That Show Hasn’t Been Funny In Years: an SNL podcast

Nick pays tribute to one of the most underappreciated cast members in Saturday Night Live history, the late Danitra Vance. Raised on the south side of Chicago, Vance came up through improv, earned her Master’s degree, taught for a time, and eventually found her way to Second City before landing on SNL as the show’s first female African American cast member. Unfortunately, she arrived during the troubled Season 11, where the writing often held her back from doing the kind of work she really wanted to showcase.

Even with those limitations, her character work stood out and her writing was sharp, topical, and honest. She brought attention to the experiences of young Black women in the inner city and delivered smart satire that pushed back on stereotypes and tropes. You’ll hear some of her best sketches, including multiple appearances by her unforgettable character Cabrini Green Jackson, along with stories about her life, her career, and her passing in 1994 after a battle with breast cancer. It’s a well-earned spotlight on a performer who never got the recognition she deserved. [Ep 172]

Nick takes a look back at one of Kate McKinnon’s funniest and most memorable Saturday Night Live characters, Olya Povlatsky. As the Russian correspondent on Weekend Update, Olya reports from a bleak, remote village where life is so miserable that everyone, including her, seems to be constantly hoping for the end. Her segments cover everything from the Russian economy and the war with Ukraine to the 2014 Sochi Olympics and computer hacking.

Along the way, Nick shares behind-the-scenes stories about how the character came together and why it worked so well. He also revisits the rare moment Olya appeared outside of Weekend Update, showing up in a Cold Open alongside Beck Bennett as a shirtless Vladimir Putin. It’s a deep dive into a standout character created by one of SNL’s best. [Ep 171]