Original writer/cast member/disgraced US Senator Al Franken often likes to note that "folks have been calling this Saturday Night Dead for years...as if that's a new joke."
But the truth is, it really doesn't matter anymore, and in a perfect world, it would be gone.
Its competitors are gone: "Fridays"(ABC, from which Larry David and Michael Richards sprang) and "Mad TV"(Fox, which developed a lot of funny comics who, unfortunately, didn't really go anywhere at all.) Its greatest competitor -- "Second City TV"(from which John Candy, Martin Short, Catherine O'Hara and Eugene Levy emerged) ...is long gone, too. As is the African American version..In Living Color..which launched Jim Carrey!
As the late SNL alum Gilbert Gottfried said "Saturday Night Live is a mediocre restaurant in a great location." Well, maybe he didn't say "mediocre," but he meant that.
I expect SNL will stick around because "Saturday Night Live" is an extension of the same NBC branding process that gave us the Today Show and the Tonight Show, and the Late Show. Only the Tomorrow Show is gone; I would expect that they will keep something going in the "Saturday Night Live" slot indefinitely.
Its interesting that Lorne Michaels is such a kingpin at SNL -- he's pushing 80(so much for a "youth-based show") and has turned himself into a real mogul at NBC. Tonight Show host Jimmy Fallon and Late Night host Seth Myers are both SNL alums and this in turn makes NBC look like "the Lorne Michaels comedy network." (But the funnier comedy is in sitcoms, now.)
The "natural end" of SNL should come when Lorne Michaels finally steps down. This is interesting: when SNL first hit network in TV with a YOUNG Lorne Michaels at the helm, it was seen as a successful attempt to get rid of "the old TV comics" and their brand of humor. Sid Caesar, Milton Berle...Red Skelton, Bob Hope...Jack Benny(who died in 1974, one year before SNL hit the air.)
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ecarle (14979)
a year ago
And now Lorne Michaels is OLDER than most of those old men and he's been allowed to stay at the controls of SNL for decades past his prime. But that's America in general today -- Presidents and Senators in their 70s and 80s, a nation run by a old people. Michaels fits right into that class of "the Baby Boomers who just won't let go."
A original writer of SNL took note of Gottfried's "restaurant at a good location," line, praised it, and said "but its only a good location because of the first five years of the show."
Those were the first five years that Lorne Michaels ran the show, and in their newness, manyof the original "Not Ready for Prime Time Players" became movie stars in the late 70's and 80s: Chevy Chase(first), then John Belushi(bigger, with Animal House), then Bill Murray(bigger still.) Dan Ackroyd came along for the ride.
All of those players were out of SNL by the end of the 1979-80 season, and Lorne Michaels left with them. Two producer replacements were a disaster(Jean Doumanian) and an NBC suit(Dick Ebersol.) Under those two, SNL birthed its biggest star of all -- Eddie Murphy -- even though the rest of the cast was lacking.
Lorne Michaels returned in the 1985-1986 season and never left. More movie stars were spawned under his continued leadership -- Mike Myers and Adam Sandler and Will Farrell were all very big. Chris Farley broke through -- and died of drugs like his idol Belushi.
But how long has it been since SNL launched a REAL movie star? Attempts to launch Kristen Wiig and Kate MacKinnon(both very funny) have rather stalled -- they are supporting actors now. TV stars seem to be more the success for SNL, almost a "lateral move": Tina Fey(30 Rock); Amy Poehler(Parks and Rec -- but OTHERS in that cast became bigger stars).
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ecarle (14979)
a year ago
SNL sketches and catch-phrases were EVERYWHERE in the 70's, including one from non-cast member Steve Martin(who still seemed to BE an SNL player): Wild and crazy guy, Land shark("Telegram...candygram...") BUT NOOOO! Basebaall a been a berry, berry good to me; the Samarai(no longer allowed for humor today)
And on through the 80s and 90s: "Well isn't that special? Could it be SATAN?" "Yeah, that's the ticket!" "Party on, Garth" We're not worthy!" "Listen to me now, and belief me later, girly man! Ve chust vant to pump you up!" "And that man lives in a van down by the river!"
But it does seem like with the 21st Century, all of that rather "throttled down." Fewer movie stars emerged from SNL . More TV stars emerged from SNL-- and a lot didn't stick. Fewer catch-phrases. Fewer famous sketches. Smaller audiences.
They are going for partisan one-sided politics now , but it would seem that the dirty little secret of ALL late night comedy shows these days is that the ratings are stronger for partisan base-satisfying political attacks than for comedy. In other words, politics gets better ratings than comedy these days -- so comedy takes a back seat. And it is hard to make movie stars out of politicians.
THAT might be the fate of SNL in future years -- it will join Bill Maher and John Oliver and the like in "politics first, jokes second" programming because that's where the ratings are.
I don't think SNL is going to die...but I think maybe it should have. Fridays, Second City TV and MadTV got the memo. SNL is still running the restaurant at the good location.
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