Giantrobo

Curious, what makes him "not great"? Everytime he shows up as Al Sharpton or that Football player's mom I can't stop laughing.

Nesbit

Is everyone else staying?

CharlesC

He cracks me up too. I especially like it when he's playing the 'regular guy' in skits. His reactions are funnier than the jokes.

scott shelton

SNL, under Fey, has made a conscious effort to stay away from too many pop culture skits over the last few years. They've left that material for that trainwreck of a show, MAD TV.

But Mitchell as a cast member? Ouch. I was hoping he would be fired.

DodgingCars

For the person who said the political humor is the best they're doing... I totally disagree. They've been suckin' hardcore --

A few years ago, if they did a political sketch they put the players in interesting (and made up, often times) scenarios -- such as the 3-way call with Clinton, Monica, and Saddam. That was creative and funny.

Now? They just "do" the characters from the event we've already seen, with some exagerations. Nothing really added...

Clinton explaining economics (I think) at McDonalds... Funny and creative.
Imitating Zell Miller screaming, not so funny.

I actually differ from a lot of SNL viewers, who have proclaimed that the show has sucked since 1979. I'm not much of a fan of a lot of the early stuff, to be honest -- probably because much of it is dated now (and I was born in 76). My favorite era was around the time of Carvey, Meyers, Farley, and Sandler... and then later Spade, Rock, etc.

However, I really enjoyed the Morgan, Ferrell, etc. years... There were definately some good episodes.

Now though? Good episodes are few and far between -- heck, even good skits are hard to find.

Yet, I still watch every Sat. With Tivo though, I can skip through a bad sketch.

Big Boy Laroux

i'm not saying he's bad. i think he's above average to good.

i like the guy, and hope he has a bigger role this season.

IDrinkMolson

On a semi related note, I remember hearing early in the summer that it was rumored that Ashley "lip sync-er" Simpson was going to come back for an episode to [ahem] redeem herself.

Bill Needle

Isn't it possible that many people simply do not find all of those things she does entertaining? If she did mime on the show that would be one more thing I would not miss her doing.

dadaluholla

I have to admit I did like that commercial spoof with the little vacuum robot that kept women "fresh". Thats about the only funny thing I can remember from recent shows I've watched. Maybe Merv the Perv...but that got old about as fast as that Stewart guy on MAdTv.

"It cleans my business...my lady business"

NORML54601

I haven't watched SNL in a while but have always liked Fay & Rudolph. I won't be watching this season, but would sure like to see some pics of both ladies with big bellies.

Ayre

I have been watching since its debut. Although I thought the early stuff was funny then, It is very dated now. "Land Shark" is simply no longer funny.

Something kicked in during the Will Ferrell years, I still think those are SNL's best years. After he left, the show could not recover.

SNL is nearly unwatchable.

Jadzia

I liked the "Woomba" too...the first 3 times they showed it.

pezboy

Keenan won my respect when he was McNabb's mom. Especially the line, "I like my son, but I loves my money" Great delivery.

FRwL

Heh

It used to be that SNL cast members looked down on anyone who would crack up on camera except for times when something would goof like Brendan Frasiers wig falling off with Molly Shannon in the Xena skit. Now, it seems to happen every other sketch. Disgusting...
It has to do with writing and talent - you gotta have both. A few years ago there was talent but no writing. Now their's neither.

gnradd21

I'll miss Maya this season but I won't miss her Donatella Versace. That bit was tired a couple years ago, beetch. I did like her Beyonce on the Prince show. Seth Myers or Fred Armison seem like good choices to fill in for Tina. Anyone but Horatio Sanz.

I don't get the dislike for Keenan either. He does better impressions (Cosby, Sharpton, McNabb's mom, etc.) and a wider variety of characters than Finesse and I loved his Sammy Sosa at the steroid hearings. "I hit de ball."

I hope this season they have enough good skits for an entire show, instead of just putting on another "hilarious" episode of Bear City to pad out the final few minutes.

Does anyone know who the host and musical guest are for the season opener?

dhmac

The last time the show was in such bad shape was in the early '80s right after the original Not-Ready-For-Primetime Players left in 1980. The show was completely awful for a year or two, until Eddie Murphy showed up. And then it was just awful anytime Eddie wasn't in a skit.

However, it rebounded with new casts - first for a single year when Billy Crystal, Harry Shearer, Jim Belushi and Christopher Guest were in the cast and then, after sucking for one season, it rebounded again for a roughly ten-year-run from late-1986 until mid-1995 with Jon Lovitz, Dennis Miller, Dana Carvey, Mike Myers, Chris Farley, Chris Rock, Adam Sandler, Phil Hartman and David Spade in the cast at some part over this time.

While the cast over the last 10 years hasn't been as good, it did have Will Ferrell for a number of years. But it's been a downhill spiral since he left in 2002, so maybe the show needs another comedian of that caliber to rebound again.

dhmac

Thanks. I was getting ready to have dinner, but the mere mention of "Bear City" just made me nauseous.

Bill Needle

I also give him credit for the way he handles the racist sign language jokes on WU. It's one of the only funny bits on WU any more.

the action

It saddens me that they have so many "staff writers" and "featured players" and half of the skits still suck. Lets not forget that they have a "dress rehearsal" before the actual taping to cut out the bad skits.

Amy Poehler is the only breakout person I can see in the cast and thats a long shot. Sad time for SNL, but at least its jimmy fallon free now.

Charlie Goose

Although I do dislike the F.A.N., he is not the worst cast member. It's Horatio Sanz by a mile.

With Fey out for now, and perhaps permanently if her sitcom is a hit, the writing staff should be completely flushed away. Get some writers who actually know how to end a skit.

Giantrobo

Isn't it possible that many people -DO- find those things entertaining? Hey, to each their own. I'm not forcing you to like anyone.

Giantrobo

caligulathegod

Whoa, have they EVER been able to do that? That has been a problem since the Not Ready for Prime Time Players days.

Pikul

There should be a Bear City sketch in which the citizens eat the Versace character, a straggler (as much as I like Rudolph).

Armisen and Rudolph are being held back by certain forces -- I'm positive of it. They are far more talented than the show has allowed.

Bill Needle

From the tone of your post you seemed genuinely shocked that she has a lot of non-fans. There's no ulterior motive, I just don't find her funny or all that interesting to watch. The material they choose to have her do probably bears some of the blame. The sketches she has the lead in are rarely funny. Maybe if she got on a variety show and off a comedy show she'd find her audience. Anyway, I certainly am not blaming her for SNL's lack of funny the last few years, to me she's just part of the problem.