After being on the air for 34 years, it’s only fair to cut “Saturday Night Live” some slack.

Sure, the past few years have provided less than the usual number of memorable skits and characters, but with this year’s presidential election, “SNL” is beginning to look like its old self again.

At least at times.

Former cast-member Tina Fey as Sarah Palin, GOP vice presidential candidate, has catapulted “SNL” back into the national spotlight.

Every Monday after a new Fey-as-Palin skit, or any skit involving the candidates for that matter, news programs like CNN and FOX News dissect its meaning and discuss its possible effects on the race.

This year’s ratings for the four new episodes are some of the highest in the show’s history, with the Sept. 13 premiere being the second-highest season opener ever.

As long as people are running for public office, “SNL” is going to be relevant, watched and at the top of its game.

A frequent jab at “SNL” is the show doesn’t provide the same irreverent commentary on politics as “The Daily Show” or “The Smothers Brothers”-esque “The Colbert Report.” That’s true, but that’s like comparing Apples to Macs.

Yeah, they are similar, but ultimately they’re two different machines. The Comedy Central shows are fake-news programs that focus on newsworthy topics. “SNL” is a variety show lampooning no particular genre.

And don’t let the fact that both are in the variety category at the Emmy Awards fool you.

Late-night talk shows and TV specials are also on that list.

Now for the biggest gripe: “SNL” just isn’t funny anymore. As a fan of sketch comedy and improv, which is the background for many “SNL” writers and cast members, I’ll be the first to admit that “SNL” isn’t as consistently funny at it was even five years ago.

But it’s not so much that the show has gotten worse, but that it has gotten different.

The move toward younger writers and performers - like Seth Meyers, Bill Hader, Kristen Wiig and Andy Samberg - has transformed the show into a collection of skits that usually don’t have anything to do with anything.

The best example of this is the SNL Digital Shorts but also skits like “A Moment with the Out-of-Breath Jogger from 1992” and “Mark Wahlberg Talks to Animals.”

With the political atmosphere the way it is, “SNL” is going to be one of the must-see shows until Inauguration Day.

Sure, it’s probably going to be a bumpier ride than during the “good old days” of Ferrell, Sandler or Belushi, but that’s what makes the trip memorable — remembering the good times and the bad.

It’s all going to depend on whether the staff can write skits that are not only different but funny too.

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