How to Pick the Best "Saturday Night Live" Troupes

"Saturday Night Live" has been an institution on American television for more than 30 years. But the talent and humor level has been raised and lowered with each changing cast. If you set some standards, you can determine a range between the best and the worst.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• "Saturday Night Live" DVDs or videos

1. Understand that individual greatness dictated which troupes were most talented and memorable. The careers each had following their stints on SNL also indicate their talent or lack thereof.
2. Consider the first cast. Recall the work of Gilda Radner, John Belushi Dan Aykroyd and Bill Murray and frequent guests such as comic legend Steve Martin. Characters such as Radner's Roseanne Roseannadanna, Belushi's "Samurai Guy" and Murray's nightclub singer helped propel each to stardom and launch the show into greatness.
3. Recall the troupe that replaced the original in the early 1980s. Only Eddie Murphy, who dominated that group, emerged as a star.
4. David Spade and Mike Myers were two memorable SNL cast members Fast forward to the late 1980s and early 1990s to the troupe that included Mike Myers (Wayne's World), Dana Carvey (The Church Lady), Jon Lovitz (The Liar) and Chris Farley (Motivational Speaker). Reflect on these characters that are generally considered among the most memorable in the history of the show.
5. Think about the troupes that have followed. Though some individual characters and moments have provided entertainment, few are considered memorable. While Belushi, Aykroyd, Radner, Murray, Murphy, Myers, Carvey and Farley became household names, the same can't be said for the SNL characters of the mid-1990s and beyond.

Tips & Warnings

• Humor is subjective. Enjoy what you like, but understand why certain SNL troupes are considered funnier and more memorable than others. Those too young to recall the original cast or even those of the late 1980s and early 1990s should watch those DVDs and get a feel for why they are thought of as the premier troupes in SNL history.
• Don't dismiss the writing. Though the first SNL cast and the group that provided entertainment to Americans in the late 1980s and early 1990s were both brilliant, the writers had plenty to do with it.