Sudeikis joins impressive ‘SNL’ grads
It’s come to this: In his standup special “Ricky Velez: Here’s Everything” (10 p.m. Saturday, HBO, TV-MA), Velez begins by sharing a fantasy he had of attacking an old woman he saw on the street. He related this to his girlfriend, who found it disturbing, but felt confident that when he used it on stage, his audience would laugh uproariously. Nervous titters are more like it.
To Velez, violence toward old people, even as a joke, is justified because they are “useless”; doddering fools who can’t remember their Apple IDs or even describe Bitcoin. He goes on to describe the “worthless” stories his grandfather shared when he was young.
HBO is selling Velez as an honest voice of the gritty streets of Queens. Velez reminded me of a minor character in your average gangster movie, the smartmouth who disrespects the wrong old man and is eliminated early in the third act. And quickly forgotten.
Velez can also be seen in the 2020 drama-comedy “The King of Staten Island” (8:40 p.m. Saturday, HBO2), directed by Judd Apatow, who also produces “Here’s Everything.” ›
On the opposite end of the comedy spectrum, Jason Sudeikis hosts “Saturday Night Live” (11:30 p.m., NBC, TV-14) featuring musical guest Brandi Carlile. A talent on “SNL” from 2005 to 2013, Sudeikis has received praise for his starring role in the Apple TV+ series “Ted Lasso,” as an affable American football coach enlisted to take over a U.K. soccer team. Recruited in an act of corporate and marital sabotage straight out of “Succession,” Lasso manages to charm his team, staff, the U.K. press and football fans with his gee-shucks demeanor and cornpone observations. Many critics saw the series as a tonic during the dark days of COVID. I never drank the Kool-Aid.
While considered a hit, “Lasso” is a product of streaming TV culture, where that term can be relative. Much has been made of “SNL” talent who have gone on to successful movie careers. But Sudeikis joins a smaller roster of stars who have scored successful TV series after leaving the mother ship.
After three years on “SNL,” Julia Louis-Dreyfus is probably the most successful
graduate, having appeared in “Seinfeld,” “The New Adventures of Old Christine” and “Veep,” series that garnered multiple Emmys for the actress.
Tina Fey would also unite former “SNL” talent Tracy Morgan and Chris Parnell in “30 Rock.” Other “SNL”-related network series of note include “Parks & Recreation” (Amy Poehler), “Brooklyn NineNine” (Andy Samberg) and “Community,” where it was reported that Chevy Chase irked his castmates just like in the old days on “SNL.”
The ratings-free atmosphere of streaming television has allowed “SNL” graduates to pursue more niche productions. “Ted Lasso” may resemble “Gomer Pyle,” a hit CBS series in the 1960s, but it probably would not be picked up by a network today. “SNL” star Aidy Bryant’s “Shrill” on Hulu explored her plus-sized problems in ways networks would probably avoid. Fred Armisen graduated from “SNL” to explore the eccentric, woke world
of the Pacific Northwest on IFC’s “Portlandia.” He would reunite with castmate Maya Rudolph in the 2018 Amazon Prime series “Forever,” an underappreciated look at death and the afterlife that straddled the line between funny, strange and profound. Sadly, it was never reincarnated for a second season. ›
“Insecure” (10 p.m. Sunday, HBO, TV-MA) begins its fifth and final season. For the uninitiated, it follows the awkward relationships, strong friendships and shaky career moves of Issa Doe (Issa Rae). The series was co-produced by Rae and Larry Wilmore (“The Daily Show”) and loosely based on Rae’s web comedy “Awkward Black Girl.”
Rae’s greatest strength as an actress and comedian is her near-continual look of surprise mingled with vague disappointment. People of all races, genders and ages are always letting her down.