SNL Loses 5 Cast Members

[Fast Learner]

If they just get rid of 10 more cast members, plus Lorne Michaels, they have a legitimate shot at getting me to watch again.

 

[takyris]

Dear Everyone,

This wasn't a "What do you think of SNL?" post, as I read it. This was a "People who enjoy SNL talk about the cast changes" post. I'll happily give my opinion in "What do you think of Terry Goodkind?" threads, but I don't tromp around in "People who enjoy Terry Goodkind" threads talking about the extent of its suckiness, because that's rude.

So if you don't like SNL, maybe you could find another thread?

Or heck, start one! Go ahead and start a "SNL: When did it stop being good?" thread. I'll happily debate you there.

Or maybe I'm wrong, and coming in to bash is just fine, in which case I'll remember that next time I see "The Terry Goodkind appreciation thread"...

On-topically, I'm interested in how losing Tina Fey as head writer will affect the show. Combined with cast-member departures, there are a lot of recurring sketches that can't happen anymore, and it might make for a major tone change.

 

[werk]

^ Thank you Taky!

Seems a lot of people like to complain and be negative all the time...that's how they 'contribute' to the world. <sigh>


I think the real problem from losing these cast members is Tina Fey. She's been a core writer for the show for many years now, and losing a solid writer may dump them in the toilet for a season or two while they figure out the new chemistry.

They are really running out of new tricks, having recycled old methods like cartoons or puppets thrown in to change things up.

Once they get a strong lead comedian again, with writers to support his (or her) flavor of comedy, they should be back on track.

 

[Brown Jenkin]

I will miss Tina Fey the most. The only part of the show I actually cared about was Weekend Update and it was because of her. It had had problems for several years before her but really regained its stide when she got in front of the camera. At the same time I am not sure how responsible she was for the rest of the writing but a shake up in the writing room probably wouldn't hurt.

 

[Fast Learner]

Tina Fey was certainly the most talented of the bunch, of both those who stayed and those who won't be there this season.

Is that more like what you want to hear, Taky? Honestly, I don't get it. Even if the thread had started "I love SNL, here's some news" (which it didn't, it was completely neutral), even then it seems reasonable to say I don't care for the show in its current incarnation.

I liked it more or less season-before-last, didn't like it at all last season and saw the weaknesses in all the cast members really show. I've been watching SNL since day one and always make certain to watch at least a half-dozen episodes every season. I think Lorne Michaels is a genius but I also think that his understanding of what is funny today is insufficient and that the show -- a show that's very dear to my heart -- needs to be completely revamped.

Why is it that I can't say that? The news that the cast is being pared down seems like the perfect opportunity to comment on the show. If you want a thread where people just ooh and ahh about how great it is, I suggest you start a thread called "SNL Is the Best Thing Ever and You Are Not Allowed to Disagree."

 

[Storm Raven]

On-topically, I'm interested in how losing Tina Fey as head writer will affect the show. Combined with cast-member departures, there are a lot of recurring sketches that can't happen anymore, and it might make for a major tone change.

Given the quality of the last few seasons, it would be hjard for a change in the head writer position to hurt the show. Fey can be funny in her skits, but if the last couple years of SNL are the result of her guidance, she just isn't the lead that the show needs.

 

[takyris]

Tina Fey was certainly the most talented of the bunch, of both those who stayed and those who won't be there this season.

Is that more like what you want to hear, Taky?

Well, aside from my crush on Tina Fey, yeah.

I've got no problem with knocking the show. It's coming in with "Shrug, I haven't watched it in years," that irked me (not saying that was you specifically). If you haven't watched the show in five years, then how slow is your day that you have nothing better to do than troll a thread on the subject? I didn't keep trolling the "Surface" threads after I stopped watching the show. I don't troll "Smallville" threads, and really, I could.

For my money, SNL is, like NFL football, dramatically improved by Tivo (or something like Tivo). My wife and I don't watch it live -- and I'd love to say that we're doing exciting things instead, but really, 2-year-old, so we're asleep and grateful by that time. We used to watch it Sunday mornings, but it's not always dude-appropriate, so we watch it weeknights instead. And it's really great for watching a good sketch and zipping through a poor one.

This might explain why my overall feeling on the show is still positive. If the political opener sketch is good, we watch it. If it's not, ca-click, ca-click, ca-click, and stop when the guest host walks out. Watch the monologue unless it gets uncomfortably bad, watch the commercial, watch just about everything before the first song. Skip the first song, watch the news update, and then give everything after the update two minutes to be funny.

I'm looking forward to "Studio 60 on Sunset Strip" as an answer to why some lame sketches continue to be redone. I suspect it's more complex than I think -- or maybe it's as simple as "90 minutes, live, every week" that does it. I don't know.

My guess is that Fey was good at grabbing new stuff and making it shine, but that she had to pick her battles and tended to okay mediocre revamps because that was the writing she had to work with. I'd also guess that it's a lot easier to write 90 minutes of Jack Black than it is to write 90 minutes of Paris Hilton or Lance Armstrong or anybody else who isn't actually an actor in any real way. (I exempt Tom Brady, because Tom Brady ROCKED, and surprised the heck out of me.) And beyond that, you've got all the actors who are used to three or four takes, or Steve Martin coming back and sucking the air out of the room.

Although even the Paris Hilton episode got me the Geek Phone Sex line, which made it worth it to me.

So no, it wasn't criticism that bothered me -- it was the casual "Oh, is that still on?" I've got no problem with people who, you know, watch the show complaining about it.

 

[Darth Shoju]

I'll have to put in another vote for the Tina Fey love here. She's a fantastic writer and like was previously stated has great comdedic timing (the movie Mean Girls being an even better example than SNL of both of those qualities, IMO). I think she'll be missed on SNL but her presence alone makes me want to watch 30 Rock.

I'm not sure why there has been a lot of negative reaction to SNL lately. Honestly I've found it to be far more amusing and on-topic than it was back in the late 80's/early 90's (CHRONICles of Narnia, Natalie Portman's rap, Young Chuck Norris, The Needlers, that DINK** couple). Many people seem to claim the period wtih Farley, Spade, Sandler, Myers, Hartman and Carvey as some sort of golden age but, outside of some of those actors' more staple characters/sketches I found it to be rather bland. YMMV.

I think the current cast has a lot of potential (Andy Sandberg is good, as is that fellow that does the Al Pacino Impressions...Seth Meyer is pretty strong too...I love his Anderson Cooper impression). I'll miss Ian Parnell though. He was quite reliably funny.

**Dual-Income, No Kids

 

[Darth Shoju]

Although even the Paris Hilton episode got me the Geek Phone Sex line, which made it worth it to me.

Dear gawds that was indeed funny.

 

[Mark]

Glad to see that Will Forte hasn't been cut. And, until that day, Donald will be the falcon . . . and Will Forte, in the guise of Ken Mortimer, shall remain . . .

The Falconer!​