TVSquad

I was a regular of SNL for many years during the late 90's and somewhat into the new decade. I honestly didn't care for Mad TV until they dropped their reference to the magazine. Now days I love Mad TV a lot more for one simple reason, recurring characters. Mad TV's talent like Will Sasso, Micheal McDonald, Stephanie Weir and Mo Collins have all done a great job at creating such hilarious characters that don't compare to any current SNL characters. I still enjoy SNL because I get to see hosts try out their comedy chops. But when it comes down to it what makes me laugh by far now is Mad TV.

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I am definately a big MadTV fan. I love to see the returning characters. Though, I'm not a big fan of the cast right now besides, Michael Mcdonald, Stephnie Wier, and Bobby Lee. I really miss Mo Collins, Nicole Sullivan, Alex Borstein, and Debra Wilson. But it's nice to see them on Family Guy, and Mo Collins was in the 40-year-old Virgin. I found it funny that her character in that, Gina, was also the name of one of her characters on MadTV.

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SNL is the best ! even in Israel :)

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See, one of the things I most dislike about "Mad TV" (and "SNL") are the recurring characters. It's a cheap laugh and weak writing, and often the characters are only mildly amusing even the first time around. On "SNL" I tend to cut them a little slack, since it a live show with quicker turn-around time for sketches. When they try to take those characters to feature length, that's usually where they really go wrong.

Both are sometimes amusing but rarely, if ever, brilliant. Even when I'm home, and even without cable, I usually find something better to watch.

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One of the things I don't like about either show is their reluctant use of recurring characters. They get old fast. MadTV is the worst of the two.

I've found myself ALWAYS switching to SNL after 30 mins. of MadTV, so I'm going with SNL.

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The discussion gets confusing when you consider that over the years "SNL" and "MADtv" have each become a succession of entirely different shows that happened to have the same titles.

The original five year run of SNL was replaced by a show with new producers, new writers, and new cast: it was effectively a different show keeping only the same timeslot, format, and name. That show failed and was in turn replaced by an equally different show, again keeping only the most superficial elements. Ever since Lorne Michaels returned, there's been a conscious effort to try and recapture some heredity from the original, but it's never quite worked.

MADtv has the same issue, having been reinvented and restaffed so many times that it's not the same show as the original. The first incarnation of MADtv had all the freshness and intelligence of the original cast SNL -- and was vastly superior to what was being passed off as SNL by then -- but the current version of MADtv is unwatchable by anyone who enjoyed it at the start. But then, so is the current SNL.

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i'm usually a madtv fan, but only the newer stuff. but i do watch new snls after madtv or when the DANESTER is on. freaking great tonight!

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I just keep rewatching my In Living Colour DVDs.

Both shows pale in comparison.

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Think about that In Living Colour cast:a future Oscar winner (Jamie Foxx) and multiple Oscar nominee (Jim Carrey), Chris Rock, Damon Wayans, David Allan Grier, Kim Coles, Keenan Ivory Wayans, the rest of the Wayans family. Not a bad roster of talent. And Jennifer Lopez was a Fly Girl! Neither SNL or MADtv has had that much talent on stage at the same time (maybe that SNL bomb season with Joan Cusack and Robert Downey Jr., but that's about it).

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FYI, in addition to voicing Lois (and many other characters) on Family Guy, Alex Borstein also showed up as the Independence Inn harpist in Gilmore Girls every once in awhile.

AND Joel, SNL'90-'91...
Cast:
Dana Carvey, Phil Hartman, Jan Hooks, Victoria Jackson, Dennis Miller, Mike Myers, Kevin Nealon

Featured players:
Chris Farley, A. Whitney Brown, Al Franken, Tim Meadows, Chris Rock, Adam Sandler, Rob Schneider, David Spade, Julia Sweeney

SNL '93-'94
Cast:
Ellen Cleghorne, Chris Farley, Phil Hartman, Melanie Hutsell, Michael McKean, Time Meadows, Mike Myers, Kevin Nealon, Adam Sandler, Rob Schneider, David Spade, Julia Sweeney

Featured players:
Al Franken, Norm MacDonald, Jay Mohr, Sarah Silverman

Now throwing out the people like Melanie Hutsell. Julia Sweeney, Jan Hooks, Vicki Jackson, and Ellen Cleghorne who were great on the show but didn't do much else, you're still left with some pretty solid talent. No Oscar winner, but Mike Myers, Adam Sandler, and Chris Rock are heavyweights.

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even in SNL's worst days, I'd still watch it over MADTV, MADTV is terrible and has always been terrible. theres been some moments back when Will Sasso was on, that guy who played "michael bolton" in office space, or Orlando Jones... but Nicole Sullivan, Debra whoeverhernameis, and some of the other people there are the nadir of comedy... ugh...

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As poor as SNL has been lately, there's always been that incentive to keep watching. With MADtv, however, it takes more effort than I'm willing to use to sit through an entire episode. I was even biased from the beginning, as the first thing I ever hard about it was that it was like SNL but better, and yet I still couldn't tolerate it. I found the comedy too juvenile even when I was in middle school. As talented as the cast may be, they always manage to irk me to the point where I change the channel before completing even half an episode. Thus, I still consider SNL as its worst as better than MADtv

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i think ur so right i cant sit though and ep. of madtv

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