Poll: Greatest sketch comedy show of all time?

[LookBehindYou]

I thought Tracy Morgan sucked for the longest time but it was only because SNL sucks. If you listen to his podcast, he's actually a really funny guy. It's such a shame guys like him or Joe Rogan or Joey Diaz can't be themselves on TV.

If it wasn't for Rogan, I'd have never heard about him, but holy shit is he funny!!!!!

 

[Spungo]

If it wasn't for Rogan, I'd have never heard about him, but holy shit is he funny!!!!!

I can't imagine how much he would suck on SNL. They would censor it until his bits don't make any sense and are not funny at all. The story about hiding weed under his balls would turn into a story about hiding Beanie Babies under his arms.

 

[blackdogdeek]

Monty Python > *

This is the only valid answer.

 

[tboo]

Kids in the Hall

 

[Vdubchaos]

By far Chappelle show

 

[Craig234]

Monty Python by far, but I voted for SNL form the list. It's uneven but has some of the best stuff. Remember the Hillary and Palin bit? Can Jon Stewart's cast be listed?

 

[BrokenVisage]

MAD! (come on! come on! yeah, come on, come on, come on!) MAD! (Madddd, you're sooo, crazzzyy) You. Are. Now. Watching. Mad. Teee. Veeee (MAD!)

Maybe not the funniest, but had the best sketch characters (Vancomb Lady, Ms. Swan, Stuart, Lorraine)

 

[sandorski]

For Canadians: Wayne and Shuster, then Kids In The Hall and Bizarre.

All great shows.

Of the Poll choices, I voted SCTV. SNL and the early seasons of In Living Color are great too.

 

[Axon]

Chappelle's show is the only time I have repeatedly laughed out loud.

 

[Spungo]

MAD!
Maybe not the funniest, but had the best sketch characters (Vancomb Lady, Ms. Swan, Stuart, Lorraine)

You should probably be sterilized so your terrible sense of humor is not passed on to future generations.

 

[Triumph]

Mad TV was absolutely dreadful. Never found anything funny on it.

As much as I don't enjoy watching it anymore, I don't think that anyone can argue that SNL has been the most influential of all sketch comedy shows. Every show so far mentioned in this thread has made important contributions and can definitely be funny, but simply the sheer number of stars created puts SNL at the top of the list. So I would call it the greatest sketch comedy show of all time, but not my favorite.

Steve Martin
Bill Murray
Eddie Murphy
John Belushi
Chris Rock
Dan Akroyd
Mike Myers
Adam Sandler
Tina Fey
Will Farrell
Billy Crystal

and that's without even thinking too hard about it.

 

[BrokenVisage]

You should probably be sterilized so your terrible sense of humor is not passed on to future generations.

Stuart sketches could sometimes be lame, but you're an emotion-less impotent robot (or maybe just impotent in your case) if you don't like The Swan!

 

[Insomniator]

Never saw the old supposedly 'good' snl days, but compared to current SNL and what I've seen of Madtv.. Chappelles show is the best by far.

MadTV was absolutely terrible from start to finish and SNL seems to get worse every year.

 

[Vdubchaos]

I always liked MadTV. Sure it wasn't always funny but most of the time they had few great pieces. (coach hines, asian lady, Stewart, lady with the weird laugh....all were great IMO)

SNL on the other hand, I'm not exactly sure why people watch that. I tried, I really tried to laugh but it just wasn't a real laugh.

SNL Sucks

 

[BudAshes]

SNL when it had Will Ferrell, Dana Carvey, Will Myers, Chris Farley, Phil Harman etc. Show was brilliant for a while. Most of the rest of the time it has been terrible though.

One of my favorites is UCB. Anyone else ever watch Upright Citizens Brigade? The show was pretty fantastic.

 

[Jadow]

how about the one that's been on a national network for 37 years.

 

[Jadow]

SNL when it had Will Ferrell, Dana Carvey, Will Myers, Chris Farley, Phil Harman etc. Show was brilliant for a while. Most of the rest of the time it has been terrible though.

One of my favorites is UCB. Anyone else ever watch Upright Citizens Brigade? The show was pretty fantastic.

Will Ferrell came after the peak, he wasn't there during the early 90's heyday, and most of his funniest stuff is not from SNL. That cheerleader sketch is eternally unfunny.

 

[BudAshes]

Will Ferrell came after the peak, he wasn't there during the early 90's heyday, and most of his funniest stuff is not from SNL. That cheerleader sketch is eternally unfunny.

I was more thinking about the skits with him as GWB and sculpture class and a few others.

 

[Jadow]

I was more thinking about the skits with him as GWB and sculpture class and a few others.

sculpture was good, so was more cowbell. Cowbell was just so weird, I always crack up watching ferrell with his stupid belly showing in that one.

 

[DrPizza]

Mad TV was absolutely dreadful. Never found anything funny on it.

As much as I don't enjoy watching it anymore, I don't think that anyone can argue that SNL has been the most influential of all sketch comedy shows. Every show so far mentioned in this thread has made important contributions and can definitely be funny, but simply the sheer number of stars created puts SNL at the top of the list. So I would call it the greatest sketch comedy show of all time, but not my favorite.

Steve Martin
Bill Murray
Eddie Murphy
John Belushi
Chris Rock
Dan Akroyd
Mike Myers
Adam Sandler
Tina Fey
Will Farrell
Billy Crystal

and that's without even thinking too hard about it.

Agreed. SNL, then Monty Python's Flying Circus, then a huge gap, then maybe Chapelle's show. Granted, SNL has sucked for the most part of the last 2 decades, but that still leaves 17 seasons that were every bit as good as the 3 seasons of Chapelle's Show.

To add to your list of actors who got their big start on SNL:
John Belushi
Jim Belushi
Dana Carvey
Jane Curtin
Joan Cusack
Chris Elliott (though he was previously on Late Night with David Letterman, did half a dozen "man under the bleachers" and other stupid things, iirc)
Al Franken
Tina Fey
Chris Farley
Gilbert Gottfried
Julia Louis-Dreyfus
Jon Lovitz
Norm Macdonald
Tim Meadows
Dennis Miller
Tracy Morgan
Gilda Radner
Adam Sandler
Paul Shaffer
Martin Short
Sarah Silverman
David Spade


Many many others
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saturday_Night_Live_cast_members

 

[The Boston Dangler]

at their best, kids in the hall certainly was a match for monty python

 

[surfsatwerk]

at their best, kids in the hall certainly was a match for monty python

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WP3X0dSV9kI

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8C4TGGtPzBU

 

[BurnItDwn]

Upright Citizens Brigade

 

[RedRooster]

While Will Sasso as Kenny Rogers was the funniest single idea in sketch history, there wasn't enough on the rest of the show to carry it all time.
As said, Chappelle was consistently the most funny. Or maybe I'm mixing memories with his standup act, "Grape Drink" had me tearing up the first time I heard it.

 

[KeithTalent]

Kids in the Hall!

KT