BriWi on SNL: We Show The Clips, You Decide

Brian Williams hosted Saturday Night Live this weekend, and everybody's got an opinion — but for those of you who missed it (and weren't watching the pump-up segment on the Today show — synergy!) are are wondering how it might affect which anchorperson you turn to in a moment of crisis, HuffPo has put together this gravitas-busting highlight reel so that you may decide for yourself. Apologies to NBC, except now that your YouTube page is down and the catchily-named Hulu is completely inaccessible, it's harder to find your stuff (oh, come now, the NBC SNL page just isn't the destination of choice for the kids these days). Then again, is the Nightly News? See if BriWi can change your mind...or send you running back into the safe, warm embrace of Charlie Gibson.

Related in this weekend's SNL vid:
Barack Obama on SNL (full sketch) [BarackObama's YouTube page]
SNL Digital Short: The Brian Diaries [NBC.com]
Nightly News Open (full sketch) [NBC.com]
Drexel Debate (full sketch) [YouTube]
Fred Armisen - iPhone commercial [NBC.com]
Gay Dumbledore on Larry King [NBC.com] (that's about as good a way to describe it as any)

Comments

[Chupacabras]

One of the worst SNL shows ever. I've been watching since 1977, have missed quite a few, but this one was dull!

Not Brian's fault, just bad writing.

[HollywoodFilth]

He was good. But all the synergy in the world isn't going to get young people watching the NBC nightly news, which was the ultimate goal of this crossover (and the numerous promotional spots). The network news is beyond dead. I wanted desperately to get televised updates on the situation in Pakistan over the weekend. Both network and cable news networks were too busy with human interest, "health" stories, and endless hour-long talking head opinion shows to deign to deliver any actual news.

[Lucyd1]

Brian rocked! He struck just the right tone and carried the show. Feist was cool, too. Excellent show.

[chrispychilla28]

Justjohn, how is SNL excerpts presented as news?

Viewers of the Daily Show/ Colbert Report have been shown to be more informed and more knowledgeable regarding current events than those that watch “REAL” news casts…Your comments show how little you have watched ANY of the programs you mentioned.

http://people-press.org/reports/display.php3?ReportID=319

[Bocababs]

I watched the whole show. I thought Brian Williams was hilarious...and -- if the country does not like him a News Anchor...he can have great career as a Comedian.

[Galvestonians for Dr. Ron Paul]

Boy oh boy the NBC connection to Huffpo is Blatent.
"DRYBRI" is on every page here...
It is almost as if they have their feelers out to see if they have the next Cronkite or Reasoner!
What a joke.
These sell outs such as Rivera, Williams, Gregory,
Lauer, and the ilk should be charged with treason.
They have promoted an illegal war, intentionally covered up stories of "great importance," and have failed the American public (for whom they serve) in the most hideous of ways known to man.
They fake polling.
They do no real follow up.
They have no interest of getting the truth.
They serve only their masters and the ilk.
They are corrupted by the companies they are employed by and should have no distinction between them.
They are average, run of the mill. Lazy, Sloppy, wind socks that do not deserve their fame nor a paycheck.
These are nothing special and certainly not informative, or even entertaining.

Thanks for NOTHING, absolutely NOTHING, Mr. Williams.
They have squandered their positions and should be held in the lowest regard in American society.

The real fighters, Amy Goodman, Bill Moyers, Glen Greenwald, Josh Wolf, Daniel Pearle...
These are our true hero's.
These people are willing to sacrifice their "ALL" to bring the truth and the whole story.
Not sound-bites and one-liners such as Williams.
This man disgusts me and so do those that are pushing his agenda on the MSM.

[stillfresh]

Brian Williams surprised me. He has acting chops. It doesn't detract from decades of experience in news. All on-air TV news reporters "act" a little when they're on, or we wouldn't watch them. OK, back to work.

[BrooklynC]

Further blurring the line between news and entertainment. Isn't this the man who told the administration that he wanted to be part of what they were doing? Here's a novel concept for differentiation in the field of network news--reporting. They don't do it.

[MissingAmerica]

He's terrific! I'm so sorry I missed that! I'd like to see him get his own series! Perhaps he should star in a different series than the Nightly News!

[WilliamWallace]

I've got to say it......WHO CARES? "Anchors" aren't now....they're showmen.

Cronkite, Brinkley, et al were Anchors.

[jungpatawan]

The whole fireman clip: he was BRILLIANT, completely in character and the accent was top-notch.

In the publishers clearinghouse skit, I could swear he was channeling Kevin Nealon.

There was a bit too much of him as "himself" - he could easily have carried another character.

JP

[AnnArky]

I've always thought the news was funny. A kid losing his legs as part of the unfortunate, collateral damage in Iraq; friendly fire killing one of our own in Afghanistan, rigged elections in (what? no?) the U.S.; Democrats bowing before our Great Dictator. Now, if they'd just wise up and add a laugh-track we could all relax and enjoy it even more.

[NYCchamp]

I thought he was great. In fact, it is one of the first episodes of SNL in a very long time that I actually found myself laughing out loud.

[GoodGuysandBadGuys]

well I've never seen this guy on the news but I thought he did a good job on snl.

[MetalPhil]

Funny, I wish I could've seen it.