'Wasn't That Special' Season 31 Clips Package

As always, for those who have signed up for the podcast at the Executive Producer level, we send out notable video and newspaper clips that aided us in preparing for the episode. Below are some of the Saturday Night Live sketches and media clips we reference throughout the episode, to enhance the listening process.

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Here are some of the materials we discuss throughout the Season Thirty-One episode:

Lazy Sunday

When you watched this live, you got the sense the show was about to change forever:

Laser Cats

And if you weren’t convinced Lazy Sunday marked a change in the show, it was backed up by the fun (and juvenile) Laser Cats:

The Falconer: Time Travel

Perhaps the greatest recurring character in show history, The Falconer got better each time it appeared - which is amazing, given the limitations on the character himself.

MySpace

SNL was especially prescient when it came to the internet. This sketch appeared on the Julia Louis-Dreyfus episode, probably the best single show in a decade.

Two A-Holes

There’s a bit of a split on the podcast about this bit - Christian likes them, while Scot is skeptical. But Kristen Wiig came out firing with a whole repertoire of recurring characters, this among them.

Wilson Brothers Funeral Home

There were some technical mix-ups in this one, but it just made it more fun.

Don’t Buy Stuff

In crazy times, the person who tells the truth looks like the crazy one.

Natalie Raps

Another banger of a digital short that people still reference today.

Andy’s Excuse

As if Andy Samberg’s talents weren’t evident from the Season 31 digital shorts, here’s a quiet piece that is just as clever as some of his louder stuff.

During the season, NBC ran a documentary about the show during the 1980s. The documentary got better reviews than the show did in the first half of the decade.

The new guys (Sudeikis, Hader, Samberg and Wiig) were immediately noticed by critics:

Here’s a season preview from Gannett:

Season 31 also featured the return of Ashlee Simpson after her disastrous lip-syncing episode in Season 30.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution ran a feature on two Atlantans who were featured on the show, Finesse Mitchell and Kenan Thompson:

Seth Meyers also started getting more accolades as he took over the writing on the show. This is similar to the piece referenced above regarding the new cast members, but with some additional information.

Lindsay Lohan was back this season, with Tina Fey and Lorne Michaels staging a behind-the-scenes intervention to save her life:

“Lazy Sunday” also drew a lot of attention to the show, although one Atlanta based Reverend thought it would have C.S. Lewis “rolling over in his grave.”