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Lorne Michaels really seems to have a talent for understanding talent and seeing the bigger picture in it all. The more I read about Conan getting Late Night to

Lorne Michaels really seems to have a talent for understanding talent and seeing the bigger picture in it all. The more I read about Conan getting Late Night to replace Letterman, the more I thought, “what kind of madman would put some writer like that on such a perch? Madness!” But Conan is arguably one of the greatest. I feel like a lot of industry people are successful because of connections or simply through volume. But Lorne’s bibliography really makes it hard to think the same. P.S. Pete Davidson has quite a story to tell and I enjoy him at times, but I still don’t understand what he was doing on SNL. It was like they just pulled “that guy” from the friend group who said, “pffft I could do that.” Improv is one of those things that really looks easy but there’s ridiculous depth and talent to being consistently good at it.

fineIllregister 3y ago
> I still don’t understand what he was doing on SNL. It was like they just pulled “that guy” from the friend group who said, “pffft I could do that.” Improv... SNL isn't improvised. Also I've never heard anyone claim Pete Davidson has improv ability.
- NoZebra120vClip 3y ago
  SNL players are often drawn from those who are experienced in improv. In fact, as a live show, the players are often forced to improv due to circumstances, and you may find that some of the most famous, funniest lines/scenes were improv. The writers change up the script until the last second, anyway, so the players are usually just as surprised at their lines as anyone. As a recent example, "Lisa from Temecula", there was much discussion whether Ego's retort "oh, cuz we Black?!" was improv, and also, as a sketch that was nearly cut from the lineup, they decided to run it with a hilarious shaking table, which was the source of Pascal's surprise and laughter, and infectious to the rest of the cast.
  - pfranz 3y ago
    I've always heard that Lorne is famously against improvisation while shooting. There have been numerous examples over the years of people getting in trouble for doing it. Here's one article [1]. There are very minor changes that don't seem to cause problems. Bill Hader talked about Fred Armisen's delivery of "What are you doing here?" in the first Californians sketch being different when shooting causing him to have trouble keeping from laughing. This article [2] says, “Oh, ’cause we Black?” was added ahead of the run-through, but camera direction changed and not everyone was informed who the camera would be showing as it was delivered. [1] https://www.slashfilm.com/1225418/why-lorne-michaels-doesnt-want-improv-on-saturday-night-live/ https://www.slashfilm.com/1225418/why-lorne-michaels-doesnt-... [2] https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2023/02/snl-lisa-from-temecula-sketch-oral-history https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2023/02/snl-lisa-from-t...
    - NoZebra120vClip 3y ago
      Ah, thanks for pointing this out! Yeah, I was unaware of how little of it there really is. It does make a lot of sense, of course. And the cast is often maligned for their poor eye contact and wooden reading of the cue cards, so it's clear to see how they're under orders to stick to the scripts. Considering how much improv background some of them have, they may begin to resent that!
    - jakubmazanec 3y ago
      My favorite example of improv that made it to air is Space, The Infinite Frontier: Dr. Kent Wahler. Here https://youtu.be/gQDqRlMeJ4U?si=rRNKw2TZyyV3xcLR&t=177 https://youtu.be/gQDqRlMeJ4U?si=rRNKw2TZyyV3xcLR&t=177 is when Will Ferrel realizes he improvised too much and Jeff Goldblum is too confused, and steers back.
  - fineIllregister 3y ago
    SNL hires a lot of people with improv background because that's where comedy makers are. They hire just as many people from stand-up backgrounds, because that's the other place comedians are. Last year's new four were all stand-up, like Pete Davidson. Improv players are in a good position because being able to create comedy in the moment (improv) is a good proxy for being able to create comedy over a week (SNL). Writing is so important to SNL that players must either write themselves or partner with a writer to get airtime. Some of the best moments were improvised, for sure, but they're not planning on it (obviously) and they're not depending on it. The sibling comment said enough about that. > The writers change up the script until the last second, anyway, so the players are usually just as surprised at their lines as anyone. Yeah, it's written. They're reading the lines. Not improvised. Obviously they're bringing creativity to it in their acting, but they've heard it in pitch meeting, they've contributed to writing it, they've heard it at table read, they've heard it at dress rehearsal, maybe a line on the cue card has changed. There are moments of improvisation, but SNL is emphatically not improv.
paulcole 3y ago
Pete Davidson is young, cool, and funny. Why wouldn’t he be on SNL?
- khazhoux 3y ago
  His voice is very personal and very unlike the standard writing on SNL. At first I couldn't figure out why he was cast. But once he started doing his material on Weekend Update about his own life, it was clear that he brought something new and different.
- willcipriano 3y ago
  Pete Davidson is funny? I just assumed SNL pivoted away from comedy or something.
  - paulcole 3y ago
    Yeah it’s strange. I think SNL peaked when I was 19 and my dad says the exact same thing about when he was 19.
    - hotnfresh 3y ago
      It’s had multiple good and bad runs, usually lasting a few years each—the show’s been on a long time—so rather than this being one of those “everyone thinks X was best when they were age Y” you could both kinda be right.
- Turing_Machine 3y ago
  I agree that he's young.
pbj1968 3y ago
Conan has been cringe and terrible since he got a TV show. He wrote a few decent Simpsons episodes.
- rileymat2 3y ago
  I disagree that he is terrible, but I do appreciate your comment, because he was that sort of cringe comedy before I had a name for it, now that I think of it.
- hoten 3y ago
  No one person writes an episode of TV, at least not the Simpsons.
- browningstreet 3y ago
  I can’t stand Leno or Conan and like Pete Davidson. That’s all.
tadfisher 3y ago
Conan replaced Jay Leno on the Tonight Show, not Letterman.
- NoZebra120vClip 3y ago
  Conan famously replaced Letterman on Late Night, not the Tonight Show, in 1993, and built his empire on that show. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Late_Night_with_Conan_O%27Brien https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Late_Night_with_Conan_O%27Brie...

fineIllregister 3y ago

> I still don’t understand what he was doing on SNL. It was like they just pulled “that guy” from the friend group who said, “pffft I could do that.” Improv... SNL isn't improvised. Also I've never heard anyone claim Pete Davidson has improv ability.

NoZebra120vClip 3y ago
SNL players are often drawn from those who are experienced in improv. In fact, as a live show, the players are often forced to improv due to circumstances, and you may find that some of the most famous, funniest lines/scenes were improv. The writers change up the script until the last second, anyway, so the players are usually just as surprised at their lines as anyone. As a recent example, "Lisa from Temecula", there was much discussion whether Ego's retort "oh, cuz we Black?!" was improv, and also, as a sketch that was nearly cut from the lineup, they decided to run it with a hilarious shaking table, which was the source of Pascal's surprise and laughter, and infectious to the rest of the cast.
- pfranz 3y ago
  I've always heard that Lorne is famously against improvisation while shooting. There have been numerous examples over the years of people getting in trouble for doing it. Here's one article [1]. There are very minor changes that don't seem to cause problems. Bill Hader talked about Fred Armisen's delivery of "What are you doing here?" in the first Californians sketch being different when shooting causing him to have trouble keeping from laughing. This article [2] says, “Oh, ’cause we Black?” was added ahead of the run-through, but camera direction changed and not everyone was informed who the camera would be showing as it was delivered. [1] https://www.slashfilm.com/1225418/why-lorne-michaels-doesnt-want-improv-on-saturday-night-live/ https://www.slashfilm.com/1225418/why-lorne-michaels-doesnt-... [2] https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2023/02/snl-lisa-from-temecula-sketch-oral-history https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2023/02/snl-lisa-from-t...
  - NoZebra120vClip 3y ago
    Ah, thanks for pointing this out! Yeah, I was unaware of how little of it there really is. It does make a lot of sense, of course. And the cast is often maligned for their poor eye contact and wooden reading of the cue cards, so it's clear to see how they're under orders to stick to the scripts. Considering how much improv background some of them have, they may begin to resent that!
  - jakubmazanec 3y ago
    My favorite example of improv that made it to air is Space, The Infinite Frontier: Dr. Kent Wahler. Here https://youtu.be/gQDqRlMeJ4U?si=rRNKw2TZyyV3xcLR&t=177 https://youtu.be/gQDqRlMeJ4U?si=rRNKw2TZyyV3xcLR&t=177 is when Will Ferrel realizes he improvised too much and Jeff Goldblum is too confused, and steers back.
- fineIllregister 3y ago
  SNL hires a lot of people with improv background because that's where comedy makers are. They hire just as many people from stand-up backgrounds, because that's the other place comedians are. Last year's new four were all stand-up, like Pete Davidson. Improv players are in a good position because being able to create comedy in the moment (improv) is a good proxy for being able to create comedy over a week (SNL). Writing is so important to SNL that players must either write themselves or partner with a writer to get airtime. Some of the best moments were improvised, for sure, but they're not planning on it (obviously) and they're not depending on it. The sibling comment said enough about that. > The writers change up the script until the last second, anyway, so the players are usually just as surprised at their lines as anyone. Yeah, it's written. They're reading the lines. Not improvised. Obviously they're bringing creativity to it in their acting, but they've heard it in pitch meeting, they've contributed to writing it, they've heard it at table read, they've heard it at dress rehearsal, maybe a line on the cue card has changed. There are moments of improvisation, but SNL is emphatically not improv.

paulcole 3y ago

Pete Davidson is young, cool, and funny. Why wouldn’t he be on SNL?

khazhoux 3y ago
His voice is very personal and very unlike the standard writing on SNL. At first I couldn't figure out why he was cast. But once he started doing his material on Weekend Update about his own life, it was clear that he brought something new and different.
willcipriano 3y ago
Pete Davidson is funny? I just assumed SNL pivoted away from comedy or something.
- paulcole 3y ago
  Yeah it’s strange. I think SNL peaked when I was 19 and my dad says the exact same thing about when he was 19.
  - hotnfresh 3y ago
    It’s had multiple good and bad runs, usually lasting a few years each—the show’s been on a long time—so rather than this being one of those “everyone thinks X was best when they were age Y” you could both kinda be right.
Turing_Machine 3y ago
I agree that he's young.

pbj1968 3y ago

Conan has been cringe and terrible since he got a TV show. He wrote a few decent Simpsons episodes.

rileymat2 3y ago
I disagree that he is terrible, but I do appreciate your comment, because he was that sort of cringe comedy before I had a name for it, now that I think of it.
hoten 3y ago
No one person writes an episode of TV, at least not the Simpsons.
browningstreet 3y ago
I can’t stand Leno or Conan and like Pete Davidson. That’s all.

tadfisher 3y ago

Conan replaced Jay Leno on the Tonight Show, not Letterman.

NoZebra120vClip 3y ago
Conan famously replaced Letterman on Late Night, not the Tonight Show, in 1993, and built his empire on that show. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Late_Night_with_Conan_O%27Brien https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Late_Night_with_Conan_O%27Brie...