best snl writer of all time

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who did the funny

Poll Results

OptionVotes
Michael O'Donoghue (15 episodes, 1975-1976) 7
A. Whitney Brown (1 episode, 1985-1991) 1
Fred Wolf (unknown episodes, 1992-1996) 1
Robert Smigel (5 episodes, 1985-2006) 1
Phil Hartman (1 episode, 1986-1988) 1
Albert Brooks (7 episodes, 1975-1976) 1
Bruce McCulloch (unknown episodes) 1
Larry David (unknown episodes, 1984-1985) 1
Tina Fey (175 episodes, 1997-2006) 1
Dan Aykroyd (1 episode, 1976-1979) 1
Norm MacDonald (unknown episodes, 1993-1994) 1
James Downey (5 episodes, 1978-2007) 1
Jack Handey (1 episode, 1988) 1
Bob Odenkirk (1 episode, 1988) 1
Akiva Schaffer (2 episodes, 2005-2007) 1
Tom Davis (18 episodes, 1975-1988) 1
David Mandel (unknown episodes, 1992-1995) 0
Andy Robin (unknown episodes, 1990-1991) 0
Steve Koren (unknown episodes, 1992-1996) 0
Warren Hutcherson (unknown episodes, 1991-1993) 0
Tim Meadows (unknown episodes, 1991-1993) 0
Dan McGrath (unknown episodes, 1991-1992) 0
Beth Cahill (unknown episodes, 1991-1992) 0
Steve Lookner (unknown episodes, 1993-1995) 0
Lewis Morton (unknown episodes, 1993-1995) 0
Norm Hiscock (unknown episodes, 1994-1997) 0
Vanessa Middleton (unknown episodes, 1993) 0
Bruce Handy (unknown episodes, 1993) 0
Sarah Silverman (unknown episodes, 1993-1994) 0
Drake Sather (unknown episodes, 1993-1994) 0
Jay Mohr (unknown episodes, 1993-1994) 0
Ian Maxtone-Graham (unknown episodes, 1992-1995) 0
Mike Judge (unknown episodes, 1993-1994) 0
Tony Desena (unknown episodes, 1993-1994) 0
Dave Attell (unknown episodes, 1993-1994) 0
Adam Sandler (unknown episodes, 1990-1993) 0
Rob Schneider (unknown episodes, 1989-1992) 0
David Spade (unknown episodes, 1989-1993) 0
David Misch (unknown episodes, 1984-1985) 0
Rich Hall (unknown episodes, 1984-1985) 0
Christopher Guest (unknown episodes, 1984-1985) 0
Kevin Kelton (unknown episodes, 1983-1985) 0
Billy Crystal (unknown episodes, 1984-1985) 0
Michael C. McCarthy (unknown episodes, 1983-1984) 0
Mary Gross (unknown episodes, 1983-1984) 0
Andy Breckman (unknown episodes, 1983-1985) 0
James Belushi (unknown episodes, 1983-1985) 0
Tracy Tormé (unknown episodes, 1982-1983) 0
Ellen L. Fogle (unknown episodes, 1982-1983) 0
Paul Barrosse (unknown episodes, 1982-1983) 0
Rob Riley (unknown episodes, 1984-1985) 0
Martin Short (unknown episodes, 1984-1985) 0
Mike Myers (unknown episodes, 1989-1993) 0
Shannon Gaughan (unknown episodes, 1988-1989) 0
John Bowman (unknown episodes, 1988-1989) 0
E. Jean Carroll (unknown episodes, 1986) 0
Jon Vitti (unknown episodes, 1986-1987) 0
Marc Shaiman (unknown episodes, 1986-1987) 0
Kevin Nealon (unknown episodes, 1986-1987) 0
Eddie Gorodetsky (unknown episodes, 1986-1987) 0
John Swartzwelder (unknown episodes, 1985-1986) 0
Carol Leifer (unknown episodes, 1985-1986) 0
Lanier Laney (unknown episodes, 1985-1986) 0
George Meyer (unknown episodes, 1985-1987) 0
Joe Piscopo (unknown episodes, 1982-1984) 0
Marc Weiner (unknown episodes)0
Richard Goteri (unknown episodes) 0
Spike Feresten (unknown episodes) 0
Jim Emerson (unknown episodes) 0
James Egan (unknown episodes) 0
Ian Edwards (unknown episodes) 0
Paula Dixon (unknown episodes) 0
Robert Cohen (unknown episodes) 0
Chris Cluess (unknown episodes) 0
Louis C.K. (unknown episodes) 0
Steve Bannos (unknown episodes) 0
Patty 'Gracie' Aylward (unknown episodes) 0
Adam Green (unknown episodes) 0
Stu Kreisman (unknown episodes) 0
Peter Tauber (unknown episodes) 0
Terry Sweeney (unknown episodes) 0
Mike Royce (unknown episodes) 0
Jon Rosenfeld (unknown episodes) 0
Glenn Rockowitz (unknown episodes) 0
Joan Rivers (unknown episodes) 0
Lue Rennie (unknown episodes) 0
Andrew Hill Newman (unknown episodes) 0
Jerry Minor (unknown episodes) 0
Dennis Miller (unknown episodes) 0
Tom Martin (unknown episodes) 0
Matt O'Brien (unknown episodes, 2004) 0
Lauren Pomerantz (unknown episodes, 2004-2005) 0
Ray James (unknown episodes, 1998-1999) 0
Michael McCullers (unknown episodes, 1997-1998) 0
Stephen Colbert (unknown episodes, 1996-1997) 0
David Breckman (unknown episodes, 1996-1997) 0
Erin Maroney (unknown episodes, 1995-1996) 0
Peter Gaulke (unknown episodes, 1995-1996) 0
Colin Quinn (unknown episodes, 1995-1997) 0
Tom Gianas (unknown episodes, 1995-1998) 0
Cynthia Caponera (unknown episodes, 1995-1998) 0
Ross Abrash (unknown episodes, 1995-1998) 0
Laura Kightlinger (unknown episodes, 1994-1995) 0
Tony Millionaire (unknown episodes, 1998) 0
Jim Wise (unknown episodes, 1998) 0
Scott Jacobson (unknown episodes, 2002) 0
Rich Blomquist (unknown episodes, 2002) 0
Corwin Moore (unknown episodes, 2002-2003) 0
James Eagan (unknown episodes, 2002-2004) 0
Ken Scarborough (unknown episodes, 2001-2003) 0
Max Brooks (unknown episodes, 2001-2003) 0
Barry Sobel (unknown episodes, 2000-2001) 0
Melanie Graham (unknown episodes, 2000-2001) 0
Ali Reza (unknown episodes, 1999) 0
J.J. Philbin (unknown episodes, 1999) 0
Kevin Brennan (unknown episodes, 1999-2000) 0
Brian Kelley (unknown episodes, 1994-1995) 0
Adam McKay (1 episode, 1995-2001) 0
Walter Williams (1 episode, 1978-1979) 0
Brian McConnachie (1 episode, 1978-1979) 0
Brian Doyle-Murray (1 episode, 1978-1982) 0
Garrett Morris (1 episode, 1975) 0
Paul Mooney (1 episode, 1975) 0
Kent Sublette (2 episodes, 2007) 0
Frank Sebastiano (2 episodes, 2004-2006) 0
John Lutz (2 episodes, 2004-2006) 0
Alex Baze (2 episodes, 2004-2007) 0
J.B. Smoove (2 episodes, 2003-2006) 0
Erik Kenward (2 episodes, 2001-2006) 0
Peter Aykroyd (1 episode, 1979-1980) 0
Tom Gammill (1 episode, 1979-1980) 0
Hugh Fink (1 episode, 1995-2002) 0
Tim Herlihy (1 episode, 1994-1999) 0
Greg Daniels (1 episode, 1987-1990) 0
Conan O'Brien (1 episode, 1987-1991) 0
Christine Zander (1 episode, 1987-1993) 0
Terry Turner (1 episode, 1986-1993) 0
Bonnie Turner (1 episode, 1986-1993) 0
Harry Shearer (1 episode, 1979) 0
Max Pross (1 episode, 1979-1980) 0
Sarah Paley (1 episode, 1979-1980) 0
Matt Neuman (1 episode, 1979-1980) 0
Emily Spivey (2 episodes, 2001-2007) 0
Matt Murray (2 episodes, 2000-2006) 0
Liz Cackowski (9 episodes, 2004-2006) 0
Chadd Gindin (9 episodes, 2001-2002) 0
Marilyn Suzanne Miller (10 episodes, 1975-1976) 0
Chevy Chase (15 episodes, 1975-1976) 0
Rosie Shuster (17 episodes, 1975-1979) 0
Tom Schiller (17 episodes, 1975-1979) 0
Alan Zweibel (17 episodes, 1975-1980) 0
Anne Beatts (17 episodes, 1975-1980) 0
Herbert Sargent (18 episodes, 1975-1988) 0
Al Franken (18 episodes, 1975-1988) 0
Lorne Michaels (21 episodes, 1975-2006) 0
Steve Higgins (5 episodes, 1995-2007) 0
Paula Pell (5 episodes, 1995-2007) 0
Michael Schur (2 episodes, 1998-2004) 0
Dennis McNicholas (2 episodes, 1995-2004) 0
Don Novello (2 episodes, 1978-1979) 0
Jim Cashman (3 episodes, 2006-2007) 0
Seth Meyers (3 episodes, 2005-2007) 0
Colin Jost (3 episodes, 2005-2007) 0
Charlie Grandy (3 episodes, 2001-2007) 0
T. Sean Shannon (3 episodes, 1996-2006) 0
Doug Abeles (4 episodes, 2001-2007) 0
James Anderson (4 episodes, 2000-2007) 0
Andrew Steele (5 episodes, 1995-2007) 0
Perry Sachs (53 episodes, 2004-2006) 0
Lori Nasso (1 episode, 1995-1999) 0
Eddie Murphy (unknown episodes, 1982-1984) 0
Tim Kazurinsky (unknown episodes, 1981-1984) 0
Eliot Wald (unknown episodes, 1981-1985) 0
Bob Tischler (unknown episodes, 1981-1985) 0
Margaret Oberman (unknown episodes, 1981-1985) 0
Mason Williams (unknown episodes, 1980) 0
Mitchell Kriegman (unknown episodes, 1980) 0
Sean Kelly (unknown episodes, 1980) 0
Nancy Dowd (unknown episodes, 1980) 0
Douglas McGrath (unknown episodes, 1980-1981) 0
Patricia Marx (unknown episodes, 1980-1981) 0
David Hurwitz (unknown episodes, 1980-1981) 0
Andrew Smith (unknown episodes, 1981-1984) 0
Joe Bodolai (unknown episodes, 1981-1982) 0
Brad Hall (unknown episodes, 1982-1984) 0
Robin Duke (unknown episodes, 1982-1984) 0
Andrew Kurtzman (unknown episodes, 1982-1985) 0
Dirk Wittenborn (unknown episodes, 1981) 0
Jeremy Stevens (unknown episodes, 1981) 0
Mark Reisman (unknown episodes, 1981) 0
Tom Moore (unknown episodes, 1981) 0
Judith Belushi-Pisano (unknown episodes, 1981) 0
Terry Southern (unknown episodes, 1981-1982) 0
Tony Rosato (unknown episodes, 1981-1982) 0
Nelson Lyon (unknown episodes, 1981-1982) 0
Jean Doumanian (unknown episodes, 1980-1981) 0
John DeBellis (unknown episodes, 1980-1981) 0
David Iserson (1 episode, 2003-2004) 0
Jordan Black (1 episode, 2003-2004) 0
Jason Sudeikis (1 episode, 2003-2005) 0
Eric Slovin (1 episode, 2002-2005) 0
Leo Allen (1 episode, 2002-2005) 0
Tony Daro (1 episode, 1999) 0
Jerry Collins (1 episode, 1998-1999) 0
Richard Francese (1 episode, 1998-2000) 0
Steven Cragg (1 episode, 1998-2000) 0
Robert Carlock (1 episode, 1996-2001) 0
Matt Piedmont (1 episode, 1996-2002) 0
Joe Kelly (1 episode, 2004-2005) 0
Rich Talarico (1 episode, 2004-2005) 0
Larry Arnstein (unknown episodes, 1980-1981) 0
David Sheffield (unknown episodes, 1980-1983) 0
Barry W. Blaustein (unknown episodes, 1980-1983) 0
Pamela Norris (unknown episodes, 1980-1984) 0
Bill Murray (unknown episodes, 1977) 0
Neil Levy (unknown episodes, 1977-1978) 0
Bruce McCall (unknown episodes, 1976) 0
John Belushi (unknown episodes, 1976-1977) 0
Gilda Radner (unknown episodes, 1975-1980) 0
Bryan H. Tucker (1 episode, 2005-2006) 0
Jorma Taccone (1 episode, 2005-2006) 0
Scott Wainio (1 episode, 1996-2006) 0


chaki, Friday, 15 June 2007 10:32 (eighteen years ago)

A. Whitney Brown

chaki, Friday, 15 June 2007 10:38 (eighteen years ago)

T. Sean Shannon - guy that did those bear things

chaki, Friday, 15 June 2007 10:39 (eighteen years ago)

michael o'donohue

stevie, Friday, 15 June 2007 10:44 (eighteen years ago)

quite a roll call

can't judge the quality of his snl contributions but TERRY SOUTHERN is the funniest & best writer on the list if you go by his published work

m coleman, Friday, 15 June 2007 12:31 (eighteen years ago)

I'm partial to Bob Odenkirk, but this is mainly because of Mr. Show.

The Chris Farley, "I live in a van down by the river", motivational speaker sketch was his, but I think he actually wrote it when he was at Second City.

hypo emesis, Friday, 15 June 2007 13:01 (eighteen years ago)

Since we don't often know who wrote what (aside from what the books say), it's a question that can't easily be answered.

I don't know how IMDb counts these things, but all those '75-79 people (Beatts, Herb Sargent, Zweibel, Franken & Davis) wrote a fuck of a lot more than 15-18 shows. Jim Downey probably wrote on hundreds.

Terry Southern was a burnout (and in his 60s) by the time he hit SNL; they could barely get his stuff on the air.

Dr Morbius, Friday, 15 June 2007 13:21 (eighteen years ago)

yeah A Whitney Brown wrote most of his own Weekend Update monologues and he was on there all the time! what happened to him by the way? the Daily Show needs his kind of authoritative patrician presence

Tracer Hand, Friday, 15 June 2007 13:24 (eighteen years ago)

stevie OTM! i thought id be the only one voting for him

max, Friday, 15 June 2007 13:30 (eighteen years ago)

Smigel wrote "The Sinatra Group," which in itself almost makes him the winner.

If Timi Yuro would be still alive, most other singers could shut up, Friday, 15 June 2007 14:44 (eighteen years ago)

only pre-'78 matters, my choice is M. O'Donoghue

Dr Morbius, Friday, 15 June 2007 15:41 (eighteen years ago)

albert brooks got my vote

TOMBOT, Friday, 15 June 2007 15:43 (eighteen years ago)

downey obv

jeff, Friday, 15 June 2007 16:41 (eighteen years ago)

this is really obscure.

Jimmy The Mod Awaits The Return Of His Beloved, Friday, 15 June 2007 16:46 (eighteen years ago)

Yes, it is. This guy wrote it.

I feel like starting a best Sid Caesar's Your Show of Shows writer poll for Jimmy.

Dr Morbius, Friday, 15 June 2007 18:55 (eighteen years ago)

^btw, he's got SNL screen tests posted there today^

Dr Morbius, Friday, 15 June 2007 18:56 (eighteen years ago)

Conan

dan m, Friday, 15 June 2007 18:58 (eighteen years ago)

larry david. one 12:55am skit? I DONT CARE.

sunny successor, Friday, 15 June 2007 19:10 (eighteen years ago)

of the performers, Dan Aykroyd (1 episode my ass, 1975-1979) is the likely winner.

Dr Morbius, Friday, 15 June 2007 19:23 (eighteen years ago)

Who wrote CAVEMAN LAWYER? They get my vote.

Phil Hartman (r.i.p.)

The Macallan 18 Year, Friday, 15 June 2007 19:27 (eighteen years ago)

i think conan wrote that

sanskrit, Friday, 15 June 2007 21:31 (eighteen years ago)

Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.

ILX System, Friday, 15 June 2007 23:01 (eighteen years ago)

Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.

ILX System, Saturday, 16 June 2007 23:01 (eighteen years ago)

long steel needles w/ rlly sharp points...

Dr Morbius, Sunday, 17 June 2007 17:51 (eighteen years ago)

one year passes...

Mr. Mike's Mondo Video on DVD next week.

Dr Morbius, Friday, 9 January 2009 16:30 (seventeen years ago)

:O

Whiney G. Weingarten, Friday, 9 January 2009 16:32 (seventeen years ago)

how did we get this many poll options?

choke on my mess of a schlaporito (k3vin k.), Friday, 9 January 2009 17:37 (seventeen years ago)

OLDSKOOL RULES

Dr Morbius, Friday, 9 January 2009 20:59 (seventeen years ago)

A post in character alert!

George Meyer (unknown episodes, 1985-1987) 0
John Swartzwelder (unknown episodes, 1985-1986) 0

Where these two Simpsons writers met...

Obv the 0s are somewhat deserved as they really didn't offer the show much (George Meyer has been pretty vocal about his dismay with the position). However, his time as writer on Lettermen was outstanding.

Deep Thoughts' Jack handy was also their close friend who contributed to Meyer's Army Man zine ("America's Only Magazine").

Transatlantic Dementia (PappaWheelie V), Friday, 9 January 2009 21:31 (seventeen years ago)

I wish I knew who wrote this:

http://snltranscripts.jt.org/88/88gbigred.phtml

http://snltranscripts.jt.org/88/pics/88gbigred1.jpg

Transatlantic Dementia (PappaWheelie V), Friday, 9 January 2009 21:37 (seventeen years ago)

one year passes...

Tom Davis, as in Franken & Davis, is dying of cancer.

http://dennisperrin.blogspot.com/2010/06/friends-and-influences.html

kind of shrill and very self-righteous (Dr Morbius), Saturday, 12 June 2010 01:23 (fifteen years ago)

glad you found the most reputable possible news source to link.

Smigel was robbed in this. lol @ Larry David getting a vote for getting exactly one sketch on the air during one of the seasons nobody watched.

some dude, Saturday, 12 June 2010 01:44 (fifteen years ago)

well, I factored in that he actually KNOWS AND TALKED TO THE GUY this week.

kind of shrill and very self-righteous (Dr Morbius), Saturday, 12 June 2010 01:47 (fifteen years ago)

Wow. Thanks for posting that, Morbs. Brought a tear...Davis really is one of the good guys.

What's the problem w/ it being written by Perrin?

VegemiteGrrrl, Saturday, 12 June 2010 02:04 (fifteen years ago)

:(

Really like Davis a lot. Can't recommend his book enough.

Elvis Telecom, Saturday, 12 June 2010 03:54 (fifteen years ago)

i would have voted for either sarah silverman (0 sketches on air), larry david (1 sketch on air) or louis ck (14 eps (sketches?) over TEN years)

knocking u out like rocky balboa (sunny successor), Saturday, 12 June 2010 04:26 (fifteen years ago)

also very excited for louis ck's new show on FX

knocking u out like rocky balboa (sunny successor), Saturday, 12 June 2010 04:27 (fifteen years ago)

John Lutz (2 episodes, 2004-2006) 0

Isn't he still pulling double SNL/30 Rock duty?

Sad to hear about Tom Davis.

Johnny Fever, Saturday, 12 June 2010 04:30 (fifteen years ago)

really sorry to hear about tom... must track his book down. i think he was a key source for perrin's o'donoghue book, wasn't he?

Worth waiting for the fannypunch at 4.02 (stevie), Saturday, 12 June 2010 08:20 (fifteen years ago)

Among the sources, I forget how 'key'.

kind of shrill and very self-righteous (Dr Morbius), Saturday, 12 June 2010 12:45 (fifteen years ago)

bummer about Davis.

O'Donoghue was a singular talent, fond memories of his work w/National Lampoon too, both the radio show & magazine.

the early writers like Anne Beats Rosie Shuster & Marilyn S Miller deserve props too.

has anybody read the SNL oral history? I flipped through it one weekend at a relative's house cause I finished the book I brought and there was literally nothing else to read. made SNL sound like a snakepit, terrible place to work ESPECIALLY if you were a woman writer. reminded me of a magazine I used to work at...

johnny la rue's pajama party (m coleman), Saturday, 12 June 2010 13:58 (fifteen years ago)

I read this book, from '89, which is not the one you're talking about but had a similar vibe:

http://www.amazon.com/Saturday-Night-Backstage-History-Live/dp/0688050999

kind of shrill and very self-righteous (Dr Morbius), Saturday, 12 June 2010 14:20 (fifteen years ago)

i read Live From New York recently and honestly after years of hearing about how much dirt was in it, i was kind of surprised there wasn't more, or at least not much that actually outdid my own imagination. some eras of the show definitely sounded miserable, but others sounded fairly healthy or at least fun.

Jonae Mitchelle (some dude), Saturday, 12 June 2010 15:18 (fifteen years ago)

Lots of sturm und drang even when it was a new sensation.

kind of shrill and very self-righteous (Dr Morbius), Saturday, 12 June 2010 16:48 (fifteen years ago)

have read both those books - live in new york has some dirt, but is very much an exercise in "its as good as its always been", where the backstage history morbs notes above is more besotted with the early years (and a better book)

Worth waiting for the fannypunch at 4.02 (stevie), Saturday, 12 June 2010 17:36 (fifteen years ago)

One way I think you can tell if you have a curse on you, is if you open a box of toothpicks and they all fly up and stick in your face.

5 x 15-second shits, max fart (Pillbox), Saturday, 12 June 2010 17:37 (fifteen years ago)

i read one of the SNL books but i dont recall the name. lorne seems like a total douche to me who lucked out on a stellar cast in the first two seasons and is still riding that wave. i cant understand how comedians still view a job at snl as the ultimate win. maybe its just the ultimate stepping stone. maybe its a harvard thing. who the fuck knows.

knocking u out like rocky balboa (sunny successor), Sunday, 13 June 2010 07:04 (fifteen years ago)

i mean how does larry david get only one last 5 minutes of ep sketch on while darrell hammond is on the air for 14 years? how does norm macdonald get fired from weekend update? im sure theres a ton of nbc exec input to some of these decisions but its all pretty retarded

knocking u out like rocky balboa (sunny successor), Sunday, 13 June 2010 07:16 (fifteen years ago)

btw guys, Larry David was a principal writer/performer on the SNL copycat Fridays. Lotsa stuff on YouTube.

kind of shrill and very self-righteous (Dr Morbius), Sunday, 13 June 2010 14:23 (fifteen years ago)

(also on Perrin's blog)

kind of shrill and very self-righteous (Dr Morbius), Sunday, 13 June 2010 14:23 (fifteen years ago)


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