All-Star Sketch Comedy

After attending a college football game this past weekend, something very real occurred to me about fans of this brand of the game. People cheer for the team to do well, not the individuals. In college sports, players will come and go, but the institution will always remain the same. Each year, a new class will come in and carry the torch for their alma mater, and their loyal fan base can continue to tune in every week. With such storied franchises currently in the Top Ten (USC, Notre Dame, Alabama, Penn St.), it doesn’t matter the names on the back of the jersey – it’s the name on the front.

In the world of television, there is only one major show that emulates college sports. The institution has existed for nearly 40 years now. The major players, the stars have come, entered their names in the history book, and have left when it was time to move on. However, the system has remained the same, and the gameplan every week – to bring the funny. Even the first play in the playbook has remained the same –

“Live from New York, it’s Saturday Night!”

Saturday Night Live has been doing their best to make people laugh with sketch comedy for three decades. The show has had some unbelievable years, and it had had its low points (1995-1997, anyone?). While the quality of writing has ebbed and flowed, it’s the cast members that make the show truly great. In the spirit of recognizing fine comedy, YAB now presents our All-Star cast of SNL.

We had a few criterion to work with in order to make this a valid list. Based on recent years’ rosters, the standard cast is at 12 – 9 guys and 3 women. In addition, we weren’t looking for the 12 funniest people that have been on SNL – we were looking for the 12 funniest ON SNL. That way, comedic greats like Billy Crystal, Julia Louis-Dreyfuss, and Ben Stiller don’t need to take up a spot – they brough the funny elsewhere. Finally, longevity counts. Each member on our list met the requirement of at least 3 years as a regular cast member, OR a combination of 4 years as a cast member or featured performer. This knocks out people like Chevy Chase and Chris Rock, who I don’t believe would have made it anyway.

In addition, SNL also has some comedic archetypes to fill – Presidential impressionists, a token black guy, a token fat guy, and an anchor or two to cover the Weekend Update desk. We got ‘em all. Ok, let’s get with the namin’.

Dan Akroyd – (’75-’79) – Original cast member who was the most omnipresent in the initial great recurring sketches. Remembered for: Beldar Conehead, Elwood Blues, Wild and Crazy Guys. Impressions: Richard Nixon, Jimmy Carter, Tom Snyder, Ricardo Montalban. Also a 9-time guest host.

John Belushi – (’75-’79) – Also an original, no one has had so much intensity when it comes to comedy. Remembered for: Jake Blues, Larry Farber, Steve Busahkis, the Samurai. Two-time guest host.

Dana Carvey – (’86-’93) – The man who bridged the gap between the late eighties mini-cast and the early nineties mega cast. Remembered for: Church Lady, Garth Algar, Derek Stevens, Hans. Impressions: Bob Dylan, Dan Quayle, George Bush, Dennis Miller, John McLaughlin, Johnny Carson, Ross Perot, Ted Koppel, Tom Brokaw. 8-time guest.

Jane Curtain – (’76-’80) – The funniest of three women who were there from the beginning, and we’ll forgive her for “Kate and Allie.” Remembered for: Enid Loopner (Nerd), Prymaat Conehead, Weekend Update. Impressions: Betty Ford, Joan Crawford, Pat Nixon.

Rachel Dratch – (’99-Present) – I hated Rachel Dratch when she first came on. However, she’s proven herself with great characters. Excellent supporting member in a sketch. Remembered for: Zazoo the Boston Teen, Sheldon from Wake Up Wakefield, Virginia Klarvin. Impressions: Weakest Link host, Nicole Richie, Calista Flockhart.

Will Ferrell – (’95-’02) – Like Phil Hartman, can be the character or the straight man in a sketch. Led SNL out of the mid-nineties lull. Still think he’s underappreciated for what he did. Remembered for: Craig the Cheerleader, Jacob Silj, Marty Culp (music teacher), Roxbury guy. Impressions: George W. Bush, Alex Trebek, Neil Diamond, Dr. Phil, Harry Caray, James Lipton, Janet Reno. They still miss ‘em.

Ana Gasteyer – (’96-’02) – Of the three (Oteri, Shannon), Ana was the only one without a gratingly annoying character. She played her roles well, and with high comedy. Remembered for: Bobbi Mohan-Culp (music teacher), Margaret Jo (NPR), Jonette from “Gemini’s Twin. Impressions: Barbara Streisand, Celine Dion, Debbie Matenopoulos, Hillary Clinton, Martha Stewart.

Darrell Hammond – (’95-Present) – Hands down, the BEST at impressions in the history of SNL. I won’t even bother you with original characters. Impressions: Al Gore, Al Michaels, Bill Clinton, Chris Matthews, Dick Cheney, Donald Trump, Jesse Jackson, John Travolta, SEAN CONNERY, Phil Donahue, Richard Dreyfuss, Tim Russert, William Shatner.

Phil Hartman – (’86-’94) – His resume lists 20 characters and 77 impressions. This guy was the total package. Another guy with impression chops, but the ultimate straight man in a sketch. Remembered for: Frankenstein, Jesus. Impressions: Frank Sinatra, Ed McMahon, Bill Clinton, Jack Nicholson, Lee Iacocca, Mario Cuomo, Ronald Reagan.

Eddie Murphy – (’80-’84) – As Spud recalls, the intros at the show are live, and you can hear the clapping over the announcer. When Murphy’s name was called, you could hear the roar, the leader of a weak cast. Sorry, Piscopo. Remembered for: Mr. Robinson, Gumby, Buckwheat, Tyrone. Impressions: Bill Cosby, Sammy Davis Jr., Stevie Wonder.

Bill Murray – (’76-’80) – The final of our originals, Murray brings this all-star cast just a fresh feeling of a guy who is naturally funny. He doesn’t have to even try. Remembered for: Nick the Lounge Singer, Weekend Update.Generally speaking, made any sketch funnier. May have even been able to save latter year crap like “Anything with Horatio Sanz.”

Mike Myers – (’88-’95) – My personal favorite, or at least in a tie with Carvey. Amazing, considering he’s from Canada. Remembered for: Wayne Campbell, Dieter, Linda Richman, Lothar of the Hill People, Pat Arnold of the Superfans. Let’s not forget when he played Phillip, the kid who tows the jungle gym right down the street.

And in the words of Myers in Coffee Talk, "Discuss!"