Amph Live From New York (for 50 years), It's Saturday Night!

It would be more shocking that the 50th anniversary show was that bad if the quality of the show was ever better than that. It was the three hour version of a typically poor show with an endless supply of celebrity cameos, so I guess it pulled off the feat of being exemplary of its own normal quality level for whatever that's worth. Not very much. Some of it was painful. Bill Murray's simple little shtick with the update anchor ranking was maybe my favorite part. He showed some of the old comic flair. Paul McCartney on stage at 82 reminded me a bit of my late father-in-law skiing at 82. It's not quite the same as it would have been 40 years earlier, but there's a certain refinement and grace that comes with knowing how to work within the limits of advancing decrepitude.

 

Almost 15 million viewers for SNL 50th anniversary special! Hopefully most of them stuck around for Scared Straight at the end which was peak

 

There were complaints

The sketch sparked widespread comments online, with many refusing to laugh at Hanks’ bit.

“Tom Hanks just came out on the SNL 50th anniversary special in a MAGA hat, doing a skit, where he acted like he didn’t want to shake a black man’s hand,” one wrote on X. “This is why SNL is in the toilet.”

“It was a great skit until Tom Hanks showed up,” said one critic, while another claimed it’s “also why his career is tanking.”

“No one in the audience laughs as Tom Hanks appears on SNL as a racist Trump supporter that refuses to shake hands with a black man,” said another.

 

I thought the 50th anniversary episode was very good. I laughed a lot. I really enjoyed the throwbacks to Debbie Downer, the Close Encounter sketch, Denise (Wiig) with the tiny hands, Sally O'Mally, Drunk Uncle, the Girl You Wish You Hadn't Stated a Conversation with at a party, and Linda Richman (Mike Myers) to name a few. Oh also, the callback to Bayer and Armisen whispering skit was awesome.

I loved the Mulaney's New York musical. Sandler's song 50 Years was fun and touching. It almost made me cry towards the end.

Eddie Murphy killed with his Tracy Morgan impression, but I would agree the Tom Hanks bit fell flat. Murphy and gang also killed it in the Scared Straight sketch.

Domingo is fun but I'm over it. I know people love it. I never liked the Chad sketches but my wife lol'ed.

My favorite part was probably the audience Q&A with Tina and Amy.

 

I'm not too into Domingo because half the time I can't understand the lyrics, maybe add some subtitles?

Anyway 40th anniversary Wayne's World for those who missed them on Sunday. Carvey has been there all season but he missed the 50th anniversary

 

Yeah notably absent were Hader, Aykroyd, Carvey, and Colin Quinn.

 

Even Lovitz made it there at least for seating at the American Girl store across the street! He wasn't even mad!

 

It was ironically, eerily prophetic. I saw that sketch way back when Nick-at-Nite had the best of series on in the late 80's, early 90's. Belushi knew that he was pushing things, but it was after "The Blues Brothers" that he hired a bodyguard to help him stay clean. But after "Continental Divide", he decided to go it alone and that was a fatal mistake.

 

March 1 Shane Gillis /Tate McRae
March 8 Lady Gaga/Lady Gaga

 

Shane Gills, 2nd time hosting after he was fired from the cast before he could even start. FYI Lorne didn't want to fire him

 

I don't find Shane Gills to be funny at all, so I will skip even watching the highlights unless they come up with a great skit. We have a fundraiser that night, and we are going to anyway, but we will watch Lady Gaga as she should be great as always.

 

I really enjoyed the 50th special. My favorite skits were the wedding vow renewals and the NYC through the decades musical.

 

Shane is pretty hilarious. I don't agree with his political views, but I do enjoy his comedy. His Netflix show Tires is really good and it's getting a second season.

 

This when he hosted was a highlight

 

Jane Curtain was there. Her and Laraine Newman held up a photo of Gilda Radner when everyone was saying goodnight at the end of the show.

I didn't like Shane Gillis at first either. He's kind of grown on me.

 

Weekend Update SNL 50 joke coming true!

 

Louie C minus lol

 

Weekend Update with The Movie Guy was the highlight of an otherwise poor episode

 

There were some high highs and low lows. Cold open was a huge swing and a miss. The monologue also started out as a swing and a miss, but he made me laugh in the end. The CouplaBeers digital short was pretty funny as well. I also liked the Mid-Day News sketch with the back and forth score keeping. Also Dad's House and Wedding Interruption with the coupons had some laughs. Please Don't Destroy - The Sound that made fun of The Voice was quite good. Doctor's Office was another swing and a miss.

 

I liked the Sith joke in the monologue nobody laughed at. Coupleabeers had a great punchline

 

Sith joke?

 

2 minutes in after the Biden joke.

 

Couplabeers and the Mid day news sketch were decent. The rest not so much


It "felt" like they leant into the Shane Gillis racism history a little too much. Or I at least perceived it that way which may have added an unwarranted flavour to the episode for me (pre judging and all that)