Wednesday, April 4, 2012
AN ALOTT5MA DIGITAL POST: In news that should surprise pretty much no one, Kristen Wiig, Andy Samberg, and Jason Sudeikis allegedly plan to leave SNL at season's end. It wouldn't shock me to see some additional departures as well--Fred Armisen, Bill Hader, Seth Meyers, and Kenan Thompson have all been on as long or longer than that group, and all (save Thompson) have had some success in other media recently. So are we ready for the Jay Pharaoh era?
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If Armisen leaves, will we finally see Pharaoh's Obama? If so, sign me up. I'd be sad to see Hader go, but it would be nice to see a character (Stefon) disappear before he gets over-used.
ReplyDeletePharaoh's Obama is way better than Armisen's. Hader was on the BS Report recently, and I think he hinted that he'd leave when his contract was up, after next season.
ReplyDeleteI just hope that Pharaoh's more than the sum of his impressions. His Obama (which I saw on youtube), Denzel, and Will Smith are terrific - but can he make something really memorable with them, like Darrell Hammond did with his? (Hammond's Connery was genius precisely because it was used on Celebrity Jeopardy, for example.)
ReplyDeleteA good impression isn't just mimicking the voice and appearance; it has to have some particular comedic slant on the subject. That's up to the writers.
ReplyDeleteI'd like to see Hader and Meyers stick around; the three who are planning to go, plus Armisen, have done all they can.
It's time for the Taran Killam era.<span> </span>
I don't understand Pharoah boosterism, I really don't. He's a good mimic but hasn't shown any sketch chops and has become only somewhat comfortable performing live in sketches in two years on the show. Not that the show doesn't have a place for him, but Pharoah fandom seems to be unjustified.
ReplyDeleteLorne should just hand the keys over to UCB and be done with it.
ReplyDelete--bd
If it's SNL's choice, I get it, but why would Sudeikis leave? Isn't SNL pretty much his ceiling?
ReplyDeleteHe's got a potentially solid career ahread of him as douchey friend/husband in movies and on sitcoms.
ReplyDeleteKillam is the one I can most readily see leaving of the featured player. His fiancee (Cobie Smulders) is tied to the West Coast for at least a year or two, and he's already been getting solid guest roles on shows (most notably, Community) that shoot over there.
ReplyDeleteI disagree; I've enjoyed him in anything else I've seen him in (30 Rock, Eastbound & Down, Horrible Bosses, Always Sunny) Also, his WTF interview really makes me think the guy could do more if he set out on his own, but he's been enjoying SNL too much to leave.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Matt and Rick. I thought he played the part well in movies I both enjoyed (Horrible Bosses) and did not particularly like (Hall Pass). He also has been strong in guest appearances on all the shows mentioned.
ReplyDeleteI am ready for the Seth Meyers Era to end. Smirking itself doesn't make jokes funny. He also is head writer, so I'm going to hold him partially responsible for every neverending Gilly sketch of the last half-decade.
ReplyDeleteI didn't realize Hader was so involved with "South Park" until the Comedy Central documentary. It would be sad to see him go, but he can do great things wherever.
If Seth Myers and Andy Samberg leave, SNL is gonna have to do something to up the cute Jew quotient for me.
ReplyDeleteIs there any reason why his ceiling isn't at least Ed Helms?
ReplyDeleteI see the career path for Jason Sudeikis, but not so much for Andy Samberg. Isn't doing funny viral videos his thing? Is there any better showcase for funny viral videos than SNL? I figured he would be a SNL lifer.
ReplyDeleteIf the Samberg/Sandler movie hits, it's an easy career path for Sandler being a younger (and slightly hipper/more self-aware) version of Sandler, or, worst case, Rob Schneider, who's cobbled together a reasonably successful career.
ReplyDeleteHe's bland and not funny on his own. Sure, he could play a husband or friend, but I don't see him carrying a movie or a show. As for Ed Helms -- Helms was riotously funny as a correspondent on the Daily Show and has displayed a wide comedic range in his movies. Sudeikis just kind of says his lines. Sudeikis never could have done Helms's Daily Show stuff, never could have done Helms's part in the Hangover(s), never could have pulled off Cedar Rapids. Every part he does on SNL looks and sounds exactly the same. I guess he could have a career as the go-to superficial guy is kind of inscrutable, but I don't see that as something that has either huge demand or low supply.
ReplyDeleteI believe the proper term is Pharaoh Phandom.
ReplyDelete