That was the first year I started watching SNL. I don't even remember Todd Packer being on the show.

I have never cared for Will Ferrell, but it's possible that without him, the show winds down for good. That 20th season cast was weird, and felt like a desperation maneuver. Janeane Garofalo and Chris Elliott were there, too. It was very much a stopgap season.

_________________

I loved Norm's "Bob Do;e". He didn' look or sound a damn thing like him but it was still hilarious. I think they had him on the "real world" or something.

_________________
That's my purse! I don't know you!

The show was in trouble. They had replaced everyone.

And, as I remember, the first skit of the new cast was this average looking guy going nuts on the “get off the shed!” skit.

I thought it was interesting.

_________________
You know me like that.

That's Bob Dole's beanbag chair! BOB DOLE'S PEANUT BUTTER!

_________________

I seem to remember Norm and Tim Meadows being the top dogs in 1997. Norm did OJ stuff on update and Tim Meadows played OJ Simpson and also this guy:

He truly was the GOAT. This is great

Yeah, Tim Meadows was a great glue guy. Not like Phil Hartman, maybe the best pure sketch guy the show ever had, but that same kind of utility player.

Norm didn't do a lot of stuff outside of Update, but I loved when he did. Got any gum?

_________________

the show was in its most trouble in the mid-80's and survived. i think that's all you need to know about the resilience of SNL. there was never a darker moment than the 1985 cast.

I forgot about that one. That was good.

Perspectives was also one of my favorites. Meadows was a highly underrated cast member.

I think of Perspectives with Lionel Osbourne every time I catch a few minutes of At Issue With WBBM Political Editor Craig Dellimore.

_________________

I could not agree more.

_________________
Be well

GO BEARS!!!

That is at least somewhat of the type of show he was spoofing. How often are you catching a few minutes of At Issue?

Monday Night Football: Buccaneers vs. Vikings - SNL

Sportscaster Al Michaels (Darrell Hammond) is unsettled by the commentary coming from his new co-hosts including Dan Fouts (Will Ferrell), Dennis Miller (Jimmy Fallon) and Eric Dickerson (Tracy Morgan) on Monday Night Football. [Season 26, 2000]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HDG0j3AxF6U

If I fall asleep with the radio on and wake up to swim early weekend mornings, it's either that, State Week, or Latino USA, depending on which station I left the radio on.

_________________

Colin Quinn was awful.

Dennis Miller changed Update from a spoof of news to acerbic commentary. So it’s hard to compare that to Chevy and what came before Miller.

But for me it’s Miller, then Norm, and the rest aren’t close.

I like Che and Jost most of the time. Che is better. But they get too I’m so cute too often. Che has more edge. That usually saves it.

_________________
You know me like that.

Before internet, I did not understand why they replaced Norm with that guy.

Then I found out later what the stupid reason was.

_________________
You know me like that.

I always thought it was a tribute to Common Ground and Warner Saunders. Back when WBBM wasn't yet 24 hours, it'd start whenever the fuck they ran out of other stuff and it would go for some odd amount of time.

_________________
"When people want their version of the truth, they go find it, no matter how baseless their beliefs." -- Ken Rosenthal

My take was that it was a spoof on most of the shows local stations would air to fulfill their public interest obligation.

SNL is showing some dogshit episode from last year in their timeslot tonight. Fuck them.

_________________
That's my purse! I don't know you!

Yeah, every TV and radio station used to have to produce some show called "Viewpoints" or "Community Insight" that they'd bury on weekend overnights. I don't think it's technically an FCC obligation anymore, but most stations seem to do it anyway just to be on the safe side.

It used to be an obligation of the old Bonneville stations to pick up broadcasts of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir or something and bury those on Sunday mornings as well. It was like the one piece of corporate (or ecclesiastical, as the case may be) meddling they did; their stewardship of the Loop and Drive was otherwise commendable.

_________________

_________________
Be well

GO BEARS!!!

Remember Nate Clay on WLS overnights? That guy was a trip. I could see him hosting Perspectives.

Norm as Blake Griffin
https://youtu.be/Dhv7-RZrgjc?t=160

Holy shit, it's Norm!

LOL, I had thought that too when I saw that picture