James Downey

The longest-running writer in the history of "Saturday Night Live" (NBC, 1975- ), Emmy winner Jim Downey contributed much of the political humor for 27 seasons of the sketch comedy series. A former writer for The Harvard Lampoon, Downey began contributing to "SNL" in 1976 before leaving with producer Lorne Michaels during its tumultuous shake-up in 1980. After stints with "Late Night with David Letterman" (NBC, 1982-1993), he returned to "SNL" to oversee some of its best years, and produce sharp and powerful commentary via the "Weekend Update" segment. In 2008, he returned to prominence for his sketches skewering the presidential campaigns of Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton. His status as the backbone of the show's writing staff, and one of the strongest voices in political humor on television, remained untouched for over three decades.