I know ... the age old SNL debate ...
I am a pretty die-hard SNL fan, and I've stayed true through some "rebuilding" years a few times, but this season has been consistently bad so far. The writing is just lackluster, boring, and not particularly creative. The skits seem to be a lot longer this season as well. I suppose that's good because there are fewer skits to trudge through (and less writing and creativity required), but it also means that viewers have to choose to either sit through a skit that gets old fast or change the channel. Ratings appear to indicate viewers are opting to just change the channel.
A good example of a total lack of creativity was the "Carrey Family Reunion" skit tonight. How much creativity or writing is required to put together a skit where all the players just imitate characters from Jim Carrey's various movies, complete with regurgitated dialogue? And that skit also went on WAY too long.
Some of the newer cast has shown real promise and has done well with establishing fun recurring characters, but we've been seeing a lot less of those good characters and more concentration on the host leading the skits. I've always thought SNL was at its best when the host was just something a little extra to add to the ensemble in a skit instead of a skit revolving around the host. Making fun of the host has always been fun, but it works better when they aren't trying too hard, but it's hard to say the writers are trying too hard when it kind of seems like they are phoning it in to begin with.
I am a pretty die-hard SNL fan, and I've stayed true through some "rebuilding" years a few times, but this season has been consistently bad so far. The writing is just lackluster, boring, and not particularly creative. The skits seem to be a lot longer this season as well. I suppose that's good because there are fewer skits to trudge through (and less writing and creativity required), but it also means that viewers have to choose to either sit through a skit that gets old fast or change the channel. Ratings appear to indicate viewers are opting to just change the channel.
A good example of a total lack of creativity was the "Carrey Family Reunion" skit tonight. How much creativity or writing is required to put together a skit where all the players just imitate characters from Jim Carrey's various movies, complete with regurgitated dialogue? And that skit also went on WAY too long.
Some of the newer cast has shown real promise and has done well with establishing fun recurring characters, but we've been seeing a lot less of those good characters and more concentration on the host leading the skits. I've always thought SNL was at its best when the host was just something a little extra to add to the ensemble in a skit instead of a skit revolving around the host. Making fun of the host has always been fun, but it works better when they aren't trying too hard, but it's hard to say the writers are trying too hard when it kind of seems like they are phoning it in to begin with.