SATURDAY NIGHT LIVES

Being a fan of SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE is like being a Cubs fan - you are there for your team during the good and the bad (and mostly it's been bad). But every so often your team hits it out of the ballpark and you laugh your ass off. I guess that's why I live SNL so much - it's made me laugh during a lonely high school period, I laughed my ass off (while getting drunk on Mad Dog) during my college years at Eastern Illinois University, I stuck with it during my coming out years, and I even caught it here and there once my live Saturday nights were spent cruising around Sidetracks and Steamworks. And now, SNL is a TiVo staple that joins my other sketchers (THE UNDERGROUND and MADTV). This season we lost Tina Fey and Rachel Dratch (to 30 ROCK) and Chris Parnell, Horatio Sanz and Finesse Mitchell (to budgeting reasons). No one entered the establishment, and right now no one needs to. The cast last year had grown too big...so this year's survivors have more time to develop their chemistry with viewers. Unfortunately a few of the members have been with the show too long, and new blood will be needed by next year to keep the show fresh. Last year's newcomers, however, are doing exceptional work this season (Bill Hader, Andy Samburg, Kristin Wiig and Jason Sudeikis). I have a soft spot for all the cast members (Amy Poehler, Darrel Hammond, Fred Armissen, Kenan Thompson, Maya Rudoph, Will Forte and Seth Meyers) and would hate to see any one go, but I also feel its in the best interest of the series to purge even a few more of the longer-running cast members in favor of new talent. Because what the series needs are more breakout stars like Eddie Murphy, Bill Murray, Adam Sandler, John Belushi, Chevy Chase, and so forth to REALLY bring people back. And so far Andy Samburg seems to be the only breakout performer (thanks to his AWESOME SNL DIGITAL SHORTS - LAZY SUNDAY, in particular)