A few more of my favorite SNL skits
I don't think anyone really even watches Saturday Night Live anymore. I think a lot of this has to do with the fact that we have entertainment on tap 24/7 in the form of the internet and we no longer need to rely on SNL to do a 1 hour show for us each week. I think the other part might be that the variety show hasn't been funny (or generally had any funny people on it) in quite some time. These are some of my faves from back when the show was still a hit and everyone looked forward to it each week.
The anal retentive chef
There were actually many varieties of this one but the "chef" ones were my favorite
Phil Hartman performs a cooking show which is just like every other cooking show but he is so obsessive / compulsive that he has difficulty getting through the recipes because he will spot a piece of green pepper that is cut slightly differently than the others and when disposing of anything is must be double-wrapped and sealed in just the right way using a very specific type of stapler. It was funny. look up a clip
Tarzan, Tonto, and Frankenstein
I can't even imagine what these guys were on when they decided to do this. There was no point but just that these 3 would end up in various situations they had to work their ways out of... most of the time having Frankenstein freak out because "FIRE BAD!!!" but "bread good!"
Weekend Update with Dennis Miller
Before the writers decided to bore us to death with a partisan-fueled SJW nightmare that is the "weekend update" these days, Dennis Miller was the guy doing the news. He rarely did any other skits on SNL and to be honest it wasn't really necessary for him to. Weekend Update was so awesome that he was just the best. He was so recognized for this role that other people would come on his show to mimic him on a regular basis. Dana Carvey and Tom Hanks doing it at the same time, alongside Dennis is one of the best Weekend Updates of all time.
The Continental
Has anyone been on SNL more times than Christopher Walken? He has been on the show so many times that they had to develop skits for him that he wouldn't practice at all. The scenes had to be modified so that the cue cards could be easily walked around the set and "The Continental" was born. Walken plays a creepy rich guy with a strange command of the English language who invites ladies up to his hotel room and tries by any means necessary to seduce them. This was done with the camera almost always focused on Walken because I can assure you, he did not have his lines memorized and the cue cards were walkin' with Walken.
More Cowbell
How can anyone watch this and not have it be one of their favorites ever? Will Ferrell's ability to poke fun at his own physique is truly wonderful and it is evidenced by many of his co-stars having difficulty keeping a straight face throughout the skit. Christopher Walken is also in this one and once again, it is evident that he doesn't know his lines at all.
video link
I really wish i could post a clip of the more cowbell one but it has to be one of the most protected clips on the internet. Loads of SNL stuff is available to watch for free online but not that one skit. Vimeo cannot be direct linked to Steemit and I am not sure why. I hope this isn't somehow against the rules here. If it is, i will remove it of course because there is no malicious intent here. You should watch that one if you haven't already though.
More cowbell was so awesome. The problem with SNL is that it is so hit and miss.
Did you ever watch The State? I really loved that one! Several of the cast went on to star in Reno 911 which I never watched. There were so many hilarious skits in the state, and some completely bizarre ones, like the Barry and Levon "$240 worth of pudding" sketches.
MAD TV also put SNL to shame. I absolutely love the Kenny Rogers Jackass bits.
It seems to me that SNL is so bad because it tries too hard to make jokes about current events, but the writers miss the good stuff about what is really funny about character they are portraying. I always felt the same way about people like Jay Leno and David Letterman. They made me cringe.
When you see so much free comedy material and the jokes still suck - something is really wrong!
These were definitely much better days for SNL. Now, every once in a while I'll try to watch it but it just isn't funny. Dana Carvy and Mike Meyers were a couple other favorites of mine.
Holy hell that is a trip through some of the best.
I love the Akroyd Chase Radner years when I looked back on them. Then there was Eddie Murphy.....
The early to mid 90s was my favorite SNL era. So many great skits and characters. I totally agree that Dennis Miller was the best weekend update guy followed by Norm McDonald.
Waynes World, Nat X, Matt Foley, Church Lady, massive headwound Harry, etc. Those were great days.
i love all of those skits you mentioned and I had forgotten that Norm McDonald did Weekend Update. His dry delivery of the news and his obsession with Frank Stallone was just awesome as well :)
"The scenes had to be modified so that the cue cards could be easily walked around the set and "The Continental" was born"
Haha, great info about Christopher Walken.
I just watched Jim Carrey as a Jacuzzi lifeguard, very funny.
oh right! I had forgotten about those ones!
whenever i'm down or depressed, the one thing i watch to cheer me up? Saturday Night Live. every Saturday night, i'd have some pizza for dinner, wash it down with a good soda or beer, lay back on the couch and watch SNL all night long. SNL is the best show i've ever seen, very funny, creative, and it's a wonder that's as big a success now as it was 43 years ago. tina fey is really funny, as is amy poehler, seth myers and kenan thomson. kenan was one of my favorite childhood actors when he was in nickelodeon's "kenan and kel". sometimes i go on youtube and look for clips of the old SNL, and it's just as funny. so thank u SNL. thank you for making me look at the bright, comedic and slightly inappropriate side of life.
Those are funny! but after reading all I found out to be 'The continental' to be hilarious among all.
keep flourishing.
This day is very important to many on the first day of Saturday, your post is very nice. @gooddream
Always loved the skit about the dysfunctional family at dinner time. Also "I live in a van down by the river" with Farley.. vintage stuff is much better and less long political rants.