Countdown with Keith Olbermann - Saturday Night Live

[@ellierose6]

Maybe the audience had too few Countdown watchers but this is one of the best comedic pieces Affleck has ever done. A true tribute.

[@jasonnstegall]

The more things change…

[@macswanton9622]

It's only a shame that the mighty KO's sinewy voice can not be imitated to this day . . .

[@pszczepanski1]

July, 2024…..This is still a satirical masterpiece!

[@wgoconnor33]

Oh my God !! I still listen to Keith Olberman every morning he hasn’t changed, this sketch was hilarious 😆

[@lornaharris8831]

Me too!😂

[@mikereseigh]

​@@lornaharris8831same

[@gvcarpenter60]

Same here. He's still great

[@jmag579]

Thank you Nancy Faust!

[@markloveless1001]

@@jmag579 Oh yeah.

[@jm1657]

Rewatched this skit today for the 1st time in a few years. Still howlingly funny!!! Ben deserved a Guest Actor Emmy award for this scene alone. It’s just purrfect 😻😂

[@davidanderson6055]

How he talks about Richard Wolff is pretty much word for word how they talk about Matt Taibbi now. The news has unfortunately been taken over by people like this. Twitter is even worse

[@Frenchblue8]

​@@davidanderson6055NEWS?? OMG, where on EARTH did you find ..... NEWS??!?!?

[@talariswatts-el6174]

This sketch is so underrated. It's one of SNL's best political satires. Affleck is perfectly cast and the writing is great. I love that he has a cat named miss precious perfect, how hilarious! I'm an Olbermann fan and I still found this funny.

[@TheMechaMessiah]

I think to be an Olbermann fan is the only way to enjoy this sketch, otherwise you don't pick up on how spot on the acting is.

[@talariswatts-el6174]

@@TheMechaMessiah agree. I'm a fan and I loved it. The idea of Olbermann going on an angry rant about his cat not allowed in his apartment complex is hilarious.

[@audreymuzingo933]

How awesome is it that this sketch autoplays after Olbermann upload???

[@talariswatts-el6174]

@@audreymuzingo933 really cool.

[@musiclover9361]

@The Darkman, actually, in all civilised nations, people are removed from society upon being prosecuted and convicted. We call their destination 'prison'.

[@kristashafer93098]

Keith Olbermann fan here and I don’t know how I spent this long unaware of this absolutely BRILLIANT clip!! Ben NAILED Olbermann’s style!! This is amazing!!!! Bravo, sir! Bravo!!!!

[@davidk8509]

You're a fan? LMFAO!!!!!!

[@anthonymelendez333]

Probably as long as you’ve been oblivious that Keith is a hack

[@StevenC32]

I miss Keith Olbermann on MSNBC, he made that network duing the early 2000s.

[@DulceN]

I just heard about it (Oct. 2023) and it’s brilliant!

[@Notimp0rtant523]

It took me about 25 minutes to watch this because I couldn’t stop laughing. I listen to Countdown every day.

[@cathyhohneker9091]

Same this absolutely cracked me up 😂

[@TheyStillCallMeRicky]

I listen to Olbermann everyday. THIS was so funny.

[@-Th7-]

Haha superb skit. Ben's impression was hilarious, and absolutely spot on.

[@fgrady1]

Keith loved it!

[@waynej2608]

@@fgrady1 Which goes to show that Keith has a sense of humor, unlike some whom are parodied on snl.

[@lastjob2011]

Oh my! Watch this and then the Kavenaugh hearing skit. Twelve minutes of PURE JOY!

[@StevenC32]

It was a spot on impersonation too.

[@AvroBellow]

I absolutely love this bit. I first saw it on MSNBC during Keith Olbermann's Countdown. He obviously found it hilarious as he wanted his audience to see it. I remember him saying "It doesn't even look like me...hmmm" as he smirked and adjusted his pink tie (similar to the one Ben Affleck was wearing). This is one of the best that SNL has ever done and I say that as someone who greatly admires Keith Olbermann.

[@maddyrosenberg6802]

This just came up in my feed, as I do listen to Countdown. I wondered how he took it, glad to hear that he actually played it on the MSNBC show and was a good sport.

[@AvroBellow]

@@maddyrosenberg6802 Oh yeah, Keith's a class act and always has been. He truly cares about people and that's rare for most people in his position.

[@davidbelsky7697]

Keith love the skit for real. He was impressed with Ben Affleck because Affleck did the whole performance reading from cue cards. Affleck even signed the cards and gave them to Keith.

[@tomerisraeli3521]

He's so impressed that now, 2020, he satirizes Affleck's performance in this skit.

[@connorrice9710]

Olbermann hated the skit what are you talking about

[@davidbelsky7697]

@@connorrice9710 I can distinctly remember Olbermann showing off the cue cards with Affleck’s signature

[@johnkaiser4708]

If Keith Olbermann really like this skit, he’s a bigger idiot than I thought him to be.

[@NJMetalGirl]

olberman and jeffrey tubin prolly watch this on loop as they're 'toobin it' lmao --- OOPS, I didn't know my camera was on!!?? (but ZERO consequences when it's a dem)

[@ZacharylovesU]

Most underrated snl skit ever

[@abouemjeanpaul9200]

Very underated. Seriously!!

[@xyshomavazax]

“... up with which we no longer put!” Genius.

[@DanDennisDFW]

That's a reference to Churchill. An aide told him not to end sentences with prepositions so he reshuffled one to that order.

[@richiejohnson]

@@DanDennisDFW Interestingly, the current consensus is that it's fine to end the sentence in a preposition! And nobody seems to know exactly how that stricture came about!

[@jeffreyjeziorski1480]

Proper English how she is spoke. Well done. Good day, sir. I said good day!!!

[@magjxn]

(wait. Someone steal Fizzy Lifting Drink? Ha! )

[@magjxn]

The only thing missing is… 🥱🥱🥱…. Keith reading Thurber’s “Secret Life of Walter Mitty” …I love Keith but this was spot on. And if it actually bothered him he’d be presenting all his Adler grievances on his podcast…. Because NO ONE holds a grudge like Keith Olbermann🤩

[@bonanzabrandon6877]

Affleck should have gotten an Emmy nomination for this.

[@jimreily7538]

That's very good casting. Affleck does look alot like Olbermann, and he's got the mannerisms and speech down pretty well here.

[@manuginobilisbaldspot424]

Seriously, one of my all time favorite SNL sketches. I even named my cat Mr. Precious Perfect because it.

[@CuriousGrace818]

I laughed all the way through this skit and I love Keith Olbermann 😂.

[@canuck5896]

Ben Affleck delivering his best performance ever?

[@hennigfam]

The writing in this skit: “equipment manager for the cross country team” 🤣🤣🤣

[@LIBREPUB]

If Ben could only act this well in movies

[@yodhin79]

Ben should have gotten an Emmy for this !

[@philosopher4279]

Both a Keith and Ben fan this is gold!

[@audreymuzingo933]

Can I adore Olbermann AND this portrayal of him? Never mind, PERMISSION NOT NEEDED!

[@davidbelsky7697]

Yes you can. Keith loved it too. He was impressed because Affleck was reading from cue cards for that whole skit. Affleck signed the cue cards and gave them to Keith. No lie.

[@audreymuzingo933]

@@davidbelsky7697 I don't know how to do emoji's on KZbin, but my actual face is making the 'wow' face, ha! I never even heard of Olbermann until he was doing the 'Reisistance' because I wasn't terribly interested in politics before Trump. I mean I always voted Democrat and had a working understanding of issues, but it took a catastrophe like Trump to really shake me into full attention, and Olbermann was such a big part of that. I was pretty wrecked when he abruptly ended the Resistance, concluding that Trump was definitely going down for his Russia involvement, although at the time I agreed with the assessment, given everything shown. Now Keith is the butt of Trumpster jokes far less playful than this Affleck bit, all because of the McConnell Senate willingness to bulldoze anything and everything Just, while they still have power. But I am a polyanna, atypical of my cynical generation (X), and I believe Trump and the Republicans have opened the eyes of many more people under 50, besides myself. I believe that Trump, 'Russiagate', the SCOTUS appointments, border family separation, police brutality, school/mass shootings, Covid 19, and the year 2020 in particular will be remembered collectively as the Mass Extinction Event of the Grand Old Party, and there won't ever again be a Republican President, nor House or Senate majority. 2020 was the year that couldn't breathe, but the defibrillator paddles are exactly one week away. And I can't wait to hear Olbermann notate it with all the theatrical flourish it will deserve.

[@thenorthman515]

@@audreymuzingo933 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@kristinjayne6720]

I also adore Olberman and only wish SNL would bring Ben back to parody his current KZbin channel! Keith hasn’t changed a bit!

[@thenorthman515]

@@kristinjayne6720 olbermann is a psycho!

[@blackspider1405]

I love Olbermann, but dammit this is the funniest thing Affleck has ever done. I can't stop laughing.

[@travismathis3279]

It's funny af and dead on. Of course now he's more hyperbolic but people take him more seriously.

[@42awww]

This is no exaggeration of Keith today. He has lost his mind. Trump broke him.

[@davidk8509]

So you trust info from sick people?

[@rickster100100]

He’s still not a very good actor. Just lucky.

[@rickster100100]

Let me revise this. He’s really not not very good. He kind of brings the same this to all is acting characters. It’s like he’s mostly behaving not acting.

[@patsytrantham7957]

Love Keith Olbermann and his Count Down podcast. Never miss one. Ben Affleck was perfect!

[@kloggmonkey]

i think this just might be the best bit of acting i've seen by ben affleck. how unexpected.

[@renatacantore3684]

That was Awesome !!!🏆Ben should have won an Emmy for this . PS it’s 2023 & Keith Olberman is back 👏🏽👏🏽🏆🏆🇺🇸🔥🔥🇺🇸

[@CynAnne1]

👏👏👏

[@twoblacklabs904]

Hey renata, this skit was from November 2008. I’m pretty sure Keith Olbermann has worked steadily in various capacities between then and now…

[@tsuikagura]

OMG how the hell did he keep a straight face xD

[@zimriel]

he almost couldn't, in the first segment.

[@Riley_Mundt]

4:48 That's the face of someone trying to hide a cheese-eating grin.

[@MishaFoomin]

He didn't. There are at least two times where he started cracking up.

[@jasonstevens3371]

How am I just seeing this. I like Olberman but this was hilarious "Ms Precious Perfect" Im dyin 😂

[@sethmorris6803]

When Snl wasn’t afraid and had well constructed sketches.

[@akfreed6949]

I laughed so hard when I first saw this . Affleck should have got an Emmy nomination . I'd love to see Kevin Smith watch this .

[@johndance1362]

I didn't want to get caught up in a protracted political rant with anyone here. I just wanted to say thanks for posting this. I have always laughed my butt off watching Keith over the years. This parody is just too damned funny! I can't thank you enough. Ben killed it! I understand that Keith found it funny as well. Who couldn't?😅😆😅😂

[@bighuge1060]

The most hilarious thing about this skit is how it's only slightly a parody of it's subject. Ben is simply brilliant in capturing the look, behavior and delivery of the man.

[@USA24541]

it is only slightly a parody! I had not seen Olbermann in a long time, and I thought it was actually him. In real lie he is a lunatic, just as Ben portrayed him.

[@WinWin-oo4uk]

​@@USA24541Keith Olberman only became a lunatic after MSNBC fired him.

[@WinWin-oo4uk]

This was over the top slander until Keith got TDS.

[@md9710]

I miss this show so much. Keith was the best😆

[@aysubeyter1936]

OMG this was SOOO good !!! Could not stop laughing!!!

[@AlbertCalis]

Watching in 2023 and this sketch has aged like Dom Perignon from a very good year.

[@899tamara]

Why am I seeing this for the very first time ever I’m 😂😂 Ben Affleck wow...

[@davidwolf2562]

Olbermann is back and already he is late night comedy ... that old piece is still new ... incredble work ...

[@sclogse1]

God damn you to hell!

[@jacksp1787]

@@sclogse1 You, unknown gender folk, are The Worst Person In The World. GOOD NIGHT!! And good luck!

[@chriswhited]

amazing how cyclical this all is.

[@Narbized]

My favorite part of the skit was the Special Comment beginning at the 5:12 mark until the end of the sketch. This Miss Precious Perfect skit was very hilarious, and this Mr. Ben Affleck makes a spot on impersonation of Keith Olbermann delivering his trademark Special Comment, skewering him as a Shakesperean actor who rants against Mr. Lieberstein and the Co-Op Board so that he himself would keep Miss Precious Perfect, his cat, with him! Hahahahahahaha!

[@insomniacsnorlax]

2020 and Keith still acts like this. Excellent sketch.

[@kbrown3787]

2024. no change 😂

[@JonBailey]

Checking in in 2023, since Keith's current podcast isn't available on KZbin, this is the top hit for Countdown with Keith Olbermann. Making KZbin /not/ a whenever I can hear my [sic] “freaking podcasts”.

[@fredherfst8148]

Hmmm….I have seen a few long podcasts here..but just a few

[@Hollysuzette33]

Epic on so many levels.

[@luiseatoll6368]

I swear, Warner Bros. saw this bit and said "he's batman. yep, that's our guy."

[@DunmoresMovieMania]

Because Batman - like Keith Olbermann - fights for justice!

[@michellerivera9576]

One of the best-written & acted satirical pieces (this more than just a skit) I've ever seen on SNL. My guy made me watch "Countdown," and Ben Affleck acted out my exact sentiments on Keith Olbermann. Must have known his subject well in order to deliver this performance with such gusto & bravado -- his indignant "How dare you, sir?!" was the cherry on top. This, the Dunkin' Donuts commercials & his hilarious role in "Shakespeare In Love" are how I always think of Ben Affleck. He's a super-talented comedian who should really let his skills shine for our benefit in more comedies.

[@itsawrapent]

Bro I love Keith olberman... and I have to say, Batman killed that shit!!! Lmao I laughed the whole way thru.. He really gets that passionate about ppl being arrested, fired, and resigning lol

[@garyperkovac1002]

Affleck's Olbermann is funny. But, let's face it. Olbermann, for all of his dramatic soliloquy, was spot on. ...On target.

[@dimitrioskantakouzinos8590]

Because McCain backed the Nazis in Ukraine?

[@LiveNiceness14]

I miss Keith Olberman doing Count Down; he actually made the news entertaining. And I seen his stuff on KZbin and he is still a no holds barred newscaster. But every now and then I go back to the skit. Because Keith Olberman actually did those things that Ben Affleck has done in the skit It’s funny as hell to this day

[@davidanderson6055]

Yeah, I remember both the constant calls for people to resign and the kind of weird comparisons to things that seemed to lack perspective. They got it all

[@misselanys1219]

Check out Keith's podcast

[@fredherfst8148]

That was excellent. Hadn't watched him during his first Countdown years, but enjoyed his latest YT Countdown. All of his twists and turns, emotional outbursts are still there…as is his insights into current affairs.👌

[@MessinAbout80]

Brilliant! Absolutely brilliant!

[@Deioth]

This truly deserves to be remembered as one of the single best celebrity impersonation bits in SNL history and I've followed Keith from MSNBC to Current to GQ to his podcast. It captures him in absolute perfect caricature and is only just rivaled by his own impersonation of himself on Bojack Horseman.

[@juliancrooks3031]

You know you've made it when you get mocked by Saturday night live

[@allendean9807]

Affleck rules. He’s able to read these lines so fast. And his Olbermann is spot on

[@douglasknoll3500]

Allen you should ask him to let you lick his Leftist mangina

[@davegreene8588]

9:13

[@lucylee2338]

Academy award!!!!!

[@RenataCantore]

Ben Afleck did a fine send up of Keith Olbermann ❤🎉

[@GenghisVern]

My god, that was brilliant acting. I had no idea he actually could!

[@Independent365]

This skit should have well over a million views man!😆😆

[@danielvaldivia6171]

3:15 is when it becomes totally ridiculous 😂

[@kyliefan7489]

Best skit on snl in modern times

[@poutygorilla2698]

Damn I'm watching this 7yrs after the fact & having a much needed good laugh! Ben got Keith spot on. Love me some Keith O. yesterday, tonight & tomorrow.

[@mhoran21]

Affleck’s best acting performance. Should have won a Emmy for this.

[@torik.6047]

He needs to do more comedies!🤣🤣🤣

[@ChefOuattara]

This was brilliant, I’ve never noticed it before, simply brilliant!

[@bobbucks]

lol I discovered Olbermann's podcast 8 months ago. He has not changed in 10 years according to this skit. Ben nailed it.

[@dbvander]

This was and still is a brilliant sketch! Afflect is hilarious! He's long overdue for hosting another SNL episode!

[@lindyswing4368]

This was funny in 2008, and it is still funny now !

[@JennyBenFoldsFan421]

Oh my God! This is hilarious… Countdown hasn’t changed L O L. I listen to it every day and I love it.

[@jaycarrillojc]

Lol. Didn't even know Affleck had this impression in his repertoire

[@jimmysvane837]

Ben is a true comedic genius!. He should be more often on SNL!. He could do Bill Maher this time!

[@natebeyer5876]

This needs to be played everywhere! This is 2024 in its reality.

[@slyasleep]

Was this drawn out for so long to make it eligible for an acting Oscar? Because it is his best performance.

[@jacquilee6882]

I love Keith’s current podcast. Gee I had no idea this existed. It is the best impression of him ever. He is into rescue dogs, not so much cats though.

[@claytonmetcalf3648]

Easily the best thing Ben Affleck has ever done!

[@jm1657]

💯! His best acting ever!

[@wisdomcb]

Affleck's impression of Olbermann is spot-on, especially when Olberman and Tom Leykis get in a Twitter Battle, defense of Ms. Precious Perfect rings true in Olbermann's voice as Leykis tears him a new one!

[@carolyntalbot947]

This is an absolute RIOT! 😅👏👏👏

[@mikereseigh]

I listen to Keith each morning. This is an exaggeration but not much of one.

[@maxx__v13]

the opening segment before he brings Keenan on is so spot on as an impression. 1000% nailed his vocabulary, his cadence, mannerisms. everything.

[@OthonvonSalza]

Bruce Wayne finally moved on with his life and is now fulfilling himself as a news host

[@colfer4life]

i swear to god this is the greatest performance ben affleck has ever given in anything - when he hits the tear about miss precious perfect especially, there is not a single false note - and it was literally when he was in hollywood exile lol like! this was at the end of two years of not acting at all! and he just brought it like this!

[@TighelanderII]

This was amazing. I'm not sure that I saw all of it when it aired, because I only remember, "Ms. Precious Perfect".

[@johnkaiser4708]

Affleck’s shining moment. Spot on.

[@colfer4life]

honestly ben's best work

[@andrewalden8364]

This is so spot on it’s crazy. And I listen to his podcast everyday.

[@chrisgenovese8188]

i just started watching keith olbermans youtube channel recently, having never watched him on cable. this is spot on!

[@fredherfst8148]

Just added the same

[@UkeCan1]

Ditto. I had no idea he'd been doing the exact same thing since the beginning.

[@DarkDennis1961]

Kieth was great. This sketch was outstanding

[@sunshine3914]

He’s still great! His podcast doesn’t disappoint.

[@555SwissMiss]

I used to listen to Keith a dozen years ago but then lost track. I recently rediscovered him and have to say, though now its just his voice and his words I’m listening to, Afflecks impersonation brings back memories of the unique fervor Mr O brings to the table. Loving it.❤ I’m doing full swivels just like Ben when there’s special emphasis in order.

[@HaleysComet81]

Olbermann is still incredible

[@backedupwithtruth7525]

Olbermann was a beast

[@gabye.]

He has a YT channel , it's awesome!

[@bornimusic]

This is amazing. Criminally underrated

[@firebird6522]

Ben sure nailed Olberman's pompous assholery perfectly.

[@ronheald8002]

This is so funny. What a great sketch.

[@Gary-And-His-Demons]

Did you know Biden and Keith Olberman once went to lunch so Biden could ask Keith how he appears to not be so angry on TV. Biden said that he always came off as "too angry" and Keith always came off as "righteously angry" and he wanted to know "How do ya do that, man? How the heck do ya do that?" 🤷🏻‍♂️🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 In "Things I Promised Not to Tell," coming up next.

[@TheGreenschuys]

This is so great! I wanted it to go on forever 🤣

[@GrammaJamma4U]

Love Olbermann but still love this sketch. Did not know Affleck could do impressions!

[@Gofast49442]

Keith's impersonation of Ben on today's countdown is perfect and just as laughably fun. He is doing all the damage he can, today as well.

[@thegamblefish]

This is amazing.

[@CrochetIsLife54]

This is a great parody of Olbermann. 😂

[@AngelGarcia-su6hw]

That shit was hilarious!🤣😂🤣😂

[@MikesOrganicVideos]

Affleck did a good job, but, of course, it’s satire. Keith Olbermann is almost always on point. Voice of reason. Which is why he’s not on mainstream media anymore. So he can continue to tell the truth. That being said, I can appreciate this.

[@captainnutsack8151]

I cannot stop laughing. Voice of reason? He's so batshit crazy that he has to post KZbin videos to his primitive little KZbin channel....that he records on his smartphone LOL. He's such pure Bolshevik that not even MSDNC will hire him. You my friend are clinically insane. Anyone who thinks Olbermann the childless motel-dweller is a "voice of reason" has a severe mental handicap. Now run over to his channel and check out his new Rosie O'Donnell haircut

[@firebird6522]

@@captainnutsack8151 Thank you for posting this so I didn't have to.

[@macswanton9622]

The camera cutaways . . . lethal. I died

[@poolguy6018]

What if he did what he did at 4:40 wearing the Batman mask?? XD

[@MrSCRIBR]

I got suggested this after watching the Olverman podcast today… still holds up