“Late Night” host and one-time head writer for “Saturday Night Live” Seth Meyers revealed Wednesday the only time he remembers “SNL” getting a standing ovation during his 2001–2014 tenure — and it’s in part thanks to the now-classic Lawrence Welk Show skit introducing the Maharelle Sisters.
“The Anne Hathaway show was just banger after banger after banger,” Meyers said on Wednesday’s episode of the “Las Culturistas” podcast, hosted by current “SNL” cast member Bowen Yang and comedian Matt Rogers.
“It is the only time I remember when that show was over, the audience gave a standing ovation during goodnights,” Meyers revealed.
The conversation began with Rogers, known for Showtime’s “I Love That for You” and the feature film “Fire Island,” recalled his time going to that 2008 episode’s taping.
“My second episode [seeing ‘SNL’ live] was Anne Hathaway and The Killers, and this episode was when Kristen [Wiig] did ‘The Lawrence Welk Show,’ and I was sitting there, and I just thought, ‘This energy is so insane and so wild.’ It drove me for the rest of my life.”
“I’m so happy you mention that show, because we just had Anne Hathaway on [Late Night] — I can’t even remember if I mentioned this on camera,” Meyers responded. “It is the only time I remember when that show was over, the audience gave a standing ovation during good nights.”
Yang couldn’t contain his shock at the revelation: “What!” he exclaimed.
“It was amazing,” Rogers confirmed. “And The Killers performed again.”
“The Killers performed again, and my parents were at that show, and I introduced my mom to The Killers, and as they walked away, she said very loud — and they heard — she goes, ‘Well, I don’t know why they call themselves The Killers, they couldn’t be nicer boys,’” Meyers continued.
That memory ultimately inspired the title of this week’s podcast episode: “They Couldn’t Be Nicer Boys.” Elsewhere in the sprawling 110-minute interview, Meyers explained why 2007-2011 were his favorite years working on “SNL,” his disappointment with losing at the Emmy Awards during that era and more.
Anne Hathaway’s team-up with The Killers was not the first time Meyers has remembered an “SNL”-related standing ovation. In December 2021, he commemorated the passing of Betty White by remembering her as “the only ‘SNL’ host I ever saw get a standing ovation at the after party.”
“A party at which she ordered a vodka and a hotdog and stayed til the bitter end,” he tweeted.
RIP Betty White, the only SNL host I ever saw get a standing ovation at the after party. A party at which she ordered a vodka and a hotdog and stayed til the bitter end.
— Seth Meyers (@sethmeyers) December 31, 2021
Listen to the full “Las Culturistas” podcast episode here.
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