LOC #84: Top 50 Saturday Night Live Cast Members

[Pak-Man]

The aforementioned Debbie Downer in Disney World skit is awesome. Nobody can keep it together.

[Darth Geek]

SNL Question of the night: Favorite Break or Screw Up?

Phil Hartman as Frankenstein can't keep it together when he has to say "FIRE BAD" and crash through a wall.  Amazing moment.

Yeah, that's what I thought of first, too. Hartman was so hard to break, as I recall.

[Johnny Unusual]

Hard to break guys always break funniest.  I remember a sensational bit with Jon Stewart (who breaks pretty easy) and Stephen Colbert (who is pretty good about not breaking) in a Daily Show sketch where Colbert suggestively eats a banana.  One starts laughing and both end up in complete tears, with Colbert trying his best to finish through his laughter.

[Fred Garvin]

The Gus Chiggins sketch that was on the Best of Will Ferrell DVD but never aired. Why, I don't know. It's funny as hell. And while Will is keeping it together, everyone else is cracking up.

It's best when someone who doesn't break, loses it. With someone like Fallon, who did it all the time, it got tiresome. It's like he thought he was on the Carol Burnett show.

I liked that Mr. Ed sketch as well. Radner was a pro, nothing ever threw her. Whether its Milton Berle doing an unscripted spit take, or Candice Bergen messing up her line, Gilda goes with the flow and stays on point. I remember a nerd sketch where Todd is trying to seduce Lisa by getting her drunk. He's pouring the drink in her mouth and over does it. She starts choking, and starts laughing. But she doesn't break character, she makes it part of the piece.

[Fred Garvin]

Tonight's Host: #5. Buck Henry  7 points

Yes, Buck! Those were good shows, always liked him the samurai sketches. You see the one following the incident when he was cut? In his next show he stays far, far away from that sword. Every time John swings it, Buck backs away.

#28. Laraine Newman

Yes, Laraine!  Our first Not Ready For Prime Time Player. She always did well playing kids. In addition to those mentioned, she was a gas in the Exorcist II sketch with Richard Pryor.

[ColeStratton]

And that’s it for now; I’ll be back around this same time tomorrow. But I leave you with the…

SNL Question of the night: Favorite Faux Commercial?
There are so many good ones: Bass-O-Matic Colon Blow, Old Glory Robot Insurance, Oops I crapped My Pants and most recently, Jim Carey’s hilarious riff on Matthew McConaughey’s Lincoln ads.

But my #1 would have to be “Happy Fun Ball”, I remember the first time I saw that. It started off nice enough, and then just built and built on one terrible side effect after another. By the end, I was doubled over with laughter.

I have a box of my favorite...

[ColeStratton]

#32. Rachel Dratch

Era: 1999-2006
34 points on 2 of 10 lists - Highest Ranking: #9 (Cole Stratton, Tripe)
Most Memorable Characters: Debbie Downer, Denise, Sheldon, Virginia Klarvin, Angelia Jolie’s mutant child, Harry Potter

Just great, and a lovely lady, she comes into Detroit for Improv Fest every year.

Yay Rachel! I've been lucky to improvise with her a few times a year for the last couple of years at SF Sketchfest (and Bentzen Ball in DC). Just the most generous, hilarious lady onstage and off. The Debbie Downer sketch is ALWAYS funny.

[Darth Geek]

GAH! Who is the scary lady at the bottom left?!

[Darth Geek]

With all this talk of the various eras of SNL, I'm actually tempted to try to watch it from beginning to end. Not sure if that's even really possible, though.

[Johnny Unusual]

It's certainly not advisable.

[Pak-Man]

Netflix had massive collections of the show seperated out by decade, but I'm not sure if it's still there.

[MightyJack]

There were seasons in the Netflix collection that were severely edited, you'd get shows with only 20 minutes left in it. Damndible rights issues!

[MightyJack]

Tonight's Host: #4. Tom Hanks - 9 points
A great comic performer as well as dramatic force: Tom was affable and able to take a teasing. He looked like he was having the time of his life on the show. In addition to coming up with the idea for the 5-Timers club, Hank’s also built up a stable of recurring characters: There was the “Girl Watchers” with Jon Lovitz, his character in “The Stand-Ups,” the obnoxious Uri as well as Mr. Short Term memory. Tom hosted 8 times and has shown up several times in bits here and there.

Mr. Short Term Memory… http://www.nbc.com/saturday-night-live/video/mr-short-term-memory/n9873

[MightyJack]

#26. Maya Rudolph

Era: 2000-2007
40 points on 3 of 10 lists - Highest Ranking: #2 (Tripe)
Most Memorable Characters: Beyoncé, Donatella Versace, Britannica, Paris Hilton, Tina Turner, Beertje Van Beers

Maya arrived around the same time as Dratch, Fey and Poehler, which ushered in a great era for strong female performers on SNL. Her mother was the late Minnie Riperton, and she went to School with Gwyneth Paltrow. She grew up in this celebrity atmosphere, which might explain why she was so tapped into the divas, the superstars she played each week, and she played them all regardless of race or sex. 

Rolling Stone ranked her #18 and said…
Rudolph was always dauntingly versatile, yet loose and cool. She was the only comedian worthy of doing Beyoncé, back in the Destiny's Child days — Britannica from Gemini's Twin was a cartoon diva, but also a real-thing diva. Rudolph did finely shaded characters but could also aim for the cheap seats with her over-the-top Donatella Versace tantrums. Cue the rampage music.

Beyoncé and the new baby… http://www.nbc.com/saturday-night-live/video/jay-z-and-beyonces-baby/n13401

[MightyJack]

#25. Bill Hader

Era: 2005-2013
40 points on 4 of 10 lists - Highest Ranking: #12 (Cole Stratton, Tripe)
Most Memorable Characters: Stefon, Herb Welch, Vincent Price, James Carville

Hader was a bit like Dana Carvey, in his brilliant character work, and the way each individual he played had a distinct style and personality. His Update correspondents Stefon and Herb couldn’t be more different (except for both being hilarious). He was also a bit like Phil Hartman, in that he was steady as a rock and could pretty much do anything (as R.S. points out)

Bill was twice nominated for an Emmy. In 2012 an 2013, but did not win.

Another Bill, last name Murray. Had high praise for him on the Howard Stern show, where the former SNL great said,  “I think Bill Hader probably did the best work anyone ever did on that show … It took him a little while to get going, but once he got going it was extraordinary."

Rolling Stone ranked him #13 and said…
The unquestioned MVP by his last few seasons — a master shape-shifter who put real humanity into his characters. His weaselly newscaster Herb Welch or club kid Stefon would have fallen flat without Hader's affectionate touch. He was the most crucial utility player since Hartman — a glue guy who never needed to be the center of attention, just serving any kind of role.

NBCs best of Bill Hader… http://www.nbc.com/saturday-night-live/bill-hader