Weekend Update Specials
Posted November 15, 2008 10:14 PM
For three weeks before the election, we did these Thursday prime time specials. Two of those shows were during our regular work weeks leading up to the Saturday episodes, so it really felt like a blur. Ten shows in eight weeks. It was incredibly fun though. All of it.
Here are some pictures from those weeks.
Seth giving Chris Parnell some changes in the script for the debate sketch.
I don't know what Bobby is doing here, but Andy seems pretty entertained by it. On the other side of this group, behind me, was Bill Murray. He was great and amazing and really sweet.
Have you ever watched an interview that is being done "via satellite"? This is what it looks like from the other side of the camera. Darrell and I had to do a bunch of TV interviews this one morning to promote our "Presidential Bash" special. We go in to this room that is equipped with these robotic cameras. We put in an earpiece, and then go from interview to interview. A voice in our ear says "this is going to be our Atlanta affiliate. In three...two..." It's actually pretty easy and always nice to spend time with Darrell. He's a true genius and has taught me a lot.
These are the guys who helped put the whole Mega Map piece together for Weekend Update. On the left is the creator of it all, Jeff Han. In the middle is Phil Davidson, developer of election apps, and on the right is Josh Braun, senior producer in charge of CNN's Magic Wall.
Being shown how to draw a cat on the map. Photo by Jeff Han.
It took a lot of programming and coordination to get the whole machine to our studio and then to make it work to our specifications. They put a lot together in very little time. A tremendous thank you to them.
Josh Brolin/Adele
Posted November 7, 2008 10:25 AM
Hello! This is the first chance I've gotten to write about the show.
We just finished doing ten shows in eight weeks. It was intense, and now seems like a blur.
Most of all it was fun. So many special guests and former castmates. It seems like the writers and cast spent pretty much every waking hour at 30 Rock.
Okay, so the Josh Brolin/Adele show.
This might have been the last Saturday episode that Amy was around.
She was really huge, but still working hard as ever.
I remember her writing that Palin rap. She was walking around with this sheet of paper just adding lines. Andy added some good lines too. I see that people are asking about the "I'm No Angel" sketch. The one where Amy and Josh are at a bar and she has a hard time getting over to him.
I've heard that the reason some videos don't get posted is because of music clearing issues. It's apparently a big deal getting the rights to some songs for reruns and online content. My suggestion is to just search online. If you look hard enough you can find uploads of various sketches. That one I loved. Such a well done, brilliant Idea written by Emily Spivey and Amy. And that song was perfect for it! And Amy doing that rap was so inspired. When I watch it, it's easy to forget how pregnant she is.
The photos below are from this film shoot we did. We had a special guest filmmaker, Noah Baumbach. He wrote and directed "Margot at the Wedding" and "The Squid and the Whale". He shot this piece that aired towards the end of the show, called "New York Underground with Trevor Dix". Bill played this British host of a TV show and I was this self indulgent singer/songwriter called Joshua Rainhorn. It was really fun to do, especially because the other cast members got to play members of fictional bands for these photos. Noah was incredible to work with. What a sweet guy and he does amazing work. Thanks and I'll get to the other episodes as soon as I can.
Bill on location. We shot it at The Living Room in the East Village.
Kristen. I think based on a photo of Sonic Youth.
Amy and Casey in the makeup room. Inspired by Tegan and Sara.
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