I went to a seriously awesome 40th birthday party last night.
This thing - this party show celebrating SNL had everything - retro sketches, star-studded cameos…even a Bass-o-Matic. (It’s that thing…where they puree a fish…in a blender.)
The Saturday Night Live 40th Anniversary Special was just about the best show they’ve ever done, in a sweet spot of nostalgia tinged with comedic edge.
It’s time for all of these shows to roll up the red carpet and keep it in the warehouse in the back. The same fawning, inane questions from “reporters”; the same pasted-on smiles that are barely hiding the “this-is-such-a-dumb-thing-to-have-to-do” from the celebs. The Red Carpet is from an era when we didn’t see as much (or too much) of celebrities on a daily basis, and it was an actual thrill to see them all dressed up or perhaps hear an off-the-cuff remark from a favourite star. Like the studio contact system and summer-long blockbuster hits, the carpet is a charming thread from yesteryear that is looking awfully threadbare.
Why we want red carpet interviwers to #AskHerMore
The SNL Anniversary Special, by sharp contrast, was non-stop fun. (Maybe they should ask Lorne to run the red carpet specials.) From the opening catchphrase rap from Jimmy Fallon and Justin Timberlake to the sweet, business-as-usual close with the cast on stage, including pulling up what looked to be a genuinely emotional Lorne Michaels, the show was right, tight, and most importantly: funny.
A few of the best moments:
A Weekend Update Dream Team
And for those who may recall that SNL was kind of the Paul Simon show all through the 1970s, Miley Cyrus KILLED with a cover of “50 Ways to Leave Your Lover”:
There have been some notable fake commercials over the years, but they chose my absolute favourite (which just gets funnier when you become a Mom):
A few of the draggier bits:
Eddie Murphy seemed both uncomfortable and unhappy to be in Studio 8H after an overly fawning introduction from Chris Rock. And then they didn’t use him for anything. Very disappointing.
The Californians, which was never one of my favourites, was saved entirely by Betty White, as so many things are. They should have asked Taylor Swift to sing, not act.
The musical number finishing with the Blues Brothers (now Jim Belushi and Dan Akroyd) fell a bit flat, and since they mixed in old clips with their live effort, could have finished with the tape rather than what looked like old guys in fedoras shuffling.
But the night quickly redeemed itself with the Wayne’s World revival, complete with a reverent but still funny Top Ten list. The sketch made me giggle like the 14 year-old girl I was when Wayne & Garth were my dates for Saturday night. And for possibly the first time, I was proud to have resembled Garth Algar (just a bit) in my youth.
Thanks for the great show, gang. I wish you 40 more years of Saturday nights.
Image Source: NBC.com
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