Don't let the the title fool you, I love Saturday Night Live. I love the idea of a weekly live sketch comedy show. It has a tremendous legacy of many talented performers since it debut in 1975. Some characters and sketches that are decades old are recalled today just like it was last week.
But, overall it has gotten bad. I critique to try and help it get better because I want it to be great. Why am I qualified to critique? Besides being a long time viewer, I'm a sketch writer (see FAQ).
I have three reocurring pet peeves with SNL:
- The laugh track. I hate laugh tracks because they sound so bad.They didn't used to have it, they didn't need it.
- Actors reading cue cards. I know scripts change, but if you are not the guest host in every sketch I think you should be able to handle it as an actor. I've seen actors with one line in a sketch read it off a cue card.
- Sketches with no ending. Too often a sketch doesn't have an ending. Usually it's because it doesn't have a point. Suddenly stopping a sketch and putting up the applause sign is lazy.
Until Lorne Michaels calls me, I'll keep bitching.
2011.12.03 - S37Ep8 Steve Buscemi + Black Keys (added 2012.01.19)
