With more recurring cameos and some players being there so long, self-referencing bits…SNL has become, for me, more of a “comfortable sitcom” then what it used to be.
Which is good!
Yeah, occasionally I sort of miss the countercultural, edgy, not-ready-for-prime-time feel of the show’s early years.
Nowadays it’s slick and professional and fairly formulaic—but that’s at least potentially a good thing, as long as the writing and performances are up to par. It’s become a Cultural Institution, with 40 years of history, and alumni and friends of the show they can draw on—sometimes to good effect, sometimes just as a cheap gimmick.
I’m pretty sure there’s no one who’s had a greater overall effect on American comedy than Lorne Michaels.