Discuss.

Clearly the mid-90's era where Jay Mohr, Chris Elliott, Janeane Garforoflaoofolo, etc. were "stars" was the worst era ever. They show reruns on Comedy Central frequently and many episodes go by where I can't even laugh just once.

Please, no threadcraps with "they all suck", "SNL was never funny", etc.

Actually, I think we're in the midst of it....

No end in sight...

Agreed, wholeheartedly. The worst thing about this era, is that it's popular and critically acclaimed. Everyone knew that that awful period that El Scorcho mentions was heinous, and that was also true of the Gottfried/Rocket disaster of 1980-81. These people on the show now, (with the possible exception of Tina Fey) are absolutely unfunny. The only person in the last @ 10 years who's been consistently funny was Cheri Oteri. (Colin Quinn is consistently amusing, but not exactly front and center.)

I'll third this sentiment, and agree with Buck that Oteri was the best thing to happen to this era of the show.

I whole heartly agree, this is the time it sucks now.

though when Quinn was the news caster of weekend update, those were dark times aswell.

The early 80's era sucked too, after all the superstars left. Everyone knows this, even comedy central, which is why they won't even bother buying/replaying those episodes.

The 80's stretch with Mary Gross, Tim Kazurinsky, etc. was so bad I cringe just thinking out watching them again. Bad bad bad bad bad. Soooooo bad. Did I mention the shows were bad?

D

At least they had Eddie Murphy and Joe Piscopo.

My vote goes to:

The 1980-1981 Rocket/Gottfried season

AND

The 1985-1986 Anthony Michael Hall/Joan Cusack/Randy Quaid season

And Julia Louis-Dreyfus. When she played Edith Ann's playmate "Darlene" when Lilly Tomlin hosted the show...classic.

I like that era, myself. That's when I started watching it again.

I really haven't watched SNL that much since Lorne Michaels returned as producer. I really couldn't stomch the late 1980s, starting in 1986 with its bad writing, uninteresting cast, and incomplete skits (i.e., they would just end without any punchline).

On the contrary, I find all of the episodes of the 90s more entertaining than anything earlier or before. Right now, it's pretty horrible. Early-mid eighties might have been even worse, though.

SNL has definitely has some really weak periods. This season is definitely up to those low standards. Writing is weak and the new cast have nothing interesting to offer although I like Tina Fey and Jimmy and Hector and even Rachel to some extent.

agreed!!

Mid-80's...

right now

I agree along with the recent past and present.

Eddie Murphy was the only thing that saved the show from cancellation in the early 80's. The 85-86 season was just painful. Anyone remember the "who will survive?" cast fire at the end of that season?

The 86-91 seasons were great if for no other reason than Dennis Miller being the weekend update anchor.

I can't really comment on anything after Carvey left in 93 because that was around the time I stopped watching on a regular basis.

Since I never watched the show prior to the Carvey/Nealon/Hartman/Lovitz/etc.. years, I can't comment on the early 80's cast. So for me, the worst era is currently happening.

This may help you:

1975-1976
Dan Aykroyd, John Belushi Chevy Chase, Jane Curtin, Garrett Morris, Laraine Newman, Gilda Radner

1976-1977
Dan Aykroyd, John Belushi, Chevy Chase, Jane Curtin, Garrett Morris, Bill Murray, Laraine Newman, Gilda Radner

1977-1978
Dan Aykroyd, John Belushi, Jane Curtin, Garrett Morris, Bill Murray, Laraine Newman, Gilda Radner

1978-1979
Dan Aykroyd, John Belushi, Jane Curtin, Garrett Morris, Bill Murray, Laraine Newman, Gilda Radner

1979-1980
Jane Curtin, Garrett Morris, Bill Murray, Laraine Newman, Gilda Radner, Harry Shearer
Featuring: Peter Aykroyd, Tom Davis, Jim Downey, Al Franken, Brian Doyle-Murray, Don Novello, Paul Shaffer

1980-1981
Denny Dillon, Gilbert Gottfried, Gail Matthius, Eddie Murphy, Joe Piscopo, Ann Risley, Charles Rocket
Featuring: Yvonne Hudson, Matthew Laurence, Patrick Weathers

1981-1982
Robin Duke, Christine Ebersole, Mary Gross, Tim Kazurinsky, Eddie Murphy, Joe Piscopo, Tony Rosato
Featuring: Brian Doyle-Murray

1982-1983
Robin Duke, Mary Gross, Brad Hall, Tim Kazurinsky, Gary Kroeger, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Eddie Murphy, Joe Piscopo

1983-1984
Jim Belushi, Robin Duke, Mary Gross, Brad Hall, Tim Kazurinsky, Gary Kroeger, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Eddie Murphy, Joe Piscopo

1984-1985
Jim Belushi, Billy Crystal, Mary Gross, Christopher Guest, Rich Hall, Gary Kroeger, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Harry Shearer, Martin Short, Pamela Stepheson

1985-1986
Joan Cusack, Robert Downey, Jr., Nora Dunn, Anthony Michael Hall, Jon Lovitz, Dennis Miller, Randy Quaid, Terry Sweeney, Danitra Vance
Featuring: A. Whitney Brown, Al Franken, Dan Vitale, Damon Wayans

1986-1987
Dana Carvey, Nora Dunn Phil Hartman, Jan Hooks, Victoria Jackson, Jon Lovitz, Dennis Miller
Featuring: A. Whitney Brown, Al Franken, Kevin Nealon

1987-1988
Dana Carvey, Nora Dunn, Phil Hartman, Jan Hooks, Victoria Jackson, Jon Lovitz, Dennis Miller, Kevin Nealon
Featuring: A. Whitney Brown, Al Franken

1988-1989
Dana Carvey, Nora Dunn, Phil Hartman, Jan Hooks, Victoria Jackson, Jon Lovitz, Dennis Miller, Kevin Nealon
Featuring: A. Whitney Brown, Al Franken, Mike Myers, Ben Stiller

1989-1990
Dana Carvey, Nora Dunn, Phil Hartman, Jan Hooks, Victoria Jackson, Jon Lovitz, Dennis Miller, Mike Myers, Kevin Nealon
Featuring: A. Whitney Brown, Al Franken

1990-1991
Dana Carvey, Phil Hartman, Jan Hooks, Victoria Jackson, Dennis Miller, Mike Myers, Kevin Nealon
Featuring: A. Whitney Brown, Chris Farley, Al Franken, Tim Meadows, Chris Rock, Adam Sandler, Rob Schneider, David Spade, Julia Sweeney

1991-1992
Dana Carvey, Chris Farley, Phil Hartman, Victoria Jackson, Mike Myers, Kevin Nealon, Chris Rock, Julia Sweeney
Featuring: Beth Cahill, Ellen Cleghorne, Siobhan Fallon, Al Franken, Melanie Hutsell, Tim Meadows, Adam Sandler, Rob Schneider, David Spade

1992-1993
Dana Carvey, Chris Farley, Phil Hartman, Mike Myers, Kevin Nealon, Rob Schneider, Julia Sweeney
Featuring: Ellen Cleghorne, Al Franken, Melanie Hutsell, Tim Meadows, Adam Sandler, Rob Smigel, David Spade

1993-1994
Ellen Cleghorne, Chris Farley, Phil Hartman, Melanie Hutsell, Michael McKean, Tim Meadows, Mike Myers, Kevin Nealon, Adam Sandler, Rob Schneider, David Spade, Julia Sweeney
Featuring: Al Franken, Norm MacDonald, Jay Mohr, Sarah Silverman

1994-1995
Morwenna Banks, Ellen Cleghorne, Chris Elliot, Chris Farley, Janene Garofalo, Norm MacDonald, Michael McKean, Mark McKinney, Tim Meadows, Mike Myers, Kevin Nealon, Adam Sandler, David Spade
Featuring: Al Franken, Laura Kightlinger, Jay Mohr, Molly Shannon

1995-1996
Jim Breuer, Will Ferrell, Darrell Hammond, David Koechner, Norm MacDonald, Mark McKinney, Tim Meadows, Cheri Oteri, Molly Shannon, David Spade, Nancy Walls
Featuring: Chris Kattan, Colin Quinn, Fred Wolf

1996-1997
Jim Breuer, Will Ferrell, Ana Gasteyer, Darrell Hammond, Chris Kattan, Norm MacDonald, Mark McKinney, Tim Meadows, Tracy Morgan, Cheri Oteri, Molly Shannon
Featuring: Colin Quinn

1997-1998
Jim Breuer, Will Ferrell, Ana Gasteyer, Darrell Hammond, Chris Kattan, Norm MacDonald, Tim Meadows, Tracy Morgan, Cheri Oteri, Colin Quinn, Molly Shannon

1998-1999
Will Ferrell, Ana Gasteyer, Darrell Hammond, Chris Kattan, Tim Meadows, Tracy Morgan, Cheri Oteri, Colin Quinn, Molly Shannon
Featuring: Jimmy Fallon, Chris Parnell, Horatio Sanz

1999-2000
Jimmy Fallon, Will Ferrell, Ana Gasteyer, Darrell Hammond, Chris Kattan, Tim Meadows, Tracy Morgan, Cheri Oteri, Colin Quinn, Horatio Sanz, Molly Shannon
Featuring: Rachel Dratch, Maya Rudolph

2000-2001
Jimmy Fallon, Will Ferrell, Ana Gasteyer, Darrell Hammond, Chris Kattan, Tracy Morgan, Chris Parnell, Horatio Sanz, Molly Shannon
Featuring: Rachel Dratch, Tina Fey, Jerry Minor, Maya Rudolph

2001-2002
Rachel Dratch, Jimmy Fallon, Will Ferrell, Tina Fey, Ana Gasteyer, Darrell Hammond, Chris Kattan, Tracy Morgan, Chris Parnell, Amy Poehler, Maya Rudolph, Horatio Sanz
Featuring: Dean Edwards, Seth Meyers, Jeff Richards

2002-2003
Rachel Dratch, Jimmy Fallon, Tina Fey, Darrell Hammond, Chris Kattan, Tracy MorganChris Parnell, Amy Poehler, Maya Rudolph, Horatio Sanz
Featuring: Fred Armisen, Dean Edwards, Will Forte, Seth Meyers, Jeff Richards

'84-'85 featured one of the single greatest nights in the history of the show: the Christmas epsiode, hosted by Eddie Murphy. Eddie's little film where he passed for white, and Gumby's Christmas Special are some of the funniest things I've ever seen.

Dean Edwards desperately needs to be fired. He's horridly unfunny.

The mid-90's. Colin Quinn on Weekend Update. Need I say more?

now is the worst by far, 90-92 was the best!

the two worst periods are:

1. The stretch from 1980 to 1986
2. The stretch from 1996 to the present

But, those early '80s seasons had Eddie Murphy, so I give them the edge, and name 1996-present as the worst (and longest) dry spell in SNL history.

1995 to present getting progressively worse, so this season would be the worst yet. And it has more to do with the uninspired writing than the cast.

I also think 85-86 is unfairly maligned. That season had some of my favorite episodes (such as Pee Wee Herman hosting) and Jon Lovitz, Dennis Miller, and Randy Quaid not to mention Damon Wayans were all really fresh at the time.

I remember at the time it seemed the early nineties episodes weren't very good, but in retrospect they seem like genius compared to now.