Saturday Night Live is an American sketch comedy series created and produced by Lorne Michaels for most of the show's run. The show has aired on NBC since 1975. The 1990–91 season brought the first major changes to the show's cast in over four years, adding cast members such as Chris Farley and David Spade. With most of the older cast gone, Michaels attempted to push a mix of old (Kevin Nealon, Mike Myers) and new (Janeane Garofalo, Michael McKean) for the 1994–95 season's cast. This season is widely considered one of the show's worst (along with the 1980–81 and 1985–86 seasons). After this cast, Michaels replaced most of the cast with unknowns for the 1995–96 season, once again saving the show from cancellation. Transition in progress (1990–1991) The 1990–91 season was a transitional year. Jon Lovitz and Nora Dunn left the show after the previous season, the latter in a cloud of controversy. Lorne Michaels introduced a number of players who quickly became stars on the show: Chris Farley, Tim Meadows, Chris Rock, Adam Sandler, Rob Schneider, David Spade, and Julia Sweeney. Memorable characters and sketches introduced by the new cast members from this period included Sweeney's "Pat," Sandler's "Opera Man" and "Canteen Boy," Farley's "Matt Foley," Schneider's annoying office geek "The Copy Guy," Rock's black perspective talk show host "Nat X," and Spade's caustic commentary piece "Hollywood Minute." The popularity of these new cast members helped to offset the departure of several popular long-time players over the first two seasons of this era, including Jan Hooks and "Weekend Update" anchor Dennis Miller after this season, as well as Victoria Jackson after the following season. The remaining cast members of the "older" cast (Dana Carvey, Phil Hartman, Mike Myers and Kevin Nealon) also remained popular with audiences. Nealon succeeded Miller as "Weekend Update" anchor. For the remainder of his tenure, Nealon found himself playing the straight man during "Update" and other sketches, particularly against the newer cast members. His participation in that role increased after Carvey, Hartman, and Myers left the show. Myers introduced many popular new characters during this period, including Linda Richman, host of the fictional talk show "Coffee Talk." Meanwhile, Hartman, who had impersonated President Ronald Reagan on the show, began appearing regularly with his impression of Democratic candidate and soon-to-be President Bill Clinton. Carvey continued to perform his impersonation of President George H. W. Bush