The Best of SNL Season 41

June 26, 2016

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snl_season_41_cast_photo

Most Valuable Cast Member
Kate McKinnon
Runner-Up: Cecily Strong
Honorable Mention: Larry David

Best Sketches
For my full thoughts on the best sketches, click here.
1. Yo, Where Jackie Chan At Right Now?
2. Mafia Meeting
3. FBI Simulator
4. bern your enthusiasm
5. Dead Bopz
6. Chad and Mrs. Douglas Show
7. Oprah Winfrey: A Life of Love
8. Screen Guild Awards
9. Close Encounter
10. Farewell, Mr. Bunting

Best Dress Rehearsal Cuts (AKA The “Kyle ‘Cut for Time’ Mooney” Award)
For my full thoughts on the best dress rehearsal cuts, click here.
1. Establishment Shuffle
2. New Studio
3. Not Scared
4. March Madness
5. Bieber Concert

Best 10-to-1 Sketches
1. Dead Bopz
2. Oprah Winfrey: A Life of Love
3. Miley Wedding Tape

Best Hosts
1. Larry David
2. Fred Armisen
3. Ariana Grande

Best Monologues
1. Fred Armisen
2. Elizabeth Banks
3. Tracy Morgan

Best Musical Guests
1. Disclosure
2. Courtney Barnett
3. The 1975

Best Weekend Update Segments
1. Drunk Uncle
2. One-Dimensional Female Character From a Male-Driven Comedy
3. Bruce Chandling

Best Episodes
1. Tracy Morgan/Demi Lovato
2. Fred Armisen/Courtney Barnett
3. Larry David/The 1975
4. Ariana Grande
5. Brie Larson/Alicia Keys

Best Lines
For my full thoughts on the best lines, click here.
13. “Why do we have to labia everything?” – The Girl You Wish You Hadn’t Started a Conversation With at a Party (Cecily Strong), on Weekend Update
12. “Happy Birthday to Mitt Romney who today turns 69. Which for Mormons is a sin.” – Colin Jost, on Weekend Update
11. “We’re at the point where we’re-” “finishing each other’s sente-” “pedes. Human” ““centipedes. Favorite Christmas movie!”” – Tina Fey and Amy Poehler, in their monologue
10. “Am I dating a girl, or am I dating … a pop quiz?” – Bruce Chandling (Kyle Mooney), on Weekend Update
9. “How far along are you, Theresa? You look like you’re about to pop.” “We think 2 months, we haven’t been keeping count.” “What?” “We don’t really know how it works, and we don’t believe in doctors. We’re just kinda winging it.” – Baby shower guest (Sasheer Zamata) and Theresa (Vanessa Bayer), in Baby Shower
8. “Jackie Chan was in movies as well as karate.” – Kenan Thompson, in Yo, Where Jackie Chan At Right Now?
7. “My tongue’s not as long as Gene Simmons, but my penis is even shorter.” – Ace Chuggins (Larry David), in Last Call
6. “All of you knuckleheads are getting cars.” – Oprah (Mike O’Brien), in Oprah Winfrey: A Life of Love
5. “God bless you.” “He never has and he never will.” – Colin Jost and Olya Povlatsky (Kate McKinnon), on Weekend Update
4. “Quick, somebody give that hologram a Holo-Grammy. Not my joke, guys, I’m just laser beams.” –Bing Crosby hologram (Beck Bennett), in Dead Bopz
3. “Paul Robeson of Porgy and Bess fame was one of the great singers and civil rights leaders of his day. We used a computer to make him sing ‘Trap Queen.’” –Bing Crosby hologram (Beck Bennett), in Dead Bopz
2. “Poetry should not be fun. It should be oppressive and the reader should hate it. Poems are from a hundred years ago. They were written by a bunch of dead men to punish children. The arts in general are for women and homosexuals. When you read a poem you should never feel emotion. In summary, poems stink.” – Mr. Kellogg (Beck Bennett), in Farewell, Mr. Bunting
1. “Can a bitch get a donut?!” – Kevin Roberts (Larry David), in FBI Simulator

What Won TV? – June 19-June 25, 2016

June 26, 2016

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In this feature, I look back at each day of the past week and determine what shows “won TV” for the night. That is, I consider every episode of television I watched that aired on a particular day and declare which was the best.

Deon_Cole_Cole_Blooded_Seminar

Sunday – Silicon Valley
Monday – UnREAL
Tuesday – Not Safe with Nikki Glaser
Wednesday – Another Period
Thursday – Jeopardy!
Friday – VICE, with the best use for poop
Saturday – Deon Cole teaching us something with his Cole-Blooded Seminar

What Won TV? – June 12-June 18, 2016

June 19, 2016

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In this feature, I look back at each day of the past week and determine what shows “won TV” for the night. That is, I consider every episode of television I watched that aired on a particular day and declare which was the best.

oj-made-in-america

Sunday – Last Week Tonight with John Oliver
Monday – The most thankful I’ve ever been for Full Frontal with Samantha Bee
Tuesday – OJ: Made in America Part 2
Wednesday – OJ: Made in America Part 3
Thursday – Orphan Black
Friday – Check It Out! with Dr. Steve Brule – a real humdinger of a season premiere
Saturday – OJ: Made in America Part 5

What Won TV? – June 5-June 11, 2016

June 12, 2016

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In this feature, I look back at each day of the past week and determine what shows “won TV” for the night. That is, I consider every episode of television I watched that aired on a particular day and declare which was the best.

CBBTeganAndSara

Sunday – Last Week Tonight with John Oliver
Monday – American Dad!
Tuesday – Not Safe with Nikki Glaser
Wednesday – Jeopardy!
Thursday – Inside Amy Schumer, even though I’m not especially afraid of bats
Friday – Comedy Bang! Bang!, weird and psychotic
Saturday – O.J.: Made in America Part 1

Billboard Hot Rock Songs – Week of June 18, 2016

June 8, 2016

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Longtime readers of my blog may know that I used to watch VH1’s and Fuse’s Top 20 Countdowns and then post my rearranged order of those lists. But apparently countdown shows are no longer a thing. But I still like to keep up with current music, so I have decided to check the Billboard Hot Rock Songs each week and then rearrange the top 20 based on my estimation of their quality.

Original Version
1. twenty one pilots – “Stressed Out”
2. twenty one pilots – “Ride”
3. James Bay – “Let It Go”
4. Disturbed – “The Sound of Silence”
5. X Ambassadors – “Unsteady”
6. The Lumineers – “Ophelia”
7. The Strumbellas – “Spirits”
8. Coldplay – “Adventure of a Lifetime”
9. Coldplay – “Hymn for the Weekend”
10. Red Hot Chili Peppers – “Dark Necessities”
11. Ben Rector – “Brand New”
12. Fitz and the Tantrums – “HandClap”
13. blink-182 – “Bored to Death”
14. Empire of the Sun – “Walking on a Dream”
15. Kaleo – “Way Down We Go”
16. Bishop Briggs – “River”
17. Elle King – “America’s Sweetheart”
18. Panic! at the Disco – “Death of a Bachelor”
19. Prince – “When Doves Cry”
20. Miike Snow – “Genghis Khan”

Jmunney’s Revision
1. Walking on a Dream
2. When Doves Cry
3. River
4. Way Down We Go
5. Ophelia
6. Unsteady
7. Ride
8. Dark Necessities
9. Stressed Out
10. Genghis Khan
11. Adventure of a Lifetime
12. Death of a Bachelor
13. The Sound of Silence
14. America’s Sweetheart
15. Spirits
16. Hymn for the Weekend
17. HandClap
18. Let It Go
19. Brand New
20. Bored to Death

What Won TV? – May 29-June 4, 2016

June 5, 2016

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In this feature, I look back at each day of the past week and determine what shows “won TV” for the night. That is, I consider every episode of television I watched that aired on a particular day and declare which was the best.

Garbine_Reaction

Sunday – Silicon Valley
Monday – American Dad!
Tuesday – The Civil War letter writing sketch from Maya & Marty
Wednesday – The Chris Gethard Show … ?!
Thursday – Inside Amy Schumer (Hacky sitcom parodies always get me.)
Friday – Comedy Bang! Bang!
Saturday – Ladies French Open Final – is this the beginning of an all-time great?

Vulture Festival 2016

May 30, 2016

jmunney Better Call Saul, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, Difficult People, Happy Endings, Mr. Robot, Television , , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

vulture-festival

Last weekend, I attended several panels at the Vulture Festival, an annual pop culture extravaganza thrown by the entertainment wing of New York Magazine. Here’s how it went down.

DAY 1: SATURDAY, 5/21/2016

Breaking Better Call Saul
Vulture TV critic Matt Zoller Seitz chatted with Rhea Seehorn, Michael McKean, and BCS co-creator Peter Gould. Bob Odenkirk joined in via phone (which was unfortunate because he is not the type of guy who will be all “Awkward setup be damned!” and just jump into the conversation). This was a rather engaging discussion, as these folks are eager and eloquent when discussing their process. One major point was the inevitability posed by Breaking Bad already establishing where Jimmy/Saul’s life is headed. To this end, Peter noted how fans often ask him if Kim and Chuck will die, which he at first thought was due to a lack of imagination but then realized it was more about a concern from people in the hope that their favorite fictional characters will remain alive and well.
I had a chance to talk with Rhea Seehorn after the panel. I asked her if she would be submitting as Lead or Supporting for the Emmys this year. She said that her publicists take care of that, but she was pretty sure they would be putting her down for Supporting. When I mentioned that I blog my Emmy prognostications every year, she asked for my info so that she could check out my stuff.

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What Won TV? – May 22-May 28, 2016

May 29, 2016

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In this feature, I look back at each day of the past week and determine what shows “won TV” for the night. That is, I consider every episode of television I watched that aired on a particular day and declare which was the best.

CashOrTrash

Sunday – Last Week Tonight with John Oliver
Monday – The Detour
Tuesday – Fresh Off the Boat
Wednesday – A bonkers, mindblowing Chris Gethard Show
Thursday – Orphan Black
Friday – In “State of Surveillance,” VICE watches you.Saturday – Sports!

What Won TV? – May 15-May 21, 2016

May 25, 2016

jmunney Television, What Won TV? , , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

In this feature, I look back at each day of the past week and determine what shows “won TV” for the night. That is, I consider every episode of television I watched that aired on a particular day and declare which was the best.

fred-armisen-monologue

Sunday – Last Week Tonight with John Oliver
Monday – Jane the Virgin
Tuesday – Fresh Off the Boat
Wednesday – The Middle
Thursday – Orphan Black is Orphan ACK!
Friday – Jeopardy!* (with the caveat that I haven’t started watching Lady Dynamite yet)Saturday – Funny Freddy in “Love From New York, I Did Saturday’s Right” (SNL)

SNL Recap May 21, 2016: Fred Armisen/Courtney Barnett

May 23, 2016

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SNL: Courtney Barnett, Fred Armisen, Bobby Moynihan (CREDIT: YouTube Screenshot)

 

This review was originally posted on Starpulse in May 2016.

It hardly feels like Fred Armisen, one of the longest-tenured “SNL” cast members of all time (11 seasons), has ever left 30 Rockefeller Plaza. He has returned to cameo 7 times in the 3 years since departing, and he regularly collaborates with other “SNL” vets on his current regular gigs, “Late Night” and “Portlandia” (both produced by Lorne Michaels). But he has shown restraint this season, only appearing once before (to memorialize David Bowie). So while his first time as host is in no way long overdue, it is also not overkill. Speaking of cameos, several other alums also stop by, as befitting a season finale. This means that there is some squeezing out of the regular cast, but not of the good ideas. Year 41 ends on a high note.

Bernie and Hillary – “SNL” wraps up one of its wackiest political years with its two all-star impressions: one that broke big exactly as expected and the other a delightful surprise. The dance between Kate McKinnon’s Hillary and Larry David’s Bernie is as testy as the real deal. As they really explore the studio, there is a celebratory air that the show reserves only for times when it knows it has something special to celebrate. But wisely, it is not all just kissing and making up, because there is plenty of tension in this primary that the last call setting brings into focus. This is a summary of the fictionalized version of a slice of this campaign that “SNL” has managed to have its pulse on. B

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