Seth Meyers, Welcome To Late Night

It feels weird actively staying up to watch The Tonight Show. Are you doing this too now because of Jimmy? Jimmy is doing so, so well on The Tonight Show – so well that I’m going out of my way to watch the full show live. I never did that with Late Night, so I don’t know why, because he’s just as good here as he was there, but regardless, I like it. Last night was the premiere of Late Night with Seth Meyers. Did you watch?

It was….okay. It was very much a First Show and for a first show, it was fine, but there is a lot to be worked on, like that f-cking set. This budget desk + two chairs combo they bought at Business Depot 3 days before the show aired needs to go. Fred Armisen’s band stage looks like he might fall through it, and the background is a bit much color wise. As for Seth? He was so nervous, you could tell, but he did well enough. I don’t think the material was as strong as it should have been – I remember only a handful of the jokes and even then, they weren’t knockouts. But when Amy Poehler is your first guest, you really don’t need to do much work. Amy is the best guest a talk show host can have. Have you ever spent your Saturday night in a Tina & Amy YouTube blackhole? It’s the best kind of pre-party. There are too many Amy interviews to link to, but just go and have a field day. It feels weird to say someone is a great guest on a talk show, like when you say a celebrity is “the nicest”, as if they shouldn’t be anything other than nice but you’re still surprised when they are nice. But there are so many celebrities who suck at interviews and ultimately it speaks to their personality. Of course Seth and Amy are friends and it was like eavsdropping on two best friends at a coffee shop talking shit (the bit with Fred is amazing) but again, she’s so damn engaging, funny and smart.

Jimmy Fallon’s First Episode Of ‘The Tonight Show’ Went Very Well

Let’s say it together: Okay byeeeeeeeeee Jay Leno

No disrespect to Jay Leno, but who is going to miss him besides those of middle america who presumably own Big Bang Theory merchandise? No one, is the answer. Bias aside (the bias being my love for Jim Jam Fallon) when it was announced he would be taking over it was the most logical choice: Jimmy is safe, yes, he’s like an adorable puppy, sure, but safe doesn’t have to equate boringness. Jimmy Fallon is safe but he is not boring. Jay Leno was, or had become, boring. Conan O’Brien isn’t Louis C.K but he isn’t as “appealing” as Fallon is, or can be. The Tonight Show is a very broad show. So this transition made sense.

I have this weird thing where I’m happy for people I don’t know. Which, for me, is rare, because I’m rarely happy for the people I do know. Jimmy Fallon has this way of being so endearing that you just want the best for him. Last night was the beginning of the new chapter and it went off without a hitch. The set is spectacular, first off. The Spike Lee directed opening is fantastic. And the show was such a smooth transition. It felt so natural. And this was only the first episode. Imagine how much more at home he will be in a week, in a month? It’s exciting because, like him or not, Jimmy Fallon is exciting. You can scoff at the “viralness” of his sketches, but when he does a sketch with a celebrity, the next day it is making waves, and in the best way. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: he has the most fun, always, and he wants you to as well.

My favourite bit of the night? Of course it was the parade of celebrities. The more I watch it, the weirder it gets because none of these people match. Not one. Not one person there matches, except for like, Tina and Tracy and Lindsay and….Mike Tyson, but that’s it. Imagine the conversation backstage? Imagine setting up who goes out when? This is why I love live TV because these questions are actually asked. Also: I know Tina would hate that this is being brought up, but she’s been looking like a REAL BABE lately. And Colbert just kills it.

 

SNL Recap: I’m So, I’m So, I’m So Proud of Drake

When it was announced that Drake would be hosting Saturday Night Live, I went through the three typical stages that are identified with Saturday Night Live: confusion, hope and concern. I assumed, and hoped, he would follow the Taylor Swift/Bruno Mars and, thankfully, he did. Drake hosted one of the stronger episodes of Saturday Night Live this season and, really, we shouldn’t be that surprised.

For me, it was all in the A-Rod impression during the otherwise mediocre cold open. I mean, A Rod isn’t the easiest character to do right off the bat (pun most definitely intended) but as soon as he started speaking, I was at ease. He was good! Really good! And then he followed it up with that monologue, which was, for me, the best monologue in FOREVEEEEEEEEEEEEEEER. Why? Because it was so, so unexpected and original and fun. I loved it. Even when the sketches were shit (the Disney Indiana Jones ride, Nancy Grace and Mornin’ Miami ones were particularly weak) he was still, really really good and committed and just gave himself up to Lorne and the team. How many other celebrities, especially rappers, would do the same? Very few.

The strongest sketches? I loveeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeed the Resolution Revolution one. Love it so much, I’ve watched it several times since the episode aired, which is always a good sign. The BET: Before They Were Stars one was uneven, but when it worked (the Rihanna, Lil Wayne impressions were my favourite) it was stellar. And the Slumber Party one is the most notable, at least for me: Drake was strong with his impressions, yes, but his original character work was even better. He was just as good as the cast members in the Slumber Party sketch. And the cosplay moment in the Resolution Revolution sketch kills me every single time.

Guys, I’m just really proud of Drake right now.

TO WATCH CLIPS FROM THE EPISODES REGION FREE, CLICK HERE. YAHOO IS USEFUL!

Everyone Gets An Award! Quick Thoughts On The Golden Globes

Quick thoughts on last night’s Golden Globes:

Tina & Amy: it followed the same blueprint as last year’s, but catered, obviously, to this year’s crop of films. I thought it was incredibly well written and, as always, they performed it spectacularly. When they’re together, especially hosting, it’s so natural it’s almost like they don’t care. That’s how good they are. Best jokes: The Gravity/Clooney one, Julia Louis-Dreyfus bit & the American Hustle/Explosion At The Wig Factory. Oh, also: Tam Honks will have me laughing forever.

Wins: Expected Jennifer Lawrence, did not expect Adams. Don’t think it means anything in regards to Oscars, because Blanchett is still, far and ahead of everyone else, the frontrunner. Same goes for DiCaprio, win doesn’t mean much in the grand scheme of things, maybe he’ll sneak in a nomination. Leto, Blanchett and Lawrence are, for the most part, the only locks right now for Oscars. In regards to Best Picture: I think 12 Years just gained some momentum, but it still has a lot of work to do. Hustle will probably grab the SAG but everything else before that is where it can recover. Right now, I think the Academy might give Best Picture to 12 Years or American Hustle and Best Director to Alfonso Cuaron.

On the TV side: nothing else matters because Amy Poehler finally got the recognition she deserves. It was a good night to be a friend of Lorne Michaels.

 

SNL Recap: Lady Gaga Earns Her Applause

I feel like there are still people who bet against musicians who host this show; those who assume, just ‘cuz, that they won’t do well. My favourite hosting jobs of the last few years have been from musicians: Taylor Swift, Miley, Bruno Mars, Justin Timberlake (always). Lady Gaga wasn’t as strong as those mentioned, but just as worthy and delivered the goods as host on SNL last night. They are kind of trained for this medium though, right? Not that actors aren’t, of course not, but the live aspect of it all bleeds into the world of performing (as of proofreading this I’m reminded of Katy Perry’s horrible hosting job, so no, maybe they’re not all made for this). And with the costume changes and all that, this was just like a night on tour for Gagapants. Gaga might be crazy and a try-hard but there is a commitment and a zeal in her performances that you just can’t deny. Similar to Miley. They just have it.

SNL Recap: Lorne Has Been Reading Your Open Letters

SNL opened with, of course, another political cold open last night. But instead of the usual, dry and unfunny type, this one packed an unexpected punch. It was an Obama-centered cold open but this time, for the first time since *I think* Maya Rudolph hosted, Michelle Obama was visible. Thanks to Kerry Washington, of course. The sketch was basically noting that Lorne has read our tweets, our open letters and the interview with Kenan saying he wouldn’t play another black woman again. It wasn’t hilarious but it worked and it let Lorne get all the stuff he needed to address out of the way. Did it solve SNL’s problems? No. Diversity is still needed at the show and desperately, but this is a very small step. A convenient one, but still.

http://www.hulu.com/watch/553578

http://www.hulu.com/watch/553590#i1,p8,d1

I tweeted last night that I was really excited for the episode and I hope I hadn’t jinxed it. I don’t think I did, but I don’t think it was the standout episode I was hoping for. I think it was better than Ed Norton’s but not the season’s best (Tina, Miley’s). But that doesn’t matter because it did exactly what it needed to do: it showed that Kerry Washington has RANGE. The sketches weren’t particularly good last night but it was her obvious excitement and comittedness (new word, made it up) to the characters that worked so well and made me laugh. This is how SNL can work sometimes: either it’s an exceptional episode because everything is on point or it’s carried (or “kerried” rather, amiright? #nailedit) by the hosts exuberance. The latter is how last night’s worked and there is nothing wrong with that.

The Monologue: Nothing too special but Kerry nailed the jokes and it got the necessary Scandal reference out of the way. Some fans are complaining because they didn’t do an actual Scandal spoof last night which is dissapointing because it’s so ripe for parody, but it would have been too easy, no? I’m upset they didn’t do it either because while it’s an easy laugh, it could have been really good.

Best Sketches: Does a parody of what is (apparently) a parody work? I don’t know, but it made me laugh and that’s all that matters. The “What Does The Fox Say?” spoof was one of the highlights of the night mainly because I have no tolerance for the real song and found this superior. The “Career Week Speaker” sketch was fine but I’m not entirely sure why they opened with it. Kerry carried the entire thing and her delivery was fantastic. I love Nasim, but these type of characters just don’t work for her.

The “How’s He Doing?” sketch works really well. I think the last time they did it was with Maya Rudolph and I really liked it then and liked it again last night. It’s a bit formulaic like these kind of sketches can get, but it worked well. And I’m sucker for an episode that uses Jay Pharoah a lot. I also enjoyed the “Miss Universe” sketch.

Worst Sketches: “Cartoon Catchphrase” just did not work. It wasn’t terrible by any means but it just fell flat.

Can we talk about how much I’m enjoying Cecily Strong on Weekend Update? I’m just really proud of her. I was never a big fan of her character work and I’m still not, but I think she’s shining in this. And it makes me a little upset because if she had been given the chance, I think Casey Wilson could have excelled as an anchor too. Except we wouldn’t have gotten Happy Endings so never mind then?

Yes, Kerry Washington Hosting SNL Is As Big A Deal As The Internet Is Making It Out To Be

Yesterday it was a joy to see the same headline repeated several times over my timeline on Twitter. It was announced that Kerry Washington will be hosting Saturday Night Live. This was met to rapturous Twitter applause (a Twitter applause consists of exclamation marks + a lot of caps). And, in turn, it sparked a debate. Because of course. If you do a quick Google search of “Kerry Washington + SNL” you’ll find several articles that are discussing whether or not Saturday Night Live has a race problem. Basically: where are the black female comics at?

SNL Recap: Miley Is Game, Taran Killam Is The Winner, But The Episode Feels Safe

Saturday Night Live works best when it attempts to capture the zeitgeist. No one is better at capturing that right now than Miley Cyrus, so, the two together should have delivered an exceptional episode – that was not the case. Last night’s episode was very safe; it felt like the episode – the writers in particular – feared going there. Which, fine, as Miley is a little overexposed right now and maybe she too wanted to play it safe (who here is surprised she didn’t rip up a picture of Sinead? Because I am). The episode last night worked best when it captured the moment: the cold-open brought the most laughs of the night, and the We Can’t Stop parody was perfect (government + pop culture = SNL gold). While the episode might not have lived up to my expectations, or it’s own potential, it made two things very clear: Taran Killam is very much Will Ferrell’s successor and Miley Cyrus may not be a comedienne in the vein of Emma Stone, or be a clear favourite like Jennifer Lawrence, but she is just as capable.

That Casey Wilson Reign Just Won’t Let Up

We begin this post by having a moment of silence for Happy Endings. It is right now most evident that the beloved and critically acclaimed program is no longer with us. It’s sew not cyuttteee and some pretty roof stoof. (If you don’t get these references, you can get out).

It was just announced that Casey Wilson has sold ANOTHER TV show. This time to NBC. It’s called The Mason Twins, which she helped create with friend/Ass Backwards co-star June Raphael. The two will write the script and exec-produce it. Earlier this year they sold DINKS (Double Income, No Kids – this is a genius title/acronym) to ABC.

So, while I continue to scour the internet for a morsel of information on if/when the third and finale season of Happy Endings will ever be released on DVD (this is the closest I’ve come), it’s nice knowing she’s just not sitting around. She’s busy. As is the rest of the cast, really: Adam Pally’s stint on The Mindy Project began this week (fits in nicely), Damon Wayans Jr. has (re)joined New Girl, Eliza Coupe is joining House of Lies (do I have to watch this now? Not even the combination of Veronica Mars and Jane Kerkovich has me remotely interested) and Elisha got married over the summer and has been guest-hosting on CTV’s The Social.

With all that said: I’m still bitter, still missing it, and will never forget.

 

 

Why Brooklyn Nine-Nine Is The Most Promising Show Of The New Season

I hope you all have been watching Brooklyn Nine-Nine. If you have been avoiding it because you, like me, had assumed that it would be a dud and would be cancelled before it even got 7 episodes – well don’t avoid it anymore and get to steppin’ (or just watch all 3 episodes OnDemand rightnow).

Brooklyn Nine Nine is not only the most promising show of the new season (next to Sleepy Hollow, of course. You guys, it’s so good, I promise), it’s the only new show that is fully realized. And this, my friends, for a freshman comedy is so incredibly rare. It’s garnering a lot of comparisons to Parks & Rec because it shares a lot of the same people (Parks co-creator Mike Shur, and Parks writer Dan Goor). Parks & Rec had a troubling first season, and, unlike Brooklyn Nine-Nine, it was not fully realized until midway through season 2. And now? Well now, it’s flourished into a beautiful, beautiful piece of television. Imagine what this show can be like in a few season, heck, even by the end of this first season? I’m very excited to see.

What do I mean by fully realized? I mean that this show knows exactly what wants and needs to be. Again, it’s basically Parks & Rec but in a police station. The characters are already clearly defined and you have your favourites. Chelsea Peretti is absolutely killing it. My biggest concern with this show was the star himself – Andy Samberg. He was never my most or least favourite on SNL; I just never saw the potential and when I had heard that he was headlining a sitcom, I was weary. But he’s proven me wrong, so wrong; he is shining in this. He’s hilarious, refined and perfectly Samberg without being too much. Again, much like Amy Poehler as Leslie Knope. Guys, the comparisons between the two are endless and that’s very okay.

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