Lady Florida. Posted February 16, 2015 Share Posted February 16, 2015 While it's been at least 5 years since I watched (aside from an episode here and there), this special is reminding what a big part of my life that show once was. I watched the very first episode when the show premiered, at my sorority house in Tallahassee while at Florida State. This new show was such a novelty it quickly became the talk of the campus. It wasn't a stepping stone for comedians' careers. The cast was called The Not Ready for Prime Time Players. When I got my first teaching position in South Georgia upon graduation, there wasn't much to do in the small town of Americus. People had Saturday Night Live parties. It was BYOB and bring a snack to share, while everyone gathered around to watch. In the 80's my roommates (I was renting a house with 2 friends) and I, if we didn't have dates, would watch SNL. We talked about how Eddie Murphy saved the show, which Chris Rock just talked about on the special. During the first Gulf War, how SNL handled it was the talk of the teacher's lounge every Monday, at the high school where I was teaching. Wayne and Garth were the big thing then. Also, after 9/11 comedy was much needed medicine and SNL didn't disappoint. The last time I really watched regularly was during the Jimmy Fallon/Tina Fey Weekend Update years. I don't know if I lost interest because the comedy was more relevant to people younger than me or if it just stopped being funny. A lot of people would say the latter, but I know plenty who also still think it's funny. Maybe so, but it long ago lost the edginess that made it so special. So many memories are brought up watching this. So many good sketches, great comedians, and people no longer with us. I'm loving watching this. Are you watching? Are/were you an SNL fan? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fruitofthewomb Posted February 16, 2015 Share Posted February 16, 2015 DH & I watched part of it. I also stopped watching around the same time you did. I have a lot of good memories of SNL though. It was a part of my childhood & teen years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TechWife Posted February 16, 2015 Share Posted February 16, 2015 Oh, wow! I wish I'd known about this special. Chevy Chase, Gilda Radner, Dan Akroyd, John Belushi, Jane Curtain, so many others. I remember some of the characters so well - The Coneheads, Rosanne Rosannadanna, Baba Wawa, The Blues Brothers. I picked up watching it again when Tina Fey was doing the Sarah Palin pieces, that's already been a long time ago! Feeling old now, time for bed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PrincessMommy Posted February 16, 2015 Share Posted February 16, 2015 I haven't watched SNL in many, many years, so I feel a bit out of touch with it. But, thanks to Youtube and other media outlets I've always kind of known what was going on. (knew about Tina Fey and her Sarah Palin impersonations even though I never watched them via SNL). It was easy enough to find out which skit had been the hit the night before. Anyway, we taped the special and have watched about 1/2. It's okay... I wish they'd show more old sketches rather than doing updated ones. Why didn't they show the famous Gilda Radner sketch??? I didn't know who the woman was who was impersonating Gilda being Rosanne-Rosanna-dana and it wasn't funny. I enjoyed all the President impersonations they showed...that was very fun, as was the Jeopardy sketch. But, we have been ff through a lot too. Paul McCartney was painful to watch. Like I said, we've only watched 1/2, so maybe there will be more retrospectives in the last 1/2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
*lifeoftheparty* Posted February 16, 2015 Share Posted February 16, 2015 It's kind of depressing- they all look SO OLD :( Chevy Chase looked sooooooo...... I don't want to be mean, but he just looked so old. I didn't realize that he is 71 years old!! I guess I'm so used to watching him in Lampoon movies that I still think of him that way/at that age. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lady Florida. Posted February 16, 2015 Author Share Posted February 16, 2015 I haven't watched SNL in many, many years, so I feel a bit out of touch with it. But, thanks to Youtube and other media outlets I've always kind of known what was going on. (knew about Tina Fey and her Sarah Palin impersonations even though I never watched them via SNL). It was easy enough to find out which skit had been the hit the night before. Anyway, we taped the special and have watched about 1/2. It's okay... I wish they'd show more old sketches rather than doing updated ones. Why didn't they show the famous Gilda Radner sketch??? I didn't know who the woman was who was impersonating Gilda being Rosanne-Rosanna-dana and it wasn't funny. I enjoyed all the President impersonations they showed...that was very fun, as was the Jeopardy sketch. But, we have been ff through a lot too. Paul McCartney was painful to watch. Like I said, we've only watched 1/2, so maybe there will be more retrospectives in the last 1/2 You're not wrong. I was so excited before it started but have been disappointed at how little of the great stuff and older stuff they've shown.Yes, it was difficult watching Paul McCartney sing. And sad. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MelAR05 Posted February 16, 2015 Share Posted February 16, 2015 I really enjoyed the show tonight. I haven't laughed that hard in a long time. It brought back so many memories. ETA: Yes, I am a huge SNL fan! :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Buckin' Longhorn Posted February 16, 2015 Share Posted February 16, 2015 I enjoyed it. It wasn't what I was expecting, but that's the way SNL goes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
purplejackmama Posted February 16, 2015 Share Posted February 16, 2015 Hey lady Florida, I missed the show but wanted to let you know I'm a an FSU grad. Are you still living in Tally? Go NOLES! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
creekland Posted February 16, 2015 Share Posted February 16, 2015 We watched part of it expecting a bit more than we got. It was quite disappointing to us and we ended up turning it off after the first hour and a half or so. All of us switched to computer games while watching after the first 10 minutes. I like SNL for their skits and funny news, etc. The special was mainly very short parts of flashbacks interspersed with a little bit of funny here and there - too boring for us. We do still catch funny SNL skits via the net. Those I love. The special certainly wasn't our cup of tea. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lady Florida. Posted February 16, 2015 Author Share Posted February 16, 2015 Hey lady Florida, I missed the show but wanted to let you know I'm a an FSU grad. Are you still living in Tally? Go NOLES! No, I'm in central Florida now. I haven't been to Tally in years, though I'd love to take ds and show him around. I'd probably get lost though, with all that's changed! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lynn Posted February 16, 2015 Share Posted February 16, 2015 No, I never stayed up late enough to watch SNL. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kim in Appalachia Posted February 16, 2015 Share Posted February 16, 2015 We watched it last night. I laughed and cried through much of it. It did bring back so many memories. We haven't watched the show in years, but I may start recording it and try to watch some. It makes you realize how much of what happens on SNL becomes a part of our culture. The show has had quite an impact. Paul McCartney was painful to watch. It was also sad remembering all of those who died young. So much talent lost. I think my favorite all night was Martin Short. He still has so much energy, and is so fun to watch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
itsheresomewhere Posted February 16, 2015 Share Posted February 16, 2015 Seeing Steve Martin and Martin Short was worth it. Although, Emma Stone did a great Roseanne. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stephanier.1765 Posted February 16, 2015 Share Posted February 16, 2015 We were mostly disappointed but there were some high points like Martin Short and seeing Steve Martin doing the Egyptian one more time. I had been looking forward to seeing Eddie Murphy. The build up was so big and then he did nothing, well except for accept accolades. Kanye West though was the end for me. After seeing him in the news so often lately looking smug especially at his fashion show, watching him lying on the floor singing was just too much. ETA: Just read this in the comments section of a news article. I think it was funnier than anything I saw last night. Of course if you don't follow sports news, you might not understand. Eddie Murphy showed up last night so he wouldn't get fined. :smilielol5: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susan in TN Posted February 16, 2015 Share Posted February 16, 2015 I never watched it much, but there are a few things that I love - especially the NPR parodies. My kids only know of SNL because of the "cowbell" skit. It has become part of our normal family conversation. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lady Florida. Posted February 16, 2015 Author Share Posted February 16, 2015 We were mostly disappointed but there were some high points like Martin Short and seeing Steve Martin doing the Egyptian one more time. I thought those was so short they were little more than teasers. I had hoped there would be more, but alas there wasn't. Yes on Eddie Murphy too. He had so many great characters yet we barely got to see them. And what was that all about with Jerry Seinfeld? I loved the show Seinfeld, but when I think of SNL he's not among the people who immediately spring to mind. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Word Nerd Posted February 16, 2015 Share Posted February 16, 2015 I plan to watch it later tonight on Hulu or NBC.com. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slartibartfast Posted February 16, 2015 Share Posted February 16, 2015 We enjoyed it. I didn't care for Kayne but I find him annoying in general. I also did not care for Miley Cyrus singing a Paul Simon song, why would you have ANYONE sing a Paul Simon song when Paul Simon is RIGHT THERE and available to sing it? We grew up watching the show, I am the same age as SNL. :lol: We used to watch it at my grandmother's house, Gilda Radner was always my favorite. I would like to have seen more Land Shark. Jane Curtain made me laugh as did the celebrity Jeopardy skit. It seems that all the episodes are available on Hulu atm. I was watching an old one the other night while trying to get ds to sleep, he is sick and not sleeping well so we are cuddling on the couch rather than just laying him down. Ds declared to me in no uncertain terms that he would NOT go to sleep to SNL and he wanted to watch Crocapocylpse. Of course, as soon as James Taylor started singing ds was out, another generation, passing out to James Taylor. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dirty ethel rackham Posted February 16, 2015 Share Posted February 16, 2015 Dh and watched it. Some parts were good, some parts were not ... kind of like the show over the years. I loved the opening rap with Fallon and JT because... well ... I love anything they do together. I do wish we saw more of the show clips and less of the stars that weren't part of the show. Jane Curtin could still hold her own against any of the Weekend Update anchors. She was great. Wayne's World was funny, especially the digs at Kanye! Why they had him perform is beyond me. Is he a New Yorker or something? They Eddie Murphy thing made no sense to me. Why this huge list of his accolades? Others haven't gone on to be successful. For a minute, I thought it was because he died or something. I disagree with the Miley Cyrus complaint. I think she did it as an homage to Paul Simon, who has been a fixture on SNL. I like her best when she just sings instead of trying to be an "out there" pop star. I saw her Backyard Sessions cover of the Dolly Parton song "Jolene" and it blew me away. She is very talented. But she has bought the "there is not such thing as bad publicity" line. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Word Nerd Posted February 17, 2015 Share Posted February 17, 2015 My favorite was Phil Hartman. Sad that so many SNL alumni died too early. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bettyandbob Posted February 17, 2015 Share Posted February 17, 2015 I disagree with the Miley Cyrus complaint. I think she did it as an homage to Paul Simon, who has been a fixture on SNL. I like her best when she just sings instead of trying to be an "out there" pop star. I saw her Backyard Sessions cover of the Dolly Parton song "Jolene" and it blew me away. She is very talented. But she has bought the "there is not such thing as bad publicity" line. :iagree: and I usually can't stand Miley Cyrus. I'm sure that song was chosen because Paul Simon was in the audience and he may have known to begin with. I thought she did a good interpretation. And she worked with a stylist who made her look good not ridiculous. I really liked seeing Jane Curtain at the news desk. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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