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Home » Blogs » Dorothy Snarker's blog » Amy Poehler frees up her Saturday nights

Amy Poehler frees up her Saturday nights

by
Dorothy Snarker

Talk about your good news, bad news, good news days. Fresh off her snarky and brilliant performance as Hilary Clinton (opposite Tina Fey’s Sarah Palin), Amy Poehler has revealed that she is leaving Saturday Night Live in November.

Oh, Amy, please don’t go.

But, as Amy said in the new issue of Men’s Vogue, it is simply time to say goodbye:

It’s gonna be really hard — Boyz II Men hard — to say goodbye to yesterday. SNL was dangerous, late-night, last-minute and star-studded, but like any good drug, you need to know when to put it down.

But if that’s the bad news, the second round of good news is that after her maternity leave is over, Amy will star in her own previously-announced NBC series from producers of The Office. The TV gods taketh, and they giveth back. While details about the new show are scarce, it’s great to hear that another talented, funny, deserving SNL alum will have her chance to shine on the small screen, though Amy is already producing an animated children's series, The Mighty B!, for Nickelodeon.

Still, Amy’s departure from SNL is a big hit to the show’s gender equality funny bone. While the long-running sketch comedy series has showcased a slew of great female comics — from Gilda Radner to Jane Curtain and Molly Shannon— over the years, it’s always been more heavily male dominated. Depending on Amy’s replacement, that would leave only two female cast members this season: Kristen Wiig and Casey Wilson.

Amy’s departure might be the final death knell for my watching SNL. While intermittently funny at best, Amy’s tenure at the "Weekend Update" desk meant there was always at least one segment guaranteed to get a chuckle out of me. Without her at all? Hello, crickets. The best case scenario is for Kristen might pick up Amy’s comedy mantel and become the driving force of the late-night jalopy.

The news also means Lorne Michaels and company are probably thanking their lucky stars that Hilary didn’t prevail in the primaries, since without Amy as her doppelganger, there would be no one left to master her so-called cackle.

Though, if there is any justice in the universe, Amy’s exit will not mean we’ve seen the last of her eerily, hilariously accurate Christian Siriano impersonation. Amy having a new show is fierce, but Saturday Night Live may now be a hot mess.

Will you watch SNL after she goes? Do you have any favorite Amy moments? And can the NBC powers-that-be please program Amy and Tina’s shows back-to-back so they can be together again, like they belong?

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    • Submitted by
    Dorothy Snarker
    on September 16, 2008 - 9:00am.
    TAGS :: 
    monica_ca's picture

    I could barely watch...

    Submitted by
    monica_ca (685 posts)
    on September 16, 2008 - 9:19am.
    ...after Tina Fey left...once Amy leaves, there will be no point in watching anymore.  Kinda like this past Saturday's episode...Michael Phelps might be a good swimmer, but bless his heart, he sure as heck can't act (he can't even read a flippin' cue card for cryin' out loud).
    Damask's picture

    Being a foreigner I haven't

    Submitted by
    Damask (102 posts)
    on September 16, 2008 - 9:22am.
    Being a foreigner I haven't seen every Amy skit, but I certainly have hunted down many on YouTube. Sad news for SNL, but I'm really hoping that her new show is awesome and has global success, because I would absolutely love to watch her on a regular basis.
    7Up's picture

    Not a big SNL person anyway, but for the political skits

    Submitted by
    7Up (639 posts)
    on September 16, 2008 - 9:47am.

    I'm excited she's got something planned with NBC! And at least she's sticking it out until the election! We need her as Hilary for sketches leading up to the Vote!

     Congrats to her! 

    mindgrapes's picture

    :(

    Submitted by
    mindgrapes (42 posts)
    on September 16, 2008 - 10:53am.
    since tina fey left snl has been gradually getting less and less funny...and now that amy is leaving it kind of just makes me want to cry...lol....thank goodness kristen wiig is still there, though....i think she is absolutely hilarious and the entire cast has a lot of talent....its just the writing....its not so good...
    Stacey's picture

    Having a Baby!!

    Submitted by
    Stacey (34 posts)
    on September 16, 2008 - 11:22am.
    I had a feeling this might happen - as you could see Saturday night, she is pregnant. I will sorely miss her - I can't believe it's been 7 years!! What happened to Mia since she left - or rachel dratch??
    Lauren 's picture

    NOOOOOOOOO!!

    Submitted by
    Lauren (668 posts)
    on September 16, 2008 - 11:25am.

    Tina?  Amy?  Are you really both breaking up with me and my TV?

    Can someone please just give these women a sh*tload of money so they'll stay on SNL?

    I mean, Kristin Wiig is hot and hilarious, but I don't think my shallowness will outweigh my boredom.  Oh, and I agree, if Micheal Phelps isn't in a pool or at an eating contest, I need not see him.

    Over.

    http://smithsayswhat.blogspot.com/

    Malia Kuuleialoha's picture

    No Women of color on SNL!

    Submitted by
    Malia Kuuleialoha (77 posts)
    on September 16, 2008 - 12:38pm.
    SNL has become one of the most female void ensemble shows on TV and that saddens me. I remember the good ole days when Maya Rudolph, Amy Poehler, Tina Fey, and Rachel Dratch were all on SNL at the same time. The producers need to get their stuff together and hire some more women, and not just more women, but EXCUSE ME where the hell are the woman of color on this freakin' show? 7 white men, one person of color and 2 super feminine white women. Wonderfull. This show has officially lost me.  Oh and I repeat 7 WHITE MEN 1 AFRICAN-AMERICAN 2 WHITE WOMEN...... WTF? If SNL is a sketch show that reflects pop culture and society shouldn't it reflect society's actual demographics? Which I hate to tell you this NBC, but not only do more women watch TV, we still out number the men in this country or at least the country where SNL airs, the United States. 
    Mays's picture

    Bittersweet

    Submitted by
    Mays (114 posts)
    on September 16, 2008 - 12:41pm.

    Oh, no :-( .. I never wanted this to happen -- even though I've been reading about it for a while. Rachel Dratch, Maya Rudolph, Ana Gasteyer, Molly Shannon, Tina Fey ... the list goes on and on. Now Amy!

    Kristin Wiig is our only hope. SNL will never be the same. That being said, I can't WAIT to see Amy on a new show.  

    Through_the_Rye's picture

    Am I the only one who

    Submitted by
    Through_the_Rye (116 posts)
    on September 16, 2008 - 1:29pm.

    Am I the only one who doesn't think she's funny?

     

    yet-another-lesbian-in-black's picture

    Good News

    Submitted by
    yet-another-les... (49 posts)
    on September 16, 2008 - 1:29pm.

    SNL is awful. It's had some great days but the sketch quality has plummeted in the past few years. 

    Can't wait to see what she'll do next! 

    Sista's picture

    Make Room for Kate McKinnon!

    Submitted by
    Sista (69 posts)
    on September 16, 2008 - 2:19pm.

    I, like many of you, wish Amy well in her new venture. I'm so looking forward to watching her career grow. And, despite the ups and downs of SNL over the years, let's face it -- it has been the launch pad for many wonderful careers.

    That said, I'm nominating Kate McKinnon of "The Big Gay Sketch Show" as Amy's replacement. She's smart, funny, talented, and, coincidently, blonde!

    Now wouldn't THAT be something???

    trackstar18's picture

    I'm kind of glad in a way because...

    Submitted by
    trackstar18 (7 posts)
    on September 16, 2008 - 3:38pm.

    I don't have to watch SNL anymore.  When Tina Fey left, it got much worse.  Now, with Amy leaving...that leaves Kristen (Face time) Wiig.  I loved Amy's Hillary impersonation, but my recent favorite Amy bit was the Rock of Love clip from last year when Tina Fey hosted. She jumped around on one leg, farting.  Jealous....jealous.  That was hilarious! 

    I can't wait for her new show and I hope she wins the Emmy for Supporting Actress.  It's about time they recognized these funny ladies.

     Fey/Poehler 2008!!!

    Susan Gabriel's picture

    A Step Up

    Submitted by
    Susan Gabriel (190 posts)
    on September 16, 2008 - 3:59pm.

    This is definitely a step up for Amy, I think. And she won't have to fight all those guys on SNL for air time anymore. It seems to be a good training ground for these women, but I think graduating from SNL is a good thing.

    www.SeekingSaraSummers.com

    Susan Gabriel's picture

    A Step Up

    Submitted by
    Susan Gabriel (190 posts)
    on September 16, 2008 - 4:00pm.

    This is definitely a step up for her, I think. And she won't have to fight all those guys on SNL for air time anymore. It seems to be a good training ground for these women, but I think graduating from SNL is a good thing.

    www.SeekingSaraSummers.com

    Rachel JW's picture

    Tina

    Submitted by
    Rachel JW (327 posts)
    on September 16, 2008 - 4:45pm.

    We will miss you Tina.. Onto bigger things like Tina? Good luck. 

     

    -Rachel 

    http://groups.myspace.com/KisstheGirl07
    Melissa Hsu's picture

    The Last Straw

    Submitted by
    Melissa Hsu (not verified)
    on September 16, 2008 - 8:56pm.

    I always Tivo snl on saturday nights.  Seriously, who is actually at home at 10:30 on a saturday?  However, Amy leaving is the last straw.  Things definitely went downhill once Tina left, but at least there were skits from Amy and (sometimes) Andy Samberg that make me laugh.

    Without Amy Poehler, all that will be left are the hot/cold digital shorts.  Those shorts are so unreliable that I might end up just watching those on youtube the next day.  How lame was the 'Space Olympics' one last week?  That was like some strange David Bowie project out of the 80s.

    AnnaRG's picture

    Kaitlyn

    Submitted by
    AnnaRG (168 posts)
    on September 16, 2008 - 11:15pm.
    i always loved when Amy did her character named Kaitlyn (sp?). I'll never forget the way she screamed "RIIICK!". ha it always cracked me up.
    7Up's picture

    Someone sent me Bush as Palin photo, says it all!

    Submitted by
    7Up (639 posts)
    on September 16, 2008 - 11:24pm.

    Hey, If Tina Fey ever has enough playing Palin, Amy could enlist this guy to help her out with her sketches, he could have been her twin:

     

    Not all bush is good bush! (eek that's pretty crude, but oh well!!!!) 


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