"Saturday Night Live" Season 34 Talkback (Spoilers)

[The Penguin]

...It's Saturday Night! Tonight Saturday Night Live returns for its 34th season. Michael Phelps returns to NBC after winning eight gold medals in Beijing at the Olympics. Rapper Lil Wayne is the musical guest. His sixth studio album, Tha Carter III, came out this summer. The cast is the same as it was the end of last season with the addition of featured player Bobby Moynihan. Election years are usually strong ones for SNL and its political satire, so look to see some of that tonight!

Season 34, Episode 1 - Season Premiere
Saturday, September 13, 2008 @ 11:30 p.m. ET/10:30 CT on NBC
Host: Michael Phelps
Musical Guest: Lil Wayne

Season 29 talkback
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Season 33 talkback

NBC.com - Saturday Night Live

[Blackstar]

I'd like to be jazzed about this, but unfortunately, I can't because this is SNL now, not the SNL that's funny.

[Draft]

Crap, I need to tape this!

Rumor is Tina Fey will be back to play Sarah Palin!

[Silverstar]

The cast is the same as it was the end of last season with the addition of featured player Bobby Moynihan.

No cast changes, huh? Pity. I was hoping they'd bring in some new and funnier blood this year.

Amy Pohler has her moments, but the show spreads her way too thin; for the last few seasons, Pohler's been in almost every sketch per show, usually as the centerpiece. She can't be expected to do everything. I don't find SNL's newest favorite cast member, Andy Samberg, the least bit amusing, and Kristen Wiig is probably a nice person, but she's just not very funny. Ironically, the funniest guy on the show currently is also the most underused: Kenan Thomspon. I hope this year they finally let Thompson break out of 'Garret Morris' mode and give him more roles besides just token black parts.

Seriously, what are Ian Roberts, Matt Walsh, Matt Besser, Kevin Allison, Ken Marino or Joe LoTruglio doing now? Heck, even some more All That alumni like Josh Server, Kel Mitchell or Lori-Beth Denburg couldn't make things worse.

I've been subjected to non-stop hype about this Michael Phelps hosting gig. If you watch ESPN's SportsCenter, that's all they've been able to talk about all week. I sincerely hope that the writers have spent half as much time trying to write funnier sketches as they have promoting Phelps.

-But I try hard not to pre-judge something before seeing it, so I'll hold off an any further commentary until after the season premiere.

You know a Michael Phelps as Aquaman sketch must be waiting in the wings...

[Space Cadet]

Crap, I need to tape this!

Rumor is Tina Fey will be back to play Sarah Palin!

Yep, she played her in the cold opening.

[zoombie]

Ironically, the funniest guy on the show currently is also the most underused: Kenan Thomspon. I hope this year they finally let Thompson break out of 'Garret Morris' mode and give him more roles besides just token black parts.

I can't believe it, it is Kenan's 6th season on SNL, it tops his lengh on All That. He was in the cast for that show for five season.

[VCXZX]

While Tina is great as Palin (and probably better than the regular castmembers) they really should've milked the Fay/Palin connection as a 30 Rock episode. With Jack using Liz looking like Palin as an advantage to get the real palin to host Liz's show. It makes sense with Jack's political leanings on the show.

[zoombie]

While Tina is great as Palin (and probably better than the regular castmembers) they really should've milked the Fay/Palin connection as a 30 Rock episode. With Jack using Liz looking like Palin as an advantage to get the real palin to host Liz's show. It makes sense with Jack's political leanings on the show.

I am surprised the real Palin didn't appear tonight. The McCain campaign blow a great opportunity. It really helped Hillary's campaign when she might a surprise appearance.

Maybe they could get Tina to play Palin permantely for the remainder of the election season, like they did with Chevy playing Ford in 76 election season. Have Tina play for a few episodes, than after Obama wins, she won't be needed anymore.

[VCXZX]

I noticed something was strange about this episode. When the opening credits felt squished for some reason. Turns out SNL is now full-screen instead of wide-screen. I think it was better in wide-screen.

Shatner making a cameo. eh, didn't do much for me. I would've preferred Alec Baldwin to cameo. Perhaps they're saving him for another possible classic hosting gig later this season.

So far aside from the Palin part of the cold opening, nothing doing for me. Phelps hasn't impressed me. Just as I thought.

[Old Guy]

Darn, I missed it. It's okay though. I'm sure NBC will have it online tomorrow.

[Naruto D.Luffy]

Hooray for the Sanosuke shirt.

[Strollymonster]

Hooray for the Sanosuke shirt.

No kidding. I freaked out a little bit when I caught that.

"Is that REALLY a guy wearing a Rurouni Kenshin t-shirt...on SNL...next to freakin' Phelps?"

[VCXZX]

Michael Phelps in that last sketch made Randy Orton seem like an accomplished talker. Flubbing lines left to right. Hopefully he wont host another show.

Hopefully next week's show with james Franco will be better. But the debates arent till next month and hopefully SNL takes advantage of that like every election and makes them the cream of the crop this season.

[StormBlue]

Dear Michael Phelps,

You are a great Olympian, and your accomplishments should be held in high regard. However, don't worry about hosting on SNL again. It's ok.

Signed,
A dear fan

>>>>>

Honestly, the highlight of the show was the Palin/Clinton sketch. Tina Fey was spot on as Palin; the accent is awesome. As some posters have mentioned, I would have rather appreciated the Fey/Palin connection be exploited in 30 Rock, rather than on SNL. Then again, as current as 30 Rock is supposed to be, maybe leaning on such an easy political joke shouldn't be done. It's too easy. 30 Rock is sharp and smart. I'm sure they'll play on Palin some other way.

Anyways, I have high hopes for the season. James Franco should be a better fit next week, so at least I won't have to look away from the special guest whenever a skit is going on.

Go SNL!

[Mikintosh]

I'm still watching the show, so I can't comment on the whole thing, but I don't think the people here understand the concept of lead times; by the time 30 Rock conceived/scripted/filmed/edited a Palin/Fey episode, the election would've already happened. SNL's a more appropriate venue for politics, anyway.

[Blackstar]

Sorry to see that SNL still hasn't gotten any better. All remarks about Michael Phelp's "acting" aside, it was typical SNL mediocrity.

How does Andy Samberg keep his job? The man isn't funny at all. And the only thing that Casey Wilson has going for her is her looks. She's currently the most attractive cast member, but apart from that, she's pretty forgettable. SNL desperately needs another Dan Ackroyd, John Belushi, Bill Murray, Cheri Oteri, Eddie Murphy (in his heydey).

SNL made a 2nd sketch about those repulsive twins, except that this time, Seth Rogan wasn't around to play the brother, so the writers claimed that he was "On vacaction in Switzerland" and replaced him with Michael Phelps as a visiting cousin. Lame. Why not just get the new guy to play the brother? There's no point in continuing the sketches if they can't have both twins. Doing Kristin Wiig and a different boy everytime is weak.

The only part of this show that I thought was even remotely funny was Will Forte's commentary as a redneck Alaskan commenting on Sarah Palin (which, incidentally, was the 2nd time on the show-The 1st time being in the opening-in which Palin was referred to as a MILF. Now before last night, I wasn't aware that anyone thought that Palin was a MILF. Personally, I've seen better than Palin, but now we're getting into personal tastes).

Overall, it's looking to be another mediocre season for SNL. Evertime I tune in to SNL, I remember why I stopped watching it in the 1st place.

[Mikintosh]

I thought last night's show was pretty good, but I've thought the show's been great in general for the past two years. To each their own, but I'm surprised how SNL's always being dumped on when it's gone through so many incarnations in the last decade, you'd think at least one of them would have gotten some love. Of course, I'm surrounded by people who think South Park is "brilliant"...

But I do agree, the show's going to have work on filling the gap left by Amy Poehler when she's gone; I don't think they counted on losing both her and Maya Rudolph so soon after each other.

[The Penguin]

Tina Fey was a great Sarah Palin! Her accent was great and the open with Hillary made the whole thing even better. The later Update joke with Patriots QB Matt Cassel being nicknamed "Sarah Palin" was fun too.

I thought Phelps was okay. He certainly wasn't anything special and I don't think Hollywood will be knocking at his door, but it was overall pretty fun. I liked his monologue with his fake mom and later real mom and William Shatner hocking Priceline was great. The idea behind the 'Michael Phelps Diet' sketch was great even if the execution wasn't top notch. Jared appearing to say, "This diet sucks a foot-long" was the best part.

"Alaska Pete" on Update was probably the best highlight after the cold open with a repeat of the jazz dancing coach and the awkward T-Mobile family following after that. Quiz Bowl with the public vs. home school kids wasn't too bad along with the Jar Glove commercial. The "Space Olympics" song was odd, but somewhat entertaining.

I could have done without the freakish twins (which was not actually the twins) and Mark the waiter was painful, although not as painful as Nicholas Fehn on Update. Charles Barkley was okay, but Kenan trying to sit and stand with the extended legs was a bit awkward.

[Desensitized]

To be quite honest, I thought it was awful. I don't think I chuckled even once, except maybe one of those 'wow, was that supposed to be funny?' laughs.

There are currently no standouts on this show, no memorable characters or clever writing, and what was the deal with weekend update? That might have been the worst part of the show.

Sorry, I tried to give SNL another chance, but it still needs a LOT of work to fix that I'm starting to think it'll never get.

[Mikintosh]

To be quite honest, I thought it was awful. I don't think I chuckled even once, except maybe one of those 'wow, was that supposed to be funny?' laughs.

There are currently no standouts on this show, no memorable characters or clever writing, and what was the deal with weekend update? That might have been the worst part of the show.

Sorry, I tried to give SNL another chance, but it still needs a LOT of work to fix that I'm starting to think it'll never get.

Then what do you suggest? Saying it has "no clever writing" is barely better than saying nothing at all.