by Elise Warren

Created on: December 30, 2008

"Live from New York!, It's Saturday Night!" These words have been heralded to millions of living rooms for over 23 years, as the show Saturday Night Live became a mainstay in comedy. Over the years, many famous comedians honed their crafts on this brilliant program. Notables like Steve Martin, Chevy Chase, Eddie Murphy, Gilda Radner, Will Ferrell, and Mike Myers all began their meteoric rise through this sketch show. Musicians of greatness (and upcoming greatness) had also graced the "New York Subway" stage. These musicians included Paul Simon, Tom Petty, Sting and others. In the last few years, however, many felt the bloom was off the rose. The program that had inspired ten major movies, and cultivated numerous celebrities, had lost energy, and the ratings were down. It seemed that those of us who were fans were relegated to watching the "Best of..." and pining to our children about the Blues Brothers and Wayne's World. Would the famed SNL ever be a force in the comedic world again? Could it even hold an audience in today's high tech sophisticated world?

That answer came this year. 2008 was the year that Saturday Night Live not only revived itself, but also became a household name once again. The program that everyone discussed Monday morning around the watercooler was back. The sketches of SNL not only became a must watch on Saturday night, but also a political force. Enter the most ground changing presidential election in recent history. An African-American running for the highest office in the land, and a second woman running for the second highest office. Barack Obama and Sarah Palin, respectively, become giant personalities on the world's political and celebrity stage. Ex SNL regular, Tina Fey returns to the show to do a dead on impersonation of the Alaska governor, sparking interest in the show once again. Combined with regulars Amy Pohler as Hilary Clinton, and other cast members portraying Obama, Joe Biden, and John McCain, the show becomes so popular, that a Thursday prime-time episode is added to quench the American public's thirst for more biting political satire. Even George W. Bush( Will Ferrell) and Bill Clinton(Darrel Hammond) didn't escape the sardonic wit. As election day drew closer, so did the population...to their televisions to see the latest skit on our favorite political pundits. When Sarah Palin claimed that she could see Russia from her Alaskan vantage point, thereby making it easier for her to deal with foreign issues, America held

• 1
• 2
• Next Page >>