SATURDAY NIGHT LATER

MUCH to discuss this episode! And Madalyn and I had a great time talking through it all with Ben Wietmarschen (Funny or Die, The Onion, The Tonight Show, JFL, MLB). Ben’s Plug: Long-Haired Business Men’s IMDB page — and don’t forget to rent it when it comes out on November 17th! Marina’s Plug: THIS WILL NEVER WORK virtual film screening on November 19th: https://kinema.com/events/THIS-WILL-NEVER-W...

How do you keep your sketches specific? How do you avoid having your button overshadow your idea? And… did this episode have THREE sketches we’d email to friends?!?!?!? All this and more in this week’s episode of Saturday Night Later, with the amazing Monique Moses! Monique’s Plugs: “INT. UCB” — Pilot show! (Wednesday, 10/28/26) https://ucbcomedy.com/show/int-ucb-a-writer-showcase-812453/ And stay...

The first SNL US/UK crossover episode! The first SNL US/UK shots fired! And… one of the most bizarrely handled reveals in a sketch we’ve ever seen??? All this and more in this week’s episode! Referenced in this episode: MLK Day, by Laura Canty-Samuel : This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit marinatempelsman.substack...

An episode that was fun to watch and learn from — hits, misses, and all. Take a listen! Thanks for reading Unusual Things: A Guide to Sketch Comedy! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit marinatempelsman.substack.com

A lot to say about this episode! And we get into all of it. Thanks for reading Unusual Things: A Guide to Sketch Comedy! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit marinatempelsman.substack.com

Why does an impressive prop sometimes interfere with a sketch? How do you know if a sketch isn’t set in the “right” place? And… do YOU think legal made that blur that vagina-gun prop at the last minute?!?!?! (We sure do!) All this and more on this week’s episode of Saturday Night Later, with special guest Jonathan Braylock! Thanks for reading Unusual Things: A Guide to Sketch Comedy! Subscribe for...

An all-around charming episode — with fun premises, big swings, and interesting misses! Check it out! And don’t forget to get a ticket to the virtual screening of Marina’s film THIS WILL NEVER WORK on Wednesday, September 30th, at 5pm PT / 8pm ET. Thanks for reading Unusual Things: A Guide to Sketch Comedy! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work. THIS WILL NEVER WORK: https://...

Why is it hard to make horniness into a sketch? How do you avoid having a disengaged Voice of Reason? And… how do you write for a non-actor host? All this and more as we discuss this weekend’s episode of SNL! Marina’s Plug: Check out a virtual one-night-only screening of the feature film she co-wrote with Niccolo Aeed, THIS WILL NEVER WORK — this Wednesday (9/30) at 5pm PT / 8pm ET! https://kinema...

I LOVE pitch meetings.* At their best, they’re the perfect middle ground between work and play — a chance to bat around sketch ideas with your friends. But I realized that if you’ve never been on a sketch team or in a sketch class, you probably haven’t ever gotten to see a pitch meeting in action. … Until now! A few months ago, I put out feelers to a bunch of different sketch teams to see if they’...

How important are vibes in a sketch show? How can you improve the pacing of your sketches? And… was that gameshow sketch specific enough? All this and more in today’s episode of Saturday Night Later, with special guest Dru Johnston! Thanks for reading Unusual Things: A Guide to Sketch Comedy! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work. Links from the episode: * Dru’s sketch show i...

How could you start that King Kong sketch faster? Why are sketches set in yoga classes so hard to pull off? And… was that invisible friend sketch confusing?! Madalyn and I are BACK, and discussing the premiere of Season 2 of SNL UK! Thanks for reading Unusual Things: A Guide to Sketch Comedy! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work. Marina’s plug: THIS WILL NEVER WORK, the feat...

How does sketch comedy prepare you to pitch pilots to networks? How do you find the balance between jokes and heart in what you’re writing? What’s one of the less-appreciated traits in a fantastic boss? We talked about all this and more in my wonderful conversation with Kristen Bartlett, with a special guest appearance by Jason Gore! Thanks for reading Unusual Things: A Guide to Sketch Comedy! Sub...

How do you decide you’re ready to direct? How do you handle pushback from a defensive writer? What’s the difference between teaching and directing? All this and more in this marvelous conversation with Matt Gehring and Niccolo Aeed! Thanks for reading Unusual Things: A Guide to Sketch Comedy! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work. Bios: Matt Gehring: Matt Gehring is a New Yor...

What’s the difference between an “opinion” and a “take”? How can you leverage writing about a current “condition” vs. a current “event”? What makes a writing packet pop? We discussed all this and much, much more! Take a listen. And, as always, feel free to comment with your thoughts and questions — or email them to learnaboutsketchcomedy@gmail.com! Thanks for reading Unusual Things: A Guide to Ske...

How do you find the “musicality” in an impression? How can you use your hips to develop a character? How can “elasticity” help you build dynamics within a scene? Frank and I had a great conversation about all this and more. Take a listen, and subscribe (below) to learn about more episodes like this — including next week’s conversation with Late Show with Stephen Colbert writers Pratima Mani and Ka...

What is good etiquette for giving feedback? How should you structure a sketch class? How do you get butts in seats for a live show? All this and more on this very special episode of Saturday Night Later! Thanks for reading Unusual Things: A Guide to Sketch Comedy! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work. For additional questions, send us an email at: learnaboutsketchcomedy@gmai...

What a fun ending to the very first season of SNL UK — with plenty of teachable moments! (Especially when it comes to the first half page of your sketches.) Thank you everyone for tuning in this season. And send questions for our mailbag episode next week to learnaboutsketchcomedy@gmail.com! Thanks for reading Unusual Things: A Guide to Sketch Comedy! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and su...

Why should you watch out for references in your sketches? What’s the difference between a low-energy character and a sketch that feels boring? How do you avoid accidental de-heightening? All this and more on this week’s episode of Saturday Night Later — with special guest Tristan Griffin! Thanks for reading Unusual Things: A Guide to Sketch Comedy! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and suppo...

What tweaks would we have made to the Sunburnt Lawyers sketch? What makes Daniel Day-Lewis such an appealing sketch subject? And — SCRIMPCHHHHH!!! All this and more as we discuss the latest SNL UK episode (hosted by Hannah Waddingham)! Thanks for reading Unusual Things: A Guide to Sketch Comedy! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work. This is a public episode. If you would lik...

Marina and Madalyn welcome special guest Kevin Hines to talk about the Matt Damon episode! Thanks for reading Unusual Things: A Guide to Sketch Comedy! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit marinatempelsman.substack.com

Marina and Madalyn discuss this week’s SNL UK sketches, showing that there’s still a lot to learn even when an episode is rocky. And coming up soon — we’ll be having a mailbag episode! Send your questions to: learnaboutsketchcomedy@gmail.com Thanks for reading Unusual Things: A Guide to Sketch Comedy! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work. This is a public episode. If you wou...

What’s the line between an internet trend and your own original observation? How do you give notes on a sketch you truly don’t understand? And what made that music video sketch such an ABSOLUTE delight?! All this and more on today’s episode of Saturday Night Later, featuring the INCREDIBLE Jason Sweeten! Jason’s Bio: Jason Sweeten is a Brooklyn-based comedy writer and playwright. His play Y ou mus...

How can the voice of reason help you have more fun? How do you avoid a static scene? And… What happened to that finger?!!?!??!?! All this and more as we discuss the SNL UK episode hosted by Nicola Coughlan! Thanks for reading Unusual Things: A Guide to Sketch Comedy! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other...

How can a justification give you MORE room to play? What happens when your beats defy gravity? And… what’s with all the dad stuff?!?!?! All this and more as we discuss this (extremely fun!) episode of SNL UK, with special guest Niccolo Aeed! Thanks for reading Unusual Things: A Guide to Sketch Comedy! This post is public so feel free to share it. This is a public episode. If you would like to disc...

Why is it hard to make “gross” a game? Why do some sketches fall just short of being great? And… what if we told you this table was a MAN? All this and more on today’s episode of Saturday Night Later — where we talk through the sketches from the Colman Domingo episode with the incredible Natasha Vaynblat! (And tune in later this week for our next episode, about last weekend’s SNL UK!) Guest Bio: N...