![]() ![]() Sure, the show is always uneven, it can rely on overused characters, and the political cold opens are tiresome. ![]() In the end, Short gives us a “both shows have their strengths” non-answer. Will ComedyNerd cop out in the same way? It’s tempting, but we’re going to give the crown to … ![]() Subtle comic performances may work better with SCTV’s nuanced approach vs. If you didn’t take the time to watch the video, here’s the gist: He preferred “both of them.” A live performance by the raucous Rolling Stones, he argues, is better on SNL than taped on SCTV (although this viewer wouldn’t mind seeing Mick and the boys angling for trout with Gil Fisher). Short is too Canadian - er, too nice - to make a definitive judgment. That turned out to be somewhat fortuitous - Rick Moranis and Dave Thomas thumbed their nose at their Canuck overlords with a “mean-spirited joke” in the form of Great White North doofuses Bob and Doug McKenzie, who of course became the show’s most popular characters. 2) The Canadian Broadcasting Company (CBC) required SCTV to devote at least two minutes of each episode to content exclusively aimed at a Canadian audience. Good luck buying a used car for that kind of cash. And unlike its New York cousin, SCTV’s Canadian bona fides came with at least two extra restraints: 1) The first episodes were produced for a budget of $5,000 per show. ![]() SCTV sketches were filmed for later editing, giving the cast and crew more time to fine-tune the laughs. NBC It's almost like the live audience is daring Kate McKinnon to put her foot in the host's crotch. Saturday Night Live sketches, by definition, are performed live, by comedians mostly reading cue cards, featuring material that was written only days before. What the show loses in polish, it makes up for in spontaneity and the buzzy rush of performing in front of a live audience. There’s a reason stand-up specials aren’t filmed in empty rooms - the electric give-and-take with real people makes a difference. ![]()
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