SNL vs. MadTV

Publish date: 2024-05-05

Which one was funnier? I always liked MadTV because the comedy felt natural and the cast seemed to actually like each other.

On SNL, the comedy felt forced and everyone seemed to be competing against each other. I imagine there’s a lot of drama backstage.

by Anonymousreply 29November 5, 2023 6:50 AM

MadTv and In Living Color were way funnier than SNL except the early years with the original cast.

by Anonymousreply 2November 4, 2023 10:50 PM

No comparison, R1. Say what you will about SNL but both SNL but it's filmed in front of alive audience on a stage. Live. Kids is filmed on film. Maybe some of the stuff is on a stage, but it's not live. I'm not sure about Mad TV. Mad TV is funner than SNL though. Kids is the funniest of them all, I do concede. It's just different.

by Anonymousreply 3November 4, 2023 10:51 PM

Sorry, the *both was not edited out after I wondered if Mad TV was flimed live. It wasn't, right?

by Anonymousreply 4November 4, 2023 10:52 PM

MadTV had its moments and its memorable characters, but overall, SNL is a stronger sketch comedy staple.

by Anonymousreply 5November 4, 2023 10:53 PM

I mean, SNL is still on the air....so......

by Anonymousreply 6November 4, 2023 10:55 PM

I'll give SNL a slight edge, but if they keep that screaming shrew Sarah Sherman, the talentless Punkie Johnson, and the annoying (and also talentless) Bowen Yang, I'm gonna give up entirely.

by Anonymousreply 7November 4, 2023 10:55 PM

I like Bowen, he's the perfect SNL slave like Beck Bennet was before him. Sarah Sherman has GOT to GO. I get her, I want to like her, I'm Jewish and I get her whole thang. But she's annoying as FUCK and she will never be a main player.

by Anonymousreply 8November 4, 2023 11:00 PM

MAD was ballsy, bawdy and brilliant. SNL has had it's moments, but just... moments. Since Kristen Wiig left it's been rather blah.

by Anonymousreply 9November 4, 2023 11:00 PM

None of the newer cast members of SNL have the star power to transition into film and become huge like Bill Murray, Dan Ackroyd, Tina Fey or Will Farrell. None of them. They are SNL cast members to the death.

by Anonymousreply 10November 4, 2023 11:01 PM

SNL is real, live, and in the moment and gets the prize. While MadTV was funny, it had the benefit of retakes, editing, and more retakes to give the final product a more polished feel.

by Anonymousreply 11November 4, 2023 11:04 PM

Apples to oranges, one was live with no retakes and the other was filmed with rewrites and retakes and edited.

by Anonymousreply 12November 4, 2023 11:06 PM

R8 Sadly, Sarah Sherman was made a main player this season.

by Anonymousreply 13November 4, 2023 11:09 PM

MadTV

Debra Wilson as Whitney Houston is the most painfully hilarious, and painful, celebrity impression of the last 30 years.

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by Anonymousreply 14November 4, 2023 11:11 PM

Debra Wilson as Whitney Houston

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by Anonymousreply 15November 4, 2023 11:12 PM

SNL tries to be smart and often fails. Mad TV went for stupid and often succeeded.

by Anonymousreply 16November 4, 2023 11:13 PM

[quote][R8] Sadly, Sarah Sherman was made a main player this season.

Did Carol Burnett take over from Lorne Michaels?

by Anonymousreply 17November 4, 2023 11:25 PM

R18 I wanna bear your children!

by Anonymousreply 19November 4, 2023 11:36 PM

SCTV was definitely better. I don’t get the nostalgia for SNL. The first seasons were not brilliant works of comedy at all. It was stoner humor for kids and ex-hippies who thought it to be subversive and edgy. I think its success is due to the charisma of the cast and the A-list musical guests — not the crappy writing.

by Anonymousreply 20November 4, 2023 11:40 PM

Ms Swan at the gay bar....

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by Anonymousreply 22November 4, 2023 11:53 PM

MadTV sketches still hold up well. Most SNL sketches are dated the instant the show ends.

But it's difficult to compare since while they're both sketch comedy shows, they approached it differently (live vs. filmed/edited).

by Anonymousreply 23November 5, 2023 1:08 AM

You Can't Do That on Television

by Anonymousreply 25November 5, 2023 3:16 AM

Dahhhhh, I heard THAT, R25!

by Anonymousreply 26November 5, 2023 3:17 AM

I think MadTV did a better job of appealing to different demographics. SNL has always been white boy frat humor.

by Anonymousreply 28November 5, 2023 6:41 AM

I don’t think SNL would ever have gotten away with a Bon Qui Qui!

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by Anonymousreply 29November 5, 2023 6:50 AM

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