"90 percent of the 'SNL' staff was fired."

voivod · 11.19.07, 03:22 AM

November 17, 2007 -- IN its first dramatic move since the beginning of the Writers Guild strike, NBC has fired "nearly the entire production staff" of its struggling, late-night staple, "Saturday Night Live," sources told Page Six.

One tipster told us, " 'SNL' laid off all their staff until further notice. Their production staff, even long-term employees, were let go." Another source confirmed that "90 percent of the 'SNL' staff was fired."

http://www.nypost.com/seven/11172007...ix/pagesix.htm

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The cast of "Saturday Night Live" entertained about 150 audience members in an unauthorized performance in a tiny Manhattan theater.

While NBC viewers watched a two-week-old rerun featuring Brian Williams and Feist — thanks to the ongoing Writers Guild of America labor strike — the small audience at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre was treated to a fresh new "episode" with guest host Michael Cera and musical guest Yo La Tengo.

"It was everything that's never been on the show before," cast member Kenan Thompson told The Associated Press after the show. "Sometimes it doesn't get a chance to shine, but it sure shined here."

The "SNL" cast and writers collaborated on staging the special "Saturday Night Live — On Strike!" event at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre to benefit the behind-the-scenes staff affected by the strike. The live performance was not officially sanctioned by NBC, but "SNL" executive producer Lorne Michaels, who celebrated his 63rd birthday, did attend.

"He came and saw it and laughed a little bit," said Thompson.

The performance followed a report that NBC fired "nearly the entire production staff" of "SNL."

"'SNL' laid off all their staff until further notice. Their production staff, even long-term employees, were let go," a source told the New York Post. Another source confirmed that "90 percent of the 'SNL' staff was fired."

And while The Washington Post reported yesterday that NBC might lay staff off at Jay Leno's "Tonight" show, "Late Night With Conan O'Brien" and "Last Call With Carson Daly" — all of which immediately went into rerun mode on Nov. 5 — those staffers would at least get paid for two more weeks. But an insider told the Post that "SNL" staffers got no severance.

Although no official announcement had been made as of last night about firings at any of NBC's late-night shows, multiple sources confirmed to the Post that "SNL" staffers learned of their axing yesterday morning. Reps for NBC declined comment.

HuBBs5150 · 11.19.07, 07:33 AM

this could be the best thing that has happened to that show in 15 years.

ZeoBandit · 11.19.07, 08:10 AM

Yep. SNL has sucked for a few years now.

bsbll4 · 11.19.07, 08:16 AM

I think the past year was actually the strongest cast of actors and writers they've had since the Mike Myers/Dana Carvey/Phil Hartman years. It was actually funny again. I've been an SNL hater for over a decade, but if you get a chance to see one of the new episodes, they're actually pretty good.

billy007 · 11.19.07, 08:24 AM

How much of "Saturday Night Live" is written vs. improvised on the spot. I mean, do the players improvise sketches during the week, the best of which are written down so they can be rehearsed into a more perfect performance, or is the stuff written beforehand and given to the players who can then improvise within the scripted skit? In other words, who is responsible for the way too many skits I've seen over any recent attempts to watch the show (over the past 20 years or so) that no one seemed to know when to end them and instead kept them going until the point of any humour had been flogged into just another annoying dead horse?

sickman · 11.19.07, 10:06 AM

Ok I've been laid off and Fired and they are 2 different things. At least if you are laid off you can collect unemployment for a while, Fired you get squat.

VanHalenRocks · 11.19.07, 10:31 AM

When you walk off of a jobsite, all bets are off. I figure people get paid to work, not to take time off and screw up a whole business. The whole union strike thing never did make sense to me. I could see if there were no laws in place to protect workers, but there are. If people want to be their own bosses and decide when they should work and how much money/benefits they should make, they can join the masses of the self-employed.

billy007 · 11.19.07, 11:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by VanHalenRocks

When you walk off of a jobsite, all bets are off. I figure people get paid to work, not to take time off and screw up a whole business. The whole union strike thing never did make sense to me. I could see if there were no laws in place to protect workers, but there are. If people want to be their own bosses and decide when they should work and how much money/benefits they should make, they can join the masses of the self-employed.

I don't think these are people that walked off the jobsite. I think these are people that have nothing to do because the writers walked off the job site. What's a lighting guy going to light if there are no skits written to be lit? What's a sound guy going to capture if there are no players on stage to read from scripts that have been written?

It's a no-win situation - while I agree with what the writers want as fair compensation for their work and am not sure how else they should go about getting it, I don't agree with costing other people their livelihood to achieve yours.

sickman · 11.19.07, 11:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by billy007

I don't think these are people that walked off the jobsite. I think these are people that have nothing to do because the writers walked off the job site. What's a lighting guy going to light if there are no skits written to be lit? What's a sound guy going to capture if there are no players on stage to read from scripts that have been written?

It's a no-win situation - while I agree with what the writers want as fair compensation for their work and am not sure how else they should go about getting it, I don't agree with costing other people their livelihood to achieve yours.

Exactly, I can't understand why the Late Night talk shows can't continue. So these hosts depend on a writer for their monologue but what about the rest of the show. I'm sure they can come up with their own questions to ask guests, not to mention wasn't Jay Leno a stand up comic. Can't he write his own friggin monologue. It's a shame that so many other people are going to go jobless, ie camera men, lighting guys and on and on. For their sake hopefully a compromise will come soon.

Wickett · 11.19.07, 11:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by billy007

How much of "Saturday Night Live" is written vs. improvised on the spot. I mean, do the players improvise sketches during the week, the best of which are written down so they can be rehearsed into a more perfect performance, or is the stuff written beforehand and given to the players who can then improvise within the scripted skit? In other words, who is responsible for the way too many skits I've seen over any recent attempts to watch the show (over the past 20 years or so) that no one seemed to know when to end them and instead kept them going until the point of any humour had been flogged into just another annoying dead horse?

Actually, they're usually tight about following the script. Much less is improvised than you might think. Of course, there are exceptions, it is live TV, and doesn't necessarily explain the crappy shows and skits we all see.

Picked this book up out of the bargain bins a couple of years ago. A good read if anyone is interested in the history of the show.

http://www.amazon.com/Live-New-York-...505317&sr=8-12

Red · 11.20.07, 06:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bsbll4

I think the past year was actually the strongest cast of actors and writers they've had since the Mike Myers/Dana Carvey/Phil Hartman years. It was actually funny again. I've been an SNL hater for over a decade, but if you get a chance to see one of the new episodes, they're actually pretty good.

I'll go along with that. I think the show has gotten much better, and I continue to be "all horny" for the oddly-attractive Maya Rudolph.

I miss Horatio Sanz badly, though. He could make me laugh before he ever said a word, usually.

smithjc · 11.20.07, 06:25 PM

Haven't watched SNL in a while. Didn't know Horatio was gone. Bummer.

And yeah, I hope they settle this soon. A lot of people are stuck without jobs until it gets settled.

jimmy812 · 11.21.07, 03:52 AM

Wickett, I have that book. Great read, very informative and I love the way the book is styled by using quotes from most of the SNL players, writer, producers, etc.
Phil Hartman was my favorite cast member from SNL, and I thought the part in the book where some cast members remembered him was cool.

SNL is nowhere near as good as it once was. But I've been watching for about 20 years now regularly. Good or bad, it's become kind of a staple in my life. I've always had my VCR, or nowadays the DVR, set to record it on Saturday night. Then I'd watch it on Sunday morning. It's just become a habit.

Eddie Rocks!!! · 11.21.07, 06:47 AM

Chevy Chase, Dan Aykroyd, John Belushi, Jane Curtin, Gilda Radner, Laraine Newman, and Garrett Morris WERE SNL. It just has not been the same since the originals left. Eddie Murphy and Bill Murray were great on that show too! I've only watched it a few times since they all left.

Ooooooooooh no Mr. Bill........

mmdog · 11.21.07, 01:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sickman

Exactly, I can't understand why the Late Night talk shows can't continue. So these hosts depend on a writer for their monologue but what about the rest of the show. I'm sure they can come up with their own questions to ask guests, not to mention wasn't Jay Leno a stand up comic. Can't he write his own friggin monologue. It's a shame that so many other people are going to go jobless, ie camera men, lighting guys and on and on. For their sake hopefully a compromise will come soon.

It's more loyalty to the writers, than anything else. Letterman is paying his staff until new year. At that point, you might see these shows come back. In 1988 Carson and Letterman stayed out for 3 months, then came back and did their shows without writers.