SNL -- Saturday Night Live -- Jon Hamm and Michael Buble -- 1/30/10 -- Sketch by Sketch Review

Once again Fred Armisen's Obama impersonation falls short. The sketch is a snooze to start, but starts to get funny when Obama starts to talk about how he found the White House, with "sheets that hadn't been washed in years." But after that, the only laughs come from showing real footage from the event, and then a cut in with Brendan Frasier. More lame political humor to open the show. Someone PLEEEEEEEASSSEEE tell Lorne to try something new to open.

MONOLOGUE -- JON HAMM -- 5

Jon shows off some of his earlier gigs, including a bad sitcom, his time on QVC, and his comedy gig, all in the guise of his Mad Men character. Not sure I understand the SNL Mad Men obsession.

1920's DINNER PARTY -- 2

Kristen Wiig plays an annoying woman who wants to sing but doesn't know when to come in on any of the songs. Jon Hamm is funny, Kristen is simply doing the only character she knows. The funniest thing is the dancing cats.

SNL DIGITAL SHORT -- SERGIO -- 7

Andy Samberg plays s businessman who is cursed by an Indian, bringing Jon Hamm on as a sexy, sax playing, stud into his life every time something good happens. The ending is predictable, disgusting, and laugh out loud funny.

HARRY REID'S MEETING -- 7

Scott Brown, played by Jon Hamm, accidentally enters the meeting of several democratic senators, with some amusingly distracting results on the senators in the room. Hamm's very funny here.

MICHAEL BUBLE -- HAVEN'T MET YOU YET -- 6

Pleasing light pop. Nothing more.

WEEKEND UPDATE -- 9

Seth Meyers has his funniest update in recent memory. Guests include Sonia Sotomayor (Nasim Pedrad), who disses the entire Supreme Court in a funny bit. Snookie from the Jersey Shore (played by Bobby Moynihan) shows up as well, and Bobby makes me laugh, something he rarely does.

BEST LINES: (Regarding John Boehner's indication he had a plan for healthcare) "I don't think I'd take health care advice from a person whose skin tone doesn't exist in nature."

"This week Apple released a thing that does stuff that its other stuff already does."

(On Tim Tebow's anti-abortion Super Bowl commercial) "Note to defenses, when (Tim Tebow) runs the option, he's always going to keep it."

GAME TIME WITH RANDY & GREG -- 3

Another recurring bit with Bill Hader as an alien sportscaster. Wasn't funny the first time. Still isn't.

HAMM & BUBLE -- 10

John Hamm and Michael Buble promote their "pork product and champagne" restaurant. Buble's funny as an apparently unwilling participant in the restaurant. Very funny.

CLOSET ORGANIZER -- 8

A typical late night cable advertisement for a new device that organizes your closet, Will Forte dressed in a blue suit. Very funny as they pelt Forte with everything under the sun. Includes a totally ridiculous testimonial from Jon Hamm. Another funny commercial.

COURT REPORTER -- 6

Fred Armisen plays an ugly court reporter who can't keep up with the action on her noisy typewriter. Amusing premise, but could have been much better.

MICHAEL BUBLE & SHARON JONES -- BABY YOU'VE GOT WHAT IT TAKES -- 7

A nice jazzy tune that 's undone by Michael Buble mumbling through his lyrics.

TWO GUYS AT A BAR -- 8

What looks like it is going to be a lame end of night sketch becomes a callback to an earlier bit in the evening that is hysterical.

BARNES & NOBLE -- 7

A "historical reenactment" of the meeting of these two men reveals that they originally planned for a place that homeless people could stop simply to go the bathroom. To pay for the cleanup, they decided to sell books. Filler, but an amusing joke.

OVERALL -- 8

It's clear why Jon Hamm was asked to host again. He is relaxed and funny in the sketches and carried quite a load tonight. The sketches were mostly funny and were far more inventive than they've been in the past. No talk shows. No stupid game shows. No Keenan stupidity. Perhaps the best episode this season.