# Worst SNL News Anchor? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 22, 2001, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-snl-news-anchor/77485 "2001-08-22T04:14:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Weirddave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/919ad9/32.png) [@Weirddave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Weirddave)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2001, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-snl-news-anchor/77485/1 "2001-08-22T04:14:09Z")
Who is the worst person ever to be the news anchor on Saturday Night Live? MHO? Colin Quinn, by far. That’s my story, and I’m sticking to it. ---
**Author:** ![BabaBooey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/dfb087/32.png) [@BabaBooey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BabaBooey)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2001, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-snl-news-anchor/77485/2 "2001-08-22T04:18:04Z")
Agreed. Nothing else to it. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2001, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-snl-news-anchor/77485/3 "2001-08-22T04:19:26Z")
I always liked Colin Quinn, but he was a terrible anchor for Weekend Update, especially considering that he replaced the BEST anchor Weekend Update ever had- Norm McDonald. ---
**Author:** ![obfusciatrist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/4af34b/32.png) [@obfusciatrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/obfusciatrist)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2001, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-snl-news-anchor/77485/4 "2001-08-22T04:20:02Z")
Norm McDonald, hands down. I will make this claim even though I have never seen Colin Quinn do the news. I will make this claim even though I have never seen whoever preceded Norm McDonald do the news. Norm McDonald is one of the single most un-funny comedians I have ever experienced. ---
**Author:** ![Philosophocles](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/b38774/32.png) [@Philosophocles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philosophocles)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2001, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-snl-news-anchor/77485/5 "2001-08-22T04:21:36Z")
Norm McDonald was far and away the worst Weekend Update anchor. The guy does a good impression of Bob Dole, but that’s about all he contributed to the show. ---
**Author:** ![nineiron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/e56c9b/32.png) [@nineiron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nineiron)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2001, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-snl-news-anchor/77485/6 "2001-08-22T04:23:42Z")
My vote goes to Dennis Miller, with a close second to Kevin Nealon (sp?). I, for one, liked both Quinn and MacDonald. ---
**Author:** ![Reeder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Reeder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reeder)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2001, 4:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-snl-news-anchor/77485/7 "2001-08-22T04:24:45Z")
All of them since Chevy Chase set the standard. ---
**Author:** ![AwSnappity](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a3d4f5/32.png) [@AwSnappity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AwSnappity)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2001, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-snl-news-anchor/77485/8 "2001-08-22T04:26:35Z")
Ugh. Colin Quinn. He didn’t even have any characters that were good. He couldn’t tell jokes very well. Not that Tina Fey and Jimmy Fallon are much better anchors, though. ---
**Author:** ![jaimest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/48db29/32.png) [@jaimest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jaimest)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2001, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-snl-news-anchor/77485/9 "2001-08-22T04:28:20Z")
Colin Quinn made Charles Rocket look like Lenny Bruce. HE was awful as an “anchor”… I remember him being funnier on “Remote Control” - but hell I was 12 then. ---
**Author:** ![gorewonfla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/da6949/32.png) [@gorewonfla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gorewonfla)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2001, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-snl-news-anchor/77485/10 "2001-08-22T04:28:49Z")
Colin Quinn was downright horrible. Half the time he wouldn’t even get a laugh from the audience and he’d go, “Oh, you guys don’t read the newspapers.” And I always liked Kevin Nealon the best, but maybe that’s because he was aided by Adam Sandler, the best Weekend Update correspondent ever. ---
**Author:** ![Sultan\_Kinkari](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7bcc69/32.png) [@Sultan\_Kinkari](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sultan_Kinkari)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2001, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-snl-news-anchor/77485/11 "2001-08-22T04:34:54Z")
They all sucked. Just look at 'em. Chevy Chase (1975) Jane Curtin (1976-1980) Dan Aykroyd (1977-1978) Bill Murray (1978-1980) Charles Rocket (1980-1981)\* Gail Matthius (1981)\* Brian Doyle-Murray (1981-1982)\* Mary Gross (1981-1982)\* Brad Hall (1982-1983)\* Christopher Guest (1984-1985)\* Dennis Miller (1985-1991) Kevin Nealon (1991-1994) Norm MacDonald (1995-1997) Colin Quinn (1998-present) \*= Never even seen them. I agree, Colin Quinn is the worstest of the worst. I think my favorite is Jane Curtin because I have had some wierd crush on her since before I can remember. ---
**Author:** ![JThunder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e95f7d/32.png) [@JThunder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JThunder)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2001, 5:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-snl-news-anchor/77485/12 "2001-08-22T05:21:14Z")
Colin Quinn by an enormous margin. The thing is, he always told his (ahem) “jokes” with an angry, sarcastic or condescending demeanor. Not a good way to deliver a joke. ---
**Author:** ![bleach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bleach/32/3106_2.png) [@bleach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bleach)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2001, 5:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-snl-news-anchor/77485/13 "2001-08-22T05:36:13Z")
I’ve only seen the ones beginning with Dennis Miller: Dennis Miller - even though sometimes the jokes weren’t funny, he’d occasionally ad lib something or laugh about it that turned the bit around. He had a very distinctive style that I enjoyed. Kevin Nealon - Had a good sense of timing; if a bit fell flat, he’d simply move on. He had lots of good support and correspondents during his tenure, so that helped. Norm McDonald - Note to self: mug out a bombed joke with a blank stare. This worked on rare occasions. Norm wasn’t as bad, though, as… Colin Quinn - ooo, pain. No charm, no delivery, couldn’t read from a cue card, just sarcasm and “hey, you suck if you don’t laugh at me.” Tina Fey and Jimmy Fallon - Like 'em, they’re cute and mean. ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2001, 6:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-snl-news-anchor/77485/14 "2001-08-22T06:17:52Z")
Aw man, you guys have to go back a little farther. Mary Gross? Charles Rocket? Now THOSE guys stunk. And I like Brian-Doyle Murray, but he absolutely sucked as an Update host. I happened to like Colin Quinn. Not as much as Norm MacDonald or Dennis Miller (who I think was the best). ---
**Author:** ![bagkitty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7ab992/32.png) [@bagkitty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bagkitty)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2001, 6:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-snl-news-anchor/77485/15 "2001-08-22T06:21:53Z")
Jane Curtin is a goddess. ---
**Author:** ![bedris](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/d26b3c/32.png) [@bedris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bedris)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2001, 7:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-snl-news-anchor/77485/16 "2001-08-22T07:21:28Z")
Colin Quinn is the absolute worst cast member of Saturday Night Live and he makes watching Weekend Update a chore when previously it was a pleasure. Who’s the best Weekend Update anchor? Kevin Neelon. ---
**Author:** ![plnnr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7ea924/32.png) [@plnnr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/plnnr)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2001, 12:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-snl-news-anchor/77485/17 "2001-08-22T12:25:24Z")
“Jane, you ignorant slut…” Kevin Nealon was terrible (I have to admit that I haven’t watched the show much since 1978, so I may have missed someone as bad). He gets my vote. The best: Cheddar Cheese (thanks, Emily Latella). And the best correspondent wasn’t Adam Sandler. That was Garret Morris, headmaster of the school for the deaf, who have the news highlights by screaming at the top of his lungs. “OUR TOP STORY TONIGHT! GENERALISIMO FRANCISCO FRANCO IS STILL DEAD!” ---
**Author:** ![malaka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecc23a/32.png) [@malaka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/malaka)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2001, 12:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-snl-news-anchor/77485/18 "2001-08-22T12:52:37Z")
His delivery was terrible, he stumbled through words and sentences, and he would mumble unnecessary lines at the end of failed jokes, like, “That’s good to know.”. What?!? I saw him do a live comedy show once and he kicked ass. Just keep him away from a news desk. ---
**Author:** ![Fiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e274bd/32.png) [@Fiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiver)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2001, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-snl-news-anchor/77485/19 "2001-08-22T14:08:09Z")
You’re all a bunch of kids! While Colin Quinn, Norm MacDonald and Kevin Nealon were all pretty bad, the worst Weekend Update anchor by far (and also the worst cast member at the time) was **Brad Hall**. The only thing he brought to the desk was a sneer and a mop of blond curls. Dennis Miller, while talented, always had his signature edge of condescension and self-absorption, which detracted from the comedy. That said, my biggest-ever Weekend Update laugh was from Dennis Miller’s tenure: > [@](#): > > An Indiana man’s attempt to break every record in the Guinness Book of World Records got off to a slow start today, when his recording of “White Christmas” sold only five copies. I still laugh every time I think about that one. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2001, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-snl-news-anchor/77485/20 "2001-08-22T16:13:00Z")
Dennis Miller, hands down. I think he’s one of the least funny SNL cast members to ever walk across stage. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-snl-news-anchor/77485.md?page=2)