NPH Kills on SNL, Continues To Be MamaPop's OGB

That's Official Gay Boyfriend, to the uninitiated.

So, yeah. Saturday Night Live is pretty hit or miss these days, but when I heard that NPH was going to host, I was overcome with glee. Someone with real acting chops, real comedic timing (No offense, Michael Phelps, bless your heart, you tried) and hopefully, good writing to keep the ball moving.

The Not Ready for Primetime Players and our beloved OGB did not disappoint. Rundown of the sketches and video after the jump!

Cold Open: "The Rachel Maddow Show." This was the first time new cast member Abby Elliot was the lead in a sketch, and she got the Maddow smirk down pat. The lesbian jokes grew old fast, but it was nice to see one of the new featured members get some air time.

Monologue: This was where I knew that NPH was going to hit it out of the park. From bringing up a grudge from 1990 when he lost his hosting spot to Fred Savage, to cutting down Andy Samberg's "Mark Wahlberg" and his entourage, it was really apparent that he was going to kill. My only complaint? No singing! Whither the singing??

The Today Show: This was a terrible sketch that was redeemed by NPH's personal trainer character and his thrusting grinding ass-shaking dance moves. I love Kristen Wiig, but she got as tiring as Kathie Lee as, well, the real Kathie Lee.

Sketch 2: Save Broadway: I had a feeling that they would do a Broadway sketch, but I wish it was thought out better. NPH as Mark in "Rent" was funny because he performed that role on Broadway, and the sketch dug at the more annoying aspects of the show, but the one thing that struck me was Darrell Hammond sitting in the corner banging trash can lids from "Stomp" with a miserable look on his face. Why is he still on the show? He clearly doesn't want to be there, not even a little.

Sketch 3: Penelope in Group Therapy: It's another Kristen Wiig "Penelope" sketch, which are fairly funny but getting old fast. So what do they do at the end? They bring in LIZA MINELLI. As in the REAL LIZA. Another weak sketch that got AWESOME at the end.

Weekend Update: Good on Seth Meyers for going it alone after Amy Poehler's departure, but NPH wasn't in it, and therefore I am not recapping it. Moving on!

Musical Guest: Taylor Swift. I do not know who this child is or why she has a Bedazzled guitar, so we're moving on from this one, too.

Fran and Freba. This one you have to watch. NO, you have to. One, because NPH is fantastic in drag, and two, because it's really a physical comedy piece. And Neil Patrick's guns look quite fetching in that blouse, I must say. This sketch was easily the best of the night.

Sketch 5: Frost/Everybody Else: This send-up of Frost/Nixon was just an excuse for funny wigs and impressions, but it was still fun. And who doesn't love a David Bowie impersonation, I ask you?

Special non-video note: It is a crime, an utter CRIME that the Digital Short was not put on Hulu, because it was so funny I APPLAUDED from my couch. Let's just say it involved an orchestra and the theme from "Doogie Howser" and cross our fingers that it hits the innerwebs soon, because I do not have TiVo, and I MUST see that again. There was also a sketch that doesn't have a Hulu about a talk show for people with two first names that was okay, but like "Frost/Nixon," was a vehicle for the cast to do their best impersonations. I have no idea why that one was cut from the videos, but there you go.

All in all, NPH slayed the show, and took some sketches that would have BOMBED in lesser hands and made them Legen-wait for it-dary. Can he be the next Alec Baldwin and host every few months for the remainder of time? Just a thought.

Comments

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I taped it- LOOONG day- and can't wait to watch it!

Posted by: BaltimoreGal | January 12, 2009 at 10:22 AM

"And my girlfriend's all 'Why won't you kiss me?' and I'm all 'Later! Just look at this for a second!"

OMFG, he cracks me up. His timing and delivery is just too good.

I've spent all weekend listening to every commentary track on the Dr. Horrible DVD too, so I'm fully in the NPH Is A Comic Genius camp.

Posted by: amalah | January 12, 2009 at 10:50 AM

It was so good. I acutally laughed out loud several times during the show, which has been a rare occurance since Tina Fey stopped the Palin impression.

GREAT JOB.

Posted by: Amy H | January 12, 2009 at 10:57 AM

Poo, can't watch Hulu videos outside of the US. I imagine it was funny, I'll just have to take your word for it.

Posted by: Carmen | January 12, 2009 at 11:32 AM

NBC online actually has the Digital Shorts all saved on the SNL site.....you may want to check for this past weekends.

Glad to hear it was a winner - my DVR is calling!

Posted by: Erin | January 12, 2009 at 12:18 PM

Hulu can't put up videos with licensing issues, a.k.a. Doogie Howser theme song and the parody of "Say My Name" that they used for Two First Names.

Posted by: em | January 12, 2009 at 12:37 PM

check out youtube for the digital short.

Posted by: slk | January 12, 2009 at 03:30 PM

Wah, I missed SNL and I can't look link to at all your scintilating videos from here in the wilds of Canada. American broadcasting bastards. Off to search YouTube for our OGB.

Posted by: Irma | January 12, 2009 at 09:40 PM

NPH is legen-wait for it-dary and rocked on SNL. I don't know how I feel about Kristin Wiig - her characters seem to be all be the same, although I love Two A-holes. That could have been an awesome sketch, NPH and the 2 a-holes.

Posted by: PomJob | January 12, 2009 at 10:48 PM

Oh my goodness yes, the Digital Short. I laughed so hard I nearly cried. So well done!

Posted by: Jen | January 13, 2009 at 09:27 AM