Saturday Night Live - Season 33

Just about two weeks from tonight, the 33rd season of SNL will debut with Lebron James as host and Kanye West back again for musical guest!

It should mark for a fantastic episode!

Here are the released guests for this upcoming season so far!

September 29, 2007 - LeBron James / Kanye West

October 6, 2007 - Seth Rogan / Rihanna (TBD)

October 13, 2007 - TBD / Foo Fighters

I can't wait. SNL is arguably one of my favorite shows ever, I adore sketch comedy. I think this could a fantastic year!

Here are the casting rumors:

"The Season 33 cast has not been announced yet. Lorne Michaels announced that most of the cast from season 32 will be returning, while Maya Rudolph and Darrell Hammond are still in negotiations regarding their respective contracts."

So far, no one has left or be reported as joining the cast this season as well.

EDIT, misread an article, season premiere is in two weeks, not one.

Re: Saturday Night Live - Season 33

I really hope Maya and Darrell don't come back. Darrell's been on forever, it's time to move on. I find Maya annoying and rarely funny to be honest.

In case anyone here's done this before...I don't have class the week of Oct. 13 and a buddy of mine in NYC gave me an open invite to join him and try and see SNL at some point. Foo Fighters are my favorite current band so I'm considering giving the standby line a try. Anyone got tips? Would it be cooler to go to dress rehearsal (the band still plays, right?) or the live show? I'd like to do both in my life but since my buddy has a roommate, I'd have to stay someplace myself and I've gotta admit I'm not really excited about the prospect of walking the streets of New York alone at 1 in the morning.

Re: Saturday Night Live - Season 33

Standby varies from week to week. Some weeks they let hardly anybody in and other weeks they will let in over a 100. It depends on who is hosting, who is the musical guest, and how the weather is. I'd recommend getting there on Friday evening, but if the weather is bad you can probably get there around 1 am and you'll still be able to get in. They hand out standby tickets at 7 am.
It used to be that you could walk around and leave your place in line for 2 hours, go have dinner, etc. and get cast autographs/photos when they came out at night. But I heard that last season the rules were changed and they are not at all lenient anymore.
The dress rehearsal show is fun because you get 30 minutes of additional sketches, but it somehow misses the energy of the live show.

I wonder when/if any new cast members will be announced. I know that Lorne Michaels was auditioning people last month and with one or two cast members leaving there will be a gap to fill.

Re: Saturday Night Live - Season 33

I hope I can get this post in before people start shitting on it. Yes yes, it was better during Belushi, Miller, blah blah blah. Go away.

I still love SNL. I remember reading an anecdote about this guy who watched tons of porn, and even though most of it was excruciatingly boring and repetitive, he watched because every now and then the dead eyed performers would actually look like they genuinely enjoyed thenselves, even if for a fleeting moment. That was the reason he watched.

So yes, I sit through dreck like Deep House Dish because every now and then they come out with a Lazy Monday. Or something like Jon Bovi, which had me cracking up for weeks even though most people didn't even remember it. Because every now and then, it is genuinely funny in a way that I can watch repeatedly bceause it only lasts for a few minutes.

BTW, just to be clear, I'm not the guy in the anecdote.

Re: Saturday Night Live - Season 33

I agree, it's literally shocking how long he's been on the show. I think it's because he knows that he has no career potential outside of SNL so he's milking it for all it's worth.

The guy has never been great, he's a talented impressionist but he's not really funny. I've seen people say he's better than Phil Hartman and that just blows my mind. Hammond's Schwarzenegger is probably the worst impression I've ever seen in my entire life.

Re: Saturday Night Live - Season 33

I haven't watched this show in years. I just don't think SNL is as good as it use to be. I think the last funny skits, IMHO, were Sherry O Terry and Will Ferrell as the cheerleaders.

I still can't believe that it will be their 33rd season. Impressive. Do they still have a core audience or have ratings dwindled signifigantly?

Re: Saturday Night Live - Season 33

Just think, if the naysayers had had their way there never would have been Dick in a Box.

Re: Saturday Night Live - Season 33

Maya left SNL - and then she came back over the weekend. Rumor is that she got a lot more money and I can't blame her. She's one of my favorite castmembers so I'm happy. ;0

Ryan

Re: Saturday Night Live - Season 33

Damn, was that funnier than Lazy Sunday?

I tuned in for a little while for the first time in months last Saturday. One skit was really funny, and now I can't remember what it was! EDIT: I remember now -- it was the Law & Order Master Class. Inspired stuff.

BTW, you guys are nuts. Darrell Hammond almost single-handedly carried this show during the latter Tina Fey years. He's easily one of the best cast members they've ever had.

Re: Saturday Night Live - Season 33

In a way Darrell Hammond assumed an everyman role similar to that of Phil Hartman. Although, IMO, no one can equal Hartman, Hammond's quite good.

Re: Saturday Night Live - Season 33

I have no idea how no one else caught that.

That L&O Master Class sketch was one of the funniest things last season.

Re: Saturday Night Live - Season 33

The Law and Order sketch was awesome. I also really liked Sofa King.

~T

Re: Saturday Night Live - Season 33

Let's be really honest.. there are times in the past few years where I feel as though the writing staff of SNL has really been given a curveball because their hosts are TERRIBLE. And it's not there fault, it's the fault of the people who are celebrities.

Tina Fey did an interview on Stern a few months ago and she laid out how hard it really became. She put it out there that there were hosts who would openly say "I can't do this" "I can't do that" and sketches were edited. Some guest hosts took it upon themselves to demand that sketches they themselves liked or had written make it in.

Fey was really pointed about these being the kind of things that years ago would not happen, and too many younger celebrities took themselves so seriously ("The personage is sacred!") that things could get hamstrung.

This is really telling when you look back at early eighties, eddy murphy years, chris rock, etc.. celebrities came on the show in those years and had enough respect for the cast that they respected them for their craft and played along. Too many of the guests now don't take the staff seriously or just don't respect them and the show suffers.

I know a show will be decent if I see certain guest hosts, I get a feeling the sketches, even if mediocre, will at least be given full effort. Meanwhile, if some hosts tell me the show is going to suffer.

Fey really summed it up when she told a story of how they had Paris Hilton as a host and out of 20 sketches put forward, she refused most, demanded two be written or reviewed by her, and then locked herself in her room and refused to do rehearsal because she thought a staff member "looked at her funny".

Do you think that kind of stuff happened with many hosts? Christ sake, Paul Simon put himself in a chicken suit trying to get play along.

Fey pointed out that the best shows were always the ones where the staff wants to be there because they like the host. And it's true. I enjoyed the ep with Natalie Portman, and hey, pretty obvious that she played team ball. Same with several hosts. But you have to sit through some truly painful episodes where it is obvious the cast really hates the host or guests.

I'll watch. Sure, it's hit and miss.. but yeah, I wouldn't want to miss digital shorts

Re: Saturday Night Live - Season 33

Thanks for that info Chris. That makes a lot of sense. I know I have been surprised by the quality of some guests - Peyton Manning being the most recent example. I'm guessing his experience being a team player really factored in to that ep, not to mention his willingness to self-deprecate.

Re: Saturday Night Live - Season 33

I ought to find if someone has the clips where she talked about how horrible the Paris Hilton experience was.. and how it was that episode that made her say "enough" and start working on a sitcom.

Re: Saturday Night Live - Season 33

I remember hearing about her complaining about Paris Hilton, but I didn't hear about it within the larger context of what makes a good show. I'd be interested in hearing the full interview, since I really like Ms. Fey.

Re: Saturday Night Live - Season 33

Here's just some of the highlights.

http://hollywoodsnark.com/2006/11/18...-paris-hilton/

Re: Saturday Night Live - Season 33

Thanks for that link, Chris. Good times!

Cam, on PTI today they were talking about how Lebron James is hosting tomorrow, and they mentioned something along the lines of athletes making good hosts since they're used to team play (in Lebron's case, *despite* the fact that he plays in the NBA! ).

PS The joke is mine.

Re: Saturday Night Live - Season 33

Thanks for the insight and links - I have to be at work in a few minutes, I'll read them when I get home tonight.

Speaking of Tonight!

SEASON PREMIERE!!!

http://www.aintitcool.com/?q=n ode/30253 says

Seth Rogen and Spoon next week


Jon Bon Jovi and Foo Fighters the next!

Re: Saturday Night Live - Season 33

Good. Foo Fighters new album is the best work they've done in at least 10 years, easy.

Re: Saturday Night Live - Season 33

Pretty good so far. Angry Dog dog food.

Re: Saturday Night Live - Season 33

The Ambiguously Gay Duo finally return!!!

Re: Saturday Night Live - Season 33

Apparently only Thomas and I watched last night.

Re: Saturday Night Live - Season 33

Well...with DVR technology you're probably right.

I thought it was a decent start. They used a lot of Wiig, which made me happy. My favorite bits were the Digital Short and Solid Gold.

I also liked Kanye's self-deprecating sketch and I was impressed with how he handled his freestyling flub.

Re: Saturday Night Live - Season 33

"It's a BOOK!!!"

I'm shocked. Didn't think we'd be seeing the Legendary Kristen Wiig Camel-Toe™ so soon already this season.

Re: Saturday Night Live - Season 33

Anybody else watch this in SD? They formatted for 16:9 and lopped off the sides, very apparent during the title sequence and anytime there was text on the screen, it was chopped.

Re: Saturday Night Live - Season 33

I'm pretty sure it was letterbox on SD. I know they did letter box last season and I didn't notice it being cut off saturday night. Maybe i wasn't paying attention. I have charter cable and for the SD NBC they pass the HD feed with the sides chopped off. You can clearly see half of the "NBC HD" logo" which is not present on the SD feed. I was watching somewhere else saturday though and don't recall anything strange.

Re: Saturday Night Live - Season 33

which sketch was the wiig cameltoe in...?!?!?

Anyways, opening sketch was like root canal.
Some later bits ok. To me being a long time dog lover, the angry dog food thing with that f*ckhead on the bag was in bad taste and just went over like a lead balloon. It seemed the audience didn't dig it either.
We stopped at the weekend update but 1/2 way through for a season opener, pretty mediocre in our opinions.

Re: Saturday Night Live - Season 33

The "Solid Gold" sketch...she played one of the dancers.

Although, I got at least a slight chuckle out of the whole "#7" gag in the "Michael Vick Dog Food" bit.

Re: Saturday Night Live - Season 33

I agree that the Angry Dog Food was in really bad taste, but I thought it was funny anyway.