After their attempt to do real action figures petered out, Bif Bang Pow got into making dolls. And though those seem to have done better, they're now trying figures again, similar to ReAction line. Basically, any license Funko doesn't have, BBP goes after - KISS, Twilight Zone, Big Bang Theory, and, as of last year's SDCC, Saturday Night Live.
"Live from New York, it's Saturday Night!" NBC's Saturday Night Live is an intensely entertaining mix of comedy and action on American late-night TV. For over three decades, SNL's sketches, celebrity guests, and current-events humor have wowed audiences into the wee hours.
Tina Fey and Amy Poehler began hosting Weekend Update in 2004, after Jimmy Fallon left the show to appear in completely forgettable movies. Fey had moved to New York in 1997 to be a writer for SNL, and two years later was made head writer. She began appearing in a few sketches in 2000, and also joined Fallon as the co-host of Update (beginning a tradition that continues today, where the head writer takes the anchor desk - that's why
you've never seen Colin Jost in a sketch).
Poehler, meanwhile, had been a member of the Upright Citizens Brigade improv troupe and had even appeared on their TV show, which isn't really saying much - UCB was the MADtv to MADtv's SNL. They'd been tremendous friends since their days at Second City in Chicago, and Tina had been hounding Amy to come to SNL for years. In 2001 she joined the show, and was promoted from "featured player" to full cast member in the middle of her first season (if you've ever wondered about the distinction between the two, it mainly has to do with the length of your contract and how much work you're guaranteed).
Both figures stand 3½" tall, because both use the same body. It's a non-descript look, a pantsuit with heels, but it suits what they wore while anchoring the news. Tina's is dark blue, while Amy's is light gray. The sculpts are decent, but there's only so much you can do at this size. On the other hand, this could easily be a Sarah Palin/Hillary Clinton two-pack if nobody told you any different. The body moves at the neck, shoulders, hips and knees - very simple.
The likenesses are really good. Each face is only about ⅜" high, and yet you can tell at a glance who each of them is. Fey is wearing her glasses, while Poehler has a cherubic smile on her face. Actually, since both of them have pretty stable appearances through different shows, this could be a "Leslie Knope meets Business Liz Lemon" set!
To add a little more value to their sets, Bif Bang Pow includes a cardboard diorama. Fittingly, Tina and Amy get the Weekend Update set, though which one you get will depend on where you bought it: if you got it at SDCC, then you have the correct '04-'06 scenery, with brown decor; if you got it after the show, you get a blue map with a grid over it. What the huh? I get wanting to set the releases apart, but there had to be some better way to do it than giving them the wrong scenery. Plus, despite the fact that they have knees, there are no chairs for them - they just stand behind the desk.
These aren't the best figures ever (maybe not even fifth best), but what they are is an officially licensed release of Tina Fey and Amy Poehler, and that's an awesome thing to have. Two of the smartest, funniest women around? Who wouldn't want that! Since this is a Bif Bang Pow release, the best place to get it is Entertainment Earth, so in no time you'll be reporting your own fake news.
-- 08/20/16
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