1 00:00:03,760 --> 00:00:06,800 Speaker 1: I'm Alec Baldwin and you were listening to Here's the Thing. 2 00:00:07,680 --> 00:00:12,440 Speaker 1: The name Steve Higgins sounds like a sitcom character, the 3 00:00:12,520 --> 00:00:16,759 Speaker 1: earnest neighbor with thick glasses, the overly bright lieutenant on 4 00:00:16,920 --> 00:00:23,319 Speaker 1: McHale's navy. He's from Say des Moines and transplanted to 5 00:00:23,400 --> 00:00:27,880 Speaker 1: New York. Steve Higgins is the straight man. The real 6 00:00:28,160 --> 00:00:32,240 Speaker 1: Steve Higgins is all that, but also a comedic genius. 7 00:00:32,800 --> 00:00:36,400 Speaker 1: He's my friend with four hundred and fifty six Saturday 8 00:00:36,479 --> 00:00:40,839 Speaker 1: Night Live writing credits and counting. In fact, he's the 9 00:00:40,880 --> 00:00:45,640 Speaker 1: guy in charge of the writer's room, along with Lauren Michael's. 10 00:00:45,760 --> 00:00:50,000 Speaker 1: Steve holds the fate of America's young comedy talent in 11 00:00:50,080 --> 00:00:53,840 Speaker 1: his hands. Lauren and Steve decide who gets hired and 12 00:00:53,880 --> 00:00:56,920 Speaker 1: who gets fired from the show. But he didn't become 13 00:00:56,920 --> 00:01:00,800 Speaker 1: a household name until he joined Jimmy fallon the Roots 14 00:01:01,160 --> 00:01:03,640 Speaker 1: and the rest of the Tonight Show team in front 15 00:01:03,720 --> 00:01:08,119 Speaker 1: of the camera, playing that venerable talk show character, the sidekick. 16 00:01:09,200 --> 00:01:12,759 Speaker 1: So Steve has two jobs. At four thirty every day, 17 00:01:12,880 --> 00:01:16,759 Speaker 1: four days a week. Steve announces the Tonight Show, sticks 18 00:01:16,800 --> 00:01:19,880 Speaker 1: around to play Jimmy straight man, and then runs back 19 00:01:19,959 --> 00:01:25,720 Speaker 1: upstairs to produce that week's sn L. It's a heavy 20 00:01:25,800 --> 00:01:28,839 Speaker 1: life for a kid from Iowa who started a sketch 21 00:01:28,920 --> 00:01:32,960 Speaker 1: comedy troupe with his brothers out of high school. Steve's 22 00:01:33,080 --> 00:01:36,640 Speaker 1: kindness and humility have stayed as sharp as this comedy. 23 00:01:37,560 --> 00:01:40,600 Speaker 1: So it was a joy when Steve Higgins agreed to 24 00:01:40,680 --> 00:01:46,480 Speaker 1: join me on stage at Guildhall in East Hampton. Hello, Hello, Hello, 25 00:01:50,280 --> 00:01:54,080 Speaker 1: I'm so excited, thank you all for coming. Let me 26 00:01:54,160 --> 00:01:58,200 Speaker 1: just start out by saying that lately I've been doing 27 00:01:58,360 --> 00:02:02,840 Speaker 1: you know who, all that crap. It's so pathetic. But anyway, uh, 28 00:02:02,960 --> 00:02:05,480 Speaker 1: I actually said to our guests, I said, I just 29 00:02:05,520 --> 00:02:07,040 Speaker 1: can't do it anymore. I texted me the the other day 30 00:02:07,040 --> 00:02:09,440 Speaker 1: I go, so, who's playing trump this fall? And he goes, 31 00:02:09,639 --> 00:02:13,360 Speaker 1: you are, and quite brilliantly, I might add, so I 32 00:02:13,400 --> 00:02:15,080 Speaker 1: want you to please welcome to God. This is a 33 00:02:15,080 --> 00:02:17,720 Speaker 1: dear friend of mine, one of the great great writer, 34 00:02:17,880 --> 00:02:32,480 Speaker 1: producers and now performer, Steve Higgins. Those are the kindest 35 00:02:32,520 --> 00:02:36,600 Speaker 1: words you've ever said to me. Now, speaking of which, 36 00:02:37,160 --> 00:02:41,880 Speaker 1: what was comedy in your childhood? Was it always class clown? 37 00:02:42,000 --> 00:02:46,560 Speaker 1: And I had three brothers and a sister, and comedy 38 00:02:46,680 --> 00:02:50,520 Speaker 1: that's all it was. We never yelled. It was sarcasm, 39 00:02:50,600 --> 00:02:53,440 Speaker 1: and which now I learned as bad. It's good to 40 00:02:53,520 --> 00:02:55,960 Speaker 1: yell sometimes, well not too much take my word for 41 00:02:56,080 --> 00:03:01,000 Speaker 1: you know. Well, m um, it is the lingua franc 42 00:03:01,040 --> 00:03:02,959 Speaker 1: of our house. Burned somebody and get a big laugh, 43 00:03:03,000 --> 00:03:04,240 Speaker 1: and you were the king of the house. I mean 44 00:03:04,240 --> 00:03:06,880 Speaker 1: it was who was the king? My brother Dave was 45 00:03:06,919 --> 00:03:10,639 Speaker 1: the king. I think he was one of the quickest 46 00:03:10,639 --> 00:03:15,040 Speaker 1: people I've ever met. Like one time was this. I 47 00:03:15,080 --> 00:03:19,680 Speaker 1: went to high school in Des Moines, Iowa, Thank you, um, 48 00:03:19,720 --> 00:03:22,160 Speaker 1: and there was this thing, uh, there's a new part 49 00:03:22,160 --> 00:03:23,760 Speaker 1: of the gym. Was the new part of the gym 50 00:03:23,840 --> 00:03:27,200 Speaker 1: was built, and on each of the eight foot by 51 00:03:27,320 --> 00:03:29,800 Speaker 1: seven ft piece of glass there was a thing that 52 00:03:29,800 --> 00:03:33,560 Speaker 1: said beat Aims, which was Aims Iowa. Where the was 53 00:03:33,800 --> 00:03:35,920 Speaker 1: like we'd play them in the first high school thing 54 00:03:35,960 --> 00:03:39,840 Speaker 1: there and he was walking by saw that ripped off 55 00:03:39,960 --> 00:03:42,880 Speaker 1: the B and the A and the S or just 56 00:03:42,920 --> 00:03:49,160 Speaker 1: said eat me that kind of thing. You go, my mathematicians. 57 00:03:49,760 --> 00:03:51,760 Speaker 1: That's why I think, that's why I love like those 58 00:03:51,760 --> 00:03:54,080 Speaker 1: celebrity jeopardy things that you know what I mean, where 59 00:03:54,080 --> 00:03:56,080 Speaker 1: it's like a word play on a thing is all 60 00:03:56,120 --> 00:03:59,880 Speaker 1: from that of me, just going, how did you fat 61 00:04:00,240 --> 00:04:03,480 Speaker 1: like when they have uh, when Darryl would do Connery? Yes, yes, 62 00:04:03,560 --> 00:04:08,480 Speaker 1: and I can't think of exactly horrible. This must be 63 00:04:08,520 --> 00:04:13,320 Speaker 1: my lucky day. I'll take the rapists. And that's the therapist. 64 00:04:13,720 --> 00:04:18,599 Speaker 1: The therapist. Why would that be his lucky day? When 65 00:04:18,600 --> 00:04:21,279 Speaker 1: you were a kid, I mean your brother's obviously it 66 00:04:21,320 --> 00:04:23,080 Speaker 1: sounds like he's up that school. I grew up with 67 00:04:23,120 --> 00:04:25,200 Speaker 1: guys like that. It wasn't that. Your house. To my 68 00:04:25,240 --> 00:04:27,440 Speaker 1: family was things like we'd be standing there on a 69 00:04:27,480 --> 00:04:29,080 Speaker 1: corner with like a little gang of kids and we 70 00:04:29,120 --> 00:04:31,880 Speaker 1: would play a game called He's Got a Gun. As 71 00:04:31,880 --> 00:04:33,680 Speaker 1: a game you didn't announce, you just he erupted it 72 00:04:33,720 --> 00:04:36,039 Speaker 1: into it spontaneously. So we'd all be standing there. We're 73 00:04:36,120 --> 00:04:38,279 Speaker 1: going like six kids or like fourteen years old and 74 00:04:38,279 --> 00:04:40,240 Speaker 1: fifty and he goes, you see Tommy, did he come 75 00:04:40,279 --> 00:04:42,160 Speaker 1: back to his vacation and they live on a lake. Right, 76 00:04:42,200 --> 00:04:45,000 Speaker 1: he's got a gun? You jump on someone, you pick someone. 77 00:04:45,520 --> 00:04:47,200 Speaker 1: One person would announce the game, and he was like 78 00:04:47,240 --> 00:04:51,120 Speaker 1: sir Han, Sir Han at the Ambassador Hotel. Everyone he 79 00:04:51,160 --> 00:04:52,840 Speaker 1: was the killer, he was the shooter, and we'd all 80 00:04:52,880 --> 00:04:55,440 Speaker 1: picked and we'd all beat the crap. We'd stop him 81 00:04:55,480 --> 00:05:01,279 Speaker 1: on the ground. Yeah, as opposed to you're gonna wear that? Yeah, yeah, 82 00:05:01,320 --> 00:05:05,159 Speaker 1: that kind of like yeah that my brother and my 83 00:05:05,200 --> 00:05:11,200 Speaker 1: girlfriend came over. He'd go, you put on weight, thank kind? 84 00:05:11,760 --> 00:05:14,120 Speaker 1: And what was TV? Movies? Did you got? Were your 85 00:05:14,160 --> 00:05:18,400 Speaker 1: family out to the movies? We did not have what 86 00:05:18,440 --> 00:05:23,720 Speaker 1: it's called money, um, so we would watch a lot 87 00:05:23,800 --> 00:05:27,599 Speaker 1: of TV. And then my mom one day, uh took 88 00:05:27,640 --> 00:05:31,480 Speaker 1: the chord to the TV, which kids to work with her, 89 00:05:32,880 --> 00:05:35,960 Speaker 1: so we couldn't watch TV during the summer. And my 90 00:05:36,040 --> 00:05:39,920 Speaker 1: brother Mike took a part the whatever weird toaster thing, 91 00:05:40,240 --> 00:05:43,640 Speaker 1: remember that with the three products, and he just rewired 92 00:05:43,680 --> 00:05:45,680 Speaker 1: and shoved it in the TV. And we'd watched him. 93 00:05:45,760 --> 00:05:50,160 Speaker 1: Mom was coming. Yes, we thrown away. What kind of 94 00:05:50,200 --> 00:05:52,120 Speaker 1: show did you watch? We watched the same as you as. 95 00:05:52,160 --> 00:05:54,479 Speaker 1: I mean, we grew up in the same house pretty much. 96 00:05:55,000 --> 00:05:58,040 Speaker 1: I mean you'd watch I mean I remember when my 97 00:05:58,080 --> 00:06:00,680 Speaker 1: mom said, my mom loved comedy, so she would let 98 00:06:00,760 --> 00:06:03,520 Speaker 1: bob and yes, she was funnier than your dad. She 99 00:06:03,600 --> 00:06:05,320 Speaker 1: was a funny one. Well, my dad died when I 100 00:06:05,360 --> 00:06:08,880 Speaker 1: was in tenth grade, so you know when you're that 101 00:06:09,120 --> 00:06:12,159 Speaker 1: you don't but my dad was funny, but in tenth 102 00:06:12,200 --> 00:06:15,360 Speaker 1: grade he was he died. But I remember one time 103 00:06:15,400 --> 00:06:21,719 Speaker 1: my little brother al uh was He would go, oh, 104 00:06:22,040 --> 00:06:25,599 Speaker 1: Alan Alan, Joel thinks, bring me my room and off, 105 00:06:26,520 --> 00:06:30,440 Speaker 1: so bring me my running not even run, this says 106 00:06:30,480 --> 00:06:33,680 Speaker 1: to be laughing at out. Did you do this thing too? 107 00:06:33,720 --> 00:06:36,400 Speaker 1: Did you do that one? You know? I think I 108 00:06:36,440 --> 00:06:38,599 Speaker 1: want to know what's that. That's the thing where you 109 00:06:38,640 --> 00:06:40,280 Speaker 1: go like this and if the guy doesn't see, you 110 00:06:40,320 --> 00:06:42,680 Speaker 1: get to punch him. But if he puts his finger 111 00:06:42,720 --> 00:06:45,039 Speaker 1: through it and breaks it, you get to punch him. 112 00:06:45,080 --> 00:06:48,279 Speaker 1: So it would be one of those elaborate and punching 113 00:06:48,440 --> 00:06:50,880 Speaker 1: games of like who won the Kentucky Dry to reach 114 00:06:50,960 --> 00:06:56,080 Speaker 1: Charlie Horse, Spider bites Dutch RBS does anything that would 115 00:06:56,080 --> 00:07:00,800 Speaker 1: inflict pain in a controlled manner, we laugh. We just 116 00:07:01,120 --> 00:07:03,679 Speaker 1: each other. Mom, did your mom? Like in my house? 117 00:07:03,760 --> 00:07:06,400 Speaker 1: My mom? You know, we'd have to speak in code, 118 00:07:06,760 --> 00:07:09,600 Speaker 1: so we'd say vulgarity and code. So if somebody was 119 00:07:09,640 --> 00:07:13,120 Speaker 1: an effing asshole, we told that, we use the word 120 00:07:13,160 --> 00:07:16,080 Speaker 1: fung and we call him a zoul. So we'd be 121 00:07:16,120 --> 00:07:18,000 Speaker 1: having lunch. We'll have a dinner in our kitchen. Tip 122 00:07:18,520 --> 00:07:21,760 Speaker 1: have you seen Larry Lady, did he come back from upstate? 123 00:07:21,880 --> 00:07:24,200 Speaker 1: Is he back? Yeah? He's a fung zul Right, we'd 124 00:07:24,200 --> 00:07:26,440 Speaker 1: say lima. I told him to lima. You know, I 125 00:07:26,480 --> 00:07:28,840 Speaker 1: mean just lima. Lick me. We have all these like 126 00:07:28,880 --> 00:07:33,000 Speaker 1: funky code like lick me was lima. And finally my 127 00:07:33,040 --> 00:07:34,960 Speaker 1: mother would be like, like, you know, like after like 128 00:07:35,080 --> 00:07:37,320 Speaker 1: one whole summer of this, Mom was like, what are 129 00:07:37,360 --> 00:07:39,400 Speaker 1: you saying? What does this lima? What do you what 130 00:07:39,520 --> 00:07:42,640 Speaker 1: is lima? What did your mother do to control you? Guys? 131 00:07:42,800 --> 00:07:45,720 Speaker 1: The silent treatment? That would be the big thing, because 132 00:07:45,760 --> 00:07:54,840 Speaker 1: you didn't hit, so you just go like that, No, 133 00:07:55,200 --> 00:07:58,440 Speaker 1: had four sons, Yeah, but we did his hand you cash. 134 00:07:58,440 --> 00:08:00,360 Speaker 1: You said you had no money, No we didn't. Would 135 00:08:00,360 --> 00:08:02,560 Speaker 1: just go work a thousand different jobs and things like that. 136 00:08:02,760 --> 00:08:05,880 Speaker 1: It wasn't, No, it's not. And so mom would just 137 00:08:05,920 --> 00:08:07,480 Speaker 1: take care of the thing and she would make sure 138 00:08:07,520 --> 00:08:11,240 Speaker 1: everything ran smooth, and you know, everybody did, and it 139 00:08:11,280 --> 00:08:16,160 Speaker 1: would just be one time, Oh my god, she goes, 140 00:08:16,240 --> 00:08:20,760 Speaker 1: I'm gonna come back. I want this house clean. That 141 00:08:20,880 --> 00:08:23,080 Speaker 1: was the big thing, because our house was a big sty. 142 00:08:23,640 --> 00:08:25,720 Speaker 1: She left and I don't know why we got a 143 00:08:25,720 --> 00:08:30,080 Speaker 1: pudding fight. Why the why would you do that. I mean, 144 00:08:30,200 --> 00:08:32,079 Speaker 1: was depit about on Dad's South. It was in the 145 00:08:32,160 --> 00:08:34,880 Speaker 1: dry clan. It was like to this day, if I 146 00:08:34,920 --> 00:08:37,320 Speaker 1: think about that, it just gives me ship. Was feathers 147 00:08:39,280 --> 00:08:42,240 Speaker 1: exactly was There was like an episode of the Brady Bunch, 148 00:08:42,960 --> 00:08:45,320 Speaker 1: like that doesn't happen in real life. No kids getting 149 00:08:45,320 --> 00:08:49,160 Speaker 1: pudding fights with tapioca pudding awful. My dad had four sons, 150 00:08:49,160 --> 00:08:51,800 Speaker 1: he had no money and uh and other people you 151 00:08:51,840 --> 00:08:54,120 Speaker 1: know in the neighborhood they had something you could control 152 00:08:54,200 --> 00:08:57,480 Speaker 1: and managed kids with. Like you know my friends people 153 00:08:57,520 --> 00:08:59,360 Speaker 1: with money lived on the water with my friend's parents 154 00:08:59,400 --> 00:09:01,320 Speaker 1: would be like, if you don't get in there and 155 00:09:01,480 --> 00:09:03,920 Speaker 1: do your homework, they're not getting any gas for the boat. 156 00:09:05,880 --> 00:09:07,760 Speaker 1: ID be like in my bedroom, going not gonna get 157 00:09:07,760 --> 00:09:11,000 Speaker 1: any gas for the boat. I do my homework. If 158 00:09:11,000 --> 00:09:13,400 Speaker 1: it got me gas for the boat, you can bet 159 00:09:13,440 --> 00:09:15,920 Speaker 1: on that. My dad had the fear program. Like we 160 00:09:16,000 --> 00:09:17,480 Speaker 1: go out at night and my dad would be like, 161 00:09:19,000 --> 00:09:21,440 Speaker 1: what time are you coming home? Will You'd be like, 162 00:09:24,200 --> 00:09:27,720 Speaker 1: oh God, please don't yet. And he did an iron finger. 163 00:09:27,760 --> 00:09:29,600 Speaker 1: He had to figure he like, grind it into your 164 00:09:29,640 --> 00:09:31,640 Speaker 1: into your muscle of your chest, and he goes you 165 00:09:31,800 --> 00:09:34,480 Speaker 1: come home at ten thirty, I'm gonna break every bone 166 00:09:34,480 --> 00:09:39,480 Speaker 1: in your body. Were like, okay, we'll bear God please, 167 00:09:41,880 --> 00:09:43,880 Speaker 1: Well you have to as a parent, you have to 168 00:09:43,920 --> 00:09:47,040 Speaker 1: find things of your children love so you can take 169 00:09:47,080 --> 00:09:52,959 Speaker 1: away from them nothing. Now we had no money, yeah, 170 00:09:54,040 --> 00:09:57,520 Speaker 1: now barely making rent. When do you decide you're gonna 171 00:09:57,679 --> 00:09:59,600 Speaker 1: you're gonna try to get up in front of people. 172 00:09:59,679 --> 00:10:03,040 Speaker 1: You formed a comedy group, and how old are you 173 00:10:03,040 --> 00:10:04,439 Speaker 1: when you sit there and go, I want to get 174 00:10:04,440 --> 00:10:05,800 Speaker 1: but I want to try to do stuff in front 175 00:10:05,800 --> 00:10:09,360 Speaker 1: of people. Because we were all in plays growing up. 176 00:10:09,480 --> 00:10:11,440 Speaker 1: There was a thing called Summer Upper at a workshop 177 00:10:11,480 --> 00:10:14,679 Speaker 1: which did Gilbert and Sullivan plays in Des Moines, and 178 00:10:14,760 --> 00:10:17,240 Speaker 1: my sister joined that, and then everybody in the family 179 00:10:17,320 --> 00:10:19,120 Speaker 1: joined that, so we were in all the place in 180 00:10:19,200 --> 00:10:22,280 Speaker 1: high school were you know, it was always and my 181 00:10:22,360 --> 00:10:25,000 Speaker 1: mom and my dad, I found out later went to 182 00:10:25,000 --> 00:10:27,400 Speaker 1: announcer school. My aunt Pat told me and my aunt 183 00:10:27,520 --> 00:10:29,240 Speaker 1: I didn't know about this. He went to ann and 184 00:10:29,280 --> 00:10:31,120 Speaker 1: I'm an announcer. How weird is that? But my mom 185 00:10:31,120 --> 00:10:34,959 Speaker 1: had like pictures of Lucille Ball autographs that she sent 186 00:10:35,080 --> 00:10:38,400 Speaker 1: with so show business was always we knew no one 187 00:10:38,400 --> 00:10:39,720 Speaker 1: an in show But like when we went to do 188 00:10:39,760 --> 00:10:42,360 Speaker 1: show business. People thought we were crazy because nobody from 189 00:10:42,400 --> 00:10:46,480 Speaker 1: des Moines chloris Leachman except chloran Um, what would be 190 00:10:46,520 --> 00:10:49,160 Speaker 1: in show business. It was just the craziest thing. So 191 00:10:49,200 --> 00:10:51,640 Speaker 1: we did wasn't scouting in des Moines? No, he didn't 192 00:10:51,640 --> 00:10:54,960 Speaker 1: show up and yeah, yeah, so what's the first thing 193 00:10:55,000 --> 00:10:56,680 Speaker 1: you did? You got up in front of people? Well 194 00:10:56,720 --> 00:10:59,680 Speaker 1: we did, Yeah, we did comedy comedy. Who's we me? 195 00:11:00,080 --> 00:11:02,319 Speaker 1: My brother Dave and a guy named Greuber. So it 196 00:11:02,360 --> 00:11:06,080 Speaker 1: was the Higgins Boys and Greuber would good name and 197 00:11:06,280 --> 00:11:09,520 Speaker 1: uh we would he was. They started a club, like 198 00:11:09,559 --> 00:11:13,920 Speaker 1: in the seventies, seventy nine, they started a club to 199 00:11:14,040 --> 00:11:16,400 Speaker 1: do comedy in des Moines and so they would perform 200 00:11:16,400 --> 00:11:18,439 Speaker 1: in Omaha the Spaghetti Works in the moment of the 201 00:11:18,480 --> 00:11:21,200 Speaker 1: spaghinning and they just yeah, spaghetti works. They go there 202 00:11:21,360 --> 00:11:23,760 Speaker 1: and then they do circus you play around and so 203 00:11:23,840 --> 00:11:26,800 Speaker 1: then we moved to l A and eighty four. So 204 00:11:26,840 --> 00:11:29,320 Speaker 1: I joined the group. I was what was it like 205 00:11:29,440 --> 00:11:31,400 Speaker 1: for you? Like you were you were gung home? We 206 00:11:31,440 --> 00:11:33,560 Speaker 1: were like yeah, l A. Yeah, No, I wanted to 207 00:11:33,559 --> 00:11:36,760 Speaker 1: go to New York. Why because my whole life I 208 00:11:36,760 --> 00:11:38,640 Speaker 1: wanted to live in New York because everything in the 209 00:11:38,640 --> 00:11:40,840 Speaker 1: world was New York. To me, it was like, you know, 210 00:11:40,960 --> 00:11:45,440 Speaker 1: live television and you know the street, you knew you know, 211 00:11:45,600 --> 00:11:47,320 Speaker 1: like you go to New York and there's no culture shock. 212 00:11:47,400 --> 00:11:49,560 Speaker 1: In my opinion, if you've seen French Connection, you've seen 213 00:11:49,559 --> 00:11:52,839 Speaker 1: New York. You go to l A and I love 214 00:11:52,960 --> 00:11:54,960 Speaker 1: l A. But it was never for me. It was like, 215 00:11:55,040 --> 00:11:57,880 Speaker 1: this is Hollywood Vine. Wait a second, I thought it 216 00:11:57,880 --> 00:12:01,960 Speaker 1: was exactly yeah. And so we lived out there and 217 00:12:01,960 --> 00:12:04,320 Speaker 1: we performed and would do colleges and gigs like that. 218 00:12:04,360 --> 00:12:09,839 Speaker 1: And then um Joe Hodgson, who had MSS Mystery Science 219 00:12:09,840 --> 00:12:11,880 Speaker 1: Theater three thousand and if you guys know that show, 220 00:12:12,440 --> 00:12:16,000 Speaker 1: knew us and he they this place called the Comedy Channel. 221 00:12:16,400 --> 00:12:19,360 Speaker 1: We're doing shows and we would we had performing clubs 222 00:12:19,400 --> 00:12:20,640 Speaker 1: and stuff like that, and he goes, you guys would 223 00:12:20,679 --> 00:12:22,560 Speaker 1: be good in the show. So he paid for us 224 00:12:22,559 --> 00:12:26,840 Speaker 1: to go to Minneapolis and shot a pilot and recreated 225 00:12:26,880 --> 00:12:29,200 Speaker 1: our house and we smoked cigarettes, strake coffee and goofed 226 00:12:29,240 --> 00:12:32,160 Speaker 1: off on this show. And that's how we came back 227 00:12:32,200 --> 00:12:34,720 Speaker 1: to New York and so and there was Comedy Channel 228 00:12:34,760 --> 00:12:36,920 Speaker 1: that moved out for John moved to l A. And 229 00:12:36,960 --> 00:12:39,080 Speaker 1: then John Stewart, who I met at the Comedy Channel, 230 00:12:39,720 --> 00:12:41,320 Speaker 1: said Hey, I'm doing a show. Why don't you come 231 00:12:41,320 --> 00:12:43,560 Speaker 1: out and help me? Not the successful John Stewart show, 232 00:12:44,480 --> 00:12:48,560 Speaker 1: the show before and that one. Yeah, and he so 233 00:12:48,640 --> 00:12:50,800 Speaker 1: he could come on out and we'll go here. And well, 234 00:12:50,960 --> 00:12:53,199 Speaker 1: my brother was working on the show and we had 235 00:12:53,559 --> 00:12:58,520 Speaker 1: fantastic and that got canceled when Farley and all those 236 00:12:58,520 --> 00:12:59,920 Speaker 1: guys left. That was my first year at S And 237 00:13:00,320 --> 00:13:03,920 Speaker 1: first year was when when you when you hosted the show, 238 00:13:04,400 --> 00:13:06,840 Speaker 1: you had done the show more times than I had, right, 239 00:13:07,720 --> 00:13:10,360 Speaker 1: and you never let me forget. But but but when 240 00:13:10,400 --> 00:13:13,760 Speaker 1: you come on the show in how does that happen? 241 00:13:13,800 --> 00:13:16,400 Speaker 1: How do you get what's your first job? You're a writer? 242 00:13:16,960 --> 00:13:19,040 Speaker 1: I think I was like head writer with fred Wolf. 243 00:13:19,160 --> 00:13:20,920 Speaker 1: Maybe like it made you the head writer right out 244 00:13:20,920 --> 00:13:23,079 Speaker 1: of the gate because I was head writer at John Strange. Okay, 245 00:13:23,080 --> 00:13:25,840 Speaker 1: so you you so you have credentials where you're head writing. 246 00:13:26,240 --> 00:13:28,480 Speaker 1: You know, a serious show, the show that's go on 247 00:13:28,520 --> 00:13:30,680 Speaker 1: the air. So when you come and they poach you, 248 00:13:31,200 --> 00:13:34,120 Speaker 1: you go to SNL. No, it got canceled. It was canceled. 249 00:13:34,280 --> 00:13:36,400 Speaker 1: So when you come to Lauren, you come to SNL, 250 00:13:36,640 --> 00:13:38,839 Speaker 1: you become the head writer, you w wolf, how long 251 00:13:38,840 --> 00:13:41,000 Speaker 1: were the head writer for I don't know because titles, 252 00:13:41,040 --> 00:13:43,200 Speaker 1: as you know, are nebulous there, so I know I 253 00:13:43,240 --> 00:13:48,079 Speaker 1: was head writers, like the head head head writer right right, nine, 254 00:13:48,120 --> 00:13:51,440 Speaker 1: producer or something for this Lauren with Lauren took didn't. 255 00:13:51,600 --> 00:13:54,480 Speaker 1: I think he switched. He didn't become executive producer. He 256 00:13:54,520 --> 00:13:56,960 Speaker 1: went down a producer. And then I think Fred and 257 00:13:57,000 --> 00:13:59,160 Speaker 1: I were head co head writers, and there's been other 258 00:13:59,160 --> 00:14:01,280 Speaker 1: head writers, and he wanted to give the executive producer 259 00:14:01,320 --> 00:14:04,160 Speaker 1: title to somebody else. Lew of pain that money, yeah, yeah, 260 00:14:07,760 --> 00:14:09,679 Speaker 1: and I'm gonna pay you forty dollars a day. What 261 00:14:09,800 --> 00:14:12,360 Speaker 1: was it like for you, the transition. We were getting 262 00:14:12,440 --> 00:14:15,520 Speaker 1: the ship kicked out of us. Every day. Every day 263 00:14:15,600 --> 00:14:19,080 Speaker 1: was Saturday night. Dad. You'd read a article in American 264 00:14:19,120 --> 00:14:21,440 Speaker 1: Heritage about the Battle of Shiloh and they go, the 265 00:14:21,440 --> 00:14:23,400 Speaker 1: Battle of Shilo was long, but not as long as 266 00:14:23,440 --> 00:14:26,640 Speaker 1: a Saturday live scatch, and you're like, come on, and 267 00:14:26,720 --> 00:14:28,520 Speaker 1: it was just on the bed. They were just a 268 00:14:28,800 --> 00:14:31,440 Speaker 1: you know, and so it was you're just and you're 269 00:14:31,480 --> 00:14:34,200 Speaker 1: scared because you know it's a real deal. You know, 270 00:14:34,320 --> 00:14:36,560 Speaker 1: You're you're sitting there and with all these people who 271 00:14:36,560 --> 00:14:40,000 Speaker 1: know way more than you. But everybody was so kind 272 00:14:40,160 --> 00:14:43,480 Speaker 1: Shoemaker and Marcy Klein and Jim Downey was everybody was 273 00:14:43,520 --> 00:14:49,000 Speaker 1: so accepting and opening with exactly. But they were pain 274 00:14:49,040 --> 00:14:53,040 Speaker 1: about the hours that Dad. Yeah, it's it's so. I 275 00:14:53,080 --> 00:14:54,960 Speaker 1: lived there, just stayed there in the city and then 276 00:14:54,960 --> 00:14:57,120 Speaker 1: we'd see my wife would come in on Sunday, I'd 277 00:14:57,120 --> 00:15:00,280 Speaker 1: see the kids and Christmas. Yeah, exactly. But you're there, 278 00:15:00,400 --> 00:15:03,280 Speaker 1: you're living now, and it really has an effect on 279 00:15:03,280 --> 00:15:05,720 Speaker 1: people's lives. When you go to SNL and there's a 280 00:15:05,800 --> 00:15:08,600 Speaker 1: weird camaraderie because they're in a submarine together for like 281 00:15:08,720 --> 00:15:11,560 Speaker 1: week after week to work, and you feel like you 282 00:15:11,600 --> 00:15:15,600 Speaker 1: see somebody who you weren't in the cast with or 283 00:15:15,640 --> 00:15:17,400 Speaker 1: wasn't even at the same time with you, and it's 284 00:15:17,440 --> 00:15:20,120 Speaker 1: like your marines together or something like that, you know 285 00:15:20,160 --> 00:15:21,960 Speaker 1: what I mean. It's like because it is such a 286 00:15:22,160 --> 00:15:26,720 Speaker 1: soul crushing and soul exhilarating experience. It is just strips 287 00:15:26,960 --> 00:15:28,960 Speaker 1: and by show three of a three week run or 288 00:15:29,000 --> 00:15:33,040 Speaker 1: a four week run, there's no filter left. I've seen 289 00:15:33,040 --> 00:15:35,640 Speaker 1: people there. They're right around the table and somebody look 290 00:15:35,640 --> 00:15:37,880 Speaker 1: out the window and go. People are skating on the 291 00:15:37,880 --> 00:15:43,520 Speaker 1: skating rink. Christmas is coming, you know, and someone's like, yeah, 292 00:15:43,560 --> 00:15:46,440 Speaker 1: come back. So the guy has a penis transplant and 293 00:15:46,440 --> 00:15:48,640 Speaker 1: they go right back to the comedy coal mine, you know. 294 00:15:48,680 --> 00:15:50,760 Speaker 1: But it's like they're in that bubble in that building 295 00:15:50,800 --> 00:15:53,480 Speaker 1: and that unique building where the where the world of 296 00:15:53,520 --> 00:15:55,520 Speaker 1: New York is out the window, and you know, and 297 00:15:55,640 --> 00:15:58,560 Speaker 1: even like it's hard goes. Yeah when the tree goes, 298 00:15:58,600 --> 00:16:00,240 Speaker 1: the tree goes something like you just stay in side 299 00:16:00,280 --> 00:16:02,200 Speaker 1: more because you know, there's too many people. We can't 300 00:16:02,240 --> 00:16:04,480 Speaker 1: fight the clouds. We gotta go at the backboard. Now 301 00:16:05,200 --> 00:16:09,400 Speaker 1: sleep here now in the time you've been there, there's 302 00:16:09,440 --> 00:16:13,080 Speaker 1: the video department, and there's a set design and camera 303 00:16:13,440 --> 00:16:18,360 Speaker 1: and talent meaning the cast and their schedules and the hosts. 304 00:16:18,360 --> 00:16:20,960 Speaker 1: And there's a music department for the music. And you 305 00:16:21,320 --> 00:16:25,400 Speaker 1: basically run the writer's department, where again you have had writers, 306 00:16:25,400 --> 00:16:27,360 Speaker 1: but you're the producer that oversees that. And when when 307 00:16:27,560 --> 00:16:29,640 Speaker 1: when people come into are tough, they send me to 308 00:16:29,720 --> 00:16:35,800 Speaker 1: meet them. Yeah. Yeah, uh, it's funny used to say that. 309 00:16:36,160 --> 00:16:38,920 Speaker 1: But the because because you are like that, you're like, 310 00:16:39,040 --> 00:16:42,840 Speaker 1: what's wrong? I am like you know what I am like? 311 00:16:42,920 --> 00:16:45,080 Speaker 1: Did you read c biscu. Your wife's having a baby, 312 00:16:45,320 --> 00:16:49,440 Speaker 1: you can play trump that? Why not? He literally, he's like, 313 00:16:49,480 --> 00:16:52,120 Speaker 1: they're like this, you've already had four babes, isn't the novelty? 314 00:16:52,160 --> 00:16:56,920 Speaker 1: Warn If you're gonna again and again, TiVo it, TiVo 315 00:16:57,080 --> 00:17:01,080 Speaker 1: it better view. But in the time you've been there, No. 316 00:17:01,160 --> 00:17:03,680 Speaker 1: One of the things you do is you have to 317 00:17:03,760 --> 00:17:07,840 Speaker 1: scout talent. You do do this every explain to them 318 00:17:07,880 --> 00:17:10,840 Speaker 1: that rhythm this. The season ends in May and everybody 319 00:17:10,840 --> 00:17:12,080 Speaker 1: takes a bit of a break and then you gotta 320 00:17:12,080 --> 00:17:13,600 Speaker 1: go out. You gotta go do what In the summer, 321 00:17:13,680 --> 00:17:15,359 Speaker 1: we usually we go to people go to l A 322 00:17:15,560 --> 00:17:18,680 Speaker 1: and I go. I go to Chicago now when Lauren goes, 323 00:17:18,720 --> 00:17:21,560 Speaker 1: and we'll go see people every year, so we just 324 00:17:21,600 --> 00:17:24,960 Speaker 1: know who's out there. Yeah, in the sketch people's comedy world, 325 00:17:25,800 --> 00:17:28,520 Speaker 1: because it's a weird sketch comedy is a weird it's 326 00:17:28,560 --> 00:17:30,600 Speaker 1: not stand up and it's not acting. It's like a 327 00:17:30,680 --> 00:17:36,200 Speaker 1: merge of both, especially SNL's like it's not film, it's 328 00:17:36,200 --> 00:17:39,560 Speaker 1: not TV, and it's not live theater. But it's all 329 00:17:39,960 --> 00:17:42,280 Speaker 1: you know what I mean, it's a very odd skill set. 330 00:17:42,640 --> 00:17:45,000 Speaker 1: Why would you want to work anywhere else. Why would 331 00:17:45,000 --> 00:17:46,600 Speaker 1: you want to go to movies, you know what I mean? 332 00:17:46,640 --> 00:17:48,439 Speaker 1: You sit there, they roll it again and again and 333 00:17:48,440 --> 00:17:52,640 Speaker 1: again to no audience alone dark theater. I'm not making 334 00:17:52,680 --> 00:17:56,080 Speaker 1: any money yea in the movie business. Now. Um, Now, 335 00:17:56,200 --> 00:18:00,160 Speaker 1: for you people who are in comedy world, they all 336 00:18:00,440 --> 00:18:03,240 Speaker 1: as the trade just to say, ankle out to l 337 00:18:03,280 --> 00:18:05,720 Speaker 1: A as quickly as possible. L as. L A still 338 00:18:06,080 --> 00:18:08,159 Speaker 1: a big hub of comedy writing. And there's a lot 339 00:18:08,160 --> 00:18:10,359 Speaker 1: of sitcoms out there. But you have no desire. You 340 00:18:10,640 --> 00:18:13,240 Speaker 1: don't want to go out there like you want to 341 00:18:13,240 --> 00:18:19,399 Speaker 1: develop shows sitcoms. I think once I exceeded my dream 342 00:18:19,640 --> 00:18:22,760 Speaker 1: so far. I hope my wife is not listening to this. 343 00:18:22,960 --> 00:18:25,800 Speaker 1: That my it was like, why would I want to 344 00:18:25,840 --> 00:18:27,959 Speaker 1: go anywhere else? Because it's not There's not one part 345 00:18:28,000 --> 00:18:29,840 Speaker 1: of your brain that doesn't get used, you know what 346 00:18:29,880 --> 00:18:31,159 Speaker 1: I mean. When you're doing on the show, it's like, 347 00:18:31,160 --> 00:18:33,479 Speaker 1: they're good, what's this sketch about? It's about the you know, 348 00:18:34,160 --> 00:18:36,320 Speaker 1: the Norman invasion. Well I know a little bit about that, 349 00:18:36,400 --> 00:18:38,639 Speaker 1: you know, whatever it is. And it's still amazing to 350 00:18:38,680 --> 00:18:42,800 Speaker 1: me that some you'll think of some crazy idea Wednesday 351 00:18:42,800 --> 00:18:48,160 Speaker 1: morning at noon, right it up Thursday Friday, it's done 352 00:18:48,160 --> 00:18:51,520 Speaker 1: on Saturday. They've got costumes, they've got the beer. The 353 00:18:51,880 --> 00:18:55,200 Speaker 1: makeup is amazing. The costumes are amazing, the sets are amazing. 354 00:18:55,880 --> 00:19:00,880 Speaker 1: Many many Emmys for all their makeup very quickly. It's 355 00:19:01,119 --> 00:19:04,359 Speaker 1: insane how good people are there. And I like living 356 00:19:04,359 --> 00:19:07,520 Speaker 1: in New York because I think that it's it's more 357 00:19:07,680 --> 00:19:11,520 Speaker 1: for me. It's not a one industry town, you know 358 00:19:11,560 --> 00:19:12,760 Speaker 1: what I mean. So it's like you'll meet some my 359 00:19:13,240 --> 00:19:15,280 Speaker 1: neighbor as a banker, and this guy's a plumber, and 360 00:19:15,280 --> 00:19:17,680 Speaker 1: this guy does this, and mone there's a range of 361 00:19:17,720 --> 00:19:21,080 Speaker 1: mountains to climb, and you know what real wealth is 362 00:19:21,680 --> 00:19:23,920 Speaker 1: because it's not show business, you know what I mean. 363 00:19:24,000 --> 00:19:25,600 Speaker 1: And so you're in New York and you'll see like, 364 00:19:25,640 --> 00:19:28,000 Speaker 1: oh my god, look at that. And it's a different feel. 365 00:19:28,200 --> 00:19:30,960 Speaker 1: And again, my brother's my brother. I lives in l A. 366 00:19:31,040 --> 00:19:33,600 Speaker 1: He writes uh on shows. He loves it there, but 367 00:19:34,400 --> 00:19:37,719 Speaker 1: desire to make films. I would write films for some people, 368 00:19:38,400 --> 00:19:41,679 Speaker 1: but it's like that thing of SNL would consume so 369 00:19:41,800 --> 00:19:46,240 Speaker 1: much my time and I'm really quite lazy. I don't 370 00:19:46,240 --> 00:19:50,440 Speaker 1: like working like you do a lot of things. Jerry 371 00:19:50,440 --> 00:19:51,760 Speaker 1: Sein felt, something to me goes you don't like a 372 00:19:51,800 --> 00:19:55,840 Speaker 1: lot of blank pages on the gal You're like a van, 373 00:19:56,200 --> 00:19:59,800 Speaker 1: gotta book everything. Your joy is to be busy while 374 00:19:59,800 --> 00:20:01,359 Speaker 1: you're talking to some of your phone. I'm heading out 375 00:20:01,400 --> 00:20:05,359 Speaker 1: to the opening of a Burger candidates out tree signing. 376 00:20:06,359 --> 00:20:08,240 Speaker 1: You'll call me every time you call me, you're busy. 377 00:20:08,320 --> 00:20:11,480 Speaker 1: I'm just sitting there. Yeah, you call me, what's going on? 378 00:20:11,800 --> 00:20:16,120 Speaker 1: I'm busy. It's like John Alexander, my friend who's who's 379 00:20:16,200 --> 00:20:19,240 Speaker 1: very dear friends with Lauren. He said to me, they'd say, 380 00:20:19,280 --> 00:20:21,040 Speaker 1: come on over, we're gonna have blunch with Mick Jagger. 381 00:20:21,080 --> 00:20:22,600 Speaker 1: And I'd say, well, I can't do that. I gotta 382 00:20:22,640 --> 00:20:25,720 Speaker 1: go to an event at guild Hall. They were like Jesus. 383 00:20:26,200 --> 00:20:28,160 Speaker 1: Then like, you know, two weeks they're like, come on over. 384 00:20:28,280 --> 00:20:31,000 Speaker 1: You know, McCartney's gonna come over and have a sing 385 00:20:31,040 --> 00:20:33,120 Speaker 1: a longna have a sing a long. Gardener's gonna tea 386 00:20:33,160 --> 00:20:34,840 Speaker 1: us how to play the days. Yeah, he's gonna tell 387 00:20:34,880 --> 00:20:39,000 Speaker 1: us stories about the Beatles. No one's known the Beatles 388 00:20:39,040 --> 00:20:42,000 Speaker 1: that nobody's ever heard. A dinner is gonna be you 389 00:20:42,119 --> 00:20:45,760 Speaker 1: and me, and he's gonna play you some barber strikes 390 00:20:45,880 --> 00:20:47,800 Speaker 1: and and I'm gonna play some tapes on the cab 391 00:20:47,920 --> 00:20:50,320 Speaker 1: and then every cardener is gonna take us to a 392 00:20:50,320 --> 00:20:53,880 Speaker 1: secret trap door we had, like a recording studio, and 393 00:20:53,920 --> 00:20:55,600 Speaker 1: I'm like, no, I can, I gotta go host the 394 00:20:55,600 --> 00:21:01,280 Speaker 1: thing at guild Hall and uh and um see you 395 00:21:01,400 --> 00:21:03,639 Speaker 1: think the fact that you've got me even to come here. 396 00:21:04,480 --> 00:21:11,240 Speaker 1: I don't like leaving my house. SNL producer, writer and 397 00:21:11,320 --> 00:21:15,480 Speaker 1: Tonight Show announcer Steve Higgins. If you're enjoying all the 398 00:21:15,720 --> 00:21:19,480 Speaker 1: SNL talk, take a listen to Kristen Wigg who joined 399 00:21:19,480 --> 00:21:23,280 Speaker 1: me on Here's the Thing for an exit interview of sorts. 400 00:21:23,760 --> 00:21:26,560 Speaker 1: Every Saturday, you do something that you're scared to do. 401 00:21:26,880 --> 00:21:29,080 Speaker 1: I will miss that feeling. And of course you have 402 00:21:29,119 --> 00:21:32,520 Speaker 1: absolutely no prospects whatsoever. It's a really ballsy move on 403 00:21:32,520 --> 00:21:36,240 Speaker 1: your part because who the f can hire you? I 404 00:21:36,280 --> 00:21:40,320 Speaker 1: don't know. I'm made open up the canoe shop. The 405 00:21:40,400 --> 00:21:43,600 Speaker 1: rest of that interview and more that Here's the Thing 406 00:21:43,800 --> 00:21:47,520 Speaker 1: dot Org when we come back with Steve Higgins more 407 00:21:47,680 --> 00:21:51,119 Speaker 1: of my favorite SNL moments, and he tells the story 408 00:21:51,240 --> 00:21:54,400 Speaker 1: of how he got started with Fallon on the Tonight Show. 409 00:21:54,960 --> 00:21:57,960 Speaker 1: I'm Alec Baldwin and you're listening to Here's the Thing. 410 00:22:09,520 --> 00:22:12,600 Speaker 1: Hi'm Alec Baldwin, and you were listening to Here's the Thing. 411 00:22:13,720 --> 00:22:17,240 Speaker 1: Now more from Steve Higgins on the hard work of 412 00:22:17,400 --> 00:22:20,280 Speaker 1: hiring for us. And now that's the drag about being 413 00:22:20,280 --> 00:22:22,520 Speaker 1: in comedy. How do you make somebody hate their hobby? 414 00:22:22,840 --> 00:22:25,479 Speaker 1: You pay them? Because now you look at something you 415 00:22:25,520 --> 00:22:28,159 Speaker 1: can't It's like I'll go to my children's graduation and go, 416 00:22:28,240 --> 00:22:29,680 Speaker 1: can't they speed this up? Why do they take it 417 00:22:29,720 --> 00:22:32,120 Speaker 1: so much time base versus name? They can't just get 418 00:22:32,119 --> 00:22:34,399 Speaker 1: it to go? So you look at things differently. So 419 00:22:34,560 --> 00:22:37,480 Speaker 1: I see it when people perform and they make me 420 00:22:37,520 --> 00:22:40,200 Speaker 1: feel like an audience member, and you go, how did 421 00:22:40,200 --> 00:22:42,160 Speaker 1: you come up with that? You know what I mean, 422 00:22:42,240 --> 00:22:46,160 Speaker 1: Like like Leslie just barrels over you, you know, eighty 423 00:22:46,200 --> 00:22:49,600 Speaker 1: does something just delightful thing that some crazy to us 424 00:22:49,600 --> 00:22:52,520 Speaker 1: Cecily or do some character that is like so deep 425 00:22:53,280 --> 00:22:56,200 Speaker 1: that you're going, like people from the town that she's 426 00:22:56,240 --> 00:22:58,639 Speaker 1: doing will go, so did she spend a lot of 427 00:22:58,640 --> 00:23:01,000 Speaker 1: time in Manx? You know? I mean like that? And 428 00:23:01,040 --> 00:23:03,639 Speaker 1: then Kate will just come up with these, but you 429 00:23:03,680 --> 00:23:06,040 Speaker 1: know her Giuliani, It's just it's just like you're going, like, 430 00:23:06,160 --> 00:23:09,600 Speaker 1: where did that so to me, it's very And the calendar, yeah, 431 00:23:10,480 --> 00:23:13,199 Speaker 1: she said, I'm doing all the talk shows. It's like 432 00:23:13,240 --> 00:23:17,800 Speaker 1: an advent calendar. So that's like just a treat. And 433 00:23:17,840 --> 00:23:20,800 Speaker 1: it's like, oh the dudes, Keenan, come on, Kenan Thompson. 434 00:23:21,960 --> 00:23:26,960 Speaker 1: It's like, you know, and just all the dudes are great. 435 00:23:27,000 --> 00:23:28,879 Speaker 1: I mean because I've seen I've been there for twenty 436 00:23:29,640 --> 00:23:32,600 Speaker 1: or years and you see these people and it is 437 00:23:32,640 --> 00:23:35,200 Speaker 1: the same thing. It's like, I love talent. That's why 438 00:23:35,200 --> 00:23:38,000 Speaker 1: I love you. I love talent. People who are talented, 439 00:23:38,400 --> 00:23:40,520 Speaker 1: you'll move heaven and earth so that their talent can 440 00:23:40,560 --> 00:23:42,919 Speaker 1: be seen by people. And I think that's what my 441 00:23:43,000 --> 00:23:45,480 Speaker 1: job is, to help them get out of their way 442 00:23:45,520 --> 00:23:48,560 Speaker 1: so that they can be the best them they can be. 443 00:23:48,760 --> 00:23:52,680 Speaker 1: So my notes, hopefully are more like to get you 444 00:23:52,720 --> 00:23:54,600 Speaker 1: to do what you need to. You need direct you 445 00:23:54,600 --> 00:23:56,640 Speaker 1: can't s I'm not go out there. I'm like, it's 446 00:23:56,680 --> 00:23:59,560 Speaker 1: this weird sound thing. It's a it's a it's a 447 00:23:59,600 --> 00:24:02,760 Speaker 1: it's a an acoustic thing. Like you know, all my 448 00:24:02,800 --> 00:24:05,119 Speaker 1: memories are all about line meetings and somebody would do 449 00:24:05,200 --> 00:24:09,359 Speaker 1: some little thing, you know. I always tell the story 450 00:24:09,400 --> 00:24:11,680 Speaker 1: about how I never laughed on the air ever, until 451 00:24:11,680 --> 00:24:14,159 Speaker 1: I worked with Phil Harpman, the late Phil Hartman, And 452 00:24:14,160 --> 00:24:16,400 Speaker 1: there was a scene righte did my bad Marlon Brando. 453 00:24:16,880 --> 00:24:19,960 Speaker 1: There's an explosion at the chemical factory and I'm taking 454 00:24:20,000 --> 00:24:22,560 Speaker 1: Victoria Jackson with me and we're gonna leave the town. 455 00:24:23,480 --> 00:24:26,080 Speaker 1: And Phil Hartman is her father who runs the chemical plant. 456 00:24:26,520 --> 00:24:28,280 Speaker 1: And right as we're about to leave and he's about 457 00:24:28,280 --> 00:24:30,600 Speaker 1: to try to stop us, his side kick comes in 458 00:24:30,640 --> 00:24:33,080 Speaker 1: and says, hey, you know, telling him a night just blue, sir. 459 00:24:33,560 --> 00:24:36,000 Speaker 1: You know there's chemic, there's a there's a there's a 460 00:24:36,080 --> 00:24:39,280 Speaker 1: FOG's a mist all over you know, the back yard. 461 00:24:39,680 --> 00:24:42,560 Speaker 1: And Phil Harmon like completely never did it this way 462 00:24:42,680 --> 00:24:44,760 Speaker 1: in any of the recause that on the air, you 463 00:24:44,800 --> 00:24:48,760 Speaker 1: see him grab me, go kick me with you, and 464 00:24:48,880 --> 00:24:52,159 Speaker 1: I spit up laughing on the air. I fucking lost 465 00:24:52,200 --> 00:24:54,760 Speaker 1: it on the air. It's like back I had to 466 00:24:54,760 --> 00:24:57,840 Speaker 1: stop myself from laughing. When Beck is putin and Beck says, 467 00:24:58,400 --> 00:25:02,400 Speaker 1: you'll take this alphon the shelf on the mantel next 468 00:25:02,440 --> 00:25:07,880 Speaker 1: to your intern the route. Yeah, and I just thank 469 00:25:07,920 --> 00:25:10,600 Speaker 1: you very much for your gift that of here. I'm 470 00:25:10,600 --> 00:25:13,000 Speaker 1: sorry I didn't buy you a gift, and he says no, 471 00:25:13,240 --> 00:25:18,600 Speaker 1: Mr President, you are the gear, and he says that line. 472 00:25:18,880 --> 00:25:25,080 Speaker 1: Just say every He's like, you are the gear, and 473 00:25:25,160 --> 00:25:28,879 Speaker 1: everything is their sound, their lines and readings and this 474 00:25:29,000 --> 00:25:32,120 Speaker 1: and that. Now speaking of Trump, because we're gonna take 475 00:25:32,160 --> 00:25:35,040 Speaker 1: some questions. Speaking of Trump, now, you and I both know, 476 00:25:35,080 --> 00:25:36,880 Speaker 1: and I think it's necessary for us to be honest 477 00:25:36,920 --> 00:25:41,040 Speaker 1: with people. You voted for him that I thought, I 478 00:25:41,080 --> 00:25:44,440 Speaker 1: thought you want to keep that secret. But let's face 479 00:25:44,480 --> 00:25:47,840 Speaker 1: it that in the halls of SNL you had like 480 00:25:47,920 --> 00:25:50,680 Speaker 1: forty people. I mean, I was told you wanted Eddie 481 00:25:50,760 --> 00:25:52,879 Speaker 1: Murphy over me to play Trump. Is that true? You 482 00:25:52,920 --> 00:25:56,200 Speaker 1: want Edie Murphy by trumped Murry, come him do anything? Yeah? 483 00:25:56,200 --> 00:26:01,040 Speaker 1: Come on? Yeah. But when this comes up out and 484 00:26:01,080 --> 00:26:03,600 Speaker 1: we have to how did you feel? Not in terms 485 00:26:03,600 --> 00:26:06,960 Speaker 1: of because I think the essa L people are pretty mercenary. 486 00:26:07,080 --> 00:26:10,280 Speaker 1: When Trump won the election, we hope that on that morning, Hot, damn, 487 00:26:10,320 --> 00:26:16,040 Speaker 1: we're gonna have some fun. I wish um that was crazy. Yeah. 488 00:26:16,200 --> 00:26:18,760 Speaker 1: We did three shows before he was gonna lose. Yeah, 489 00:26:18,920 --> 00:26:20,600 Speaker 1: we thought everybody thought he was gonna lose. My wife 490 00:26:20,600 --> 00:26:22,760 Speaker 1: would go, he's gonna win, He's gonna win. I don't know, 491 00:26:22,840 --> 00:26:25,480 Speaker 1: He's not that wife. Yeah, she knew it she was 492 00:26:25,520 --> 00:26:28,840 Speaker 1: on Facebook. I don't like the Facebook, so I stay off. 493 00:26:28,920 --> 00:26:30,359 Speaker 1: We did three shows. People say to me, you know, 494 00:26:30,400 --> 00:26:32,439 Speaker 1: your Trump really isn't that good. I go, well, I 495 00:26:32,480 --> 00:26:34,280 Speaker 1: try to make it like as two dimensional as the 496 00:26:34,280 --> 00:26:38,080 Speaker 1: man himself is trying to make it very like. You know, 497 00:26:38,280 --> 00:26:41,720 Speaker 1: there's a couple of quick moves and uh the uh 498 00:26:42,440 --> 00:26:48,280 Speaker 1: wait till they see this year's oh and totally redesigned 499 00:26:48,280 --> 00:26:50,560 Speaker 1: like like an Apple phone. Yeah, I mean we were 500 00:26:50,560 --> 00:26:56,240 Speaker 1: taking away to the botton wireless charging you never know charging, 501 00:26:57,520 --> 00:26:59,440 Speaker 1: but the uh no. But when we did it, I 502 00:26:59,480 --> 00:27:01,400 Speaker 1: mean I remember you, mum gonna do it three times? 503 00:27:01,400 --> 00:27:02,960 Speaker 1: And how much could I get hurt if I fucking 504 00:27:03,080 --> 00:27:05,280 Speaker 1: three Trump shoving it off? And then also when I 505 00:27:05,280 --> 00:27:08,000 Speaker 1: turned out, I gotta do it eight teen more times. 506 00:27:08,640 --> 00:27:13,480 Speaker 1: It's like whoa, No. Ninth coming up. But when you 507 00:27:13,640 --> 00:27:17,920 Speaker 1: do the show, obviously because I learned this from Lauren, 508 00:27:18,960 --> 00:27:21,520 Speaker 1: you do back off. There's sometimes you sit there and go, well, 509 00:27:21,520 --> 00:27:23,800 Speaker 1: we can't just like hit the guy with a coutl 510 00:27:24,000 --> 00:27:25,919 Speaker 1: because that's the drag of it is. We try to 511 00:27:26,000 --> 00:27:29,240 Speaker 1: be even handed, you know what I mean, And it's hard. 512 00:27:30,320 --> 00:27:34,679 Speaker 1: It is hard, Like the best evern't been the olden 513 00:27:34,760 --> 00:27:39,480 Speaker 1: days when it was like Bush and Gore try to 514 00:27:39,520 --> 00:27:48,400 Speaker 1: be fair. It's hard, though, it's very hard. You try 515 00:27:48,440 --> 00:27:49,840 Speaker 1: to make it because you don't want to because it 516 00:27:49,880 --> 00:27:52,679 Speaker 1: just gets boring. Does to pound something over and over? 517 00:27:53,760 --> 00:27:56,240 Speaker 1: Just go there's got to be something, you know, It's 518 00:27:56,280 --> 00:28:00,240 Speaker 1: just something that's not crazy. It's like a televangelis. They're 519 00:28:00,240 --> 00:28:02,120 Speaker 1: hard to make fun of because it's just like they're 520 00:28:02,160 --> 00:28:05,840 Speaker 1: they're already yeah, yeah, you'll come into my room. I 521 00:28:05,920 --> 00:28:08,680 Speaker 1: like you change this page nine, page fourteen, and you'd 522 00:28:08,680 --> 00:28:10,720 Speaker 1: walk out and be like, I gotta help a meteor 523 00:28:10,840 --> 00:28:14,360 Speaker 1: hits this building, but now and just kills all of us. 524 00:28:14,400 --> 00:28:17,240 Speaker 1: I just I can't go out and do this goddamn 525 00:28:17,240 --> 00:28:21,560 Speaker 1: show one more time, please God. Now, who are people 526 00:28:21,640 --> 00:28:24,679 Speaker 1: who have left the show? Who are some of the 527 00:28:24,680 --> 00:28:28,360 Speaker 1: ones who you really admire, Like the careers like Farrell 528 00:28:28,440 --> 00:28:31,800 Speaker 1: and McKay and work really well together, to Tina and 529 00:28:31,880 --> 00:28:34,639 Speaker 1: Carl Tina and Carlo were forgetting, and then writers to 530 00:28:34,800 --> 00:28:36,840 Speaker 1: like Mike Sure and people like that. It's like there's 531 00:28:36,880 --> 00:28:39,800 Speaker 1: so many people. It's like if you go through an 532 00:28:39,840 --> 00:28:43,240 Speaker 1: IMDb page and do a thing in comedy, I would 533 00:28:43,280 --> 00:28:45,640 Speaker 1: say it's probably of the people worked at s and 534 00:28:45,640 --> 00:28:46,840 Speaker 1: now who are you? Know what I mean. It's like 535 00:28:46,840 --> 00:28:49,680 Speaker 1: a giant percentage you forget like I'm Greg Daniel. You 536 00:28:49,760 --> 00:28:52,760 Speaker 1: know everybody Conan and if they haven't done it, they've 537 00:28:52,760 --> 00:28:54,440 Speaker 1: hosted it, you know what I mean. So it's a 538 00:28:54,520 --> 00:28:56,400 Speaker 1: very weird. That's another reason I never need to go 539 00:28:56,440 --> 00:28:58,280 Speaker 1: to l A or leave because everybody I know comes 540 00:28:58,280 --> 00:29:01,160 Speaker 1: to visit. Eventually, you either down a Jimmy or up 541 00:29:01,160 --> 00:29:03,440 Speaker 1: on SNALYSIS just like you sit there long enough? Is 542 00:29:03,440 --> 00:29:06,640 Speaker 1: that calfinagas? How's it going? Um, We're gonna bring the 543 00:29:06,680 --> 00:29:10,600 Speaker 1: lights up and take some questions. Everybody gotta their hand up. 544 00:29:10,640 --> 00:29:13,800 Speaker 1: We have some mics in the audience. There's Mike Peters, 545 00:29:13,880 --> 00:29:17,280 Speaker 1: I see Mike Johnson, and you got a question for 546 00:29:17,360 --> 00:29:19,360 Speaker 1: us right here? Go ahead, So we have a great 547 00:29:19,840 --> 00:29:23,320 Speaker 1: let's wait for the Mike. That's a very casual stroll 548 00:29:23,440 --> 00:29:28,479 Speaker 1: you have there, Mr Mike. When I first started with SNL, 549 00:29:28,520 --> 00:29:34,240 Speaker 1: I was no problem staying up. Now I see SNL 550 00:29:34,440 --> 00:29:38,000 Speaker 1: on Sunday morning and I just wonder how you deal 551 00:29:38,040 --> 00:29:41,760 Speaker 1: with the demographics of your television audience. Well, I think 552 00:29:41,800 --> 00:29:45,600 Speaker 1: that the thing that we learned when SNL as Lauren 553 00:29:45,640 --> 00:29:49,160 Speaker 1: would be went from a show to being an institution, 554 00:29:50,280 --> 00:29:54,280 Speaker 1: because when when I came there, Farley Spade, all those guys, 555 00:29:54,360 --> 00:29:57,760 Speaker 1: it was reviled that New York magazine cover, and then 556 00:29:57,800 --> 00:29:59,640 Speaker 1: they all two years later going, oh my god, that 557 00:29:59,720 --> 00:30:02,600 Speaker 1: was the past year's ever. So whatever year you watched 558 00:30:02,600 --> 00:30:06,520 Speaker 1: it in high school or college, that to you is 559 00:30:06,560 --> 00:30:09,840 Speaker 1: the best. Everything before that is garbage. Everything after that 560 00:30:10,000 --> 00:30:12,800 Speaker 1: is garbage. So it's like a thing and you go 561 00:30:12,920 --> 00:30:15,040 Speaker 1: through and then and it is. The Democrats should be 562 00:30:15,080 --> 00:30:17,720 Speaker 1: like the Simpsons, where there's you know, as Longe calls it, 563 00:30:17,800 --> 00:30:21,000 Speaker 1: a big tent show where there's something for everybody. You know, 564 00:30:21,080 --> 00:30:23,720 Speaker 1: there's a sketch that that and also hopefully all the 565 00:30:23,760 --> 00:30:26,880 Speaker 1: references are correct and the costumes are correct and every 566 00:30:26,960 --> 00:30:29,000 Speaker 1: so there's something to enjoy, but it is aimed at 567 00:30:29,360 --> 00:30:31,880 Speaker 1: where the money is not us anymore. What's the biggest 568 00:30:32,440 --> 00:30:34,640 Speaker 1: f up you saw on the show live? Where even 569 00:30:34,720 --> 00:30:36,840 Speaker 1: you sat there and it doesn't happen that often. Believe me, 570 00:30:36,960 --> 00:30:39,320 Speaker 1: they were all very very very good and smart at 571 00:30:39,360 --> 00:30:40,560 Speaker 1: what they do. But there must have been something you 572 00:30:40,600 --> 00:30:43,880 Speaker 1: saw you were like, oh god, one time, I think 573 00:30:43,880 --> 00:30:46,720 Speaker 1: it was a Mikey Today sketch. It was this forst 574 00:30:46,760 --> 00:30:54,080 Speaker 1: Centaur vodka. Bruce Willis was hosting Who's a Delight, and uh, 575 00:30:54,160 --> 00:30:57,040 Speaker 1: he just got the cards mixed up and walked out 576 00:30:57,040 --> 00:30:59,240 Speaker 1: in the middle of the sketch, and I was like, 577 00:30:59,200 --> 00:31:02,400 Speaker 1: what you're freaking you know what I mean? Because cars 578 00:31:02,400 --> 00:31:04,440 Speaker 1: are it's very confusing, all these things like that. You 579 00:31:04,480 --> 00:31:05,800 Speaker 1: didn't do it on perfect We did that on the 580 00:31:05,840 --> 00:31:07,320 Speaker 1: air with the Trump thing where we ran out of 581 00:31:07,320 --> 00:31:10,560 Speaker 1: the shot. Run back about that. So that person that 582 00:31:10,600 --> 00:31:12,800 Speaker 1: sucked up Bruce Willis, they're still there. Yeah, yeah, there, 583 00:31:13,000 --> 00:31:15,600 Speaker 1: they got a promotion. Sucked me up. It makes good television. 584 00:31:15,640 --> 00:31:22,400 Speaker 1: Who else? Right back, bro, I'm a leo. So has 585 00:31:22,440 --> 00:31:25,360 Speaker 1: there ever been a time where you could not come 586 00:31:25,480 --> 00:31:29,040 Speaker 1: up with anything? Have you ever been really stunned? Yes? 587 00:31:29,200 --> 00:31:31,280 Speaker 1: A lot of the show. It is like the muse 588 00:31:31,400 --> 00:31:34,080 Speaker 1: hits you, and the muse can leave you and you 589 00:31:34,200 --> 00:31:37,040 Speaker 1: just hope it comes back someday and you'll be sitting 590 00:31:37,120 --> 00:31:41,200 Speaker 1: there and I don't write, um even when I did, right, 591 00:31:41,240 --> 00:31:44,240 Speaker 1: I was like writing with people because I'm in my 592 00:31:44,400 --> 00:31:46,160 Speaker 1: as I tell new writers, you can either be paid 593 00:31:46,200 --> 00:31:50,320 Speaker 1: to laugh or be paid to be miserable. Your call 594 00:31:50,560 --> 00:31:52,360 Speaker 1: up to you, and I always chose to I would 595 00:31:52,400 --> 00:31:54,920 Speaker 1: lay on a couch and you know, Keim word or 596 00:31:55,280 --> 00:31:58,040 Speaker 1: Mike sure Carl like what said at the typewriter, and 597 00:31:58,480 --> 00:32:01,360 Speaker 1: we do sketches and we and you know, we do stuff. 598 00:32:01,400 --> 00:32:03,960 Speaker 1: But the thought of me writing alone in a room. 599 00:32:04,280 --> 00:32:07,440 Speaker 1: I did that. I wrote pilots and things like that, 600 00:32:07,600 --> 00:32:09,960 Speaker 1: and I hated it. So it was more fun at 601 00:32:09,960 --> 00:32:12,280 Speaker 1: goof off like it was more like you do in 602 00:32:12,320 --> 00:32:13,800 Speaker 1: real life. It was like I wanted to put what 603 00:32:13,880 --> 00:32:16,160 Speaker 1: I would do at home with my brothers. I'd be 604 00:32:16,200 --> 00:32:19,240 Speaker 1: more Saliary than Mozart. And there is stuff that ends up, 605 00:32:19,280 --> 00:32:21,000 Speaker 1: you know, on the cutting room floor, so to speak, 606 00:32:21,200 --> 00:32:23,320 Speaker 1: because if you're laughing too if we're laughing too hard 607 00:32:23,320 --> 00:32:26,440 Speaker 1: at something, we know it's not gonna make it because 608 00:32:26,480 --> 00:32:29,320 Speaker 1: we are jade. You know. When we first did Tony 609 00:32:29,320 --> 00:32:31,720 Speaker 1: Bennett Show, Paul Appelle wrote all the Tony Bennett Show 610 00:32:31,760 --> 00:32:34,080 Speaker 1: sketches and the very first one didn't get on air. 611 00:32:34,560 --> 00:32:36,960 Speaker 1: So I'm Tony Bennett, I'm hosting my talk show. We're 612 00:32:36,960 --> 00:32:40,120 Speaker 1: gonna bring out this rabbi who's written a book about 613 00:32:40,160 --> 00:32:43,920 Speaker 1: the looting of Jewish art and treasures by the Nazis 614 00:32:44,000 --> 00:32:47,320 Speaker 1: during World War Two. And I said, Nazi gold, this great, 615 00:32:47,440 --> 00:32:50,720 Speaker 1: great great, great book written by my first guest, Rabbi 616 00:32:50,760 --> 00:32:54,960 Speaker 1: Gush Thedeman. Come out out here, Rabbi Sedeman, and I say, so, 617 00:32:55,120 --> 00:32:56,640 Speaker 1: you wrote this book, and I want to ask you 618 00:32:56,720 --> 00:33:01,920 Speaker 1: my first question. What's your beef with the Nazis? Yeah? 619 00:33:02,120 --> 00:33:06,440 Speaker 1: And the Jewish holidays were that time of the show Humans, 620 00:33:06,560 --> 00:33:09,360 Speaker 1: and I like it goes, maybe we'll call this one. Yeah, 621 00:33:10,360 --> 00:33:12,680 Speaker 1: like there's some great stuff, but maybe not such a 622 00:33:12,680 --> 00:33:17,960 Speaker 1: good idea. Yeah, you know it's weird. Got over here 623 00:33:18,680 --> 00:33:22,240 Speaker 1: Trump at side. Who's the funnest person for both of 624 00:33:22,280 --> 00:33:24,200 Speaker 1: you that you've made fun of? You know, we we 625 00:33:24,320 --> 00:33:26,480 Speaker 1: we We've had a lot of fun. But the greatest 626 00:33:26,680 --> 00:33:29,080 Speaker 1: moment for me was when we got Tony Bennett to 627 00:33:29,160 --> 00:33:32,200 Speaker 1: come on and do the Tony Bennett Show. And I 628 00:33:32,240 --> 00:33:35,280 Speaker 1: cried when we were done, I cried. So we leave 629 00:33:35,640 --> 00:33:37,720 Speaker 1: and he goes to the cast. Everybody wants a picture 630 00:33:37,760 --> 00:33:40,600 Speaker 1: with him. He's got his assistant there with a suit bag. 631 00:33:41,000 --> 00:33:44,120 Speaker 1: He's like a real show business, old school guy. And 632 00:33:44,160 --> 00:33:46,160 Speaker 1: he turns to the cast. They take the picture of 633 00:33:46,240 --> 00:33:48,840 Speaker 1: him by the elevator bank and he's leaving. He goes, 634 00:33:49,120 --> 00:33:51,200 Speaker 1: I want to say thank you all very much. Your 635 00:33:51,240 --> 00:33:54,520 Speaker 1: kids are fantastic. That was a million dollar night on 636 00:33:54,760 --> 00:33:57,600 Speaker 1: Ironically and ironic. I was getting married to my wife, 637 00:33:57,600 --> 00:33:59,280 Speaker 1: who is a little bit younger than I am, a 638 00:33:59,280 --> 00:34:07,320 Speaker 1: little bit his wife, and we're going to his school 639 00:34:07,360 --> 00:34:10,640 Speaker 1: out in Queen's to do this benefit. And we're sitting 640 00:34:10,680 --> 00:34:12,440 Speaker 1: there and the woman who's the principal of the school 641 00:34:12,480 --> 00:34:14,640 Speaker 1: that he runs and says, us he's getting married. I 642 00:34:14,719 --> 00:34:17,960 Speaker 1: saw in the paper that here getting married. And I said, yes, 643 00:34:18,040 --> 00:34:19,440 Speaker 1: I have said, well, my wife was a lot younger 644 00:34:19,440 --> 00:34:20,600 Speaker 1: than I am. And I said, but you know a 645 00:34:20,640 --> 00:34:22,719 Speaker 1: little bit at what that's like, Tony. And he's there 646 00:34:22,760 --> 00:34:25,359 Speaker 1: with his wife, Susan, who's even younger than even more 647 00:34:25,400 --> 00:34:27,600 Speaker 1: of an age difference, and I said, you know that 648 00:34:27,600 --> 00:34:29,759 Speaker 1: worked out for you, and without waking, he looks at 649 00:34:29,760 --> 00:34:37,440 Speaker 1: me goes, I always tell people, consider the alternative. Is 650 00:34:37,480 --> 00:34:40,719 Speaker 1: it okay? Yeah, all right, I'm gonna go with that. 651 00:34:41,160 --> 00:34:43,960 Speaker 1: Consider the alternative. I said it to the priest during 652 00:34:44,000 --> 00:34:47,920 Speaker 1: my way. I consider the alternative. Father. I'm just saying, 653 00:34:49,680 --> 00:34:57,920 Speaker 1: who else a couple more right here? Right here? That 654 00:34:58,000 --> 00:35:01,120 Speaker 1: was to as I ended up on the Tonight Show. 655 00:35:01,360 --> 00:35:07,120 Speaker 1: Because when Jimmy was on the show, uh, we would 656 00:35:07,120 --> 00:35:09,319 Speaker 1: just do bits and goof off constantly, and we had 657 00:35:09,320 --> 00:35:12,279 Speaker 1: an affinity towards that, and we would you know, I 658 00:35:12,280 --> 00:35:14,799 Speaker 1: wrote Jeopardies that Jimmy was in, and Barry give talk 659 00:35:14,840 --> 00:35:17,560 Speaker 1: show and think whatever. He'd you know, Mick Jagger at 660 00:35:17,560 --> 00:35:21,239 Speaker 1: the Mirror. And because Jimmy, to me, what I loved 661 00:35:21,239 --> 00:35:24,000 Speaker 1: about him the most was everybody thought of him as 662 00:35:24,040 --> 00:35:29,680 Speaker 1: like this cute little mop top creature, and we knew 663 00:35:29,719 --> 00:35:33,040 Speaker 1: him as this well of comedy knowledge. And so when 664 00:35:33,040 --> 00:35:35,919 Speaker 1: he started that, you know, it's you know, he goes, 665 00:35:36,000 --> 00:35:37,799 Speaker 1: you want to be my sidekick? I go, if it's 666 00:35:37,800 --> 00:35:40,359 Speaker 1: okay with Lauren because I still work on SNL, and 667 00:35:40,440 --> 00:35:46,120 Speaker 1: so Lauren gave it his blessing. So exactly like on 668 00:35:46,200 --> 00:35:48,560 Speaker 1: Wednesday's after run down from read through on this like 669 00:35:48,840 --> 00:35:52,600 Speaker 1: four sketches, I'll rundown, do the show and run back 670 00:35:52,680 --> 00:35:55,680 Speaker 1: up because I'm only out there for ladies and gentlemen. 671 00:35:55,719 --> 00:36:00,359 Speaker 1: Jimmy fallon ha yeah, and then so I guess comes on, 672 00:36:00,400 --> 00:36:02,239 Speaker 1: I'm out of there. You know, I'm back upstairs to 673 00:36:02,320 --> 00:36:04,719 Speaker 1: my day job, getting like seven and a half eight 674 00:36:04,760 --> 00:36:08,960 Speaker 1: million a year for the nine an episode nine an episode. 675 00:36:09,160 --> 00:36:12,160 Speaker 1: So who else we got than Trump got elected? Back 676 00:36:12,200 --> 00:36:16,359 Speaker 1: there right there, I se there you go. Yeah, there 677 00:36:16,440 --> 00:36:23,759 Speaker 1: are so many times either candidates officials are so over 678 00:36:23,920 --> 00:36:37,160 Speaker 1: the top the writers sometimes feel kind of super I 679 00:36:37,239 --> 00:36:40,080 Speaker 1: think that it's it's the it is the hard thing. 680 00:36:40,120 --> 00:36:41,640 Speaker 1: As you said of Trump, it's like men, you go 681 00:36:41,760 --> 00:36:45,520 Speaker 1: when he goes farther than you would have ever gone, 682 00:36:46,200 --> 00:36:48,200 Speaker 1: Like the when you're telling them about the McCay sketch 683 00:36:48,560 --> 00:36:51,480 Speaker 1: that guy now would have won. The guy wiped his 684 00:36:51,520 --> 00:36:53,680 Speaker 1: ask with a flag and stuff like that. So it's like, 685 00:36:54,120 --> 00:36:57,600 Speaker 1: it's hard to keep it real. Who else we got 686 00:36:57,600 --> 00:36:59,319 Speaker 1: a couple more yes right here, and there was somebody 687 00:36:59,400 --> 00:37:02,080 Speaker 1: up top. We're gonna get you right over here. Then 688 00:37:02,080 --> 00:37:06,040 Speaker 1: we're gonna have you shout. I need shout, all right. Well, 689 00:37:06,239 --> 00:37:09,000 Speaker 1: a couple of weeks ago, Kelsey Grammar actually announced that 690 00:37:09,000 --> 00:37:11,520 Speaker 1: there is going to be a reboot of Fraser. And uh, 691 00:37:11,640 --> 00:37:15,200 Speaker 1: the question is, in this current climate of comedy, how 692 00:37:15,239 --> 00:37:18,040 Speaker 1: do you think a Fraser reboot will be received? And 693 00:37:18,080 --> 00:37:21,279 Speaker 1: should the TV industry stop relying on reboots and come 694 00:37:21,360 --> 00:37:26,439 Speaker 1: up with more new material? Well, yes, but I think 695 00:37:26,440 --> 00:37:32,359 Speaker 1: it is. I find that besides the you know, it's 696 00:37:32,360 --> 00:37:34,680 Speaker 1: just hard to get anything made that somebody's gonna say 697 00:37:34,760 --> 00:37:38,120 Speaker 1: yes to. And I do find I'm guilty of this. 698 00:37:38,320 --> 00:37:41,960 Speaker 1: If I flipped through and me TV comes on and 699 00:37:42,000 --> 00:37:44,360 Speaker 1: there's some show from my childhood before all this Michigun 700 00:37:44,560 --> 00:37:46,640 Speaker 1: stuff was happening, I will sit there and watch it 701 00:37:46,719 --> 00:37:49,279 Speaker 1: and go, oh, that was a good time. It will 702 00:37:49,400 --> 00:37:51,480 Speaker 1: it will take me out of this. So I think 703 00:37:51,480 --> 00:37:54,560 Speaker 1: there's also a giant nostalgia thing. But do I wish 704 00:37:54,560 --> 00:37:57,160 Speaker 1: they'd quit making more? Who coo am I to say, 705 00:37:57,560 --> 00:38:00,680 Speaker 1: I'm just a sketchwriter apparently, But I think that that, 706 00:38:00,800 --> 00:38:04,000 Speaker 1: you know, obviously, these reboots, it's like, if you think 707 00:38:04,000 --> 00:38:06,440 Speaker 1: it's unoriginal, they don't care. Is there an audience for that? 708 00:38:06,640 --> 00:38:12,960 Speaker 1: Sent Comcast? Comcast cares, but they don't care if that 709 00:38:13,040 --> 00:38:18,320 Speaker 1: people might criticize that reboot thing. If they get uh, 710 00:38:18,480 --> 00:38:20,680 Speaker 1: David Hype Pierce, if they get all the original gang 711 00:38:20,680 --> 00:38:22,640 Speaker 1: back together, What could be wrong with that? When those 712 00:38:22,640 --> 00:38:26,759 Speaker 1: guys were really, really, really funny, but um now, please 713 00:38:26,800 --> 00:38:45,799 Speaker 1: stand up and give us your best operatic performance. It 714 00:38:45,920 --> 00:38:48,359 Speaker 1: was Chris and Sarah who had another song, and then 715 00:38:49,760 --> 00:38:51,680 Speaker 1: Leonard Cohen had just died, and so that's how the 716 00:38:51,719 --> 00:38:54,480 Speaker 1: Hallelujah thing came in it. But that wasn't until dress, 717 00:38:54,640 --> 00:38:56,160 Speaker 1: wasn't it let me do it air. We did a 718 00:38:56,200 --> 00:38:58,240 Speaker 1: different Yeah, it was like a very very up until 719 00:38:58,239 --> 00:39:00,600 Speaker 1: the last minute, you know, it was one likes the 720 00:39:00,640 --> 00:39:03,560 Speaker 1: sweet when it works. Sometimes we do some very tender 721 00:39:03,640 --> 00:39:05,400 Speaker 1: things and they're very kind of if it's at the 722 00:39:05,560 --> 00:39:07,600 Speaker 1: right moment. Everything I look at critically, I look I 723 00:39:07,680 --> 00:39:09,520 Speaker 1: divide it into three parts. So a third of the 724 00:39:09,560 --> 00:39:12,400 Speaker 1: shows suck, a third of the shows are okay, and 725 00:39:12,440 --> 00:39:14,279 Speaker 1: a third of them are really wonderful. And if you 726 00:39:14,360 --> 00:39:17,120 Speaker 1: hit that march, if you're bating three thirty three, then 727 00:39:17,120 --> 00:39:19,279 Speaker 1: you're doing well because to grind that out, you know, 728 00:39:19,280 --> 00:39:23,440 Speaker 1: you're you're in a room on a Monday, and uh, 729 00:39:23,520 --> 00:39:25,160 Speaker 1: then the show was on the air, and the sets 730 00:39:25,200 --> 00:39:27,239 Speaker 1: are built in your broadcasting a live TV show on 731 00:39:27,239 --> 00:39:30,200 Speaker 1: a Saturday, it's it's nothing short of a miracle. And 732 00:39:30,239 --> 00:39:34,000 Speaker 1: when you host, when you've hosted a few times, you 733 00:39:34,160 --> 00:39:37,879 Speaker 1: come the writer's uh tell the ideas to the host 734 00:39:37,920 --> 00:39:40,839 Speaker 1: on Monday, and when it's Alec, they don't put out 735 00:39:40,840 --> 00:39:44,160 Speaker 1: any effort because they go, we'll get it, we'll get 736 00:39:44,600 --> 00:39:47,399 Speaker 1: hang on, what do you got? That's okay? I'll never 737 00:39:47,440 --> 00:39:50,319 Speaker 1: forget down. He's there, he's the head writer down. He 738 00:39:50,360 --> 00:39:52,680 Speaker 1: comes to me and I go, so, what's the monologue? 739 00:39:52,680 --> 00:39:54,279 Speaker 1: Because I was always obsessed. If we don't have a 740 00:39:54,280 --> 00:39:56,120 Speaker 1: good monologue, it might be tough to be coming about. 741 00:39:56,120 --> 00:39:58,719 Speaker 1: I'm like, what's the monologue? It's like Thursday night. He's like, oh, 742 00:39:58,800 --> 00:40:00,640 Speaker 1: I got some great and I want to showt you 743 00:40:00,680 --> 00:40:03,600 Speaker 1: now by so good, I mean, I don't want to well, 744 00:40:03,600 --> 00:40:04,800 Speaker 1: I'm still kind of playing with the but this is 745 00:40:04,880 --> 00:40:06,800 Speaker 1: gonna be really good. Friday comes, I'm like, can I 746 00:40:06,840 --> 00:40:10,239 Speaker 1: see the mone Like, oh, it's so good. It's really good. 747 00:40:10,239 --> 00:40:11,840 Speaker 1: He doesn't have a fucking idea what we're gonna do. 748 00:40:12,600 --> 00:40:14,920 Speaker 1: And then finally he hands me the monologue. On the Saturday, 749 00:40:14,920 --> 00:40:17,560 Speaker 1: I just got divorced from my first wife, and I 750 00:40:17,600 --> 00:40:18,920 Speaker 1: come out there and he has me come out there, 751 00:40:18,920 --> 00:40:20,080 Speaker 1: and I'm like, you know, this is a time of 752 00:40:20,120 --> 00:40:23,480 Speaker 1: transition in my life. And uh, you know, I've had 753 00:40:23,480 --> 00:40:25,040 Speaker 1: a lot of changes in my life, but one thing 754 00:40:25,040 --> 00:40:26,680 Speaker 1: that's always been there for me and like a home 755 00:40:26,719 --> 00:40:29,120 Speaker 1: for me a Saturday night love and out comes Daryl 756 00:40:29,160 --> 00:40:33,400 Speaker 1: Hammett as Clinton and he comes in. He goes Alec Baldwin. 757 00:40:33,560 --> 00:40:37,400 Speaker 1: Alec Baldwin, he said, you gotta put your oars in 758 00:40:37,440 --> 00:40:40,080 Speaker 1: the water and row your way towards the island of 759 00:40:40,160 --> 00:40:49,439 Speaker 1: Poonani and I'm saying I'm not. He goes, You're gonna 760 00:40:49,480 --> 00:40:52,440 Speaker 1: be having it hot and cold on tap my brother, 761 00:40:52,920 --> 00:40:56,279 Speaker 1: and he starts saying all these vulgar euphemisms. Um, but 762 00:40:56,360 --> 00:40:59,799 Speaker 1: I want to say that, you know, you are, besides me, 763 00:41:00,760 --> 00:41:03,680 Speaker 1: unbelievably funny and God knows you are. But you're also 764 00:41:03,760 --> 00:41:07,439 Speaker 1: such a gracious, gracious colleague. Whenever I've done that show, 765 00:41:07,480 --> 00:41:09,160 Speaker 1: I mean, you're one of the main reasons I come back, 766 00:41:09,160 --> 00:41:12,960 Speaker 1: because even though we don't enjoy always Trump himself, you know, 767 00:41:13,080 --> 00:41:15,600 Speaker 1: embodying him. It's been such a joy to work with 768 00:41:15,600 --> 00:41:17,239 Speaker 1: you these last years. And thanks for doing the show 769 00:41:17,239 --> 00:41:30,040 Speaker 1: with me. Thanks, thanks for coming you k Thank the 770 00:41:30,160 --> 00:41:35,280 Speaker 1: incomparable Steve Higgins of des Moines's finest sketch comedy troupe, 771 00:41:35,520 --> 00:41:39,200 Speaker 1: The Higgins Boys and Gruber. I'm proud to call him 772 00:41:39,200 --> 00:41:43,960 Speaker 1: my friend. I'm Alec Baldwin and you're listening to Here's 773 00:41:44,000 --> 00:41:44,359 Speaker 1: the Thing.