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Dr. Teeth

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More body language bullshit speculation. 
https://ew.com/dave-chappelle-bowen-yang-hug-for-snl-goodbyes-year-after-awkward-photo-8777105
 

It was interesting that Yang didn’t appear in a single Chappelle sketch. 

If a cast member hates the host do they just play hooky all week? Secure cast members can probably get away with it. I wouldn’t recommend it for Emil Wakim 

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Ya'll are  hating that boy Yang way too much...i'm not saying he needs to be on more, but man ya'll can beat that dead horse.

 

Most of this season has been entertaining to very good.

 

It's interesting to hear that Lorne wanted Chappelle for the Election episode...but hell, settling for Bill Burr and getting just as much of a biting commentary probably worked out great for them.

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I finished the 4 episode Beyond Saturday Night documentary. Scattershooting: 

- The 4th episode about Season 11 was my favorite. I’ll give them credit for allowing Wayans to talk some shit and tell his side of the story. Very cool of Lorne to invite him back to perform his stand up. 
 

- Pretty interesting that terrific comedic actors like Downey and Anthony Michael Hall didn’t do well on SNL. Movie stars, but not sketch performers. Great pivot in Season 12 to cast the improv greats of their time. 
 

- I need to watch more of Season 10. Holy shit what a cast. That’s an impossible act to follow for first timers.

- I love that they had to use archival footage from 2005 for ALL of the Lorne interviews on Season 11. In fact, episode 3 is the only episode that includes a Lorne interview. I guess he’s feigning modesty that he won’t sit for interviews on his own show. 

- It was fun watching the old auditions and casting decisions in episode 1. The casts were probably better in the past because of less nepotism. I think Lorne wants a smooth operation now, and he’ll cast nepo babies because they know what to do and how to act at Studio 8H. 
 

- While not a nepo baby, from what I’ve gathered everybody in the New York Comedy Community was rooting/pushing for Pete Davidson. No problem with casting him on the show, but he was consistently the worst performing cast member while appearing in the most sketches. Lorne played favorites, and it cost the show. He then doubles down on Davidson and produces his show on Peacock. If you can’t make show with Joe Pesci, Edie Falco, and Brad Garrett work, then problem is with your star. Lorne is so established and comfortable I doubt he’s ever given it a second thought. 

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6 minutes ago, billfromlaketravis said:

I finished the 4 episode Beyond Saturday Night documentary. Scattershooting: 

- The 4th episode about Season 11 was my favorite. I’ll give them credit for allowing Wayans to talk some shit and tell his side of the story. Very cool of Lorne to invite him back to perform his stand up. 
 

- Pretty interesting that terrific comedic actors like Downey and Anthony Michael Hall didn’t do well on SNL. Movie stars, but not sketch performers. Great pivot in Season 12 to cast the improv greats of their time. 
 

- I need to watch more of Season 10. Holy shit what a cast. That’s an impossible act to follow for first timers.

- I love that they had to use archival footage from 2005 for ALL of the Lorne interviews on Season 11. In fact, episode 3 is the only episode that includes a Lorne interview. I guess he’s feigning modesty that he won’t sit for interviews on his own show. 

- It was fun watching the old auditions and casting decisions in episode 1. The casts were probably better in the past because of less nepotism. I think Lorne wants a smooth operation now, and he’ll cast nepo babies because they know what to do and how to act at Studio 8H. 
 

- While not a nepo baby, from what I’ve gathered everybody in the New York Comedy Community was rooting/pushing for Pete Davidson. No problem with casting him on the show, but he was consistently the worst performing cast member while appearing in the most sketches. Lorne played favorites, and it cost the show. He then doubles down on Davidson and produces his show on Peacock. If you can’t make show with Joe Pesci, Edie Falco, and Brad Garrett work, then problem is with your star. Lorne is so established and comfortable I doubt he’s ever given it a second thought. 

I thought the bit about sketch criticism from Tina Fey was great.

Basically, she said when she was on the writing staff, written sketches were under heavy constant criticism, got shit talked on all week....so the crap got weeded out....but that doesn't really happen anymore.

Which leaves us with the current echo chamber product.

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40 minutes ago, rage-a-holic said:

I thought the bit about sketch criticism from Tina Fey was great.

Basically, she said when she was on the writing staff, written sketches were under heavy constant criticism, got shit talked on all week....so the crap got weeded out....but that doesn't really happen anymore.

Which leaves us with the current echo chamber product.

Interesting tidbit I overlooked on Tina Fey. Thanks.

The Lorne quote about wanting to produce the kind of show he’d want to watch stuck with me. I guess he cares about as much as Dick Wolf and Chuck Lorre if the show is good. NBC will put it on the air, and people will watch it. 
 

There’s some scuttlebutt that the NBC execs believe SNL is too expensive, and they’d like to reduce costs after the 50th Season. The SNL beat writers have pushed back that it’s a sacrosanct product as long as Lorne is there. I doubt NBC will slash costs, and I doubt he’ll ever retires health permitting. 

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24 minutes ago, rage-a-holic said:

I would bet a shiny nickel that NBC has someone with a title like "relationship coordinator" that visits staff members if someone feels "uncomfortable about feedback"

 

I dunno about all that. We’ll only ever know what they show us. I can only think of one tell all book, and it was published for the 30th anniversary. What I saw in the doc: 

- The writers’ room really doesn’t exist anymore. It looked an initial meeting with the host, full cast, and writers. Then writing teams of 2-3 broke off into small groups, sometimes with cast members, and basically write the nuts and bolts of the show. Writing night, cast goes home at midnight. Writers stay up all night writing the show. Pitch to Lorne on Thursday. Lorne picks the show, and rehearsal on Friday.
 

- I think regulars are maybe there for parts of Tuesday and Wednesday, Lorne meeting on Thursday, rehearsal Friday, and show on Saturday. 
 

- I don’t think current cast members are writing nearly as much as in the past. As the doc hammered home, if you want to be on the show, you have to write your own sketches. Could be an aftershock of the strikes. Maybe it’s not a strength of the current cast. Maybe they don’t care. 
 

- The old system is closed. Doing well on a SNL isn’t going to get a cast member a network sitcom. With all the packaging, it won’t get them a movie either. There’s no motivation to be great. Why take risks when longevity is key? Many appearances lead to becoming a familiar face for commercial work like Kennan and Heidi Gardner. 
 

- I’m sure they got a ton of help getting it made, but at least Please Don’t Destroy took a swing and made their own movie. The scenes with Conan are gold. 

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45 minutes ago, billfromlaketravis said:

Doing well on a SNL isn’t going to get a cast member a network sitcom. With all the packaging, it won’t get them a movie either. There’s no motivation to be great. Why take risks when longevity is key? Many appearances lead to becoming a familiar face for commercial work like Kennan and Heidi Gardner. 

heidi gardner is on shrinking.  

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