Saturday Night Live has been one of the longest running TV shows in history. With its 40th year just beginning there has been many changes over the years. Nowadays it is full of young stars trying to find their place on the show. Some skits and jokes are funny but others seem to be trying too hard. Some stars are showing promise but no one will live up to Will Ferrell, Chris Farley, Andy Samberg, John Belushi and others of their kind.

Saturday Night Live has been timeless its many traditions have lasted all 40 years. It always has an introductory skit that follows with, “Live from New York its Saturday night!”   Then there is the monologue. Many consist of a song, some creative, most only average. The good hosts create a mini skit of their own and really entertain the audience. Hosts such as Alec Baldwin, Jim Carrey, Tom Hanks and former cast members have done it right. They do not try and overdue it they stick to the script unlike hosts Justin Beiber and Lindsay Lohan who think it’s funny to make fun of themselves.

The best skits are usually the first three before Weekend Update. This is mainly because many people do not stay up until the show is over at 1:30 in the morning. After these there is the Weekend Update, which has taken a drastic turn this year. Seth Meyers manned the helm for years and now he hands it over to a new star who could make it or break it. Meyers being a writer on the show was a classic host. He always had funny things to say and the “guests” that he had were hilarious. With a new guy trying to follow in his shadow it might seem a bit too overdone.

What Saturday Night Live needs is to get some classic cast members back who never had a dull moment. When I watch the Best of Will Ferrell (all volumes) I never watch it and say that skit sucked. Every single skit he did had me rolling in laughter. His Robert Goulet and George Bush impersonations had us questioning is that the real guy? Chris Farley, my personal favorite, had the funniest moments in SNL history.

Senior Steven Ashworth shot me straight when  he told me, “Once Chris Farley died it was never the same.” He later went on to say how Farley was the classic funny fat guy who everyone thought was just a little more entertaining. Every time he was on screen it was expected that something outrageous was about to happen.

SNL of today has many cheesy jokes and it’s more polished. It used to be crude and some of the jokes were derogatory but not enough that it gave the show a bad name. Seeing the change in the show has some fans questioning is it worth watching anymore. For me I will always be a fan but until it goes back to its roots I won’t be a regular.