"Yes Indeedy Doddily Dew"
Cold Open: Nightline
5 Stars
Jacko on his Backo
Tonight's top story, as the New York Post reported it, Jacko on his Backo. Michael Jackson collapsed while rehearsing for a concert and the ridiculous, and real, headline inspired an equally ridiculous sketch. Ted Koppel first interviews Michael Jackson's doctor.
"How is Jacko?"
"I'm afraid he's still on his backo. Any case involving the backo is potentially serious. The fact that it's Jacko's backo doesn't help matters."
We then get footage of the collapse where Tim Meadows as Jacko falls and he is instantly flanked by helpful roadies making inquires about his backo. We then go to an interview with Jacko's wife Lisa Marie Presley, or as Ted Koppel calls her, Mrs. Jacko.
"Tell us your husbands name and what position he was in. I need to hear other humans say it. It's been too long."
We then go to Michael Jackson in the hospital where Ted tries to bait him into saying the headline. This was silly and stupid but also incredibly funny and I loved every minute of it. It's almost as ridiculously absurd as the headline itself.
Tonight's top story, as the New York Post reported it, Jacko on his Backo. Michael Jackson collapsed while rehearsing for a concert and the ridiculous, and real, headline inspired an equally ridiculous sketch. Ted Koppel first interviews Michael Jackson's doctor.
"How is Jacko?"
"I'm afraid he's still on his backo. Any case involving the backo is potentially serious. The fact that it's Jacko's backo doesn't help matters."
We then get footage of the collapse where Tim Meadows as Jacko falls and he is instantly flanked by helpful roadies making inquires about his backo. We then go to an interview with Jacko's wife Lisa Marie Presley, or as Ted Koppel calls her, Mrs. Jacko.
"Tell us your husbands name and what position he was in. I need to hear other humans say it. It's been too long."
We then go to Michael Jackson in the hospital where Ted tries to bait him into saying the headline. This was silly and stupid but also incredibly funny and I loved every minute of it. It's almost as ridiculously absurd as the headline itself.
David Alan Grier Monologue
3 Stars
DAG talks about the change in his friends, New York attitudes and George Foreman
This is basically a 3 minute stand-up set disguised as a monologue. He introduces himself as the black guy from 'In Living Color' and then talks about how some of his friends are different now that they found religion.
"Oh, I don't need no gum. I got Jesus."
He then goes into a bit about boxers and George Foreman's win over the much younger Michael Moorer for the heavyweight title. Nothing too memorable here but a fine way to start the show.
The Rocky Roads
This is basically a 3 minute stand-up set disguised as a monologue. He introduces himself as the black guy from 'In Living Color' and then talks about how some of his friends are different now that they found religion.
"Oh, I don't need no gum. I got Jesus."
He then goes into a bit about boxers and George Foreman's win over the much younger Michael Moorer for the heavyweight title. Nothing too memorable here but a fine way to start the show.
The Rocky Roads
2 Stars
A perky inspirational group does a show for high schoolers
Ferrell, Walls, Grier and Meadows are all in rainbow suspenders as The Rocky Roads, Grier and Meadows are the chocolate, Ferrell and Walls are the marshmallows and they're all a little nuts. Ferrell goofily plays bass while they act out skits about bullying, racism and drugs.
"How did you feel when he called you a honky cracker?"
They sing a song about the freaky people who try to get you to do drugs. I kept waiting for the exaggeration that never came. Groups like this really exist and I kept waiting for them to make a comment about it but instead they just played it straight. They're overly lame but I was never clear what the joke was supposed to be.
Today
Ferrell, Walls, Grier and Meadows are all in rainbow suspenders as The Rocky Roads, Grier and Meadows are the chocolate, Ferrell and Walls are the marshmallows and they're all a little nuts. Ferrell goofily plays bass while they act out skits about bullying, racism and drugs.
"How did you feel when he called you a honky cracker?"
They sing a song about the freaky people who try to get you to do drugs. I kept waiting for the exaggeration that never came. Groups like this really exist and I kept waiting for them to make a comment about it but instead they just played it straight. They're overly lame but I was never clear what the joke was supposed to be.
Today
4 Stars
Bryant Gumbel lets his guard down during the commercial breaks
Bryant Gumbel and Katie Couric are hosting The Today Show and when they cut to commercial Gumbel yells at Katie, "Girl, your perfume stink!" and then asks for his bitches. He then sits down for his interview with Slobodan Milosevic which consists mainly about his golf game but when the director yells cut he again drops his proper demeanor and switches to his more gangsta side.
"Slobby, you bad brother. Up top! You know big ass Willie? Ass so big he got more crack than Marion Barry."
He dances to Coolio but then switches back quickly to ask Milosevic if he wears boxers or briefs. The show is over and Bryant is flanked by two "bitches" (I think they're the same two girls who hung off of Gabriel Byrne's Keith Richards). David Koechner ends the sketch as Willard Scott asking Bryant if he could borrow one of his biatches.
Three Wise Men
Bryant Gumbel and Katie Couric are hosting The Today Show and when they cut to commercial Gumbel yells at Katie, "Girl, your perfume stink!" and then asks for his bitches. He then sits down for his interview with Slobodan Milosevic which consists mainly about his golf game but when the director yells cut he again drops his proper demeanor and switches to his more gangsta side.
"Slobby, you bad brother. Up top! You know big ass Willie? Ass so big he got more crack than Marion Barry."
He dances to Coolio but then switches back quickly to ask Milosevic if he wears boxers or briefs. The show is over and Bryant is flanked by two "bitches" (I think they're the same two girls who hung off of Gabriel Byrne's Keith Richards). David Koechner ends the sketch as Willard Scott asking Bryant if he could borrow one of his biatches.
Three Wise Men
3 Stars
One of the wise men forgot to bring a gift
Ferrell, Grier and McKinney are the three wise men on their way to visit the baby Jesus. When Ferrell says that he hopes he likes the gifts they brought Grier gets a scared look on his face. McKinney brought some frankincense and Ferrell brought some gold, Grier asks if there's a convenience store near Bethlehem. At the stable where Mary is giving birth the wise men are bestowing their gifts on Jesus when Grier comes in holding a Big Gulp. He brought the baby Jesus an air freshener, bubbles, a beer coozie, a coloring book and a Gatorade, but actually he bought that for himself. His last gift is a personalized license plate that says 'Chris' which he figures they can just draw the T on. This feels like, literally, the oldest joke in the world but probably due to the performances it worked for me.
Weekend Update
Bill Clinton signed a bill using a pen owned by Lyndon Johnson, he's also been going through JFK's vast array of condoms.
Michael Jackson had his hospital room decorated with two posters of Shirley Temple. Don't get the wrong idea though, Jackson is a homosexual pedophile.
O.J. Simpson is set to do a "no rules" interview with CNN. The network has asked for one rule, please don't murder us.
Update movie critic and 42nd president of the United States, Bill Clinton is here to review The American President. The movie deals with a young, idealistic president dealing with a hostile congress and a dead wife. He loved this movie. It deals with every young man's fantasy, grow up, become president, have your wife die.
Colin Quinn shows up as Lenny The Lion who has been in and out of zoos since he was 15. I didn't get this at all. I guess the joke is that zoos are like prisons so he's a hardened lion. He did 3 years in the Columbus Zoo for stalking an ostrich, Ringling Brothers won't hire him because of his record. I feel like Colin Quinn saw a lion costume in wardrobe and thought, I could come up with 3 minutes with this.
Silverchair
I guess we found the answer to the question, what if Hanson hated their stepdad. I never liked the grunge scene that much but I do respect these kids for sounding a lot like Pearl Jam. For those keeping score, I did not own this album nor did I know who Silverchair was in the mid-90s. I did get their CD Neon Ballroom out from the library and burn it but I can't remember ever listening to it. I remember liking their song Ana's Song.
Wake Up And Smile
Ferrell, Grier and McKinney are the three wise men on their way to visit the baby Jesus. When Ferrell says that he hopes he likes the gifts they brought Grier gets a scared look on his face. McKinney brought some frankincense and Ferrell brought some gold, Grier asks if there's a convenience store near Bethlehem. At the stable where Mary is giving birth the wise men are bestowing their gifts on Jesus when Grier comes in holding a Big Gulp. He brought the baby Jesus an air freshener, bubbles, a beer coozie, a coloring book and a Gatorade, but actually he bought that for himself. His last gift is a personalized license plate that says 'Chris' which he figures they can just draw the T on. This feels like, literally, the oldest joke in the world but probably due to the performances it worked for me.
Weekend Update
Here we see an exclusive photograph of Michael Jackson in the hospital
Bill Clinton signed a bill using a pen owned by Lyndon Johnson, he's also been going through JFK's vast array of condoms.
Michael Jackson had his hospital room decorated with two posters of Shirley Temple. Don't get the wrong idea though, Jackson is a homosexual pedophile.
O.J. Simpson is set to do a "no rules" interview with CNN. The network has asked for one rule, please don't murder us.
Update movie critic and 42nd president of the United States, Bill Clinton is here to review The American President. The movie deals with a young, idealistic president dealing with a hostile congress and a dead wife. He loved this movie. It deals with every young man's fantasy, grow up, become president, have your wife die.
Colin Quinn shows up as Lenny The Lion who has been in and out of zoos since he was 15. I didn't get this at all. I guess the joke is that zoos are like prisons so he's a hardened lion. He did 3 years in the Columbus Zoo for stalking an ostrich, Ringling Brothers won't hire him because of his record. I feel like Colin Quinn saw a lion costume in wardrobe and thought, I could come up with 3 minutes with this.
Silverchair
"Tomorrow"
I guess we found the answer to the question, what if Hanson hated their stepdad. I never liked the grunge scene that much but I do respect these kids for sounding a lot like Pearl Jam. For those keeping score, I did not own this album nor did I know who Silverchair was in the mid-90s. I did get their CD Neon Ballroom out from the library and burn it but I can't remember ever listening to it. I remember liking their song Ana's Song.
Wake Up And Smile
5 Stars
Panic ensues after the teleprompter breaks
Will Ferrell and Nancy Walls are two morning show anchors and Grier is their cheerful weatherman. Will throws to Nancy by saying, "I understand you have some cooking tips for us, Diane." and then keeps repeating it. The teleprompter has gone on the fritz. They have no idea what to do.
"We are having what's known in the business as...technical...time."
An off-screen producer tells them to make some stuff up.
"I had a notion the other day."
"Notions make this country happen."
"Someone should get a group together with guns to sweep up those ghettos."
We then cut to a commercial of David Koechner joyfully spreading peanut butter on his toast.
When we come back everyone is sweaty and hyperventilating. Ferrell says they need to make a barricade and starts mounting a defense with the chairs from the set. We then go to a commercial of Jim Breuer trying to put a bunch of pots away on this week's episode of 'Kerry And The Gang'. When we come back a now shirtless Will Ferrell is surrounded by torches and surviving off eating the turtles brought by the animal expert from the previous segment. David Alan Grier smells his weakness and challenges him and Will rips off his head and feeds from his neck. The teleprompter starts working again and Nancy joyfully reads, "That's right Oliver, I'll show you how to make a casserole.". This was a perfect sketch. It was absurd, funny and had a beginning, middle and end. This will definitely be making my best of list at the end of the season.
Spade In America
Will Ferrell and Nancy Walls are two morning show anchors and Grier is their cheerful weatherman. Will throws to Nancy by saying, "I understand you have some cooking tips for us, Diane." and then keeps repeating it. The teleprompter has gone on the fritz. They have no idea what to do.
"We are having what's known in the business as...technical...time."
An off-screen producer tells them to make some stuff up.
"I had a notion the other day."
"Notions make this country happen."
"Someone should get a group together with guns to sweep up those ghettos."
We then cut to a commercial of David Koechner joyfully spreading peanut butter on his toast.
When we come back everyone is sweaty and hyperventilating. Ferrell says they need to make a barricade and starts mounting a defense with the chairs from the set. We then go to a commercial of Jim Breuer trying to put a bunch of pots away on this week's episode of 'Kerry And The Gang'. When we come back a now shirtless Will Ferrell is surrounded by torches and surviving off eating the turtles brought by the animal expert from the previous segment. David Alan Grier smells his weakness and challenges him and Will rips off his head and feeds from his neck. The teleprompter starts working again and Nancy joyfully reads, "That's right Oliver, I'll show you how to make a casserole.". This was a perfect sketch. It was absurd, funny and had a beginning, middle and end. This will definitely be making my best of list at the end of the season.
Spade In America
3 Stars
Spade does an old fashioned 'Hollywood Minute'
David starts by reading a fan letter from Indiana.
"Dear David, why are you such an idiot? I want to punch you in the face. Why don't you do Hollywood Minute anymore?"
His targets include Tony Danza, Antonio Banderas, Heather Locklear, Joey Buttafuoco, Whitney Houston, Michael Bolton and most famously Eddie Murphy. He shows a picture of Murphy and says, "Look children, a falling star. Make a wish.". Murphy was apparently really pissed off that the show that made him a star (and in turn, the show he pretty much saved from cancellation) would crap on him when he was in a slump. This was typical and not anything too exciting but it was way more fun that any of the other Spade In America segments.
Black People
David starts by reading a fan letter from Indiana.
"Dear David, why are you such an idiot? I want to punch you in the face. Why don't you do Hollywood Minute anymore?"
His targets include Tony Danza, Antonio Banderas, Heather Locklear, Joey Buttafuoco, Whitney Houston, Michael Bolton and most famously Eddie Murphy. He shows a picture of Murphy and says, "Look children, a falling star. Make a wish.". Murphy was apparently really pissed off that the show that made him a star (and in turn, the show he pretty much saved from cancellation) would crap on him when he was in a slump. This was typical and not anything too exciting but it was way more fun that any of the other Spade In America segments.
Black People
5 Stars
A portrait of Charles 'Honeydew' Wilkins
Tim Meadows introduces us to a clip of David Alan Grier as Honeydew Wilkins, a black performer who catered specifically to white people and didn't seem to have any issues with it. He sings a song with lyrics about how he will do anything for the amusement of white people as long as he gets paid. He will do so with a big smile while saying, "Yes Indeedy Doddily Do".
"I'll get on my knees and swing from trees. May I shine your shoes? I don't care if my granddad was a slave, that's all yesterday's news."
Meadows comes back and says that Wilkins earned a fortune during his career that he later blew on ham hocks. He later started a doo wop act with the Cream Of Wheat chef and was the first black person lynched by black people. I loved this, it was a silly way of dealing with a serious issue and Grier was incredible in his performance.
Silverchair returns to sing "Pure Massacre". Again, not a bad song just not my cup of tea. The lead singer barely opens his eyes when he sings and for some reason seeing a teenager complain about life doesn't resonate with my jaded 35 year old soul.
Perspectives
Tim Meadows introduces us to a clip of David Alan Grier as Honeydew Wilkins, a black performer who catered specifically to white people and didn't seem to have any issues with it. He sings a song with lyrics about how he will do anything for the amusement of white people as long as he gets paid. He will do so with a big smile while saying, "Yes Indeedy Doddily Do".
"I'll get on my knees and swing from trees. May I shine your shoes? I don't care if my granddad was a slave, that's all yesterday's news."
Meadows comes back and says that Wilkins earned a fortune during his career that he later blew on ham hocks. He later started a doo wop act with the Cream Of Wheat chef and was the first black person lynched by black people. I loved this, it was a silly way of dealing with a serious issue and Grier was incredible in his performance.
Silverchair returns to sing "Pure Massacre". Again, not a bad song just not my cup of tea. The lead singer barely opens his eyes when he sings and for some reason seeing a teenager complain about life doesn't resonate with my jaded 35 year old soul.
Perspectives
5 Stars
Lionel Osbourne interviews his contemporary
My favorite recurring sketch from season 20 is back. Right before NBC goes off the air they run this show to fulfill their community service obligations. Today he is joined by Dr. Emory Coleman who hosts a similar show called Viewpoints. They run a clip of an episode of Viewpoints where the guest was Lionel Osbourne. After coming back from the clip Lionel tries to alleviate confusion by assuring us that we are watching Perspectives and not Viewpoints, that was just a clip of Viewpoints. Viewpoints has won 13 local Emmys for Outstanding Mandatory Programming as has Perspectives (they won every year Viewpoints didn't, tying one year). Dr. Coleman plugs his next episode of Viewpoints where his guest will be Lionel Osbourne (They're actually just going to run a tape of this show in their timeslot). Something about the universe this sketch lives in tickles me so much. I also love Meadows's delivery as Lionel Osbourne, he's so friendly in his obliviousness. The absurdity of this sketch in particular had flashes of the "Pre-Taped Call In Show" sketch from Mr. Show.
FINAL ANALYSIS
My favorite recurring sketch from season 20 is back. Right before NBC goes off the air they run this show to fulfill their community service obligations. Today he is joined by Dr. Emory Coleman who hosts a similar show called Viewpoints. They run a clip of an episode of Viewpoints where the guest was Lionel Osbourne. After coming back from the clip Lionel tries to alleviate confusion by assuring us that we are watching Perspectives and not Viewpoints, that was just a clip of Viewpoints. Viewpoints has won 13 local Emmys for Outstanding Mandatory Programming as has Perspectives (they won every year Viewpoints didn't, tying one year). Dr. Coleman plugs his next episode of Viewpoints where his guest will be Lionel Osbourne (They're actually just going to run a tape of this show in their timeslot). Something about the universe this sketch lives in tickles me so much. I also love Meadows's delivery as Lionel Osbourne, he's so friendly in his obliviousness. The absurdity of this sketch in particular had flashes of the "Pre-Taped Call In Show" sketch from Mr. Show.
FINAL ANALYSIS
"It's 20 past the hour and I still don't see no bitches"
Average
3.9 Stars
MVP
Will Ferrell
Cold Open, The Rocky Roads, Three Wise Men, Wake Up And Smile
Cold Open, The Rocky Roads, Three Wise Men, Wake Up And Smile
Best Sketch
Wake Up And Smile
Worst Sketch
The Rocky Roads
How I Would Have Lorne Michaels-ed It
This one was weird because everything after Weekend Update worked perfectly while everything before was hit and miss. Usually it's the exact opposite and the show starts to derail post Norm. Here, I was not enjoying the episode until after Update when everything was firing on all cylinders and it became my favorite episode so far this season. I would definitely switch The Rocky Roads with either Black People or Wake Up And Smile and maybe move The Three Wise Men after Update as well.
Host Analysis
Well of course if you get a host with sketch comedy experience then they will excel. That makes a lot of sense, doesn't it? When you think about it SNL is really a flawed show. They put so much emphasis on the host so when you have someone like Grier the show is great, when you have someone like Deion Sanders or George Foreman, the show sucks. Imagine if you were at your job and every week you had a new boss that you had to train. Now imagine if your new boss was sometimes a crazy actor or a sports star who knew nothing about what you did for a living.
Final Thoughts
Final Thoughts
This was a near perfect episode from top to bottom. Even the worst sketch this week wasn't abysmal and having David Spade do what he does best made that cesspool called Spade In America enjoyable.
Up Next
Let's hope we keep this streak going when Madeline Kahn hosts. One of the most beautiful and funny actresses to ever live.
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