# Why hasn't Woody Allen ever hosted- or at least done a brief cameo on- SNL? It would be cool **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** talk-variety-show\ **Created:** [June 3, 2024, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-hasnt-woody-allen-ever-hosted-or-at-least-done-a-brief-cameo-on-snl-it-would-be-cool/1002439 "2024-06-03T15:02:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2024, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-hasnt-woody-allen-ever-hosted-or-at-least-done-a-brief-cameo-on-snl-it-would-be-cool/1002439/41 "2024-06-03T18:54:25Z")
> [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](#): > > With all that, Woody Allen could have fit right in. I don’t think he’s remotely like the people you mention. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2024, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-hasnt-woody-allen-ever-hosted-or-at-least-done-a-brief-cameo-on-snl-it-would-be-cool/1002439/42 "2024-06-03T19:01:20Z")
I still enjoy watching Annie Hall. It’s Diane Keaton’s best work. Brilliant writing and directing by Woody Allen. Both have other later projects that are good too. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2024, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-hasnt-woody-allen-ever-hosted-or-at-least-done-a-brief-cameo-on-snl-it-would-be-cool/1002439/43 "2024-06-03T19:01:49Z")
> [@Wendell\_Wagner](#): > > I don’t think he’s remotely like the people you mention. No, you’re right. he’s way funnier than Ron Nessen and Ralph Nader. Would he have made a better host than, say, Buck Henry? We’ll never know. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2024, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-hasnt-woody-allen-ever-hosted-or-at-least-done-a-brief-cameo-on-snl-it-would-be-cool/1002439/44 "2024-06-03T19:10:57Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > Both have other later projects that are good too. I actually liked Stardust Memories. But I do prefer his early, funny films ---
**Author:** ![Knowed\_Out](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/knowed_out/32/7380_2.png) [@Knowed\_Out](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knowed_Out)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2024, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-hasnt-woody-allen-ever-hosted-or-at-least-done-a-brief-cameo-on-snl-it-would-be-cool/1002439/45 "2024-06-03T19:24:13Z")
Allen could always reprise the Uncle Roy sketches that Buck Henry did. > **[https://external-preview.redd.it/the-infamous-uncle-roy-written-by-anne-beats-an...](https://external-preview.redd.it/the-infamous-uncle-roy-written-by-anne-beats-and-rosie-v0-bnN0OTIxbjdyc2RjMXOq_jqf_EF1HyJakUiWHtcBhImmcwcSyrhCiRdMte8G.png?width=640&crop=smart&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=837813efc929811287439081d75613d428b254a2)** Interestingly enough, I can’t find any working videos of those skits. ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2024, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-hasnt-woody-allen-ever-hosted-or-at-least-done-a-brief-cameo-on-snl-it-would-be-cool/1002439/46 "2024-06-03T19:40:27Z")
One of those sketches is [Reddit - Dive into anything](https://www.reddit.com/r/LiveFromNewYork/comments/19c3mic/the_infamous_uncle_roy_written_by_anne_beats_and/) . People sometimes assume that child abuse must be more common now because people are getting prosecuted for it. Child abuse is probably less common now. It used to be that it was hard to get prosecuted and more people thought they could get away with it. At the time of the Uncle Henry sketches, people began to be aware of it, but they could still joke about it. ---
**Author:** ![journeyman\_southpaw](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5e9695/32.png) [@journeyman\_southpaw](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/journeyman_southpaw)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2024, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-hasnt-woody-allen-ever-hosted-or-at-least-done-a-brief-cameo-on-snl-it-would-be-cool/1002439/47 "2024-06-03T20:22:25Z")
Woody Allen hated SNL, according to that “Backstage History” book about the show by Hill and Weingrad published in the '80s. ---
**Author:** ![XOldiesJock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/ec9cab/32.png) [@XOldiesJock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XOldiesJock)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2024, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-hasnt-woody-allen-ever-hosted-or-at-least-done-a-brief-cameo-on-snl-it-would-be-cool/1002439/48 "2024-06-03T22:31:03Z")
> [@journeyman\_southpaw](#): > > _Woody Allen hated SNL_ That’s surprising, if true. I can’t imagine he would have ever watched enough television to have a strong opinion about anything. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2024, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-hasnt-woody-allen-ever-hosted-or-at-least-done-a-brief-cameo-on-snl-it-would-be-cool/1002439/49 "2024-06-03T22:37:40Z")
Did they ever parody him? ---
**Author:** ![Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/q.q.switcheroo/32/5713_2.png) [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.Q.Switcheroo)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2024, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-hasnt-woody-allen-ever-hosted-or-at-least-done-a-brief-cameo-on-snl-it-would-be-cool/1002439/50 "2024-06-03T22:40:08Z")
[![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/iDAgPyZSbis/maxresdefault.jpg "Woody Allen Cold Opening - Saturday Night Live") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iDAgPyZSbis) ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2024, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-hasnt-woody-allen-ever-hosted-or-at-least-done-a-brief-cameo-on-snl-it-would-be-cool/1002439/51 "2024-06-04T00:49:08Z")
> [@hajario](#): > > Did they ever parody him? Five times: > **[Woody Allen](https://snl.fandom.com/wiki/Woody_Allen)** > > Woody Allen (born December 1, 1935) is an American screenwriter, director, actor, comedian, author, playwright, and musician whose career spans over half a century. Although he has never been on Saturday Night Live, he has been impersonated by Barry... ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2024, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-hasnt-woody-allen-ever-hosted-or-at-least-done-a-brief-cameo-on-snl-it-would-be-cool/1002439/52 "2024-06-04T01:06:26Z")
Another mention of him in [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r7drK5-sMns](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r7drK5-sMns) . ---
**Author:** ![zbuzz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/e19b73/32.png) [@zbuzz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zbuzz)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2024, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-hasnt-woody-allen-ever-hosted-or-at-least-done-a-brief-cameo-on-snl-it-would-be-cool/1002439/53 "2024-06-04T03:57:24Z")
> [@XOldiesJock](#): > > > [@journeyman\_southpaw](#): > > > > _Woody Allen hated SNL_ > > That’s surprising, if true. I can’t imagine he would have ever watched enough television to have a strong opinion about anything. I don’t think the book says he hated SNL, but rather he just didn’t do television. Even when one of his closest friends, Jean Doumanian, was an associate producer for the first 5 seasons and then ran the show as executive producer in the season after Lorne Michaels left, he still wouldn’t do the show. ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2024, 5:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-hasnt-woody-allen-ever-hosted-or-at-least-done-a-brief-cameo-on-snl-it-would-be-cool/1002439/54 "2024-06-04T05:49:12Z")
I was able to get some passages from the book _Saturday Night: A Backstage History of Saturday Night Live_ using Google. It says at one point that Lorne Michaels asked Allen to host SNL. He turned down the offer. It appears to me that the book doesn’t say that Allen hated SNL. ---
**Author:** ![Locrian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/locrian/32/14146_2.png) [@Locrian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Locrian)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2024, 8:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-hasnt-woody-allen-ever-hosted-or-at-least-done-a-brief-cameo-on-snl-it-would-be-cool/1002439/55 "2024-06-04T08:04:47Z")
Can they find a teenage-looking actress for his wife to fill the role on SNL? They might not lift the tennis ball clearly over the net, but, hey, we can blame the homeless. 🕶 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-hasnt-woody-allen-ever-hosted-or-at-least-done-a-brief-cameo-on-snl-it-would-be-cool/1002439.md?page=2)