What do you mean by that, exactly?

I mean, it seems like they did a lot more weird and creative sketches than SNL, which relied too much on the "here's a silly character that does one funny thing over and over." Sure, they had the McKenzie brothers and other recurring characters but then they also had really weird, clever skits that almost fall flat but somehow keep it together.
Just an opinion.

I'm pretty sure you just described the Kids in the Hall.

SCTV hinges on the really well-defined world they're conjuring. They were the originators of the Simpsons-esque "city full of eccentric characters" idea. They have a whole cast of awesome characters you like hearing from time and again.

yeah, that's a good comparison.

The Bob and Doug sketches were just quickly-knocked-off fillers meant both to satisfy CBC, and Canadian content rules. No one at SCTV thought B&D would become the signature recurring characters; Dave Thomas and Rick Moranis just burned through videotape, drinking beer and cooking back bacon, saying "HERE YOU GO, CBC! CANADA! FUCK YOU!"

SCTV as a whole was like that. It only existed because if SCTV wasn't on the air, SNL would have made a play for the castmembers. SCTV basically did whatever it found amusing; if a recurring character and Charlton Heston fit within a Towering Inferno spoof, what the hell, use that. SCTV operated on base survival; I think that helped keep the comedy from becoming too self-important and complacent.

Also, no budget, but incredible makeup and wardrobe.

I was in high school when they first started doing The Great White North, and almost immediately all the kids were making like it was the funniest shit they'd ever seen. I would bet not one of them understood Canadian broadcast regulations or how they were being mocked, but it didn't matter. "Coo, coo coo coo coo coo coo coo coooooo!" was the new "no Coke, Pepsi" that you were obligated to think was funny or you were a loser.