A decent show (still nothing noteworthy), but didn't the crowd seem absolutely DEAD all night? Nothing pleased them.

Jason Lee was good, but not great. He read off the cue cards a lot, but at least he tried to make it seem like he was into the characters, whereas some just read off the cue cards and just play themselves (Jon Heder, Robert DeNiro, etc.).

It was ok, better than some recent SNL but I was surpirsed Jason Lee wasn't better. He seemed to not know his lines much of the time and basically playing the same role over and over. He also seemed really nervous.

But I like the guy, it was still decent.

Weekend update though was one if their best in a long time, even if there's still a bit of smugness when Fey and Poehler are together.

edit: I see X noticed the same cue card thing.

I'm at the point where I know what's coming. Eva Longoria will star in no fewer than four sketches where she plays the hot chick part.

What I wish they'd do is have one big scene where she's joined by several of her DH castmates and they play parodies of each other's roles. like Longoria as Bree etc.

Eva Longoria hosts tonight. Tune in.

Oh, I will. It's weird this season. The show sucks incredibly, but I still watch. Every episode has sucked this season. Last week's show was probably the best all year, and that says so little. In a mediocre season (a title that this season WISHES it could hold), last week's show would have been the worst of that season. But in a season (and last two or three seasons, really) where most episodes are bad, it stood out. Oh well.

Eva Longoria has me watching tonight. I pray to God that she's the first host to actually know her lines and not read the cue cards all night (*cough Jon Heder Lance Armstrong Jason Lee cough*). Steve Carell had minimal roles on his episode so I can't really judge him, and Catherine Zeta Jones did okay.

*prays for Eva... prepares to be disappointed*

I wonder who's hosting in December... Rachel McAdams is due to host, with two summer hits and a holiday comedy coming out. Maybe Jack Black will make his third appearance as host to promote King Kong? Perhaps Jennifer Aniston for Rumor Has It, or Jim Carrey for Fun With Dick and Jane? Oh, the possibilities. I suspect SNL will get crap hosts.

You know, just once I would like to see a non-Bush opener. I think all of the shows so far this year have had an opener having to do with Bush somehow. It's either that or Hardball. Enough already.

I'll grade the skits again since I have nothing better to do.

Opener: C
Monologue: B
80's Fire Alarm: F - For lack of originality on the producer's part. It was funny the first time a couple of weeks ago.
The Spammies: C+ - If this is the first sketch after the monologue, this is going to be a long night once again.
Deep House Dish: C - Keenan Thompson made it watchable
Morgan Stanley: F - They can't come up with any other commercials?
The Needlers: A- - Nearly perfect

Dec. 3 Host Note: DANE COOK! If they can't make that show funny, the show is forever doomed.

Vincent Price's Thanksgiving Day Special: A - Besides being a little too early on the lights at the end, that was the best sketch all year.
Musical Guest - Korn: No Grade - I could care less. Wait, I take that back. A+ for the shirt Eva was wearing.
Weekend Update: C - Tina Fey has got to realize that the majority of SNL's audience doesn't know who Jean Schmidt is. They devoted a good five minutes to her. They also have to seriously consider getting rid of Dratch and Poheler (At least on update).
Vanity Fair - Desperate Housewives Photo Shoot: B - Leonard, I don't want them to see my package........
R. Kelly: C+ - The sheer stupidity at the end was pretty funny.
The Engleheart Five: C- - Accents alone aren't funny.
Korn Part Deux: No Grade - Do not care.
Firmium: B+ - Good old fashion poop jokes.

Show's Overall Grade: B

I'd say that was the second best show of the year so far, and that's saying something. Last year this would've been one of the weaker one's.

And you're basing this on....

Dratch isn't funny, and Poheler doesn't seem to have the same intensity on Update as she does during the sketches. I'm not saying they should fire Poheler off the show, just from Update. I just realized I should've wrote, on Update, instead of at least.......

How about just getting everybody back who is still alive. That would be the best. Sadly it will never happen.

Ok try this. pick the 15 best SNL people for a fantasy lineup.

Will Ferrel
Tim Meadows
Mike Myers
Dana Carvey
Jon Lovitz
David Spade
Adam Sandler
Chris Katan
Dan Aykroyd
Jimmy Fallon
Rob Schneider
Norm Macdonald
Molly Shannon
Cheri Oteri
Janeane Garofalo

Living or dead? If both...

Dana Carvey
Chris Farley
Phil Hartman
Will Ferrell
Dennis Miller (for Weekend Update)
Bill Murray
Amy Poehler
John Belushi
Mike Myers
Norm McDonald (for Weekend Update, as well)
Darrell Hammond (someone needs to do all those impersonations)
Jon Lovitz
David Spade
Rob Schneider
Tim Meadows

I love Maya Rudolph. Seriously anytime she does Donatella Versace, I literally piss my pants.

But seriously, SNL has had some of the lamest jokes/acts i have ever seen. Its like David Lettermen, you don't know what the crowd is laughing at.

You know, I burned a CD full of Donatella's skits.

"Get oouuuutttttttt."

On the top 15 lists above, I'm surprised no Eddie Murphy, that's where he first got famous.

Men
Dan Akyroyd
John Belushi
Chevy Chase
Billy Crystal
Will Ferrell
Christopher Guest
Phil Hartman
Jon Lovitz
Bill Murray
Eddie Murphy

Women
Julia-Louis Dreyfus
Tina Fey
Jan Hooks
Laraine Newman
Gilda Radner

Hey hey hey. I can't remember the hundreds of cast members without looking for names. I just did the list off the top of my head.

On a side note, I thought last night's SNL was really good. Eva was prominent on the show, and did a pretty good job as host. There were only one or two really noticable "cue card readings", but other than that, I'll be happy to see her back.

I liked the monologue for what it was (first and only time Horatio made me laugh), The Spammies (good stuff, and good Rita Rudner and spot-on Megan Mullally impersonations), Vincent Price's Thanksgiving Special (favorite of the season, even though that says very little), and the R. Kelly skit (I never heard the songs/CD, but I still thought this was funny).

Some more suggestions: Nix the constant Bush opener. It drags down the rest of the show. Once in a while is cool, but I really don't want to see it all the time. Will Forte is great on the show, but this isn't one of his stronger characters/impersonations. In fact, let's try a non-political opener for once in a blue moon, kay?

Weekend Update also needs work. This isn't The Daily Show. There's no need to be posting video footage like that, especially just to set up three or four blah jokes. Tina and Amy have to stop laughing after their jokes. Even Jimmy Fallon wasn't THAT bad. Fred Armisen was okay on this week's edition, but the joke (the smaller versions of the iPod) is much like every sketch this season: you know where it's going, to the point where you can predict what they're going to say.

This seems to be a "cast-driven" season. The writing is really bad, but I see the cast starting to show some signs of life. My personal favorites so far are Bill Hader, Jason Sudeikis, Will Forte, Fred Armisen, Amy Poehler, and Kristin Wiig (she had some good roles on the show last night, for her second show). And most of the rest have their moments, too. The only real dead weight is Andy Samberg (someone else to attract a young female audience, like Jimmy Fallon), Horation Sanz, and Tina Fey (ever since she got popular, which only lasted for a year, the writing has progressively got worse, and so has she on WU). Darrell Hammond and Chris Parnell are also overstaying their welcome, and with a smaller need for impersonations, Darrell can finally leave and perhaps we'll see less political sketches, which make up 90% of his work.

Final thought: take out Tina off the show, keep her on the writing staff, and replace her with Jason Sudeikis. I think he and Amy could work well together on Weekend Update. Plus, it's not like she does much else outside of Weekend Update on the show.

Bill Hader (I think he's oddly cute in a dorky/weirdo way, lol) and Kristin Wiig had very good impersonations last night!

Wasn't that Schmidt thing just awkward?

That, and it went on for way, way, way too long. It should've been one joke and out.

I can easily see Bill Hader and Kristin Wiig doing VERY well on this show, once a few more cast members leave the show. Next season, they should have eight-to-ten cast members on the show. Not fifteen or sixteen. As long as they keep the right people.

And yes, the Schmidt thing was very awkward. I almost wanted to laugh just because I felt sorry. It seems that it might have been a sketch at first, but they decided no one would know what the hell they were talking about, so they put it on Update with video of it so people would know what the hell they were talking about. They tried too hard.

Good God, if I see the "Morgan Stanley" commercial just ONE more time, I'm going to flip. I know it was a repeat last night, but that commercial has played about three or four times now since the season started. Between that and the 80s music fire alarm, I'm sick and tired of SNL's "commercials".

Anyway, this week Dane Cook hosts, with musical guest James Blunt. Supposedly, on December 10th, Alec Baldwin will host with musical guest Shakira. Alec is always good for a laugh. It's Christmas time, so I hope I don't see any third attempt at a Pete Schwetty sketch. I say we're in the clear, unless Rachel Dratch does a Delicious Dish version with someone else (the original Delicious Dish featured Ana Gasteyer and Molly Shannon, but when Molly left in Feb. 2001, Rachel replaced her on the Delicious Dish sketches).

By the way, this is the 12th time Alec will be hosting the show, tying John Goodman for the host with the second most hosting duties. Of course, Steve Martin still reigns supreme with 13. Too bad Steve hasn't hosted since Season 20. Maybe he could host to promote The Pink Panther next year?

Or CBTD2.

Alec will probably try and continue his public feud with Kim Basinger on the show, it's been very very nasty lately.

Oh, I'm sure there will be a line or two about it. SNL loves it when celebrities either poke fun at themselves, or mention something going on in their lives.