Was Saturday Night Live Ever Truly Funny?
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nr5k0t3aoKs
MadTV was wildly more entertaining than SNL during their head to head runs. The only reason MadTV is gone is because of a couple wack seasons where Fox said ? where NBC lets SNL ride out the wack ? regardless. The above is funnier than anything I've seen on SNL since ? in My Pants aired.
When E! used to air re-runs, though, those episodes with Eddie Murphy, Chevy Chase, and them were funny as ? . I believe Chris Rock said they used hold pitch meetings for the skits, so whoever's pitch was better got a chance to shine. I think this is why certain people who seem hella likeable like Jimmy Fallon's unfunny-ass ended up in tons of skits where other people get one or two times to shine. -
The Definitive Saturday Night Live Sketch Rankings
http://time.com/3701415/saturday-night-live-rankings/
Dave Johnson Feb. 11, 2015
NBC's legendary comedy show turns 40 this month. See which actors, celebrities and hosts have appeared on the show most often
Saturday Night Live celebrates 40 years old this Sunday with a reunion of cast members and perennial hosts from Steve Martin to Tina Fey. Drawing on a meticulous archive of the show compiled by superfan Joel Navaroli, TIME crunched the numbers behind the show’s history to see which actors, celebrities and politicians truly belong in the SNL hall of fame.
Most Distinct Impressions: Kenan Thompson (114)
2. Darrell Hammond (107)
3. Fred Armisen (99)
4. Bill Hader (82)
5. Jason Sudeikis (80)
6. Taran Killam (78)
7. Phil Hartman (76)
8. Jimmy Fallon (71)
9. Chris Kattan (68)
10. Will Ferrell (68)
Thompson overtook Darrell Hammond last season to become the most versatile impersonator of all time. Across his 12 seasons on SNL, he has impersonated Al Sharpton, Al Roker, Aretha Franklin and 111 other people.
Most Impersonated Politician: Bill Clinton (106)
2. George W. Bush (72)
3. Barack Obama (60)
4. Hillary Clinton (49)
5. George H. W. Bush (39)
6. Ronald Reagan (36)
7. Jimmy Carter (36)
8. Bob Dole (28)
9. ? Cheney (27)
10. Al Gore (27)
While most U.S. Presidents fade from SNL after their years in office, Bill Clinton has continued to appear regularly as a character in sketches, often alongside Hillary. Five cast members have impersonated Bill over the years, but Darrell Hammond was the long-time master making 84 appearances as Bill during the Clinton presidency.
Most Impersonated Celebrity: Barbara Walters (30)
2. Ted Koppel (26)
3. Chris Matthews (24)
4. Al Sharpton (24)
5. Donald Trump (24)
6. Tom Brokaw (22)
7. Frank Sinatra (22)
8. Larry King (21)
9. Martha Stewart (20)
10. Michael Jackson (19)
Nothing like having a television show to draw the attention of SNL‘s writers. News anchors and personalities dominate the list of top celebrity impersonation rankings.
Most Actors Per Impression: Matthew McConaughey (10)
2. Hillary Clinton (9)
3. Martha Stewart (8)
4. Britney Spears (7)
5. Ronald Reagan (7)
6. Saddam Hussein (7)
7. Madonna (7)
8. Christina Aguilera (7)
9. Marilyn Monroe (7)
10. Marlon Brando (6)
In 2013, SNL mocked its own lack of African-American female cast members when Scandal‘s Kerry Washington played Michelle Obama, Beyoncé and Oprah in the same sketch. To drive home the point, six white males appear at the end as Matthew McConaughey. Hillary Clinton, who takes second prize, has been impersonated by nine different actresses since 1992.
Most Sketches: Kenan Thompson (883)
2. Fred Armisen (856)
3. Phil Hartman (737)
4. Bill Hader (722)
5. Kevin Nealon (691)
6. Will Ferrell (688)
7. Kristen Wiig (681)
8. Amy Poehler (672)
9. Jason Sudeikis (645)
10. Darrell Hammond (624)
Thompson surged into the lead last year, his 12th season on the show.
Most Sketches per Episode: Charles Rocket (6.3)
2. Bill Murray (5.4)
3. Chevy Chase (5.3)
4. Denny Dillon (4.9)
5. Will Ferrell (4.9)
6. Ben Stiller (4.8)
7. Kristen Wiig (4.8)
8. Gail Matthius (4.8)
9. Dan Aykroyd (4.7)
10. Joe Piscopo (4.7)
Charles Rocket made the most of his one season on SNL in 1980-1981 by appearing in nearly every sketch. With the exception of Wiig and Ferrell, runners-up are likewise from early seasons of SNL, when smaller casts made for more appearances.
Most Times Hosting: Alec Baldwin (16)
2. Steve Martin (15)
3. John Goodman (13)
4. Buck Henry (10)
5. Tom Hanks (8)
6. Chevy Chase (8)
7. Christopher Walken (7)
8. Danny DeVito (6)
9. Elliott Gould (6)
10. Drew Barrymore (6)
Though SNL alumni often return to host, celebrities still hold down much of the list, with the “Five-Timers” Club lead by Alec Baldwin, who’s hosted 16 times since 1990.
Most Cameos: Jim Henson's Muppets (19)
2. Andy Kaufman (15)
3. Chevy Chase (14)
4. Paul Simon (14)
5. Tina Fey (13)
6. Steve Martin (12)
7. Alec Baldwin (11)
8. Dan Aykroyd (11)
9. Amy Poehler (10)
10. Maya Rudolph (10)
The Muppets appeared most often as guests in SNL’s first season, but they’ve since returned for musical numbers and “Weekend Update,” where Kermit took Amy Poehler’s spot for “‘Really?’ with Seth and Kermit.” (One-time cast members’ appearances count as “cameos” if they appeared on the show after leaving the cast.)
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Kenan thompson is wack and his impressions fuckn suck
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After seeing Kenan by himself I question if he was ever funny at all or if it was all Kel.
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Keenan may have technically impersonated 114 people, but in actuality he only impersonated about 3. All those impersonations sound and act almost exactly the same. Dude got like 3 different voices. Only reason he had that many impressions is cause he's the veteran black cast member of a 90% white cast.
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I'm starting to believe that SNL is the "Lil Wayne" of sketch comedy. Hella of overrated and has an undeserved GOAT status simply because it filled a void.
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Maximus Rex wrote: »I'm starting to believe that SNL is the "Lil Wayne" of sketch comedy. Hella of overrated and has an undeserved GOAT status simply because it filled a void.
Don't forget that it was also better when it was younger, just like Wayne.
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to me i watch it when only certain host are on " drake... Kevin hart... Chris Rock... Miley Cyrus... ect.. it has always been hit or miss.. but every episode is not gonna be funny if you been on for 40 years...
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Maximus Rex wrote: »The Definitive Saturday Night Live Sketch Rankings
http://time.com/3701415/saturday-night-live-rankings/
Dave Johnson Feb. 11, 2015
NBC's legendary comedy show turns 40 this month. See which actors, celebrities and hosts have appeared on the show most often
Saturday Night Live celebrates 40 years old this Sunday with a reunion of cast members and perennial hosts from Steve Martin to Tina Fey. Drawing on a meticulous archive of the show compiled by superfan Joel Navaroli, TIME crunched the numbers behind the show’s history to see which actors, celebrities and politicians truly belong in the SNL hall of fame.
Most Distinct Impressions: Kenan Thompson (114)
2. Darrell Hammond (107)
3. Fred Armisen (99)
4. Bill Hader (82)
5. Jason Sudeikis (80)
6. Taran Killam (78)
7. Phil Hartman (76)
8. Jimmy Fallon (71)
9. Chris Kattan (68)
10. Will Ferrell (68)
Thompson overtook Darrell Hammond last season to become the most versatile impersonator of all time. Across his 12 seasons on SNL, he has impersonated Al Sharpton, Al Roker, Aretha Franklin and 111 other people.
Most Impersonated Politician: Bill Clinton (106)
2. George W. Bush (72)
3. Barack Obama (60)
4. Hillary Clinton (49)
5. George H. W. Bush (39)
6. Ronald Reagan (36)
7. Jimmy Carter (36)
8. Bob Dole (28)
9. ? Cheney (27)
10. Al Gore (27)
While most U.S. Presidents fade from SNL after their years in office, Bill Clinton has continued to appear regularly as a character in sketches, often alongside Hillary. Five cast members have impersonated Bill over the years, but Darrell Hammond was the long-time master making 84 appearances as Bill during the Clinton presidency.
Most Impersonated Celebrity: Barbara Walters (30)
2. Ted Koppel (26)
3. Chris Matthews (24)
4. Al Sharpton (24)
5. Donald Trump (24)
6. Tom Brokaw (22)
7. Frank Sinatra (22)
8. Larry King (21)
9. Martha Stewart (20)
10. Michael Jackson (19)
Nothing like having a television show to draw the attention of SNL‘s writers. News anchors and personalities dominate the list of top celebrity impersonation rankings.
Most Actors Per Impression: Matthew McConaughey (10)
2. Hillary Clinton (9)
3. Martha Stewart (8)
4. Britney Spears (7)
5. Ronald Reagan (7)
6. Saddam Hussein (7)
7. Madonna (7)
8. Christina Aguilera (7)
9. Marilyn Monroe (7)
10. Marlon Brando (6)
In 2013, SNL mocked its own lack of African-American female cast members when Scandal‘s Kerry Washington played Michelle Obama, Beyoncé and Oprah in the same sketch. To drive home the point, six white males appear at the end as Matthew McConaughey. Hillary Clinton, who takes second prize, has been impersonated by nine different actresses since 1992.
Most Sketches: Kenan Thompson (883)
2. Fred Armisen (856)
3. Phil Hartman (737)
4. Bill Hader (722)
5. Kevin Nealon (691)
6. Will Ferrell (688)
7. Kristen Wiig (681)
8. Amy Poehler (672)
9. Jason Sudeikis (645)
10. Darrell Hammond (624)
Thompson surged into the lead last year, his 12th season on the show.
Most Sketches per Episode: Charles Rocket (6.3)
2. Bill Murray (5.4)
3. Chevy Chase (5.3)
4. Denny Dillon (4.9)
5. Will Ferrell (4.9)
6. Ben Stiller (4.8)
7. Kristen Wiig (4.8)
8. Gail Matthius (4.8)
9. Dan Aykroyd (4.7)
10. Joe Piscopo (4.7)
Charles Rocket made the most of his one season on SNL in 1980-1981 by appearing in nearly every sketch. With the exception of Wiig and Ferrell, runners-up are likewise from early seasons of SNL, when smaller casts made for more appearances.
Most Times Hosting: Alec Baldwin (16)
2. Steve Martin (15)
3. John Goodman (13)
4. Buck Henry (10)
5. Tom Hanks (8)
6. Chevy Chase (8)
7. Christopher Walken (7)
8. Danny DeVito (6)
9. Elliott Gould (6)
10. Drew Barrymore (6)
Though SNL alumni often return to host, celebrities still hold down much of the list, with the “Five-Timers” Club lead by Alec Baldwin, who’s hosted 16 times since 1990.
Most Cameos: Jim Henson's Muppets (19)
2. Andy Kaufman (15)
3. Chevy Chase (14)
4. Paul Simon (14)
5. Tina Fey (13)
6. Steve Martin (12)
7. Alec Baldwin (11)
8. Dan Aykroyd (11)
9. Amy Poehler (10)
10. Maya Rudolph (10)
The Muppets appeared most often as guests in SNL’s first season, but they’ve since returned for musical numbers and “Weekend Update,” where Kermit took Amy Poehler’s spot for “‘Really?’ with Seth and Kermit.” (One-time cast members’ appearances count as “cameos” if they appeared on the show after leaving the cast.)
Most times hosting should have Justin Timberlake on there he did a sketch where he " joined the elite hosts" or some ? like that... -
damobb2deep wrote: »to me i watch it when only certain host are on " drake... Kevin hart... Chris Rock... Miley Cyrus... ect.. it has always been hit or miss.. but every episode is not gonna be funny if you been on for 40 years...
Miley Cyrus, man? -
Maximus Rex wrote: »[
For example, Chappelle's Show, and In Living Color were funny from the beginning of the show to end, where as with Saturday Night Live, you literally have to watch damn near all 90 minutes of that ? to even ? a smile, but this is the cold part, Saturday Night Live makes funny people unfunny. Case in point, Tina Fey.
this pretty much it, overall i rate snl garbage. -
damobb2deep wrote: »to me i watch it when only certain host are on " drake... Kevin hart... Chris Rock... Miley Cyrus... ect.. it has always been hit or miss.. but every episode is not gonna be funny if you been on for 40 years...
Miley Cyrus, man?
Yes Miley Cyrus... *shrugs* -
It'? or miss like anything else. I still ? with it though. Only thing I don't care for is you can tell the writers have their favorites, they don't give every cast member an equal chance to be successful. I understand that the show is only an hour long though.
Two sidenotes: I think Keenan Thompson is the most versatile/talented cast member prolly since Will Ferrell.
Second MadTV has had the funnier females. Aside from Mya Rudolph and Amy Poehler. Mo Collins and Nicole Sullivan are funny as ? . -
A$AP_A$TON wrote: »I understand that the show is only an hour long though.
SNL is an 1 hour and a half.
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A$AP_A$TON wrote: »It'? or miss like anything else. I still ? with it though. Only thing I don't care for is you can tell the writers have their favorites, they don't give every cast member an equal chance to be successful. I understand that the show is only an hour long though.
Two sidenotes: I think Keenan Thompson is the most versatile/talented cast member prolly since Will Ferrell.
Second MadTV has had the funnier females. Aside from Mya Rudolph and Amy Poehler. Mo Collins and Nicole Sullivan are funny as ? .
Keenan most versatile/talented since Will Ferrell? Gotta disagree with you there. That easily goes to Bill Hader and/or Kristin Wig. -
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Did anybody catch Eddie Murphy last Saturday?
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Matt Foley motivational speaker..? Harry Caray Space: The Infinite Frontier..?? Celebrity Jeopardy??? anything w/ Phil Hartman..? is this a serious question..
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Phil Hartman was that ? .. Shame he had to go like that.
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He just made a 1 minute thank u speechDid anybody catch Eddie Murphy last Saturday?
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Man they was building it up like he was bout to do some stand up.
And they showed a 10 sec clip of Tracy Morgan. I was like wtf -
I thought they were gonna at least stick him in a skit.A$AP_A$TON wrote: »
....maybe they wanted him to, but he maybe still a lil salty at them.
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They shoulda gave Aries Spears his own sketch comedy show.
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Eddie Murphy Turned Down Bill Cosby Impression on 'SNL' Anniversary
http://www.rollingstone.com/tv/news/eddie-murphy-turned-down-bill-cosby-impression-on-snl-anniversary
Norm Macdonald shared his 'SNL 40' experiences in an insightful Twitter monologue, including his attempts to recruit Murphy for 'Celebrity Jeopardy'
BY DANIEL KREPS February 19, 2015
Eddie Murphy, who, according to Norm Macdonald, turned down a Bill Cosby Impression on the 'Saturday Night Live' 40th Anniversary Special.
Bill Cosby has released the following statement in regard to Eddie Murphy's decision not to lampoon him on SNL 40 (via NBC News): "I am very appreciative of Eddie and I applaud his actions."
In a Twitter monologue that gave remarkable insight into what it was like backstage at the all-star SNL 40 special, Norm Macdonald, the former Weekend Update host and the man known as ? Ferguson, spent two hours and over 100 tweets detailing his experience from the reunion. Macdonald covered everything from writing the "Celebrity Jeopardy" sketch and making amends with Lorne Michaels to taking umbrage with Rolling Stone's SNL cast member rankings and, most surprising, trying to recruit Eddie Murphy to portray beleaguered comedian Bill Cosby.
At the tail end of the "Celebrity Jeopardy" sketch – which reintroduced Darrell Hammond as Sean Connery, Will Ferrell as Alex Trebek and Macdonald as Burt Reynolds/? Ferguson – a Video Daily Double appeared in the Potent Potables category. Current SNL cast member Kenan Thompson played Bill Cosby revealing his cocktail recipe, a nod to the sweeping allegations against the comedian.
As Macdonald revealed on Twitter, that cameo was originally written for Murphy, who – after a few days of being pursued by Macdonald, Michaels and even director Brett Ratner (the latter serving as an intermediary for the comic) – decided not to appear in the sketch.
"Murphy knew the laughs would bring the house down. Eddie Murphy knows what will work on SNL better than anyone. Eddie decides the laughs are not worth it. He will not kick a man when he is down," Macdonald wrote. "Eddie Murphy, I realize, is not like the rest of us. Eddie does not need the laughs. Eddie Murphy is the coolest, a rock star even in a room with actual rock stars."
Macdonald shared little anecdotes from the rest of his SNL 40 experience, including meeting Paul McCartney and the moment Murphy arrived on set ("It's like Ali in Zaire," quipped Chris Rock). Macdonald also visited the writers' room where Mike Myers and Dana Carvey were working on their special-ending Wayne's World sketch.
"Mike Myers has an incredible work ethic and no joke is ever good enough and must be beaten, must be beaten. This is what makes him so good," Macdonald wrote. "This is why he has created a half-dozen perfect comedies. Work ethic, remarkable taste, and never taking no for an answer."
Macdonald noted that a source of great amusement among the reunited SNL 40 cast members was Rolling Stone's Saturday Night Live: All 141 Cast Members Ranked feature, with Macdonald frequently being teased by SNL writer Jim Downey about his own low standing on Rob Sheffield's list. Macdonald tweeted, "'As long as I beat [obscure, one-season star] George Coe,' I said, making a fine joke. Again the truth was a finer joke. Coe had easily outranked me. And on it went."
Inspired by Macdonald's monologue, former New York Mets and Yankees pitcher David Cone shared his own favorite memory from the SNL 40 after party: Jay Z asking Yankees pitcher David Wells about throwing the famed "? sock" game, even though that was actually the Boston Red Sox's Curt Schilling's achievement.
http://youtu.be/HSrfYd0Ro0Q
http://youtu.be/8kNMO_X8Dv0
