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title: "10 Reasons Saturday Night Live Is Slipping And Why We Tune In Anyway | TopTenFast"
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  author: TopTenFast
  description: "Long-time fans of SNL often have a love-hate relationship with the show.  Like a combustible romance, you love it at the best of times and loathe it at the"
  "og:description": "Long-time fans of SNL often have a love-hate relationship with the show.  Like a combustible romance, you love it at the best of times and loathe it at the"
  "og:title": "10 Reasons Saturday Night Live Is Slipping And Why We Tune In Anyway | TopTenFast"
  "twitter:description": "Long-time fans of SNL often have a love-hate relationship with the show.  Like a combustible romance, you love it at the best of times and loathe it at the"
  "twitter:title": "10 Reasons Saturday Night Live Is Slipping And Why We Tune In Anyway | TopTenFast"
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# 10 Reasons Saturday Night Live Is Slipping And Why We Tune In Anyway

[![cf61061f](https://api.dicebear.com/9.x/identicon/svg?seed=cf61061f-4d9e-4d53-a839-7886a074cddc&size=20)cf61061f](https://toptenfast.lovable.app/cf61061f)·12y· 5·Share

Long-time fans of SNL often have a love-hate relationship with the show. Like a combustible romance, you love it at the best of times and loathe it at the worst. Lately it's been feeling a lot like the latter, as the series undergoes massive image overhauls, cast turnovers, and writing slumps. Will it survive? Either way, we still seem to care. And here's why.

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1. 11 [We're Waiting For It to Get Good Again [![Anonymous](https://api.dicebear.com/9.x/identicon/svg?seed=0c2e2687-3780-5ba5-9d54-cf43da624e29&size=16)Anonymous](https://toptenfast.lovable.app/Anonymous)12y Perhaps it's a bit masochistic, and little bit Rihanna-like, to endure so many painfully unfunny sketches in the desperate, distant hopes of some comic loving. But SNL has historically operated like a comedic pendulum, swinging from high to low until the the cast and writing team line up just right and the show hits a real on-season. The fact is SNL has always had several glory periods--whether you look at the Chevy Chase/Bill Murray/John Belushi years, the Mike Myers/Dana Carvey/Adam Sandler/Chris Farley years or the Will Ferrel/Chris Kattan/Jimmy Fallon/Horatio Sanz years; of course, there have also always been those Sarah Silverman and Anthony Michael Hall years, so you just got to stick it out.… More![We're Waiting For It to Get Good Again](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/uShCUp2QYGs/hqdefault.jpg)](https://toptenfast.lovable.app/list/10-reasons-saturday-night-live-is-slipping-and-why-we-tune-in-anyway/we-re-waiting-for-it-to-get-good-again)Post comment
2. 20 [SNL Gave Us Bill Murray, Will Ferrel, and Fred Armisen [![cf61061f](https://api.dicebear.com/9.x/identicon/svg?seed=cf61061f-4d9e-4d53-a839-7886a074cddc&size=16)cf61061f](https://toptenfast.lovable.app/cf61061f)12y SNL gave us such legendary talents as Bill Murray,Will Ferrel, Fred Armisen, Chevy Chase, Jon Belushi, John Candy, Martin Short, Mike Myers, Adam Sandler, Chris Farley, Will Ferrel, Fred Armisen, Kristen Wiig, and Bill Hader. There is no avoiding this, and we must remain grateful.… More](/list/10-reasons-saturday-night-live-is-slipping-and-why-we-tune-in-anyway/snl-gave-us-bill-murray-will-ferrel-and-fred-armisen)Post comment
3. 30 [Too Much Attention Paid to Relevance, Not Enough to Writing [![cf61061f](https://api.dicebear.com/9.x/identicon/svg?seed=cf61061f-4d9e-4d53-a839-7886a074cddc&size=16)cf61061f](https://toptenfast.lovable.app/cf61061f)12y SNL has provided a weekly income to the likes of Tim Herlihy, Adam McKay, John Mulaney, Bob Odenkirk, Conan O'Brien, Tina Fey, Seth Myers, and Will Forte, who've all maintained pretty stellar career tracks in the years/decades following their arguably strongest resume point. Now, there aren't too many standout names offering the show any particularly solid comic footing, as a lot of emphasis (i.e. $) seems to be devoted to make the show Buzzfeed worthy.… More](/list/10-reasons-saturday-night-live-is-slipping-and-why-we-tune-in-anyway/too-much-attention-paid-to-relevance-not-enough-to-writing)Post comment
4. 40 [SNL has Been a Pop-Culture Institition for Nigh 40 Years [![Anonymous](https://api.dicebear.com/9.x/identicon/svg?seed=0c2e2687-3780-5ba5-9d54-cf43da624e29&size=16)Anonymous](https://toptenfast.lovable.app/Anonymous)12y SNL has always been relevant, regardless of how funny it's been. It's maintained a tradition of featuring the biggest names in pop-culture as hosts and musical guests every year since its first episode on October 11 1975. From the 1979 episode featuring Martin Sheen and David Bowie to the episode in 1985 featuring Madonna and Simple Minds to last year's episode featuring Miley Cyrus and the Strokes, SNL has for better or worse (and sometimes at the same time) been a reflection of the times even as often as they keep changing.… More](/list/10-reasons-saturday-night-live-is-slipping-and-why-we-tune-in-anyway/snl-has-been-a-pop-culture-institition-for-nigh-40-years)Post comment
5. 50 [Internet Over-Hype [![Anonymous](https://api.dicebear.com/9.x/identicon/svg?seed=0c2e2687-3780-5ba5-9d54-cf43da624e29&size=16)Anonymous](https://toptenfast.lovable.app/Anonymous)12y The interent is a rampant hype machine. One decent sketch in a blue moon, and one of the countless TV blogs will cheer and rave on as if the entire episode was as consistently funny as that single isolated sketch (Hear common overstatements like "SNL's Still Got It!"). Of course, if you sat through the other hour and 27 minutes, you'd realize how much of the show is just packing peanuts (and a real let-down).… More](/list/10-reasons-saturday-night-live-is-slipping-and-why-we-tune-in-anyway/internet-over-hype)Post comment
6. 60 [Awesome Hosts (Still) [![Anonymous](https://api.dicebear.com/9.x/identicon/svg?seed=0c2e2687-3780-5ba5-9d54-cf43da624e29&size=16)Anonymous](https://toptenfast.lovable.app/Anonymous)12y Sometimes the crucial deciding factor as to whether or not it's worth tuning in is who's hosting. Because even when the show is mediocre, a good enough host at the very least offers watchability, entertainment in the form of putting their range as a performer to the test on live TV. In the three times Zach Galianakis hosted, for instance, the first was hilarious, the second alright, and the third bearable--the writing more and more stretching the comedy thin over Zach's inherent hilarity and self-consciously trying to recapture the magic of his hit of a hosting debut. Then of course there are the movie star hosts--your Matt Damons, Jennifer Lawrences, etc.--who really only need to show up and be eye candy regardless of comic sensibility. But the best hosts have something substancial to bring to the table, which is why you always look forward to an episode hosted by Louis CK, Justin Timberlake, Jon Hamm, Brian Cranston, etc.… More](/list/10-reasons-saturday-night-live-is-slipping-and-why-we-tune-in-anyway/awesome-hosts-still)Post comment
7. 70 [Key Aspects and Trademarks Like the Set, Lorne Michael's Presence, Intro Sequence Remain [![cf61061f](https://api.dicebear.com/9.x/identicon/svg?seed=cf61061f-4d9e-4d53-a839-7886a074cddc&size=16)cf61061f](https://toptenfast.lovable.app/cf61061f)12y There is something about SNL's set and continous legacy that makes watching the show feel like visiting home every weekend--like it's never really gone anywhere and changed in its essence, even while you have. Seeing hosts pretend (or continue to be) comedy actors starring in sketches written around them is a unique and still pretty old-world entertainment concept that feels nostalgic even if over-sexed teenagers are standing where venerable comedians like Steve Martin and Richard Pryor have.… More](/list/10-reasons-saturday-night-live-is-slipping-and-why-we-tune-in-anyway/key-aspects-and-trademarks-like-the-set-lorne-michael-s-presence-intro-sequence-remain)Post comment
8. 80 [Kenan is Still There [![cf61061f](https://api.dicebear.com/9.x/identicon/svg?seed=cf61061f-4d9e-4d53-a839-7886a074cddc&size=16)cf61061f](https://toptenfast.lovable.app/cf61061f)12y Kenan Thompson joins a list of long-running cast-members that includes Fred Armisen, Darrel Hammond, Chris Parnell, and Tim Meadows--castmembers who have remained steadfast and true while their much more brilliantly-shining colleagues have gone on to brighter galaxies. Of that list, Fred Armisen is finding much due niche prestige on Portlandia, otherwise the rest offered comic consistency amongst cast flux which always begs that uncomfortable yet persistant question: "Will SNL ever be as funny as it was?" One thing's for sure, we can always count on Kenan.… More](/list/10-reasons-saturday-night-live-is-slipping-and-why-we-tune-in-anyway/kenan-is-still-there)Post comment
9. 90 [Amazing Musical Guests (Still) [![Anonymous](https://api.dicebear.com/9.x/identicon/svg?seed=0c2e2687-3780-5ba5-9d54-cf43da624e29&size=16)Anonymous](https://toptenfast.lovable.app/Anonymous)12y SNL alternates beween utter predictability and unpredicatability--which makes the show semi-unpredictable. The musical guests are a perfect example of this: for every nauseatingly over-saturated pop singer-- Lady Gaga, Miley Cyrus, Justin Beiber, Rihanna--there is an attempt at indy cache and musical integrity in a decision to feature bands like the National, the Strokes, Phoenix, Beck, Radiohead, and Arcade Fire. It's the idea of the masses and everyone in between.… More![Amazing Musical Guests (Still)](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/ack4cJry0as/hqdefault.jpg)](https://toptenfast.lovable.app/list/10-reasons-saturday-night-live-is-slipping-and-why-we-tune-in-anyway/amazing-musical-guests-still)Post comment
10. 100 [One or Two Outstanding Castmembers Each Season [![Anonymous](https://api.dicebear.com/9.x/identicon/svg?seed=0c2e2687-3780-5ba5-9d54-cf43da624e29&size=16)Anonymous](https://toptenfast.lovable.app/Anonymous)11y The hope is that each season brings in an unrefined pool of raw talent, and another transcendant makes himself known. In recent years, Kristen Wiig, Bill Hader, Andy Samberg, and Jason Sudeikis, have risen to top of their cast, ultimately graduating and pursuing bigger, better things (like feature films, pet projects, and cell phone commercials).… More](/list/10-reasons-saturday-night-live-is-slipping-and-why-we-tune-in-anyway/one-or-two-outstanding-castmembers-each-season)Post comment

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