The Office: Middle Earth
December 14, 2014 10:31 PM Subscribe
On this week's Saturday Night Live, writers decided to play to host Martin Freeman's strengths by combining two of his best known roles: Tim Canterbury from BBC's The Office and Bilbo Baggins of The Hobbit. The Office: Middle Earth. (Video may be restricted in your part of the world. Here's a YouTube link instead.)
MartinWisse: Yeah, its Saturday Night Live.
posted by el io at 11:09 PM on December 14, 2014 [6 favorites]
posted by el io at 11:09 PM on December 14, 2014 [6 favorites]
Everything they did was a nod to original Office skits. Very well done.
I always rewatch the British version of the Office at this time each year, because the holiday special finishes right at the Christmas party. It feels magical.
posted by SpacemanStix at 11:10 PM on December 14, 2014 [8 favorites]
I always rewatch the British version of the Office at this time each year, because the holiday special finishes right at the Christmas party. It feels magical.
posted by SpacemanStix at 11:10 PM on December 14, 2014 [8 favorites]
Nice, but it's one of those sketches were the idea itself is enough and the rest is just padding.
An "Onion" sketch, then. The Onion is somewhat ironically named, as generally there are no layers beyond the initial headline idea re-iterated endlessly. Or perhaps in some ways it's aptly named, as, like its namesake, the many layers are basically homogenous.
Back on topic - that is a killer Gollum voice.
posted by Jon Mitchell at 11:16 PM on December 14, 2014 [6 favorites]
An "Onion" sketch, then. The Onion is somewhat ironically named, as generally there are no layers beyond the initial headline idea re-iterated endlessly. Or perhaps in some ways it's aptly named, as, like its namesake, the many layers are basically homogenous.
Back on topic - that is a killer Gollum voice.
posted by Jon Mitchell at 11:16 PM on December 14, 2014 [6 favorites]
the rest is just padding
Dunno, I thought Bilbo hiding Gollum's precious in the jello and Gandalf's subsequent line were pretty on point.
posted by en forme de poire at 12:06 AM on December 15, 2014 [7 favorites]
Dunno, I thought Bilbo hiding Gollum's precious in the jello and Gandalf's subsequent line were pretty on point.
posted by en forme de poire at 12:06 AM on December 15, 2014 [7 favorites]
It's like they pitched it and never actually wrote beyond that. (Weird how Martin Freeman doesn't even take center stage in the parody formed around two of his previous gigs.)
For office parodies, I don't think one can beat Terry Tate: Office Linebacker.
posted by fifteen schnitzengruben is my limit at 12:07 AM on December 15, 2014 [4 favorites]
For office parodies, I don't think one can beat Terry Tate: Office Linebacker.
posted by fifteen schnitzengruben is my limit at 12:07 AM on December 15, 2014 [4 favorites]
Is there a Downton Abbey/Hobbit mashup? That could be great.
posted by evil_esto at 2:15 AM on December 15, 2014
posted by evil_esto at 2:15 AM on December 15, 2014
that is a killer Gollum voice
Taran Killam is one of the best cast members of the last few years.
posted by dhens at 4:19 AM on December 15, 2014 [6 favorites]
Taran Killam is one of the best cast members of the last few years.
posted by dhens at 4:19 AM on December 15, 2014 [6 favorites]
It peaked for me with the ring in the Jello and Gandalf saying "sexual!" But I laughed at it more than I've laughed at anything on SNL in a long time.
posted by apricot at 4:46 AM on December 15, 2014 [3 favorites]
posted by apricot at 4:46 AM on December 15, 2014 [3 favorites]
MartinWisse: "Nice, but it's one of those sketches were the idea itself is enough and the rest is just padding."
That basically describes 75% of SNL skits.
posted by octothorpe at 4:46 AM on December 15, 2014 [1 favorite]
That basically describes 75% of SNL skits.
posted by octothorpe at 4:46 AM on December 15, 2014 [1 favorite]
Another bonus is that there was a link to the Sump'n' Claus sketch!
posted by The 10th Regiment of Foot at 5:36 AM on December 15, 2014 [5 favorites]
posted by The 10th Regiment of Foot at 5:36 AM on December 15, 2014 [5 favorites]
Wait, was the orc Keith? They missed one of my favorite bits:
Gandalf/David Brent: For your strengths, you just put "slaughtering".
Orc/Keith: Yeah.
Gandalf/David Brent: That's your job, I mean that's just...
Orc/Keith: Mm.
Gandalf/David Brent: No. Keith. I'm sorry, looking for your skills within your job, is there anything else you could put there?
Orc/Keith: No.
Gandalf/David Brent: And for your weaknesses, you put "eczema".
posted by A dead Quaker at 6:50 AM on December 15, 2014 [4 favorites]
Gandalf/David Brent: For your strengths, you just put "slaughtering".
Orc/Keith: Yeah.
Gandalf/David Brent: That's your job, I mean that's just...
Orc/Keith: Mm.
Gandalf/David Brent: No. Keith. I'm sorry, looking for your skills within your job, is there anything else you could put there?
Orc/Keith: No.
Gandalf/David Brent: And for your weaknesses, you put "eczema".
posted by A dead Quaker at 6:50 AM on December 15, 2014 [4 favorites]
Weird how Martin Freeman doesn't even take center stage in the parody formed around two of his previous gigs.
Maybe that's metacommentary on his role in The Hobbit, which should more accurately be called "Stupid Sexy Brooding Dwarves vs. Disco Elf."
Taran Killam as Gollum is one of the best SNL parodies I've seen in a while (especially the good/bad Gollum interview). You had to know, given the host, this sketch was inevitable, and I think they did a solid job with it.
posted by bibliowench at 6:58 AM on December 15, 2014 [2 favorites]
Maybe that's metacommentary on his role in The Hobbit, which should more accurately be called "Stupid Sexy Brooding Dwarves vs. Disco Elf."
Taran Killam as Gollum is one of the best SNL parodies I've seen in a while (especially the good/bad Gollum interview). You had to know, given the host, this sketch was inevitable, and I think they did a solid job with it.
posted by bibliowench at 6:58 AM on December 15, 2014 [2 favorites]
Disco Elf
Someone lend me $5 so I can make a sock puppet account.
posted by device55 at 7:12 AM on December 15, 2014 [4 favorites]
Someone lend me $5 so I can make a sock puppet account.
posted by device55 at 7:12 AM on December 15, 2014 [4 favorites]
Although I think the "One-Dimensional Female Character from a Male Driven Comedy" was my favorite bit in a long time.
posted by bibliowench at 7:12 AM on December 15, 2014 [4 favorites]
posted by bibliowench at 7:12 AM on December 15, 2014 [4 favorites]
Martin Freeman is pretty funny, so it felt like they really under-used his abilities for the most part.
posted by Windigo at 7:31 AM on December 15, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by Windigo at 7:31 AM on December 15, 2014 [1 favorite]
You people are why we can't have nice things.
posted by stevil at 7:56 AM on December 15, 2014 [6 favorites]
posted by stevil at 7:56 AM on December 15, 2014 [6 favorites]
Another bonus is that there was a link to the Sump'n' Claus sketch!
That was much funnier than the Office sketch. And something actually unexpected from SNL. I don't know why this isn't getting more buzz on the web.
posted by PlusDistance at 8:07 AM on December 15, 2014 [1 favorite]
That was much funnier than the Office sketch. And something actually unexpected from SNL. I don't know why this isn't getting more buzz on the web.
posted by PlusDistance at 8:07 AM on December 15, 2014 [1 favorite]
Man there's no good idea SNL can't pad out to an extra five minutes and seemingly take forever, is there?
( The best modern SNL skit is still What's Wrong With Tanya.)
posted by The Whelk at 8:26 AM on December 15, 2014 [12 favorites]
( The best modern SNL skit is still What's Wrong With Tanya.)
posted by The Whelk at 8:26 AM on December 15, 2014 [12 favorites]
What's Wrong with Tanya is dark. And hilarious. But dark...sooooo dark.
posted by trif at 9:24 AM on December 15, 2014
posted by trif at 9:24 AM on December 15, 2014
These pirated SNL videos on YouTube are really something else. 3/4 of the frame filled with static crap, I assume to defeat the content detection? Then the actual video in the center 1/4 with "HDTV" ironically written underneath.
posted by Nelson at 10:03 AM on December 15, 2014
posted by Nelson at 10:03 AM on December 15, 2014
Man there's no good idea SNL can't pad out to an extra five minutes and seemingly take forever, is there?
I'm pretty sure the only reason they keep adding featured players is to stretch out that already interminable opening title sequence and further reduce the amount of filler material they have to come up with between that and the bit where they all stand on stage and hug to those grand old saxophone strains. Fortunately commercials take care of at least half of that.
posted by George_Spiggott at 10:33 AM on December 15, 2014
I'm pretty sure the only reason they keep adding featured players is to stretch out that already interminable opening title sequence and further reduce the amount of filler material they have to come up with between that and the bit where they all stand on stage and hug to those grand old saxophone strains. Fortunately commercials take care of at least half of that.
posted by George_Spiggott at 10:33 AM on December 15, 2014
Love Martin Freeman, but kinda shocked there were absolutely NO Sherlock references?
posted by Space Kitty at 10:43 AM on December 15, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by Space Kitty at 10:43 AM on December 15, 2014 [1 favorite]
Well, SNL is an American show and really, Sherlock is not mainstream huge over here.
posted by Windigo at 11:16 AM on December 15, 2014
posted by Windigo at 11:16 AM on December 15, 2014
I really think they should have put a Shrek in it.
posted by howfar at 12:03 PM on December 15, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by howfar at 12:03 PM on December 15, 2014 [1 favorite]
Well, SNL is an American show and really, Sherlock is not mainstream huge over here.
It's a lot huger than the original UK version of The Office, which is the one that had Martin Freeman in it, as well as Ricky Gervais (which is who Bobby Moynihan was portraying doing Gandalf).
posted by George_Spiggott at 12:27 PM on December 15, 2014 [2 favorites]
It's a lot huger than the original UK version of The Office, which is the one that had Martin Freeman in it, as well as Ricky Gervais (which is who Bobby Moynihan was portraying doing Gandalf).
posted by George_Spiggott at 12:27 PM on December 15, 2014 [2 favorites]
These pirated SNL videos on YouTube are really something else.
Regional restrictions in this day and age are really something else.
posted by paleyellowwithorange at 12:31 PM on December 15, 2014
Regional restrictions in this day and age are really something else.
posted by paleyellowwithorange at 12:31 PM on December 15, 2014
I love Martin Freeman, so I wanted to like this a lot more than I did. Someone doing Ricky Gervais' lines but in a Gandalf costume is not exactly the height of parody, though. Maybe try to adapt the material to the premise a bit more, SNL writers. Still, it was a great Gollum, and the collar/tie without a shirt was a nice touch.
posted by Saxon Kane at 3:18 PM on December 15, 2014
posted by Saxon Kane at 3:18 PM on December 15, 2014
There were way too many women in that for it to be Middle-Earth authentic.
posted by incessant at 4:56 PM on December 15, 2014
posted by incessant at 4:56 PM on December 15, 2014
Killam did a killer Gollum, but oof, that makeup was hard to look at. His head just looked... swollen. Gollum is all about them big, wet eyes, and I was surprised the makeup people didn't focus on that instead of giving Gollum a weird giant head. (Maybe they had some of those old Coneheads coneheads in storage.)
I remember Chris Kattan did a pretty good Gollum too, back in the day. He didn't need as much makeup, because he's more Gollum-y to start with.
The total lack of Sherlock references, even in the monologue, was kind of odd. It's not so surprising they didn't do a sketch about it, but I would've at least expected Freeman to mention it during that list of his credits in the monologue.
posted by Ursula Hitler at 6:05 PM on December 15, 2014 [1 favorite]
I remember Chris Kattan did a pretty good Gollum too, back in the day. He didn't need as much makeup, because he's more Gollum-y to start with.
The total lack of Sherlock references, even in the monologue, was kind of odd. It's not so surprising they didn't do a sketch about it, but I would've at least expected Freeman to mention it during that list of his credits in the monologue.
posted by Ursula Hitler at 6:05 PM on December 15, 2014 [1 favorite]
Love Martin Freeman, but kinda shocked there were absolutely NO Sherlock references?
Maybe it was like the problem SCTV had with attempting to parody Three's Company. Both Three's Company and Sherlock are so horribly awful, a parody just comes out exactly the same as the real show. I am totally serious about this. Sherlock is already a parody of itself.
posted by juiceCake at 4:16 PM on December 16, 2014
Maybe it was like the problem SCTV had with attempting to parody Three's Company. Both Three's Company and Sherlock are so horribly awful, a parody just comes out exactly the same as the real show. I am totally serious about this. Sherlock is already a parody of itself.
posted by juiceCake at 4:16 PM on December 16, 2014
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posted by MartinWisse at 10:59 PM on December 14, 2014 [2 favorites]