16 Comments Add your own

• 1. discreet_chaos  |  November 4th, 2007 at 2:58 pm

  I think his accent in that tired public access spoof was a little hinky, but overall, I wouldn’t say that he had a bad performance. What was disappointing from my point of view was that it was most likely the last SNL for a while, but the writing and skits were terrible.

  I realize that there are some who will tell me that SNL has seen better days, but I’ve made a point of seeing every one since the very first and I have to say that last night, the material fell exceptionally flat. The bad show wasn’t Williams’ fault and maybe the writers were otherwise preoccupied, but you would’ve thought that they would’ve at least tried to go out on a high note.

• 2. Anonymous  |  November 4th, 2007 at 3:58 pm

  Meh.

• 3. Treacle  |  November 4th, 2007 at 4:07 pm

  Williams performed well in comparison to past hosts who come from outside hollywood/music biz (i.e., athletes/politicians). But I agree with discreet_chaos: the writing was terrible. My wife fell asleep, and as I reached midpoint in the show I thought “Why am I still watching this crap?” SNL has reached a new low.

• 4. Greg  |  November 4th, 2007 at 4:27 pm

  Better than Payton and Jeff Gordon

• 5. Allen  |  November 4th, 2007 at 4:52 pm

  What are you talking about? Peyton was money. I liked the CW skit and the behind the scenes of his day.

  It’s gotten so bad they had to bring Horatio back for a couple of skits. Let the writers strike begin.

• 6. Chris  |  November 4th, 2007 at 5:14 pm

  Good episode overall, but the best part I thought was Feist. Williams came off a little stiff throughout, but game for the occasion– great opening monologue and the Digital Short was pretty damn funny.

• 7. Anonymous  |  November 4th, 2007 at 6:12 pm

  Williams should have come on as himself for a Weekend Update segment with David Gregory portraying Tom Brokaw. Or maybe he could have done a Larry King.

  SNL has become a mostly bad show. The writing is weak and the actors are sub-average.

  The current Weekend Update is, though, a tad better than your typical local newscast.

  The guy that tries to do George Bush should seek a different type of career.

  Obama stole the show.

• 8. Anonymous  |  November 4th, 2007 at 6:14 pm

  I thought Williams did well with what he had, but the show overall was unmemorable. The next-to-last sketch of a behind-the-scenes of a Democratic debate was just awful. There was audible groaning at the ambulance-chaser line and booing at the end.

• 9. Angela  |  November 4th, 2007 at 7:39 pm

  I thought Brian did a good job. The funniest was Matt Lauer actually “swearing” when he and Roker were pummelled with coins throuwn from Brian Williams’ office. It was nice to see him make fun of himself. That takes courage.

• 10. Anon  |  November 4th, 2007 at 7:58 pm

  I agree with the 6:14pm Anonymous; the show’s pretty weak, but I can still get an occasional minor giggle out of Weekend update.
  Although it was pretty strange watching BriWi (as I saw him dubbed) do the Bronx accent.
  And yes, the pennies thing was pretty funny.

• 11. Joe  |  November 4th, 2007 at 8:55 pm

  Brian Williams has never passed up an opportunity to play the hip, glib TV newsman on the Daily Show or Jay Leno. He strikes me as someone who’s jealous of Jon Stewart. I’d be willing to bet that he has been begging to host SNL for years. Now he’s gotten his wish, and it was boring. The digital short was about as cliche as you can get (who didn’t know that he was leaving a message for himself on his machine at the end of the day? You could see that coming from a mile away!). Whatever. No wonder Charlie Gibson is beating him.

• 12. mo from ne  |  November 4th, 2007 at 11:12 pm

  I agree with the above posters that the writing on SNL isn’t the greatest. I thought this show would be better because of Williams’
  involvement and expected something from him during the update. But who knows, maybe management said no to that.

  The last skit just sucked and the audience didn’t get too many of the jokes.

  I enjoyed the behind the scenes digital short and Feist. I am looking forward to the train wreck that is Amy Winehouse for their next live broadcast.

• 13. Rob W  |  November 5th, 2007 at 6:32 am

  Williams’ SNL will be the last one for awhile due to the WGA strike. So it is what it was.

• 14. Alyssa  |  November 5th, 2007 at 9:33 am

  Monologue - I admit to wondering if Brian Wiliams hosting was a good idea. I figured they’d try to keep things bland so that NBC’s prize anchor couldn’t be accused of offending anyone. (Interesting that when a politician like Rudy Giuliani hosted SNL that was not so much of a concern.)

  Digital short was funny, especially Matt and Al.

  Williams should’ve been a part of Weekend Update in some way. He’s good at mocking himself.

  Sometimes he sort of kept looking for the teleprompter or at the camera, instead of at other cast members.

• 15. fleetwood mack  |  November 5th, 2007 at 9:37 am

  Jealous of John Stewart?

  Give me a break.

  He was Brian Williams BEFORE there WAS a John Stewart.

• 16. baker  |  November 5th, 2007 at 11:46 am

  for me, his appearance served as a reminder that, by and large, anchors are just actors doing schtick, an “anchor” impersonation — appropriately jovial or concerned as the teleprompter requires, i’d like to think the world has had enough of anchors, they’re an endangered species, and i hope to watch them become entirely irrelevant to news in my lifetime.

  unless, of course, you’re an anchor reading this post. in which case, i don’t mean *you* because i’m sure you’re awesome and a true journalist in the mold of that guy who everyone uses as an example, the one in black and white photos with the cool hair.

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