Offering asides, recommended links, blogworthy quotations, and more, In Brief is the Northwest Progressive Institute's microblog of world, national, and local politics.

Tag Archives: Television

Sunday, May 21st, 2017
Video Clip

Donald Trump (Alec Baldwin), Kellyanne Conway (Kate McKinnon), Mike Pence (Beck Bennett), Eric Trump (Alex Moffat), Donald Trump Jr. (Mikey Day), Sarah Huckabee Sanders (Aidy Bryant), Melania Trump (Cecily Strong) and Ivanka Trump (Scarlett Johansson) perform “Hallelujah.”

Weekend Update anchors Colin Jost and Michael Che tackle the week’s biggest news, including President Donald Trump asking James Comey when he would announce Trump is not under investigation.

Dawn Lazarus (Vanessa Bayer) stops by with the weather.

Drunk Uncle (Bobby Moynihan) weighs in on Donald Trump’s presidency.

Four seniors (Beck Bennett, Kyle Mooney, Bobby Moynihan, Vanessa Bayer) bid goodbye to high school with a performance.

See all the sketches from this weekend’s episode of Saturday Night Live, the fourth episode of SNL to air live coast-to-coast.

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Sunday, May 14th, 2017
Video Clip

Sean Spicer (Melissa McCarthy) confronts Donald Trump (Alec Baldwin) about the rumors that he’s being replaced by Sarah Huckabee Sanders (Aidy Bryant).

Donald Trump (Alec Baldwin) discusses firing FBI director James Comey in an interview with Lester Holt (Michael Che).

Weekend Update anchors Colin Jost and Michael Che tackle the week’s biggest news, including President Donald Trump firing FBI director James Comey. Pete Davidson stops by to discuss getting sober.

See all the sketches from this weekend’s episode of Saturday Night Live, the third episode of SNL to air live coast-to-coast.

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Tuesday, May 9th, 2017
Video Clip

“Jimmy returns from his time off after his newborn son Billy had heart surgery and he talks about the outpouring of love and support he has received, the not-so-nice things some people have said, and he speaks with Louisiana’s Republican Senator Bill Cassidy about the health care debate.”

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Sunday, May 7th, 2017
Video Clip

Set in Seattle, this sketch brilliantly skewers pointless reality shows. The SNL synopsis: Conflicts arise when Adam (Chris Pine) forgets about Alex’s (Kyle Mooney) margarita night and makes plans with Ryan (Beck Bennett).

Contestants are tasked with finding Kellyanne Conway (Kate McKinnon).

Joe Scarborough (Alex Moffat) and Mika Brzezinski (Kate McKinnon) speak with Trump spokesman John Miller (Alec Baldwin) about Trumpcare.

Weekend Update introduces its new meteorologist, Dawn Lazarus (Vanessa Bayer).

Weekend Update anchors Colin Jost and Michael Che tackle the week’s biggest news, including the House of Representatives passing Trumpcare 2.0.

View all of this week’s sketches.

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Wednesday, April 19th, 2017
Quotation

They are gearing up to drop Fox. So that’s what the executives at Fox News are dealing with. They are dealing with a long-term and a short-term business crisis. And so they don’t really have a choice anymore. This is not them acting responsive to something that they should have taken care of a long time ago. This is because of really hard work. Like groups like Ultraviolet that have put survivors out there to tell their stories, organizations like groups like Sleeping Giants. This had to be forced. Fox News needed to be forced to do this by their own business associates.

— Angelo Carusone, President of Media Matters, speaking to MSNBC’s Lawrence O’Donnell about the pending exit of Bill O’Reilly from the Fox Noise Channel (via MM)

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Sunday, April 16th, 2017
Video Clip

This week’s standout SNL sketch: White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer (Melissa McCarthy) apologizes for his comments about Hitler.

Weekend Update anchors Colin Jost and Michael Che tackle the week’s biggest news, including North Korea’s failed missile launch and Vice President Mike Pence being sent to South Korea.

And the cold open: Donald Trump (Alec Baldwin) looks back on his first one hundred days with Vice President Mike Pence (Beck Bennett) and chooses between advisors Steve Bannon and Jared Kushner (Jimmy Fallon).

Watch all sketches from this week’s episode of SNL.

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Sunday, April 9th, 2017
Video Clip

Bill O’Reilly (Alec Baldwin) and Donald Trump (Alec Baldwin) discuss the sexual harassment scandal surrounding O’Reilly.

Other notable sketches from this weekend’s epsiode:

Donald Trump (Alec Baldwin) meets with supporters (Mikey Day, Beck Bennett, Kyle Mooney, Aidy Bryant) in Kentucky’s Boone County.

See all sketches from this weekend’s episode.

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Wednesday, April 5th, 2017
Quotation

I like to say that leadership is a choice. As our leaders in Washington confront tough decisions about our budget priorities, I urge them to continue federal funding for public broadcasting. Public broadcasting makes our nation smarter, stronger and, yes, safer. It’s a small public investment that pays huge dividends for Americans. And it shouldn’t be pitted against spending more on improving our military. That’s a false choice.

— Ex-General Stanley McChrystal: Save PBS. It Makes Us Safer.

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Saturday, February 11th, 2017
Video Clip

Highlights from this week’s episode of Saturday Night Live:

The sketch that everyone’s talking about: “White House press secretary Sean Spicer (Melissa McCarthy) and secretary of education nominee Betsy DeVos (Kate McKinnon) take questions from the press (Bobby Moynihan, Kristen Stewart, Cecily Strong, Vanessa Bayer, Alex Moffat, Mikey Day).”

Trump (Alec Baldwin) calls Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull (Beck Bennett), Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto (Alex Moffat) and German Chancellor Angela Merkel (Kate McKinnon).

Super Bowl sketch: “Justin Bieber (Kate McKinnon), Samuel L. Jackson (Leslie Jones), Paula Deen (Aidy Bryant) and Roger Goodell (Beck Bennett) take on Gisele Bündchen (Kristen Stewart), Bill Belichick (Bobby Moynihan), Casey Affleck (Alex Moffat) and Lady Gaga (Melissa Villaseñor).”

Fake ad: The U.S. customs welcome video has recently undergone some changes.

Host Kristen Stewart remembers when Donald Trump was obsessed with her.

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Sunday, January 15th, 2017
Video Clip

SNL mercilessly mocks Trump’s ridiculous press conference

Alec Baldwin brought his impersonation of Trump back to the show for an entertaining eight minute cold open, with appearances by fellow SNL players portraying reporters and other celebrities + political leaders.

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Sunday, October 23rd, 2016
Video Clip

NBC’s Saturday Night Live will be on hiatus next week, making last night’s incarnation of the show the annual pre-Halloween episode.

Notable sketches included:

Cold Open: Parody of the Final Presidential Debate

Chris Wallace (Tom Hanks) moderates the final debate between Donald Trump (Alec Baldwin) and Hillary Clinton (Kate McKinnon).

Haunted Elevator

A haunted elevator attraction tries to spook its riders (Beck Bennett, Kate McKinnon) with an original character, David S. Pumpkins (Tom Hanks).

Black Jeopardy

Contestants Keeley (Sasheer Zamata), Shanice (Leslie Jones) and Doug (Tom Hanks) compete on Black Jeopardy, hosted by Darnell Hayes (Kenan Thompson).

Cockpit

Sully Sullenberger (Tom Hanks) has a hard time playing co-pilot to the flight’s rightful captain (Alec Baldwin).

SNL also published A Girl’s Halloween.

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Sunday, October 2nd, 2016
Video Clip

Donald Trump (Alec Baldwin) and Hillary Clinton (Kate McKinnon) face off in the first presidential debate, moderated by Lester Holt (Michael Che).

SNL also aired this politically-themed sketch:

Kellyanne Conway (Kate McKinnon), Ivanka Trump (Margot Robbie), Gov. Chris Christie (Bobby Moynihan) and Vladimir Putin (Beck Bennett) take on Bill Clinton (Darrell Hammond), Sarah Silverman (Melissa Villaseñor), Lin-Manuel Miranda (Cecily Strong) and Sen. Bernie Sanders (Larry David).

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Saturday, April 23rd, 2016
Video Clip

Yesterday was the last day on the job for KING5’s Jean Enersen, Dennis Bounds, and Jeff Renner, the station’s best known personalities. Their work and legacy at the station was celebrated yesterday as they bid viewers adieu.

Goodbye to Jean Enersen

Goodbye to Dennis Bounds

Goodbye to Jeff Renner

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Monday, March 7th, 2016
Video Clip

In this Saturday Night Live clip, the extremely talented Jay Pharoah showcases his many spot-on impressions of black comedians… brilliantly spoofing Katt Williams, Chris Rock, Eddie Murphy, Hannibal Burress, Chris Tucker, Tracy Morgan,  Kevin Hart, Dave Chappelle, and the late Bernie Mac.

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Monday, February 29th, 2016
Video Clip

John Oliver destroys Donald Trump on “Last Week Tonight”

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Sunday, February 28th, 2016
Photo
BB-8, R2-D2, C-3PO at the Oscars

These are the droids you’re looking for: BB-8, R2-D2, C-3PO made a cameo appearance at the 88th Academy Awards, in between the bestowing of Oscars. (Photo: Adam Taylor/ABC, reproduced under a Creative Commons license)

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Sunday, February 28th, 2016
Quotation

Hollywood is racist, but it’s not the racist that you’ve grown accustomed too. Hollywood is sorority racist. It’s like, “We like you Rhonda, but you’re not a Kappa.”

— Comedian Chris Rock, opening the 88th Academy Awards with a searing monologue about diversity. (Via The New York Times).

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Saturday, February 27th, 2016
Video Clip

The Pacific Northwest-based Tillamook County Creamery Association has unveiled a new ad touting its fare as a healthier alternative to conventionally-made dairy products, which can contain artificial ingredients and preservatives.

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Saturday, February 27th, 2016
Aside

Vice President Joe Biden to participate in 2016 Oscars telecast, White House says

Vice President Joe Biden and Second Lady Dr. Jill Biden will be guests of the Academy for Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for tomorrow evening’s Oscars awards ceremony, the White House has announced in a brief statement. No further details were provided in the advisory, but Deadline has plenty.

The Bidens are in California for the weekend, and spent today in the Bay Area. They toured the Center for Advanced Technology Lab and participated in a roundtable on cancer the University of California, San Francisco, and appeared at the California State Democratic Party Convention in San Jose, where the Vice President spoke.

The Bidens are scheduled to remain overnight in Los Angeles following the awards telecast. Presumably, they will return to D.C. on Monday, February 29th.

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Sunday, February 21st, 2016
Video Clip

Winter is Trumping: “Armed with a Valyrian steel sword named Deal-Maker, Donald Trump embarks on a quest through Westeros to take care its border policies.”

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Monday, February 15th, 2016
Video Clip

John Oliver tackles voting in the United States on “Last Week Tonight”

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