Saturday Night Live - even when the performers aren't

I have been an avid SNL follower since I was about eight years old and my Dad starting letting me stay up late to watch. I follow the cast changes like other people chart the day-to-day batting line-ups of favorite baseball teams. Right now I think the show is at a high point. The cast has been together a few years, they have fantastic role players in Seth Myers (a former Celebrity Poker Showdown champ) and Mya Rudolph who both seem capable of anything, and outlandish stars in Amy Pohler and Rachel Dratch. The writing staff seems to be on the mark more often than night and this past weekend's show with Jude Law will probably go down as one of the best of the year. The political content was strong and on-point. The opening monologue was a fantastic opportunity for Jude Law to mock himself, it brought to mind possibly the greatest opening monologue in history - Mel Gibson's. And then Ashlee Simpson's Milli Vanilli moment for her second performance put it over the top. I have great hope for the upcoming Kate Winslet/Eminem show.

For those who share my fascination with the show I recommend Jay Mohr's Gasping for Airtime. This is the best look back at the show I've read by someone who actually worked on it.