That Show Hasn't Been Funny In Years: an SNL podcast on Radio Misfits
Award-winning radio personality, podcaster, and SNL fanatic/historian NICK DIGILIO hosts this weekly deep dive into the world of the granddaddy of all sketch-comedy shows. Nick, a Second City grad and veteran of Chicago comedy and theater, has watched every single episode of SNL since George Carlin hosted the premiere on October 11th, 1975. Consisting of new and old episode analysis; SNL-relates guests; historical impact; and even entire episodes dedicated completely to just one sketch…this is every SNL fan’s dream podcast, and proof that that tired, cliched statement: “That show hasn’t been funny in years,” is simply NOT true.
Episodes
Nick revisits one of Saturday Night Live’s most unforgettable creations: Gene, the Anal-Retentive Chef. Phil Hartman brought Gene to life as a painfully tidy, hyper-organized PBS host who could never finish a recipe because he kept disappearing down rabbit holes of wiping, sorting, and perfecting. The obsession didn’t stop at cooking. Gene tried carpentry and even fishing, and each attempt collapsed under the weight of his need for...
Nick revisits the one and only time Jerry Lewis took over as host of Saturday Night Live, a moment that landed in the fall of 1983 just after Lewis recovered from open-heart surgery. The night delivered a mix of wild sketches built around his trademark slapstick and full-volume absurdity, balanced with sharp jabs at his more serious public persona. Joe Piscopo, Tim Kazurinsky, and especially Eddie Murphy openly adored him, and all ...
Nick digs into one of the most reliably funny corners of Saturday Night Live with a look at ESPN commentators Pete Twinkle and Greg Stink, the brilliantly odd duo played by Jason Sudeikis and Will Forte. Their mock coverage of women’s sporting events from the 80s and 90s gave the show some of its sharpest absurdity, especially once the two started weaving in wildly inappropriate sponsor plugs for every imaginable personal product.
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Nick takes a deep dive into one of the most chaotic stretches in Saturday Night Live history as he revisits the odd, uneven, and often baffling ninth season. The show spent that year juggling strange host selections, shaky writing, and a rotating cast of Weekend Update anchors while drama swirled behind the scenes. Eddie Murphy was technically still part of the cast, yet he appeared live in fewer than half the shows, with the rest ...
Nick sits down with author, longtime radio producer, and publisher Rick Kaempfer for a fast, funny dive into the world of classic Saturday Night Live. Rick walks through his all-time favorite sketches, including staples like “Schweddy Balls,” “The Chris Farley Show” with Paul McCartney, and the ever-quotable “Wild and Crazy Guys.” Along the way, he shares radio stories from the days of Steve and Garry and John Records Landecker, pu...
Nick celebrates one of the most delightfully chaotic recurring sketches in Saturday Night Live history — the fully improvised musical mayhem of Garth and Kat. Played by Fred Armisen and Kristen Wiig, the offbeat duo would appear on Weekend Update wearing mismatched vests and identical blonde wigs, pretending to have rehearsed their songs, only to make them up live on the spot.
Every appearance was completely unscripted, and the res...
Nick spotlights one of the funniest and most brilliantly observed Saturday Night Live characters ever created — Angel, Every Boxer’s Girlfriend From Every Movie About Boxing Ever. Played to perfection by Heidi Gardner, Angel is a whirlwind of tears, tough love, and hair spray, delivering her iconic line, “I’m taking my kids to my sister’s,” with soap-opera sincerity every time she appeared on Weekend Update.
Nick explores the origi...
A listener request from subscriber Pete (thanks, Pete!) inspires this deep dive into the unsung talents of Saturday Night Live — the one-season wonders who never moved beyond Featured Player status. Nick revisits seven cast members whose brief stints left lasting impressions for very different reasons. Some, like Lauren Holt, John Milhiser, and Emil Wakim, never quite found their rhythm within SNL’s unique ecosystem. Others, includ...
Nick spotlights five of the greatest impressionists in Saturday Night Live history — Dana Carvey, Chloe Fineman, Darrell Hammond, Bill Hader, and Melissa Villaseñor. Each performer brought a unique brilliance to the art of mimicry, shaping decades of the show’s comedy legacy.
From Carvey’s classic takes on George Bush and Johnny Carson to Hammond’s uncanny Bill Clinton and Hader’s pitch-perfect Al Pacino, Nick revisits some of the ...
Nick revisits one of the most uneven and troubled years in Saturday Night Live history — Season 23. On paper, it should have been great: a powerhouse cast featuring Will Ferrell, Jim Breuer, Chris Kattan, Molly Shannon, Cheri Oteri, and Tim Meadows, plus the first season with Tina Fey on the writing staff. But instead, the year was marred by misfires, controversy, and heartbreaking loss.
There were dreadful episodes — Sylvester Sta...
Nick takes a deep dive into one of the most important turning points in Saturday Night Live history — Season 12. After the chaotic collapse of Season 11, Lorne Michaels returned, cleaned house, and rebuilt the show from the ground up. The result was a brilliant reinvention that launched a new era of comedy greatness.
This season introduced future legends like Dana Carvey, Phil Hartman, Jan Hooks, Kevin Nealon, Jon Lovitz, and Denni...
Nick takes a look back at Saturday Night Live Season 37, a strong and steady run marked by some unforgettable first-time hosts who went on to iconic status, including Melissa McCarthy, Maya Rudolph, and Mick Jagger. It was also a season of change, as Kristen Wiig and Andy Samberg said their goodbyes, and John Mulaney stepped into his first year as head writer and producer.
The episode revisits standout sketches like Alec Baldwin’s ...
Nick dives into the long tradition of breaking on Saturday Night Live—those unexpected moments when cast members or hosts crack up mid-sketch and the fourth wall comes tumbling down. While frowned upon in the show’s earliest years, breaking eventually became part of the fun, and no one was guiltier of it than Jimmy Fallon and Horatio Sanz.
This episode revisits some of their most infamous crack-ups, from “The Leather Man” to “Aquar...
Nick revisits one of the most notorious episodes in Saturday Night Live history, when Frank Zappa hosted during Season 4. The night has gone down as one of the worst ever, thanks largely to Zappa’s smug, condescending approach and his open disdain for the format. From his monologue, where he flatly admitted to reading cue cards, to his constant mugging and deliberate attempts to derail sketches, it was a train wreck in slow motion.
...Nick takes a closer look at the Season 14 episode of Saturday Night Live hosted by comedy legend Leslie Nielsen. Once known for serious dramatic roles, Nielsen reinvented himself as a master of deadpan comedy in classics like Airplane!, Police Squad!, and The Naked Gun. His hosting stint on SNL proved just how sharp his comedic timing really was.
From his clever opening monologue on the differences between drama and comedy, to the ...
Nick revisits one of Jay Pharoah’s funniest original creations from his Saturday Night Live years: Principal Daniel Frye of Booker T. Washington High School. While Pharoah is best known for his uncanny impressions of Barack Obama, Chris Rock, Denzel Washington, and more, Principal Frye proved he could also deliver side-splitting original characters.
The sketches feature the Principal’s absurd morning announcements, with help from g...
Rachel, a loyal listener and subscriber, asked for it, and Nick delivers: the unforgettable night Betty White hosted Saturday Night Live. On May 8, 2010, following a grassroots Facebook campaign, the comedy legend took the stage for a Mother’s Day episode that pulled in the season’s highest ratings and won her an Emmy.
The show featured a reunion of powerhouse female cast members — Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, Maya Rudolph, Ana Gasteyer,...
Nick dives into one of Saturday Night Live’s strangest recurring sketches, Jason Sudeikis’ “Maine Justice.” Set in a Bangor courtroom where everyone sounds like they’re straight out of Louisiana, the sketch features Judge Marshall T. Boudreaux (Sudeikis), with appearances alongside Jamie Foxx and Justin Timberlake. Nick plays both performances in full, explores how the idea came to life, and shares an interview with Sudeikis and Se...
Nick shines a spotlight on the rare group of underage performers who were tapped to host Saturday Night Live. Christina Ricci, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Sara Gilbert, Claire Danes, Miley Cyrus, the Olsen Twins, Fred Savage, and Macaulay Culkin all stepped onto the stage between the ages of 11 and 19, and their youthful energy shaped the sketches in some surprising ways.
With behind-the-scenes stories and context, Nick breaks down how e...
By listener request, Nick dives deep into the bizarre and brilliant world of Colleen Rafferty, one of Kate McKinnon’s most unforgettable Saturday Night Live characters. Whether she’s being abducted by aliens, haunted by ghosts, or hurled through time, Colleen’s wildly unglamorous take on supernatural events is always hilarious—and McKinnon’s commitment to the role has left both the audience and her fellow cast members in stitches. ...
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