Maybe mild disappointment was inevitable–we were all just a little too excited, a little too sure of the guaranteed awesomeness of an SNL hosted by Neil Patrick Harris.
And it certainly wasn’t bad. NPH scored laughs right off the bat bashing child star rival Fred Savage (see opening monologue embedded below) and kept us smiling with bouncy characters (the guy from Rent; an exercise instructor, embedded after the jump ). But the sketches never really clicked, and Harris only got a few chances to show off the comic chops that earned him a Golden Globe nod this year for his How I Met Your Mother performance (tune in tonight to see if he wins).
At least he didn’t have to worry about getting shown up by the musical guest and guest stars (We still love you anyway, Paul Rudd!). Taylor Swift gets props for gusto despite so-so songs, but was her guitar even plugged in? And a pantsless Liza Minnelli, while certainly a hoot, just doesn’t pack quite the same thrill as a pantsless Justin Timberlake.
So here’s hoping NPH gets another shot at hosting soon. Because with the right sketches, there’s no doubt that he could be nothing short of legen…..wait for it…..dary. (Okay, it’s funnier when he does it.)
So, what do you think PopWatchers? Was the show better or worse than you expected? Should Neil Patrick Harris get another shot at hosting? Or should they just turn the whole thing over to Liza and the tomato next time?
Maybe SNL needs to get rid of the writers and current cast and hire funny people.
I think we can all agree that a person can only be as funny as the material the writers give them. The writers on SNL have been truly terrible for a while now. Neil Patrick Harris deserves so much better than that. I agree, the writers have got to go.
They wasted him. The show is just awful, and Kristen whatsherface — horrible. Every character is the same.
You can only work with the materials you are given. I think he was handicapped by the horrible concepts. I loved him.
I thought the show was absolutely hilarious and among the best of the past couple seasons.
I honestly enjoyed the show. I think NPH helped a lot of sketches become funny. I didn’t even smirk until he showed up at the Today Show sketch. But funny can’t happen unless the writing is good. I think NPH was one of the best actors for the job. His facial expressions and movements fit well with the actual scene. Many host give a mere two or three different expressions or have the same expression throughout. I think NPH did fabulous compared to some recent hosts. I just really miss having better writers.
And no, Liza M. and the tomato could not have done a better job.
The show certainly had its funny moments. Harris was a good guest and performed well. He also seemed to be having fun, which is typically a good sign. Taylor Swift, who I’d never hear of before, was terribly lackluster. Her barely audible and at times off key singing made her look like some wanna-be American Idol contestant.
The only reason I watched SNL last night was because NPH hosted- what can I say, I’m a fan. Can someone please tell me why the show is still on the air? It’s become completely irrelevant.
i thought the show was very good. i don’t understand how people thought the show wasn’t funny. maybe they just don’t have senses of humor.
I missed it but will watch it on Hulu today. http://www.athletedate.com
Totally agree. He deserved better material. He had the enthusiasm but all of the sketches were just a tad off the mark.
‘Can someone please tell me why the show is still on the air? It’s become completely irrelevant.’
Politics…where have you been the last year, in a cave?
Totally disagree. I think that was the best episode of the season.
Can someone tell me why this show is still on? What has happened to the amazing writing of yesteryear? NPH is funny, and talented. But, given the material he was, well, what can I say?
TSwift was offkey andmiming the guitar, I hear!! There’s your top-selling femal artists people…nearly 6 feet tall with gorgeous hair and a perfect mannequin for clothes, glad to know it’s all about the music! Lulz.