What's Wrong With SNL?

The simple answer is that it just sucks. Terribly.

That in and of itself is nothing major. A lot of things suck. Particularly on network TV. In fact, it's not a stretch to say that most things suck when compared to good things. It's Sturgeon's Law, which paraphrased is that 90% of most creative media output is garbage. But the 10% that is good, is usually really good.

But Saturday Night Live has 35 years of mostly good history. There were clunker seasons, and clunker performers, and clunker guests, but overall, I'd give the 35+ years a solid cumulative B. The early years were genre-busting, dangerous, and brilliant at times. The middle twenty years were up and down, but generally reliable, and there were a few breakout performers and sketches that easily stand the test of time. The last couple of years, though, I'd consider sending a note home to the parents, indicating that items will be going into the permanent file. It's been painful to watch, at best.