Andy Samberg To Fancast: “I’d like to put out an ad saying that I’m available for the future.”

Ann Murray
Fancast.com

When he’s not busy getting threatened by Mark Wahlberg, Andy Samberg is one of Saturday Night Live’s rising stars, having obtained his not-ready-for-prime-time credentials with the creation of his Digital Shorts, which was made popular when the skit “Lazy Sunday” went viral (watch it above). Who is this funny young guy who brought SNL into the new millenium? We talked to him at a recent NBC network party one lazy Saturday afternoon, and he filled us in on his infamous Digital Shorts.

Could you tell me a little bit Digital Shorts? How it goes from stage one to the show?
Ahh I mean often times it will go from Friday morning, from meeting one. And coming up with it and shooting it that night and editing it overnight and during Saturday. And then other times we’ll have an idea earlier in the week. There’s no one way that it works really.

What was it that made you want to use the online bit?
We didn’t plan it. I mean we had a website before we got to SNL but was just kind of fortunate timing with Lazy Sunday. And YouTube kind of caught on at that moment.

Yeah that was crazy. You guys got what? Like five million views?
Yeah before they pulled it.

Why did they pull it? It’s just a weird legal thing?
Yeah NBC and Viacom need to control their content for their own reasons. I think it has to do with syndication deals and stuff like that?

It’s on Fancast now.
Oh that’s cool. I mean as far as I’m concerned the more places you can find our material online the better. I know that doesn’t necessarily coincide with what the networks are doing. Because they have specific deals and a lot of money is involved. So I don’t really know what the f*** I’m talking about.

Ha ha yeah you do.
We’re from the school of, you know, get it out there and let people know who you are and what’s happening. Because we’re not gonna make any more of less money either way.

How important do you think online and the whole viral angle is to television right now?
I mean it’s obviously very important. Much of that was to do with the strike even. It’s clearly heading to some sort of huge thing. And all the networks are getting involved. And people are putting up web sites. You’ve got stuff like Funny or Die. It’s interesting. I’m not sure how it will really play out. I think at some point it’s going to end up being all one medium. You know your TV will be fused and the companies will merge. That’s kind of my guess. I’ve gotten really into telling the future. So you can defiantly quote me on that. And also I’d like to put out an ad saying that I’m available for the future.

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