Still (A)live in New York

SNL taken off life support this week

By Jake Corbin

We’ve heard the jokes before.

“Saturday Night Dead.” “Saturday Night NOT Live.” “‘Saturday Night Live’ should be shot and killed and put out of its misery and quit disgracing the ghost of John Belushi.”

So, the last one isn’t really a joke, but it does tend to mirror many fans’ current feelings towards the show. For many, what was once a late night comedy ritual filled with fun and laughter has morphed into a quiet Saturday night occasionally peppered with a half-hearted chuckle.

This week’s “SNL,” however—hosted by actress Anne Hathaway and featuring musical guests the Killers—gave those who watched a glimpse of the good old days.

The reason? Because the “not ready for prime-time players” have gone back to doing what they do best: Poking fun at politics.

It also doesn’t hurt that Tina Fey does a spot on impression of Gov. Sarah Palin.

To the delight of many, Fey returned as the Republican vice presidential hopeful in the night’s (hilarious!) cold open that made light of the recent VP debate. With every “maverick,” “Joe Six-pack” and “you know” that came out of Fey’s mouth, it was hard not to reminisce about “SNL”s send-up of government figures past.

Fey’s impersonation of Palin is the best the show has offered since Will Ferrell captured George W. so well.

Hilarity aside, “SNL” also returned to making a statement.

As PBS journalist and debate moderator, Gwen Ifill—played wonderfully by guest star Queen Latifah—explained the rules of the debate to the contestants; she took a moment to explain that expectations were so low for Gov. Palin should she not “cry, faint or vomit” during the debate, everyone should “just consider it a tie.”

Once again, “SNL” had captured what was on the minds of many of its viewers and did so in a very public manner.

Chevy Chase would be proud.

And this was all just in the opening skit. Admittedly, that is a hard act to follow, but the show pulled it off.

Stand out skits included Hathaway as Mary Poppins explaining to the young children in her care that “supercalifragilisticexpialidocious” is actually an STD, a laugh-out-loud “Weekend Update” and the “Sister Act” skit.

“Sister Act” featured fourth season vet, Kristen Wiig, playing the ugly sister of a singing group performing on the “Lawrence Welk Show.” Providing an accurate description of what took place is futile (the musical number includes talk of eating a dead cat); this is one of those skits you just have to see.

Andy Samberg—a seemingly unused talent on the show—also showed off his latest “SNL Digital Short.” The show’s only pre-taped skit featured Samberg and Wiig in an “Extreme Activities Competition,” battling it out, for instance, to see who was best at acting casual.

Quirky? Definitely.

Funny? Yes.

Samberg is “SNL”s next Adam Sandler. If he were to make a digital short every week, his videos would rival “Weekend Update” as the most-anticipated skit of the night.

Although it has been touch-and-go this season (Michael Phelps, the season’s opening host, may have something to do with that), this week’s performance was enough to bump SNL out of comedy critical condition.

(Cue Sarah Palin voice now)

And maybe, with your help, it can become the “maverick” of late night TV that “Joe Six-packs” and “hockey moms” everywhere enjoyed during its inaugural year in 1975 under the great Republican president, Gerald Ford.

Here’s for hoping the show stays true to form and off its deathbed.