DVD Review: ‘Mama’s Family – The Complete Third Season’

Article first published as DVD Review: ‘Mama’s Family – The Complete Third Season’ on Blogcritics.

Mama’s Family, a spin-off of The Carol Burnett Show was canceled by NBC after only two seasons. Remember it airing more than that? That’s because a short time after the original cancellation, the show was revived in first-run syndication (meaning someone else, not the network, made the show and sold it for broadcast) for another four seasons. The first year of that reboot will soon be available in a four-disc set from StarVista and Time Life.

Based on Carol Burnett Show sketches, this iteration of  Mama’s Family features some changes that set it apart from its first years. Mama (Vicky Lawrence), her son, Vinton (Ken Berry), and Vinton’s gal, Naomi (Dorothy Lyman), remain. But Vinton’s kids, briefly mentioned in season three, then never brought up again, are out of the house, as is Mama’s sister, Fran, after a “natural” death.

From a practicality stand point, Rue McClanahan, who played Fran, was not able to come back because she had accepted a role in a little show called The Golden Girls. Ellen, Mama’s sister, is played by Betty White, who only appears in one episode of the syndication reboot for the same reason. So it’s not like those ladies were not funny, or were unceremoniously kicked off the series. As for the kids, well, that’s a different matter, and rumors swirled over Ed and Eunice’s (Harvey Korman and Carol Burnett) departure.

To plug the hole in the cast, Bubba Higgins (Allan Kayser), Eunice and Ed’s son, joins the clan, fresh out of a stint in juvie. His parents are said to have moved to Florida, and Mama is left to straighten Bubba out. Luckily, Mama has Iola (Beverly Archer) to rely on for support, her best friend and the other new main cast member.

The focus of the series shifted more to Mama herself by season three. She became a much more dominant personality, with Vint and Naomi being more obedient, making for less bickering. Perhaps America didn’t want to see so much strife in a loving family, or maybe the writers just wanted to highlight the fantastic Lawrence even more, but whatever the reason, The Complete Third Season is a bit of a different show.

Make no mistake about it, though; Mama’s Family remains a funny, beloved classic in this third year. In fact, this version may be the one many fans are most familiar with, the early seasons running for a shorter length of time. So there’s no reason to shy away from The Complete Third Season.

Among the installments of note in this set are: “Farewell, Frannie,” containing Fran’s funeral and Bubba’s arrival; “Where There’s a Will,” where Mama is forced to keep her temper in order to inherit Fran’s money; “Best Medicine,” in which Ellen returns and apologizes for missing the funeral; “Mama and Dr. Brothers” features Dr. Joyce Brothers (herself) helping Naomi with her bedroom troubles; “The Love Letter,” a comedy of errors; “Where There’s Smoke,” in which Mama tries to charm herself a leadership position in the church league; “Santa Mama” finds Mama playing Santa Claus at the mall; “Mama’s Cousin” has Lawrence playing two roles; and “The Best Policy,” in which Naomi may be trying to kill Vinton.

Honestly, though, I could have easily added more titles to that list of episodes to watch. Most of the entries in this set are really funny, and the show holds up tremendously well. Combined with some special features including a classic “Family” sketch featuring Downton Abbey‘s Maggie Smith, a featurette on Bubba, an interview with the actor that plays Bubba, and a cast reunion, this is a good release.

Mama’s Family – The Complete Third Season will be available this coming Tuesday from StarVista.

DVD Review: ‘The Dean Martin Celebrity Roasts Collector’s Edition’

Article first published as DVD Review: ‘The Dean Martin Celebrity Roasts Collector’s Edition’ on Blogcritics.

I am only 30 years old, so I missed the era of Dean Martin’s Celebrity Roasts, which stopped happening before I could talk. Yet, their presence resonated so much in our society that I am certainly familiar with them, as are many of my generation. We’re in luck now because StarVista and Time-Life have just released The Dean Martin Celebrity Roasts Collector’s Edition, a six-DVD set of the most memorable of these events.

Dean Martin sure had a lot of pals! The roast subjects in this collection include Johnny Carson, Bob Hope, Jimmy Stewart, Lucille Ball, Don Rickles, Jack Benny, Sammy Davis Jr., and Jackie Gleason. None of these people are all that relevant today (most have sadly passed away), but they are names every kid was familiar with, the legends of their time.

Dean attracts plenty of attendees, from politicians like Ronald Reagan and Barry Goldwater, to astronaut Neil Armstrong, to athlete Muhammad Ali, to comedians Phyllis Diller, Bob Newhart, and George Burns, to actors such as John Wayne, Dom DeLuise, Bette Davis, Florence Henderson, Milton Berle, Jonathan Winters, and so many more.

With lineups like these, The Dean Martin Celebrity Roasts are a veritable time capsule, a look at an era of pop culture and national history. The installments are a bit dated (they aired from 1973 to 1984): nostalgic for the older viewers who remember this stuff, but also informative and fascinating for those of us who weren’t around. It’s a real treat to look back in time so effectively.

Now, being from a period predating the political correctness movement, there are a lot of awful stereotypes and offensive jokes. Sexism and racism are clearly two guests at the show, and not the quiet types that sit in the corner. It is eye-opening to see how, so recently in our past, attitudes were so drastically different than they are today. This is only 30 or 50 years ago, but it seems America has changed a lot.

Overall, though, The Dean Martin Celebrity Roasts are just plain funny. Not everything holds up, nor would one expect it to, but a lot of it does. After all, Dean brought in the top talent, people whose work still lives on to this day, at least on Nick at Nite. The gags have staying power, and the roasters knew what they were doing, always competing with one another, bringing out the best in themselves.

This particular set boasts a dozen episodes, as well as quite a few special features, certainly welcome for the release. There are comedy sketches included, a couple of Dean’s full-length television specials, and a trio of featurettes about the creation and execution of the roasts. There are also “home” movies of Dean and some of his friends, and interviews with Betty White, Tim Conway, Don Rickles, Jackie Mason, Rich Little, and Ruth Buzzi. For a series so old, one doesn’t expect so many riches.

Besides The Dean Martin Celebrity Roasts Collector’s Edition, a complete DVD set of all 54 roasts is also available, with 15 hours of bonus features and a Dean Martin action figure. This set was not available for review, so I can’t speak to whether or not it is worth its hefty price tag. My interest has been piqued, but I don’t know if I will have the opportunity to check it out and see if the other episodes can live up to the twelve included in the set I received, of if these are the “best of.” It’s nice they released this smaller set, though, so whether you are a devotee or just curious, there are options.

The Dean Martin Celebrity Roasts Collector’s Edition is available now.

Go Home to MAMA'S FAMILY

Article first published as 'DVD Review: Mama's Family - The Complete First and Second Seasons' on Blogcritics.

When thinking back to the most fondly remembered sitcoms of the 1980s, Mama’s Family is surely one that comes to mind, viewed with warm nostalgia, even if it isn’t the pinnacle of television comedy. Cranky old Thelma “Mama” Harper, played hilariously by Vicki Lawrence, ran for six seasons, the first two on NBC, and then four much more popular years on CBS. Mama, herself, however, is a timeless character, who had a much longer lifespan on television than this series. Now, The Complete First Season and The Complete Second Season of this show are available on DVD.

Mama’s Family came at the end of an era of sitcoms. Having more in common than those which aired before it than what came after it, the series painted a portrait of an ungrateful family who Mama slaved away for, which justified her less-than-sunny disposition. She is the put-upon, caring matriarch viewers root for, giving a healthy dose of love and sound advice, whether her kids and relations want to listen to her or not. She is a parent, grandmother, and friend to any who need it.

That’s where the authenticity of the show came through. There was truth in her lamentations, and audiences could relate to both sides of the argument. Thelma was the familiar Mama, at least in that particular era for our society, and her issues were our issues. Sort of.

It’s a good thing there is much that is relatable and funny in the story, since the production is quite crude. Mama’s Family often feels like a play, with garish sets and costumes and harsh lighting. This helped reduce the cost of producing the show, and kept it on the air long enough to gain viewers, at least the second time around, but also makes it a little hard to get through until one adjusts to the style, or lack thereof. It is worth it to stick with it, the players being quite enjoyable.

Among the colorful characters in Mama’s life are: Mama’s sister and roommate Fran (Rue McClanahan, The Golden Girls), an uptight writer; Mama’s son, the youngest of three children, foolish Vinton (Ken Berry, Mayberry R.F.D.), who is evicted from his house and dumped by his wife, prompting him to move back in with Mama; Vinton’s love interest, trampy neighbor Naomi Oates (Dorothy Lyman, The Departed); Vinton’s stubborn, obedient son, Vinton Jr., otherwise known as Buzz (Eric Brown, The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman); and Vinton’s annoying, complaining teenage daughter, Sonja (Karin Argoud, The Stonecutter). This makes for a very full house indeed.

Which does not mean there isn’t room for others to drop by. Mama’s two daughters, Eunice (Carol Burnett, The Carol Burnett Show) and Ellen (Betty White, Golden Girls), put in appearances. And among the familiar faces making guest appearances in these two sets are Harvey Korman (Blazing Saddles), William Windom (To Kill a Mockingbird), Richard Dawson (Hogan‘s Heroes), Imogene Coca (Your Show of Shows), Jack Gilford (Cocoon), singer Jerry Reed (Smokey and the Bandit), and Fred Willard (Anchorman). While not all of these names have stayed in the lexicon today, they were big enough in their own time.

I think what’s most curious to me is that Mama’s Family is a spin-off of a recurring sketch from The Carol Burnett Show, which first spawned a TV movie, and then this series. Looking at other sketch comedies, I can’t imagine a premise holding it’s own for six years. Saturday Night Live bits have been turned into films, but not to my knowledge have they ever been developed as a weekly series. Yet, Mama’s Family worked very well in this format. I guess this is a testament to the unique, layered, fun characters The Carol Burnett Show created.

Speaking of the roots of this series, the extras on The Complete First Season and The Complete Second Season provide a look back at such things. On the first set, fans get one of the classic segments of “The Family” from The Carol Burnett Show. The second contains the aforementioned TV movie, Eunice. Other extras include interviews of some of the stars involved, an outline of the branches of Mama’s family tree, and a featurette about the series.

The only real complaint I have about this set is that it features the episodes in broadcast order, rather than production order. NBC aired them haphazardly, with a wedding that happens early in the run not having occurred yet in later episodes. This DVD set preserves that mistake, though it seems like it could have been an easy fix. Of course, anyone with access to Google can decide on their own how the installments should be watched, assuming they are aware of the issue ahead of time.

Bottom line, despite its flaws, or maybe a little bit because of them, as they seem true to form, Mama’s Family is a welcome addition to the DVD field, and it sure feels good to relive this series. Mama’s Family: The Complete First Season and Mama’s Family: The Complete Second Season are available now.

Retire Retired at 35

     TVLand's newest foray into original sitcom land premiered with a show just about as good as the pilot of Hot in Cleveland, which was good but not great. It felt dated, but not in too terrible a way, harking back to the sitcom 'Golden Age' of the '80's and '90's. The humor was mildly funny, without pushing many boundaries, or being too racy. I call it 'TV Fast Food': not much substance, but still enjoyable. Not the next big TV hit, but something I wouldn't mind watching.

     What makes me think Retired at 35 won't achieve Hot in Cleveland levels of improvement, though, can be summed up in one name: Betty White. There is no comparable player on this second show. The closest they come is Jessica Walter (Archer), whom I considered one of the best parts of Arrested Development, but who just doesn't get to the same level as White. She's funny, yes, but her humor is more straightforward. She doesn't have the ornery gleam in her eye.

     The story goes: a thirty-five year old man named David (Johnathan McClain) visits his parents, Elaine and Alan (Walter and George Segal, Just Shoot Me!), in their retirement village. While there, he realizes his job making "all wood involving foods" is majorly stressing him out and quits, staying with them. His friend, Brandon (Josh McDermitt), lives nearby, so he has a buddy to hang out with, and his high school crush, Jessica (Ryan Michelle Bathe, Trauma, Boston Legal) works at the local bar.

     After David quits, it inspires his mother to quit her marriage, taking off to find a hunk in Central America. Alan doesn't want to waste time being single, so he asks David to set him up, but rejects David's choice of Susan (Christine Ebersole, Royal Pains, Saturday Night Live) as too old. David feels bad, as Susan has already arrived for the date, and agrees to take her to dinner, only to quickly wind up in bed with her. Alan reconsiders, claiming nerves, and David learns Susan is Jessica's mother, which is supposed to be a big surprise twist, considering their different skin colors.

     Which to me means that Jessica and David are doomed from the start. How can he possibly get with her when he's slept with her mom? It would take many years, at minimum, for Jessica to get over that information once learned, which will surely be before too long. Does the show really expect to build proper will they / won't they chemistry after jumping off that cliff? I don't see it happening, and that one little moment kind of ruined the episode for me right there. Funny, yes, if Jessica had been a random girl of the week for David. Since she's a main character, it's nearly unacceptable. I understand David and Jessica needed obstacles to overcome, since they were both so willing to go for the relationship, even if they hadn't told each other yet, but this was way too big an obstacle.

     I was disappointed that Walter was in so little of the episode, taking off early on. As I mentioned before, she is the biggest draw for me. However, her name also graces the opening credits, so I'm sure she will be returning quite soon, likely after her husband sleeps with someone. Or, more funny, he doesn't, but she has.

     I don't know if this show is going anywhere, but if you're bored, it wouldn't hurt to watch. Retired at 35 airs Wednesday nights at 10:30 p.m. on TVLand.

Article first published as TV Review: Retire Retired at 35 on Blogcritics.

For frequent mini-reviews and occasional TV news, follow Jerome on Twitter.

Hot in Cleveland Season 2 Premiere Sizzles

      I liked TVLand's Hot in Cleveland last summer. It was a little corny, but felt like so many other classic sitcoms on the network, that it fit right in. Nice job to the network for making a new series that feels old, but in a good way. Last night was the second season premiere, and things have only improved during the break. The writing is tighter, the cast is more confident in their characters, and the humor got a little racier. Now if only they'd get rid of, or at least turn down considerably, that annoying laugh track!

     Ok, so the laugh track is part of the charm. But when Mary Tyler Moore took the stage in her much-hyped guest star turn at the onset of the episode, it was so loud that it was distracting! I get the audience's reaction; every MTM line was solid gold, especially the immortal "You've got spunk. I can't stand spunk.", which was just one of the references to The Mary Tyler Moore Show, which Betty White also starred with her in. But I wanted to enjoy it for myself. Laugh track aside, MTM's stint was every bit as good as I expected it to be, better even, and I found myself wishing she'd done more than those few moments at the beginning. Repeat, anyone?

     Mary aside, the show also showed wisdom by bringing back neighbor Rick (Wayne Knight, Seinfeld). In this first episode, Rick proposes to Joy (Jane Leeves) so that she can get a green card and stay in the U.S. She blows him off, but after joining Elka (Betty White) in prison, sadly, after MTM is released, Joy gets a bit more desperate. Rick anonymously bails them out, though he does make sure Joy finds out who is to thank, and she is soon on her knees asking for his hand in marriage, an arc that should keep Knight coming back for awhile.

     I was surprised at how risque some of the humor was this week, and not just Joy on her knees. The show does deal with sex plenty, that was always one of its facets, but in "Free Elka", this week's premiere, there certainly seemed to be more of than usual. Rick kept talking about his balls. Elka and Rick admit to an affair, which provides several punchlines. Really, anytime Rick was around, lots and lots of sex talk. Not that I'm complaining.

     Of course, not all of the jokes were of the off-color variety. I laughed quite a bit at poor Pete (David Starzyk), who kept trying to tell Melanie (Valerie Bertinelli) that he loves her, too, as she said to him in last summer's finale. Unfortunately, with Pete frequently arresting Melanie's friends, she doesn't have much patience for him. I found the situation bizarrely amusing. It seems Pete is being set up to stay around for a bit, so I'm glad they worked it out when Pete finally accepted his girlfriend's law-breaking friends, and began to let their behavior slide. I just hope he doesn't lose his job.

     I was also pleased to see Elka show some real compassion. I worship Betty White, and have before it became recently trendy again, but Elka is often portrayed fairly mean-spirited, especially towards Joy, whom she doesn't care for. This week, Elka and Joy used their time behind bars to bond, rather than trade barbs. It was a welcome step towards cementing the friendship of the four central women, as Elka is definitely part of their group by this point.

     Victoria (Wendie Malick) was the lone actress who wasn't really featured as much this week. That's OK; she'll surely get her turn. The series is generally pretty balanced to its four stars, all of which are, in fact, stars. Victoria was around, she just didn't have a rich solo story. I guess with everything else going on, it was just Victoria's turn to take a breather.

     Hot in Cleveland airs on TVLand Wenesday nights at 10 p.m.

Article first published as TV Review: Hot in Cleveland Season 2 Premiere Sizzles on Blogcritics.

For frequent mini-reviews and occasional TV news, follow Jerome on Twitter.

2010 Emmys: Guest Actors and Actresses

    The Emmy nominations for this year are out. This is television's biggest awards show, and as a television reviewer, I couldn't help but be excited. Sure, there were some snubs, but there were also some pleasant surprises. With lots of time left until the statues are handed out on August 29th, there is plenty of time to examine who's up for what. In this fifth in a series of articles, I'll look at the the guest star awards.

Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series: Mike O'Malley, Glee "Wheels"; Neil Patrick Harris, Glee, "Dream On"; Fred Willard, Modern Family, "Travels With Scout"; Eli Wallach, Nurse Jackie, "Chicken Soup"; Jon Hamm, 30 Rock, "Emmanuelle Goes to Dinosaur Land"; Will Arnett, 30 Rock, "Into the Crevasse".  Mike O'Malley deserves this award the most.  His turn as the father who doesn't hate his gay son, and tries everything he can do make him feel accepted, was fantastic.  Definitely some of my favorite scenes in season one.  That being said, Eli was also great, and Fred Willard could always use a little more credit.  Honestly, I wouldn't be disappointed by anyone on this list.  It's a great group.  But O'Malley, all the way.

Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series: Christine Baranski, The Big Bang Theory, "The Maternal Congruence"; Kathryn Joosten, Desperate Housewives, "The Chase"; Kristen Chenoweth, Glee, "The Rhodes Not Taken"; Tina Fey, Saturday Night Live, "Host: Tina Fey"; Betty White, Saturday Night Live, "Host: Betty White"; Elaine Stritch, 30 Rock, "The Moms"; Jane Lynch, Two and a Half Men, "818-JKLPUZO".  I love me some Lynch and some Chenoweth and some Stritch and some Fey, but let's clear those out of this cluttered category right now, because I don't think they'll win.  With White's momentum, including the groundswell facebook campaign that got her the gig, I see her as the favorite.  However, Baranski gave my favorite performance of the above choice (disclosure: I did not see Lynch's because that's a terrible show).  I also like Joosten quite a bit, as she's won before, I don't want to discount her.

Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series: Beau Bridges, The Closer, "Make Over"; Ted Danson, Damages, "The Next One's Gonna Go In Your Throat"; John Lithgow, Dexter, "Road Kill"; Alan Cumming, The Good Wife, "Fleas"; Dylan Baker, The Good Wife, "Bad"; Robert Morse, Mad Men, "Shut the Door, Have a Seat"; Gregory Itzin, 24, "1:00 PM - 2:00 PM".  All I can say is tough, tough, tough.  Lithgow's buzz makes me lean towards him, although I haven't watched it yet.  I am buzzing through Dexter as fast as I can, but I just started the series two weeks ago!  Itzin was wonderful, as always, and 24 just couldn't resist bringing him back again for good reason.  My third choice would be Cumming.  But again, tough category filled with very talented men.  This is one I am very unsure about my choices.

Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series: Mary Kay Place, Big Love, "The Might and The Strong"; Sissy Spacek, Big Love, "End of Days"; Shirley Jones, The Cleaner, "Does Everybody Have a Drink?"; Lily Tomlin, Damages, "Your Secrets Are Safe"; Ann-Margret, Law & Order: SVU, "Bedtime"; Elizabeth Mitchell, Lost, "The End".  I hate to admit it, but I only saw two of the above performances: Tomlin and Mitchell.  Both were excellent, both were talked about.  I favor Tomlin a little more.  However, Jones has been absent from television a long time, as has Ann-Margret, so my instincts are telling me these two legends may be battling it out.  We'll just have to wait and see.

     The 62nd Primetime Emmy Awards will air live Sunday, August 29th at 8pm on NBC.

Hot in Cleveland just lukewarm

    TVLand is trying their hand at making a sitcom instead of just airing old ones from the other networks.  Their first project of the type, Hot in Cleveland, feels incredibly dated.  Which may not be a bad thing.  Considering who TVLand's target audience is, Hot in Cleveland should fit in nicely.  Perhaps it's the humor, or the bottled laugh track, or the "filmed in front of a life studio audience" line at the beginning.  There isn't just one element, but the show definitely feels like it aired in the 1980's, or maybe the early 1990's at the latest.

     The cast is charming.  Melanie (Valerie Bertinelli, One Day at a Time, Touched By an Angel) is the one who fits best in the old mold, even though each of the four main actresses has already had success in the sitcom medium.  She is also the catalyst for the series's main plot.  Recently divorced, she is with two friends on a trip to Paris when their plane is held over in Northern Ohio.  Stopping at a local bar, Melanie and her friends soon realize that they are quite attractive when compared with the local women, and much more valued than they are in their home city of Los Angeles.  It is a premise that teases at our country's divide.  Plenty of L.A. and New York City denizens see the entire country between them, to borrow a phrase from a well known comedian, as one giant red state.  Different culture exists outside of those two large cities, and it's fun to see it acknowledged the way it is.

     Melanie's friends decide to stay with her when she rents a house in Cleveland.  Joy (Jane Leeves, Frasier) is a mess, in the second episode dating a young man that she thinks might be her son.  Victoria (Wendie Malick, Just Shoot Me!) recently had her long-running soap opera canceled, so she has nothing better to do.  The first episode was all about the set up, but as the characters get more fleshed out, we find their true vulnerabilities.  Such as Victoria pretending to like the giant supermarket because fans fawn over her when she goes.  Why doesn't L.A. or NYC have big chain stores?  Why would these women not shop at them?  Again, cultural divide.

     Rounding out the cast is the 'caretaker' that came with the rented house, Elka (Betty White, The Golden Girls, Mary Tyler Moore, Boston Legal, etc.).  Despite the odd name, Elka has no accent.  She's just a grandmotherly type in a track seat with no obvious family around.  Elka gets all the good jokes, and let's be honest here.  Despite the talent and credentials the other three women bring to the show, most viewers will tune in for White, an American comedy legend.

     The chemistry is charming.  It's no Golden Girls, but it'll do for now.  It's television fast food: comfortable, tastes good, but without a lot of substance.  Yet, there is not necessarily anything wrong with that, and Hot in Cleveland does better than most at fulfilling the empty calorie content.

     Hot in Cleveland airs Wednesday nights at 10pm on TVLand.

Where did all the good Saturday Night Live go?

     With the close of the latest season of NBC's Saturday Night Live, one question hangs over our heads: why does SNL currently suck?  It still includes most of the same cast that made it such a hit during the 2008 election.  Kristen Wiig is still a comic genius.  Andy Samberg still makes Digital Shorts, though the laughs come less often.  Will Forte is taking his MacGruber sketch to the big screen very soon.  Bobby Moynihan can still deliver with his impersonation of Snooki from Jersey Shore.  Seth Meyers remains the head writer, and the Weekend Update segments are as funny as ever.  But the rest of the show largely falls flat on it's face.

     To get an answer, perhaps we should ask why any season of Saturday Night Live has sucked.  On the air for thirty-five years, the series run in hit and miss cycles, and we are currently in the middle of a low point, made all the more obvious by just high they got in fall 2008.  Even Betty White, bringing a host of alumni with her, delivered only mediocre stuff.  Don't hate on me for saying it.  I was enthralled with the beloved actress and her posse as anyone, but had the season been where it should have been, that episode would not have seemed as good as it did.  At best, it was good, not great.

      Perhaps in an effort to salvage something, uber-host Alec Baldwin was brought in for the season finale this weekend, tying Steve Martin's record of 15 hosting episodes.  Sadly, he, too, left something to be desired.  Let me say that again.  Alec Baldwin had a bad episode.  That just doesn't happen.  So why, with all the golden ingredients, is SNL not doing better?

     I can come up with no satisfying explanation.  I remember how good the show is when it hits it's peaks, and so I'll just do what any of us can do.  Keep watching, hoping it gets there again soon.

SNL: Betty White is not too old for this s***

     Last night's special Mother's Day edition of NBC's Saturday Night Live was a ratings hit, and an audience's delight.  Despite the over three decades the show has been on the air, and the nearly twice that that Betty White has been active in show business, the two had never come together until the 88 year old hosted last night's show.  She had been offered the gig several times, but turned it down, and so SNL had stopped asking.  Then came a recent facebook group, pleased with White's Snickers commercial during this year's Super Bowl, and she decided she couldn't let down the half a million fans petitioning for her.

     The show started surprisingly rocky.  The opening sketch before the theme song was one that has been done on the show before, and despite featuring white and all six SNL female alum who joined her on screen, it stunk.  However, once that was out of the way, the episode was quite good.  White played a nursing home cop in CSI: Sarasota, was McGruber's disturbing grandmother, and, along with several great movie references, made the recurring sketch "Scared Straight" actually funny!  A touching tribute of the current and guest cast singing "Thank You For Being a Friend" to her turned into White donning a ski mask and beating the hell out of them.  In segment after segment, White proved that she should have taken the job years ago.

     The outpouring of emotion directed at White by both the actors sharing the stage and the audience was apparent.  Jay-Z dedicated a touching rendition of "Forever Young" to her, and as she was handed multiple bouquets of flowers at the end, surely tears came to many an eye.  Unfortunately, Jay-Z did not appear in any skits, despite rumors that he would.

     Joining White were a slew of female alum, which, unfortunately, didn't leave room for the current cast to do all that much.  However, they certainly showed that they were missed.  Ana Gasteyer and Molly Shannon brought back their famous NPR radio show sketch, Shannon also appeared as Sally O'Mally, and Maya Rudolph brought back Whitney Houston.  "Really With Seth (Meyers) and Amy" (Poehler) was resurrected, and added to as "Really With Seth, Amy, and Tina" (Fey).  Rachel Dratch didn't reprise any popular characters, because her Debbier Downer sketch was sadly cut (it can be seen at this link), but she's always welcome in good comedy.  Also cut, but on Hulu, are a Bronx Beat, Joyologist Helen Madden, and C-SPAN's coverage of the Times Square Bomber.  The night ended with Tina and Betty doing a hilarious U.S. Census questionnaire.  Betty was sweet, with plenty of profanity.

     All in all, it was a great night for the show and a triumph for Ms. White.  I certainly wouldn't call in the funniest episode of Saturday Night Live ever, or even of this season, but it was familiar, emotionally moving, and what it needed to be.  Kudos to all involved.

     Saturday Night Live airs Saturday nights at 11:30pm on NBC.

Tina Fey hosts best Saturday Night Live of the season

     In a year of mediocrity, Tina Fey (30 Rock) returned to her old stomping ground on NBC's Saturday Night Live last night and proved that the show can still deliver.  With an opening monologue that featured a brief cameo from comic legend Steve Martin, Fey knocked it out of the park from the get-go.  She also was allowed to flex her Weekend Update chops, returning to the desk alongside the man who now has her former job, both as anchor and head writer, Seth Meyers.  Of course, no Fey episode would be complete without the character that brought her back to the show a number of time in the last few years, Sarah Palin.  The Sarah Palin Network, a new station being launched, featured a number of hilarious ideas, including Palin playing a parody of Fey on 30 Main Street, and her husband Todd solving crimes in the big city while riding a snow machine.  It was funny enough, I wish it were real.

     The success can't all be credited to Fey, as talented as she is.  The opening featuring Fred Armisen as Barack Obama going over this year's Census form made me laugh harder than anything in recent memory.  Although the questions were not the same ones featured on the actual census, they played to every right wing eccentric's fears, asking where the firearms are kept and when the residents would not be home.  The SNL version also queried several sexual topics, and asked which members of the household did not support the health care overhaul, so that they would not receive care in the inevitable shortage to come.

     Also of note was Jason Sudeikis's portrayal of The Devil during Update.  It seems even the ruler of hell objects to what priests are doing to young children, and how dare they claim that He had anything to do with it.  Top tier comedy.

     The low point, unfortunately, was the musical guest.  Sudden teen sensation Justin Bieber performed his own numbers decently, but stunk up a couple of sketches.  Particularly, the one where he had a number of lines as a student that a teacher, played by Fey, was in love with.  Bieber was required to sing several parodies of his own music, which he performed not very well, and with no emotion.  He also was incredibly lame on the dialogue.  It begs to question, is his voice polished by computer and every live performance is lip synched?  Or does he just practice certain things many, many time until he finally gets them right, and did not have time to do it for SNL?  Either way, tween fans would probably object strenuously, but Bieber stunk.

     Fey will soon return as part of a 'Women of Comedy' episode on Mother's Day Weekend with Betty White and other SNL alum.  Saturday Night Live airs Saturday nights at 11:30pm on NBC.

Betty White: hotter than ever

     And by hotter, I mean in demand.  No offense to the former Golden Girl, and sure, she looks great for her age, but senior citizens aren't really my thing.  :)  However, big news on the heels of her Superbowl commercial success:  Betty White may soon be hosting Saturday Night Live!  This is more than a rumor, but it's not yet a done deal, either.  Yet, being the key word, as talks are currently in progress.
     The hub bub started with a facebook group. which at the time of this writing, had over 425,000 fans and is steadily climbing, started petitioning for her.  The 88 year old actress has surprisingly never hosted the long running sketch comedy.  However, with SNL in a slump, and White as amazing as ever, when would be a better time for the two to unite?  To help the aging star handle the workload of hosting the 90 minute program, it has been suggested that she bring out other Ladies of Comedy to assist.  Rumor is that former SNL cast members Molly Shannon, Amy Poehler, and the fantastic Tina Fey would be on board as her entourage.  As giddy as I would be for a White-hosted episode, imagining all of these wonderful comediennes together seems even better.
     White, who starred in such comedies as The Golden Girls, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, and Boston Legal certainly has the comedic chops to pull off such a project.  Fey (30 Rock) has been reportedly thinking about bringing back the hugely popular Sarah Palin impersonation.  Poehler's Parks and Recreation may easily be the most improved show this year.  And despite the failure of last season's Kath & Kim, we all know Shannon can handle the laughs.