Cut-for-time sketches on SNL are an eternal mystery. Oh, we get why sketches are trimmed from the live show — Lorne Michaels always brings more bits than he needs to the dress rehearsal, then makes final cuts based on how they perform before a live audience. The puzzling part: Why are the cut-for-time sketches, which invariably show up on YouTube hours after the live show, so much funnier than the bits that actually make it on the air? Case in point: I’ve rewatched “Alan” more than practically any sketch SNL did that season.
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Alan also has me convinced that cut-for-time sketches are the future of casual entertainment. I’ve rounded up some cut-for-time classics in the past, but SNL has delivered several more winners since I published that list. Here are some of my new favorites…