My favorite would have to be Chris Farley, he always had me rolling and cracking up. I think he was like my generation's Belushi, his story is so sad at the same time.

There are way too many.

Farley is a great choice. Molly Shannon was brilliant. Jan Hooks, ditto.

My overall favorite, though, was Phil Hartman.

Phil Hartman in 1st, 2nd and 4th places, with Gilda Radner pulling in the #3 slot.

After that would be the rest of the second "great" cast, who I enjoyed more than the original (I was probably too young to really get the original cast's humor all the time), including Jan Hooks, Nora Dunn, Mike Myers, Dana Carvey, Chris Rock, Victoria Jackson and Kevin Nealon.

I am also too young to remember much of the original cast, but would have to say that of the ones I'm familiar with, I'd have to go with the brilliant Nora Dunn, followed by Jan Hooks. I have a soft spot for Mark McKinney, as a Kid in the Hall, although when he was on SNL he was in the midst of a notoriously horrendous cast.

Jan Hooks and Phil Hartman were GREAT. Yesterday, Comedy Central replayed the Jan as Corazon Aquino "Beauty Bath" parody.
"Why Thank you, Guillermo."

Phil's range was legendary. From Frankenstein on SNL to "Hi! I'm Troy McClure. You may remember me from such movies as 'Dial M for Murderousness' and 'The Erotic Adventures of Hercules.' on the Simpson's.

I miss Phil

Nora Dunn's another good one, her "Pat Steven's Show" and Attitudes parody were classic.

[ December 08, 2003, 04:20 PM: Message edited by: gayhawk ]

Dang, I feel old.

No votes for John Belushi yet? But actually, I think that the BEST Saturday Night Live performer EVER was Jane Curtin -- she had to play the proverbial "straight man" to Aykroyd, Belushi, and Radner. She was funny, and let's face it, being funny as the straight man to that group took true talent. Aykroyd's response during the Weekend Update sketch "Point-Counterpoint" to Jane's Points ("Jane, you ignorant slut") was classic.

Although maybe not a classic SNL cast member, I really liked Will Ferrell and Cheri Oteri. You couldn't get much better than the Spartan Cheerleaders, Simmer Down Now and how could you not like Dog Show!?

Gilda Radner was the most talented and versatile player, IMHO. Unfortunately, we lost her to some bizarre cancer early on in her career.

And Chris Rock blossomed into a huge comic talent. His HBO show just shreds me.

Jane Curtin is one of my all-time favorites, too. I think she was always underrated and never given her due. I know I'm showing my age, but I still think those original Not Ready for Prime TIme Players were by far the best-ever SNL cast.

Gilda Radner died of ovarian cancer. Sigh...speaking of Gilda, I just read that there's a new DVD of "Best of the Muppet Show" which features episodes with guests Carol Burnett, Steve Martin and Gilda.

The original women of SNL: Gilda, Jane Curtin, and don't forget Laraine Newman.

[ December 08, 2003, 06:52 PM: Message edited by: Joe in Philly ]

Jan Hooks for me...plain and simple!

I've watched it since the beginning, when I was a little kid. My favorites: Bill Murray, John Belushi, Chevy Chase, Gilda Radner, Harry Shearer, Eddie Murphy, Chris Rock, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Julia Sweeney, Dana Carvey, Phil Hartman, Mike Myers (one of the all-time best), Molly Shannon, Chris Farley, Jan Hooks, Will Ferrell, Ana Gasteyer.

Least favorite: Adam Sandler, Jay Mohr, Tim Kazurinsky.

Can't believe they were on there: Robert Downey, Damon Wayans, Ben Stiller!

Favorite musical performance on SNL: Devo, in the late 1970s, singing "Satisfaction" and "Whip It!"

[ December 08, 2003, 11:52 PM: Message edited by: fantomas ]

I was there from the first season (I was 14) and my all time fave is Jan Hooks. So glad to see that so many others feel the same way.

Speaking of Jan, anybody remember her recurring routine with Nora Dunn, the Sweeney Sisters?

Dan Aykroyd, the most cerebral of the original cast and nearly as manic as Belushi. He could've been the Canadian-American Peter Sellers, which makes his subsequent lackluster career a semi-tragedy.

The Late, Great Gilda Radner, may she rest in peace. Not even close.

The original cast members, on the whole, beat anyone who came after them (and I'm old enough -- just -- to have watched the show live since its debut). Belushi, Ackroyd, Murray, Curtin, Chevy: all timeless.

Among more recent peformers, Dana Carvey, Mike Meyers and Adam Sandler reign supreme.

Is it just me, or are there others for whom the popularity of Will Ferrell is as inexplicable as the popularity of Dubya?

[ December 09, 2003, 08:09 AM: Message edited by: Skiguy ]

what about Anthony Michael Hall? Ugh.

I really liked Sherry Oteri -- she was only on for a couple of years (and I have no idea what has happened to her since) but she was hilarious.

I know it hard to imagine because he has made such a god awful mess of his career lately, but Eddie Murphy was so freakin' funny on SNL.

Other favs-Farley, Carvey, Hartman, Hooks, Molly Shannon, Radner, Belushi.

One who was monumentally overrated-Chevy Chase. When I see the old reruns, Gilda Radner, John Belushi, Bill Murray, Jane Curtin, Dan Ackroyd all still make me laugh. Chevy's bit doesn't hold up well. Also hated Billy Crystal.

Favorite hosts-Buck Henry and Steve Martin!

SNL is a funny animal.

Gilda was and always will be my favorite. She has such ingenuity and reckless abandon; the only one to come close ever since, is Molly Shannon. (Superstar!!!) As for any of the others, well they're mostly forgettable, with the exception of Mike Myers.

Here's another "blink-and-you'll-miss-it" cast member: Joan Cusack.

My favorites were Jan Hooks, Nora Dunn, Victoria Jackson, Phil Hartman and Molly Shannon. Most of these players were scene stealers. I remember one of my favorite episodes was when Chris Evert guest hosted and Nora Dunn played Martina Navratolova stalking her and outbeating her for the rest of her life in every endeavor. Very funny.

I totally forgot Nora Dunn, but she was great as one of the Sweeney sisters, and as Martina! I also loved Julia Sweeney's early performances as "Pat." I don't know if you all have ever heard her perform live, but she is HILARIOUS! Her Christmas routine, about her deranged family, made me cry I laughed so much.

Adam Sandler makes my flesh crawl. He could be funny at times, but I often felt he was just goofing off or slacking through his skits, like Jimmy Fallon does at times. It's annoying. Chris Farley, though--just the sight of him crashing through something makes me laugh out loud, sort of like Belushi could do.

Ana Gasteyer and Maya Rudolph as the hip-hip duo Gemini's Twin -- so well done. WIll Ferrell has grown on me. Belushi, Bill Murray, Jan Hooks, Mike Meyers and Phil Hartman extremely talented. Chevy Chase, Molly Shannon, Anthony Michael Hall, Rob Schneider godawful.

Molly Shannon - I love huh! (high kick)

I love the original cast. But after them, I think my favorite is Dana Carvey. His sketch characters were classic.

I also enjoyed Martin Short (his synchronized swimming skit with Harry Shearer is one of my all time favorite skits, Chris Farley and who can forget Eddie Murphy!

For the women, my favorites are Molly Shannon (just looking at her makes me laugh), Cheri Oteri, and Jan Hooks.

Chracters that I like:

Terry Sweeney with his dead-on & hilarious portrayal of Nancy Reagan.

Ana Gasteyer as Martha Stewart (Martha Stewart Christmas Special Topless!)

I loved Cheri Oteri and Will Ferrell as the cheerleaders! One of their skits had me laughing so hard that I started to cry and couldn't breathe....

amen.

I love it (high kick) I love it (high kick) I LOVE IT (high kick & high kick)!

MDB,

Having now seen your pic, that's an awesome visual!

Gilda Radner 4-SURE!

My favorite actors were (in no particular order) Phil Hartman (I loved him as the editor of SASSY magazine, Chris Farley (who didn't like Matt Foley or him trying to be a stripper with Patrick Swayze), and Will Ferrell (I loved when he played the guy with the voice desease that made him yell all the time).

My favorite actresses were Ana Gasteyer (loved her as teh middle school music teacher with Will Ferrell), Cheri Oteri (I had a cheerleader at my high school just like her and she was a GREAT Barbara Walters), and Ellen Cleghorn.

Da Kid.

Chris Farley was great and I also really like Spade in America, although I wouldn't put David Spade as one of my favorites. I seem to like more of the female cast (how odd). My faves include Jane Curtin, Molly Shannon, Ana Gasteyer, and Cheri Oteri. Stephanie Weir and Mo Collins from MadTV really get me going too!!

I'd probably like Gilda too, but she was before my time.

Stinger if you're not familiar with Gilda's work from SNL, do yourself a favor and rent or buy any of the compilation videos or DVDs of Gilda's work. I found 2 videos: The Best of Gilda Radner and Best of Saturday Night Live-Gilda Radner. They only seem to be available in VHS, but maybe your local video store can help you out.

Ahhh, Ellen, I liked her. What was that bit she did on Weekend update where she kept coming up with movie ideas? Something like "Man in My House"

I'll stick with my pick of Gilda, but reading the posts in this thread has reminded me just how many funny, funny people have been on the show and how much laughter they've brought into my life -- even during the not-so-funny years.

What about favorite episodes? One that sticks out in my mind is from X-mas 1992, when Glenn Close hosted. This was during the Adam Sandler years, and of course Bill-and-Hil had just been elected, so there was much merriment on that score.

Here's a great SNL Website including lists of cast-by-season and guest hosts and musical guests for almost every episode.

I know the critics usually hate the SNL movies, but I thought Mary Catherine Gallagher Superstar, The Ladies Man, That one with those 2 silly guys disco dancing all the time, and the Wayne's World movies were great. That scene where the Ladies Man was a DJ at a Christian Radio Station and interviewing the Nun was classic, that was too funny.

I came of age during the Eddie Murphy years, so, Mr. Robinson's Neighborhood will always be a fave of mine. However, in the recent past, Tracy Morgan's Brian Fellow's Safari Planet has been a guaranteed laugh for me!

Phil Hartman was definately my favorite. After his death, I was so angry at his coked up wife for taking away the funniest man on the planet. That's unusual because I really don't care much about celebrities, but Phil was absolutely the most talented comedian at the time of his death.

Dana Carvey did great as Bush 1 from 88 - 92. His skits and "speeches to the nation" were hilarious. Then in 92, Hartman started playing Clinton. The two of them were freakin' hilarious. The debates, campaign stops, C-SPAN's "Road to the White House"...all were so well written and performed by those two. I can never forget Hartman's Clinton jogging (with Secret Service guys in tow) to a McDonald's where he used other people's food to explain foreign policy. "Now your hamburger is aid to Somalia. But it's getting intercepted *chomp* *chomp* by warlords. Your apple pie, help from France, is *chomp* intercepted by warlords." I was laughing so hard that I stopped breathing for a bit. In fact, just writing this has given me a good laugh.

I began watching SNL in 1986, so I missed out on anything prior. But in everything since, I'd have to say my fave was always Phil Hartman. God rest his soul.

My favorite skit, however, has to be "Shwede Balls." I still get piss-in-my-pants delirious anytime they rerun that number. I'm hoping they roll it out again this year if they plan on an Xmas "best of SNL" episode.

Actually just did--last Sunday night (7th) had a special on SNL Christmas episodes and re-showed Alec Baldwin's "sweddy balls". That was a great skit! They probably will reshow on Comedy Central around Xmas again.

Tom Hanks hosted this one episode where he has an out-of-body experience after hurting his knee and he meets Abraham Lincoln who calls him a "tremendous pussy." Hilarious.

My favorite skit from that episode, though, was when John Lovitz hosted "Tales of Ribaldry" where Tom Hanks played the "lusty bootblack" and Victoria Jackson plays the naughty maid and Jan Hooks the bitchy Mistress of the estate.
It's Lovitz's asides that send this one over the top.
"Oooohh, what you must think of me!"
"Dangerous sex! DANGEROUS SEX! why isn't there a single word for 'dangerous sex'? hmmph."

While I'm unsure of which episode it came from, the Church Lady skit with Jim (I can't remember who played Jim, was it Phil??) and Tammy Faye (Jan Hooks)Bakker is another favorite. When Tammy's mascara has run all over here face and she's recounting a dark time and exclaims "demonic raisins, I rebuke you" I'm crying from laughter.

*sigh* I could go on and on and just might...

Gilda was definitely special and probably my favorite. I howled when I first saw the Church Lady. And another Tom Hanks skit I loved was when he was hosting during the winter Olympics one year and did a skit where he played a skater in a cowboy get-up. Hartman played the long time commentator (whoever he is)with "an eye" for the boys. Hanks did lots of ass swishing and limp wristed playing with his pistols before going into horrific falls flailing spread eagled across the rink. It may have seemed funnier because I had been following some of the skating that year.

Bill Murray as the world's worst lounge singer doing "Star Wars" and a holiday medley (everyone's favorite) at the ski lodge.

I have two all-time favorite skits:

- Glenn Close, Phil Hartman and Adam Sandler as contestants on the game show "What's the Best Way - the Game Show for New Englanders by New Englanders" hosted by Kevin Nealon. All four were perfect New England stereotypes (Hartman's favorite activities: "sitting out on the porch, looking up at the stars..and candlepin bowling") with the point of the show to give the fastest route between two New England cities. Too funny because it was a perfect send-up of a real New England phenomenon (my sister holds the family record from Western Mass to DC - 400 miles in 6 1/4 hours) and I couldn't believe they would do something so regionally specific.

2) The 1991 Democratic debate "to not be the guy to lose to Bush next year" - hosted by Nora Dunn, w/ Victoria Jackson as Tipper Gore (Al wouldn't even show up), Keifer Sutherland as Lloyd Bensen, Kevin Nealon as Bill Bradley - and the list went on - each candidate coming up with the best reason NOT to vote for him (Mario Cuomo "I have mafia ties," Tipper Gore "I envision a future with my husband as President, and frankly, it scares me") Simply one of the best political send-ups ever.

I'd forgotten about that one, but Phil Hartman's answering one question with "You can't get there from here" in that Maine/Boston-type of accent was great.

I've got two others, though, one of them being the one where Bill Clinton, Hillary, Vernon Jordan, and Monica Lewinsky are addressing the country after the impeachment hearings drinking beers while Tim Meadows, playing Betty Currie, dances to "Chain of Fools".

My other is a fairly recent one, though, and it was an American Idol takeoff where Kimberly Locke and Clay Aiken had made the bottom two, and they cut away to the same Coca-Cola commercial about 17 times, and Simon tells Ryan "I hate you Ryan Seacrest and hope you get SARS". I couldn't stop laughing.

Does anyone remember the skit - from the early days - called "Quien es mas macho?" I think Ricky Nelson may have been the guest host. One question was: "Quien es mas macho. Lloyd Bridges or Yak Lord." Then there was a musical number with Garrett Morris as Tina Turner doing Proud Mary. Puts me away every time I see it.

Thought I'd revive this long dormant thread to give props to Amy Poehler! She just rocks. She's a much better partner for Tina Fey on Weekend Update than Jimmy Fallon. And she does the hyperactive kid skit so well along with a killer Michael Jackson. She ought to have field day in the coming months with Wacko's trial.

I taped the show the past Saturday with Paris Hilton hosting and it was almost laugh-free. But I hav to say that Paris did a fine job. Heck she seemed better prepared than Robert DeNiro.

Have many favorites -Phil Hartman, Jan Hooks & Nora Dunn (The Sweeney Sisters) Will Farrell
The guy on now who does Clinton is great.
Ana Gastyer as Celine Dion doing the talk show was hilarious. Esp when she would interrupt her guests while they are singing.
Tina Fey and Jimmy did the best Weekend Updates!
Chris Katan when he first did Mango. (Got played out eventually)

All time favorites are Gilda Radner, Chris Farley (I LOVE when he is the Gap Girl) and Mary (oooh, I'm mad now) Gross.

Of course, I would be in BIG trouble if I did not mention Melanie Hutsell as she is a friend of mine from Chicago's Annoyance Theatre (Coed Prison Sluts and The Real Live Brady Bunch). Delta Delta Delta can I help ya help ya help ya?

Of the current season's cast, the women are FAR superior than the men. I love Rachel Dratch, Tina Fey, Amy Poehle and Maya Rudolph.

Eddie Murphy....Mr. Robinson's neighborhood
"can u say ransom.....I ransom dog out of the park and now I got him"
Buckwheat(do you remember when he was assasinated!)

Individual skits come to mind - Martin Short's "Men's Synchronized Swimming"

Jim Belushi as the High School Chess Coach
"Why don't you JUST GIVE HIM THE KING!!!!! GIVE IT TO HIM!!!!!"

And just as Chris Berman was becoming an ESPN name...there was the other great sports anchor- Joe Piscopo!

I haven't read through this whole thread, so I might be repeating stuff others have said, but...I loved the Land Shark. And I liked when Jane Curtin was the host of some public affairs show, and I can't remember his name for the life of me but he was talking about his company's Halloween costumes (The Invisible Pedestrian, The Human Torch (a bag of gas-soaked rags and some matches). Very funny stuff. And then there's the "Jane, you ignorant slut" scene that's great.

Emily Litella: "What's all this I'm hearing about "violins" on television? What do people have against violins on television?"