# SNL vs Mad TV **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 19, 2003, 10:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snl-vs-mad-tv/156098 "2003-02-19T10:20:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Aslan\_of\_Narnia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecd19e/32.png) [@Aslan\_of\_Narnia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aslan_of_Narnia)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2003, 10:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snl-vs-mad-tv/156098/1 "2003-02-19T10:20:32Z")
Which is better? I personally prefer MadTV. ---
**Author:** ![Madawc](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@Madawc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Madawc)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2003, 10:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snl-vs-mad-tv/156098/2 "2003-02-19T10:26:38Z")
right now, MadTV is way funnier than SNL. but before when MadTV was starting out SNL was way funnier. I just dont seem to enjoy any of the SNL cast members, Jimmy Fallon is THE WORST of the SNL crew. SO FUCKING ANNOYING. Where as MadTV have hilarious sketches and cast members. But again it’s just my opinion ---
**Author:** ![Aslan\_of\_Narnia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecd19e/32.png) [@Aslan\_of\_Narnia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aslan_of_Narnia)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2003, 10:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snl-vs-mad-tv/156098/3 "2003-02-19T10:37:39Z")
SNL seems to just be a mish-mash of stupid ideas, hoping that the randomness will be funny. Although, the celebrity jeopardy is hilarious. I do hate **bunifa** , and most of the recurring characters because of the over kill. The first season of Mad was the best out of them, it’s too bad they got rid of most of their main players from that season. I preffered it when Mad had musical guests. ---
**Author:** ![Mr\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9dc877/32.png) [@Mr\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr_Jim)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2003, 10:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snl-vs-mad-tv/156098/4 "2003-02-19T10:49:12Z")
I prefer Snl cause at least when the jokes bomb you aren’t forced to listen to a laugh track. (Yeah I know madtv is in front of an audience but their laughter sounds very faux-it’s gotta be enhanced). ---
**Author:** ![FranticMad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c68b51/32.png) [@FranticMad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FranticMad)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2003, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snl-vs-mad-tv/156098/5 "2003-02-19T14:01:40Z")
Both shows occasionally make my jaw drop – “You can’t do _that_ on TV!” ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2003, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snl-vs-mad-tv/156098/6 "2003-02-19T14:55:15Z")
I think Mad TV is funnier and they don’t beat characters to death week after week after week after week after etc. ---
**Author:** ![Neurotik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/91b2a8/32.png) [@Neurotik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Neurotik)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2003, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snl-vs-mad-tv/156098/7 "2003-02-19T14:59:44Z")
Even on its worst days, SNL is funnier than MadTV on its best. SNL on its best blows MadTV out of the water. ---
**Author:** ![Gjorp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c4cdca/32.png) [@Gjorp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gjorp)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2003, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snl-vs-mad-tv/156098/8 "2003-02-19T15:02:32Z")
MadTV used to rock, then it became about as good as SNL, and then it just sucked, and it kept on sucking and hasn’t stopped. But, SNL has been pretty mediocre, though it would vary depending on the guest. Some days may be awesome, some days may be stinkaroos. ---
**Author:** ![you\_with\_the\_face](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/ecccb3/32.png) [@you\_with\_the\_face](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/you_with_the_face)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2003, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snl-vs-mad-tv/156098/9 "2003-02-19T15:03:51Z")
Am I the only one turned off by how obvious the SNL actors are when they read from the teleprompters? I HATE that! But Jimmy Fallon’s cool in my book. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2003, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snl-vs-mad-tv/156098/10 "2003-02-19T15:48:44Z")
Neither of 'em. Hardcore TV forever! ---
**Author:** ![bup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6bbea6/32.png) [@bup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bup)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2003, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snl-vs-mad-tv/156098/11 "2003-02-19T16:03:50Z")
I prefer MadTV - but I’m so lame I switch back and forth between them. God I need a life. ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2003, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snl-vs-mad-tv/156098/12 "2003-02-19T19:56:34Z")
Yeah, I usually watch MadTV until 11:30, then switch over and watch SNL on and off until the WU. I do like the fact that SNL has musical guests, so that and WU give it a slight edge over Mad. Mad is usually a little more consistantly funny, though. Happy ---
**Author:** ![Fibber\_McGee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a6a055/32.png) [@Fibber\_McGee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fibber_McGee)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2003, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snl-vs-mad-tv/156098/13 "2003-02-19T20:02:52Z")
Mad TV used to be brilliant. I especially enjoyed those skits where they’d combine two movies into one, like _Gump Fiction_ or _Apolloe the 13th_. Do they still do those? I ask because its been a long time since I tuned in, because it’s been a long time since Mad TV was funny. At least with SNL I know that even if the rest of the show sucks, I can tune in to Weekend Update and get a few laughs, though WU does seem more and more like a sad second-ran in the years since Jon Stewart took over the Daily Show. ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2003, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snl-vs-mad-tv/156098/14 "2003-02-19T20:07:41Z")
Its been a while since I saw either. I only ever saw a glimpse of humor in either one of them. Sometimes SNL does something that I think is clever, but not too often. ---
**Author:** ![Violet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/ebca7d/32.png) [@Violet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Violet)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2003, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snl-vs-mad-tv/156098/15 "2003-02-19T20:08:15Z")
I also switch back and forth when I do watch at that time. Can’t say I prefer one over the other, but some of the SNL guests, like Al Gore, make it interesting/amusing. ---
**Author:** ![Fibber\_McGee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a6a055/32.png) [@Fibber\_McGee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fibber_McGee)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2003, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snl-vs-mad-tv/156098/16 "2003-02-19T20:31:58Z")
Sure SNL attracts a high caliber of guest host, but that isn’t always to its advantage. For one thing the guest only has a week to work with the ensemble, so it isn’t always going to be as good as when you have an experienced group of sketch comics who’ve been working together for some time and know each other very well. Sure, there are those host who you know are going to fit in well, like Steve Martin, and some who surprise you, but then sometimes you get someone like Nancy Kerrigan. Remember when she hosted? I wouldn’t blame you if you didn’t people often block out traumatic experiences as a defense mechanism. Shows that just have an experienced cast and don’t need guest stars being shoehorned into the middle of their well-oiled comic machine (Like SCTV, Monty Python, Mr. Show or Kids in the Hall, to give a few examples.) will to me always be superior to SNL. ---
**Author:** ![bup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6bbea6/32.png) [@bup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bup)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2003, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snl-vs-mad-tv/156098/17 "2003-02-19T20:35:28Z")
The thing that makes those shows seem more polished, also, is the fact that none of them were live, so it’s not quite a fair comparison. SNL does hit and miss, but the energy that being live brings to it is worth it, IMO. Having said that, I _do_ wish that at least the _regulars_ could look away from the teleprompters every once in a while. ---
**Author:** ![Murcielago](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/da6949/32.png) [@Murcielago](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Murcielago)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2003, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snl-vs-mad-tv/156098/18 "2003-02-19T21:10:19Z")
Not an avid viewer of either show, but I do remeber a few stand-out sketches from _Mad TV_ and none from _SNL_. Seems to me that most players now see _SNL_ as little more than a launching pad to a B-list movie career. ---
**Author:** ![shy\_guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a6a055/32.png) [@shy\_guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shy_guy)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2003, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snl-vs-mad-tv/156098/19 "2003-02-19T21:14:30Z")
Lately I’d say Mad TV by far. SNL is so bad right now it’s unbelievable, whereas MAD TV can pull off some good sketches in every episode. ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2003, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snl-vs-mad-tv/156098/20 "2003-02-20T00:07:58Z")
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