up. Gimme a call.

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If anyone still has this on tivo..check something for me...at the closing, Sir Paul was off to the side, and one of the cast motioned him to come to the center. He tried to give CA a kiss on the cheek and she backed off. Next shot seemed to be Maya mouthing "WTF was that?" to the cast member next to her

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Any show with a non-Darrell Hammond cold open is a good one. This one started strong (thanks to Kristin Wiig) and got better.

That said, I don't have great expectations for the Ludacris episode.

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