Maybe as an inside joke, but even at that, it didn't sound like it.

Such a bad grade for young Chuck Norris? No way! That was awesome. I guarantee it'll be a hit with young people, and will make it onto alot of Ipods. It was great.

OK just saw it on tape myself. Yeah it was a flub, but not a big one, not one anyone would get fired over especially as he's practically an Icon of the show. He is nearing a natural retirement age though so maybe he'll step down one of these years.

I was disappointed in the Anderson Cooper sketch. They should have been making fun of Cooper and his overhyped nothing-special self. Instead they gave him a free pass and went after some easier targets.

Yeah I know, I was just being sarcastic.

How old is he anyways, mid-70's? For the past couple of years his voice has started to sound kind of old and crackly, so maybe it is around that time for him to call it quits.

Heh, at least the Cat Fancy skit was a parody of Sarsgaard's movie Shattered Glass.

Actually, he's in his late 80's (according to IMDB, he'll be 88 in about a month). There are very few people in showbiz that I can think of that still work at that age, it's quite the accomplishment regardless of what kind of work it is.

I thought the one with the government listening in on the phone call of the two old ladies was easily the best. That was funny. I didn't find much else on this episode funny. There were a lot of duds. They need to have Anna Faris host, but actually give her something good and funny to do.

88? Jesus Christ.

To his credit he could've retired 20 years ago. Good for him to keep going.

After watching the episode, I'll give you my thoughts on a rather solid, yet forgettable episode.

Anderson Cooper 360 - A formidable opener for the show, and possible future candidate to replace all those Darrell Hammond opening sketches when he ultimately retires from his 11-year stint on SNL. I can't say Seth sounded much like Anderson, but then again, Anderson Cooper doesn't have a voice that needs precise imitation.

Monologue - Going into this show, I had no idea who Peter Sarsgaard was. Sure, I heard the name, but he wasn't someone that I knew at all. But, a quick IMDb research shows that I saw him in The Skeleton Key and Flightplan, which would be two top examples to see to fully get the sketch (that he plays a creepy guy on occasion). It's sad that the monologues are recycled constantly (Backstage, pre-taped bits like tonight; musical number; audience participation).

Baby Toupee's - Thank God it wasn't Morgan Stanley or Taco Town. Well... scratch the latter. Taco Town is still a favorite, despite its repeat airings. Bill Hader continues to prove that there's life in this aging cast that will emerge once the veterans step aside.

Target II - Read "Baby Toupee's" and substitute Hader for Kristin Wiig. If Maya Rudolph decides not to come back (to be honest, I don't miss her and I'll be glad if this is her final season, considering she's been away for forever). The sketch isn't brilliant, nor is it memorable. But Kristin is both in almost any role she tackles. The "Girls Club" of SNL finally has a stand-out.

Pirate Convention - So, Peter is going to end up being a self-mocking host that frequently plays himself throughout the night. I dig it. Sorta. One of those "You had to see it" sketches that hopefully won't be revived anytime soon.

Carol - Horatio Sanz should be shot in the face. There has never been someone on the cast of SNL with less talent and less humor than Sanz. Riding solely on his "I crack up during sketches" persona, Sanz has created a recurring character that is very sadly the closest thing we'll get in the near-future to a feature film based upon an SNL character. A sad, sad state of affairs. Even Al Franken's "Stuart Saves His Family" probably had some laughs. "Carol! The Movie" will just suck horribly. Maybe they can pair up Carol with Julia Sweeney's Pat for an explosion of poor humor.

Young Chuck Norris (Digital Short) - As the digital shorts border the line of overkill, "Young Chuck Norris" shows that the writing can be solid enough to breathe some new life into SNL. I think this is probably one of the more original skits to appear on the series in a while (which sadly, says very little for the quality of the sketch).

Cat Fancy - I understand it's a parody of a movie that Sarsgaard did. Fair enough. Good for a laugh or two, but probably should have been swapped with the phone-tapping skit later in the show.

Weekend Update - It's nice to see someone mock themselves in a cameo (Drew Barrymore), whereas SNL usually asks the person to host the show in order to make skit-after-skit of self-mockery (Janet Jackson, after the breast thing; Donald Trump's 90-minute self-spoof-a-thon; Ben Affleck's mocking of the moniker "Bennifer" after he split from Lopez). Sadly, I would have preferred to see Barrymore host the show, which really throws away the previous point entirely.

Gays in Space - A recurring sketch that didn't deserve the light of day the first time around oh-so long ago. A bunch of easy jokes really don't make for a good sketch on SNL. More like something you'd see on MADtv.

Hotel - Again, SNL places the better sketches near the end of the show for no reason whatsoever. Sarsgaard may not be able to memorize his lines for the life of himself, but it's still quite humorous.

NSA - A decent effort that relies completely on the invasive phone-tapping of two old ladies who discuss stock tips (keep an eye on IBM), holy terrors in the form of kids, and that cowboy movie on a mountain. Just a bit more than a one-joke sketch, although the predictable outcome (they really are plotting terrorist activities) takes away most of what the sketch accomplishes.

Peter Sarsgaard's Sars Guards - We get it, Peter. You can make fun of your creepy film roles, and you can make fun of your name. Twice. It's just like SNL to capitalize on a topical subject from three years ago just for the sake of a cheap laugh at the expense of its obliging host. The jokes surrounding how cheap the guards are add a bit of humor to this faux-ad that would have been too old back in 2003, let alone 2006.

Okay, so it wasn't as solid as I had hoped. And was this "Read from the cue cards while fucking up your lines" night for the cast? A misfire heading into a milestone episode (Steve Martin's 14th in February). Sarsgaard had some great roles, but his lack of knowledge on his own lines prevented him from being a memorable host.

I reiterate: SNL needs to dump Horatio Sanz, Chris Parnell ("Lazy Sunday" won't save him now!), Darrell Hammond (sad to say, but the new talent makes up for any impersonations that the show will ultimately lose), one of the girls (right now, all of the "gals" on SNL have failed to impress me this season, with the exception of the obvious in Kristin Wiig, and occasionally Amy Poehler), and perhaps Kenan Thompson. I used to be a fan of Kenan, but his role on the show is more of the same all the time. He simply plays a character that ends up being between the character and Kenan about to crack up. Finesse Mitchell is the more-talented of the two anyway (well, if we're going to lump the girls together, I might as well lump the two black guys together, too).

Overall I thought it was a step up from episodes of recent years, partly because of Sarsgard, he's the right type of host they used to have. I give them an B+ for trying to right the ship even if it was only a C+ show comedy wise.

My favorite sketches were Sars Guard, Pirates, and Hotel. Hotel was funny because of both the writing and the fuck-ups. Overall, it was a sloppy show.

Sarsgaard, his very presence, provides a feeling that he could have hosted three or four times already. But, I thought he read off the cards way too much (kind of an ongoing thing for hosts for the past few seasons).

just heard that this weeks show is a blast from the past............ Steve Martin, promoting Pink Panther I guess, and Prince promoting a new album I heard.

When was the last time Martin hosted? I feel like he hasn't hosted an episode since the early '90s. If that's true, I find it kind of odd that out of all of the films he could've promoted, he chooses The Pink Panther.

You'd rather him promote CBTD2?

I was thinking more along the lines of Shopgirl. Or if he hosted back in '98 he could've promoted Bowfinger. It just seems like an odd time and an odd choice to go back to SNL and promote something.

Steve Martin may have hosted more than anyone else, but he hasn't hosted the show since September 1994. Season 20. The season that many feel was one of the worst seasons ever. It's been nearly 12 years, but I'm ready to see Steve back on the show.

Hmm... so, Maya Rudolph returns this Saturday, and apparently Seth Meyers is now a Head Writer for the show, alongside Tina Fey and Andrew Steele. I didn't know he wrote for the show to start with, but hopefully it helps. An article on Canoe.ca agrees with me: the featured players are making their mark on the show. I'm hoping that within two or three years, Kristin Wiig, Jason Sudeikis and Bill Hader (and maybe Andy Samberg) are the stars of the show. If only the writers could start producing top notch material.

Wow, Prince, Maya, and Steve Martin. This could be the highlight of the season (or even decade) SNL wise. Maya is my favorite cast member, so its definitely good to see her back.

Good, I thought the show was missing Maya Rudolph, she's great.

From Yahoo

************************************

Saturday Night Live
11:30 PM ET -NBC-
For its only live February episode (late-night Olympics coverage will fill the rest of the month), "SNL" presents the record-solidifying 14th hosting appearance of comedian/actor/writer Steve Martin. Considering he has his own recurring characters ("We are ... two wild and crazy guys!"), every Martin-hosted episode is almost like an entirely new show. Joining Martin as musical guest is the notoriously shy musical genius Prince. This is his first appearance on "SNL" since 1981, which is particularly hard to believe when you consider the huge success Prince had in the early '90s. He'll be playing a single off his new album "3121" -- and maybe, with any luck, joining the cast in a sketch. Keep your hopes up! As an added bonus, cast member Maya Rudolph returns from her maternity leave tonight.

I HOPE they do a Beyonce/Prince skit, with Maya. They finally have PRINCE on the show (after 25 years!). Also, whenever they have a big guest like Martin, I think we could expect some other big celeb cameos. Who knows? Could Beyonce show up with Prince on the skit when Maya and Fred are doing it? She could pop in, as she's in the Pink Panther too. But who knows!

STEVE MARTIN

Opener -- A: Best opener of the year hands down. Nice cameos by Ripa and Baldwin.

Monologue -- A: Good call back with the Viagra clock.

A Teddy Bear Holding a Heart -- B: [sarcasm]I miss Taco Town.[/sarcasm]

Oprah -- B: That wouldn't have worked with anyone other than Martin.

Don't Buy Stuff You Cannot Afford -- B: Pretty good sarcastic humor. Nothing exciting.

Hamas -- B-: Nice timely sketch. Nothing much more.

A SNL Digital Short -- A-: Much better than Lazy Sunday.

Quick Zoom Theater (The Checkup) -- A+: Close rival to Vincent Price's Thanksgiving Dinner for best sketch of the year.

Weekend Update -- B-: Short and sweet. It almost brought the show to complete hault as it was, although it did have a couple of good jokes, the monument one being the best.

National Anthem Practice -- C+: If Sanz didn't crack up, it wouldn't have been so bad. And, um, where did Steve go?

Steve Negotiating -- B-: Nice cameos by Fallon and Baldwin.

The Prince Show -- B: Funny, but empty without the cameo by Prince. He must not have wanted to do it at all. Also, decent job by Wiig on the Barymoore impression.

State of the Galaxy 2145 -- C+: Good for a couple of laughs, but nothing special.

An SNL Digital Short (The Tangent) -- B-: Um, yeah.

Ted -- D-: And there was one of the worst sketches of the year.

Naturally Crafting -- C: Mediocre ending to a somewhat decent show.

With Steve Martin hosting I am somewhat disappointed by how the show ended up, but it was still one of the best shows of the year. Not as good as Steve Carrell, Alec Baldwin or Eva Longoria, but still pretty good.

Hahahahahaha@the digital short.

Digital Short and Quick Zoom were awesome.