SNL Just The Funny Parts: Neil Patrick Harris Is A Triple Threat
Has anyone done an investigation into what NPH did during all those years between Doogie Howser, M.D. and his recent multi-platform Lazarus-like comeback? It's starting to seem like we could have used him, and that he let us down. Saturday night was his first time hosting SNL (though he says in his monologue that he almost got to host in 1990 but lost the gig to Fred Savage), and it looks like he has the potential to become another go-to-host-when-they-just-need-a-funny-show, like Alec Baldwin. After the jump, the five funniest moments, which were actually hard to choose this week for the first time in a long time -- including the funniest non-Sarah-Palin sketch of the season so far.
5. The Frost/Nixon parody, Frost/Other People, mainly because of the critic blurbs. It's so true!:
4. The Second Half Of The Today Show Sketch. The first half was cute, but dragged on. Free Hoda:
3. Neil's opening monologue, which includes an appearance by "Mark Wahlberg":
2. The Doogie Howser Orchestra:
1. Broadway: It's a testament to the genius of this sketch that you don't have to know ANYTHING about Broadway to get it. Every line is funny, except maybe the last, which is kind of Dad Humor. But the Avenue Q puppet's massage line makes up for it:
Runners up would include Kenan Thompson's Charles Barkley segment on Weekend Update (I know!), and Andy Samberg's Billy Bob Thornton impression in the Two First Names sketch. (But don't give me "Where's Fran and Freba?" No sketch should ever be that long.)
Posted by Lindsay at 3:30 PM in Sketch Comedy
Tags: Andy Samberg | Mark Wahlberg | Neil Patrick Harris | Saturday Night Live
Lucille 2! I miss Gob's Wife
Score = 3
yeah! no props for liz taylor with penelope? she's the best.
Score = 0
Dad humor is very close in spirit to Broadway humor. Maybe the last line was secretly awesome?
Score = 0
Really, the only one of those 5 I thought was genuinely funny was the Frost/Nixon bit. The digital short was well done, but I thought just about everything else on the show stank. Samburg's Mark Whalburg bit is old and not funny, the Today Show thing was just another case of transplanting Kristen Wiig from sketch to sketch and having her do essentially the same thing over and over again. The Broadway sketch was as dumb and annoying as the shows they were making use of (Cats has been off for over a decade anyway). The only thing I would have put up there that you didn't was Will Forte's BCS song. But clearly from Gabe's lack of knowledge of the people in the Gatorade commercial he posted last week, this is not sportshumorgum.com.
Score = -7
You are such a pill, Life of the Mind!
Score = 0
You're a lame, The Life of the Mind. You just sound grumpy that Mad TV went off the air.
Score = 4
Forte is not my forte. And that joke is less obvious and ugh than that dumb BCS song. Jokes about the DMV being a not fun place are so original!
Score = -1
Kangols!
Score = 1
I'd go straight for NPH, maybe he'll go straight for me *sigh*
Score = 1
I thought the BK sketch was hilarious, mostly because I'm one of those pretentious jerk-offs who thinks that those commercials are culturally insensitive.
Score = 3
Plus one for getting laughs out of Bobby Moynihan for a change, SNL. I hate when they under-utilize a cast member, only to have their rare appearance be pretty funny.
Score = 0
I agree, I loved that sketch. Probably my favorite of the night besides the Doogie Howser orchestra.
Score = 0
Will Forte's song was funny, too.
Lindsay hates Taylor Swift.
Score = 0
It should be against the law to have that many rhinestones per square inch on anything.
Score = 2
Once again, as my ESL students used to say, "I am sadness". How can I see these hulu clips in Canada?
Score = 2
All of those were pretty good. My spirits have been lifted by SNL - it's a Christmas miracle!
Wait ... is it too late to use that expression?
Score = 0
The BK commercial was ridiculous. Easily the highlight of SNL this week!
Score = 1
Bobby Moynihan putting the burger on his head and laughing like a ten year old made my day/night.
Score = 0
Whoops! Videogum hates Canada.
Score = 4
Did you actually complement Keenan's Charles Barkley bit? There wasn't even an attempt to impersonate him there. Just awful. Frank TV > Keenan.
Score = 0
was that broadway sketch from funny?
Score = 0
let's stop beating around the bush: sudekis does the superior rerun dance. also: was that alec baldwin narrating frost/other people?
Score = 2
I don't know if anyone else thought this was weird but NPH mentioned a girlfriend in his opening monologue even though he's openly gay. It was like he was pretending to be straight...
I guess I just thought that was weird.
Score = -10
I don't know if anyone else thought this was weird but NPH mentioned a girlfriend in his opening monologue even though he's openly gay. It was like he was pretending to be straight...
I guess I just thought that was weird.
Score = -4
I can't believe I missed this! It looked great. Somebody needs to make a "thrust" .gif, on the double.
Score = 1
"like he was pretending to be straight...
I guess I just thought that was weird. "
Didnt you listen to the next line, idiot
Score = -1
TLOTM is totally your dad Konrad.
Score = 1
oh my goodness. the doogie howser orchestra skit reminded me that i had the sheet music for the doogie howser theme song for my saxophone and played in non-stop throughout 5th grade, and i totally forgot about it until this very second.
Score = 1
What about the Kristen Wiig skit at group threapy? That charachter is hilarous.
Score = 0
that character is fuckin painful to watch. so so so unfunny.
Score = 0
It's a testament to the genius of this sketch that you don't have to know ANYTHING about Broadway to get it.
Maybe that's why I didn't think it was funny at all? (Except for every time NPH said the word "RENT.") Because it didn't have actual Broadway references? I'm glad someone liked it, I guess. But why reference Cats? That joke is so 80s.
Doogie Howser Orchestra, though? GENIUS.
Score = 0
It's a testament to the genius of this sketch that you don't have to know ANYTHING about Broadway to get it.
Maybe that's why I didn't think it was funny at all? (Except for every time NPH said the word "RENT.") Because it didn't have actual Broadway references? I'm glad someone liked it, I guess. But why reference Cats? That joke is so 80s.
Doogie Howser Orchestra, though? GENIUS.
Score = -1
Great list! To watch SNL anymore I need some kind of highlight reel. Good job!
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