Well, we finally got the first look at Saturday Night Live's new cast. And well, it's the same as the old cast. Except featured players Jason Sudekis, Adam Samberg, Kristen Wiig and Bill Heder are now full time cast members. Although, they seemed to be full time last year. More work, less pay? Or was it similar to when Sandler, Spade and company were featured players and had more skits than long time stars.

Here's a quick rundown... The show opens with with a moderately funny George W. Bush sketch with Will Forte still at the Bush helm. This skit wasn't too bad, as it featured Bush showing up at a rally for a "comptroller" because no other GOP candidate wants him to stump for them. He sits next to Kristen Wiig who is absolutely adorable, and very well has made the leap to the hottest women ever on SNL. Here's my list:

1. Kristen Wiig
2. Jane Curtain
3. Amy Poehler
4. Julia Louis Dreyfus
5. Jan Hooks
6. Tina Fey
7. Maya Rudolph
8. Sarah Silverman
9. Nancy Walls
10. Pamela Stephenson

Sudeikis gets the Live From New York, then we are introduced to the cast... Any new faces to replace the OLD faces??? Um, no. Not one new face. Thanks Lorne. And now Dane Cook's monologue. Is it just me, or is Dane Cook's material now just tired? Maybe college kids love a 36 year old guy talking like 19 year old. But it's not for me. Burn.

Next Week: Jamie Pressley! [Was Anyone else excited to see Pressley and Nadine Velasquez stripping alongside Burt Reynolds on My Name is Earl?]

The next sketch was an airport security training sketch, which wasn't too bad. Sudeikis and Cook lead the charge here. I suppose Sudeikis is being groomed as the Everyman that Will Ferrell and Phil Hartman specialized in. Unfortunately, he's not as funny. I can't wait for his Kiefer Sutherland impression.

The next sketch featured Fred Armisen as Hugo Chavez with a McLaughlin Report style show. Armisen was great as Chavez, but the rest of the cast was just plain week. Even the reliable Amy Poehler. (BTW, we reached the Amy Poehler-era last year. But, I'm not so sure she can carry the season.) Dane Cook shows up as a weak Saddam Hussein doing an Andy Rooney style commentary. It might have been funny in someone else's hands. Unfortunately, there was no reference to Super Mario Brothers for Cook to make it funny.

Next was SNL's latest "Digital Short" with an Office Space send-up and featured the entire cast (I guess that was one way to get Keenan Thompson in the show). The concept was interesting, but a cubicle war was done better by Doodie.com's Wack Your Boss game.

Bill Simmons last year mentioned that Bill Heder's Pacino impression was phenomenal. I'm pretty sure it was the only time he did it last season. Unfortunatley, he was in the sketch for about 30 seconds. So along comes "Al Pacino Checks his Bank Balance". Incredible. Best sketch of the night. Heder's Pacino impression is spot on. The standard Pacino impression has been Chris Kattan's Hoo-ah impression. So over the top, that it becomes parody. But even though Pacino has become a parody of himself at this point, there is still an understated quality about this impression. There is only one other great Pacino impression out there, and that is Craig Gass's Al Pacino's baby that showed up on Howard Stern. Also, this sketch featured Wiig. So obviously you get bonus points there! Tremendous. "So why don't you take 620 from my crawlspace and put in my sock." He wanted to get one of those "astronaut mattresses that comes with a glass of wine."

Weekend Update with Amy Poehler and Seth Meyers, everyone! The only thing funny was before the commercial break Brian Williams stopped by thinking he was going to be the Anchor. Williams was very funny. "I have to go home to my kids. Someone has to tell them Daddy won't be on TV tonight." Then they went to Commercial break and did the new Weekend Update, which was well... flat. Meyers sat there hoping for laughs, and got little. And Amy's act is great, but the lack of that sexual tension with Tina Fey, just made it fall flat. It's time for a shake up here. I vote for me, Mike Cunningham! Daryl Hammond showed up with his Clinton. Yes Hammond is still here folks. I think he's overstayed his welcome. Not like Tim Meadows had though. At least Hammond is a servicable impressionist. But since the rest of the cast does weak impressions (although Samberg's Screech impression was decent.) you have to keep him around. Is it me, or do we miss Chris Parnell? Yuck. Oh yeah, Sudeikis came back with another southern accented politician. Pretty much the same as his opening character. Weak again.

The next bit about Poland Spring Water salesman who refuse to deliver the water and I guess, drink it themselves, was odd. But it was self referential (with knocks on Studio 60 and 30 Rock). It even mocks that the skit went on too long (with a long 90 seconds or more of poland spring bottles falling out of the closet.) Funny? Maybe. Dane Cook almost broke character and laughed. And actually, that's the kind of bit that would have had Fallon and Sanz laughing hysterically. Might have saved the skit. I can't believe I said that. Did I mention Kristen Wiig was here too? Wiig I don't like that last name. She should have a last name like Cunningham. Then she would be Kristen Cunningham. Wait a minute... that's my sister's name. That would be weird. Well, she's married now, so maybe it would be okay. Is it okay? I don't know. Let's stop talking about it.

Next up was a mildly funny Farrah Fawcett (Amy Poehler) skit that had Poehler walking into another sketch?? Is this a new turn for SNL? With Studio 60 and 30 Rock coming at them, are they switching things up to shake things up? Perhaps. The next sketch was a fairly accurate rendition of bouncers closing a bar. Unfortunately, it's not funny. Although, what is funny is when I was in Georgetown last year and I almost tried to fight a bouncer for interrupting my conversation as he was trying to close the bar. So I guess it's funny because it's true.

And finally another Bill Simmons reference, in Wednesday's chat he mentions that Andy Samberg will be the guy most likely to crack up during sketches. Here Maya Rudolph as Whitney Houston finishes the sketch by dancing up in his face, almost looking like she was TRYING to make him laugh. But uh-uh... no can do... Samberg will not be broken! There you have it Sports Guy!

Oh, forgot to mention "The Killers" were the musical guest. And well, some bands are better live than they are on CD. Some are better on CD than they are live. And some just sound terrible on SNL. I haven't seen The Killers live yet. But their performance on SNL doesn't give me any reason to see them. I love the new song, When You Were Young, on their upcoming disc "Sam's Town." But the sound was weak, and washed out. Maybe it was my Tivo.