Norm Macdonald was the only thing watchable on there pre-Ferrell. The “Murder is now legal in the state of California” joke may well be the best weekend update bit of all time.
I’ll take Will Ferrell’s era over the Sandler/Meyers era.
That’s a tough one for me, mainly because Macdonald’s tenure on “Update” is my favorite thing ever done on a regular basis on that show. Ever. So for that period the 90’s were untouchable. But from 98-00 all the show had to make me laugh was Ferrell and Tim Meadows.
But then on the flipside there was more than just Sandler/Myers during the first half of the 90’s. It was also full of Hartman, Farley, and Carvey. Plus, even though their movies blow now I always enjoyed Sandler and Myers on the program.
From Wiki:
Started 1985–1989, but were still around in the 90’s
* Nora Dunn (1985–1990)
* Jon Lovitz (1985–1990) (•
* A. Whitney Brown (1985–1991) (F)
* Dennis Miller (1985–1991)
* Jan Hooks (1986–1991)
* Victoria Jackson (1986–1992)
* Dana Carvey (1986–1993) (•
* Phil Hartman (1986–1994) (•
* Kevin Nealon (1986–1995) (•
* Mike Myers (1988–1995) (•
Started 1990-1994
* Chris Rock (1990–1993) (•
* Rob Schneider (1990–1994)
* Julia Sweeney (1990–1994)
* Chris Farley (1990–1995) (•
* Adam Sandler (1990–1995) (•
* David Spade (1990–1996) (•
* Tim Meadows (1990–2000) (•
* Beth Cahill (1991–1992) (F)
* Siobhan Fallon (1991–1992)
* Robert Smigel (1991–1993) (F)
* Melanie Hutsell (1991–1994)
* Ellen Cleghorne (1991–1995)
* Sarah Silverman (1993–1994) (F)
* Michael McKean (1993–1995)
* Jay Mohr (1993–1995) (F)
* Norm MacDonald (1993–1998)
* Morwenna Banks (1994–1995)
* Chris Elliott (1994–1995)
* Janeane Garofalo (1994–1995)
* Laura Kightlinger (1994–1995)
* Mark McKinney (1994–1997)
* Molly Shannon (1994–2001)(•
Started 1995-1999
* David Koechner (1995–1996)
* Nancy Walls (1995–1996)
* Fred Wolf (1995–1997) (F)
* Jim Breuer (1995–1998)
* Cheri Oteri (1995–2000) (•
* Colin Quinn (1995–2000)
* Will Ferrell (1995–2002) (•
* Darrell Hammond (1995— (•
* Chris Kattan (1995–2003) (•
* Ana Gasteyer (1996–2002)
* Tracy Morgan (1996–2003) (•
* Jimmy Fallon (1998–2004) (•
* Chris Parnell (1998–2006)
* Horatio Sanz (1998–2006)
* Rachel Dratch (1999–2006)
* Maya Rudolph (1999—
As much as I love Will Ferrell, I’ll take the early 1990’s any day. Chris Farley might have well been my God during his tenure. I can’t think of one sketch he did that I didn’t like. And yes, I’m a fan of Sandler and Spade. Add to that the more experienced players of Hartman, Carvey and Meyers, the cast is solid.
*Edited to add the key:
Cast members who have left a memorable legacy on the show often have been the subject of a Best of SNL videotape, DVD, or compilation special. Cast members where this applies are marked with a (• on the list below. Cast members who were only featured (never promoted to contract player) are marked with an (F).
Quote:
| Originally Posted by Diva Cast members who have left a memorable legacy on the show often have been the subject of a Best of SNL videotape, DVD, or compilation special. Cast members where this applies are marked with a (•) on the list below. |
To this day it kills me that guys like Kataan, Fallon, and Morgan (he’s great on “30 Rock” but was just okay on "SNL" get “Best of” discs while Macdonald is ignored. Even without “Update” he has way better sketches and impersenations than those 3.
So I know they’ll cover it tonight, but why was Norm fired again?
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Norm was the best WU anchor they’ve had. It’s too bad he hasn’t done anything as good since then.
Quote:
| Originally Posted by Moltisanti To this day it kills me that guys like Kataan, Fallon, and Morgan (he’s great on “30 Rock” but was just okay on "SNL"Wink get “Best of” discs while Macdonald is ignored. Even without “Update” he has way better sketches and impersenations than those 3. |
Agreed. I thought MacDonald was great. I remember when he hosted after leaving the show and it was the most awkward intro. I’m sure it was staged to be that way, but man it made me uncomfortable to watch it.
Quote:
| Originally Posted by Kevin Matchstick OJ Simpson. |
I knew it! So it was the joke when people booed and he said something like “You know he’s a murderer, right?” ?
Quote:
| Originally Posted by le Stephanois So I know they’ll cover it tonight, but why was Norm fired again? |
In general he refused to act like a “real” news anchor, flubbed lines, and made controversial jokes. All of which gave him his charm in my book. But as Kevin Matchstick alluded to…
Again, from Wikipedia:
Quote:
| On Saturday Night Live Macdonald most notably anchored the segment Weekend Update. Chevy Chase, the first anchor of WU, has opined that Macdonald is the only anchor since Chevy’s tenure to have “done it right.” Macdonald used a deadpan style during the segment, which included repeated references to prison rape, ‘crack whores’ and the Germans with their love of Baywatch star David Hasselhoff. Macdonald would repeatedly noodle public figures such as Michael Jackson and O.J. Simpson. Throughout the Simpson trial, Macdonald would constantly pillory the former football star, saying Simpson was guilty of the brutal slaying of his wife Nicole. In the broadcast following Simpson’s acquittal, Macdonald opened Weekend Update by saying: “Well, it’s official: murder is legal in the state of California.” He also continued to denounce Simpson after the trial. Macdonald’s time with Saturday Night Live effectively ended in late 1997 when he was fired from the Weekend Update segment upon the insistence of NBC West Coast Executive Don Ohlmeyer, who pressured the producers to remove him, explaining that Macdonald was “not funny.” Some believe that Don Ohlmeyer’s friendship with O.J. Simpson — a celebrity whom Macdonald often antagonized on the show — may have fueled Ohlmeyer’s decision. Ohlmeyer denied the rumor, arguing that other NBC late-night comedians (e.g., Jay Leno, Conan O’Brien, and other SNL players) also constantly lampooned Simpson with little to no sanction, and that his decision was based solely on audience reaction through tapes he had personally reviewed. Despite the incident, Macdonald left the show the following year under decent terms with Ohlmeyer, who originally pushed for producer Lorne Michaels to give Macdonald a shot at the Weekend Update desk in 1994. |
Fucking Gary Kroeger never got a best of disc? I don’t believe it.
By the way, McKean was only on there as a replacement for Hartman who went on to do Newsradio.
If NBC wants to accurately portray SNL in the 90s, the show should be an hour of nothing but footage of empty tundra.
Quote:
| Originally Posted by Antoine Doinel Norm was the best WU anchor they’ve had. It’s too bad he hasn’t done anything as good since then. |
Is that a dig at DIRTY WORK? Becuase I love DIRTY WORK even more than I hate SCREWED.
For the best, and funniest, take on Norm’s firing there’s this appearance he did on Letterman after it happened:
Quote:
| Originally Posted by Moltisanti Is that a dig at DIRTY WORK? Becuase I love DIRTY WORK even more than I hate SCREWED. |
Not a dig at anything. Update was just the perfect thing for Norm.
I agree. He’s not much of an actor, and not very good at standup. Sitting behind a desk and delivering fake news seems like an awfully specific talent to have, but he was phenomenal at it. Nothing he’s done since has been a great use of his abilities.
I would have been happy to see him get the Daily Show gig when Kilborne took off. I think Stewart’s actually done a better job than MacDonald would have, mind you, but I would have been happy at the time. Too bad he can’t get away with having a fake news show now. It would just be seen as a Daily Show ripoff.
Quote:
| Originally Posted by Antoine Doinel Not a dig at anything. Update was just the perfect thing for Norm. |
That is true. I will admit I liked both of the sitcoms he’s had after “SNL” but that format doesn’t play to his strengths at all.
In movies he tends to end up having the funniest moments in Rob Schneider films. That’s not a skill that’s in demand very much.
Frankly I think the cowbell sketch is way overrated. It’s one of those skits where they repeat the same punchline again and again, when it was only modestly amusing the first time. Walken is wasted. The Continental is a million times funnier, and yet you don’t hear anyone quoting it.
Quote:
| You look so lovely. It is as though Michaelangelo sculpted you by hand.. then kept you for himself.. in a closet.. to visit on lonely nights. Would you care for a glass of champagna? [ camera shakes no ] I knew you would. I knew you enjoy champagna. How do I know this? Because I love women. I can read their mail.. I mean, mind! |
I kind of wish David Koechner had been on the show longer. I got a kick out of his stuff. But it seems like he’s doing all right these days anyway.
That was pretty good, as it seemed basically like a slightly watered down version of “Live From New York,” but it would have been better on cable, or as a DVD – the constant commercial breaks got real annoying. Still, it was nice to see they didn’t shy away from the more controversial stuff, although I was disappointed that there was no Seagal, Dice, Martin, or Sinead. The infamous MacDonald clip was great – as was his story about Burt Reynolds – and I particularly liked Rock’s comparison of the show to “The X-Men School for Comedians.”
How great would that Burt Reynolds bit have gone over? Makes me sad that Norm got fired before it could happen.