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Neil Patrick Harris Stirs Up Feud With Fred Savage, Makes SNL More Exciting

My expectations were pretty high for this episode. I mean, I love Neil Patrick Harris, but I feel like they just didn't give the How I Met Your Mother star enough good material to work with. When he had a decent bit, he ran with it and made it sparkle. Because that Today show sketch had about gotten on my last damned nerve, until he showed up in aerobic wear. And I can't stand that one-upping Penelope character, but he handled her well (and it didn't hurt that Liza (!) showed up there too... though i would have preferred that Liza be in the Broadway sketch, where it would have made sense and she could have sung more). But NPH's shining moment had to be during his opening monologue where he referred back to how he was almost on the show once before, back in his Doogie Howser days, but he lost out to the Wonder Years' Fred Savage. Awesome.

This slyly delivered speech just rolled off his tongue with such ease that there had to be more than a little bit of truth to it. And the way he slipped in details about hanging out with his girlfriend at the time and how that was a long time ago, was a subtle and funny way of addressing gay issues without making out with guys in every sketch (like some people... Paul Rudd). Though I was mildly annoyed that the writing staff saw fit to interrupt this monologue with the stupid Entourage guys doing lame How I Met Your Mother cracks. Even if it did mean more Mark Wahlberg parodying. It's a long way to go for a "Say hello to your mother" joke. So 2008.

Other good stuff:
The saving Broadway sketch, where NPH plays Mark from Rent. He's got that patented Mark whine down pat. Good stuff, especially for Broadway junkies (like me!)
The digital short, which was a fully orchestrated version of the Doogie Howser theme song.
The double named people skit, with NPH yelling at Daniel-Day Lewis to get out. Nice. I want to start using my middle name (Lynn) so I can be on this program. I've always avoided it, since I think it makes me sound like a porn star, but I would do it for Neil.
Frost vs. Other People --- not as inspired as Harris vs. Savage, but it was kinda clever (briefly) and NPH really got into character.
And while the sketch went on WAY too long, Neil as an air traffic controller with insanely long nails was mildly of amusing. If they'd made it stop about 4 minutes earlier.

If you missed it, here are some clips from the episode.

Neil's monologue (where he's all bitter about Fred Savage)

Liza and Neil filled Penelope sketch

Save Broadway! (My personal favorite!)

What did you think? I kind of thought the non-NPH sketches were snooze-worthy (even the news). Did you think NPH held his own? Deserved better material? Sound off below.

11 Comments

January 12, 2009 2:17 PM
amroyo
Reply

I've given up on SNL but I was geeking out about NPH as much as when Hugh Laurie hosted. Sadly, both these actors were let down by the "quality" of the skits.

I don't understand why SNL feels the need to interrupt the opening monologue with crap jokes. Hugh Laurie and NPH could stand up there for the entire hour and be funnier than the crap that was written.

January 12, 2009 2:30 PM
MaggiSaar
Reply

My DVR cut off the show just after the Penelope sketch, so I feel cheated out of it all. I wanted to see Weekend update and the rest of NPH being adorable.

Alas, Sunday morning when I woke up, it was to disappointment.

January 12, 2009 2:41 PM
KB
Reply

I agree about the monologue. I like Andy Samberg as Wahlberg, but the rest of that interruption was lame. The two first names sketch was stupid. There weren't even any jokes, really, except telling people without two names to leave. Ha. Ha. They would have been better off just running a list of actors who use two first names; it would've been just as funny. And I might be the only one, but I like Penelope! It could be that, sadly, I know someone just like that. If you don't, count yourself lucky...

January 12, 2009 5:03 PM
Displaced Cog
Reply

I was at the dress rehearsal for this show, and I've got to say that it was awesome. I agree, though, that the non-NPH skits weren't all that great. And, as always, a number of the sketches went on for too long. You mentioned the air traffic controller sketch. Funny at first glance, but it got incredibly tiresome pretty quickly. The two-name show was a funny concept, but it didn't have to go on as long as it did. Classic SNL. They never know when to cut something off.

January 12, 2009 5:50 PM
Lili
Reply

I thought NPH is out?

January 12, 2009 5:58 PM
meghan
Reply

He is. He just doesn't want to make a big deal out of it.

January 12, 2009 6:18 PM
Saya
Reply

I agree - for NPH I think we'd all take up our middle names =)

Luckily NPH was given better stuff to work with than Hugh Laurie... I was disappointed at no references to Dr. Horrible, but the broadway sketch was fantastic enough to make the entire show a thumbs up from me =)

January 12, 2009 7:19 PM
Katie
Reply

"He's got that patented Mark whine down pat" because he actually played Mark at La Jolla Playhouse in CA for a while, to excellent reviews. Here's hoping he comes back to Broadway sometime soon. Much

January 12, 2009 10:34 PM
BT
Reply

Sigh, I wish Hulu was available outside of the United States...

January 13, 2009 4:58 AM
bohemiangirl
Reply
replied to comment from BT

seriously, WTF? Why can't Canadians watch the video clips?

January 13, 2009 9:11 AM
Jen
Reply

I loved that he brought up the Fred Savage episode because I remember watching it! Also, I looooooooved "The ballad of the '90s". I've never liked the Penelope sketches, but I think that is kinda the point.

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