May 13, 1995 – David Duchovny / Rod Stewart (S20 E20)

74 Replies to “May 13, 1995 – David Duchovny / Rod Stewart (S20 E20)”

1. If the my memory and the screen caps are correct, there was only ONE band shot this episode. Not quite the send off for G.E., but I don’t think he – like most of the cast – knew he wasn’t coming back next year.

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   1. Funny you should mention G.E.; here’s a bit from a recent interview he did with the TV Academy talking about how he parted ways (nee: Got Fired) from the show, but has little/no regrets about it (Caution: It gets a little Rambling for a bit before he gets to the point)

2. Always found this finale to be a bummer.. not due to being bad but it was just a real sad way to go. Overall it wasn’t a bad show, kinda wish Goodman hosted solo here instead of David, it coulda been a little more fun but it’s miles better than the 93/94 finale was.

   I had a feeling you would like season 20 better.. I came in expecting to hate it when I bought the season on DVD 5 years ago but it ended up becoming way better than I expected. I’d label it the most enjoyable of the three bad years.. year 6 isn’t that hateable either but it has way more bad moments than good ones. 11’s just boring and unfunny, I’d label it the worst surprisingly.

   I found the turnover at the end of the season surprising.. supposedly Lorne was forced to let a lot of people go, but hard to say if that’s true or not. That’s one reason why I’d love to see an unbiased book on season 20 one day. JG’s drama soured a lot of the year but from what I understand NBC just hated Farely and Sandler for some odd reason. Even GE Smith and Wilson wasn’t spared, granted Wilson was old but GE was always awesome he shoulda never been fired.

   In terms of farewells I could tell Farley wanted out by the Goodman show when he started doing digs at the season all the time, okay we got the point Chris.. he was concerned with movies and the fame by that point. Same for Spade who surprisingly was kept around, really random choice. Sandler I feel was just starting to get settled and he got axed, I honestly wish he had 1 more year on the show.. with the incoming group he coulda maybe done some interesting stuff, people accuse him of being burnt out but I’ve never seen that on any of those shows. I always felt bad for Adam, he didn’t deserve his end. Farley had done enough by then so him leaving wasn’t nothing bad.

   Nealon, McKean, Cleghorne, and the other women minus Shannon you could tell were gonna leave regardless as they had nothing else to do. Nealon stayed on a year to long, McKean was overshadowed by Elliot, Cleghorne’s steam died out, and the other girls didn’t do much. Elliot deserved better but he helped a lot more than he hurt the show, one of the best one year wonders. JG was a joke, waste of a spot.

   Jay Mohr’s the enigma.. supposedly they were gonna bring him back for the featured spot again even after the plagiarism saga, but they took to long to offer and he declined. That woulda be interesting to watch in 95 seeing how he mixed with everyone.. I kinda think he coulda worked if someone worked with him. That’s what ruined his run he just sat and never growed any like he should have, if he had some guidance maybe not, maybe he coulda done something.

   I’d def label this an ahead of it’s time season.. not many people got their style and tone that year and it didn’t 100% work sometimes in what they did but more often than not they did stuff that lasted with people, they were far from bland like say some of the late 90’s early 00’s years were.

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   1. I am confused by the story (I guess it’s from Mohr) about being asked back as a featured player. Has SNL ever had a featured for 3 straight seasons (not counting writers who are never on each week, like Franken, A Whitney Brown, etc.)? I actually think if Mohr had stayed he might have hit his stride – he’s similar to Jim Breuer, who had some good moments in his tenure, and he no longer would have been in Sandler’s shadow – but he got in his own way too much.

      I do wonder about Sandler. I agree that Farley and Spade both seem over it (Farley is so sloppy in this last episode it’s hard to watch). Sandler doesn’t seem as checked out. He is also clearly moving into a new image for himself as well as his music, so maybe he knew the goofy loudmouth persona had run its course. If he had planned to stay a few more years then got blindsided, it would help explain why he stayed away so long outside of a few cameo appearances. For me Sandler is the easiest to watch of the three (my opinion of him has softened a fair amount in my rewatches), so I kind of wish we’d gotten a season to see him with the new cast, but Sandler also seemed to be somewhat messy behind the scenes, so I don’t know if that would have gelled well with a new group…

      I agree with you that most of the people had reached a natural end, or wanted to leave, but I do wish NBC had seen if there was any way Chris Elliott would have considered one more season. He really hit his stride as the months went along, and also seemed to drop some of the cutesy self-awareness that affected his earliest performances. I think there was still some good material he could have offered. Sadly the experience was probably too toxic to consider more.

      I wish we knew whether Morwenna Banks was let go or chose to leave. She was used a pretty good amount for a new hire, so it’s not as if Lorne lost faith in her. I think she shows a great deal of potential in these four episodes – in the finale, she has three very different roles back-to-back and blends into each one with no fuss, and she’s actually very funny in that otherwise risible Ricki Lake sketch. I loved Nancy Walls and was very annoyed when the show let her go, but as she apparently was not what Lorne or NBC wanted, then I wonder if Morwenna would have ended up being a better third for Molly and Cheri.

   2. On what planet is this season finale better than the 93-94 finale? That’s unfathomable.

   3. I think if they had waited until fall to cast Morwenna Banks she would have lasted a lot longer than she did.

   4. Just re-read your comment, John. Weren’t Sandler, Meadows and Spade all featured players for three seasons?

3. Has Norm ever commented on why he wasn’t in many sketches this season? I wonder if he deliberately (or someone deliberately made him) try to focus on Update.

   I remember just absolutely hating the polar bear sketch when I saw it out of context in a repeat, but placed in the context of (whether anyone realized it or not) a closure on the Bad Boys era, it has some charm (and it’s funnier than a lot of other similar sketches of the period).

   I was okay with Farley and Sander leaving; they had done about all they could do and both had their eyes on films. I agree that perhaps a more focused Sandler had some more things to offer the show (it seemed like when he was capable of focusing this season, he was still fine). I was amused that when Sandler came back to host recently, he acted like him being fired was some horrible betrayal.

   When did Joe Piscopo turn into a weird punching bag for the show? The guy really held down the fort for a lot of his SNL tenure, yet I also remember The Simpsons taking a few shots at him as well (and he seemed pretty popular among his fellow cast members of the time). He seems kind of humorless in some of his post-SNL interviews, I guess, and I think Lorne likes to disparage the non-him years (aside from Eddie).

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   1. It doesn’t exactly help Piscopo that he hosted a… shall we say, bizarre 1-hour special on Showtime, in which he played instruments poorly, TRIED to rap, and sang a bunch of public domain songs. For the most part, however, the fact that he didn’t really have much of a career after SNL, and that even then he is remembered as merely a second banana to Murphy, is why he is ignored and even criticized then and now.

   2. Piscopo also did some not that great beer commercials and got more publicity for bodybuilding than comedy. I guess he was a very easy target, although it’s in somewhat poor taste for Lorne since he never even worked with the man. Maybe some realization of the cheap shots is why he brought Joe back for various anniversary specials.

   3. About Joe Piscopo as punching bag: others have highlighted some of the factors, and I’ll add some thoughts. For one, I always got the feeling Joe took himself a little too seriously (and the stories about how Very Serious he got about his Sinatra imitation indicate as much; I won’t even get into his current incarnation as pundit who has considered running for office). He leaned a little hard into his characters and although he could crack me up, I find myself wishing he would let the comedy breathe a little.

      Post-SNL, I got the feeling he wanted Eddie Murphy-caliber stardom, but he could never be Eddie Murphy (obviously). He did some movie work and some TV specials (I barely remember watching one on ABC, which should tell you how well it went), released a comedy album that was great when I was 13 or 14 but just doesn’t work now, and it all has a feeling of aspiration that couldn’t become results.

      And on a more basic level, he has a last name that just sounds funny, like a name you’d give a character in a sketch.

   4. Was that ABC special The Joe Piscopo New Jersey Special? I bought a VHS of it thinking that might hold some value in the future…and then I watched it. Even for 1986, it’s Piscopo leaning on established impersonations and home-state pride. I think that’s why he’s an easy target now – hitting the same beats, leaning too hard on schmaltz, and OBSESSING ABOUT NEW JERSEY.

   5. I remember those lame beer commercials Joe did. They were for Miller Lite and one of them had him playing a fat black rapper.

   6. Nothing is better than A Night At Club Piscopo. Kimberlee!

4. I feel like SNL was never quite the same after this season. I don’t know if it’s because of the new late night competition they finally had or because of how disastrous this year was, but once they did that big cast and writer turnover, the show permanently shifted.

   Once S21 started, SNL became a lot less conceptual, experimental, and writer-based. The writers still have more control over the material than they probably would have at In Living Color or MadTV, but it definitely seems different. I don’t think the show has ever done another lengthy multi-set ‘mini-epic’ after this year, but I might be wrong. And SNL has always repeated stuff (there were a ton of unnecessary retreads in this season alone) but they definitely seemed to try to have more marketable catchphrases and repeat characters after this season.

   However, that’s not an entirely bad thing. I wish the show was more experimental nowadays, but it’s not worth it if the quality of the comedy is gonna be as dire as this was. It’s a bit of a tradeoff. Like you sorta mentioned, this season has good moments, but its low points are the absolute lowest points the show has ever had or ever will have.

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   1. I agree with Ruby, I always liked when SNL would do those multi-set, mini-epic sketches. It reminds me of how 70s SNL wasn’t afraid to switch up the format. Like they wanted to take a break from being a sketch show and try something new. It really showed how creative the writers were and how much fun they had behind the scenes.

      The closet thing they’ve done to an epic in recent years was Henrietta and the Fugitive.

5. I think Dave Wilson retired. I read an interview with Beth McCarthy and she mentioned they were already hunting new directors towards the end of season 20 because they knew Dave Wilson was going to retire.

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6. Ruby, I totally agree. Although I was mostly turned off by this point (my enthusiasm had already sharply waned during the last season, and REALLY took a nosedive after Phil left), I still felt I could tune in from time to time and expect some amusement.

   Even though I was the prime age for it, man oh man, did I not gel with the Season 21 at all. And looking back at it, the writing must have been a big part of it, because I’m not unaware that Will Ferrell is a very funny human being. As you state, it’s like the whole concept of what was considered funny changed on the show. There must have been an intervention of some kind. And to this day, overall, I feel that the current show resembles season 21 far more than what came before. I mean…. Cheerleaders, Mango, Mary Catherine, anything Oteri ever did… I wasn’t having ANY of it.

   Basically, ever since, I’ve tuned in for big moments, certain hosts (like Walken), and appreciated various sketches over the years, but I have not been a regular viewer for nearly 25 years. Why am I still here?, you might ask, and it’s a fair question. Perhaps to gain a better understanding of why my brain stopped finding this show funny.

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   1. I feel like the show changed styles again (perhaps more subtly) a few years ago–there were still recurring characters (particularly at the height of the Wiig era), but there seemed to be more interest in like creating stuff that could easily go viral, like one-off parodies or songs, particularly through a heavy reliance on pre-tape. I guess more of an online-friendly approach, as they know that many viewers (including me) just watch the stuff that looks interesting on YouTube days after the airing.

   2. I think someone at the show (maybe Che?) said they had moved away from recurring characters because of the Youtube era meaning the appearances are no longer as spread out. I’m not sure. There are still some recurring characters, especially on Update, but they seem to recycle themes more than characters now. I feel like it hit a ridiculous peak in the Fey/Meyers era, and a little while after, where they would just bring characters back 500 times even if the idea barely worked once.

7. I don’t buy Jay’s story of turning down an offer to stay. Is there any corroboration aside from his “book”?
   If I’m the producer who is cleaning house, and I’ve decided a surprising new hire (Molly) and two wickedly funny vets (Norm, Spade) are worth keeping, would I also keep the guy who is irritating behind the scenes, plagiarized a sketch, and after two years still isn’t disciplined enough to bring a sketch in on time (Skittles)? No way. And if that last slot was down to Jay or Tim, I think it’s obvious why Meadows got to stay.

   I think the show’s permanent shift after this season is a simple case of the network insisting on making every one of its shows look like “Friends”… instead of scouting for talent from a variety of comedic backgrounds, they scouted faces. And then insisted on building catchphrases/personae that could be spun off into merchandise and other properties

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   1. The way Jay talks about turning down the offer in his book is odd – SNL keeps asking for more and more time to decide (into July, I believe) before he says no. It kind of sounds like they were just dragging it out hoping he’d give up so they didn’t have to officially fire him.

      Although they had no problem firing other people, so who knows. I definitely feel like Lorne would have wanted Morweena back for season 21.

8. I should clarify in my previous comment; it’s NOW obvious why Tim got to stay: he blossomed over the next 5 years; whereas Jay has just become Mr. “I was once on SNL.”

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9. To clarify: it’s NOW obvious why Tim got to stay, given how well he did from 95-2000.

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10. I think what we’ve learned here is the cliche that SNL is never as good as people say it is and never as bad as people say it is holds true. Season 20 deserves its lousy reputation, but there are certainly enough highlights for an entertaining best of show.

    I think a different commentator mentioned the Saget show as the best of the five trainwreck shows. I agree that there are five trainwreck shows this season, but for me it’s the SJP, Roseanne, Sanders, Foreman, and Reiser episodes. Saget has just enough in it to barely rise above that level for me.

    It’s interesting that people are already criticizing season 21 before we get there, especially for relying too much on recurring characters and being less experimental. From its first episode, SNL has made its bones off recurring characters and typically only gets overly experimental when it doesn’t have a strong cast with recurring characters to rely on. I hate Mango as much as anyone, but do you want “Jack the Stripper” or “Time Boxer” instead?

    Another reason we all hate season 20 is because of the imbalance in airtime between the male and female performers. Season 21 goes a long way in rectifying that imbalance, in large part due to Cheri Oteri, by far the strongest female cast member since Jan Hooks.

    I think season 21 is a very strong comeback season for SNL. Sure there’s some crap — isn’t there always? But I think a big reason why SNL is still on the air today has to do with the strength of season 21.

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    1. I agree with you that season 21 is why the show is still on the air, and that there are many good things on the way, and that it’s easier to criticize. I’ve been very critical of the late ’90s ever since…well, the late ’90s…but I know that when I rewatch I will enjoy the experience more.

       However, I have to admit I’d much rather watch Time Boxer or Jack the Stripper than Mango.

11. the tone of the show absolutely changed after this season. Maybe it’s because the stand up era was finally over after 5 years or so and returned to its Groundlings/improv roots. It could be NBC was never going to let a season like this happen again. So lots of fan friendly, non controversial characters that can make them money.
    The tone really hasn’t changed till this day.

    I remember liking this upcoming era but there is a lot of annoying characters and trends that put a damper on it somewhat

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12. I’ve mentioned it a few times but amazing that Fred Wolf survived the off season purge. He’s like the most linked writer to this season and somehow he’s not fired. It really had to have been a concession for Spade staying on another year

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13. I waited to watch this episode for the first time (minus a few bits I saw a while back) in time with your review…

    This is in many ways a typical finale, which is strange for a very, very atypical season. There are a few things that kept sticking out for me in the episode, namely how quiet the audience was in many moments, to the point of awkwardness (Kevin Nealon getting crickets after saying he was in his last episode), and also how everyone who leaves has their own moment to shine.

    Even poor Laura Kightlinger, passed over for an entire season to the point where two women who joined the show in February (!) and April (!!) had more chances, got one last Update piece (which again showed off the edge that could have helped her stand out at SNL with more time, and a little more confidence on-air). Ellen Cleghorne probably got the smallest sendoff, but was at least in the cold open, was in the Ricki Lake sketch, and was prominent in the goodnights. All the ups and downs of season 20 are tied together in a neat little bow, allowing a genuine fresh start for season 21. It’s an interesting contrast to say, season 15, a very good season that was out of nowhere kneecapped by the bitter breakup with Nora Dunn and the very reluctant exit of Jon Lovitz, casting a pall over SNL’s best years, starting season 16 off on a rocky foot, and causing real problems down the line.

    The other thing I took in was just how underused David Duchovny was throughout the night. The cold open felt like they had never even watched the X-Files but figured they could just have Michael McKean smoking in a dark room and put together a few quick jokes about the supernatural. The monologue felt a bit misleading, in that he really wasn’t THAT unknown (X-Files was taking off around this time, he’d had a memorable role on Twin Peaks, and was also the host on Red Shoe Diaries, which got a lot of press), and it almost made me wonder if the writers were a bit peeved he was hosting. The ‘interviews’ were amusing enough, but I mostly remember them for seeing that the little old lady was the same lady who appeared briefly in the Nobel prize sketch from the Dana Carvey episode (and who was Melina Kanakaredes’ grandmother on Guiding Light around this time).

    Beyond seeing Molly and David in the cold open (giving that Twin Peaks vibe…), my favorite moments was the You Think You’re Better Than Me? game show. It’s the same type of classist posturing that had been thrown around before in these years, but Duchovny does well in his one chance to act, and Naomi Campbell is charming in a cameo she seemed to genuinely enjoy. I also liked the general store sketch – it was too long, and Farley got in the way, but I liked the premise, and the way Elliott switches from cloying to vicious is absolutely perfect. This also had a good ending.

    The Jay Mohr rocker sketch would have been much better at half the running time.

    I’m surprised they didn’t just ask Burt Ward to cameo in the “Adam West” (McKean in what is my favorite SNL bit by him) appearance. Maybe someone at the show had a fetish for Duchovny in costume.

    There is a certain commitment in the polar bear sketch that I like, even if it’s not my cup of tea. I’m just glad Tim Meadows wasn’t fired, as he was one of the consistent strengths of the season, and would have deserved a better finale to go out on.

    I came into season 20 with more negative feelings than I left it with. The worst of the season, like that vile transphobic Ricki Lake sketch, is truly beyond any salvation or redemption, but the best is of a quality and freedom we would not be getting again. Just imagine all the wonderful moments in, say, the Bob Newhart episode, happening 2-3 years later. We would have instead just standing around watching the cheerleaders repeat their lines for the 500th time and watch Mango smack his backside for the 500th time. The show as a whole was certainly better, and the SNL of 94-95, if it had continued, likely would have taken the show off the air, but I still miss the rollercoaster ride – I miss those high highs. I continue to hope, often in vain, that we’ll get them again someday.

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14. I wasn’t really able to comprehend why but I’m very glad to see that others agreed that SNL was never really the same after the 1995 purge. There is a definitely a blandness that takes over but I never really hated it…and it certainly often had more of an edge at times than, say, season 8 or 9 under Ebersol….but still, even then the show was doing more experimental or lengthy pieces (often to lesser results).

    It’ll be interesting to relive some of these late 90s episodes because I haven’t seen a lot of them in years.

    Thankfully we still have Norm for a little bit because once Colin Quinn takes over, that segment will nosedive.

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15. For the next couple years, Norm’s Update is like a strange time capsule; a little piece of the old SNL sensibility that still exists on the show (which it is literally true because Jim Downey stayed on to do just that). Norm never seemed to care for or associate himself with the later cast much, even though he was technically with them longer than with the earlier group.

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16. Weren’t there new cameras or a new video set-up this season or last? Then the show went to HD in 2005 and there were further filming upgrades in 2014 (per Wikipedia) . I think these changes have affected the quality of the show, further blandifying it somehow. “The medium is the message.”

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    1. The “new” looks starts at the previous seasons Jason Patric show. You also get different changes from different directors. You really notice it during the music performances—especially with Beth McCarthy.

    2. Can’t believe nobody’s mentioned how we get a new main stage in the next episode. The 86-95 one will still be used for the musical performances for a little while, though.

17. I’m just gonna paraphrase what I mentioned years ago on a list of Silver Linings of Season 20…

    SHAMELESS PLUG, BTW: https://usefullyuselessinfo.wordpress.com/2016/08/27/mid-life-crisis-the-top-8-silver-linings-of-snl-season-20/

    A lot of people tend to say that certain seasons are bad for a number of reasons, but there’s always something close by to help defend it. Season 6’s excuse was that it was the first “New” cast after the hallowed originals left; Season 11’s excuse was that Lorne & Co were trying to get back on their feet again after being away for such a long time. Season 20 should’ve had NO excuse for sucking as bad as it did—it was an “Anniversary” season, many of the people on the show were on the cusp of becoming superstars, and it was still a place where people tuned in on a Saturday night.

    Yes, even after revisiting all of these episodes, Season 20 was still a Bad year in hindsight; but considering this was the first time I was fully exposed to the show on a regular basis, it’s pretty easy to look back not in anger, but in wondering if certain things were really that bad to begin with; There honestly were a lot of things I enjoyed about this year that unfortunately get buried among the badness, and probably Still enjoy thanks to said hindsight. I’d probably rank Season 11 among the worst of the “Infamous 3” due to a lot of misfires; and in spite of Season 6’s badness, at least they TRIED to make an effort with what little they had. 20’s badness can easily be attributed to a Toxic Writers room and “Boys Club” mentality, but thankfully that problem was easy to fix–and perhaps if it was fixed sooner, we’d probably wind up with more masterpieces that year (coulda, woulda, shoulda).

    Incidentally, a lot of things that happened in S20 eerily wound up repeating themselves in S40–but perhaps because the show was such a well oiled machine by that point, the problems weren’t as detrimental 20 years later; and if subsequent seasons after 20 & 40 taught us anything, if there’s an ebb there will always be a flow to follow it.

    Looking forward to revisiting S21.

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    1. Thanks for posting your link. I enjoyed Marisa Tomei’s episode and the second puppetry class sketch more than you did, but the seasons 20/40 comparisons leave a lot to think about. Also didn’t know some of those behind the scenes details.

18. While Duchony’s other show, also a season finale from season 23, is a better show, this has its moments. The redux of Michael not being given a prop gun made me laugh. Polar Bear Cage has achieved cult classic status. The monologue is filled with some good SNL minutiae. Marcy Klein’s only speaking role, the kid she says is David’s being played by future Will & Grace costar Michael Angarano and Louie Zakarian, who is still with the show, being asked to take part in the pre-tape.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=taTE-RqZfT0

    The first 30 seconds of this Creating SNL goes into Louie’s part of it

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    1. Angarano would also go on to play the lead in the 2005 Disney film Sky High.

19. A lot of farewell’s for this episode! 🙂

    Farewell to Michael McKean. Ah…Michael, definitely a weird hire for the show. On paper it made sense (we’re losing Phil, so let’s bring in an older, established comedy pro to play the older characters, straight-man characters, Bill Clinton, impressions, etc.)…and it just didn’t work. McKean is definitely funny and talented, but he just didn’t fit in. He stuck out like a sore thumb. It’s too bad he didn’t join the show with Shearer and Guest back in the mid 80s.

    Farewell to Chris Elliott…another somewhat established comedian pro who joined the show…and didn’t fit in either. Chris had some good stuff now and then on the show, but it’s pretty well known that he quickly soured on the experience and hated being on the show…and it showed in his performances.

    Farewell to Laura Kightlinger – Laura never got a chance, she was on a period of the show that did not allow female performers to really branch out. (Thankfully, Molly was able to break through a little bit, particularly her bit on Weekend Update in the Courtney Cox episode). Basically, Laura played Marcia Clark in the OJ sketches…and not much else.

    Farewell to Morwenna Banks – Morwenna definitely had potential, but was on the show for such a short period of time it’s incredibly hard to gauge what her legacy (if any) could have been. She was used more than I thought she was (she is actually all over this episode). It’s too bad she didn’t stick around.

    Farewell to Ellen Cleghorne – Ellen was underused throughout her tenure. This last season for her seemed particularly rough. I always liked her, she was funny.

    Farewell to Al Franken – Al’s incredibly long run as an featured player comes to an end this season. I’ll give some love to Stuart Smalley and his Weekend Update bits. A great and prolific writer for the show.

    Farewell to Jay Mohr – This is probably rude of me…but good riddance. Never cared for Jay.

    Farwell to Adam Sandler – Adam’s legacy is tough for me to assess. Honestly, as a kid, I wasn’t too crazy about his shenannigans, but going through this era again he definitely brought a lot to the show. And no doubt he was incredibly popular at the time. I would have liked to have seen him stay on an extra year instead of David Spade.

    Farewell to Kevin Nealon – I love Nealon. Definitely one of the most underrated cast members the show has ever had. Although this last season of his was a little rough (he obviously should have left with Phil at the end of 93-94 season), he was a solid performer with a unique, more subtle approach to humor than his loud “bad boys” colleagues. After seeing him in these daily reviews for so long, it will be weird to see him go.

    And Farewell to Chris Farley – Wow. There is no doubt that Chris Farley was a fan favorite. Just a huge bombastic presence on the show. Here’s where I stand…I love Chris. Now, I recognize that he derailed a bit in the last 2 seasons of his tenure (giving too broad of performances, the hamminess, the reckless abandon and unprofessionalism at times)…but I love him. He was hilarious to watch and provided some of the greatest moments in the show’s history. RIP Chris.

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20. Now my thoughts on this episode and the season as a whole.

    A rather tepid season finale, which is fitting for this season after all. Nothing here is downright terrible…but nothing all that great either. The Polar Bear sketch is a cult classic, but it is definitely odd. I agree that it is a somewhat strange but fitting ending for this era.

    I know that many argue that S20 is the worst of the trifecta of bad (S6, S11, S20) because they had no excuse and lots of veteran performers and writers, etc. I think that’s a reasonable argument, but to me, this season (as a whole) is much better than S6 or S11. I absolutely agree with you Stooge that there are more “okay to good” episodes this season than bad. That absolutely cannot be said for S6 or S11. However, the bad episodes in this season are INCREDIBLY bad (SJP, Deion Sanders, George Foreman, Paul Reiser). Some of the worst in the show’s history. So, I won’t defend this season (on the whole, it’s a trainwreck), but I’d rather watch it than anything from the other two infamous seasons.

    And I agree that going forward the show will never quite be the same (there’s a certain continuity of the show 86-95 that ties it all together; this was the era I first became aware of and started watching the show, so there’s that nostalgia elements, plus the presence of Nealon (and Phil for almost the entire era), Jim Downey as head writer, Al Franken, etc.). I’m still a big fan of the late-90s era, but it wasn’t the same.

    I am looking forward as your reviews now enter the period of the show when I was in high school.

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21. Besides G.E., the band is also losing bassist Paul Ossola, alto sax George Young, and bari sax Lew Del Gatto. Replacements: Jane Getter, Tom Barney, Alex Foster (both men returning to regular status) and Lino Gomez. Plus an exciting new addition to the band, percussionist Valerie Naranjo. Lenny gets a promotion to musical director. G.E. was valuable as the face of the SNL Band, but clearly wasn’t as invested in the final product.

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22. Here are the five star sketches from the 94-95 season:

    Quentin Tarantino’s Welcome Back, Kotter (John Travolta)
    Japanese Game Show (Alec Baldwin)
    Monologue (Bob Newhart)
    Denver Airport (John Goodman)
    Daily Affirmations (Bob Saget)

    Five sketches. Less than half as much as the previous year, but more than twice as much as the similarly derided 80-81 and 85-86 seasons. In fact, this is more than the 84-85 season, which really blows my mind (I’ll never stop chiding Stooge for this).

    Of course, the list of one star sketches from this season is probably more robust than any other, but I expect Stooge’s four-and-a-half star selections to be quite large.

    And I think that’s the book on 94-95 – wild swings in quality and for a variety of reasons. Why didn’t it work: complacent old hands, indulgent stars, poorly integrated new arrivals, bad taste, poor hosts, sloppy writing, the air of toxicity. Why did it work: vets who could hit, charismatic stars, experimental new arrivals, the quirkiness of a show in flux. I’m glad that Stooge came to the conclusions he did on this season. It’s undeniably a troubled season, but lose four or five of the worst episodes and it’s really no worse than 93-94.

    Reply

23. For anyone interested, here are all the sketches under two stars from the last five years

    Season 16
    PAYING FOR DINNER (George Steinbrenner) *1/2
    THE CIVIL WAR (Dennis Hopper) *1/2
    THE GODFATHER PART IV (Alec Baldwin) *1/2
    HIGH SCHOOL REUNION (Michael J. Fox) *1/2
    JUSTICE LEAGUE (Catherine O’Hara) *1/2
    MONOLOGUE (Steven Seagal) *
    TENELLI: ONE MAN ARMY (Steven Seagal) *1/2
    DADDY’S GIRL (Steven Seagal) *1/2
    BRACE STEELE, GREENPEACE PHOTOGRAPHER (Steven Seagal) *
    SHOUTING MOTHERS (Delta Burke) *1/2

    Season 17
    YOUNG SUPERBOY (Macaulay Culkin) *1/2
    THE ENERGY BROTHERS (Steve Martin) *1/2
    COWARDS (Steve Martin) *1/2
    VAN MORRISON CONCERT (Chevy Chase) *1/2
    KAUFMAN’S BIG AND TALL, AND SHORT AND SMALL SEPHARDIC JEW MEN’S CLOTHING STORE (Chevy Chase) *
    TALL TALES OF THE RECESSION (Roseanne and Tom Arnold) *1/2
    TAYSTER’S CHOICE SPERMICIDAL JELLY (Sharon Stone) *1/2
    TAYSTER’S CHOICE SPERMICIDAL JELLY (Sharon Stone) *
    PORNO COUPLE (Sharon Stone) *1/2
    TAYSTER’S CHOICE SPERMICIDAL JELLY (Sharon Stone) *
    BACKSTAGE (Woody Harrelson) *

    Season 18
    SWEET JIMMY, THE WORLD’S NICEST PIMP (Tim Robbins) *
    QUEEN SHENEQUA’S DARK MOMENTS IN BLACK HISTORY (Luke Perry) *1/2
    STOP THIS CRAZINESS! (Kirstie Alley) *1/2
    COLD OPENING-COFFEE TALK WITH LINDA RICHMAN (Christina Applegate) *1/2
    DR. FRANKENSTEIN (Kevin Kline) *

    Season 19
    COFFEE TALK WITH LINDA RICHMAN (Charles Barkley) *1/2
    OUT OF AFRICA (Charles Barkley) *1/2
    GARAGE SALE (Jeff Goldblum) *1/2
    HISTORY’S GREAT OVER-THINKERS (Jeff Goldblum) *
    MCINTOSH POST-IT NOTES (John Malkovich) *1/2
    COLD OPENING-COFFE TALK WITH LINDA RICHMAN (Christian Slater) *1/2
    OUT OF AFRICA (Christian Slater) *1/2
    THE VALLENCOURT BOYS (Christian Slater) *
    THE HEADLINE STORE (Christian Slater) *
    HOMEGIRLS (Rosie O’Donnell) *
    THE NFL ON FOX (Jason Patric) *1/2
    MR. INTENSE (Jason Patric) *1/2
    WHERE’S THE REST OF ME? (Jason Patric) *1/2
    FAMILY VACATIONS (Sara Gilbert) *1/2
    20 QUESTIONS WITH BRYANT GUMBEL (Sara Gilbert) *
    APOLOGY (Sara Gilbert) *1/2
    PLAYGROUND (Alec Baldwin and Kim Basinger) *
    FAMILY FEUD (Alec Baldwin and Kim Basinger) *1/2
    MICROSCOPIC ELVIS (Alec Baldwin and Kim Basinger) *1/2
    MONOLOGUE (Martin Lawrence) *1/2
    ST. PATRICK’S DAY PARADE (Nancy Kerrigan) *1/2
    DISNEY (Nancy Kerrigan) *
    BLACK RHYTHM & BLUES SINGERS TODAY (Nancy Kerrigan) *1/2
    DISNEY (Nancy Kerrigan) *
    DISNEY (Nancy Kerrigan) *
    COFFEE TALK WITH LINDA RICHMAN (Helen Hunt) *1/2
    YANKEE STADIUM OPENING DAY (Kelsey Grammer) *1/2
    SOMETHING SMELLS GOOD IN STINKVILLE III (Kelsey Grammer) *1/2
    THE HERLIHY BOY GRANDMOTHER SITTING SERVICE (Emilio Estevez) *1/2
    POKER BILLY (Emilio Estevez) *
    FLINTSTONES NAMES (John Goodman) *1/2
    COLD OPENING-COFFEE TALK WITH LINDA RICHMAN (Heather Locklear) *1/2
    L’HOMME D’ORGASME (Heather Locklear) *1/2

    Season 20
    TOTAL BASTARD AIRLINES (Steve Martin) *1/2
    THE RON WOOD SHOW (Steve Martin) *1/2
    NUT-RIFIC (Steve Martin) *1/2
    SUPER SPORTS TOURS (Steve Martin) *
    BOBBY CAMILARRI’S BRIDAL FAIR 2000 (Marisa Tomei) *1/2
    WOMAN’S SELF DEFENSE CLASS (John Travolta) *1/2
    OFFICE MATES (John Travolta) *1/2
    64TH ANNUAL NOBEL PRIZE AWARDS (Dana Carvey) *1/2
    MONOLOGUE (Sarah Jessica Parker) *1/2
    GOOD MORNING BROOKLYN (Sarah Jessica Parker) *1/2
    ALTERNATING GUITARISTS (Sarah Jessica Parker) *
    FORTUNE COOKIE FACTORY (Sarah Jessica Parker) *
    THE CASTING COUCH (Sarah Jessica Parker) *
    MUNCHKINLAND (Sarah Jessica Parker) *
    CHRISTOPHER WALKEN’S CELEBRITY PSYCHIC FRIENDS NETWORK (John Turturro) *1/2
    DR. IRA RESNICK (John Turturro) *1/2
    DR. JOSH LEVINE (John Turturro) *1/2
    THE MADONNA & TOM ARNOLD STORY (Roseanne) *1/2
    RESCUE 911 (Roseanne) *1/2
    COLD OPENING-GIFTS FOR THE MIDDLE CLASS (George Foreman) *
    MONOLOGUE (George Foreman) *1/2
    TIME BOXER (George Foreman) *
    LOOKING GOOD (George Foreman) *1/2
    FOLEY TRAINS FOREMAN (George Foreman) *
    UNCLE JOE (George Foreman) *
    THE INCREDIBLE HULK (George Foreman) *1/2
    ENTERTAINMENT TONIGHT (Jeff Daniels) *1/2
    MYSTERY DINNER THEATER (Jeff Daniels) *1/2
    GAY STRIPPER THEATER (Jeff Daniels) *
    AEROSMITH GREATEST HITS 1990-1994 (Jeff Daniels) *
    TALES OF LITTLE WOMEN (David Hyde Pierce) *1/2
    BAYWATCH (Bob Newhart) *
    MONOLOGUE (Deion Sanders) *
    MAJOR LEAGUE PLAYERS ASSOCIATION (Deion Sanders) *
    THE 1995 ESPY AWARDS (Deion Sanders) *
    JUGGERNAUT FORCE (Deion Sanders) *
    RAP CONCERT (Deion Sanders) who gives a fuck anymore? = 0
    HOT DOG FOR JASON (Deion Sanders) blaaagh = *1/2?
    SEA PARK (George Clooney) *1/2
    COLD OPENING-PRESS CONFERENCE (Paul Reiser) *1/2
    MONOLOGUE (Paul Reiser) *
    THE DAILY PLANET (Paul Reiser) *
    ROAD TO THE FINAL FOUR (Paul Reiser) *
    SPARKLEBRITE (Paul Reiser) *
    ALIENS 4: MAD ABOUT YOU ALIENS (Paul Reiser) *
    DATING IN THE NINETIES (Paul Reiser) *1/2
    ONE BROTHER (Paul Reiser) *
    O’CALLAHAN & SON (Paul Reiser) *1/2
    UNSOLVED MYSTERIES (John Goodman) *1/2
    COAL MINERS (John Goodman) *1/2
    STILES MONROE (Damon Wayans) *1/2
    CIRQUE DU SOLEIL (Damon Wayans) *1/2
    TOM JONES BRIEFS (Damon Wayans) *1/2
    RIDE HOME (Courtney Cox) *
    MONOLOGUE (Bob Saget) *1/2
    TRACK TEAM (Bob Saget) *1/2
    DANTÉ (Bob Saget) *
    BOYZ II MEN (Bob Saget) *
    PACEMAKER (Bob Saget) *

    Reply

24. Here are the average ratings for Season 20:
    *may not represent review’s perception*

    2001: 4.9 (Steve Martin)
    2002: 5.8 (Marisa Tomei)
    2003: 6.7 (John Travolta)
    2004: 6.9 (Dana Carvey)
    2005: 3.4 (Sarah Jessica Parker)
    2006: 5.4 (John Turturro)
    2007: 5.6 (Roseanne)
    2008: 7.1 (Alec Baldwin)
    2009: 4.1 (George Foreman)
    2010: 5.8 (Jeff Daniels)
    2011: 6.7 (David Hyde Pierce)
    2012: 7.1 (Bob Newhart)
    2013: 3.6 (Deion Sanders)
    2014: 6.4 (George Clooney)
    2015: 2.9 (Paul Reiser)
    2016: 6.7 (John Goodman)
    2017: 6.2 (Damon Wayans)
    2018: 6.1 (Courtney Cox)
    2019: 4.5 (Bob Saget)
    2020: 6.1 (David Duchovny)

    Best Episode: 2008 (Alec Baldwin) + 2012 (Bob Newhart)- 7.1 (tie)
    Worst Episode: 2015 (Paul Reiser)- 2.9
    Season Average: 5.6

    Reply

    1. I’m curious what Vax Novier’s list of average ratings would look like if it was ranked from best episode to worst, so I’ll do it below:

       2008: 7.1 (Alec Baldwin)
       2012: 7.1 (Bob Newhart)
       2004: 6.9 (Dana Carvey)
       2003: 6.7 (John Travolta)
       2011: 6.7 (David Hyde Pierce)
       2016: 6.7 (John Goodman)
       2014: 6.4 (George Clooney)
       2017: 6.2 (Damon Wayans)
       2018: 6.1 (Courtney Cox)
       2020: 6.1 (David Duchovny)
       2002: 5.8 (Marisa Tomei)
       2010: 5.8 (Jeff Daniels)
       2007: 5.6 (Roseanne)
       2006: 5.4 (John Turturro)
       2001: 4.9 (Steve Martin)
       2019: 4.5 (Bob Saget)
       2009: 4.1 (George Foreman)
       2013: 3.6 (Deion Sanders)
       2005: 3.4 (Sarah Jessica Parker)
       2015: 2.9 (Paul Reiser)

       I don’t do a “Biggest surprises” feature anymore for these lists, but I just HAVE to for this season, as there are definitely a few surprises:
       — Alec Baldwin equaling Bob Newhart in the highest rating average of the season. I like the Baldwin episode better than most people seem to, but even *I* don’t feel it deserves to be THAT high on the list. I was hoping the John Goodman episode would be up there.
       — I shouldn’t be surprised that an episode from this season dipped as low as the 2-point range, but I expected the lowest-rated episode of the season to be either Sarah Jessica Parker or Deion Sanders. It’s hard to argue with the Paul Reiser episode getting that dishonor, though. I highly doubt that any remaining seasons I review from here on out will have an episode with a rating average as low as 2.9. Off the top of my head, the only one I can see coming even remotely close is the January Jones episode from season 35, but even that’ll probably be in the 3 or 4-point range. Who knows, though, if there’s a yet-to-occur disastrous episode in the current season 45 or subsequent season 46 that may air before I complete this SNL project of mine.

       For fun, here are season 20’s episodes ranked from best to worst based on the “Immediate Post-Show Thoughts” that I wrote in my reviews:

       Bob Newhart
       John Goodman
       Dana Carvey
       David Hyde Pierce
       John Travolta
       Alec Baldwin
       Marisa Tomei
       George Clooney
       Damon Wayans
       Jeff Daniels
       Courteney Cox
       John Turturro
       David Duchovny
       Roseanne
       Steve Martin
       Bob Saget
       George Foreman
       Sarah Jessica Parker
       Deion Sanders / Paul Reiser (too hard to rank one higher or lower than the other, based on what little I wrote in my “Immediate Post-Show Thoughts”)

25. Here’s how the 20 seasons rank, according to the number on this site, from best to worst:
    (Ties favor the earlier season)

    1988-89 – 7.2
    1989-90 – 7.1
    1992-93 – 7.1
    1991-91 – 7.0
    1990-91 – 6.9
    1987-88 – 6.7
    1977-78 – 6.6
    1978-79 – 6.6
    1976-77 – 6.5
    1986-87 – 6.5
    1975-76 – 6.3
    1984-85 – 6.3
    1979-80 – 6.2
    1983-84 – 6.1
    1982-83 – 6.0
    1993-94 – 6.0
    1981-82 – 5.8
    1985-86 – 5.7
    1994-95 – 5.6
    1980-81 – 5.3

    This site has been awesome.

    Reply

    1. Wish I could fix my typos.

    2. Wow, all three terrible seasons are at the Bottom.

26. I never got around to doing a tally of sketches I rated four-and-a-half stars this season, as a companion piece to Carson’s list, so here they are:

    Steve Martin’s Penis Beauty Creme (Steve Martin)
    Bathroom Monkey (John Travolta)
    Larry King Live (John Travolta)
    Pepper Boys (Dana Carvey)
    Weekend Update (John Turturro)
    Stop That (John Turturro)
    Weekend Update (Roseanne)
    Multiple Personalities (Roseanne)
    Bedtime Story (George Foreman)
    Martin Luther King Day (Jeff Daniels)
    Film Beat (Jeff Daniels)
    Poetry Class (David Hyde Pierce)
    Post Office HR (Bob Newhart)
    Sports Beat (Bob Newhart)
    Weekend Update (Deion Sanders)
    Bob Swerski’s Super Fans (John Goodman)
    Weekend Update (Courteney Cox)
    His Muse Friday (Courteney Cox)
    Polar Bear Cage (David Duchovny)

    Reply

    1. Yeah just to say, powering my way through these. Not only I’d it fascinating to see the progress of SNL but also the progress of you as a writer. This season has been an epoch of you allowing your personality to come through in your writing. Three cheers for stooge, huzzah, huzzah

27. I liked this episode. I think the stark set design of the You think you’re Better than Me sketch is intentional in that it’s intended to match the working-class unpretentiousness of the contestants and the show itself. Perhaps they could have put more effort into the set design but it would not have made sense to have a flashy set for that sketch. Also I liked Molly’s performance in that sketch too.

    Reply

28. Here are my rankings of Stooge’s five star sketches from this era. I am definitely with Stooge on the first 40 or so here, after that, the mileage begins to vary. This era is just stacked, though.

    1. Cold Opening (Steve Martin) 91-92
    It’s loaded. Too loaded to deny. Great performance. Great energy. Great meta-commentary (some of it really mean too…God I miss when the show was really mean). And great little jokes throughout. The greatest cold opening and one of the biggest hits of all time.

    2. Mr. Belvedere Fan Club (Tom Hanks) 91-92
    The little cult sketch that grew. The beauty of the early-90s era is how well they put together pieces that suited the oversized casts. This weird little Fred Wolf offering gives everyone something to work with, though it’s Phil Hartman and Chris Farley (a running theme throughout this era) who add the really brilliant touches.

    3. Cold Opening (Joe Pesci) 92-93
    The best ever debate sketch – in a walk. A nice mix of pointed, silly and absurdist jokes featuring three uniquely brilliant impressions (and Nealon’s hilarious Sam Donaldson for good measure).

    4. The Chris Farley Show (Alec Baldwin) 92-93
    The essence of Farley – lovably endearing and a little bit insane. We always get so excited about Farley’s physicality (“Fatty falls down, ratings go up!”), but he was capable of doing so much with just his natural shy, goofy and slightly “touched” persona.

    5. The Sinatra Group (Sting) 90-91
    I mean, who knew that the talk show format would become so omnipresent? Hartman is laceratingly sharp here, delivering SNL’s most bilious caricature with a heaping assist to Robert Smigel, SNL’s most take-no-prisoners writer. No wonder Piscopo was so put off.

    6. Happy Fun Ball (Roseanne Barr) 90-91
    If Smigel is SNL’s sharpest satirist, Jack Handey remains SNL’s daffiest absurdist, writing pieces that absolutely soar with deadpan inanity even in text (honestly, read his sketch transcripts, they’re riotously funny). Happy Fun Ball is everything an SNL ad parody should be.

    7. The Rain People (Miranda Richardson) 92-93
    A lost classic for a number of years, I’m so glad it’s getting the respect it deserves. A pitch perfect Phil Hartman performance and a highlight from one of the era’s strongest episodes.

    8. Cold Opening (Christopher Walken) 92-93
    Ho-hum, just another absolutely crushing Phil Hartman performance.

    9. Dieter’s Dream (Miranda Richardson) 92-93
    Mike Myers has his flaws, no doubt, but who else was even considering this kind of humor at this time (besides all the dudes on Kids In The Hall)? Heady, surreal and a rich parody of absurdist German film making. This era has a reputation of being so dumb, but this is still a sketch future writers should aspire to.

    10. Amazing Time Savers (Heather Locklear) 93-94
    OK, it’s kind of an edgelord masterpiece, which explains why I was so fond of it when I was 17, but this kind of humor can still be a gut punch when done correctly. Locklear is great as a pretty but blank host banally spewing evil while Mike Myers predicts his own future over a decade in advance.

    11. An Insane Idiot and His Collection of Descending-Size Deer Heads (Harvey Keitel) 92-93
    More Handey goofery. There is something about the flat phrasing Handey uses in his writing that enhances everything.

    12. Lunchlady Land (Sara Gilbert) 93-94
    I first saw this on the Remembering Chris Farley special. There was something about the energy in this sketch that made me well up with tears – two friends sharing a moment, experiencing total goofy joy together. Farley is in impeccable form.

    13. The Cluckin’ Chicken (Sinbad) 92-93
    “Ga-ga-ga-gooey” still gets used in my household.

    14. Across the Bar (Heather Locklear) 93-94
    Kevin Nealon’s greatest gift as an SNL castmember was doing half-remembered conceptual pieces that aged beautifully. His 86-90 run is absolutely packed with them. The Update years subdue this a bit, but this late-era Nealon piece is as strong as any I can remember.

    15. Unfrozen Caveman Lawyer (John Goodman) 91-92
    Handey inanity plus Hartman smarm. A perfect pairing.

    16. History Class (Jerry Seinfeld) 91-92
    Another case study in how to solve a big cast problem. Everyone gets to step up to the plate here.

    17. Denver Airport (John Goodman) 94-95
    Meta-absurdity at its finest. I honestly think this sketch justifies Chris Elliott’s entire misbegotten season on the show.

    18. Japanese Game Show (Alec Baldwin) 94-95
    OK, get the obligatory yellow-face tsk-tsking out of the way: For shame, SNL. And now the obligatory “It was a different time” defense: It was a different time, we should have known better, but we didn’t.
    With that out of the way – this sketch is basically perfect, isn’t it?

    19. Monologue (Tom Hanks) 90-91
    SNL creates its own lore. Elliott Gould laments how much easier it seems to join the Five-Timer Club. Oh Elliott, you have no idea!

    20. Wayne’s World (Delta Burke) 90-91
    The brilliance of Wayne’s World is that they were characters that were actually funny, witty people. That’s a quality that Myers brought to so many of his characters. They weren’t weird outcasts, they were smart, worldly goofballs. Anyway, I think the pre-taped bit with Madonna is one of the show’s all-time funniest moments.

    21. The Carsenio Show (George Wendt) 90-91
    Man, was the show ever MEAN to Johnny Carson. I mean, Dana Carvey’s impression was as lovingly cartoonish as any of his caricatures, but Smigel’s writing was always filled with nasty glee. I really love all the Carson parodies, but this one, a sinister takedown of Carson’s growing irrelevance, is about the most brutal act of elder statesmen dethroning you are likely to ever see.

    22. The Love Toilet (Macauley Culkin) 91-92
    “Available at all Bamberger’s and other fine stores.”

    23. Crystal Gravy (Shannon Doherty) 93-94
    I don’t really know why this one worked so well for me, I just love the image of the turkey dipping into some transparent jelly.

    24. Partridge Family vs Brady Bunch (Susan Dey) 91-92
    A great host sketch that once again properly utilizes an oversized cast (this is a recording).

    25. Quentin Tarantino’s Welcome Back, Kotter (John Travolta) 94-95
    I’m honestly just a sucker for these kinds of mashup sketches. The writing is often quite clunky, but I’m immediately won over by the novelty. Great work by everyone in this one.

    26. Massive Headwound Harry (Linda Hamilton) 91-92
    Let’s gloss past the confusing blood on Siobhan Fallon’s sweater and just remember the moment with the dog. The best of SNL can really be broken down to tiny indelible moments. The dog part followed by Carvey’s “He must have smelled my dog” is about as good as the show can possibly get.

    27. 60 Minutes (Heather Locklear) 93-94
    Norm called performing this sketch live a vacuum of bliss. Has anyone ever bombed so defiantly in SNL’s history. Wills Ferrell and Forte obviously belong at the top, but Norm is the GOAT.

    28. Motivational Speaker (Christina Applegate) 92-93
    Blame it on ubiquity. Everything about it is absolutely perfect, I just, you know, don’t ever need to see it again.

    29. Planet of the Apes (Charlton Heston) 93-94
    Another fabulous host piece. Stooge forgot that the ensuing monologue was actually the punchline of a months-long joke. SNL sticks to the bit throughout and it’s incredibly impressive.

    30. Schmitts Gay (Michael Jordan) 91-92
    I don’t even want to see it if it’s not the original “Beautiful Girls” version.

    31. Il Cantore (Kirstie Alley) 91-92
    Carvey at his absolute slimy best. Sandler and Schneider are also great. Myers and Farley are filler.

    32. Pinky Ringery (Joe Pesci) 92-93
    Pesci was an amazing host with his willingness to play with and against type. I think I prefer the social commentary of the Bensonhurst Dating Game, but this is the stronger Pesci performance. He’s so great here.

    33. A Dysfunctional Family Christmas (Dennis Quaid) 90-91
    So much of this sketch is absolutely imprinted in my brain. Carvey steals it, but Jan’s passive aggressive song about Julia Sweeney and Hartman’s drunk dad are just as perfect.

    34. McLaughlin Group (John Goodman) 90-91
    Carvey is an absolute monster in these. Couldn’t tell you which one was best, but it never hurts to go with the first.

    35. Twin Peaks (Kyle MacLachlan) 90-91
    It’s a bit of a “you have to be a fan” TV parody, but I am and I love every second of this.

    36. Dysfunctional Family Feud (Christian Slater) 91-92
    Another Pick ’em between Farley and Hartman. Then Victoria swoops in and steals the whole thing.

    37. Daily Affirmation with Stuart Smalley (Michael Jordan) 91-92
    How much funnier is a guy on the verge of breaking, but barely holding it together than someone who just completely loses it and torpedoes the whole sketch?

    38. Chippendales (Patrick Swayze) 90-91
    Two quibbles: (1) the critiques of the sketch are fair, and (2) my heart was broken when I saw the actual live version after years of seeing the infinitely superior dress version.

    39. Stand Up And Win (Jerry Seinfeld) 91-92
    It’s interesting that SNL jabbing at bad standup has never really failed to work. This might be the very best example.

    40. Sabra Price is Right (Tom Hanks) 91-92
    Do I need to disclaimer this one? Maybe? Oh well, it’s really funny and everyone is incredibly strong here.

    41. McDonalds (Tom Arnold) 92-93
    A beloved sketch, though I prefer the nastiness of Tales of the Arkansas Highway Patrol. This one is just some light silliness. Hartman is unsurprisingly terrific, however.

    42. Elevator (Sting) 90-91
    I’m still stunned they tried to do this two other times. Or at least I’m stunned that they tried to do this with non-musicians. What the hell?

    43. Dick Clark Productions (Roseanne and Tom Arnold) 91-92
    Spade’s big break. He’s still not totally confident as a performer (that would come with Hollwood Minute), but it’s always fun to see a guy figure out how his voice can be integrated into the show.

    44. America’s Most Wanted (Michael J. Fox) 90-91
    Another great big cast sketch. Sandler as a cannibalistic Barry Williams is an inspired choice.

    45. Musicians For Free-Range Chickens (Steven Seagal) 90-91
    The first great We Are The World parody. Don’t know if it’s the best, but it single-handedly saves the Steven Seagal episode.

    46. Bill Swerski’s Super Fans (Michael Jordan) 91-92
    The quintessential Super Fans sketch, though not the funniest. These characters were always fun though. Wish the show could be this fun again.

    47. Cold Opening (Kirstie Alley) 91-92
    A big juicy story that is treated with all the absurdist disdain that SNL can muster. Once again, I miss these days.

    48. The Continental (Christopher Walken) 92-93
    I don’t know the difference between any of these sketches, but they’re all great.

    49. Chameleon XLE (Michael Keaton) 92-93
    I always found this one very clever.

    50. Soap Opera Digest (Alec Baldwin) 92-93
    Simple silliness that is bolstered by Baldwin’s unflappable buffoonery.

    51. Cold Opening (Kirstie Alley) 92-93
    Another high end We Are The World sketch. This era never faltered with these.

    52. The Mimic (Alec Baldwin) 92-93
    Great sketch, but always felt a hair or two off the pace of the rest of the 93 Baldwin episode. I prefer the French class sketch.

    53. So Long, Farewell (Heather Locklear) 93-94
    A fun curiosity accidentally made poignant by a pair of untimely deaths.

    54. Leevi’s 3 Legged Jeans (Linda Hamilton) 91-92
    I like this one, but its leagues behind another prominent jean ad parody from this period.

    55. All My Luggage (Susan Lucci) 90-91
    Nothing much on paper, but I can’t think of too many live sketches that killed this hard.

    56. Carl’s Quik-Stop (George Steinbrenner) 90-91
    Top drawer host sketch, although the entire episode keeps hitting a similar note.

    57. Total Bastard Airlines (Helen Hunt) 93-94
    Definitely tapped into something in the ether at the time. A fine encapsulation of Spade’s snark a half second before it turned into apathy.

    58. Campaign ‘92 (Kiefer Sutherland) 91-92
    It aged like milk, but in a vacuum, it’s a very strong piece.

    59. Sexy Cakes (Patrick Stewart) 93-94
    I always liked this as an underrated favorite. Stewart is great, but I don’t know if I see it as super elite.

    60. Bag Boy (Charlton Heston) 93-94
    Another underrated favorite. Heston’s awkwardness is a bit distracting.

    61. Mouse Trap Seminar (Patrick Swayze) 90-91
    I love sketches where everyone is a different kind of dumbass. Some interesting characterization choices in this one.

    62. Daily Affirmations (Bob Saget) 94-95
    The great forgotten Stuart Smalley sketch. Saves the Saget episode.

    63. Ed Glosser, Trivial Psychic (Christopher Walken) 92-93
    A simple sketch, but rock solid. It’s amazing how quickly SNL tapped into Walken’s appealing weirdness.

    64. Hidden Camera Commercials (Linda Hamilton) 91-92
    Fabulous performance by Farley. The premise is rail thin, though.

    65. Monologue (Kirstie Alley) 92-93
    A parody is always funnier than a cameo.

    66. Monologue (Kirstie Alley) 91-92
    See?

    67. Game Beaters (Tom Hanks)
    Easily the best Mr. Short-Term Memory sketch, for what that’s worth.

    68. Pumping Up with Hanz & Franz (Patrick Swayze)
    I don’t know if this is the best Hanz & Franz, but undoubtedly very good.

    69. Of Mice and Men (John Malkovich) 93-94
    I like the meta ending and there’s a lot to really enjoy here, but I can think of a handful of 93-94 sketches that didn’t get five stars that I would easily rank ahead of this one.

    70. Superman’s Funeral (Sinbad) 92-93
    Another strong big cast sketch. I never saw it as elite, but I have no quibbles with this one.

    71. The Boulevard of Broken Balls (Christopher Walken) 92-93
    The final Mike O’Donaghue piece. Walken does a terrific job. The material is fine and I like that it’s a change of pace, but I don’t think it’s an especially brilliant piece.

    72. While the City Sweeps (Kirstie Alley) 92-93
    Another lovely Tom Schiller piece that only loosely registers as comedy.

    73. The Global Warming Christmas Special (Tom Hanks) 90-91
    So many pieces of this that I love, but I can’t really remember a single thing once its over.

    74. Chia Head (Jimmy Smits) 90-91
    Is this the quintessential “SNL in 1990” piece?

    75. Baby Names (Nicolas Cage) 92-93
    Cage is very strong in this merely pretty good sketch.

    76. Monologue (Jerry Seinfeld) 91-92
    And how about those airline peanuts?

    77. Monologue (Macauley Culkin) 91-92
    Always found Culkin extremely off-putting as a kid. Listened to his recent WTF interview and still found him off-putting.

    78. Kiddie Metal (Kiefer Sutherland) 91-92
    Sandler is fantastic here, but this is some low-hanging fruit sketch writing.

    79. Il Cantoria (Kirstie Alley) 92-93
    Let’s re-do a classic Dana Carvey sketch, but this time…without Dana Carvey? No thanks.

    80. Mustang Calhoun (Dennis Quaid) 90-91
    Haha, OK. I don’t even know what to say about this.

    81. The Lenny Wise Show (Jerry Seinfeld) 91-92
    Man, Stooge liked that Seinfeld episode, huh?

    82. Permanent Positions (Jerry Seinfeld) 91-92
    Well executed, but kind of lame. MAN, Stooge LOVED that Seinfeld episode.

    83. Monologue (Bob Newhart) 94-95
    I adore Newhart, but I always remembered this as a pretty major bomb akin to the Monty Python rehash a couple seasons later.

    Reply

    1. Just wanted to bump the above to make sure more people could see Carson Mills’ list as it’s so wonderfully detailed and reminds me of Stooge’s highlights of those five seasons. I’m reminded of some great stuff…and also that many of my favorite sketches never got five stars, or close.

    2. Thanks for the shout out, John! You rule.

29. I got bored so I thought I’d make another list ranking each of the first 20 seasons’ worst episodes – from best to worst. I don’t know if this says anything about each season’s strength or consistency, I’m just interested in how it’ll twist the rankings. So here’s the Weakest Link Rankings:

    1. 1988-89: Geena Davis (6.5)
    2. 1992-93: Tim Robbins (6.2)
    3. 1991-92: Steve Martin (5.8)
    4. 1987-88: Justine Bateman (5.7)
    6. 1986-87: Bronson Pinchot (5.6)
    . 1989-90: [tie] Quincy Jones & Andrew Dice Clay (5.6)
    8. 1976-77: Dick Cavett (5.4)
    . 1983-84: [tie] DeVito/Perlman & John Candy (5.4)
    10. 1977-78: 2nd Buck Henry (5.3)
    . 1984-85: Pamela Sue Martin (5.3)
    11. 1979-80: Burt Reynolds (5.2)
    12. 1975-76: Louise Lasser (5.1)
    13. 1982-83: Beau & Jeff Bridges (5.0)
    14. 1990-91: Steven Seagal (4.9)*
    15. 1981-82: Robert Culp (4.8)
    16. 1985-86: Teri Garr (4.7)
    17. 1993-94: Nancy Kerrigan (4.5)
    19. 1978-79: Milton Berle (4.2)
    . 1980-81: Deborah Harry (4.2)
    20. 1994-95: Paul Reiser (2.7)

    Same 2 seasons top the list.
    Surprised to see more mixing among the first 10 seasons. More surprised at the hike in season 9 (83-84).
    * Season 16 (90-91) had the biggest difference of all seasons between 2nd worst and worst scores (Jimmy Smits, MJ Fox, & Delta Burke tied at 6.2), which explains this drop in rank.
    As long as this year is showing us the worst in everything else, Paul Reiser is the “twenty-twenty” of the list. Get it?

    Reply

30. I think S20 was the worst of the famous (or infamous) three awful seasons. Here are my rankings:

    1. Season 20
    2. Season 6
    3. Season 11

    S20 was a bigger letdown than the other two because it had veteran cast members with well-known performers joining them, but being misguided by terrible writing and, at times, several questionable hosting choices.

    S6 had the misfortune of following the first five years, while S11 was supposed to be Lorne’s big comeback, but it was doomed by a poorly put together cast that didn’t mesh with the writers.

    Reply

    1. I think Season 20 is undoubtedly the biggest disappointment, but in terms of which of the three seasons I would roll the dice on to actually make me laugh, it’s Season 20 in a walk.

    2. @Carson Which of the worse seasons would make you laugh the least? I will say there were some good moments in S20 that were good, but not a lot.

    3. I think Season 20 has the highest and lowest ebbs. Season eleven highest the highest lows and the lowest highs (if that makes any sense at all). Basically, it falters less, but it doesn’t really do much to excite me. Season 6 is a fascinating watch, kind of like doing homework. It’s a miserable season, but in the most intriguing way. It’s two successful episodes (Black and Murray) represent a sort of “what if?” alternative history of the show, but even those best moments are just funny in a “yeah, that’s pretty good for the time” way.

31. Hey all, I haven’t done one of these for a while. Here are my 10 favorite sketches that Stooge did NOT give five stars too. It’s an interesting list, but one that was easier to pare down than my two lists in the 80s because Stooge dished out far more five star sketches here. There are simply less underrated sketches to be found during this era. That said, I opted to not put too many 4.5 star sketches like French Teacher, Transit Workers or Polar Bear Cage. As much as I love them, I’m not super incensed they didn’t get the five stars I’d want to give them. While this list is still largely 4.5 star pieces, I wanted to draw more attention to sketches that deserved a little more love (or a second opinion) too.

    1. Bad Idea Jeans (Kyle MacLachlan) 90-91
    The early 90’s kicked off with a strong of absolutely killer ad parodies (Happy Fun Ball, Schmitt’s Gay – none better than the ad parody from the era’s very first episode. Utilizing both senior cast members and, at the time, nameless writers (David Spade and Bob Odenkirk). The result is a really interesting range of tones and voices (and the one chance for Odenkirk to really shine as a performer) that immediately captures the changes afoot in the new era. It’s also hilarious, knowingly taking aim at a timely trend in a way that still holds up today.

    2. Charles Kuralt (Kelsey Grammer) 93-94
    Norm’s growth on the show was steady and reliable – from standout appearances in audience Q&A monologues to his own Update commentaries to scene stealing minor roles – but there was no preparing anyone for this. Whenever I see someone expressing disdain for Norm, it always seems like they gloss over the fact that, when committed, he was an incredible sketch comedy pro. Yes, his persona and his WU years are the main driver, but he could tear into a meaty role as well as anybody. This solo piece was Norm’s first shot across the bow – a fully committed and contained performance, undergirded with terrific writing and fearless pacing.

    3. Bob Swerski’s Quiz Masters (Chevy Chase) 91-92
    The 91-92 season is the holy grail of game show sketches with Stand Up And Win and Sabra Price Is Right holding their rightful place as the best of the best, but the season actually boasts a trifecta of five-star worthy game show sketches. Bob Swerski’s Quiz Masters is a masterful recontextualization of these consistently hilarious characters and, for my money, joke-for-joke the best of the whole series of sketches.

    4. The First Black Harlem Globetrotter (Michael Jordan) 91-92
    OK, I’ll admit that there are a couple of draggier moments in this one, but that can be a product of ambition, which is always good, and conceptually it’s just about perfect. The 91-92 is a peculiar anomaly of a season during the lilywhite boys club era – boasting a (relatively) diverse cast, including six women, the most the show had ever had up to that point and the most it would have for over 20 years. Of course, in terms of on-screen representation, it didn’t quite work out that way, but for a brief while, SNL had a far reaching cast that could really play with some bigger topics. The Michael Jordan/Public Enemy is dripping with the kind of excitement of a show that not only was long-established as very good, but all of the sudden hip and current. Some sketches have Jordan playing up his image (Stuart Smalley, the terrific monologue) and some have him merely existing among the madness (The Super Fans). The First Black Harlem Globetrotter is the only piece that really constitutes something more than that, as a cheeky satire of the absurdity of old racial norms. Strong performances abound and the writing is sharp, even if the material with Ellen Cleghorne and Phil Hartman could have used some trimming. Still, I could watch that lame, all-white Harlem Globetrotters passing drill footage for days.

    5. Bad News (Miranda Richardson) 92-93
    The Miranda Richardson episode might go down as a top five all time favorite episode for me. Between the pieces we know and remember (Dieter’s Dream, Russell Simmon’s Def Magic Show Jam, Eager and Jones), there are slightly less well remembered classics (The Crying Game vs. Pat) and one absolute deep cut masterpiece (The Rain People), but the one sketch that puts the episode over-the-top is Bad News, a pitch perfect British comedy style piece for Mike Myers (before he sapped the joy out of the trope). Bad News doesn’t totally fit in with our idea of 90s SNL, but it is emblematic of the range the cast was capable of. Bad News is clever and writerly, providing a unique pace for the show’s era and another example of the sheer dynamic range of the brilliant, perfect Miranda Richardson episode.

    6. Tales of the Arkansas Highway Patrol (John Goodman) 93-94
    A sneering, mean-spirited kick in the nuts of a dirtbag president. SNL’s history of presidential lampooning is spotty at best. From the funny but facile (Ford, Bush 1) to the pointed but inept (the early Reagan years, Bush 2, Trump), but Tales of the Arkansas Highway Patrol gets its laughs by wielding a shiv. This is SNL at its most “fangs out” politically and a terrific swan song for both Hartman and Hooks, who are absolutely magical in their final scene together. The knives were still out for the Clintons thanks to a few more years of Norm at the Update desk, but Hammond’s fun but charm-forward Clinton always managed to mask some of the darkness. When mouth-breathing conservatives say the show can’t go after liberals, show them this nasty piece.

    7. Tater Junction (Sara Gilbert) 93-94
    More Farley/Sandler/Spade tomfoolery that I’m simply too sentimental to dismiss. Yeah, it’s a dumb drag sketch, but the work these three do here is closer to Kids In The Hall than anyone is willing to admit. Full credit, they’re all actually playing characters here, even if those characters are little more than the guys playing themselves as women. The whole thing is a fun vibe punctured with a couple hard laughs.

    8. Inaugural Speech (Jason Patric) 93-94
    A little time capsule of the era, but if you remember the source material, you remember how absolutely PERECT it was to see Chris Farley playing Rudy Giuliani’s son. I know audience tolerance for “Farley being Farley” sketches diminished by the end of 94, but this captures one of those great final moments of his boyish rowdiness.

    9. Dog Run (John Goodman) 92-93
    I wanted to rep for at least one sketch from the 94-95 season. There are obviously better sketches from the season than this one, which is honestly a very silly, stupid sketch. But even if the episode has stronger, smarter pieces, it’s a good representation of how much fun the Farley/Sandler group really could be. Because they were my childhood guys, I was always quite forgiving of their indulgences. Whereas, even less than a decade later I wanted to jump through my screen to choke out Fallon and Sanz. I think nostalgia is a big factor, but I also think both Farley and Sandler had an absolutely unique connection to SNL’s sense of play. This is a minor sketch in an extremely underrated episode, but it always made me laugh in kind of a pure, instinctive way. Just Farley and Sandler goofing around – that was heaven to me as a kid.

    10. Pat Crying Game (Miranda Richardson) 92-93
    While I by no means think that Pat is a great character in and of itself, I wanted to end this list with a shout out to this era’s impressive ability to evolve some of their most one-dimensional characters beyond their original conceits. The 92-93 season does an amazing job injecting new life into characters like the Richmeister (makin’ copies with the Waco cult) and especially Pat, who is given countless fresh avenues now that all the tired tropes were exhausted in the previous season. This blackout, the last official It’s Pat sketch, is a favorite of mine – a perfect confluence of SNL and the cultural moment.

    Reply

    1. If you haven’t seen the second season of BlackAdder, check it out for Miranda Richardson’s performances as the mad Queen Elizabeth. Tough to top a cast featuring Rowan Atkinson, Hugh Laurie, Stephen Fry, Tony Robinson, Tim McInnerny, etc.

32. Well everyone, as I found myself alone this Valentine’s Day I decided what my weekend needed was to be even sadder, so I finally sat down and watched S20, which I’ve long avoided. To mirror what every else has already said, it’s certainly not as bad as everyone makes it out to be, and has it fair share of classic sketches, but man are the lows LOOOOOOW. So low, in fact, I decided I’d rank what I personally consider to be the 20 worst sketches of season 20.

    1. Ride Home (Courtney Cox)
    While lot of this list can be written off as Sandler, Wolf & co dicking around/phoning it in, this feels like Elliott (& maybe McCulloch & McKinney? Not sure who was involved in the writing) genuinely going for something, which makes its spectacular failure all the more sad to witness. I guess its fitting a wildcard like Elliott would have the best and worst sketch of the season, as I think, outside of Norm’s Update being a consistent saving grace of each episode, Denver Airport is the best thing you’ll find in Season 20 (and as I said, this season has it’s fair share of highlights). SNL has gone down this particular offensive well before many times, and has arguably treated the material more offensively, but never so uncomfortably or realistically (even, as Stooge said, with McKinney in drag) which, for sketch comedy purposes, is ultimately an even worse sin. The ending is pretty awful too (though the worst ending of the season is easily “the devil gets kids to agree to let him rape them”, which tanks a sketch I otherwise don’t mind too much.)

    2. Casting Couch (Sarah Jessica Parker)
    Pretty much repeat what I said about “Ride Home”. That’s only ranked lower because I have no idea how Lorne let a SECOND sketch THAT uncomfortably rape-y on air, both of them with NO laughs, in a season already getting flack for being needlessly offensive.

    3. Fortune Cookie Factory (Sarah Jessica Parker)
    Mike Myers was a big comedic influence on me growing up, so man did it hurt to watch him in Season 20, showing up twice a night, once to play a brand straight man, the other time to play a shitty stereotypical Asian character (okay, his Ito wasn’t stereotypical, but it was lazy). Oh, and man is that Confucius ending just horrible.

    4. Juggernaut Squad (Deion Sanders)
    Man, its crazy how much comedy there is based on the idea that rape is hysterical when it happens to men. Especially disgusting when Elliott comes back for more (ughhh) and the other rape victims make fun of him because “har har homo”.

    5. Gay Stripper Theater (Jeff Daniels)
    Speaking of “har har homo”.

    6. Sparklebrite (Paul Reiser)
    One of those sketches you baffle at its mere existence. Two ad execs are uncomfortable with interracial dating. And that’s the whole sketch? Maybe you could have made this work (with better writing) in season 1, but by 1995 it just feels outdated and offensive for no reason.

    7. The 1995 Espy Awards (Deion Sanders)
    Legend has it this sketch is STILL going on. No one knows, as no one has ever been able to finish it.

    8. Uncle Joe (George Foreman)
    Poor Kevin. The energy in this one is more dead than Generalissimo Francisco Franco (ok that was lame but still more identifiable as a joke than anything in this sketch).

    9. Road To the Final Four (Paul Reiser)
    Once again, poor Kevin. Obviously offensive, but honestly I’ve excused similarly offensive material as satire if the writing was strong enough. And boy is that not the case here.

    10. Boyz II Men (Bob Saget)
    One of the most stunningly pointless sketches of all time. The male cast members come out and sing a Boyz II Men song while the female cast fawn over them. And that’s literally all you got? And this made it to air?

    11. Pacemaker (Bob Saget)
    The absolute nadir of Spade’s sarcastic dick schtick.

    12. Foley Trains Foreman (George Foreman)
    The original Matt Foley sketch is maybe my favorite SNL sketch of all time, so man does it hurt to see this character bomb so hard (and Farley’s performance of him be so weak).

    13. Baywatch (Bob Newhart)
    I’ve never seen a full episode of Baywatch, but I doubt that would change my opinion of this much.

    14. Major League Players Association (Deion Sanders)
    If you want to watch Deion Sanders get a metaphorical blow job for 5 minutes this is the sketch for you. Otherwise, avoid.

    15. 64th Annual Nobel Prize Award (Dana Carvey)
    Your typical awful overlong SNL award show sketch, with some brown face thrown in to drain what little dignity it had. Also a blight on Carvey’s otherwise perfect episode (unlike Stooge, I really like Made Up Stories).

    16. Munchkinland (Sarah Jessica Parker)
    Wasteful and dumb. That’s all that’s ever been said about this sketch, and all that’s needed.

    17. Good Morning Brooklyn (Sarah Jessica Parker)
    This plays like an idiot’s idea of what sketch comedy is. The second installment still sucks, but Courtney Cox at least makes for a much better co-host than Parker, and there’s a lot less dead air there. Still shows how few good ideas Jay had for the show if he brought this back after how it went the first time.

    18. Monologue (Paul Reiser)
    Paul Reiser is one of the worst professional stand ups I’ve ever seen. He rushes past every punchline, justifiably unsure if his weak material will land. It says a lot that the typically lame “questions from the audience” portion of this monologue is a considerable step up. One of two awful stand up monologues this season, with Saget’s barely not making the list (also not on the list from that episode, “Dante”, which is a guilty pleasure, maybe because it was included on Farley’s best of so it was one of the first sketches I ever saw, as my intro to SNL was the Farley best of and the first 2 Ferrell best ofs.)

    19. Dueling Guitarists (Sarah Jessica Parker)
    The only thing worth laughing at in this sketch is how damn lame it is.

    20. Rap Song (Deion Sanders)
    Peace, we outta here.

    Reply

33. My 2 biggest takeaways from watching S20:
    1. I kind of knew to expect this going in, but compared to the current bland season it really is crazy just how MUCH better and how MUCH worse S20 is in comparison.
    2. I feel like if the OJ trial happened in any season from the 90’s, we’d have a ton of great sketches inspired it. The best we got here were the Johnny Carson / My Cousin Vinny sketches. I like those a lot, especially the My Cousin Vinny one, but A) I know for the trial of the century (where so much dumb shit happened) SNL can do better than “what if this famous person was in the trial?” & B) Season 21 was able to immediately top those. However, its all worth is for OJ coinciding with Norm stepping into Update. Speaking of which, dis you guys know Norm & Kato Kaelin were later best friends for a little?

    Reply

    1. Haha, Jesus Tony, this is why you proofread. I’m absolutely floored at the amount of typos in my OJ comment.

34. Still shocked that Fred Wolf actually survives the mass exodus firings and returns for s 21. Like I think I mentioned before it had to be a concession for Spade staying on to help the transition. I mean what else…

    Reply

    1. Not only did he survive, he was promoted!

    2. I wonder how much of my list he was behind.

35. Totally ridiculous that the show didn’t bring Morweena back. One of the most asinine casting decisions SNL ever made. Who knows if she would’ve worked out, but the lady deserved a friggin chance. Four episodes is an absurdly short amount of time to “prove” yourself on SNL. And it’s not like she bombed in any of her appearances or anything.

    Reply

36. If I’m not mistaken, that first Chris Elliott scream in the monologue – the one that Duchovny thought was Molly – is the exact same Ned Flanders scream clip from “Bart of Darkness.” When the police show Ned the body of his wife, err houseplant.

    Reply

37. Wow, an all-time great Update joke there!

    “Violent crime is down in New York City, with only 384 murders so far this year. ‘Only’ 384 murders?! You ask me, that’s still 307 too many.”

    Reply

38. A season I come back to all the time. Why? Probably because it’s the last time SNL ever really truly paid any consequences for a “bad” season. I mean, no doubt about it, this season shows all the mistakes Lorne usually makes that…for the MOST part, he’s gotten better about. No doubt about it, the show relies on the strengths of good and versatile sketch performers, that’s just how it’s built out. It’s fun to hire people like Sandler and Spade who are probably good standups in their own right but it becomes pretty apparent how useless they end up when the heavy hitters like Hartman and Carvey walk out the door. They’re pinch hitters. Fun for an episode, bad for a long-term stretch. Featured was really their instrument, their first success, and it’s no accident. It’s pretty hard to exhaust an audience when you’re down in the trenches. As they moved up the rungs it was pretty apparent how limited they were in their capacity to do EVERYTHING on the show. Farley kind of broke that stereotype, he had more talent than just being a screaming fat guy, but the writers abused him (and he had no internal instincts himself to recognize a truly shitty idea – don’t do drugs, kids. Cocaine will make you do Matt Foley to the point of insanity.)

    Star fucking and star grabbing is also a lazy claim at relevance that Lorne tried instead of just acknowledging the problem he saw that brought the likes of Chris Elliott and Janeane on in the first place and just doing the overhaul right then and there. It’s cool, I guess, for the audience to be entertained by their status like little babies and shiny baubles but people are smarter than television gives them credit for. I should know, as people, I’m no genius but I know a shit-tier effort when I see it. The whole point of SNL is that it’s supposed to be an ensemble show, talent playing off of talent. Way back in season 2, Chevy left, to much reluctance on Lorne’s part I’m sure, but it was the right idea. When the show is dependent on one person it lives and dies on their success alone and unless you’re Eddie Goddamn Murphy, you can’t really sustain that, no carbon-based life-form really can. The show still tries anyways, ad-nauseam, and the idiot crowd still tries to pull it in that direction with people like Kate McKinnon and whatnot, but the lesson is there to be internalized from season 20 regardless of whether they actually do or not. A person’s status, success, or skill (and I use that term very liberally as it encapsulates people like Trumpwin who are there to bring on literally any viewers who breathe through their mouth enough to be entertained by just seeing famous people on their television) does not compensate for larger, more structural problems with a show like Saturday Night Live. Lorne tried to plug up all the holes but it was a denial. God knows, I love people like Chris E. but he was used as a tool, and poorly at that. It’s still sad to this day when the show becomes overly-reliant on people with credit because it’s an aberration of the run of a show that is dependent upon and prides itself on finding names before they become well-known. Unlike this season, the show doesn’t really suffer for it, so, there’s not much of a deterrent.

    There’s also an uncomfortable amount of rape and gay material that makes one question the humor and joy any writer or cast member found in it in the first place. It’s one thing to say “it’s 1994, before common sense was invented” but hoooooly shit does it continue at least for the next, I don’t know, 20 years, at least. That’s embarrassing. The show should be embarrassed about that. Lorne and the crews of those eras should really do public apologies or at least recognition of some sort about what fucking awful horseshit those sketches and moments were and how they were all on too many drugs (or in the case of the 2000s, whatever people did for fun then) to recognize what shit it was back in their time. They’re probably afraid that reminding people would jeopardize their careers but principles do still exist even in this godless time we hurtle through. Sometimes it has premise, and I can see where they were trying to go with a particular idea like Pat or Lyle. Those seemed at least conceptual. But far and away, most of it seemed like the dick-waving-around Straight Pride fest that so many Americans clamor for. Maybe this is a point that doesn’t deserve such a big paragraph but I just remember watching this show in 2010, when I was in high school (everyone’s prime SNL watching years) and seeing one premise after another of “THEY’RE TWO MEN” and thinking of how truly alienating that bullshit was. How it was a mystery that it wasn’t paired with a song and dance about how they had no actual ideas for that week. Season 20 was a great learning moment and a good time to associate homophobia with nationally panned television. It’s a shame SNL missed that boat but then again, I guess most of comedy wouldn’t get on board for the next eternity anyways.

    And the recurring characters. The recurring jokes. The whole charade of doing live television and then repeating a series of beats week after week after week after week. If you fire a whole bunch of performers and writers for getting old hat and then hire an entirely new slate just so they can do a slightly newer old hat, then honestly, what’s the goddamn fucking point? If I were a famous mediocre comedian, I’d be indignant, I’d be outraged at the recursive bullshit NBC is doing. Instead I’m just an obscure mediocre comedian, relegated to innocent, out of use message boards like this. I’m sorry, everyone reading this. Anyways, have they made up their mind on their policy regarding recurring characters? Because it seems like the producers don’t mind them so long as they’re the RIGHT recurring characters. Which really seems like a needling point of contention. Not that people like Jay Mohr deserved much of a second chance anyways, but you can always fire an idea or concept when it comes to television. For some reason, after this season they really tried to use the poison as the antidote. And it’s probably hit or miss anyways, but for some reason it hits harder when the show is bad but not quite the nuisance it would become in subsequent years (see: Chris Kattan, Kristen Wiig, and Fred Armisen. I welcome your boos, I cherish them). The whole time leading up to this shitshow, the atmosphere is to really praise pieces like Wayne’s World and the virtues of having a popular sketch comedy idea that can be profitable. And lord knows, Lorne has had this cancerous train of thought for a long, long time, even bothering the likes of Laraine Newman for having a lack of recurring characters. (The man didn’t want to be Carol Burnett, but come on now, you’re turning into Carol fucking Burnett) The whole problem is that once you’ve shown the audience where the rabbit is it’s hard to show it to them again. Season 20 tries, sparingly, to put new in with the old but it’s just a problem conceptually too. Just because you give your snooty receptionist a thousand different names doesn’t mean you’re actually playing different people. This is where people like Carvey and Hartman are really under-appreciated because they have a bag of tricks they can go to while keeping the bag concealed. That takes real talent, real discipline, and even in the face of cancellation, the lesson goes unlearned. That’s why I prefer this season to the ones I grew up with like, say, season 35, because at least when people got burnt out and tried to repurpose the same old bullshit, they paid the price. It’s cathartic.

    Those couple years after Obama’s election, my first chance to really enjoy the show because of nostalgia – all marred because the mentality of doing as little work as you can get away with thrived during that period. It was a death march, in my eyes, but, the network didn’t seem to take issue with it. No one really did. I mean I’d fire Andy Samberg, I’d fire Kenan Thompson, I’m sure that isolates me from a lot of different people posting here. It’s one reason I don’t really watch the show that much anymore, it just burnt me out to go through one Dooneese after another. It saps the enthusiasm to catch it live. Why not wait for it to be posted online? The show seems resigned to that fate and it’s heartbreaking because the history of what a great show this was still lives on. (The other reason I don’t watch as much anymore is petty self-involved bullshit and pretty much shelving one’s own ambitions to get on the show. I’m only a month older than Pete Davidson but seeing him get on and knowing the person they passed over for him, a really talented impressionist and character actor, about ten years his senior – really just shows me that Lorne and the management of the show are really just still entranced for whatever reason with having flashy stupid bullshit on the show. Pete’s a talented comedian, but sketch comedy was really not meant to be his medium. The show can still be like what it was but it takes faith in utility players. Sometimes the show learns that lesson from the early 90s and other times it seems like they try to manufacture interest with some synthetic idea of what they think it should be rather than what it could be.)

    So that’s what I’m left with to say, after all this rambling crap, I watch this season like my own personal Zapruder film. Why? Because I like the actual Zapruder film but violence traumatizes me. Bad sketch comedy is a national tragedy one can sit through without having to go to a therapist afterwards. And like I spent a long time belaboring, they did a shit job, they got shitcanned. Lord knows how you transition to Will Ferrell after that. He can be appreciated but it takes a long time focusing on him and a lot of forgiveness and frankly a lot of intentional blindness. He’s someone who really would do well with a smart writer like Smigel or Conan or Odenkirk if they weren’t all otherwise occupied. Point being, the show really “evolved” to a stage where I can’t tell what evolution is. Did the comedy get better? Did the executives soften? Did rape victims learn to laugh through the tears? Seriously, how was this considered the last bad season? The last season worth a shakeup. (And don’t give me that season 31 bullshit, it doesn’t count, it’s not the same) Lorne really shows an aversion to doing anything too rash, to firing people, to replacing people all at once, but it’s to the detriment of the show. This season was an abortion but people did learn to put faith in the new crew (faults and all, they carried themselves with courage and strength) and now it seems like whenever we find a good moment or good person it just goes on and on until it turns orange. Quite literally, yuuuge problem. People aren’t meant to stay on that show for NINETEEN GODDAMN YEARS, it’s an ensemble, it’s an institution, and when one element is over exaggerated or over stayed it steps all over everything else. It’s a real selfish spirit and it’s demoralizing to see it encouraged. Of course, some are gone before their time, like say Sarah Silverman or Tim Robinson. But just because some people don’t get their just due, doesn’t mean we need people treating this like college and then grad school and then residency. Leslie Jones was maybe the last person they had who got to leave of her own accord on a more than reasonable tenure. Then again, 5 years is a longer period of time when you’re in a smaller group and you have a lot more to do. Maybe the show should go back to that but god knows they never will. No sense in it, no profit in an already dying medium of live tv and sketch comedy. The show is better these days than it was 12 years ago, but you still get the sense that it’s trying to kill itself even though it’s gone past season 20. It’s gone past the point of death.

    Reply

39. Hey, Remember Me! (Sure ‘ya do)…

    Just taking a moment to step out of message board seclusion to tell you about an Episode of my Podcast that showcases (what I feel) are my Personal worst sketches of Season 20…A lot of it is just my old blog re-configured; and if you’ve read that years ago, you’ll know what to expect. If not, I hope this lays down the exclamation mark on Season 20 once and for all (and I even name drop this page)…

    https://telehell.libsyn.com/episode-101-the-worst-of-snl-vol-2-season-20-1994-95

    If you like what you hear, feel free to give our other 100 episodes a try…enjoy!

    Reply

    1. Wow. This may be the first time a comment I left on this blog was discussed on a podcast! I’m flattered that you thought it was worth sharing. Hearing it back, I feel like I could’ve worded it better, but hey, I’m just theorizing about a half-assed Season 20 sketch. It’s nothing of monumental importance.

       I applaud your bravery in picking the worst sketches from this season, since there were so many awful ones to choose from. And you didn’t even touch the Deion Sanders episode!

       And since you were curious, no, I’m not Ian Fermaglich; I’m a different Ian. My first name alone usually distinguishes me when I post stuff on the internet, but I guess in this community, it’s not that simple. I’m the same guy who left a comment trying to defend/explain the Alternating Guitarists sketch from the Sarah Jessica Parker episode, so perhaps I spend more time than I should trying to understand what went wrong when a sketch bombs.

    2. Good to know, Other Ian…and thanks! I wasn’t kidding when I felt your explanation of the Boyz II Men “Sketch” was pretty much the best Possible answer I could find.

       (also, we did a “Worst of Vol. 1” last year that covers the Sanders Quota…I REALLY didn’t want to commit myself to any further misery)

       VOL 1:
       https://telehell.libsyn.com/episode-85-the-worst-of-saturday-night-live-volume-1