Saturday Night Live: Comedy Daycare

I like to think of Saturday Night Live as a daycare for comedians with Lorne Michaels as the overruling nanny for all the little kids who don't know any better. After 40 years on air, it's a proven staple on our television line up. It's popularity has only risen in recent years because of Internet video sharing, and sites like YouTube, in which 4-6 minute videos are all anyone's attention can handle. Not only that, but we've seen the success of past SNL comedians and the all the brilliant work they've done after leaving the show. With people like Will Ferrell, Tina Fey, Adam Sandler, Eddie Murphy and countless more, the potential for success after leaving the show is very high. So like I said, it's a daycare. Young, talented comedians come in and play around with their funny and creative ideas. They grow and step into their comedic talent, mastering impressions and nailing their punchline timing. It's very obvious which cast members are brand new and which are the veterans. All the while, Lorne Michaels watches over with an insightful eye and approves or disapproves of whatever skit is being pitched. He turns these no name youngsters into show runners and head writers. It's a given that some skits will work and others will completely miss the mark, but that's part of the growing process for all these comedians.
 After leaving daycare, many of these talented jokesters have gone on to write and/or star in our favorite television shows. Most recently, Tina Fey and Amy Poehler have finished their long running shows, 30 Rock and Parks and Rec. In addition, many of SNL's recent departures are now putting their footprint on the industry. Fred Armisen, who was on SNL for 13 years, is now in his 6th season of Portlandia, which he created. Last Man on Earth, Fox's new hit comedy, stars Will Forte who spent 10 years at SNL. Andy Samberg, digital short genius and 8 year cast member, is now the star of Brooklyn Nine-Nine and recently hosted the Emmys. Kristen Wiig gifted the world with Bridesmaids, and Seth Meyers is the host of Late Night. These recent SNL grads are only at the beginning of their post-SNL career and have a lot of room to grow. 

All in all, we should thank Lorne Michaels for creating such a program to help these comedians grow. Who knows if Tina Fey would have ever written Mean Girls or if Will Ferrell would have starred in dozens of hilarious comedies. Maybe? Probably not. So for all those new cast members who are awkward and mess up their lines, you may have your own show in 5-10 years. Hell, you may even host The Tonight Show.

Parks and Recs' Mocumentary Style

My favorite comedy show by far is the sitcom, "Parks and Recreation" starring Amy Poehler and many other hilarious actors. The style that is used in Parks and Rec is "mockumentary" and the cinematographer, Michael Trim, conducts it in such a way that is so entertaining and flows beautifully. Many people compare the style of the show to "The Office," but I believe that "Parks and Recreation" exceeds the cinematography of "The Office" and makes it smoother and funnier.

The shots are sometimes rough and shaky, but that is an aspect of the mockumentary style that really makes it come to life. Throughout every episode there are several times where characters break the fourth wall and stare straight at the camera. The actress who stands out the most when doing this is Aubrey Plaza who plays the character of April Ludgate. In many scenes she makes hilarious faces and reacts to things that other characters say by breaking the fourth wall and it adds to the humor of the show perfectly.

The excellent zooms, pans, and various other camera movements follow the characters in a way that is intriguing and entertaining. There is never a dull moment because the camera is basically always moving. "Parks and Rec" has come a long way since its pilot episode, which was not the strongest, to their seventh and final season where I'm going to bawl my eyes out because this show became a television phenomenon. The mockumentary style was a perfect way to go about filming this series, and it really makes it easier not only to connect with characters but to be involved with the various different plots. The writing for this show is absolutely hysterical and the style of it keeps viewers entertained for hours on end. I highly recommend that everyone take some time out of their days and watch this show.

Parks and Recreation (It's awesome)

Hey guys, short post today because if I make it much longer it will be me just going on and on about why Parks and Recreation is currently my favorite TV show. If you haven't seen it, you definitely need to check it out, it's great.

I just started watching this show a week ago and I've gotten through four seasons already. It's extremely addicting, but more than that it's really well crafted!

If you haven't seen this show, or you don't know what it's about I'll give you a little summary. The show follows Leslie Knope (Amy Poehler), the Deputy Head of the Parks and Recreation Department of the Pawnee, Indiana, and her many coworkers at City Hall.

For the most part I'm not a huge fan of comedy television. I usually either find it crude or plain unfunny. The other problem a lot of comedy TV seems to be plagued with, is that while the show itself may be funny, the characters are only comic relief and you don't care about them at all.

Parks and Rec doesn't have any of these issues. The show is genuinely funny, while never need to move into territory that could be considered "crude" or "offensive".  The characters, while sometimes sensational, all have qualities that are relatable and as an audience you find yourself actually caring about their struggles, even if they may be ridiculous and comedic in fashion.

The show is shot much like Office, in a "Documentary" style, although the show's events are fictitious. One of my favorite things about the show is the video confession parts, where the characters break the fourth wall and talk seemingly to the viewer. Not only is this usually to reveal some hilarious insight into what the characters are thinking, but it also helps the audience feel engrossed and a part of the show as they are watching it. It's almost as though you, the viewer, are one of the characters.  

The show also explores important social issues. They use comedy to do it, but important issues such as feminism, politics, and government never feel like a punchline, even though this would be easy to do. This is something I applaud the shows creators for. 

Basically the show is just really awesome, and everyone should watch it.  There are 6 seasons so far (they are all on Netflix, fyi) and the 7th season premieres this August. 

Reasons Why I Love Parks and Rec

The beginning of the school year always brings new and different things back into my life. New classes and clubs starting, seeing my friends after the long summer, and a cold. I always see getting sick as an excuse to binge watch Netflix for a few days until I'm feeling better. This time I chose to start watching Parks and Recreation. It seemed as if all of my friends watched this show so I figured, why not? I love a good television sitcom. And now, as I just finish episode 15 of season 3, I completely realize the appeal of the show. I'm basically addicted to it. Here are some of the reasons why I absolutely am in love with this show:

First off, show creators Greg Daniels and Michael Schur came up with such an original concept. They manage to show something as completely mundane as a local government in a small town and make it hysterical, witty, and endearing. Leslie Knope, played by the always laugh-worthy Amy Poehler, just has the most contagiously positive energy and always makes the show memorable along with her other, equally funny costars. There isn't a character that I don't like. They all are so different from each other, but when you put them all together, they are genius.

The show is just so happy. The writers of this show have created something that just leaves the viewer in such a positive spirit. I definitely was in a much better mood after watching this show even though I was feeling under the weather. Knope is just this ball of sunshine that just loves what she does and all of the people around her. This positive energy and pure happiness is so different from any show that I've ever watched because there are literally no sad moments. I never found this constant positivity a detraction to the show. The characters were not flat and the episodes have substance.



I also love the strong female roll in this show. Poehler plays Leslie Knope so perfectly. She is driven, hard-working, smart (though I would say only book-smart), and she is well-respected. I always love a strong female character. The friendship between Leslie and Ann Perkins (Leslie's nurse friend played by Rashida Jones) is another reason why I'm in love with this show. Their friendship is so true. There is no cattiness or competition between the two friends, like many female friends are portrayed on television. They just have a true, almost sisterly bond for each other.

I love this show and I can't wait to watch the next episode right after I post this!

I'm a little obsessed with Parks and Rec...

I know I wrote about another NBC comedy, Chuck, last week, but I just had to do it again. Sorry. This past weekend I spent some time getting caught up on Parks and Recreation, and let me just say, it was a really good decision. Parks and Rec is shot in the super popular single-camera cinéma vérité style similar to The Office and Modern Family.

Amy Poehler as Leslie Knope

Parks and Rec centers on Leslie Knope, the deputy director of the Parks and Recreation department in a small Indiana town called Pawnee. Despite being happy at her seemingly boring and uneventful job, Leslie has high political aspirations. She is very optimistic and perky and she works extremely hard to keep the department from falling into ruin.

I think one of the very best things about this show is the amazing ensemble cast. Every single member of the cast adds so much value to the content, and they're really what makes the show. Nick Offerman as the stoic and hilarious Ron Swanson is by far my favorite character. While he pretends to dislike his job and his co-workers, it's very obvious that he enjoys his time there. His relationship with the intern/secretary, April, is definitely one of the highlights of the show. The similar way in which they respond to the craziness of the other characters combined with their excellent use of sarcasm really add a lot of comedy to the show.

Nick Offerman as Ron Swanson

Additionally, the rest of the department is composed of Tom Haverford (played by Aziz Ansari) whose hilarious business antics offer a constant form of amusement, Jerry Gergich (played by Jim O'Heir) who is constantly picked on by the rest of the characters, similarly to Toby on The Office, to name a few.

Overall, Parks and Rec follows along the lines of several NBC comedies, however, it does so in a way that makes it unique while still being one of the best written comedies on television. If you do decide to give Parks and Recreation a try, do yourself a favor and go beyond the first couple episodes in season one. If you do, you'll be rewarded with both a great comedy and you'll get to see Louis C.K. in his reoccurring guest role, which is really wonderful and hilarious. I hope you decide to give it a chance!

(And if you need any more incentive, here's a blooper reel from the show...)