DeepSummary
Andy Samberg, Akiva Schaffer, and Jorma Taccone (The Lonely Island) join Seth Meyers to discuss their digital shorts from Saturday Night Live, starting with the short 'Harpoon Man' from the John C. Reilly episode. They analyze the strengths and weaknesses of the short, with Taccone admitting a fondness for it despite its flaws. The conversation then expands to cover other sketches and shorts from that era, including 'Blizzard Man,' 'National Anthem,' and some that were cut.
Much of the discussion centers around the struggles The Lonely Island faced in balancing their work on SNL and editing their movie 'Hot Rod' during this period, leading to a perceived dip in the quality of their digital shorts. They reflect on the challenges of creating live comedy and the uneven nature of SNL as a show.
The group also reminisces about various sketches, improvised moments, and inside jokes from their time on SNL, touching on topics like Taccone's on-again, off-again relationship with coffee, the concept of 'franchising' successful sketches, and memorable hosts like Hugh Laurie and Alec Baldwin.
Key Episodes Takeaways
- The Lonely Island's digital shorts experienced a dip in quality during the period when they were simultaneously working on editing their film 'Hot Rod.'
- Saturday Night Live is an inherently uneven show, with episodes and sketches ranging from stellar to subpar, reflecting the challenges of producing consistent live comedy.
- Elements of The Lonely Island's early digital shorts, such as 'Harpoon Man,' have not aged well and may not be produced today due to evolving sensibilities and standards in comedy.
- The low-fi, unconventional aesthetic of the digital shorts contributed to their novelty and appeal, offering a fresh perspective amidst the slick production of SNL.
- Balancing creative endeavors like digital shorts with other commitments, such as film projects, presented significant challenges for The Lonely Island during their time on SNL.
- The group's nostalgia for their SNL tenure is tinged with self-awareness and recognition of the show's imperfections, reflecting a nuanced appreciation for the experience.
- Successful SNL sketches and characters often had the potential for 'franchising' or further exploration, a concept The Lonely Island acknowledges missing opportunities to capitalize on.
- Memorable hosts like Hugh Laurie and Alec Baldwin provided inspiration and collaborative energy, contributing to the group's fondest recollections from their SNL days.
Top Episodes Quotes
- “There's quite a few things that we would have not done if this had been made now. Well, probably not made it at all.“ by Jorma Taccone
- “In any given season, no matter the cast and writers and everything, there's shows where it all comes together and shows where you're like, woof. Like, if you could lose a couple every season.“ by Andy Samberg
- “I think if it's over 60 or 70%, that's considered a smash.“ by Andy Samberg
- “So much of the show always has to be mediocre. It's not like people were noticing they're bad because the show is bad and.“ by Keegan-Michael Key
Entities
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Episode Information
The Lonely Island and Seth Meyers Podcast
The Lonely Island & Seth Meyers
7/1/24
This week The Lonely Island and Seth talk about the digital short Harpoon Man, plus they cover a ton of sketches from three different SNL episodes!
Harpoon Man - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pJodKiA2LJg
Blizzard Man - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l2r3dBNDRug
National Anthem - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VUT80JVy3v4
Bossa Nova - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qzf57tzXrO4
(Not all the clips we mention are available online; some never even aired.)
If you want to see more photos and clips follow us on Instagram @thelonelyislandpod.
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Produced by Rabbit Grin Productions
Executive Producers Jeph Porter and Rob Holysz
Lead Producer Kevin Miller
Creative Producer Samantha Skelton
Coordinating Producer Derek Johnson
Cover Art by Olney Atwell
Music by Greg Chun and Brent Asbury
Edit by Cheyenne Jones
Mix and Master by Jason Richards