SNL - Two in a row was too much to expect

Last week's Saturday Night Live was good, good enough that I was almost eager for this week, a band, Wilco, that has always intrigued me, and young Ellen Page from Juno, I was optimistic. Saturday Night Live on a good run is like a Cubs winning streak, rare but not impossible, and something to behold. This week even started out with a bang, Hillary Clinton in a trademark brown pant suit, matching the one Amy Pohler had just worn in a skit, as Hillary.

It was one of the few moments of the broadcast, a huge let down from last week. I'm disappointed but I have figured out why.

The strike was good for them. Is it a coincidence that the first week back from a long layoff had skits full of bad television icons. Donald Trump, the creepy Jon Benet Ramsey guy, and the late night Riddler knockoff from the infomercials? This show was the fruit of a bunch of writers that had sat home and dredged the depths of popular culture, the foundation of Saturday Night Live's best production. That show was the product of writer's that rediscovered what got them their jobs that they were sitting out of. They came in with fresh ideas and bitter sarcasm, and pushed them through, then they spent a week on set, and had actors and producers in their faces, and they wrote skits like "Virginiaca."

The show wasn't a total disaster, but it was a significant downgrade. "The Obama Files," parts of weekend update, and an appearance by Rudy Guiliani all rose above the usual terrible fodder SNL has put out in recent years. In two weeks, there has been the equivalent of a year end compilation show. But honestly, half this show was about the elections, and most of the other half stank. Cheap laughs at the expense of media icons is good for a handful of material at best, after that, you can squeeze some laughs out of recycled former stars, like Tina Fey the first week, and lampooning your guest.

This week, Ellen Page, star of "Juno," which I haven't seen, fell far short. Yes, she's a teen age girl, but her Miley Cyrus impersonation was even annoying her partner in the skit. The little girl was a little over her head. Then again, that happens.

The regular cast has no excuse for putting out an episode that I am glad that I DVR'd so that I could skip through the bad stuff. I'm not a huge fan of political skits, but those were easily the best here. I'm hoping this week the writer's went home and watched some bad TV, read a lot of cheesy magazines, and ignored the voices all around them at the studio.

SNL - Feb 23 with Tina Fey

SNL isn't what it used to be, but I think our view of what it used to be is skewed. Despite the constantly playing archives on cable and satellite television, nobody remembers the really bad shows, hell, entire seasons. Even the golden era, with Akroyd, Belushi, Jane Curtin, and Gilda Radner, had it's clunkers and skits that you had to work to laugh at, really, who got the coneheads?

SNL is rarely all good, but it has a few skits or moments that strike a chord, and make us laugh, but they have never done it consistently. This years bunch, fresh off the writer's strike, had a lot of good moments Saturday night.

Starting off with a mock Obama/Clinton debate, we get a quick view of their latest version of the presidential candidates. Hillary Clinton's character was almost flattering, and Obama's very close. Reminding me of when Bush was new and they hadn't decided what about him to make fun of. Tina Fey was the hosst, making me think, "Did she leave the show?" And almost in answer, they bring the king of those, "Part of the show?/hosting the show?" quandaries, Steve Martin, in a quick skit during her monologue.

I was pleasantly surprised at how good the rest of the show went. The first fake commercial, about a birth control that limits periods to once a year, was as funny as any I remember, followed by decent skits and a good weekend update. Until the late skits, "I Drink Your Milkshake," and "Lady Business," this was running like one of the prime-time SNL compilation shows that makes you wonder where all the good skits came from over the last year. Usually, this show starts getting tired before the first musical break, this week, it stayed strong until the end. Even the bad skits could possibly hit a chord with someone, someone else.

It's nice to see SNL back.