Trivia Club: Tina Fey

Saturday Night Live Fantasy League: Episode 43x21: Tina Fey & Nicki Minaj

For more thoughts on Saturday Night Live, join Brian Edwards, of the SNL Fantasy League team The Team You Wish You Hadn’t Started A Conversation With At A Party, on the Deep Thoughts on SNL podcast! Subscribe, listen, enjoy! Deep Thoughts, when they can, also tweets during the show, so join in on twitter!

REPERTORY CAST

Kate McKinnon, 69 points

7 points – cold open
5 points – reoccurring (Rudy Giuliani)
5 points – alongside former host (Ben Stiller)
5 points – alongside former host (Robert De Niro)
2 points – “LIVE FROM NEW YORK…!”
5 points – sketch (Royal Wedding Reception)
5 points – sketch (Morning Joe)
5 points – reoccurring (Mika)
5 points – sketch (Kiss Today Goodbye)
5 points – reoccurring (Kelly Anne)
5 points - singing
5 points – alongside former host (Fred Armisen)
5 points – alongside former host (John Goodman)
5 points – host hug

Aidy Bryant, 44 points

5 points – sketch (Royal Wedding Reception)
5 points – sketch (Morning Joe)
7 points – Weekend Update
5 points – sketch (Kiss Today Goodbye)
5 points – reoccurring (Sarah Huckabee-Sanders)
5 points – singing
5 points – alongside former host (Fred Armisen)
5 points – alongside former host (John Goodman)
2 points – in costume during goodnights

Leslie Jones, 42 points

5 points – sketch (Royal Wedding Reception)
5 points – as Herself
5 points – sketch (Kiss Today Goodbye)
5 points – reoccurring (Omarosa)
5 points – singing
5 points – alongside former host (Fred Armisen)
5 points – alongside former host (John Goodman)
2 points – swearing (“ass”)
3 points – 10 to 1 sketch (Talent Show)
2 points – in costume during goodnights

Cecily Strong, 30 points

5 points – sketch (Royal Wedding Reception)
5 points – sketch (Kiss Today Goodbye)
5 points – reoccurring (Stormy Daniels)
5 points – singing
5 points – alongside former host (Fred Armisen)
5 points – alongside former host (John Goodman)

Alec Baldwin, 24 points

7 points – cold open
5 points – reoccurring (Donald Trump)
5 points – alongside former host (Ben Stiller)
5 points – alongside former host (Robert De Niro)
2 points – “LIVE FROM NEW YORK…!”

Beck Bennett, 18 points

5 points – sketch (Royal Wedding Reception)
5 points - sketch (Pervert Hunters)
5 points - crying
3 points – sketch V/O (Dick Wolf’s Chicago Improv)

Kenan Thompson, 15 points

5 points – sketch (Royal Wedding Reception)
7 points – Weekend Update
3 points – 10 to 1 sketch (Talent Show)

Pete Davidson, 8 points

5 points – sketch (Royal Wedding Reception)
3 points – 10 to 1 sketch (Talent Show)

Kyle Mooney, 8 points

5 points - sketch (Pervert Hunters)
3 points – 10 to 1 sketch (Talent Show)

FEATURED CAST

Mikey Day, 67 points

7 points – cold open
5 points – reoccurring (Donald Trump Jr.)
5 points – alongside former host (Ben Stiller)
5 points – alongside former host (Robert De Niro)
2 points – “LIVE FROM NEW YORK…!”
5 points – sketch (Royal Wedding Reception)
5 points – reoccurring (Prince Harry)
5 points – sketch (Morning Joe)
5 points – reoccurring (Willie)
7 points – Weekend Update
5 points – reoccurring (Donald Trump Jr.)
5 points - sketch (Pervert Hunters)
3 points – 10 to 1 sketch (Talent Show)
3 points – 10 to 1 sketch (Dick Wolf’s Chicago Improv)

Alex Moffat, 64 points

7 points – cold open
5 points – reoccurring (Eric Trump)
5 points – alongside former host (Ben Stiller)
5 points – alongside former host (Robert De Niro)
2 points – “LIVE FROM NEW YORK…!”
5 points – sketch (Royal Wedding Reception)
5 points – reoccurring (Prince William)
5 points – sketch (Morning Joe)
5 points – reoccurring (Joe)
7 points – Weekend Update
5 points – reoccurring (Eric Trump)
5 points - sketch (Pervert Hunters)
3 points – 10 to 1 sketch (Dick Wolf’s Chicago Improv)

Heidi Gardner, 27 points

7 points – cold open
5 points – alongside former host (Ben Stiller)
5 points – alongside former host (Robert De Niro)
2 points – “LIVE FROM NEW YORK…!”
5 points – sketch (Royal Wedding Reception)
3 points – 10 to 1 sketch (Dick Wolf’s Chicago Improv)

Chris Redd 13 points

5 points – sketch (Royal Wedding Reception)
5 points – kiss
3 points – 10 to 1 sketch (Dick Wolf’s Chicago Improv)

Luke Null, 11 points

5 points - sketch (Pervert Hunters)
3 points – 10 to 1 sketch (Talent Show)
3 points – 10 to 1 sketch (Dick Wolf’s Chicago Improv)

Melissa Villaseñor, 11 points

3 points – 10 to 1 sketch (Talent Show)
5 points – singing
3 points – 10 to 1 sketch (Dick Wolf’s Chicago Improv)

HOST

Tina Fey, 97 points

5 points – alongside former host (Jerry Seinfeld)
5 points – alongside former host (Benedict Cumberbatch)
5 points – alongside former host (Chris Rock)
5 points – alongside former host (Fred Armisen)
5 points – alongside former host (Anne Hathaway)
5 points – alongside former host (Donald Glover)
5 points – alongside former host (Tracey Morgan)
5 points – alongside former host (Robert De Niro)
5 points – sketch (Royal Wedding Reception)
5 points – kiss
5 points – sketch (Morning Joe)
5 points - sketch (Pervert Hunters)
5 points – sketch (Kiss Today Goodbye)
5 points – reoccurring (Sarah Palin)
5 points – singing
5 points – alongside former host (Fred Armisen)
5 points – alongside former host (John Goodman)
5 points – sketch (Talent Show)
5 points – singing
10 points – pre-taped sketch (Dick Wolf’s Chicago Improv)
2 points – embraces guest first
minus 10 points – doesn’t thank cast during goodnights

Robert De Niro, 90 points

15 points – cold open
5 points – reoccurring (Robert Mueller)
5 points – alongside former host (Ben Stiller)
15 points – “LIVE FROM NEW YORK…!”
10 points – monologue
5 points – alongside former host (Jerry Seinfeld)
5 points – alongside former host (Benedict Cumberbatch)
5 points – alongside former host (Chris Rock)
5 points – alongside former host (Fred Armisen)
5 points – alongside former host (Anne Hathaway)
5 points – alongside former host (Donald Glover)
5 points – alongside former host (Tracey Morgan)
5 points – alongside former host (Robert De Niro)

Jerry Seinfeld, 45 points

10 points – monologue
5 points – alongside former host (Benedict Cumberbatch)
5 points – alongside former host (Chris Rock)
5 points – alongside former host (Fred Armisen)
5 points – alongside former host (Anne Hathaway)
5 points – alongside former host (Donald Glover)
5 points – alongside former host (Tracey Morgan)
5 points – alongside former host (Robert De Niro)

Benedict Cumberbatch, 45 points

10 points – monologue
5 points – alongside former host (Jerry Seinfeld)
5 points – alongside former host (Chris Rock)
5 points – alongside former host (Fred Armisen)
5 points – alongside former host (Anne Hathaway)
5 points – alongside former host (Donald Glover)
5 points – alongside former host (Tracey Morgan)
5 points – alongside former host (Robert De Niro)

Chris Rock, 45 points

10 points – monologue
5 points – alongside former host (Jerry Seinfeld)
5 points – alongside former host (Benedict Cumberbatch)
5 points – alongside former host (Fred Armisen)
5 points – alongside former host (Anne Hathaway)
5 points – alongside former host (Donald Glover)
5 points – alongside former host (Tracey Morgan)
5 points – alongside former host (Robert De Niro)

Fred Armisen, 45 points

10 points – monologue
5 points – alongside former host (Jerry Seinfeld)
5 points – alongside former host (Benedict Cumberbatch)
5 points – alongside former host (Chris Rock)
5 points – alongside former host (Anne Hathaway)
5 points – alongside former host (Donald Glover)
5 points – alongside former host (Tracey Morgan)
5 points – alongside former host (Robert De Niro)
5 points – sketch (Kiss Today Goodbye)
5 points – reoccurring (Michael Wolfe)
5 points – singing
5 points – alongside former host (John Goodman)

Anne Hathaway, 45 points

10 points – monologue
5 points – alongside former host (Jerry Seinfeld)
5 points – alongside former host (Benedict Cumberbatch)
5 points – alongside former host (Chris Rock)
5 points – alongside former host (Fred Armisen)
5 points – alongside former host (Donald Glover)
5 points – alongside former host (Tracey Morgan)
5 points – alongside former host (Robert De Niro)

Donald Glover, 45 points

10 points – monologue
5 points – alongside former host (Jerry Seinfeld)
5 points – alongside former host (Benedict Cumberbatch)
5 points – alongside former host (Chris Rock)
5 points – alongside former host (Fred Armisen)
5 points – alongside former host (Anne Hathaway)
5 points – alongside former host (Tracey Morgan)
5 points – alongside former host (Robert De Niro)

Tracey Morgan, 45 points

10 points – monologue
5 points – alongside former host (Jerry Seinfeld)
5 points – alongside former host (Benedict Cumberbatch)
5 points – alongside former host (Chris Rock)
5 points – alongside former host (Fred Armisen)
5 points – alongside former host (Anne Hathaway)
5 points – alongside former host (Donald Glover)
5 points – alongside former host (Robert De Niro)

Ben Stiller, 40 points

15 points – cold open
5 points – reoccurring (Michael Cohen)
5 points – alongside former host (Robert De Niro)
15 points – “LIVE FROM NEW YORK…!”

John Goodman, 20 points

5 points – sketch (Kiss Today Goodbye)
5 points – reoccurring (Rex Tillerson)
5 points – singing
5 points – alongside former host (Fred Armisen)

Billion Dollar Murrays – Russel H.

Kate McKinnon – 69

Mikey Day – 67

Tina Fey - 97

MUSICAL GUEST – Nicki Minaj - SONGS: 1) Chun-Li & 2) Barbie Tingz

5 points – first song

EPISODE TWENTY-ONE TOTAL 238

War Horse Can Dance – Megan M.

Cecily Strong - 30

Alex Moffat - 64

Leslie Jones - 42

MUSICAL GUEST – Nicki Minaj - SONGS: 1) Chun-Li & 2) Barbie Tingz

5 points – first song

EPISODE TWENTY-ONE TOTAL 141

The Team You Wish You Hadn’t Started A Conversation With At A Party – Brian E.

Cecily Strong - 30

Mikey Day - 67

Alex Moffat - 64

MUSICAL GUEST – Nicki Minaj - SONGS: 1) Chun-Li & 2) Barbie Tingz

5 points – first song

EPISODE TWENTY-ONE TOTAL 166

The Ignorant Sluts – Matthew S.

Kate McKinnon - 69

Alec Baldwin - 24
Donald Glover - 45

MUSICAL GUEST – Nicki Minaj – NO SONGS CHOSEN

5 points – first song

EPISODE TWENTY-ONE TOTAL 138

The Party Andersons – Rob M.

Beck Bennett - 18

Aidy Bryant - 44

Kenan Thompson - 15

MUSICAL GUEST – Nicki Minaj - SONGS: 1) Chun-Li & 2) Barbie Tingz

5 points – first song

EPISODE TWENTY-ONE TOTAL 82

The Not Ready For First Place Players – Kevin M.

Kenan Thompson - 15

Aidy Bryant - 44

Kyle Mooney - 8

MUSICAL GUEST – Nicki Minaj – NO SONGS CHOSEN

EPISODE TWENTY-ONE TOTAL 67

Holtzwomenn – Sarah R.

Beck Bennett - 18

Alec Baldwin – 24

Kyle Mooney - 8

MUSICAL GUEST – Nicki Minaj – NO SONGS CHOSEN

EPISODE TWENTY-ONE TOTAL 50

HARTMAN TROPHY FINAL STANDINGS (as of 43x21)

#	TEAM NAME	∧∨--	HIGH[EP]	HOST	SONG	TOTAL
1	The Party Andersons	--	179 [17]	197	85	2355
2	War Horse Can Dance	--	210 [19]	52	111	2194
3	The Team You Wish You Hadn’t Started A Conversation With At A Party	--	166 [21]	82	57	2118
4	Not Ready For First Place Players	--	166 [15]	105	65	1898
5	Billion Dollar Murrays	∧1	238 [21]	104	145	1806
6	The Ignorant Sluts	∨1	171 [12]	418	131	1790
7	Holtzwomenn	--	135 [04]	30	34	1335

Saturday Night Live likes to lean into the problem when it’s pointed out to them, be it Not Ready For Primetime, not enough non-white male representation, and as of this season and especially leading into the finale, not even enough time spent on the cast in return for five minutes from a famous face. A parade of charismatic likeable people giving a well written response still doesn’t take away from the fact that Saturday Night Live sets itself up to fail, the more that it can’t put a presidential casting choice or his staff, in the hands of actual cast members. It turns Lorne’s king making machine into the King of Late Night showing off his rolodex. You have to wonder where Chevy Chase, Dan Akroyd, Phil Hartman, Will Ferrell, etc, would be if the Presidents they played had been given to the likes of I don’t know… Elliot Gould, Steve Martin, Alec Baldwin, and John Goodman, along the way. It’s been said before and will continue to be poked at by writers with more patience and time then me, but that’s what you get after forty-three seasons and approximately six generations of comedy if not more… if it ain’t broke, why the fix?

We made it to the end of FIFTH SEASON of SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE FANTASY LEAGUE, y’all! Thank you so much for joining us! Before the final standings for the Phil Hartman Trophy competitors, not to mention a spotlight on other Groups that have taken part in their own SNL Fantasy Leagues across North America (which yes, is always awesome to think about), let’s break down some stats for you!

Only ONE cast member broke seventy points this season, and it wasn’t Kate McKinnon! Episode 19 of Season 43, hosted by Donald Glover, saw Cecily Strong grab the highest single episode points of the season, with 73 points.

Kate McKinnon, of the Kate McKinnon Rule for this very reason, had the highest episode point total of any cast member for twelve different episodes, including the finale. McKinnon also ended the season with 999 points overall, 1,257 points last season, but still 200 more points then the nearest cast member Cecily Strong who ended the season with 785 points. Kenan Thompson also finished the season with more then 700 points. Finishing the season with 600 or more points were Beck Bennett, Aidy Bryant, Alex Moffatt, and Leslie Jones, in that order. In the 500 level were Mikey Day and Chris Redd, while Heidi Gardner had 495 points total by the end of the season, and was joined at, at least plus 400 by Pete Davidson. Rounding out the cast were Melissa Villasenor and Kyle Mooney at above 300, and Luke Null with 255 points, while Alec Baldwin put up 242 points based soley off Cast allotted cold open points.

Breaking down the cast further, it’s evident that Alec Baldwin trended way below expectations thanks to his shift from special guest prospective Host, to Cast member who really only works in one sketch per night and even then missed eleven episodes. Pete Davidson also performed below expectation, but as he was undrafted by the Hartman Group, no team felt the brunt of it… and at the end of the day, it’s better that the guy is taking care of himself and dealing with whatever he might need to. Fantasy League stuff a side, we want Pete to be happy first. If any Cast member hurt their team the most, it was Kyle Mooney. For someone who appeared in every episode this season, Kyle Mooney performed far below expectations. Though it’s clear that we finally have a winner in the Mooney vs. Bennett debate that has been a part of SNL Fantasy League since season one, I don’t think anyone expected it to end with Mooney being third from the bottom of the order, with only Luke Null and a half absent Alec Baldwin as his company.

On the positive, it’s been a breakout season for Alex Moffat! More then even Beck Bennett, Moffat looks to be the male lead in the cast that we haven’t seen since Taren Killam, and even then, I don’t think Killam quite had the wonderful chemistry that Moffat has had with the likes of Mikey Day and Kate McKinnon. Not to mention a Weekend Update hit that is a must for any SNL breakout cast member. He’s in a top five point getter in his first full season, it’s wonderfully unexpected for Moffat but proof that he’ll be highly drafted next season. Leslie Jones also was trending much further up this season then expected, and largely due to her becoming a more concistent member of the cast. Though she still isn’t the strongest actor in sketches, she’s getting so many more chances that it’s hard not to enjoy her and see how much the show enjoys having her around as well. Just when we thought the Good Neighbors duo of Mooney and Bennett would leave the biggest impression on this show, I wouldn’t be surprised if this generation was remembered for something of a second Women’s Renaissance centered around Kate McKinnon, but also bolstered by Leslie Jones, Cecily Strong, and Aidy Bryant.

Let’s talk hosts now! Thanks in large part to The Ignorant Sluts and The Party Andersons, the Hartman Group as a whole drafted ten hosts correctly, with seven of those hosts being drafted by those two teams. Six more teams saw their prospective Hosts at least make a guest appearance! No team was left pointless by seasons end, when it came to Host picks. Still, it was a bit of a down trending year for picks, for the Hartman Group as a whole. The Baldwin & Martin Award for more points with the hosts was as much a no-doubter as the Hartman Trophy, as The Ignorant Sluts though let down by Baldwin as a Cast member, still gained more then twice as many Host points as any other team! Yes, with 418 points from the likes of Gal Gadot, Kumail Nanjiani, Will Ferrell, and Donald Glover, not to mention guest appearances from Glover and Steve Martin, The Ignorant Sluts still found a way to make a statement, even during a topsy turvsy Cast season!

Will Ferrell and Bill Hader had the biggest episodes this season in terms of points as Hosts, no surprise due to their mastery of the format as cast members. Tiffany Haddish was the only other host that gained 100 points, just out pacing Donald Glover as the top Host who wasn’t also an alumni of the show, as Glover amassed 97 points in his 19^th episode, a feat matched by Tina Fey and her 97 points in the Finale. Adding in guest appearances, and Donald Glover’s 45 points from the finale’s opening monologue alone makes him the second biggest point grabbing Host in season 43, just behind Will Ferrel. Don’t forget, both Ferrel and Glover were drafted by The Ignorant Sluts. Tina Fey would also cross the 100 point mark in terms of accumulated points, adding in her 7 points from an episode 13 special appearance.

For the second consecutive season The Billion Dollar Murrays pick up the G.E. Smith Award for most points from song choices, which yes is always easiest when I have to remember to make my Song Choices as part of the day to day, or at least episode to episode job of running this League! For the second straight season Matthew S. of The Ignorant Sluts more then made it close, with a 145 to 131 point finish, which wasn’t the only close finish between the two teams this season! The Billion Dollar Murrays picked 11 first songs correctly, eight second songs correctly, and twenty-four total songs correctly.

Now, before we dive into the final League Award, and of course, the Hartman Trophy… I want to talk about the VERSUS half of the League! Now, I’ve flirted back and forth with not really even talking about it as the season continued, but just as with our first season of Saturday Night Live Fantasy League, which was the only other time I had put together a VERSUS side to the proceedings, the stories that emerged from the head-to-head match-ups and eventually the play-offs and play-ins were just too good to not dive into!

Over the first sixteen episodes, we enjoyed a VERSUS head-to-head regular season, with each team playing one another twice and also having two bye weeks! At the end of the regular season, both The Party Andersons and War Horse Can Dance each had 10-3 records, but The Party Andersons won the Saturday Shield because of their superior plus/minus of +232 points! This then led to a Wildcard Play-In amongst the bottom four team, with the fourth best regular season team, The Team You Wish You Hadn’t Started A Conversation With At A Party blowing out Holtzwomenn in episode 17 and slipping past The Ignorant Sluts by seven points in episode 18! Then episode 19, for the first part of the 30 Rock Page Play-Off, War Horse Can Dance won over The Party Andersons for the third straight time of the season to get a path straight to Championship final, while The Party Andersons would have to play against Wildcard winner The Team You Wish You Hadn’t Started A Conversation With At A Party after they had defeated The Not Ready For First Place Players! In the season’s penultimate episode, to decided who would play against War Horse Can Dance for the Chevy Chase Championship… we had our FIRST TIE of 2018! This meant that episode twenty-one would see not only our first Chevy Chase Championship match, but the first Triple Threat in our VERSUS format!

War Horse Can Dance, who had won more VERSUS match-ups then any other team this season, if you included the play-offs.

The Party Andersons, who had won the Saturday Shield with a dominant plus/minus point spread thanks to their moneyball roster and excellent early season hosts.

The Team You Wish You Hadn’t Started A Conversation With At A Party, the Cinderella story! A team who started the season 0-4! The Wildcard Play-In winners, who had been able to win or tie in four consecutive episodes of the VERSUS post-season to even get to this point!

In the Chevy Chase Championship match, named the for first singular star of Saturday Night Live (and probably the most competitive person to come out of what should be a collaborative atmosphere), War Horse Can Dance once again surpassed The Party Andersons, with 141 points to their 82 points… but at least in the world of VERSUS, miracles can happen as season-highs from both Mikey Day and Alex Moffatt helped by a slightly below-average night from Cecily Strong propelled The Team With Wish You Hadn’t Started A Conversation With At A Party to 166 points and the Chevy Chase Championship in the finale! Thanks you once again to John Cena for this wonderful title, I hope Brian E. enjoys it!

Without much further ado, having talked about everything else, let us get down to the point behind this entire exercise in Fantasy League… the friends we’ve made and how they’ve done! Though every team had an episode topping score, at least once this season (save for Holtzwomenn who see their drafts pan out at all from the #2 spot, and were likely the most hurt by not having The Elvis Costello Featured Redraft agan), it was The Party Andersons who were maddeningly consistent! Rob M. powered moneyballed his Cast like a boss and correctly picked three hosts as well (second most of the group), leading the Group in ten separate individual episodes to take home the Eddie Murphy Award for Leader of the Pack! It is really nice to see a plan so well laid out come together, and it certainly did for Rob M. this season, as The Party Andersons took the lead over the Hartman Group, this Five Timers Club, and they did not let it go for the rest of the season. Larry David was his host, who would also give him some special guest points the next episode, and James Franco along with Kevin Hart would soon follow, helping to lock down The Party Andersons’ lead by the ninth episode. Keeping the lead strong episode by episode was a cast of reliable SNL vets in Aidy Bryant, Kenan Thompson (in his record setting fifteenth season with the show), not to mention the now five-time winner and seemingly lucky charm Beck Bennett! Other teams may have had higher scores in an episode, but other teams also had off weeks… not The Party Andersons!

So for the first season, drama escaped this league and it happened fast. If you were following along at home you had to be happy with watching the race for third or the battle for fifth. Now that the dust has truly settled, only one person can be the Hartman Trophy winner… and for the FIRST-TIME it is the originator of the Deep Thoughts on SNL podcast, our resident super fan of The Lonely Island…

Congratulations to Rob Moden and The Party Andersons with Beck Bennett, Aidy Bryant, and Kenan Thompson!

LAST EPISODE: AMY SCHUMER

NEXT SEASON WATCH FOR SEASON SIX

of the SNL Fantasy League

There's a lot going on here... but also, HI MOM!

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