That's Nater-Tainment Special Report: Zach Galifianakis Hosts Saturday Night Live for the Second Time

As I have said in a previous post, I always enjoy staying up late on Saturday nights so I could the ninety minute comedy block that is Saturday Night Live. It is very fun to see who is hosting the evening’s showcase and interacting with the talented cast. And last night was no exception as I was excited to see The Hangover’s comedic powerhouse Zach Galifianakis take the stage at 30 Rockefeller Plaza in New York City. Though I was a little worried that the writers would underuse him just like they did last year; as I recall that they featured him in many underwritten sketches last March. However, I was very pleased that head writer Seth Meyers and the show’s writers and cast featured the hilarious comedian-turned-actor in unique and intriguing comedic pieces. And Galifianakis himself gave a hilarious and distinctive performance throughout the evening that enabled me to laugh heavily and smile widely. Henceforth, it is with delight that I proclaim:

Zach Galifianakis’ Second Saturday Night Live Hosting Stint Was Very Funny and Enjoyable

The show’s hilarious opening sketch appeared at first to be a program dedicated to covering March Madness. However, it ultimately proved not to be a case as the sports anchors, portrayed by veteran cast members Jason Sudekis and Kenan Thompson, were using the well-known Bracket System to outline which personalities were the most crazy in the world. They covered foreign figures like Omar Kadafi, who was played by Fred Armisen, and people in Hollywood; which included Academy Award Winner Melissa Leo, who was played with such extreme zaniness by the talented Kristen Wiig, and leading up to Charlie Sheen, portrayed with great zest and lunacy by the skilled Bill Hader. The opening proved to be one of the best of the season and it looked like the show was off to a great start.

The night then proceeded to Zach Galifianakis monologue; which featured greatly-crafted and offbeat stand-up. The talented performer buzzed creative one-liners and then proceeded to give a mock-serious presentation on many of his concerns going on in the world. The entire piece consisted of Galifianakis sporting attire resembling that of Little Orphan Annie and lip-syncing to the song “Tomorrow” from that particular musical; all the while going through jokes written on the giant pages of a large notepad on an easel. The whole routine and presentation was utterly hilarious and original; and I was laughing and cheering throughout. This show was definitely going to be fun.


Image taken from http://thumbnails.hulu.com/130/50131130/248567_512x288_generated.jpg

And the show’s amusement would not stop. The first sketch was a spoof of the CBS talk show The Talk; with Kristen Wiig portraying the show’s host Julie Chen. The other female cast members portrayed the other hosts of the show; Leah Remini (Abby Elliot), Sharon Osbourne (Nasim Pedrad), and Sara Gilbert (Vanessa Bayer). But Zach Galifianakis stole the whole sketch as an audience member that was a fan of similar talk show The View; and felt that his birthday was ruined as he was actually attending a different program. The whole sketch proved to be very funny as Bill Hader portrayed a flamboyantly-dressed Steven Tyler and the piece’s ultimate punchline was very well-timed; as was Galifianakis’ performance.

Other highlights during the course of the evening included a filmed commercial featuring several of the cast and Zach Galifianakis portraying different types of modern day stand-up comedians highlighting a comedy showcase on DVD; as well as a pre-taped piece in which Galifianakis is looking for a new assistant—which was very interesting as all the applicants happened to be children. Galifianakis even gave laughs in a Scared Straight sketch in which he actually played second filled to Kenan Thompson’s inmate character Lorenzo McIntosh. But nevertheless, he stole the sketch as a Hannibal-Lector-type inmate; complete with being wheeled in on a similar contraption. Galifianakis also was the highlight of a Canadian talk show sketch; which featured the mild-mannered anchors, portrayed by Fred Armisen and Kristen Wiig, respecting Hollywood celebrities’ private lives. Just hearing our host’s over-exaggerated Canadian accent was hilarious as well as the sight of him in hat and scarf. I also got a a few chuckles out of the last sketch of the night; in which Zach played the cowardly captain of The Titanic who attempted to disguise himself as a woman so he could get on a life boat. While the material was nothing completely special, his performance was very funny and the cast diid well with the material as well. `

Image taken from http://www.blogcdn.com/www.tvsquad.com/media/2011/03/zach-g-snl-300-nbc.jpg

Besides Zach Galifianakis, there were other parts of the show I enjoyed. One such highlight was Kristen Wiig playing Julie Taymor, the ousted director of the Spider Man musical, who sang about her and her musical’s troubles; as well as constantly bring up the fact that she directed the Broadway version of The Lion King. I also enjoyed both performances of the evening’s musical guest Jessie J; whose soulful crooning was a welcome treat from a lot of the rap artists that were on the show this season. It was also nice to see B.O.B. taking part in Jessie J’s first performance; seeing as he’s been involved with a lot of musicians this past year.

There were, of course, some downsides throughout the evening as well. There was a sketch where Zach Galifianakis and Kristen Wiig played parents who were straying to tell their kids truth about their dog’s death. The whole piece felt awkward in its writing and execution and it was dealing with a subject that wasn't exactly funny. I also do feel that, while Galifianakis was very funny in it, the Scared Straight sketch has been done multiple times and that Kenan Thompson’s performance is nothing particularly exciting or original.

However, the show was definitely a nice change of pace from this season and I’m happy to see Zach Galifianakis used very well tonight. He was definitely one of my favorite hosts this season and he definitely blended in well with this cast; unlike some of the other hosts of the season--- particularly Scarlett Johansson, Robert DeNiro, and Jesse Eisenberg. Thus, Zach Galifianakis gave a great performance last night and I am definitely looking forward to seeing Sir Elton John host on April 2. So, thank you Zach Galifianakis and the cast of Saturday Night Live for entertaining me last night; complete with laughs, fun, and memories.