Taran Killam Responds to Everything Grumpy Old Man Chevy Chase Hates About 'SNL'

BY Sarah MurphyPublished Sep 24, 2018

Chevy Chase appeared on fellow Saturday Night Live alum Norm Macdonald's new Netflix show recently, and now former SNL cast member Taran Killam has responded to the disparaging remarks Chase had for Lorne Michael's long-running sketch program.
 
In his Norm Macdonald Has a Show interview, 74-year-old Chase claimed that SNL had gone downhill since the inaugural two seasons (which he starred in), and said that "the same fun thing" didn't continue after he left the show.
 
"I don't want to put down Lorne or the cast, but I'll just say, maybe off the record, I'm amazed that Lorne has gone so low," Chase recently told the Washington Post. "I had to watch a little of it, and I just couldn't fucking believe it."
 
The fact that the show has remained on-air for 44 years didn't impress him either.
 
"That means a whole generation of shitheads laughs at the worst fucking humour in the world," he continued. "You know what I mean? How could you dare give that generation worse shit than they already have in their lives? It just drives me nuts."
 
Killam (who starred on the show from 2010 to 2016) responded to Chase's assessment of SNL and offered his own opinion on the current state of the show over the weekend, telling Fox News, "It's at best uneven."
 
"I think for comedy to stay important and relevant it needs to evolve and it needs to change over time," he continued. "So I certainly understand if the comedy that [Chase has] been watching since he left is not to his liking, but I certainly don't disagree that it hasn't been as good since the first two seasons or that first one season he was on because I own that box DVD set."
 
"The tricky thing about SNL is, unless you participate in it, it's really hard to explain how difficult, and complicated, and chaotic the process can be," Killam added. "But as soon as you're on the inside, you understand how miraculous it is that the show even gets put together and airs on time. So, I give the show all the credit in the world for trying to adapt and change. I think any show that's been on for 44 seasons now and still has people tuning in is probably doing more things right than wrong."
 
As previously reported, Saturday Night Live will return for its 44th season on September 29, featuring host Adam Driver and musical guest Kanye West.

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