Synopsis: Betting against Saturday Night Live might be as futile as betting against Las Vegas. Critics have questioned the continued development of Sin City for decades, yet it continues to grow. Similarly, critics have questioned the sustainability of SNL, yet it remains a mainstay on NBC. With continual overhauls of the cast and writing staff, the show has remained relevant for many years. While I’m not willing to bet against the longest running variety show in television history, I fear the end might be coming. 

TOP 10 SNL PERFORMERS

Approximately six months ago, I started this post with the intention of identifying the Top 10 Busts in SNL history. However, the new season has changed my focus. Despite being a loyal watcher for over 30 years, I no longer consider it Must See TV®. Specifically, the writers/performers have traded comedy for politics. If they continue this trend, they’ll soon find themselves working for sister station MSNBC instead. Still, I’ve done the research so I’ll share my thoughts about the show’s all-time best and worst performers.

As a background, I have watched a lot of TV during my life. By “a lot,” I really mean “A LOT!” Given my ability to multitask (i.e. watch multiple shows simultaneously), I likely have seen over 100,000 hours of television programming. Fortunately, I’m also able to work (i.e. write posts) while watching TV. Based on my viewing habits, Malcom Gladwell would consider me a Boob Tube expert 10x over.

Does my sad addiction make me an expert on every TV show? Certainly not. For instance, I can’t tell you about America’s infatuation with the Kardashians.

TOP 10 BUST? Perhaps.

Fortunately, I have wasted less than 30 minutes in my life watching anything Kardashian. To be fair, I’m excluding the 1976 Olympics, the O.J. Simpson trial, and Caitlyn Jenner’s coming-out special with Diane Sawyer. However, with hundreds of hours of SNL under my belt, I consider myself a longtime viewer whose opinion shouldn’t be discounted too quickly.

SNL RATINGS

When I began researching for this post, I quickly realized that any conclusions based on TV ratings would be skewed. In particular, our viewing options today make historical comparisons invalid. Of note, the ratings from the catastrophic 1985-86 season were 40% higher than those from the last few seasons. For those of you without an intimate knowledge of SNL, that season’s cast included Top 10 Busts Randy Quaid and Anthony Michael Hall. 

As support, the following chart shows the trend.

SNL VIEWSHIP (LIVE +7 HOUSEHOLD RATING)

Note: Thanks to the spirited 2016 presidential election cycle, ratings increased to 4.9 last season and have averaged 5.3 this season. Hmm, I wonder if Lorne Michaels learned something in 2008. Notice the big bump that year after Tina Fey began her impersonation of Sarah Palin.  

While ratings might not provide a valid comparison, other statistics should. In particular, I have tracked the all-time ranking of SNL performers by four sources: Rolling Stone, Nerve.com, Grantland, and Business Insider. 

TOP 10: BEST SNL PERFORMERS

Unlike most Top 10 rankings, this one has a fair balance of old versus new. Of note, the individuals responsible for the rankings don’t seem to be overly biased by recent history. Instead, they seem to be biased based on a need to have female representation. With respect to this comment, don’t blame me. Blame the writers.

As support for my seemingly sexist comment, Tina Fey’s best work as Sarah Palin occurred after she left the show as a full-time cast member. Additionally, I don’t know how anyone could rank Amy Poehler ahead of Chris Farley or Adam Sandler. For those of you who doubt me, compare any Poehler character with Farley’s Matt Foley or Sandler’s Opera Man. At the same time, there’s no comparison with Farley’s Chippendales performance (which ranks with “Cow Bells” as the best SNL skit ever).

I do have some concerns about the Top 10 rankings. However, I can be comforted by the next ten. In essence, a ranking of the Top 20 all-time performers smooths out most of the bias of my fellow experts.

NEXT 10: BEST SNL PERFORMERS

Note: NR signifies Not Ranked

Generally speaking, the average of the four sources provides a reasonable basis to determine the best SNL performers. Still, the average ranking for certain cast members doesn’t seem to be commensurate with their contributions to the show.

TOP 10: MOST UNDERAPPRECIATED SNL PERFORMERS

Note: NR signifies Not Ranked

When preparing the table, I simply listed the performers in reverse order of their average ranking. Arguably, current SNL standout Kate McKinnon deserves to be highlighted in this section as well. However, I excluded her because her average score of 32 will improve if/when the rankings are updated. Additionally, it’s hard to call her underappreciated given that she recently won an Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series.

While it’s true that I’m often asleep when SNL airs, I primarily record the show so I can fast-forward through skits which don’t make me laugh. Despite having the option, I don’t remember skipping any skits with the ten performers listed in the previous table.

In contrast, the following table highlights the SNL performers whose skits/scenes I fast-forwarded most often. 

TOP 10: MOST OVER-APPRECIATED SNL PERFORMERS

Note: NR signifies Not Ranked. When calculating averages, I assumed each unranked performer tied for last in the Nerve.com or Grantland rankings. 

Importantly, I’m not saying that these people aren’t funny. I’m simply saying that I found them “least funny” relative to their average ranking. Furthermore, many of their characters seemed annoying (e.g. Ed Grimley, The Californians, Gilly, Brian Fellows, Stuart Smalley, and Mango) more so than funny.

As an aside, I could have included #6 Tina Fey as an over-appreciated cast member. In particular, her best work impersonating Sarah Palin came after she left the show. Then again, I never remembering fast-forwarding any of her scenes so I couldn’t include her in the table.

Given the post-SNL success of many cast members, it’s hard to question Lorne Michaels’ ability to assess talent. However, he certainly missed the mark with many of the following performers.

TOP 10 MOST UNDER-UTILIZED SNL PERFORMERS

Note: NR signifies Not Ranked.

I ranked these cast members based on my perception of their post-SNL success. Clearly, they’re all talented performers who could/should have been utilized better. They even could be considered busts within the context of their time on the show. However, as indicated by the following table, there’s a group of more deserving candidates. 

TOP 10 BUSTS: SNL PERFORMERS – THE LIST

Note: NR signifies Not Ranked

TOP 10 BUSTS: SNL PERFORMERS – RATIONALE

Before getting too worked up about the list, you should know that each performer’s overall rank fell into the bottom quartile. Furthermore, I don’t think even they would consider themselves a success while on the show. Unlike the cast members listed in the previous table, these performers had limited-to-no success after the show. Yes, that includes Gilbert Gottfried.

I recognize that Gottfried deserves recognition for his post-9/11 rendition of the Aristocrats joke at the Hugh Hefner Roast. However, I just don’t get his sense of humor. Fortunately, he hadn’t developed his annoying persona yet while working on SNL. As such, I could watch old clips for this post without shoving pencils in my ears.

Unlike most SNL cast members, the top five busts (i.e. Quaid, Hall, Elliott, Garofalo, and Quinn) arrived at 30 Rock with impressive résumés. They came in with higher expectations, so their failures became magnified. After identifying them as the most “bustworthy,” I ranked them based on their pre-SNL fame or success. Anthony Michael Hall (Breakfast Club, Weird Science) and Randy Quaid (Cousin Eddie from Vacation) stood out as the most recognizable stars in the group. Relative to the two, Quaid was twice as old (34 vs. 17) so he earned the top spot

With respect to the remaining five spots, I reserved them for the worst of the worst. Other performers such as Noël Wells, Tim Robinson, Laura Kightlinger, Morwenna Banks, and John Milhiser also meet this criterion. However, I don’t remember seeing them on the show. In contrast, I remember each and every one of the cast members in the table. Specifically, I know I didn’t find them funny or entertaining. 

SNL POLITICAL AGENDA

If we learned anything from the 2016 U.S. Presidential election, we know that the media had it wrong. In particular, they underestimated the frustration of middle America with the current political system. Unlike most pollsters, I saw through the bias and correctly predicted the results. In a post highlighting the hypocrisy of Hillary Clinton, I commented that our electorate would choose Donald Trump instead.

While technically not part of the media, the folks at SNL missed the mark as well. Their one-sided coverage of the candidates even may have contributed to the results. Specifically, SNL effectively proclaimed that the election was over too soon. Perhaps, some misinformed Democrats in battleground states stayed home due to this overconfidence. Part of my confidence in Trump’s chances related to the lack of urgency by the other side.

I understand Lorne Michaels’ rationale to politicize the show given the ratings success from SNL’s portrayal of Sarah Palin during the 2008-09 season. Tina Fey’s impersonation of the Republican Vice Presidential candidate attracted a lot of viewers to both SNL and the Michaels/Fey-produced 30 Rock. The same approach helped increase ratings by almost 20% this season. However, now that President-elect Trump gets ready to take office, the bump in ratings should reverse. Of note, I predict that the ratings will fall back to the levels experienced from 2013-15. 

[As the 2016-17 television season comes to an end, I couldn’t have been more wrong. Specifically, SNL’s ratings soared after Trump’s inauguration in January 2017. Thanks in large part to Alec Baldwin’s impression of Trump and Melissa McCarthy’s impression of White House press secretary Sean Spicer, SNL became the subject of water cooler conversation again. It’ll be hard to maintain the same momentum next year (especially if/when Spicer gets fired), but I’ve been wrong before.]  

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

Shortly after the election, a friend of mine from New York City called to express his disbelief that Ohio (my home state) and other Midwestern states could vote for Trump. Granted, he’s exposed to the biased media which believes that everyone in America wants to be like people who live in New York or Los Angeles. Now, the secret’s out. Most of us don’t.

In the aftermath of Trump’s victory, modern-day Don Drapers gathered to reevaluate the way they market to Americans. Supposedly, they now realize that elitism doesn’t sell to most consumers. To emphasize the point, I’m reminded of a saying used to describe the success of McDonald’s. I may be paraphrasing, but I remember it as such:

Feed the classes, eat with the masses.

Feed the masses, eat with the classes.

Said differently, companies like McDonald’s can make a lot more money serving average people than companies like Ruth’s Chris can make serving wealthy people. Rich people still go to McDonald’s, yet average folks can’t go to Ruth’s Chris. So, why would anyone intentionally alienate a large demographic? That’s right – elitism. Led by wealthy urbanites, the Democrats now seem to have taken the driver’s seat with respect to being elitists.

CLOSING THOUGHT – WATCH YOUR BACK STEPHEN COLBERT

Despite the previous advice, certain television programs don’t seem to be worried about alienating a core demographic. Channels like MSNBC and Fox News exist because they cater to a specific audience. However, they’re on cable. Networks like NBC, ABC or CBS need to cater to a broader audience in order to be successful.

In that regard, left-leaning networks need to reprogram or risk losing half of its potential audience. In addition to SNL, The Late Show With Stephen Colbert is at risk. Given Colbert’s weak ratings, I bet that James Corden will take over the 11:30 p.m. slot within 18 months. Just like most failures at SNL, Colbert is funny but doesn’t seem to care about appealing to a broad audience. What’s that called? Oh yeah – elitism.

[As of May 2017, I missed this one as well. Colbert’s show trailed The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon by 1 million viewers last year. That gap fell to 500,000 viewers in the fall after a strong election season. However, Colbert has eclipsed Fallon every week since Trump’s inauguration. For the last few weeks, the CBS show has drawn 300-400,000 more viewers than its NBC counterpart. I don’t watch it anymore, but many others do.

Sorry Corden. You’ll just have to settle for award show hosting gigs and Carpool Karaoke prime time specials. Not that it matters, but I still watch your show.]   

TOP 10 SNL PERFORMERS