General Discussion

AndreaCG

(2,331 posts)

32. SCTV and Mad TV were far superior

Sun Oct 26, 2014, 02:33 PM

Oct 2014

And it's not due to the fact that they were taped and SNL is live. It's because they had better writing, better characters and knew two things: when to end sketches and how to keep recurring characters fresh. Even in SNL's better years it frequently let its sketches go on too long. Mad TV would occasionally mock this tendency by having a performer break character and call the skit out.

I did watch part of last night's SNL because weekend update is usually funny. I found the sketches I watched, about Jim Carrey's family and the graveyard sketch, to be well conceived and not badly performed, but nevertheless I laughed maybe once. So something was off in the actual creation of jokes. Weekend update didn't make me laugh this week either, and I found the same situation with the romance movie lover parody - good concept, not badly performed, didn't laugh.

While better writers might help, ultimately Lorne Michaels needs to step down and let someone with a fresh outlook take over.

Oh yes, is the heavy woman gone this year? If so, too bad. She was good and it only took about 38 years for SNL to cast a fat woman rather than have the numerous fat men wear drag in sketches.

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I'm Sorry - But Saturday Night Live Just Isn't Funny Anymore...... [View all] global1 Oct 2014 OP

wasn't it never that funny, at least not consistently funny JI7 Oct 2014 #1

it was very funny the first few years. 1979, 1980 Liberal_in_LA Oct 2014 #6

Agreed. Haven't watched in ages bvf Oct 2014 #14

Yes - Chevy Chase, Bill Murray, Jane Curtin, Gilda, Dan Ackroyd ... closeupready Oct 2014 #60

Yup, everyone remembers "SNL of yesteryear" being funnier. joshcryer Oct 2014 #18

+1, my sons love the current SNL.. I haven't liked it since SomethingFishy Oct 2014 #48

I think you are right joeglow3 Oct 2014 #67

I haven't watched it in years shenmue Oct 2014 #2

me neither shanti Oct 2014 #31

SNL is phasic Algernon Moncrieff Oct 2014 #3

Bingo AgingAmerican Oct 2014 #19

You didn't have to include that "anymore" tularetom Oct 2014 #4

The cast at least once used to learn their lines. WinkyDink Oct 2014 #5

They've always read off the cards - nobody could memorize that much dialogue for a live broadcast Midwestern Democrat Oct 2014 #23

It was funnier when they broke character Ampersand Unicode Oct 2014 #40

I've never been a fan of such lazy self-indulgence. WinkyDink Oct 2014 #82

...isn't funny again. Iggo Oct 2014 #7

I completely agree. Initech Oct 2014 #8

the billionaire piece was pretty spot-on. nashville_brook Oct 2014 #9

when it first started MFM008 Oct 2014 #10

In my opinion, it's much improved since last year. But, southerncrone Oct 2014 #11

Hasn't been funny since 1980. Crunchy Frog Oct 2014 #12

Yep. johnp3907 Oct 2014 #45

I've never been a regular viewer. WhiteAndNerdy Oct 2014 #13

SNL has not been consistently funny hifiguy Oct 2014 #15

I'm liking it tonight Politicalboi Oct 2014 #16

"But this girl band SUCKS!!!!" EX500rider Oct 2014 #73

I did enjoy the show when they had Tina Fey doing Sarah Palin mucifer Oct 2014 #17

Tina's writing skills made the difference, too. Bigtime. blm Oct 2014 #25

And to think, they started out with 7 cast members who were FUNNY. Le Taz Hot Oct 2014 #20

I remember watching the original cast in the '70s deutsey Oct 2014 #21

What about the middle-1980s and 1990s casts? Ampersand Unicode Oct 2014 #38

Yeah, it's been up and down over the years deutsey Oct 2014 #50

Eddie Murphy d_r Oct 2014 #52

Thankful to see that Michael O'Donoghue is getting some credit here. blm Oct 2014 #22

Brilliant, brilliant man. nolabear Oct 2014 #44

and, yet, he could also be the sweetest thing on earth.... blm Oct 2014 #54

I don't doubt it for a minute. It was art. nolabear Oct 2014 #71

heheh...well....it would be hard to find a new edge that hadn't been blm Oct 2014 #72

I hated Michael O'Donoghue. He was the worst thing about early SNL. kwassa Oct 2014 #63

PJ O'Rourke (R-Jealous) is that you? blm Oct 2014 #69

As people get older they find it less funny. nt Logical Oct 2014 #24

I found it marginally funny even as a teenager Art_from_Ark Oct 2014 #74

I like that also. nt Logical Oct 2014 #75

I highly recommend Tom Davis"s autobiography underpants Oct 2014 #26

What happened to the edgy, biting satire on the bleeding edge of a lawsuit? procon Oct 2014 #27

The presidential impressions were the best Ampersand Unicode Oct 2014 #39

Saw through the News last night, and I agree bigwillq Oct 2014 #28

When Was It Ever? RadicalGeek Oct 2014 #29

I find it funny, but only after smoking my one hitter. B Calm Oct 2014 #30

SCTV and Mad TV were far superior AndreaCG Oct 2014 #32

Aidy Bryant is her name Ampersand Unicode Oct 2014 #35

I don't remember Mad TV but SCTV will hands down the funniest closeupready Oct 2014 #61

Shoot, I'm sorry, I just posted another thread about SCTV.... a kennedy Oct 2014 #79

Jim Carrey isn't funny Lex Oct 2014 #33

Carrey was funny doing a Vanilla Ice impression Ampersand Unicode Oct 2014 #36

Okay, true. And "In Living Color" the Wayans show Lex Oct 2014 #41

first lead role d_r Oct 2014 #53

Yeah that was a good show too. AndreaCG Oct 2014 #57

The opening sketch could have been written from Fox News talking points. 6000eliot Oct 2014 #34

I have not watched it since Phil Hartman left. So i sure as hell agree. CBGLuthier Oct 2014 #37

I Thought The Matthew McConaughey Ads otohara Oct 2014 #42

OMG did they do those?! I missed it! maced666 Oct 2014 #46

That may have been the one time I laughed. AndreaCG Oct 2014 #58

I thought they were very funny, too. kwassa Oct 2014 #66

It would have been a lot funnier if Sarah Palin became VP Hatchling Oct 2014 #43

Probably had a skit poking fun at progressives or dems. maced666 Oct 2014 #47

Kenan Thompson and Kate McKinnon Aerows Oct 2014 #49

I couldn't agree more and have often thought of starting a thread on the subject Purveyor Oct 2014 #51

Hasn't been funny for several decades. nt valerief Oct 2014 #55

It's always funny for current twenty-somethings. That's its target audience. nt stevenleser Oct 2014 #56

That's unfortunate, Steve. AndreaCG Oct 2014 #59

It hasn't been funny for decades SoCalDem Oct 2014 #62

I gave up on it when Bush left the White House Mira Oct 2014 #64

SNL is exactly as funny as it ever has been. It has been good and bad forever. kwassa Oct 2014 #65

People who saw it originally, enjoyed it enormously, and who have attempted to look in each season, Judi Lynn Oct 2014 #68

Message auto-removed Name removed Oct 2014 #70

IMO, it hasn't been funny in decades. City Lights Oct 2014 #76

I'm utterly hopeless, I thought it was juvenile in the 1970s when it first came on Warpy Oct 2014 #77

Hope this wasn't mentioned.....but SCTV was soooooooo much funnier then SNL even back in the day.... a kennedy Oct 2014 #78

Funny is so subjective Bettie Oct 2014 #80

"Anymore"?! WinkyDink Oct 2014 #81

Watching The Voice and 90% of the songs SUCK. Maybe we're just getting old B Calm Oct 2014 #83

I loved that show Kenan & Kel JonLP24 Oct 2014 #84