Saturday Night Live - is it still relevant?

Mudcat · 05-16-2006, 04:21 PM

Whenever I think of SNL, a very distinct memory comes to mind. I am having a sleepover with my buddies and we are sneakily staying up late to watch it and the announcer with the booming voice says (something like), "Saturday Night Live - entertaining America for a fiftieth of a century!"

We laugh and think that's very witty. It was obviously in its second year. That must be 30 years ago since I'm more than a bit past the age of having sleepovers with my buddies. But we thought the show was great and felt like quite the little badasses for watching it.

Whenever I see the show now - and this has been the case for decades - I am amazed at how bad it is, and yet still survives. I generally can't watch more than five minutes at a time. I saw the intro with Julia Louis-Dreyfus this past weekend and it was painful to watch.

What I'm not sure of is if it was always the same quality but it just used to seem funnier because we were kids up past our bedtime. Then again these things are a matter of taste - maybe some people find it genuinely funny now.

Just wondering where SNL fits into the pop culture landscape these days.

pags11 · 05-16-2006, 05:06 PM

I end up watching the old episodes they air at 1 AM after the "new" SNL (which is crap)...I'm a big Mad TV fan now, but SNL doesn't do it for me...you can't beat the Will Farrell and Chris Katan days and then before that the Adam Sandler and Chris Farley era...

Illusion · 05-16-2006, 05:44 PM

I stopped watching when Farley left the show.

Razz · 05-17-2006, 12:14 AM

I only enjoy the ones from the late 70s and early 90s.

bigboydan · 05-17-2006, 02:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Razz

I only enjoy the ones from the late 70s and early 90s.

me too razz.

SNL is really past it's prime, nobody will ever replace the greats IMO

Mudcat · 05-17-2006, 10:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pags11

Will Farrell and Chris Katan days and then before that the Adam Sandler and Chris Farley era...

Yikes. See to me, the show had long jumped the shark by then. Adam Sandler makes me cringe. I know his movies have made a lot of money but that's something I don't think I'll ever get.

I think of the Bill Murray days maybe up to Eddie Murphy as the only time the show was watchable (although, again, I'm not sure if, if I saw those old episodes now, I would wonder how I ever thought they were funny.)

It can't be denied that the show has never stopped producing a lot of successful talent though.

isetcap · 05-17-2006, 10:17 AM

SNL is genuine garbage now. I'd rather watch Cops--Vatican City.

QuickLearner · 05-18-2006, 01:05 PM

I started to write a post about how the early ones were the best by far, and realized that the more I typed the older I sounded. That sucks.

QuickLearner · 05-18-2006, 01:08 PM

I started to write a post about how the early ones were the best by far, and realized that the more I typed the older I sounded. Now I'm depressed...

Edit to add apology for the double post.