Who was in YOUR SNL Cast?

[NotherYinzer]

This isn't a list of your favorite cast. Instead it's who was the cast from your teen years?

Mine was the 1982 cast of Robin Duke, Mary Gross, Brad Hall, Tim Kazurinsky, Gary Kroeger, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Eddie Murphy and Joe Piscopo. I liked the Gumby skits but could go the rest of my life w/o hearing from Doug and Wendy Whiner and their diverticulitis.

How about you?

[FriarTed]

Originally Posted by NotherYinzer

This isn't a list of your favorite cast. Instead it's who was the cast from your teen years?

Mine was the 1982 cast of Robin Duke, Mary Gross, Brad Hall, Tim Kazurinsky, Gary Kroeger, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Eddie Murphy and Joe Piscopo. I liked the Gumby skits but could go the rest of my life w/o hearing from Doug and Wendy Whiner and their diverticulitis.

How about you?

The original Not Ready For Prime Time Players. I was born in 1962.

I thought the OP was gonna be favorite, so I was ready to say "Denny Dillon, Gail Mathius, Gilbert Gottfried..."

[Cumberdale]

Mine were also the original Not Ready for Prime Time Players.

[Mehitabel]

Originals but I started watching regularly right after Bill Murray arrived, so like NRFPTP v 1.5.

[FairyChatMom]

Originally Posted by Cumberdale

Mine were also the original Not Ready for Prime Time Players.

For me also, although I wasn't a dedicated viewer. It was hard for me to stay up that late. I'm too much of a morning person.

[digs]

Originally Posted by Cumberdale

Mine were also the original Not Ready for Prime Time Players.

I turned on the first episode during the Weekend Update segment, and thought it was real at first ... in my defense, Chevy Chase was acting very anchorperson-ish. Right up until he tripped over the desk and brought it down on top of him. Then I heard the audience laughing, and said "Hey, wait a minute..."

[LawMonkey]

When I watched it, it was the Mike Myers/Dana Carvey/whoever it was that played Pat/that guy who's a Senator now crowd.

[Pai325]

It was not around when I was a teenager, but I started watching it when it first came on, so the original cast.

[Suburban Plankton]

I was born in 1967, so I'm pretty sure I wasn't actually watching it those first few years, but "my cast" is still the original Not Ready for Prime Time Players (plus Bill Murray).

[RTFirefly]

Originally Posted by Pai325

It was not around when I was a teenager, but I started watching it when it first came on, so the original cast.

Ditto.

[Miss Mapp]

I started watching SNL around the time Chevy Chase left and Bill Murray came in, and stopped in 1980. I've only ever seen a handful of shows featuring the later cast members.

[panache45]

Originally Posted by Pai325

It was not around when I was a teenager, but I started watching it when it first came on, so the original cast.

This. I was already 35.

[Zeldar]

Originally Posted by Pai325

It was not around when I was a teenager, but I started watching it when it first came on, so the original cast.

Same here. My teen years were in the 1950's.

[PapSett]

Yup, original cast for me too. I remember when it first came on, my mother HATED it, so she would go to bed, and me, my cousin & Dad would order a pizza and watch, laughing our asses off. Every now and them Mom would yell at us to keep it down, but we just couldn't! We had never seen anything like it and couldn't believe what they got away with.

*sigh* Wonderful memories...

[TreacherousCretin]

I was 35 when SNL debuted. For me, the first and second casts (with Chevy Chase, then Bill Murray) were never bettered.

.

[TreacherousCretin]

Originally Posted by TreacherousCretin

I was 35 when SNL debuted. For me, the first and second casts (with Chevy Chase, then Bill Murray) were never bettered.

.

25, not 35.

Not that anyone cares. But still.

.

[The Universe Lashes Out]

Phil Hartman, Mike Myers, Chris Farley, Adam Sandler, Dana Carvey, Norm Macdonald, Kevin Nealon, David Spade. I started watching around '92 or '93. I stopped watching obsessively once they brought on the Will Ferrell cast. (Nothing against Will Ferrell, it was more the other people who were horrible. But that cheerleader sketch was the opposite of funny.) And I stopped watching entirely once they fired Norm Macdonald.

[Larry Mudd]

Teen years? It probably doesn't speak well of my upbringing, but I started watching Saturday Night Live in 1977, with my teens still five years away. So, from Bill Murray, and regularly for about ten or eleven years. I stopped watching when Phil Hartman stopped being enough of a draw to sit through the rest of it, sometime in the early nineties. (Which is no slight against Phil; he never stopped being awesome.)

[Crown Prince of Irony]

The cast during my teen years was Carvey/Hartman/Nealon/Lovitz et al., although I started watching when I was just a little kid, so I got to see some of the first cast.

[silenus]

The original cast, and I was in my 20s when SNL debuted. They've been going downhill ever since.

[Kamino Neko]

Mike Meyers, Dana Carvey, Phil Hartman, David Spade, Kevin Nealon, Rob Schneider, Adam Sandler...

Some greats (Meyers, Hartman), some who...didn't do well after SNL (Carvey, Sandler*)...overall a good period for the show, even if there were rough spots (Schneider).


* Both were fine on the show (though, had I been older, I'd have misliked Sandler, I suspect), and have had some good work since leaving it (Wayne's World for Carvey, The Wedding Singer for Sandler), but for the most part, post SNL, they've both kind of...fallen. Still I'd rather sit through an Adam Sandler marathon than even one Rob Schneider movie. Or one Rob Schneider sketch, for that matter.

[BMalion]

The originals, I was born in 1960.

I've seen an episode or two every now and then but it's never the same.

[Drunky Smurf]

Originally Posted by Tengu

Mike Meyers, Dana Carvey, Phil Hartman, David Spade, Kevin Nealon, Rob Schneider, Adam Sandler...

This was mine as well.

* Both were fine on the show (though, had I been older, I'd have misliked Sandler, I suspect), and have had some good work since leaving it (Wayne's World for Carvey, The Wedding Singer for Sandler), but for the most part, post SNL, they've both kind of...fallen.[/quote]

Sandler has not fallen.
He's acted in 45 different titles including SNL.
He has his own production company.
He's produced 37 different titels.
He's written 16 different titles.

Now his stuff may not be to your liking but he has had a busy career since after SNL.

I

[NotherYinzer]

Dang, I did get the short end of the stick. But I was right there watching the original airings of White Like Me, Mr Robinson's Neighborhood and C-I-L-L My Landlord.

Another thing: There were only 7 NRFPTP's. I watched last week and I swear the credits went on for 5 minutes. Brevity is the soul of wit, people. Pare it down.

[woodstockbirdybird]

Mine was the same as the OP's.

[Kamino Neko]

Originally Posted by Drunky Smurf

Sandler has not fallen.
He's acted in 45 different titles including SNL.
He has his own production company.
He's produced 37 different titels.
He's written 16 different titles.

I didn't say he wasn't working. Note I compared quality, not quantity - I did mention that he's done enough to have a marathon, for instance. It doesn't matter how much work he's doing, if his entire post-SNL oeuvre doesn't get as many laughs as one of his silly voices when he was on the show...that's fallen.

[The Other Waldo Pepper]

Originally Posted by Tengu

I didn't say he wasn't working. Note I compared quality, not quantity - I did mention that he's done enough to have a marathon, for instance. It doesn't matter how much work he's doing, if his entire post-SNL oeuvre doesn't get as many laughs as one of his silly voices when he was on the show...that's fallen.

Just Go With It grossed over $200 million. Grown Ups also grossed over $200 million. Bedtime Stories likewise grossed over $200 million. You Don't Mess With The Zohan grossed over $200 million as well. Not to mention Click, which, y'know, grossed well over $200 million. Sure, back in the '90s he could make sure that The Wedding Singer would gross well over $200 million and Big Daddy would gross well over $200 million and so on -- but compared to SNL alums who've fallen by the wayside, he's still a top-billed star; mentioning him alongside Dana Carvey is just weird.

Which I wouldn't have expected, when Sandler and Carvey were in my SNL cast -- along with Phil Hartman and Chris Rock and Mike Myers and Chris Farley and Dennis Miller.

[Mr. Greenjeans]

The original NRFPT Players for me too.

I was in 6th grade when SNL started...old enough to stay up late and watch TV on my own, but certainly not old enough to be out with friends. Over the years, I've probably seen more than I've missed.

(I finally got to see a show in-person in Dec. 2008 with Hugh Laurie and Kanye West.)

[bump]

During middle and high school, it was mostly wretched, but in about my junior year, the cast of the early 1990s (Mike Myers, Phil Hartman, et al..) started to coalesce.

I tend to not think about SNL during my teen years, because it was so bad. Elementary school and college however were pretty good.

[twickster]

Another boomer checking in for original cast + Bill Murray.

[singular1]

Good Og, OP, I weep for your intro to SNL.
Another original SNLer here, a gobsmacked twenty-somethinger hooked from day one.

[Joey P]

My teen years were 90-99, that would give me
Chris Farley
Tim Meadows
Phil Hartman
Julia Sweeney
David Spade
Al Franken
Victoria Jackson
Dana Carvey
Dennis Miller
Mike Meyers
Chris Rock
Adam Sandler
Kevin Nealon
and technically Sarah Silverman though I really can't remember her being on the show.

[Joey P]

Originally Posted by Joey P

My teen years were 90-99, that would give me
Chris Farley
Tim Meadows
Phil Hartman
Julia Sweeney
David Spade
Al Franken
Victoria Jackson
Dana Carvey
Dennis Miller
Mike Meyers
Chris Rock
Adam Sandler
Kevin Nealon
and technically Sarah Silverman though I really can't remember her being on the show.

Something else I forgot to add on to this was that right around 98-00 when the cast started flipping over to Will Farrell et al (and it didn't take long to get sick of him) is when I found myself watching more MADtv then SNL and it didn't take long before I found myself watching the entire episode of MADtv and just catching the last half hour of SNL.
It's kind of funny though, if you talk to someone about 10 years older then you, they'll tell you their SNL was the best one and yours was awful, while you'll say the same thing to someone 10 years younger then you.
I loved my SNL and glided very nicely into MADtv, while my sisters (22 and 25) love the current SNL lineup, hated mine and think MADtv was an awful show that didn't deserve any airtime (let alone 10+ seasons).

[Bryan Ekers]

Originally Posted by Joey P

I loved my SNL and glided very nicely into MADtv, while my sisters (22 and 25) love the current SNL lineup, hated mine and think MADtv was an awful show that didn't deserve any airtime (let alone 10+ seasons).

On the issue of MADtv, your sisters are most wise.

[Bryan Ekers]

I started watching regularly with (I guess) the 1984-5 season, with Jim Belushi, Billy Crystal, Christopher Guest, Rich Hall, Martin Short etc., though I recall individual episodes from earlier seasons. Then I lost interest for a while and came back during the Hartman/Myers/Carvey/Nealon era in 1989.

[Annie-Xmas]

SNL: Not Ready for Prime Time Players

[RealityChuck]

The original Not Ready for Prime Time Players: Dan Aykroyd, John Belushi, Chevy Chase, Jane Curtin, Garrett Morris, Lorraine Newman, Michael O'Donoghue, plus the Muppets.

[Mr. Greenjeans]

Originally Posted by RealityChuck

The original Not Ready for Prime Time Players: Dan Aykroyd, John Belushi, Chevy Chase, Jane Curtin, Garrett Morris, Lorraine Newman, Michael O'Donoghue, plus the Muppets.

You missed Gilda Radner.

Also, I'm not sure that Michael O'Donoghue, while certainly around for those early shows, was considered a member of the NRFPT Players. (I could be wrong though. Please fight my ignorance if I am.)

[TreacherousCretin]

Originally Posted by Mr. Greenjeans

You missed Gilda Radner.

Also, I'm not sure that Michael O'Donoghue, while certainly around for those early shows, was considered a member of the NRFPT Players. (I could be wrong though. Please fight my ignorance if I am.)

You're right. IIRC, M.D. was sometimes listed after the NRFPT lineup as a "with."

[Wheelz]

Originally Posted by Mr. Greenjeans

Also, I'm not sure that Michael O'Donoghue, while certainly around for those early shows, was considered a member of the NRFPT Players. (I could be wrong though. Please fight my ignorance if I am.)

Shortly after George Carlin passed away, NBC re-ran the first episode (which he had hosted). During the opening, instead of naming each individual cast member, Don Pardo simply said "...and the Not Ready For Prime Time Players" while a list of nine names appeared on the screen:

Dan Aykroyd
John Belushi
Chevy Chase
George Coe
Jane Curtin
Garrett Morris
Laraine Newman
Michael O'Donoghue
Gilda Radner

So, one might argue that O'Donoghue certainly was an "original" NRFPTP, even if they tweaked the billing later.
George Coe, incidentally, currently provides the voice of Woodhouse on FX's Archer.

[Bosstone]

I was a teen in the 90s, so Myers/Carvey/Hartman/et al.

I kept watching into the Will Ferrell era, but not nearly as much. Really, I think it was when Hartman left the show that it Changed.

[NDP]

Originally Posted by Wheelz

George Coe, incidentally, currently provides the voice of Woodhouse on FX's Archer.

George Coe's still around? He must be around 80 by now. A classic HITG (Hey, It'
s That Guy!).

As for the OP, I turned 13 in 1978 so it was the Original Cast v.1.2. (i.e., Bill Murray had replaced Chevy Chase).

[Wheelz]

I was 12 when SNL debuted, so that's close enough to my "teen" years to claim the original cast as my own. It's probably pointless to debate the relative quality of different casts, but those early years were exciting because we were watching them create something new, and they pretty much made up the rules as they went. Monday morning in the schoolyard was all about quoting that weekend's favorite lines and buzzing about what they got away with. It was a BIG DEAL.

And no matter how many people have exclaimed "Live from New York, it's Saturday Night!" over the years, I'll forever hear it in Chevy Chase's voice, right after his weekly pratfall.

[KneadToKnow]

My teen years, and peak SNL viewing years, spanned both the Robin Duke, Tim Kazurinsky, Eddie Murphy era and the slightly later Nora Dunn, John Lovitz, Dennis Miller era.

[BMalion]

And I'll never forget Howard Shore and His All-Nurse Orchestra!

Especially funny while watching him guest-conduct the world famous Cleveland Orchestra.

[Miss Mapp]

Originally Posted by BMalion

And I'll never forget Howard Shore and His All-Nurse Orchestra!

Especially funny while watching him guest-conduct the world famous Cleveland Orchestra.

I hadn't realized that that was the same Howard Shore who scored the LOTR movies, until a friend of mine made that same "All Nurse Orchestra" joke while we watching one of the films.

[TheVoiceOfReason]

The original cast for me as well. I was a young boy of 8 back then, but one of the highlights of my week was getting back out of bed and watching Saturday Night with mom. She'd even break out the skillet and pop some popcorn for us.

[Sam Stone]

Original cast for me. I was a mid-teen at the time. I remember watching the first episode and being blown away by how good it was. At the time, I think the other entertainment on Saturday night was "Don Kirschner's Rock Concert"

[mkecane]

I only really watched with semi-regularity between probably ages 10 and 14 (88-92). The ones I remember are:

Dana Carvey
Phil Hartman
Jon Lovitz
Kevin Nealon
Victoria Jackson
Jan Hooks
Nora Dunn

I loved that cast. I liked Mike Myers and Chris Farley, and David Spade was ok, but I never cared for Rob Schneider or Adam Sandler and stopped watching probably soon after Wayne's World (the movie) came out. It was awful when Sherri Oteri, Chris Kattan, Jim Breuer, and Tim Meadows were on. I got sucked back in a bit with Ferrell as Bush and Hammond as Gore were doing their thing, but that's the last I've watched of it while enjoying it.

[Sam Stone]

Changing the subject slightly... Which cast had the most successful post-SNL career as a whole?

Looking at the original cast, Dan Ayckroyd, Chevy Chase, Bill Murray, and John Belushi had big post-SNL careers. All except Belushi are still working regularly, 35 years later. Garret Morris and Laraine Newman vanished, Jane Curtin had one hit TV show, and Gilda Radner was doing Broadway as I recall, after fizzling somewhat in other attempts at a post-SNL career.

Has any other cast had this kind of success? There have been plenty of breakout stars like Adam Sandler, Will Ferrill, and Eddie Murphy, but I can't think of another cast that had as much post-SNL success.

A close second might be the cast with Phil Hartman, Mike Myers, Chris Farley, Adam Sandler, Dana Carvey, Norm Macdonald, Kevin Nealon, David Spade, Dennis Miller . David Spade is still working in TV, Norm MacDonald has managed to stay working, Mike Myers made a gazillion dollars in movies as did Adam Sandler, and both of them are still working the 'A' list or close to it. Carvey has faded a bit because of health problems, but Dennis Miller is still opening big rooms and has turned into a pretty popular figure on the right-wing talk circuit. Chris Farley had a great movie career going before he died (not great as in quality, but box office), and Phil Hartman's career was still on the way up when he died.