12-06-03 Host Al Sharpton and musical guest Pink...Cold Opening - Ideas for The Other Cadidates TV Appearances - Jimmy Fallon Fallon as the NBC President. I'm not sure how this guy really acts, so I'm not sure about the impression. Some of the ideas for the other democratic hopefuls to make appearances were kind of funny. I just wish there would be a little more going on in their cold openings. It's always someone sitting behind a desk. Grade - C+ Opening Monologue - Al Sharpton, Tracy Morgan I figured Tracy Morgan would show up at some point (little did I know how much). I liked the James Brown, Sharpton was actually pretty good. This was probably his loosest moment on the show. Grade - B Commerical - Mom Jeans I liked this the first time I saw it. This is the second show with no new commercials. Out of ideas I guess? Grade - N/A Michael Jackson in a Roller Coaster - Al Sharpton, Amy Poehler, Chris Parnell, Rachel Dratch, Horatio Sanz Amy Poehler doesn't really do Michael Jackson's voice, but it is pretty funny that she is the one to do Michael Jackson now. There were a few funny lines in this. I liked the part about the million dollar gold watch for Johnny Cochran. Sharpton seemed a little lifeless in the role though. For some reason I got a little kick out of Horatio Sanz just sitting quietly in the back putting his arms up at the required times. Grade - B- Brian Fellow's Safari Planet - Tracy Morgan, Al Sharpton, Chris Parnell, Tina Fey Again Sharpton was a little too relaxed as Brian Fellow's brother Ryan Fellows, however Tracy Morgan was good. I thought the whole seal bit was pretty good. Tina Fey's "I am a woman" was pretty funny as well. Grade - B The 3 Wise Men - Al Sharpton, Tracy Morgan, Kenan Thompson, Jimmy Fallon, Jeff Richards This one had a good start, it was funny when Fallon pointed his torch in all their faces. Everything was fairly clever, with the ID scrolls and angel dust. Too bad the end was kind of lame. I guess they had no where to go with it. Grade - B- Musical Performance - Pink I liked the song, the outfit was not good though. Grade - N/A Weekend Update with Tina Fey and Jimmy Fallon - special guest Paris Hilton There were a few good jokes in the beginning, too bad Tina Fey has to laugh at herself though. Something about her laughing too takes away some of the funniness for me. The yelling at the cities not broadcasting SNL that night was funny - "more like Suckcramento!" The Paris Hilton interview was also good. They made good use of double entendre without going comepletely overboard. Grade - B+ Black Stereotypes - Al Sharpton, Tracy Morgan, Finesse Mitchell, Kenan Thompson, Maya Rudolph, Jimmy Fallon, Horatio Sanz, Will Forte I thought everyone did a good job of playing the stereotypes. I think I would have liked this better if there wasn't a commentary at the end (even though they did end with a joke). I liked the concept, but this one they could have actually taken further, instead of explaining it to the audience. Grade - C+ Al Sharpton's Casa De Sushi - Al Sharpton, Will Forte, Kenan Thompson, Amy Poehler, Maya Rudolph, Horatio Sanz Horatio totally saves this one. I totally hated it until his appearance at the end. At first it was just another version of "Derek Jeter's Taco Hole," but then Horatio Sanz comes in as Harry Fierstein, which Sharpton pronounces like Frankenstein (think Gene Wilder, not the monster). Sanz starts freaking out when he finds out Nell Carter is dead. So, while I'm thinking I totally hate this, Sanz comes in at the last minute and saves the day. Grade - C+ The Other Dem's Watch Sharpton - Chris Parnell, Jimmy Fallon, Jeff Richards, Darrell Hammond, Will Forte, Seth Meyers Seth Meyers really looked like John Kerry in this. Parnell doing Leiberman doing Chris Rock was also good. Will Forte was kind of doing his usual thing, but it was kind of funny. Grade - B- Musical Performance - Pink Grade - N/A The LaToya Jackson Show - Maya Rudolph, Al Sharpton, Kena Thompson, Fred Armisen Does Maya Rudolph only pitch annoying talk shows? The giggling LaToya Jackson was not funny. Sharpton's dry delivery, as LaToya's dad, did work for this one though. Kenan Thompson's Chaka Kahn did not really make sense to me, at the very least it wasn't funny. Armisen was ok as the MJ impersonator, but this sketch just wasn't funny. Grade - D The Cab Driver - Horatio Sanz, Al Sharpton, Maya Rudolph, Fred Armisen One of the funniest parts of this was that Sharpton pronounced Vasquez differently everytime, like he kept reading it off the cue card and tried to sound it out. This sketch wouldn't have been that good, but Sanz has a funny way of delivering his lines. Grade - B- Cyrogenix commerical Another commercial re-run Grade - N/A Johnny Cash in Heaven - Darrell Hammond This one wasn't particularly funny, but it was nice to see Hammond as a non political character, and his impression was pretty good. Grade - C+ Well, this episode wasn't too bad. Sharpton was a little stiff, but he's not an actor. Usually he's only up against other even stiffer political types. |
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