'Wasn't That Special' Season 33 Clips Package

(Editor’s note: Apologies for this one being a bit late - we are just two guys with real jobs, and sometimes our schedules are subject to the exigencies they bring. We will make this one free to make up for it.)

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-Three episode:

Adam Grossman: Dinner at Benihana

One of the best host performances in the show’s history.

Vinny Vedecci talks with Shia Labeouf

Sure, there are some of the same jokes every time. But after you get by the “guest doesn’t speak Italian” bit, this one cooks.

Weekend Update: Judy Grimes

Nobody before or after Kristen Wiig could pull this off. It is astonishing.

Virgania Horsen’s Hot Air Balloon Rides

More Wiig weirdness that totally works (with writing help from the Lonely Island guys.)

Surprise Party

More Wiig cooking. Sensing a theme for this season?

It’s a Match

Scared Straight: Mac Attack

Matt Foley with a twist.

Digital Short: The Japanese Office

Jonah Hill is Dating Andy Samberg’s Dad

Nice cameo in here by legendary SNL writer Jim Downey.

Editorial Response: Sen. Hillary Clinton

Season 33 was the year of political cameos, including this one by then-presidential candidate Hillary Clinton.

The Clintons’ Halloween Party

And then there was this guy, candidate Barack Obama.

McCain in One

Oh, and there was a Republican running, too.

MacGruber: Midlife Crisis

Commercial: Annuale

After the writer’s strike in November, the show returned with Tina Fey hosting probably the best episode of the year.

Tina Fey Monologue

In fact, Fey’s return was so good, even her monologue slayed.

Really with Seth and Amy: Gov. Spitzer

One of the highlights of Weekend Update this season - Amy and Seth roasting the New York governor, who was caught in a prostitution scandal.

Weekend Update: Pregnant Man

And then there were the moments that would never make it to air today, including Weekend Update mocking the transgender man who made national news by announcing his pregnancy.

Of course, the big story of 2008 on SNL was the presidential election, which was referenced in an actual debate between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. Clinton referred to a sketch written by Jim Downey in which the media fawns over Obama, and she asked if her opponent was “comfortable and needs another pillow.”

In the meantime, Lorne Michaels objected to people who thought the show had an ideological bent:

The show did garner some critics who believed SNL was single-handedly changing the direction of the presidential race. In this piece, we find out Lorne Michaels was a John McCain donor, and Seth Meyers gave $1,000 to Barack Obama:

Then there’s this Buffalo-based columnist, who in one fell swoop, savages Lorne Michaels, Jimmy Fallon, and Conan O’Brien:

In the middle of the season, the show’s writers went on strike, so the cast gathered for a live show to benefit the SNL crew:

In 2008, the public still wasn’t quite taking former SNL writer/performer Al Franken’s U.S. Senate bid seriously:

Naturally, there were the usual “has SNL lost its relevance?” columns:

Nearing the end of his run on the show, Darrell Hammond started getting some media love: