Bobby's in a non-impression role in this Hugh Jackman show. Unfortunately the skit was not put online, probably due to music copyright issues.
Show - The Best of Both Worlds
Helen Mirren ... Julie Andrews Bill Hader ... announcer (voice) Taran Killam ... Gerard Butler Bobby Moynihan ... Richie Andy Samberg ... Hugh Jackman Kenan Thompson ... Ice Cube
This is the first time Andy (and anyone on SNL) has done Hugh Jackman. It looks like Andy's Hugh was the host.
I think it's hilarious that Andy's Hugh Jackman is a combination of Wolverine hair and Hugh's tux. (Reminds me of how Taran did his Ian McKellan impression as Ian dressed as Gandalf.) In fact, Taran does a similar thing in this skit with his Gerard Butler impression, dressed as King Leonidas from 300. Hilarious!
First time that Ice Cube (by Kenan Thompson) was done on SNL.
And it's the first time that Taran Killam (or anyone) played Gerard Butler. Although Gerard himself was on SNL and played a parody of his King Leonidas character.
Helen Mirren played Julie Andrews. Julie has only been parodied directly once on SNL by Christine Baranski back in 1996, on Molly Shannon's Courtney Love show:
Although Ann Hathaway played Mary Poppins a few years back.
Unfortunately, Bobby was in Helen's monologue this week, and NBC did not put it online (I already skimmed the full episode and made sure it was cut out of that as well). The reason is usually that they used music in the show that they don't have the rights to. Come on, NBC! Step up your game!
Don't make Wolverine Andy angry (this is from a Between Two Worlds skit from that same episode that was also not shown online):
And here's a little info about the monologue...
Monologue
Helen Mirren Paul Brittain Bill Hader Taran Killam Bobby Moynihan Andy Samberg Kenan Thompson
Apparently the SNL dudes were a bunch of sailors. =^)
9 (tie). Abby Elliott, Bobby Moynihan (10 points): Neither one of these Featured Players has shown much this season. Will either be able to get a character that’s worthy of recurring spots before the season’s out? That’s the big question that will determine whether each of these performers are able to take the next step in their SNL careers, or if they’ll go the way of Chris Parnell or Rachel Dratch (moderately well-liked SNL performers who hang around for a long time but no one really cares much when they leave).
Bobby Moynihan’s SNOOKI stopped by SNL one night. She definitely brightened up the Weekend Update desk. Haha because she’s like really orange. Ok maybe that wasn’t that funny. Anywho, just like Nasim Pedrad I adore Mr. Moynihan. And really any impression he does, yeah I’m a sucker for it.
Ok so here’s some Snooki greatness:
“A sailor he tried to make out with me and I really thought he was the one and it turned out he had scurvy and he just wanted me for the vitamins.”
“Sometimes I confuse myself. The other day I was sitting on my deck watching juice-heads and eating Cheetos and I accidentally ate 2 of my fingers. I’m only effin’ with you Seth, I just ate one.”
Snooki: You know you can always call me PJ?
Seth Meyers: Oh I feel like I’m walking into something here. What does the “PJ” stand for?
Snooki: Prison Jumpsuit.
Seth Meyers: Okay I’m still with you, why?
Snooki: Because I’m bright orange and once I’m on you, you really start to question the life decisions that led you to this point.
Church Lady – This one gets off to a good start, the writing seems stronger. I love Nasim Pedrad, Abby Elliott and Vanessa Bayer as the Kardashian sisters, they really nail it. (Side-note: I was really stoked when I saw Abby Elliott outside of a restaurant downtown on Wednesday night, but couldn’t work up the nerve to say anything.) “I’m Khloe and I’m third.” I understand that Carvey really wants to bask in the glory of his first “Isn’t that special?” in a decade, but the pause he takes feels a bit like grandstanding to me. Bobby Moynihan comes out as Snooki, which the crowd always loves, but it’s probably my least favorite recurring “character.” Moynihan is super talented, but his Snooki is lame, getting by on the “hilarity” of a fat guy in a dress. “Oooh, a Guido! You’re hot, make out with me!” Carvey makes it work, though. The Church Lady definitely ages better than Wayne’s World. Really, Justin Bieber? This dude is everywhere. He’s at the Knicks games, on Jon Stewart, now SNL. I have Bieber fever, I think, and it’s going to kill me. Church Lady is getting turned on by Bieber, that’s an interesting twist. Wow, this skit is nine minutes long, that’s ridiculous. People complain about skits on SNL going on too long, but lately they’ve mostly been under five minutes. Wayne’s World was six minutes, this one was nine, the monologue was six, that’s like a third of the show’s actual running time spent on three pieces. Crazy. But the Church Lady skit was the best so far, a welcome return. 7.5/10
I think this is a fair ranking for Bobby. He was only in two skits, but his appearance Extro-Maxx commercial was pretty funny.
I think I agree that Andy owned the night, but I disagree the most with putting Nasim so low. Her Mr. Wizard character should have put her in second place.
0:46 (wide-shot of character in pink women’s shirt and tight jeans walking through an airport security checkpoint. Camera shifts to closeup on character’s face as head spins around, revealing Bobby Moynihan with several days worth of stubble.) (*laugh*) I’m becoming the person I want to be. And without the hassle. Thanks, Estro-Maxx! (spins and walks through x-ray machine.)
...
From a pure script standpoint, this sketch is not at all anti-transgender and is actually rather respectful. In fact, some transgender people might agree with lines like “nature got in the way.” But the fact that the sketch gets all of its laughs from visual gags, aside from Brittain’s line, undermines that respect entirely. In fact, the respectful dialogue almost makes the sketch even worse, and here’s why. By having the actors play these transgender characters more like straight men, this sketch is telegraphing how it really feels about transgender people; they’re actors, pretenders, and ‘men in dresses.’ Two of the characters even have obvious facial hair, one of whom has purposefully groomed his into a mustache. And by playing their appearances for laughs, the sketch is telling the audience that no matter how seriously transgender people take themselves, that doesn’t mean you have to take them seriously.
I guess GLAAD is a little upset at this commercial. It was definitely disturbing to watch. Their points aren't all off base, but they didn't mention how else SNL would have made the skit so funny. Giving straight men female body parts is the only way to make this so funny.
Overall, this was a decent episode for Bobby Moynihan fans. Bobby was in five skits. I included only those skits below.
The links below will take you to the individual video clips.
Cold Opening - Fox News: Greta Van Susteren, "Embracing Civility" Greta Van Susteren hosts a roundtable that truly embodies a balanced political views.
FOX NEWS COLD OPEN
Kristen Wiig - Greta Bobby Moynihan Nasim Pedrad Jason Sudeikis - Glen Beck Bill Hader - James Carville Abby Elliott - Rachel Maddow
REVIEW: Kind of amusing. Kristen does a great job with Greta. I didn't feel like this one attacked Republicans as hard as past versions. It seemed to attack both sides a bit more equally (which is what they claim to do, but it doesn't often work out that way). This is Kristen's third appearance as Greta. Bill Hader's James Carville is always hilarious (along with Jason's Glen Beck). Score: 3/5 - Amusing, but I guess I don't care too much about these political media wars. Top players: (1) Kristen Wiig (2) Bill Hader (3) Jason Sudeikis (4) Bobby Moynihan
Commercial - The Cape Spinoffs If you like super heroes who get their powers from pieces of clothing, then you'll love these new NBC shows!
REVIEW: Kristen gets a laugh with the fist shot of her swinging her bolo tie. The gun shots from her tie fail to get a laugh. That's the problem with a taped piece like this... you can't cut jokes from the live show. You're sort of stuck with what you got when parts aren't funny. It was funny at the beginning with the Scarf (Nasim Pedrad), Andy Samberg made it funny being naked with the Leg Warmer, and Jason Sudeikis was pretty funny as the Scrunchie. Other than that, the joke was getting old fast. Bobby bookends this piece as the Spanks hero. He doesn't really get a laugh. The joke had already stopped being funny. This was genius on NBC's part, because making fun of their own show is a great way to advertise it and make it live potentially longer than the show itself. =^) Score: 3/5 - Some hilarious bits, but there were even more dud bits here that helped push the score down. Top players: 1. Andy Samberg 2. Nasim Pedrad 3. Jason Sudeikis
Weekend Update Garth and Kat return, and Vanessa Bayer interviews Christina Aguilera and Cher. And Former New York gubernatorial candidate Jimmy McMillan (Kenan) talks about his run for president.
Seth Meyers Bill Hader ... announcer (voice) Kenan Thompson ... Jimmy McMillan Vanessa Bayer Nasim Pedrad ... Christina Aguilera Bill Hader ... Cher Bobby Moynihan ... Chaz Bono Fred Armisen ... Garth Kristen Wiig ... Kat Gwyneth Paltrow ... Kim Castle
REVIEW: Fred and Kristen keep Garth and Kat fresh by mixing in Gwyneth Paltrow as their similar friend, Kim Castle. Vanessa Bayer amazingly writes herself into a straight-person role to interview Nasim's amazing Christina Aguilera. Bobby follows up with some funny transgender jokes. Bill's humorous as Cher, but not amazing by any means. Kenan's being himself again. Seth also does fairly well this week. Overall, the real winner was Nasim's impression of Christina Aguilera, which makes me want to see it more. Overall Score: 3/5 Jimmy McMillan (Kenan): 2/5 (almost amusing) Garth and Kat: 3/5 (good but mostly already done) Vanessa's Interview: 4/5 (Vanessa is a bit wooden) Top Players: 1. Nasim Pedrad 2. Bobby Moynihan 3. Seth Meyers
Skit - Globe Theatre This skit is not available online and is not in the online full video. That probably means it had some music without permissions.
Gwyneth Paltrow ... actress Fred Armisen ... actor Vanessa Bayer ... audience member Bill Hader ... actor Steve Higgins ... announcer (voice) Taran Killam ... actor Bobby Moynihan ... actor Jay Pharoah ... audience member Andy Samberg ... audience member Jason Sudeikis ... audience member Kenan Thompson ... audience member Kristen Wiig ... audience member
Show - ESPN Deportes Even in Spanish, the ESPN sportscaster phrases are the same.
Gwyneth Paltrow ... Sofia Cortez Fred Armisen ... Esteban Paul Brittain ... Ramon Zaragoza Steve Higgins ... announcer (voice) Taran Killam ... Paco Bobby Moynihan ... clown Nasim Pedrad ... girl Jay Pharoah ... Kevin Garnett
REVIEW: My guess is Paul wrote this or came up with the idea. Otherwise, I'd imagine that Fred would be up there with Gwyneth (if it came from another writer). Regardless, Paul pulls out his second hilarious character in what will probably be a recurring sketch. Way to go, Paul! However, it's much more the concept that makes this skit funny than any one actor. Bobby is hilarious as the clown that comes in, and even Taran delivers an awesome look. Also, Jay plays a great straight man with his Kevin Garnett impression (I love how they put Jay up on a higher platform than Fred to create a bigger height difference). Score: 4/5 (some slow parts, but it comes through) Top Players: 1. Paul Brittain 2. Gwenyth Paltrow 3. Bobby Moynihan 4. Jay Pharoah 5. Taran Killam 6. Fred Armisen
At the end of the month, Social Network star Jesse Eisenberg will take a break from the awards ceremonies to front the late-night program. Eisenberg's appearance will reunite him with two of his Adventureland costars: Kristen Wiig and Bill Hader.
Episode 694 "Dana Carvey" & Musical Guest, Linkin Park - February 5, 2011
The following weekend, longtime SNL fans will welcome a blast from the past: Church Lady Dana Carvey. Carvey, a fixture on the program for seven seasons, will make his fourth appearance as host.
We're going to start this week with a basic review. Bobby's Anthony Crispino and Soul Train were the highlights. Below are Bobby's four appearances this week...
Commercial - Bosley Hair Restoration
Fred Armisen ... Mark H. Bobby Moynihan ... client Nasim Pedrad ... girlfriend Jason Sudeikis ... spokesperson Kristen Wiig ... Adelle K.
REVIEW: This is a rerun. Still funny. The basic idea is that the hair transplant comes from pubic regions. Sort of disgusting when they show the hair on Fred, Bobby, and Kristen, but still hilarious. A good one to rerun.
Commercial - The Worst of Soul Train
Jim Carrey ... D'Versity Paul Brittain ... Bro-Botix member Steve Higgins ... announcer (voice) Taran Killam ... Bro-Botix member Bobby Moynihan ... Coughy Robinson Nasim Pedrad ... Ricky Jay Pharoah ... Shooting Starr Andy Samberg ... Gary St. Marvelous Jason Sudeikis ... Ocean Billy Kenan Thompson ... Maxwell family member Kenan Thompson ... announcer (voice) Kristen Wiig ... Triangle Sally
REVIEW: Bobby drives this one home as the host of a show that features the performers' talents! Everybody was golden here, making it another gauntlet of hilarious bits (like the Back to the Future DVD commercials). Taran and Paul were funny (mostly Taran there), Jim was hilarious of course, and Nasim, Andy, Jason, and Kristen all gave important bits. My least favorite were from Jay Pharoah and Kenan Thompson.
Weekend Update
Seth Meyers Kristen Wiig ... Nancy Pelosi Bill Hader ... John Boehner Bobby Moynihan ... Anthony Crispino Andy Samberg ... Cameron The Red-Winged Blackbird Taran Killam ... Everett The Fish
REVIEW: A great Weekend Update! Bobby's Crispino does very well (but I would have taken out the second-to-last gag, because it slowed down before it picked up at the end). This was Andy's third appearance as a bird in the news really sold well (sort of a series Andy has going), and Taran supported well as the fish. I liked Kristen and Bill, but it really feels like they target Republicans like Boehner more as incompetent (shouldn't they all be shown as incompetent or goofballs?).
Sketch - Merryville Trolley Ride
Jim Carrey ... robot Bill Hader ... robot Taran Killam ... robot Bobby Moynihan ... repairman Kenan Thompson ... guy Kristen Wiig ... girl
REVIEW: Oh my gosh! By far my second favorite skit of the night (behind Black Swan). This truly shows the talents of Taran Killam who actually out-performs Jim Carrey as an animatronic robot (is this even possible?). Another skit that Jim made gold with physical comedy, and it brings to life all our animatronic nightmares! Beautiful, and well played by Kenan as the victim. Bobby supports as the ride operator.
My guess is that Jim was throwing out ideas, and a writer latched onto this one and turned it into a skit. And somewhere along the way Taran spoke up and said, "I can do a robot!" (Or perhaps the writer saw him do the Tin Man earlier this season or something else Taran has done and realized that Taran is an amazing robot... afterall, it's almost impossible to be better than Jim Carrey at any physical comedy like this.)
When people say that something isn't quite right about this season of Saturday Night Live, whether or not they know it, they're saying that they miss Will Forte.
While it's true that Forte was far from the only member of the cast and writing staff to leave SNL over the summer, his departure left a void that the show has yet to fill several episodes into its 36th season...
But in his last few years on SNL, Forte provided a necessary counterbalance to almost every live episode by bringing that one element that SNL always has needed: the wildcard...
Forte was more the "weird and crazy" type. The guy whom you could count on to prove why late-night TV is different from primetime TV. The guy who brought a sense of danger, although based in just enough silliness as to not be scary...
MacGruber was always good for a laugh... because in those short sketches on SNL, there was just enough time for Forte to say something highly inappropriate before the explosion.
Forte also could be equally creepy as Hamilton, the guy who showed up to woo celebrities, or as a pedophile using Halloween as a cover for trick-or-treating. He could be just as equally weird as Sen. Tim Calhoun, a masked man getting pummeled by things as the "Closet Organizer," an office worker shouting "Fart Face!", singing about Model-T cars and spaceships with Wiig, or a NASA scientist arguing over a potato chip with Jason Sudeikis.
I think all that is true. Will's Weekend Update songs, MacGruber, his dancing coach skits, the Chips skit above, him playing a bad guy in an old Drew Barrymore monologue, and him playing a young Jack Black at a spelling bee all made me laugh out loud.
Meanwhile, Jason's definitely going to need to team up with others more (or do more original, single characters) to fill the void of Will's absence.
