What has happened to SNL? (1 Viewer)

[Greg_R]

The last two episodes that I found very funny were the Jim Carey episode (ride the snake) and the more recent Kevin Spacey show (Star Wars casting calls, etc.). Christopher Walken is always a good guest as well...

I totally agree that the Daily Show is the funniest show on TV right now, followed closely by South Park (Dave Chappelle's show has some good stuff as well).

 

[Christ Reynolds]

It's been an incredibly long time, probably since the early 1980's, that I've actually seen an almost completely unfunny season of Saturday Night Live

i thought people liked the early snl shows. i personally think they are the most unfunny episodes of them all. i dont really care for the ones with adam sandler and dana carvey. phil hartman was ok, chris farley was funny, but thats about it. i like will ferrell probably the best. cheri oteri wasnt all that funny, but definitely yummy. i dont really watch snl anymore though, the newer cast isnt great.

CJ

 

[James T]

Well, Chris Kattan quit. If I followed SNL more closely, I probably would care a bit more. But from what my cousin told me, Chris Kattan is the most hated cast member on SNL.

I'm more of a MAD tv person, but as already mentioned, Celebrity Jeopardy is one of my favourite skits.

 

[Ricardo C]

i thought people liked the early snl shows. i personally think they are the most unfunny episodes of them all.

You're forgetting the dark age of Robert Downey Jr., Joan Cusack, Anthony Michael Hall, et al. It was so, so, so, so awful that the 1985-1986's season finale featured the late Billy Martin setting the studio on fire... After Lorne made sure Jon Lovitz was safe (Lovitz and Dennis Miller were the only castmates to return after that disastrous season.)

The 86-87 season began with Madonna telling the audience that the last season had been just a dream, a horrible, horrible dream

 

[Gary->dee]

You're forgetting the dark age of Robert Downey Jr., Joan Cusack, Anthony Michael Hall, et al.

Huh that's nothing, at least those names are recognizable. I was referring to an even darker period known as the 1980-81 season of SNL that featured names such as Denny Dillon, Gail Matthius, Ann Risley and Charles Rocket. Eddie Murphy was just starting out on the show. I think that season also ditched the "Live from New York..." opening as well for another gimmick that tanked. But yeah the season you referred to the 1985-86 season was pretty bad too. At any rate I think the current season rivals the 80-81 season, which is probably why Chris Kattan just left.

All hands abandon ship!

 

[Kevin Farley]

There's one thing, I think from the Cindy Crawford episode, where Tracy Morgan was a bum down in a sewer, and he sang her a song that was beautifully absurd and hilarious; I wish I could find the video for that. I think it's the best thing Tracy did on SNL. There was a series of "Snaps" competitions on HBO that Tracy was on years back.

Does anyone remember this?

 

[ChuckDeLa]

I was referring to an even darker period known as the 1980-81 season of SNL that featured names such as Denny Dillon, Gail Matthius, Ann Risley and Charles Rocket.

Ah, the Lost Year. Don't forget Gilbert Gottfried was on that year too.

 

[Gary->dee]

Yep good old Gilbert Gottfried too. That was the infamous seaon that almost killed SNL. Lorne Michaels was no longer producing and Charles Rocket said 'fuck' during the show and was fired as a result. Anyway I think the current season suffers from the same problems as that 80-81 season, namely poor writing and a lot of new faces. The thing is the following 81-82 seasons was, if I recall correctly, very good with Murphy and all the others that replaced the previous cast really shining so I have hope for SNL yet. I think it's just that SNL has been funny for too long and eventually it comes back around to crap and they need to hit the reset button.

Kevin, the Tracy Morgan character you're referring to was Woodrow the homeless guy who dragged female celebrities down to his 'home' to sing them songs. But I don't think it was Cindy Crawford, you're probably thinking of Britany Spears or Kate Hudson. He sang Spears a song about a "doodoo pie", funny as hell.

Btw in case you're wondering how I know all this stuff, most is from memory and the rest is from this SNL site.

 

[Nick Graham]

I think Norm was the last cast memeber to leave that I ever found consistently funny. You had to share his dry sense of humor to really enjoy his weekend updates, but I did.

Hammond and Farrell were great when they had good material to work with, but I'd say 50% of the time they had utter crap to work with.

Lorne Michaels needs to be joining Vince McMahon in the "my empire is crumbling because I have no clue what my audience wants anymore"

Anybody remember the brilliance that was "The State"?
If only CBS hadn't screwed them and really had placed them opposite SNL as promised all those years ago.....

 

[Kevin Farley]

Ahh, it was Julia Roberts... Incredible

 

[Paul_Medenwaldt]

I have to say that I don't watch SNL as often as I used to.

It seems to me that when people start complaing that the show sucks is when major cast members start jumping ship and those spots are then filled with comics with little t.v. experience.

It seems then very difficult for the current cast members to work the way they should with the new cast members. It just turns into one big mess.

I think this upcoming season, they should just have a whole new cast. Let them work together and find their niche and let it go from there.

Paul

 

[Brenton]

Wait... did I miss something? Chris Kattan quit? What's going on?

 

[Karl_Luph]

I thought I saw this in the news last week. Doesn't surprise me though.

 

[Gregg Shiu]

Does anyone happen to know what's former SNL cast member Norm MacDonald been up to as of late? His razor sharp wit and cynicism have always struck a chord with me. I absolutely loved his bit he did when they first had him back as a host like a year after having fired him. hahaha.... *sigh* That's the last time he'll ever be on again...

 

[Steve_Knutzen]

Was tonight Tracy Morgan's last show too? He's supposed to be gettting his own show next season and he looked really depressed at the end.

 

[Francois Caron]

I don't recall it being Tracy Morgan's last show, but it was definitely Chris Kattan's finale. He did a recap of the characters he played on the show in less than two minutes during the Weekend Update segment.

Last night's show was pretty decent for a change. Then again, they did have Dan Aykroyd as a host. One of the last pieces included John Goodman helping out in the dog restaurant sketch, one of the more funnier moments of the show. The low point of the show was probably the musical piece with John Belushi's brother Jim during the opening monologue. How did that guy ever manage to create anything that resembled an acting career?

Yes, I still watch SNL every week. My life is so pathetic, SNL is my highlight of the week next to "Enterprise".

 

[Jodee]

Does anyone happen to know what's former SNL cast member Norm MacDonald been up to as of late?

He has a new series starting in the fall on Fox. It's called "A Minute with Stan Hooper" and will be on Wednesdays at 8:30.

 

[Jason Quillen]

Yes - Last night was Tracy Morgan's last night as well (Aykroyd even said as much in his opening). And he did look depressed at the end - I don't know if it was because his departure got very little fanfare compared to Katan, or just because he was leaving. I was hoping for a Brian Fellowes in the last ep, but it didn't happen.

I thought last night was pretty bad, with only a funny moment here and there...

JQ

 

[Dan Rudolph]

Dan Akroyd and John Goodman managed to carry the show last night, but next season, unless their new person is good, Tracy Morgan will have to mostly carry it by himself. None of the others are very funny.

 

[Malcolm R]

Have you been reading these posts? Tracy Morgan is gone.

At least we won't have to listen to that stupid "rocket" song again.