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Elton John hosted Saturday Night Live last night with help from several guest stars like Tom Hanks, who appeared in three skits, including one that featured John presiding over an emergency meeting of Knights of the Realm (aka knighted British celebrities) mulling ways to thwart a dragon attack on London. “When artists put their souls together they can accomplish anything,” says Andy Samberg as Bono. “Except a Spider-Man musical,” retorts John before crooning “Can you smell a bomb tonight” to the tune of one of the songs from his blockbuster musical The Lion King, which was directed by the same helmer that was recently fired by Spider-Man: Turn off the Dark, Julie Taymor.
TV Editor Nellie Andreeva - tip her here.
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Looks like someone on the SNL writing staff finally read the Brian K. Vaughan script “Roundtable.”
Who cares what Elton says on Saturday Night Live! I feel sorry for him having to appear – the show has been dead for a decade at least. The humor rarely reaches the level of infants playing in their diapers. If I were an alum of the show like Chase, Farrell, Fallon or Martin, I would take it off my resume so I would not be lumped
in with the comic morons that currently appear on the show (with the exception of Seth).
Someone should tap Lorne on the shoulder and tell him it is time to go.
Its kind of sad watching really great talent have to endure really terrible writing. The skit format just doesn’t make a lot of sense anymore given how many outlets for quality comedy exist in today’s post MSM environment.
Saturday Night Live is in dire needs of a writing staff. An hour and a half of”jizz” jokes and an old queen kissing straight men. Poor Elton, he appeared as an old, out of shape queen that can bearly move his body (how the hell is he gonna keep up with a toddler?). During each skit he looked downright catatonic as he gazed off stage for his cue cards (sometimes visibly mouthing the other cast members’ dialog). Can a gay personality actually make an appearance without a barrage of sexually suggestive humor and effeminate jokes?
One bit of advice Sir Elton. You better start skipping the Sir-loin.
Last night’s SNL was a new low—for the show, Tom Hanks, Elton John, Lorne Michaels, and everyone that works at NBC. Really, they seem to bed the last to realize that this show needs an overhall. If they don’t euthanize the thing it will do more damage than any lousy Weekend Update can do alone. Seth Meyers is NOT a head writer. He knows it, the cast knows it, but sadly, no one else does. I implore upon NBC to do something.
I watched .. ahem , I tried to watch last night’s SNL this morning.. Holy Cow- This was easily the worst episode I have ever seen. It seemed like Lorne lost a bet with someone and needed to have Elton John host! Even with Hanks on board – it was a disaster.
I agree Seth Meyers is not a head writer and he should not be doing Update on his own. He’s also been there too long. Time to move on.
Its really sad, yesterday I couldn’t even stand watching it. I had to actually cringe against my will to watch and heart the atrocity of the SNL jokes, and the pokes and more…. I couldn’t even remember the SNL Digital Short, cause from last time I remembered it was too painful for me to even mention it. To be honest I’d rather get butt fucked by Rams horns that’s being controlled by Adam Lambert all drunk who’s gone gaga. This writers don’t understand what’s the definition of comedy, and neither do they have the ambition either. And another thing is this cast feels so dull, as if they don’t excute their own jokes they will be shot down by ghadafi ass or something. SNL used to be a cast of well crafted comedians, but now its just a bunch of, let’s just focus one one types of jokes till we suck the fun out of it. Its pretty sad.
I’ll tell you who doesn’t know comedy… it’s the writer of the post above. Hey IsThatComedy??? there is a reason you have to be at the restaurant by 6pm today and it’s not because you have a reservation. And can I get refill on mu Iced Tea.
Worst. SNL. EVER! It was actually painful to watch this one.
Samberg has got to go. Those digital shorts are unbearable. I especially hate the way they always end with him shouting a single word into the camera. Musicals! Newsflash: not funny.
Absolute, blatant rip off of ROUNDTABLE by Brian K. Vaughan.
If Charlie Sheen’s Disaster In Detroit had been on Friday (April 1st) instead of last night (April 2nd), Sir Elton John’s line would have been changed to “Except a Charlie Sheen One-Man Show”.
It also would have been a funnier line.
Elton seemd to be nice and relaxed in the sketches, which gave his delivery a nice casual touch on the put-downs. (Kinda sorta not unlike a bit of Oscar Wilde style, maybe?) And I thought the hideout for the villain for the Lasercats digital video piece (aka “DROZ”) was brilliant for the faux-DIY format of that episode. SNL episodes guest hosted by mega-celebrities are often really awkward, but this one seemed better than most.
With all due respecct to Sir Elton, his SNL performance was absolutely awful – monologue, sketches, and yes, even musical numbers with Leon Russell (someone who seems legitmately catatonic most of the time).
Elton was clearly reading cue cards – you could see them reflected in his glasses, which were fogged up (probably due to his nervousness of performing live, but not as a musician).
SNL really blew it this week. A 64-year-old musician is not in touch with their core audience – or if it is, then SNL needs a total makeover.
Maybe it will be better next week when 65-year-old Helen Mirren hosts (at least she can act).
Everyone on the show goes off cards… some more than others but all the actors do (per Bill Hader on a Bill Simmon’s podcast..)
Isn’t Ernest Borgnine soon going to guest-host “SNL”??
This was a much deserved “Fuck You” from Elton to Julie. Her and her publicists praised her genius for the success of The Lion King, when anyone with a brain knows that it was all tourists attracted to it by their existing awareness to the family-friendly property and Elton’s music. I’m reading her bio on Yahoo Movies right now and I’m choking on my drink at how hilarious it is.
SNL is in desperate need of an overhaul. However, those who say Samberg should go are clearly part of the problem. Samberg routinely provides SNL with its only memorable moments these days with his digital shorts (Lazy Sunday, Dick in a Box, Jizzed in My Pants, On a Boat, Natalie Rap). Even when I watched some of the “highlights” from last night, the only thing I saw that was kind of funny was his Nicholas Cage impression.
If he got ousted, it would be one more step of SNL remaining dated and fading into obscurity as a show for only seniors to watch.
What happened to Tom Hanks? He used to be able to act. That was the worst Michael Caine imaginable. But then, the whole thing was weak.
Everyone is missing the point – Elton kept it above water as long as he could! It’s the staff that’s broken. I’m about the same age as the lame writers on the show and I can tell you that don’t represent my age group with their dumb ass humor and performances. They should start over and get at least one person on the regular group that is funny. This, and has been for years now, is a fuckin’ wasteland!
People who are saying this was the “worst episode ever” obviously haven’t seen enough episodes. Particularly in the last three years.
Let’s skip the preteen hyperbole, okay? Clearly the worst episode of the year was when Anne Hathaway hosted. But the worst episodes ever all aired between 1980-1985.
Totally disagree with you on both counts. I watched most of the 80-85 years. Some of them did truly suck — yet none of them have been as painful as SNL has been recently. The combination of this cast with feeble writing is truly among the worst the show has ever had, and I go back a LONG time as a fan of it.
And THIS episode? Absolutely the worst. Yes, worse than the Hathaway show. The Spider-Man line was the one funny moment in the entire episode. Even bringing out Hanks was a total sign of desperation.
Fussy old hipsters have been complaining about SNL being “dead for a decade” for well over TWO decades! I love it, people with names like “NYObserver” and “Rightcoast”. I am where I live, baby! The fact is if you watch the old episodes with an objective eye the style and substance of the humor hasn’t ever substantively changed. Norm McDonald would make 80% of the same jokes that Seth Meyer does. Yet somehow the show goes on, making money for NBC, and being culturally relevant. More people around the world will probably remember Tina Fey’s impression of Caribou Barbie than will remember Palin. The Knights skit was the best of the night – farcical takes on European culture go back at least to Sprockets and I remember a few before that. As for it being a ripoff of someone’s script…seriously? Having the same general idea or theme doesn’t constitute plagiarism. You might as well say Brian Vaughan stole Robert Smigel’s “The X Presidents”!
Andy’s short films are hit or miss but some have been excellent.
Elton did ok for a non-actor of his age.
I could not disagree more with the previous posters. Elton John did it his way and brought some fun back into the show. He had no reason to do it other than to do it. I’m so tired of manufactured stars coming on because their film is opening with exactly 14 days before or after an SNL hosting appearance. So what if you could see Elton reading cue cards, you can see almost every guest host do the same thing. And so what if every skit didn’t work, most of the time they don’t with any host. Part of the fun of SNL is watching hosts struggle through comedy. The queen elizabeth prince phillip skit rocked, literally. If you don’t like what they’re trying to do on SNL, go watch the lame crap on funny or die.
Yes, worst SNL in memory
People have been saying “worst season ever” and “worst episode ever” for over twenty years. Get over yourselves, hipsters. SNL has never been more than vaguely hit or miss.
SNL needs better writers.
SnL is not as bad as everyone makes it out to be currently. Of the current season, I would rank ep. 1, 2, 5, 8-15 and 17 as good, and only rank this episode and the Miley Cyrus episode as Bad. I have watched most of SNL and I have seen much worst. As far as Meyers as Weekend Update News Anchor, he is funnier that Chevy Chase ever was in the role. Not as funny as he and Amy Poehler or her and Tina, or tina and Jimmy, but he is still good. I do agree though – Digital Shorts HAVE to go. They are a trying to redo the Funhouse success and they will always fail. Just saying.