Adam Sander and David Spade revisit their SNL highs and lows
By Matt Moore
On Lights Out with David Spade, Adam Sandler and David Spade reflected on their days at Saturday Night Live.
Lights Out with David Spade is already one of the more original shows in late night television. But thanks to David Spade’s career and connections, it’s also becoming a must-watch show for Saturday Night Live fans and historians. The latest example why came when Adam Sandler stopped by the show.
Saturday Night Live fans have always been interested in behind-the-scene stories or hearing about how a cast member got his or her start. Whether it’s current writers Colin Jost and Michael Che talking rejected sketches on Late Night with Seth Meyers or former writers Al Franken and Conan O’Brien trading stories, anything from Studio 8H will have an audience.
Lately, more and more of those stories have been coming out on Lights Out with David Spade. The show’s recent reunion of “Weekend Update” hosts including Kevin Nealon, Norm Macdonald, and Dennis Miller was especially entertaining. Things were no different when Adam Sandler talked to Spade about the good old days.
Sander is at the tail end of his promotional tour for Uncut Gems. The movie is getting absolutely glowing reviews and Sandler’s performance is especially getting buzz. It was fitting that one of his last stops was to Lights Out to talk with Spade, a friend who was there at the start of Sandler’s career.
Spade and Sandler both agree that “Weekend Update” is the way for new performers to get on the show. It makes sense since an “Update” character typically only needs a small setup to be introduced rather than have a fully fleshed out sketch. Sandler’s first appearance was to showcase last minute Halloween costumes, a bit that has been revisited annually here at Last Night On.
“Crazy Spoon Man,” “Opera Man,” and “The Gap Girls” all get a shout-out here. Spade offers some insight on the real life inspiration for the girls and why he chose to write it for Sandler and Chris Farley.
The two also remind everyone that wasn’t easy at Saturday Night Live. Jokes that would land during a pitch or dress rehearsal weren’t guaranteed to hit once the real show started. And there was a real anxiety and pressure to get material on air if cast members expected to stick around and have a job.
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Adam Sandler and David Spade each had more than enough talent to survive the ups and downs of Saturday Night Live. But these tales are a nice reminder of where they started from and give fans the kind of insider stories they crave.