SNL Memories

Last night was a GREAT TV night for me... I was able to go to my friends place and on his HUGE high def TV watch the BYU cougars get thier butts kicked by TCU. That's not the great part. Infact it brought down everyone and we were all depressed BUT the good news is that at my home I had my DVR working hard recording my favorite Thrusday night shows. Survivor, Earl, THE OFFICE!!! and something new SNL Weekend Update Thursday. This is where the best segment on Saturday Night Live comes to Thursday night for just a few weeks because it's the political season and NBC felt that 12 minutes on Saturday was not enough time to lampoon the canidates. This seasons they hit the jackpot because their former co-Anchor looks just like Sarah Palin and still works in the same building. It seems SNL is at their best when they are lampooning political leaders which got me to thinking... what are my favorite SNL skits and what would be my dream team of a cast?

My favorite skits:

The 90's were my teenage years so Waynes World was naturally HUGELY popular. My friends and I would quote it all of the time. "Schwing" was heard in the hallways of school any time an attractive girl walked by.

The Spartan Cheerleaders were an instant classic. Everyone knew the type of people SNL was making fun of and most people had those personalities in their school.

An oldie but a goodie is Unfrozen Caveman Lawyer where Phil Hartman plays the title role to perfection.

The singing school teachers from Altadena Middle School were singing wonders.

Daily Affirmations with Stewart Smalley was very theraputic. The Michael Jordan skit was a classic!

My first SNL memory was group of guys in a bar talking about the greatest football team of the 1980's... Da BEARS!

But by far my favorite SNL sketch was, is and always will be... Celebrity Jeopardy. It's the kind humor that if I were the funniest man on the planet, I would write. Every actor funny. Everytime funny. Everytime spot on. I still laugh out loud when I think of my favorite moments from that sketch. "I'll take swords for 400." "That's 'S' words."

DREAM TEAM... A cast is made up of about 9... so that's what I'll limit myself to.

Basically you need to have a black guy, a funny fat guy, some funny women, a guy who does imprersonations, and then some "go to" people who appear in alsmost every sketch.

BLACK GUY... Time Meadows, Chris Rock, Tracy Morgan have all been good BUT give me EDDIE MURPHY in his SNL prime any day over those guys.

FUNNY FAT GUY... I know people are gonna say that it's either Belushi or Chris Farley but in an unprecidented move I'm gonna go back to back BLACK and go with KEENAN THOMPSON who is both Black and Big and VERY funny. And for my money, I think Horatio Sanz deserves some consideration for this discussion but not the award.

FUNNY WOMEN... This was easy. Put AMY POHLER, RACHEL DRATCH or CHERI OTERI in anything and I will watch it.

IMPERSONATOR... this is my toughest one to pick. There really are two guys who deserve this so I'm gonna let them share it. PHIL HARTMAN seemed to be the best impersonator on tht planet and irreplacable... until DARREL HAMMOND joined the cast.

GO TO guys are the glue of show... No matter the sketch, no matter how big of a name the host is, these two guys will steal the scene: DANA CARVEY AND WILL FERREL.

I'm gonna add two last people because no show is complete without WEEKEND UPDATE. And with all due respect to Chevy Chase, Dennis Miller, Kevin Nealon, Collin Quinn, Norm Macdonlad and currently Seth Meyers... the best Weekend Update for me was the best chemistry which was TINA FEY and JIMMY FALLON.

Hononrable mentions of funny go to Chris Kattan, Mike Meyers, John Lovitz, Maya Rudolph, Ana Gasteyer, Will Forte, Jason Sudeikis, Adam Sandler, David Spade, Rob Schneider, Andy Sanberg, and Bill Hader.

FINALLY... The show isn't the show without two more things: A host and a musical act.

HOST: TOM HANKS with Christopher "more cowbell" Walken as a runner up.

BAND: BARENAKED LADIES with Smashmouth as thier runner up.

Thanks to Lorne Michaels for all of the memories. From Sinead O'Connor tearing up a picture of the pope to Ashley Simpson lip syncing. I'm proud to say I watched live some of the funniest moments on TV over the last 30 years.