Name SNL alums who you think are WAY overrated and underrated

[Bucky]

I've never thought Dan Akroyd was all that talented. His best characters--Fred Garvin, Blues brother--are distinguished for their lack of presense.

Underrated I'd have to go with Joe Piscapo. Yes, he's a fat ego on steroids. But he carried the show and I'd still put his Sinatra up against Phil Hartman's (altho Piscopo did a younger Sinatra).

[no name no slogan]

1. Overrated: Chevy Chase and Jimmy Fallon

Chevy Chase just isn't that funny. Plus he introduced a lot of the original cast (who were 10 years his junior) to harder drugs.

Jimmy Fallon has never been funny, and never will be. The only person that laughsat his jokes is himself. If he's in a sketch with the slightly funnier Horatio Sans, you can guarantee Fallon won't make it through without losing it at least once. Very unprofessional.

[Beetwasher]

2. Adam Sandler

Man, what a talentless hack. He's so unfunny it's painful.

[genie_weenie]

4. His movies are all so bad and the same

I don't know what people see in them? I mean I'd watch them if he had boobs akimbo in them, but otherwise they stink! :wtf:

[underpants]

8. Rich beyond belief and he is responsible for all the junk SNL movies

Check out his producer page on imdb.

Ladies Man
Joe Dirt
Deuce Bigalow
etc.

not necessarily from SNL skits but he basically has bankrolled his old buddies made for Saturday afternoon time filler movies...hey that's pretty cool plus everyone makes some money.

I agree he has no talent but he sure has made the most out of it.

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001191/#producer

[ghostsofgiants]

37. As far as his comedy goes, I'll agree..

But given the right material and director, and he's surprisingly good. (See: Punch-drunk Love)

[WCGreen]

42. You haven't seen Spanglish.......

He is wonderful in that movie....

[imperialismispasse]

3. Underrated-Phil Hartman

He was the best.

[atomic-fly]

6. Phil was great

[Beetwasher]

12. Yup, Man I Miss Him

Absolutely one of the best and most underrated.

[Bucky]

18. I don't think Hartman qualifies as underrated--he was *recognized* as best

I'm wondering about those who, like Maya Rudolph, do great work and never get press--or even get slammed.

[imperialismispasse]

24. I disagree

Phil isn't mentioned among the best of the best - like Belushi Radnor Murphy. But in my opinion he was the best all-around comic with the most perfect timing they ever had on that show.

[cemaphonic]

21. agreed, and he isn't rated that low to begin with.

He was *that* good.

A case could be made for Kevin Nealon. He didn't stand out as much as many of his contemporaries, and his Weekend Update was weak, especially followin Dennis Miller. But good straight men are essential to good comedy, and he was one of the best, during some of SNL's best seasons.

[Shakespeare]

22. Favorite Nealon characters:

Mr. Short-Term Memory & Mr. No-Depth Perception. And add Victoria Jackson to the underrated list. When they actually deigned to use her in a skit, she was usually VERY good.

[ghostsofgiants]

38. Hartman was brilliant.

I miss him. :(

[KitchenWitch]

5. Underrated: Gilda Radner, Laraine Newman

Overrated: Will Ferrell

[Yavin4]

7. Overrated, Jim Belushi, Underrated, Phil Hartman

Jim Belushi has ridden his dead brother's coatails for years now, and his show is the most unfunny thing that I've ever seen. It's nothing more than recycled network sitcoms.


Simply put Phil Hartman was the best performer ever in the history of SNL. There wasn't a character that he could not play. He could be anyone. He was a brilliant mimic and he could develop characters on his own, like caveman lawyer.

[underpants]

9. His sitcom was dead last last year

#64 or whatever of all network shows.

I read that in the Worldbook no link available.

[Yavin4]

13. It's Still on The Air

That's why he's overrated.

[underpants]

10. Under rated-Martin Short just because I loved Jimmy Glick

oh and FRANC!

[Shakespeare]

16. This is my favorite Martin Short character:

Although, the mentally challenged olympic male syncrhonized swimmer is a VERY close second.

[underpants]

19. That's okay

I'm not a STRONG swimmer

[Shakespeare]

20. ....

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

One of the best sketches EVER. Maybe even the best.

Allegedly, Christopher Guest's character in that sketch was the inspiration for his character in Waiting for Guffman.

[devilgrrl]

44. My fave Martin Short character? None other than Nathan Thurm!

[underpants]

45. It's not me it's him....right?

It's not me.....it's not

[swimboy]

47. I know that! You think I don't know that?

I think it's funny that you think I don't know that.

[Shakespeare]

11. Sorry, but his Nixon redeemed any other sub-par characters.

He had the paranoia down perfect. And his Julia Child was a wonder to behold, too.

edited to add: The only comedian to EVER do Nixon better than Aykroyd was this gentleman:



And if you haven't seen the movie, do. :-)

[blondeatlast]

23. "Dick" was a hilarious, and all too overlooked, movie.

And he did, indeed, make a great "Dick."

.

[fishwax]

40. dan hedaya was great in that movie

of course, I think he's great in general, but that was a great role and a great movie :)

[Dukkha]

14. Overrated: Norm Macdonald, Underrated: Rich Hall

Norm had the luck of good material on Weekend Update. You never saw him in the sketches because he admittedly sucked at them. Rich Hall was a great stand up with witty deadpan humor.

[underpants]

15. Rich Hall is huge in England right now

he has had a couple of what look like very funny sitcoms on the BBC.

[Monkey see Monkey Do]

28. They were both excellent

I don't know whether the most recent one has been recomissioned (although it only finished last month) but I hope they get an international airing.

Rich Hall's Fishing Show
http://www.bbc.co.uk/comedy/guide/articles/r/richhallsfishingshow_999031109.shtml

Rich Hall's Cattle Drive
http://www.bbc.co.uk/comedy/guide/articles/r/richhallscattledrive_999060111.shtml

He also did a pretty good special in 2004 about the US elections:

Rich Hall's Election Special
http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbcfour/features/rich-hall-election.shtml

[azmouse]

17. Gilda Radner was the best!

[pointblank]

25. I feel that

Darrell Hammond is not nearly as recognized for his character work as he should be.

IMO the man's a genius in that respect.

Fallon, Sandler, Sanz ..... Hacks.

I think Fred Armisen is hilarious. I laugh just looking at him sometimes.

The king though, has to be Eddie Murphy. Just rent his best of SNL DVD and tell me that shit ain't hilarious. "Hot tub, OWWWWWW...Get in the water" :rofl:

ed for sp

[Janice325]

26. Undererated:

Martin Short
Al Franken
Nora Dunn
Jan Hooks
Lorraine Newman
Jane Curtin
Terry Sweeny
Phil Hartman
Danitra Vance
Gilda Radner

Overrated:
John Belushi
Norm Macdonald

[terrya]

27. Chevy Chase

I've never, ever understood his appeal.

[SethInUpstateNY]

29. Underrated: Nora Dunn.

Overrated: Dennis Miller. I never understood his appeal even before he whored himself to the Reich Wing.

[Beaverhausen]

31. Also underrated: Jan Hooks. The Sweeney Sisters were great!

[CBHagman]

33. Agreed on Hooks.

I always preferred the great ensemble players, like Phil Hartman (God rest his soul), and Jan Hooks, Nora Dunn, Jon Lovitz, Martin Short, and Jane Curtin.

[Vidar]

30. Underrated Dan Ackroyd & Jon Lovitz

[TroubleMan]

32. The guy who does all the imitations is way underated.

He's so underated, I don't even know his name. He did Al Gore in the Palm Beach skit.

[Patiod]

48. Anyone who can do Trump AND Cheney convincingly

gets my vote. I can't even watch the real Trump anymore without thinking of Darryl Hammond's Trump. He's wonderful.

Same thing with Chris Matthews - if I hear Matthews on at the gym, I just think of Hammond screaming!

[SaveElmer]

34. Overrated: Adam Sandler...

Just not funny!!!

Underrated: Tina Fey I think!

[asthmaticeog]

35. Most overrated ever: Dana Carvey.

1) What gave that grinning schmuck the idea that the Church Lady saying "SATAN" and Hanz & Franz saying "PUMP YOU UP" were going to be funny EVERY FUCKING WEEK?

2) His GHWB and his Ross Perot were the exact same imitation.

3) The only character of lasting merit he ever did that he didn't kill through ceaseless repetition was Garth Algar, and that was a dishrag supporting role in Mike Myers' bit.

Dude was more boring than Gary Kroeger.

[Chomskyite]

36. my choices

Underrated from past: A. Whitney Brown
Tim Meadows

Overrated: John Belushi (how hard is it to play a subliterate schlub?)
Dennis Miller (he only has one kind of schtick, lifted from Richard Belzer)

Underrated from present: Finesse Mitchell

Overrated from present: Amy Poehler

[bigwillq]

39. Underrated: Mya Rudolph

She's great in every skit she's in.

[fishwax]

41. i think janeane garofalo is underrated

though she naturally gets lots of love from progressives, I think she's a genuinely talented actor and comedian. I also think Julia Sweeney was underrated. (Her one-woman show "God Said: HA!" is really great.)

Overrated: norm mcdonald, dennis miller, chris kattan ...

[fishwax]

43. oh yeah, and how could i forget david spade

he turned out to be pretty pointless without a sidekick ...

[kwassa]

46. Charles Rocket

who I went to college with, had a hysterical band at school called the Fabulous Motels, very funny standup, and never really made it in bigtime showbiz.

His real name is Charles Claverie.

[Left Is Write]

49. I think Fred Armisen is underrated.

When he gets some good material, he's pretty damn funny. Unfortunately, most of the material any of the actors gets today is crap.

[peekaloo]

50. Garrett Morris underrated. Eddie Murphy overrated.

Talented singer/writer and actor.

I never found Murphy funny. imho.