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History of SNL:1990-1995
The Early NinetiesThe early Nineties are sometimes referred to as SNL's “Bad Boys” period, with a number of strong new young male actors coming to the fore. The later Nineties witnessed a major revival and once again SNL became known as a breeding ground for popular and diverse performers who starred in sketches that got people talking, even if they were sometimes cringing at the same time. Although many die-hard fans still hold the original cast to be the best, many others consider that the 1990s era was not only a vast improvement on the doldrums of the '80s but provided some of the strongest and most consistently funny programs to date. It was a fruitful period that led to many spin-offs, although late in the decade fans and cast alike were dismayed by the sudden firing of popular Weekend Update host Norm MacDonald and especially by the tragic deaths of former cast members Chris Farley and Phil Hartman. There are also many fans who feel that the '86-'90/'91 seasons were some of the most consistent, most balanced, most well-written and sublimely performed years in the history of the show, and that the '90s began the overreliance on catchphrases and generic recurring characters that would eventually bankrupt the program, both in quality and ratings. The 1990-91 series was yet another turnover year (Nora Dunn had left in a cloud of controversy, Jon Lovitz was gone, Jan Hooks and Dennis Miller were on their way out) and introduced a number of new regular and featured players who quickly became stars of the show — Chris Farley, Tim Meadows, Adam Sandler, Rob Schneider, David Spade and Julia Sweeney. Noted standup comedian Chris Rock appeared on the show for 3 seasons. Memorable characters and sketches from this period included Sweeney's “Pat”, Sandler's “Opera Man” and “Canteen Boy”, Schneider's annoying office geek “The Richmeister”, Hartman's brilliant take-offs of Bill Clinton and Charlton Heston and Spade's caustic commentary pieces “Spade In America” and “Hollywood Minute”. Sandler and Farley soon became the most popular stars of the period. Farley possessed a surprising grace and his high-energy performances belied his heavy footballer build, but he was also not afraid to trade on his size for laughs — in one hilarious sketch he played, shirtless, opposite the trim and muscular Dirty Dancing star Patrick Swayze, as they portrayed unlikely rival auditionees for a position with the Chippendales male dance troupe. Another favourite Farley character was manic, thrice-divorced motivational speaker “Matt Foley”, whose technique consisted mainly of yelling at his clients, whining about having to live “in a van… down by the river” and hurling himself around the room, demolishing everything in sight. Farley idolised John Belushi, and they shared similar comedic strengths, but sadly it soon became tragically obvious that Farley was also plagued by similar personal demons. He was fired from the show in 1995 and starred in successful movies like Tommy Boy (with David Spade) and Beverly Hills Ninja . But after leaving SNL he began abusing drugs heavily. By the time of his last SNL appearance, as a guest host in 1997, he was evidently in trouble — looking bloated, sweating profusely, he was grossly overweight and clearly very ill. He died from a cocaine-heroin overdose just a few months later, on December 18, 1997, aged only 33. Sandler was a talented self-taught musician and a former stage comic whose stand-up career had started after he accepted a dare from his brother to do an open mike spot at a local comedy club. He won many fans with the humourous self-penned ditties he performed on Weekend Update (e.g. “Red-Hooded Sweatshirt” and “Sex-Phone Lady”), as well as his famous and popular “Opera Man” and “Canteen Boy” characters. Happily, and in stark contrast to the sad fate of his friend Chris Farley, Sandler became one of the world's most successful and popular comedy movie stars after leaving SNL, with a string of international hits to his credit, including The Wedding Singer. The 1991-92 season added another strong new element to the mix, re-introducing former staff writer and satirical animator Robert Smigel, whose earlier credits include the famous sketch starring William Shatner in which the actor attends a Star Trek convention and ends up berating the Trekkies and telling them to “get a life”. Smigel's semi-regular “TV Funhouse” segments (which interrupt the show's second act) have become both extremely popular and well-hated. They include a number of recurring cartoon sketches like “Fun With Real Audio” (which puts real sound recordings together with improbable animated action) and his hilarious super-hero parodies “The Ambiguously Gay Duo” and “The X-Presidents”. The period between 1992 and 1996 provided the series some of its greatest controversies. For instance, in a 1992 show hosted by Tim Robbins, musical guest Sinéad O'Connor, in anger, sang an a capella version of Bob Marley's song "War". At the end of that number, O'Connor tore up a picture of Pope John Paul II and shouted, "fight the real enemy". The telecast prompted over 3,000 telephone calls both to NBC and its affiliates. The 1992-96 period was also in some respects transitional, but it was also strong growth phase, and saw some important cast changes that led to a renaissance in the late 90's. The series of 1992-93 was the final season for Dana Carvey, while 1993-94 saw the arrival of (This Is Spinal Tap star) Michael McKean, Norm MacDonald, and Jay Mohr, who is best remembered for his hilarious impersonation of actor and frequent SNL host Christopher Walken. The “generational change” continued in 1994-95 with the arrival of Chris Elliott, Janeane Garofalo, Kids In The Hall alumnus Mark McKinney, and Molly Shannon; this series was also the last for Chris Farley, Adam Sandler and Kevin Nealon. Norm MacDonald replaced Nealon as anchor of Weekend Update, and he took that segment into what many fans consider a classic period. MacDonald was considered the lone highlight of the 94-95 season. The sketches at that time were considered sophomoric, shrill, and bitterly unfunny. Many sketches seemed to have no point at all, nor a single laugh. The vicious attacks of the critics stunned Lorne Michaels, who had gone from challenging the network establishment to being as establishment as possible. To recover from all the major losses the show was facing (Carvey and Hartman had left in '93 and '94; Mike Myers left in early 1995) Michaels hired a number of stars who were never known for their impressions or sketch comedy skill -- Chris Elliott and Michael McKean stuck out like sore thumbs and left at the end of the season. The day that Garofalo arrived on SNL's set, Adam Sandler started yelling at her because of remarks she'd made against him in her standup routine. The other female cast members (Ellen Cleghorne and Laura Kightlinger) banded against her almost immediately. Shut out by all sides and totally unsuited for sketch comedy, Garofalo left in midseason, replaced by Molly Shannon. Farley and Sandler were hell to deal with backstage, and their onscreen performances had grown so hammy and inconsistent that NBC finally had enough and fired them at the end of the season. Falling ratings and outraged critics sent a wakeup call to Lorne Michaels, and the show had some of its highest turnover yet. The 94-95 season had a total of 14 cast members; only five stayed for the 95-96 season: Molly Shannon, Mark McKinney, Norm Macdonald, David Spade (who agreed to stay only for a year so that he could be a bridge between the old and new casts) and Tim Meadows (who would have been fired, but the network was afraid that firing both black cast members would be seen as racist). Season Breakdown1990-1991 SeasonOpening Montage:The 1990 season started with a montage that would go virtually unchanged (with the exception of cast changes) for four seasons. It's theme was much like that from 1988-89, in which cast members were shown around New York, and were "caught" by the camera, with various NYC footage in between. The version shown here is from the 1991 season. (You MUST have Windows Media Player in order to view videos.) Cast(contract) (featured)
Notes
1991-1992 SeasonOpening Montage:Same as 1990 season with a few different cast members being the only change. (You MUST have Windows Media Player in order to view videos.) Cast(contract)
(featured)
Notes
1992-1993 SeasonOpening Montage:Same as 1990 season with a few different cast members being the only change. The version shown here is from 1991. (You MUST have Windows Media Player in order to view videos.) Cast(contract)
(featured)
Notes
1993-1994 SeasonOpening Montage:Same as 1990 season with a few different cast members being the only change. The version shown here is from 1991. (You MUST have Windows Media Player in order to view videos.) Cast(contract)
(featured)
Notes
1994-1995 SeasonOpening Montage:After four seasons with the same theme, the montage changes once again. The music has also changed slightly, but is still a rendition of the music used since 1985. This montage has a 20th Anniversary theme, and it consists of the cast members' photos being projected onto various objects around New York. (You MUST have Windows Media Player in order to view videos.) Cast(contract)
(featured)
Notes
Last updated: 06-06-2005 07:55:01
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