The Best TV Shows Starring SNL Alumni  

There might just be a machine in Lorne Michaels’s mansion basement that churns out shows starring Saturday Night Live cast members. With over four decades on the air and tons of talent passing through the cast, there’s certainly a lot of material to mine - all comedies, natch, but diverse in scope, from political Veep (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) to quirky Portlandia (Fred Armisen) to irreverent 30 Rock (Tina Fey, Tracy Morgan, Chris Parnell). Once SNL cast members become alumni, they are usually best known for their current roles, not their glory days on the show. Soon audiences forget that TV shows starring SNL alums are everywhere. 

The talk show circuit has certainly benefited from vacating SNL cast. From Jimmy Fallon to Seth Meyers, some of the best SNL cast member TV shows are holding it down in late night. Other former cast mates have teamed up – consider Will Forte and Jason Sudeikis, who have put some fine comedy on the small screen with The Last Man on Earth. Fred Armisen and Bill Hader created the acclaimed mockumentary series Documentary Now! And a number of SNL alum lend their voices to The Awesomes. 

These TV series starring former SNL cast members crosses many genres and formats: some are animated comedies, some are talk shows, and some are only available through premium channels. But it's up to you to decide the very best of the best. Which TV shows with Saturday Night Live cast members rule? Vote up your favorites.