[Steve_Seattle]

"All the early (and best) performers, have remarked on the stress that was involved in having to come up with something funny in less than seven days, week in and week out."

That's probably why - even in the glory years - there were some really awful skits, and other skits that didn't really have an ending, so the band just started playing and they'd cut to a commercial. I used to write comedy skits for our office Christmas party - and they were pretty good, people from other departments would show up to watch - but I can't imagine writing funny stuff week in and week out.

[finnigan2]

"...I can't imagine writing funny stuff week in and week out."

- I'm sure I'll get some objections, but to me the best true, "skit" writers for SNL were Martin Short, Dana Carvey and Billy Crystal.
In my opinion, the best comedy skit show - past or present, was SCTV which still elicits guffaws because of it's gentle but pointed satire of big business, politicians and show biz vanity and shallowness.
It proved that you don't have to beat people over the head to get your point across - a skill that clowns like Stewart and Mahar don't seem to have grasped.