It's been a year since Tina Fey's spot-on version of Sarah Palin hit the small screen on Saturday Night Live, and now word is she's bringing it back this season... maybe.
It's been a year since Tina Fey's spot-on version of Sarah Palin hit the small screen on Saturday Night Live, and now word is she's bringing it back this season... maybe.
On last week's 30 Rock we learned a little bit about Liz Lemon's past life where she pursued acting and starred in (at least one) phone sex commercial that aired in the "Greater Chicagoland" area. NBC has finally offered up the full commercial online—if you had 70 cents for the first minute and 6 cents each additional minute, would you call 1-900-OK-FACE?
Tracy Morgan was back in the building last night to relive his SNL glory days as host of the show he was a cast member on for seven years. But getting through that NBC security has become no easy task since the anthrax scare of 2001. Just as he does with sometimes questionable material though, Morgan somehow found a way to make it work. Here's last night's SNL cold opening, which reminded us a little of Alec Donaghy's Hulu ad, and had cameos from WWE Superstar John Cena (who the audience didn't recognize) and Tina Fey (who now may have topped Jon Lovitz for most appearances by a former cast member in one season).
Local TV nerds likely have their TiVos set to record NBC at 9:30 tonight on both tuners to make sure they don't miss the debut of Man Men's Jon Hamm in his guest role as Liz Lemon's new love interest on 30 Rock. Last night Hamm was promoting his gig on Conan and revealed that he and Tina Fey were shooting one of their scenes when she spotted Flight 1549 flying low on its descent towards the Hudson two weeks ago. Conan wondered if Hamm's good looks could have been the culprit! Captain Sully and Don Draper? Hubba hubba.
A new interview with Sarah Palin just released has us wishing that we were whisked back to the fall where we knew we could count on Tina Fey and SNL to send it up the following Saturday. The interview features Palin given the opportunity to watch the clip of Tina playing her in the VP debate and firing off what some said was the best line of the election year: "Marriage is a sacred institution between two unwilling teenagers." It turns out that Palin had not seen the clip before the interview a few days ago—despite the clip being rerun ad nauseam on cable news and quoted in newspapers everywhere. Her response: "The Mama Grizzly rises up in me hearing things like that."
Alec Baldwin just can't keep his mouth shut, not when it comes to his daughter, or the Upper West Side...or his meal ticket. Star reports, "During a recent photo shoot on the set, the notoriously difficult actor sniped to the photographer, 'Get ready to do a lot of airbrushing.' Tina, who has a childhood scar on her left cheek, fired back, 'Something wrong with my face?' Alec upped the ante by saying it's her entire body that's the problem." A verbal spar with Tina Fey? Oh, Alec. She shot back saying "this was coming from a guy with a double chin who thinks Sarah Palin is hot," which allegedly had Baldwin fuming. Those close to the feud think that Fey, creator and star of 30 Rock, is finally gaining some confidence and beginning to call her co-worker out on things, though Gawker suspects the feud was created to drum up publicity for the show. Hmm, where's Oprah? Or that 12-year-old girl Pam? UPDATE: OK! Magazine disputes Star's rumor: "Alas, show insiders tell OK! that this is all just a mean-spirited dream. Not only was there no catfight during the photoshoot — there hasn't even been a photoshoot in months!" An insider adds, "There was no recent photo shoot with the two of them on set. The last shoot was back in October for TV Guide and nothing like what's being described in that story happened."
Vanity Fair’s January cover story is on “America’s New Sweetheart” Tina Fey and (being Vanity Fair and all) it primarily focuses on how Fey transformed from being the frumpy 25-year-old virgin who one agent assumed was having an affair with Lorne Michaels to the sexy librarian The New Yorker recently called “the sex symbol for every man who reads without moving his lips.”
The blog Eat Me Daily posted a video clip yesterday from the opening of Thursday's 30 Rock where Gavin Volure, the eccentric billionaire played by Steve Martin asks what the good cupcake spots are in New York. Tina Fey's food crazy Upper West Sider Liz Lemon quickly fires back, "77th and Amsterdam, 68th and Columbus, 125th and President Clinton Boulevard." The blog noted that the uptown Magnolia Bakery is actually at 69th and Columbus, but they weren't aware of anywhere at 77th and Amsterdam. Could she have been talking about Crumbs on 75th and Amsterdam? And while we know that there's no President Clinton Boulevard (yet), could Lemon have meant Make My Cake on Adam Clayton Powell Blvd? Not to be all cupcake conspiracy theorist, but maybe Fey was trying to maintain her cupcake credibility without blowing up all her favorite spots. Why else would she not have mentioned Soutine?
John McCain may have been more involved during his appearance on SNL, but his running mate Sarah Palin is still stealing his thunder. While she got the show its highest ratings in 14 years (15 million viewers), McCain's appearance only drew 12 million. Overall, however, the Daily News reports that Saturday's show had its "second highest audience in Nielsen's sample of major markets in 11 years" (whatever that means), and "Saturday's telecast was up 73% when compared to a year ago." Perhaps an Obama appearance would have delivered SNL its highest ratings ever, but he chose to spread the wealth with his network-spanning informercial. Meanwhile, NBC points out though McCain can take a joke, the Palin ones can bother him, which might "explain... 'frosty' chemistry between Tina Fey and McCain." Good thing they didn't refer to that prank call.
With less than 48 hours left before the election, John McCain stopping into Saturday Night Live to perform in a couple of sketches seems like it should be huge news. But with so much attention being showered on the show this year throughout the campaign season, somehow it just felt par for course at this point in a period that Tina Fey for one calls "the weirdest time in my life."
Tina Fey has been making her 30 Rock promo rounds (the season premiere airs tomorrow) and appeared on Conan last night, where the first segment was all about that other show: SNL. (She says her recent stints at her old gig have been akin to "moving back in with your parents.")
Will Ferrell—who will be appearing in a one man show on Broadway in January called You’re Welcome America. A Final Night with George W. Bush—turned up for the cold opening of Saturday Night Live's election special last night. Portraying a 'see-no-evil' Dubya who has declared the Oval Office "a bummer-free zone," Ferrell joined Tina Fey as Palin and Darrell Hammond as McCain. But with McCain on the run from Bush's endorsement (last seen "travelin' on foot through the Adirondacks"), Dubya focused on Palin first:
FERRELL AS BUSH – "My God you are folksy."Continue reading "Will Ferrell, as Bush, Endorses Palin-McCain on SNL"
After weeks of speculation and buildup, Sarah Palin finally appeared on Saturday Night Live last night, playing herself in two separate bits on the show. Despite the star power of the cold opening that on top of Palin and Tina Fey featured appearances from Mark Wahlberg and Alec Baldwin, the sketch fell a little flat when compared to the instant classics that Fey has been cranking out all fall.
Sarah Palin is currently at 30 Rock getting ready for her big (intentional) comedy debut tonight on SNL. There's no official word under what guise she'll appear or even if it will be alongside Tina Fey as expected, only that there were "multiple scripts" for Palin when she arrived. Those who caught Fey on The Late Show last night heard her fretting the possibility of being placed next to Palin because "she's pageant quality." And unlike the vice-presidential nominee, who finds the comedienne to be "a hoot," today a rally of supporters booed Fey when John McCain brought up her name. Palin may be wondering if Fey supporters in Studio 8H will give her as warm of a welcome tonight.
Even though he's made up with John McCain, David Letterman still hasn't been able to get Republican VP candidate Sarah Palin on his show yet. However, tonight Letterman does have Tina Fey as a guest. In this clip, she discusses how she does the Palin accent.
Tina Fey, whose Sarah Palin impression has been a highlight of the new Saturday Night Live season, told TV Guide that she's having a great time playing the Alaska governor, "Election time is always good for 'SNL' and this is a bonkers election. And that lady is a media star. She is a fascinating person, she's very likeable." But the prospect of cranking out that impression should John McCain win the election prompts Fey to say, "If she wins, I'm done. I can't do that for four years. And by 'I'm done,' I mean I'm leaving Earth." Related: The LA Times wonders if Palin has been wearing her hair down to "thwart" Fey and Michael Musto thinks this Palin-inspired fashion could make you "so sexy you might get pregnant and have to get married whereas your time is much better spent helping take care of your six-month brother with Down Syndrome!"
The real Sarah Palin may be appearing on Saturday Night Live to give Tina Fey a run for her money; she recently joked that she's "just trying to keep Tina Fey in business ... Job security for SNL characters." But whereas the audience laughs with Feylin, it's very likely they will be laughing at Palin. The Chicago Sun Times reports that the McCain campaign is pondering how to respond to the recent SNL skits, adding that Palin wants an on-air response and "may be working on a spoof of Fey's American Express commercials." Ha? The next live SNL episode airs on October 18th, but Thursday NBC will air their first ''Weekend Update'' special in prime time. In the meantime, The Edge suggests Palin move in to their new condo complex so she can keep a watchful eye on Wall Street.
It's been a long time since one cast member on Saturday Night Live has grabbed almost all the attention focused on the show and Tina Fey technically isn't even a cast member right now. But for the third time in four weeks since the show returned, Fey was front and center in the opening sketch as the doppelganger she seems to refine and heighten a little every week, Sarah Palin.
A seemingly innocent appearance by Julia Louis-Dreyfus on Late Night with Conan O'Brien last night turned into a segment on actress-envy and Emmy-theft! The actress was up against Tina Fey for an Emmy this year; Fey won and took home her 5th statue, whereas Dreyfus was left going home to her two old, dusty ones. In her speech, however, Fey noted how she channels Dreyfus at times...meaning the Emmy really belongs to them both, right?
Last night Tina Fey reprised her role as Sarah Palin on Saturday Night Live, and with Amy Poehler as Katie Couric, they recreated the interview that aired on CBS last week.
This past Saturday Tina Fey delivered a frighteningly accurate portrayal of Governor Sarah Palin on Saturday Night Live's season opener. This is the first time Palin has been impersonated on the show, and word has come in that she was in fact watching it live via satellite TV on her flight to Denver. The NY Times reports that the candidate has spent her time on the campaign plane "ensconced at the front with family members and top aides, tucked away behind a curtain that separates everyone -– reporters, included — in the back." However, she has now spoken out (albeit through a spokesperson) about the SNL sketch, saying she “thought it was quite funny," and has allegedly dressed up as Tina Fey for Halloween.
Saturday Night Live has returned, and their season opener featured Tina Fey as Sarah Palin, a now-pregnant Amy Poehler reprising her role as Hillary Clinton, Lil' Wayne as musical guest and Michael Phelps as the host (who didn't take his shirt off during one sketch, not one!).
If Michael Phelps is feeling exhausted from his week preparing to host SNL tomorrow, maybe he'll be pepped up by news that hope is on the way: Barack Obama will be making his second cameo on the show's season premiere. The big question of the week though has been which SNL cast member will play Sarah Palin? While both the Phelps-fantasizing Kristen Wiig and newcomer Casey Wilson have been suggested, there's been a shocking third party mentioned: Tina Fey. However, Lorne Michaels is playing coy and only saying that there have been ongoing talks with Fey to appear tomorrow. Also tomorrow, keep an eye out for local comedian Bobby Moynihan making his debut as SNL's newest cast member. UPDATE: According to an NBC source, Tina Fey and Will Ferrell have "been around" the SNL studios. We're also told that James Franco will host the Sept. 20th show with Kings of Leon as the musical guest.
30 Rock is pulling in the big names for their upcoming season (which begins October 30th). Jennifer Aniston was just shooting an episode (pictured), Will Arnett is also reprising his Devin Banks role, and now word is coming in that Oprah Winfrey herself will even be making an appearance. E! reports that the episode "is tentatively set to air Nov. 6. According to reliable insiders, the initial plan (subject to change) is that she will be playing herself, with all of her scenes opposite Tina Fey's fabulous Liz Lemon." Earlier this year Fey said, "I still want Oprah to play my best friend. I want to spend time with Oprah. And I don't know what I need to do to make that happen." She also said, "We would love to work with Britney. I worked with her twice on 'SNL' and she was very professional and nice."
Just a month ago, people wondered if Saturday Night Live was playing favorites with the Democratic presidential candidates, with seemingly more pro-Hillary Clinton material, not to mention the terrific Amy Poehler playing the Senator from New York to the hilt. However, last week, the show poked fun at the Clinton's tax returns and, last night, well, see how Clinton is spoofed in a hearing with General Petraeus (video above).
Finally, our wait is over! A new 30 Rock airs tonight at 8:30 p.m. followed by a new installment of The Office.
Senator Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama faced off for the 20th time last night in Cleveland, Ohio, as they head towards the big March 4 primaries next week. The rivals for the Democratic presidential nomination "traded insults," as they accused each other of negative attacks regarding their health care policies.
Saturday Night Live is back! Wasting no time digging into primary season, the opening skit was a debate between Hillary and Barack, immediately answering the big question posed this week: who will be our Fauxbama? The answer: Fred Armisen! The Huffington Post raises the controversial points of this decision, given the previously-noted lack of minority players on the show (Armisen is not black - he's Venezuelan and Japanese - but has played Prince on SNL) and the whole "Is Obama black enough?" debate. As for the sketch itself, it was about the media's infatuation with Obama - and it even included Obama Girl!
A Hillary Clinton campaign stop in Cincinnati became an opportunity for her to blast Barack Obama over what she called "blatantly false" campaign literature. Clinton said, "Shame on you, Barack Obama," as she held the literature in question. “It is time you ran a campaign consistent with your messages in public. That’s what I expect from you. Meet me in Ohio. Let’s have a debate about your tactics and your behavior in this campaign.”
Less than two weeks after the writers' strike has come to an end, and sixteen weeks after the show went dark, Saturday Night Live makes its return this weekend. Everyone is checking in with the troupe to see what they missed most, and it's no surprise that it's been the chance to chime in on the primaries (Lorne Michaels called his show's absent voice, "dispiriting"); the NY Times notes the missed opportunities (ahem, Mitt Romney).