Jump to content

Saturday Night Live

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
(Redirected from History of SNL:1990-2000)

Saturday Night Live
Logo used since September 28, 2024
Also known as
  • NBC's Saturday Night (1975–1977)
  • Saturday Night Live '80 (1980)
Genre
Created byLorne Michaels
Written byList of Saturday Night Live writers
Directed by
StarringList of Saturday Night Live cast members
AnnouncerDon Pardo
Mel Brandt
Bill Hanrahan
Darrell Hammond
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons50
No. of episodes976 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producersLorne Michaels
(1975–1980; 1985–present)
Jean Doumanian (1980–1981)
Dick Ebersol (1981–1985)
Production locationsStudio 8H, NBC Studios, New York City
Running time60-70 minutes (without commercials)
Production company
Other studios:
Original release
NetworkNBC
ReleaseOctober 11, 1975 (1975-10-11) –
present (present)
Related

Saturday Night Live (SNL) is an American late-night live sketch comedy variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Michaels and Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC. The show's premiere was hosted by George Carlin on NBC on October 11, 1975, under the original title NBC's Saturday Night. The show's comedy sketches, which often parody contemporary American culture and politics, are performed by a large and varying cast of repertory and newer cast members. Each episode is hosted by a celebrity guest, who usually delivers the opening monologue and performs in sketches with the cast, with featured performances by a musical guest. An episode normally begins with a cold open sketch that is usually based on political events and ends with someone breaking character and proclaiming, "Live from New York, it's Saturday Night!", properly beginning the show.

In 1980, Michaels left the show to explore other opportunities. He was replaced by Jean Doumanian, who was then replaced by Ebersol after a season of bad reviews. Ebersol ran the show until 1985, when Michaels returned. Since then, Michaels has held the job of showrunner. Many SNL cast members have found national stardom while appearing on the show, and achieved success in film and television, both in front of and behind the camera. Others associated with the show, such as writers, have gone on to successful careers creating, writing, and starring in television and film.

Broadcast from Studio 8H at NBC's headquarters in the Comcast Building at 30 Rockefeller Plaza, SNL has aired 976 episodes since its debut and began its 50th season on September 28, 2024, making it one of the longest-running network television programs in the United States. The show format has been developed and recreated in several countries, meeting with different levels of success. Successful sketches have seen life outside the show as feature films, including The Blues Brothers (1980) and Wayne's World (1992). The show has been marketed in other ways, including home media releases of "best of" and whole seasons, and books and documentaries about behind-the-scenes activities of running and developing the show.

Throughout five decades on air, Saturday Night Live has received a vast number of awards, including 84 Primetime Emmy Awards, six Writers Guild of America Awards, and three Peabody Awards. In 2000, it was inducted into the National Association of Broadcasters Hall of Fame. It was ranked tenth in TV Guide's "50 Greatest TV Shows of All Time" list, and in 2007 it was listed as one of Time's "100 Best TV Shows of All-TIME." As of 2022, the show had received over 305 Primetime Emmy Award nominations, the most received by any television program.[2] The live aspect of the show has resulted in several controversies and acts of censorship, with mistakes and intentional acts of sabotage by performers and guests.

History

[edit]

Development: 1974–1975

[edit]

Beginning in 1965, NBC network affiliates broadcast reruns of The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson on Saturday or Sunday nights. In 1974, Johnny Carson petitioned to NBC executives for the weekend shows to be pulled and saved so they could be aired during weeknights, allowing him to take time off.[3][4] In response, NBC president Herbert Schlosser approached the vice president of late-night programming, Dick Ebersol, and asked him to create a show to fill the Saturday night time slot.[5] Schlosser and Ebersol then approached Lorne Michaels. Over the next three weeks, Ebersol and Michaels developed the latter's idea for a variety show featuring high-concept comedy sketches, political satire, and music performances that would attract 18- to 34-year-old viewers.[6][7] NBC decided to base the new show at their studios in 30 Rockefeller Center. Michaels was given Studio 8H, a converted radio studio that was home to NBC's election and Apollo moon landing coverage. It was revamped for the premiere at a cost of $250,000.[8]

Showrunner Lorne Michaels in 2010

By 1975, Michaels had assembled the show's initial cast, including Dan Aykroyd, John Belushi, Chevy Chase, Jane Curtin, Garrett Morris, Laraine Newman, Gilda Radner, and George Coe.[9] The cast was nicknamed the "Not Ready for Prime-Time Players",[10][11][12] a term coined by show writer Herb Sargent.[13] Much of the talent pool involved in the inaugural season was recruited from The National Lampoon Radio Hour,[14][15] including the original head writer, Michael O'Donoghue.[16]

1970s

[edit]

NBC's Saturday Night debuted on October 11, 1975,[7] with an episode featuring Carlin as host.[17] The original title was used because the Saturday Night Live title was in use by Saturday Night Live with Howard Cosell on rival network ABC. After the cancellation of Cosell's show in 1976, NBC purchased the rights to the name and officially changed the show's title to Saturday Night Live at the start of the 1977–1978 season.[4][18][19] The cast was initially paid $750 per episode, and essentially lived at the offices, according to Michaels.[20][18] The show found its footing by the fourth episode, hosted by Candice Bergen, which featured the cast in most segments.[21] The show developed a cult following,[22][7] and its humor was seen as refreshing and daring, in comparison to previous sketch and variety shows that would rarely deal with controversial topics and issues.[23] Iconic characters during the show's first five seasons included Belushi's samurai, the Coneheads (Aykroyd, Curtin, Newman), and Radner's Roseanne Roseannadanna.[24]

Drugs were a major problem during the show's first five years, which exacerbated existing tensions. Cocaine had become an "integral part of the working progress" on SNL by the 1978–1979 season, according to Doug Hill and Jeff Weingrad.[25] Aykroyd and Belushi left the show after the 1978–1979 season to make The Blues Brothers,[26] and as the fifth season ended in 1980, Michaels asked executives to place the show on hiatus for a year in order to allow him time to pursue other projects.[27] Michaels suggested writers Al Franken, Tom Davis, and Jim Downey as his replacements; NBC president Fred Silverman disliked Franken and was infuriated by his Update routine in May 1980, called "A Limo for a Lame-O", that had critiqued Silverman's job performance.[28] Unable to secure the deal that he wanted, Michaels chose to leave NBC, and Jean Doumanian was given his position.[29] Almost every writer and cast member, including Michaels, left the show after the May 24, 1980, season finale.[30]

1980s

[edit]

Doumanian's rapidly-assembled new cast faced immediate comparisons to the previous cast, and was not received favorably by critics or audiences.[31] In a February 1981 episode, cast member Charles Rocket used the profanity "fuck" during a sketch.[32] Rocket later said he was trying to kill time before the show's close and had not meant to utter the word.[33][34] Following this episode, Doumanian was dismissed after only ten months on the job.[35][36]

Although some executives suggested SNL be cancelled, the show received a reprieve, and Dick Ebersol was hired as producer.[37] Ebersol's sketches leaned towards more accessible, broad comedy, which alienated some long-time fans, writers, and cast members.[38][39] His distaste for political humor led the show to largely avoid jokes about President Ronald Reagan during his time as showrunner.[40] Under Ebersol's leadership, Eddie Murphy, who had been underused during Doumanian's tenure, rose to prominence with popular characters such as Mister Robinson's Neighborhood and Gumby.[41] His success was a major factor in the show's resurgence,[42] though it created tensions within the cast.[43][a]

In a break with tradition, producers hired established comedians such as Billy Crystal and Martin Short for the 1984–1985 season.[45] Though this season was considered one of the series' funniest, it diverged significantly from Michaels' innovative approach.[46][47] Like Michaels before him, Ebersol informed NBC that he would only return if the show took a hiatus to recast and rebuild, and diverge significantly from the established live format.[48][49] NBC rejected these requests and instead decided to approach Michaels to return as producer.[48]

Michaels returned for the 1985–1986 season; the show was again recast, with Michaels borrowing Ebersol's idea to seek out established actors.[27] Writers struggled with the cast,[50] and Michaels cleaned house again for the 1986–1987 season, seeking unknown talent such as Dana Carvey and Phil Hartman instead of known names.[51] This new cast was successful at reviving the show's popularity in the eyes of critics and audiences.[52]

1990s

[edit]

In the early 1990s, much of this core cast began to leave the show, and younger performers such as Chris Farley and Adam Sandler began to be promoted to repertory status.[53] Some of these cast members, such as Sandler, Farley, Rob Schneider, Spade, and Chris Rock, would come to be known as the "Bad Boys of SNL" for their outrageous comedy style.[54][55] Afraid of cast members leaving for film careers, Michaels had overcrowded the cast, causing a divide between the veteran members and the new, younger talent. This led to increased competition for the show's limited screen time, and an increasing reliance on "younger", less subtle humor.[56]

The show lost Carvey and Hartman, two of its biggest stars, between 1992 and 1994. Wanting to increase SNL's ratings and profitability, NBC West Coast president Don Ohlmeyer and other executives began to actively interfere in the show, recommending that new stars such as Chris Farley and Adam Sandler be fired and critiquing the costly nature of performing the show live.[57] Criticism of the show's writing increased during this period, which reached its peak by the 1994–1995 season, which is considered one of the series' worst. A widely publicized profile of the show in New York during this period was highly critical of the show's humor, cast, and backstage dysfunction.[58][59]

The show's cast was largely overhauled for the 1995–1996 season with names such as Will Ferrell and Cheri Oteri,[60] which was successful at revitalizing the show.[61] The show faced new competition during this period in the form of Fox's sketch comedy show Mad TV, which aired a half hour earlier than SNL[62] and featured a more diverse cast.[63]

2000s

[edit]

The 2000–2001 season was notable for its well-received spoofing of that year's presidential campaign between Al Gore and George W. Bush.[64] The show's New York City cast and crew were highly impacted by the September 11 attacks in 2001, and returned on September 29 with an acclaimed appearance by Rudy Giuliani. Political humor was reduced for the following seasons.[65]

The show switched to high-definition broadcasting for the 2005–2006 season.[66] Before the start of the 2006–2007 season, the show suffered budget cuts that led to a smaller cast.[67] The following season was also cut short by the 2007–2008 Writers Guild of America strike, which led to several cancelled episodes.[68]

Lorne Michaels and some of the SNL cast at the 68th Annual Peabody Awards for Political Satire in 2008. From left to right: Fred Armisen, Amy Poehler, Michaels, Seth Meyers, and Jason Sudeikis.

Fey later returned to the show during the 2008 presidential election for several critically acclaimed guest appearances as vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin.[69] Writer Robert Smigel later said it was the show's "biggest moment since the 70s", and Michaels observed that it made Fey a "huge star" and that "you could see perception changing completely".[70] Armisen played Barack Obama from 2008 to 2012, following which cast member Jay Pharoah assumed the impression.[71]

The show began to rely more on pre-recorded material and videos more than it ever had before during this period,[72] to the extent that some commentators said it had sometimes outshined live material on the show.[73][74][75] Taped material significantly increased in the mid-2000s with SNL Digital Shorts by The Lonely Island, and continued into the following years with videos by Good Neighbor and Please Don't Destroy.[76][77][78]

2010s

[edit]

The cast continued to evolve significantly into the 2010s as several longtime cast members such as Bill Hader and Kristen Wiig left the series. The 2013–2014 season saw the hiring of seven new cast members in a significant overhaul, including Beck Bennett, Kyle Mooney, and Sasheer Zamata.[79] Longtime head writer and cast member Seth Meyers also exited midway through that season, and was replaced by fellow writer Colin Jost in the Weekend Update segment.[80]

The show frequently parodied Donald Trump in and around his first presidency; an ongoing impression by actor Alec Baldwin led to a significant increase in ratings and a "shot of relevance" for the show, according to Vanity Fair.[81][82] Trump disliked Baldwin's impression, tweeting in 2019 that the Federal Election Commission or the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) should look into stopping SNL from "knocking the same person (me), over & over, without so much of a mention of 'the other side.'" In 2021, sources close to the White House told The Daily Beast that in 2019, Trump repeatedly asked his advisers and lawyers to stop his negative portrayals on SNL and other shows such as Jimmy Kimmel Live! through the interference of the FCC or the Department of Justice.[83][84] In 2021, James Austin Johnson assumed the Trump impression from Baldwin.[85]

2020s

[edit]

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, SNL's 2019–2020 season was indefinitely halted on March 16, 2020.[86] The season was later resumed in April with three remotely produced episodes labelled Saturday Night Live at Home,[87] and the show returned to Studio 8H in October 2020.[88] After the 2021–2022 season, many longtime cast members left the show in a major cast overhaul, including Aidy Bryant, Kate McKinnon, and Pete Davidson;[79] Michaels said that the pandemic had led to some cast members staying with the show for longer than they may have otherwise.[89]

In January 2024, Variety said that "speculation [had] been rampant for years" that Michaels would retire from the series after its fiftieth season, premiering in 2024.[90] Michaels told Entertainment Tonight that month that former head writer and cast member Tina Fey could "easily" be his successor, were he to step down, but said he had not made a decision yet at that point. Michaels has worked with Fey several times since her SNL tenure ended, including on 30 Rock.[91] Michaels earlier said in 2021 that the show's fiftieth anniversary would be "a really good time to leave".[92] Kenan Thompson, the show's longest-serving cast member, speculated in 2022 that SNL may come to an end altogether after its fiftieth season, saying that it could make financial sense for NBC.[93] However, in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter in September 2024, Michaels denied that he was retiring at the end of the season.[94]

A three-hour prime-time live broadcast to celebrate the series' fiftieth anniversary will air on February 16, 2025.[95]

Cast and crew

[edit]

Cast

[edit]

Those selected to join the cast of SNL are normally already accomplished performers, recruited from improvisational comedy groups such as The Groundlings (Newman, Hartman,[96] Will Ferrell, Jon Lovitz, Kristen Wiig[97]) and The Second City (Aykroyd, Farley, Tina Fey,[98] Tim Meadows), or established stand-up comedians (Carvey, Sandler, Macdonald, Chris Rock), who already possess the training or experience necessary for SNL.[99] The cast is divided into two tiers: the more established group of repertory players; and newer, unproven cast members known as featured players, who may eventually be promoted to the repertory stable.[100] Of the many roles available in the show, one of the longest-running and most coveted is being the host of Weekend Update, a segment featuring one or two hosts, who get substantial screen time performing as themselves. Many of the Weekend Update hosts have gone on to find greater success outside the show, including Dennis Miller,[101] Seth Meyers,[101] Norm Macdonald,[101] Colin Quinn,[101] and Jimmy Fallon.

The original 1975 cast, from left to right: Laraine Newman, John Belushi, Jane Curtin, Gilda Radner, Dan Aykroyd, Garrett Morris, and Chevy Chase

As of Season 49, SNL has featured 164 cast members including, besides the above-mentioned players, Rachel Dratch, Amy Poehler, Chris Rock, David Spade, Will Forte, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Tracy Morgan, Chris Parnell, Maya Rudolph, Andy Samberg, Molly Shannon, and many others.[102] Kenan Thompson is the show's longest-serving cast member.[103] Currently, the cast consists of 17 members, with 14 repertory players and 3 featured players:

2024–25 season cast[104]
Repertory players Featured players
denotes Weekend Update anchor
Number of cast members by season

Contracts and salaries

[edit]

The cast were often contracted from anywhere between five and six years to the show,[105][106] but starting with the 1999–2000 season, new hires were tied to a rewritten contract that allowed NBC to take a cast member in at least their second year and put them in an NBC sitcom. Cast members are given the option of rejecting the first two sitcom offers but must accept the third offer, with the sitcom contract length dictated by NBC and potentially lasting up to six years.[106] The move drew criticism from talent agents and managers who believed a cast member could be locked into a contract with NBC for twelve years—six on SNL and then six on a sitcom. The contract also optioned the cast member for three feature films produced by SNL Films, a company owned by NBC, Paramount Pictures, and Michaels. The new contracts were reportedly developed after many previously unknown cast members, such as Mike Myers and Adam Sandler, gained fame on SNL only to leave and make money for other studios.[106] In a 2010 interview, Wiig was reported to be contracted to SNL for a total of seven years.[107] The contracts also contain a network option that allows NBC to remove a cast member at any time.[108] In the first season of the show the cast was paid $750 per episode, rising to $2,000 by season two, and $4,000 by season four.[109] By the late 1990s, new cast members received a salary between $5,000[106] and $5,500 per episode, increasing to $6,000 in the second year and up to $12,500 for a cast member in their fifth year. Performers could earn an additional $1,500 per episode for writing a sketch that made it to air.[108] In 2001, Ferrell became the highest-paid cast member, being paid $350,000 per season (approximately $17,500 per episode).[110]

Writers

[edit]

As of the 2022–23 season, Kent Sublette, Alison Gates, and Streeter Seidell are the show's co-head writers.[111]

Seth Meyers became a co-head writer in the 2005-06 season, became the single head writer from 2008 to 2012, and then left in 2014. Current Update anchor Colin Jost has himself been a writer since 2005 and was one of the head writers from 2012 to 2015 before being renamed head writer, from 2017 until 2022. Current Update co-anchor Michael Che has been a writer since 2013. He temporarily left the show in the summer of 2014, but came back that fall to anchor Update and reclaimed his status as a writer, then serving as a co-head writer alongside Jost for five years.[112][113] The Weekend Update segment has its own dedicated team of writers led by head writer Pete Schultz (who has been writing for the segment since 2011; and has been the segment's head writer since 2014)[114][115]

The segment's previous head writer was Alex Baze (who wrote for the segment from 2004 to 2014, and was the head writer of the segment starting with the 2011–12 season, until his aforementioned 2014 departure).[116][117][118] Scenes on Weekend Update that involve members of the cast acting in-character alongside the host are often written by staff writers outside the dedicated Weekend Update team, who know those characters better.[118]

SNL writers are often also performers or experienced in writing and improvisational comedy. Many are hired from similar backgrounds such as The Groundlings, Second City, Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre, and ImprovOlympic.[119] Comedian Jim Downey was head writer for 10 years, from 1985 to 1995.[120][121] Downey (who previously joined the show's writing staff in the show's second season in 1977) is not only the show's longest-tenured head writer, but he is also overall the show's longest-tenured writer in the show's history. As he wrote for the show on-and-off for 30 years, formally retiring from the show in 2013.[122]

Experienced writers with backgrounds in television shows are also sometimes brought into the SNL writing room. Like the SNL cast who appear on camera, many of the writers have been able to find their own success outside the show, such as Conan O'Brien, who was brought into SNL from The Groundlings in 1988, went on to write for The Simpsons, and eventually began hosting his own show.[123] Former head writer Adam McKay, along with performer Ferrell, founded the successful comedy website Funny or Die.[124] In 1999, Tina Fey (a year before joining the cast and becoming a Weekend Update anchor) became the first woman SNL head writer[125][126] and successfully made the transition to starring on the show,[127] as well as writing and starring in feature films,[128][129][130] ultimately creating and starring in her own show 30 Rock, which was partly based on her SNL experiences.[131] In 2005 Fey was paid $1.5 million per season for her dual role as head writer and performer.[132] Writer John Mulaney has also found success outside of SNL through well-received stand-up specials, his Broadway act The Oh, Hello Show, and the special John Mulaney & the Sack Lunch Bunch.

Announcers

[edit]

Don Pardo served as the announcer for the series when it began and continued in the role for all but season seven, between 1981 and 1982, when Michaels had left and Mel Brandt and Bill Hanrahan filled the announcing role. In 2004 Pardo announced that he would step down from his position, but then continued in the role until 2009 when he again announced his retirement, but then continued into the 2009–10 season.[133]

In 2010 the 92-year-old Pardo was reported to be again considering his retirement, but continued to serve as announcer until his death at age 96 on August 18, 2014, following the 39th season. Apart from a brief period in 2006 in which Pardo pre-recorded his announcements at his home in Arizona, he flew to New York City to perform his announcing duties live, until 2010 when he began recording permanently from Arizona.[133][134][135] Former cast members Joe Piscopo[136] and Darrell Hammond have also impersonated Pardo and fulfilled his announcing duties during times Pardo was unavailable.[137] Hammond took over as full-time announcer starting with season 40.[138]

Hosts and musical guests

[edit]

A typical episode of SNL will feature a single host chosen for their popularity or novelty, or because they have a film, album, or other work being released near the time of their appearance on the show.[139] The host delivers the opening monologue and goodnights, introduces the musical guest, and performs in sketches with the cast. Traditionally, the host of the show ends the opening monologue by mentioning the musical guest for the night and saying, "We got a great show for you tonight, (musical guest) is/are here. So stick around, we'll be right back." Comedian George Carlin was the first to host SNL in the debut October 1975 episode;[140] three episodes later, Candice Bergen became the first woman to host and subsequently the first host to return. Guests who have hosted five or more times are sometimes referred to as belonging to the Five-Timers Club, a term that originated on a sketch performed on Tom Hanks's fifth episode.[141] As of February 11, 2017, actor Alec Baldwin holds the record for most times hosting, having performed the duty on seventeen different occasions since 1990; Baldwin took the record from actor Steve Martin who has hosted fifteen times since 1976.[142] Occasionally, former SNL cast members also host.

Each episode also features a musical guest, a solo act, or a band, who performs two or three musical numbers. Occasionally, the musical guest simultaneously serves as the host, and may also appear in comedy sketches. As of October 11, 2020, Dave Grohl is the most frequent musical guest, performing on fourteen shows since 1992.[143]

Michaels does not allow musical guests to perform using lip-synching tracks,[144] believing it diminishes the live aspect of the show. Exceptions are made only when the musical act is focused on intense dance routines instead of vocals, where it is difficult to be both heavily physically active and sing.[145] A 1975 performance by pop group ABBA was the first and only act to feature lip-synching,[144] until the controversial 2004 performance of Ashlee Simpson.

The December 18, 2021, episode (hosted by Paul Rudd) became the first episode to not feature any musical performances since the first episode of season 12, as well as the third episode in the show's duration to not have a musical guest, due to the rise of the Omicron variant in New York City during the COVID-19 pandemic.[146] Charli XCX was planned as the musical guest, but her performance was cancelled due to the new restrictions as the show had a "limited cast and crew" and no audience.[147]

The Band

[edit]

The Saturday Night Live Band (also known as "The Live Band") is the house band for SNL. Academy Award-winning composer Howard Shore served as the first musical director, from 1975 to 1980, appearing in many musical sketches, including Howard Shore and His All-Nurse Band and (backing a U.S. Coast Guard chorus) Howard Shore and the Shore Patrol. Over the years, the band has featured several New York studio musicians including Paul Shaffer (1975–1980), Lou Marini (1975–1983), David Sanborn (1975), Michael Brecker (the early 1980s), Ray Chew (1980–1983), Alan Rubin (1975–1983), Georg Wadenius (1979–1985), Steve Ferrone (1985), David Johansen (performing as Buster Poindexter), Tom Malone (who took over as musical director from 1981 to 1985), and G. E. Smith (musical director from 1985 to 1995). As of 2017, the band is under the leadership of Tower of Power alumnus Lenny Pickett, keyboardist Leon Pendarvis, and Eli Brueggemann, who does not play in the band on the live show. The band plays instrumentals leading in and out of station breaks; affiliates who run no advertising during these interludes hear the band play complete songs behind a Saturday Night Live bumper graphic until the program resumes.[148] The band plays "Closing Theme (Waltz in A)", written by Shore, at the end of the show.[149]

Production

[edit]
Comcast Building (30 Rockefeller Plaza, or "30 Rock") from which the show is broadcast

The studio

[edit]

Since the show's inception, SNL has aired from Studio 8H, located on floors eight and nine of the Comcast Building (formerly the RCA Building and GE Building, now 30 Rockefeller Plaza or "30 Rock"). Three of the shows of the 1976–77 season were shot at the former NBC Studios in Brooklyn, due to NBC News using Studio 8H for presidential election coverage.[150]

During the summer 2005 shooting hiatus, crews began renovations on Studio 8H. With its thirty-first-season premiere in October 2005, the show began broadcasting in high-definition television, appearing letterboxed on conventional television screens. The offices of SNL writers, producers, and other staff can be found on the 17th floor of "30 Rock".[151]

Creating an episode

[edit]

Production on an SNL episode will normally start on a Monday with a free-form pitch meeting[152][151][153] between the cast, writers, producers, including Michaels and the guest host in Michaels's office over two hours. The host is invited to pitch ideas during this meeting. Although some sketchwriting may occur on the day, the bulk of the work revolves around pitching ideas. Tuesday is the only day dedicated purely to writing the scripts,[154] a process that usually extends through the night into the following morning. Writing may not begin until 8:00 p.m. on Tuesday.[152] At 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday, the sketches are read by the cast during a round-table meeting in the writers' room,[153] attended by the writers and producers present during the pitch meeting, technical experts such as make-up artists, who may be required to realize certain sketch ideas such as those using prosthetics, and other producers, resulting in attendance of approximately fifty people. At this point, there may be at least forty sketch ideas that are read-through in turn, lasting upwards of three hours.[155]

After completion of the read-through, Michaels, the head writer, the guest host, and some of the show producers will move to Michaels' office to decide the layout of the show and decide which of the sketches will be developed for air. Once complete, the writers and cast are allowed into Michaels's office to view the show breakdown and learn whether or not their sketch has survived.[156] Sketches may be rewritten starting the same day, but will certainly commence on Thursday. Work focuses on developing and rewriting the remaining sketches[152] and possibly rehearsals.[153] If a sketch is still scheduled beyond Thursday, it is rehearsed on Friday or Saturday before moving to a rehearsal before a live audience at 8:00 p.m., again on Saturday, before the live show.[152][153] After the rehearsal, Michaels will review the show lineup to ensure it meets a 90-minute length, and sketches that have made it as far as the live rehearsal may be removed.[157] This often results in less than two days of rehearsal for the eight to twelve sketches that have made it to the stage that then may appear on the live broadcast.[152] The opening monologue, spoken by the guest host, is given low priority and can be written as late as Saturday afternoon.[158]

According to an interview with Tina Fey in 2004, the three- to four-member dedicated Weekend Update writing team will write jokes throughout the week. The host(s) of Weekend Update will normally not work with or read the scripts from the team until Thursday evening after the main show sketches have been finalized. The host(s) will then work on contributing to the script where necessary.[159][160]

Post-production

[edit]

With onsite facilities housed on floors eight and seventeen of Rockefeller Plaza, post-production duties on live broadcasts of Saturday Night Live include the mixing of audio and video elements by the Senior Audio Mixer, coupled with additional audio feeds consisting of music, sound effects, music scoring, and pre-recorded voiceovers. All sources are stored digitally, with shows captured and segregated into individual elements to reorganize for future repeats and syndication. The production tracking system was migrated from primarily analog to digital in 1998, with live shows typically requiring 1.5 terabytes of storage, consisting of audio elements and five cameras' worth of visual elements.[161] Elements of Saturday Night Live that are pre-recorded, such as certain commercial parodies, SNL Digital Shorts, and show graphics are processed off-site in the post-production facilities of Broadway Video.[162]

Filming and photography

[edit]

Studio 8H production facilities are maintained by NBC Production Services. As of 2018, the show uses five Sony HDC-1500 cameras, primarily mounted on Vinten pedestals, although one is mounted on a Chapman-Leonard Electra crane.[163][164][165]

As of 2014, a Grass Valley GVG 4000-3 digital component production switcher and GVG 7000 digital component routing switcher are used to route visual feeds to the control room, with multiple digital and analog video recorders used to store footage. Graphics are provided by a Chyron Lyric Pro character generator and an Avid Deko character generator. Audio facilities consist of a Calrec T Series digitally controlled analog mixing console, and a Yamaha digital mixing console used for tape playback support and utility audio work.[166] While exact budgets for other seasons are not known, the 39th season (2013–14) had a budget of over $70 million, for which it received a subsidy from New York State in the amount of $12.3 million.[167]

Edie Baskin was the original SNL photographer. She was hired after Michaels saw her photographs of Las Vegas and other work. Baskin helped create the opening title sequence for the show by taking photos of New York City at night.[168] The first episode used publicity photos of host George Carlin as transitional bumpers between the show and commercial breaks, the second episode used photos Baskin had already taken of host Paul Simon. It was then that Michaels suggested that Baskin photograph the hosts for the bumpers instead of using publicity photos, beginning a tradition that continues today.[169]

Since 1999, Mary Ellen Matthews has been the official photographer of SNL, responsible for devising distinctive photo layouts and aesthetics for still imagery used on the show. Matthews creates photo portraits of the hosts and musical guests of each episode which are used as commercial bumpers. The limited time frame between the host's involvement in the production process and the Live show requires Matthews to create makeshift photo studios on-site at 30 Rock, with Matthews attempting to shoot the host on Tuesday and the musical guest on Thursday, although the availability of either can mean the photoshoot for both occurs as late as Thursday.[170] Matthews employs flattering portrait lighting with hard lights to achieve a Hollywood style. On the lighting, Matthews commented: "I think it just helps the image pop off the screen ... If you use soft or flat lighting, it becomes not as dimensional ... The [classic Hollywood lighting] gives a little more contrast, and if I use edge lights and then light the background, it goes farther and farther back. I try to achieve that depth as much as I can."[171] Matthews is also responsible for taking cast photos, behind-the-scenes images, documenting rehearsals, and promotional photos. As of 2010, she has also been involved in directing videos, including the show title sequence.[171]

Broadcast

[edit]
SNL's main stage during rehearsal, 2008

The show begins at 11:29:30 p.m. Eastern Time, and is scheduled for a 93-minute timeslot ending at 1:02 a.m.[172]

For most of SNL's history, it aired live only to NBC stations in the Eastern and Central Time Zones, with all others receiving a recorded broadcast at the normal start time of late-night network programming (11:30 p.m. Pacific and 10:30 p.m. in other time zones). Since 2017, the show is broadcast live across the contiguous United States. Because the show airs outside of the safe harbor outside of Eastern and Central Time, a brief broadcast delay is installed to meet Federal Communications Commission regulations of primetime programming.[173]

Outside of the contiguous United States, the show also airs live on the three NBC stations in Alaska at 7:30 p.m. local. Two NBC stations still broadcast SNL on tape delay: KHNL in Honolulu delays it one hour to 7:30 p.m., and KUAM-TV in Guam, where the live broadcast occurs at 1:30 p.m. on Sunday, delays it to 11:00 p.m.

Since the first opening in 1975 with Michael O'Donoghue, Chevy Chase, and John Belushi, the show has normally begun with a cold open sketch which ends with one or more cast members breaking character and proclaiming "Live from New York, it's Saturday Night!", followed by the opening credits.[174]

In February 2013, NBC began airing shortened hour-long repeats on select Saturday evenings at 10:00 p.m. Eastern Time during the regular season (these may be preempted due to the live airing happening in primetime on the West Coast); the episodes scheduled were sometimes rebroadcasts of the previous week's episode if it was a first-run broadcast.[175] Beginning with the 2014–15 season, the show's 40th anniversary, the prime time rebroadcasts were a selection of episodes from throughout the show's run under the title SNL Vintage. The network dropped the vintage titling and changed to very recent rebroadcasts beginning in the 2023–2024 season.[176]

NBC and Broadway Video both hold the underlying rights to the show, while the copyright to every episode lies either with NBC or Universal Television. From 1990 until 2004, and again since 2015, Comedy Central and its predecessor Ha! aired reruns of the series, after which E! signed a deal to carry reruns.[177] Abbreviated thirty- and sixty-minute versions of the first five seasons aired as The Best of Saturday Night Live in syndication (from Orion Television; at the time, the FCC's fin-syn rules prevented NBC from directly distributing reruns of the show) beginning in the 1980s, and later on Nick at Nite in 1988. In September 2010, reruns of most episodes made from 1998 onward began airing on VH1.[178] Starting in February 2016, VH1 and Comedy Central's sister channel Logo began airing reruns of 2006-onward episodes on Sunday nights, launching its broadcast as counterprogramming for Super Bowl 50 and branding it the "Live From New York, It's Satur-Gay Night!" marathon.

On March 16, 2017, NBC announced it would air the final four episodes of the 42nd season live in all mainland U.S. time zones for the first time, creating a communal experience across the states. NBC executive Robert Greenblatt explained the show's significant viewership had made it part of the "national conversation", and thus, they felt it would be appropriate for the entire country to be "in on the joke at the same time".[179] NBC announced on September 19, 2017, that all subsequent episodes would air live coast-to-coast in the U.S.[180]

Beginning in the 2021–2022 season, the show has been simultaneously broadcast live on the Peacock streaming service.[181] The show has also experimented with live broadcasts on YouTube, beginning with a 2021 Elon Musk-hosted episode.[182]

Delays

[edit]

The episode scheduled for October 25, 1986, hosted by Rosanna Arquette, was not aired until November 8 due to NBC broadcasting game 6 of the 1986 World Series between the New York Mets and Boston Red Sox; the game entered extra innings and ended at 12:32 a.m. Eastern, causing that night's broadcast of SNL to be canceled. The show was recorded for the studio audience starting at 1:30 a.m. and broadcast two weeks later, with Mets pitcher Ron Darling delivering a jocular "apology" as the cold open.[183]

The episode scheduled for February 10, 2001, hosted by Jennifer Lopez, aired 45 minutes late due to an XFL game. Lopez and the cast were not told they were airing on a delay. Michaels was so upset by the delay the episode was rerun a mere three weeks later. The fledgling football league ended up changing their rules in order to speed up play, and a deal was reached where the feed to future games would be cut off when SNL started, so that no such incident would happen again.[184]

The November 7, 2020 episode, hosted by Dave Chappelle, began at 12:10 a.m. Eastern after a Clemson-Notre Dame college football game went into double overtime.[185]

The October 12, 2024 episode, hosted by Ariana Grande, began at 11:35 p.m. Eastern due to a primetime college football overrun.[186]

International versions

[edit]

Because SNL has been a huge success in the United States, channels in other countries have created their own versions of the show, including Brazil, Germany, Egypt, Spain, South Korea, Japan, Russia, Canada, Finland, France, Italy, and Poland.[187][188]

In the mid-late 1980s Channel Four, in association with London Weekend Television, created a show for British audiences called Saturday Live and Friday Night Live, the repeat version was entitled "Saturday Almost Live". It was based on the SNL format but had no direct connection to the US program.

A German version of SNL named RTL Samstag Nacht aired between 1993 and 1998 on RTL Television. Most episodes were hosted by German celebrities, however, some shows were hosted by American personalities who never hosted the American version, including Mel Brooks and Michael Winslow. Due to language barriers, they appeared only in opening monologues and in a limited number of sketches.[189]

SNL in its original American version has aired in Israel since the early 2000s and is broadcast by satellite provider yes. There was a local SNL-based show named Am Israel Hai (People of Israel Live) back in 2002 but it was canceled after one season. Another SNL-esque Israeli show, Eretz Nehederet (A Wonderful Country), debuted in 2003 and continues to garner high ratings.

SNL also airs in the Middle East and North Africa, OSN First HD every Saturday night, one week after it airs in the U.S.[190]

In India and Sri Lanka, Saturday Night Live! airs an hour-long version on Comedy Central one week after the U.S. broadcast.[191]

Spain's version of the show was short-lived, lasting a few episodes which aired on Thursdays and not Saturdays as the title suggested. This version copied heavily from the American version, as they did their own versions of sketches already done on the original series.[187] Italy's Saturday Night Live From Milan aired for four seasons and used original material.[187][192]

On December 3, 2011, South Korea's SNL Korea premiered on cable channel tvN.[193][194][195][196] As of November 11, 2017, has completed nine seasons with 205 episodes. On September 4, 2021, it was rebooted and broadcast through Coupang Play, a South Korean OTT service. Only the broadcasting stations are different, but the members are similar or reinforced.

The Japanese version Saturday Night Live JPN, which ran for six months in 2011, was created in part with sponsor Coca-Cola and Lorne Michaels's production company, Broadway Video, and broadcast on Fuji TV networks. The show followed the same format with a few minor differences, being only 45 minutes long and hosted by a permanent host. The cast was made up of seasoned comedians who take center stage and newcomers who play the background roles. It was broadcast once a month, and ended after six episodes, as planned from the start.[197][198][199]

In 2013, the Russian channel NTV aired the SNL adaptation entitled Суббота. Вечер. Шоу (Saturday. Evening. Show) and produced by Endemol's Weit Media. Unlike other international versions, it was not broadcast live.[200] Due to low ratings and negative reviews, the third episode was pulled from the schedule.[201][202] The remaining six episodes eventually aired in January 2014, but without any announcements and under a different title: Сегодня. Вечер. Шоу (Today. Evening. Show). Reruns of the adaptation were aired at night on NTV throughout the first half of 2015.

In 2014, two ninety-minute specials were broadcast in French on Télé-Québec in the Canadian province of Quebec under the title SNL Québec; the specials were broadcast on February 8 and March 22, 2014. Hosted by Louis-José Houde and Stéphane Rousseau, it is the same format and length as the original SNL series.[203] Certain sketches from the original program, such as Debbie Downer and Schweddy Balls, were adapted into French, while other sketches were original material written directly for the Quebec series. On May 13, 2014, SNL Quebec was renewed for another eight episodes to be broadcast monthly over the 2014–15 season ending with a "Best of" compilation.[204] Télé-Québec announced in May 2015 the series would not be renewed due to funding cutbacks,[205] and Ici Radio-Canada Télé subsequently signed the show's production team and cast to produce a new series, Le nouveau show, for that network.[206]

The French channel M6 launched the pilot episode of its SNL adaptation, Le Saturday Night Live, in January 2017.

The Polish division of Showmax video-on-demand streaming service launched the first season of its SNL adaptation, SNL Polska on December 2, 2017. The show received mixed reviews,[207][208][209] however improving by the end of the series.[210] Following the first series, a stand-alone "Weekend Update" was introduced in autumn 2018.[211] In December 2018 Showmax announced the closure of its Polish branch, effectively cancelling the show.[212]

On December 10, 2021, Deadline reported that Sky One is currently working on the UK version of Saturday Night Live.[213]

Country Name Station Broadcast Language
 Brazil Saturday Night Live RedeTV! May 27, 2012 – October 20, 2012 Portuguese
 Canada SNL Québec Télé-Québec February 8, 2014 – March 21, 2015 French
 China 周六夜现场 Youku June 23, 2018 – September 8, 2018 Mandarin Chinese
 France Le Saturday Night Live M6 January 5, 2017 (single episode) French
 Germany RTL Samstag Nacht RTL Television November 6, 1993 – May 23, 1998 German
 Italy Saturday Night Live from Milano
Saturday Night Live
Italia 1
TV8
2006 – 2011
April 7, 2018 – May 12, 2018
Italian
 Japan サタデーナイトライブ JPN
Saturday Night Live JPN
Fuji TV October 27, 2012 – November 17, 2012 Japanese
 Poland SNL Polska Showmax December 2, 2017 – March 17, 2018 Polish
 Russia Суббота. Вечер. Шоу
Сегодня. Вечер. Шоу
NTV September 13, 2013 – January 11, 2014 Russian
 South Korea SNL 코리아
Saturday Night Live Korea
tvN December 3, 2011 – November 18, 2017 Korean
SNL 코리아
Saturday Night Live Korea
Coupang Play September 4, 2021 – present Korean
 Spain Saturday Night Live Cuatro February 5, 2009 – May 13, 2009 Spanish
 Finland Saturday Night Live Suomi MTV3 February 6, 2016 – April 23, 2016 Finnish
 Egypt ساترداي نايت لايف بالعربي
Saturday Night Live Arabic
OSN February 20, 2016 – January 6, 2018 Arabic

U.S. television ratings

[edit]

The show's ratings increased steadily for several years after its debut, reaching their highest point in the fifth season. Ratings entered into a period of decline after that, never again reaching those heights, but had rebounded enough by the early 1990s to make the 1992–93 season the fifth-highest rated in the show's history. Since then, ratings have trended steadily lower. As of 2018, thirteen of the show's lowest-rated seasons occurred in the 2000s. The show's ratings have often experienced temporary spikes during U.S. presidential election years.[214]

Season Episodes Start Date End Date Viewers (Mil.) Overall Rating[215] 18–49 Rating
1975–76 24 October 11, 1975 July 31, 1976 N/A 6.4 N/A
1976–77 22 September 18, 1976 May 21, 1977 7.9
1977–78 20 September 24, 1977 May 20, 1978 9.8
1978–79 October 7, 1978 May 26, 1979 13.1
1979–80 October 13, 1979 May 24, 1980 13.5
1980–81 13 November 15, 1980 April 11, 1981 9.5
1981–82 20 October 3, 1981 May 22, 1982 8.0
1982–83 September 25, 1982 May 14, 1983 7.4
1983–84 19 October 8, 1983 May 12, 1984
1984–85 17 October 6, 1984 April 13, 1985 7.5
1985–86 18 November 9, 1985 May 24, 1986 7.1
1986–87 20 October 11, 1986 May 23, 1987 7.6
1987–88 13 October 17, 1987 February 27, 1988 11.77 8.4 6.4
1988–89 20 October 8, 1988 May 20, 1989 10.73 7.9 5.5
1989–90 September 30, 1989 May 19, 1990 11.09 8.1 5.8
1990–91 September 29, 1990 May 18, 1991 10.55 7.5 5.7
1991–92 September 28, 1991 May 16, 1992 12.37 8.8 6.8
1992–93 September 26, 1992 May 15, 1993 12.67 9.2 7.1
1993–94 September 25, 1993 May 14, 1994 11.32 8.2 6.3
1994–95 September 24, 1994 May 13, 1995 9.87 7.2 5.4
1995–96 September 30, 1995 May 18, 1996 7.40 5.6 3.8
1996–97 September 28, 1996 May 17, 1997 9.08 6.7 4.8
1997–98 September 27, 1997 May 9, 1998 9.18 6.6 5.0
1998–99 19 September 26, 1998 May 15, 1999 8.44 6.1 4.5
1999–00 20 October 2, 1999 May 20, 2000 8.32 6.0 4.4
2000–01 October 7, 2000 May 19, 2001 8.88 6.2 4.6
2001–02 September 29, 2001 May 18, 2002 8.78 5.8 4.4
2002–03 October 5, 2002 May 17, 2003 8.34 5.5 4.1
2003–04 October 4, 2003 May 15, 2004 8.09 3.8
2004–05 October 2, 2004 May 21, 2005 7.47 5.1 3.6
2005–06 19 October 1, 2005 May 20, 2006 6.96 4.7 3.2
2006–07 20 September 30, 2006 May 19, 2007 6.90 4.6 3.0
2007–08 12 September 29, 2007 May 17, 2008 6.87 4.5
2008–09 22 September 13, 2008 May 16, 2009 9.17 5.8 3.9
2009–10 September 26, 2009 May 15, 2010 8.41 5.2 3.5
2010–11 September 25, 2010 May 21, 2011 8.46 3.4
2011–12 September 24, 2011 May 19, 2012 8.38 5.4 3.3
2012–13 21 September 15, 2012 May 18, 2013 8.31 3.4
2013–14 September 28, 2013 May 17, 2014 8.37 5.2 3.3
2014–15 September 27, 2014 May 16, 2015 7.42 4.6 2.7
2015–16 October 3, 2015 May 21, 2016 8.70 4.9 2.9
2016–17 October 1, 2016 May 20, 2017 11.00 5.6 3.5
2017–18 September 29, 2017 May 19, 2018 7.55 N/A N/A
2018–19 September 29, 2018 May 18, 2019 N/A N/A N/A
2019–20 18 September 28, 2019 May 9, 2020 N/A N/A 1.5
2020–21 20 October 3, 2020 May 22, 2021
2021–22 21 October 2, 2021 May 21, 2022
2022–23 18 October 1, 2022 April 15, 2023
2023–24 20 October 14, 2023 May 18, 2024

Reception

[edit]

In 2002 SNL was ranked tenth on TV Guide's 50 Greatest TV Shows of All Time,[216] while in 2007 it was honored with inclusion on Time magazine's list of "100 Best TV Shows of All-TIME".[217]

In June 2013 the show was placed at number 25 on the list of the 101 best written shows of all time by the Writers Guild of America, assessing series from the previous seventy years.[218] In December 2013, TV Guide ranked it #18 on their list of the 60 Greatest Shows of All Time.[219] A 2015 The Hollywood Reporter survey of 2,800 actors, producers, directors, and other industry people named SNL as their #7 favorite show.[220] It is currently the longest running sketch comedy show on television. [221]

In 2016 a New York Times study of the fifty television shows with the most Facebook likes found that SNL "is very much an urban show. It is most popular in cities throughout the country, and college towns. Amherst, Mass.; Madison, Wis.; and Ithaca, N.Y. are all among the top 10."[222]

Some critics have cautioned that the show is too dependent upon visiting guest actors and former SNL cast members – particularly for its impersonations of prominent politicians in the 2020 U.S. Presidential Election races – and is beginning to have difficulty producing relevant, truly funny content.[223][224][225][226][227]

In 2023, Variety ranked Saturday Night Live #15 on its list of the 100 greatest TV shows of all time.[228]

Accolades

[edit]

Saturday Night Live has won numerous awards since its debut, including 84 Primetime Emmy Awards,[229] six Writers Guild of America Awards,[230] and three Peabody Awards.[231] In 2009 it received a total of thirteen Emmy nominations for a lifetime total of 126, breaking the record for the most award-nominated show in Primetime Emmy Award history, previously set with 124 by hospital drama ER.[232][233] As of September 2022, it has received a record total of 305 Primetime Emmy Award nominations.

Twenty-five cast members have received individual Primetime Emmy Award nominations in the show's history. These nominations were mostly in the category of Individual Performance in a Variety or Music Program before that award was discontinued; since then, nominations have been in the Supporting Actor and Supporting Actress categories for comedy series. Of the 54 total nominations for these twenty-five performers, four have won: Chevy Chase (1976), Gilda Radner (1978), Dana Carvey (1993), and Kate McKinnon (2016, 2017). In addition, Alec Baldwin received two Emmy nominations, winning once in 2017, for his recurring guest role as Donald Trump.[234]

Electoral effect

[edit]

SNL has also affected American elections, most commonly presidential elections. Voters have reported that political sketches shown on the program influenced them in the voting booth. The so-called SNL Effect was observed during the 2008 presidential campaign, according to Mike Dabadie. Two-thirds of voters who responded to a poll said they had seen a broadcast of politically charged content on SNL, with ten percent saying it had made a difference in their decision. Barack Obama was the beneficiary of the political content, with 59 percent saying they did in fact cast a vote for the Democratic then-nominee.[235] Chevy Chase's bumbling impression of then-president Gerald Ford during the 1976 presidential election was cited as an influence on the election, and a quote commonly attributed to 2008 vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin stating "I can see Russia from my house" was actually spoken by SNL cast member Tina Fey while portraying Palin.[236] The political content was abandoned briefly following the September 11, 2001, terrorist attack in New York, with Amy Poehler saying the writers did not want to produce politicized material.[237]

Several politicians have appeared on SNL, including President Gerald Ford (in 1976, during the show's first season), then-Senator Barack Obama (2007), Senator John McCain (2002 and 2008), Secretary Hillary Clinton (2008 and 2015), and Governor Sarah Palin (2008), who appeared alongside Fey's Palin impression, resulting in the show's largest audience in fourteen years with fourteen million viewers.[238][237] Senator Obama's appearance occurred in part because Hillary Clinton abandoned her scheduled appearance.[237] Donald Trump hosted the show in 2015,[239] which was met with controversy.[240] Kamala Harris, the Democratic Party's nominee for the 2024 United States presidential election, made a guest appearance on November 2, 2024.[241]

Controversies

[edit]
Sinéad O'Connor tears apart a picture of Pope John Paul II during a live SNL performance

Due to its live broadcast, the show has been the subject of numerous controversies and incidents since its inception, involving controversial performers and content, technical problems, profanities (both intentional and accidental), and joke plagiarism accusations.[242][243][244][245]

One incident that garnered widespread media coverage was a 1992 appearance by singer Sinéad O'Connor, in which she ripped up a photo of Pope John Paul II during her performance in an effort to protest the Catholic Church.[242][246] This led to hundreds of complaints from viewers and widespread criticism at the time,[247] although retrospective opinion of her action has been more positive since the Church's cover-up of abuse became public many years later.[248]

Technical issues have also led to major controversies, such as in a widely publicized incident involving singer Ashlee Simpson in 2004 where she appeared to lip sync during her second performance, appearing flustered when the wrong song was played.[249] Simpson was the only musical performer in the show's history to unexpectedly leave the stage mid-performance, later apologizing for the incident and explaining that she had lost her voice earlier in the week.[243]

Representations of minorities

[edit]

Over the years, SNL has been criticized for stereotypical and sparse representation of racial and gender groups. A 2016 study of SNL episodes from 1975 to 2016 (826 total) revealed over 90% of episodes had white hosts, while 6.8% were black, 1.2% were Hispanic, and 1.1% were of another racial minority.[250]

Chris Rock indicated he grew frustrated with being limited to sketches where he played stereotypical roles such as a rapper or Black political activist, and left the show to perform on In Living Color, which featured a mostly Black cast and would offer Rock more creative freedom.[251] When longtime cast member Kenan Thompson suggested in 2013 that female African-American representation was low because producers were not finding such comedians who were "ready", media outlets countered it was SNL that was not ready, and the racial disparity "is symptomatic of problems deeply rooted in comedy and the entertainment industry at large".[252][253][254] Thompson also refused to play any more black women on the show and demanded SNL hire black women instead.[255][256]

SNL has had "little representation from Asian actors, as cast members or hosts", in its run.[257][258] Until Bowen Yang's 2019 promotion from writer to on-air performer, there had been only three people of Asian descent in the cast: Fred Armisen (2002–2013) had a Korean grandfather; Rob Schneider (1988–1994) had a Filipina grandmother; and Nasim Pedrad (2009–2014) was born in Tehran, Iran.[258][259] In the first forty-seven seasons, the show had seven hosts who were of Asian descent.[250][257][258][260]

Denny Dillon was the first gay cast member in the 1980–81 season, but was in the closet at the time. Terry Sweeney was SNL's first openly gay male cast member, appearing in the 1985–1986 season. Sweeney was also the first openly gay series regular on network television.[261][262] Bowen Yang is the sixth LGBTQ cast member, hired in 2019. Numerous news outlets noted the disconnect of Michaels hiring Yang, an out gay Chinese-American cast member, at the same time as Shane Gillis, who was found to have aired what was perceived as homophobic and anti-Asian jokes and slurs on his podcast.[263][264] Within days, a spokesperson for Michaels announced Gillis was fired due to the controversy.[264] Later, Gillis went on to host SNL in 2024, during the 49th season.[265] Molly Kearney became the first openly non-binary cast member in 2022.[266]

Melissa Villaseñor joined as a featured player on the October 1, 2016, episode of SNL.[267] Villaseñor was the second Latina cast member after Noël Wells, who is a quarter Mexican,[268] and the first Latina to be promoted to repertory status.[269]

In other media

[edit]

Home media

[edit]

Universal Studios Home Entertainment and Lions Gate Entertainment hold video rights to the series. Universal has issued complete season DVD sets of the first few seasons, while Lionsgate's share of the rights is a result of prior contracts with NBC struck before the NBC Universal merger. A majority of Lionsgate's SNL DVDs are "Best Of ..." compilations.[citation needed]

Books

[edit]

Saturday Night Live, the first authorized book about the series, was published by Avon Books in 1977 and edited by Anne Beatts and John Head, with photography by Edie Baskin;[270] all three worked for SNL at the time the book was published. The oversized illustrated paperback included the scripts for several sketches by the 1975–80 cast.[271] In 1986 Doug Hill and Jeff Weingrad authored Saturday Night: A Backstage History of Saturday Night Live, a behind-the-scenes look at the first ten seasons.[272] Saturday Night Live: The First Twenty Years, by Michael Cader, was released in 1994 and presented information about the cast, characters, and other memorable moments seen on the show from 1975 to 1994.[273][274]

Live From New York: An Uncensored History of Saturday Night Live, as Told By Its Stars, Writers and Guests was released in 2002. The book, written by Tom Shales and James Andrew Miller, consists of interviews with people who have worked on the show. The interviews reveal personal experiences from what happened backstage and the difficulty of getting the show on air each week.[275] In 2004 former cast member Jay Mohr released his memoir Gasping for Airtime: Two Years in the Trenches of Saturday Night Live[276] about his struggles during his two seasons on the show between 1993 and 1995, dealing with getting sketches on-air and the intense work schedule. Former cast member Bobby Moynihan described the book as "a handbook on what NOT to do at SNL".[277]

Films

[edit]

SNL has made several efforts to develop some of the more popular sketches into feature-length films, with varying degrees of commercial and critical success. The first foray into film came with the successful Aykroyd and Belushi vehicle, The Blues Brothers (1980), which earned over $115 million on a $27 million budget.[278]

In 1990 Michaels oversaw the writing of a sketch anthology feature film titled The Saturday Night Live Movie with many of the show's then-current writing staff, including Al Franken, Tom Davis, Greg Daniels, Jim Downey, Conan O'Brien, Robert Smigel, and George Meyer, contributing. The screenplay only got as far as a Revised First Draft dated July 26, 1990, before being abandoned.[279]

The success of Wayne's World (1992) encouraged Michaels to produce more film spin-offs, based on several popular sketch characters. Michaels revived 1970s characters for Coneheads (1993), followed by It's Pat (1994); Stuart Saves His Family (1995); A Night at the Roxbury (1998), Superstar (1999), and The Ladies Man (2000). Some did moderately well, though others did not – notably, It's Pat, which did so badly at the box office that the studio that made the film, Touchstone Pictures (owned by the Walt Disney Company, which also owns NBC's rival ABC), pulled it only one week after releasing it,[280] and Stuart Saves His Family, which lost $14 million. Many of these films were produced by Paramount Pictures. The films based on The Blues Brothers were produced by Universal Studios, which merged with NBC in 2004 to form NBC Universal (Universal also has a joint venture with Paramount for international distribution of the two studios' films).

Film Release date
(United States)
Budget
(estimated)
Box office revenue
United States Elsewhere Worldwide
The Blues Brothers June 20, 1980 $27 million $57,229,890 $58,000,000 $115,229,890
Wayne's World February 14, 1992 $20 million $121,697,323 $61,400,000 $183,097,323
Coneheads July 23, 1993 $33 million $21,274,717 $21,274,717
Wayne's World 2 December 10, 1993 $40 million $48,197,805 $48,197,805
It's Pat August 26, 1994 $8 million[281] $60,822 $60,822
Stuart Saves His Family April 14, 1995 $15 million $912,082 $912,082
Blues Brothers 2000 February 6, 1998 $28 million $14,051,384 $14,051,384
A Night at the Roxbury October 2, 1998 $17 million $30,331,165 $30,331,165
Superstar October 8, 1999 $14 million $30,636,478 $30,636,478
The Ladies Man October 13, 2000 $24 million $13,616,610 $126,602 $13,743,212
MacGruber May 21, 2010 $10 million $8,525,600 $797,295 $9,259,314

The character Bob Roberts from the Tim Robbins film of the same title (1992) first appeared on SNL in a short film about the conservative folk singer.

In addition, the 1999 comedy film Office Space originated from a series of animated short films by Mike Judge that aired on SNL in 1993.[282]

The fictitious American folk music trio The Folksmen first appeared on SNL, performing the song "Old Joe's Place" before later appearing in the film A Mighty Wind (2002). The three members of the Folksmen were the same three comedians: Harry Shearer, Michael McKean, and Christopher Guest, who also appeared on the same episode as the rock group Spinal Tap. At the time of the appearance (the 1984–85 season), Shearer and Guest were cast members.

Mr. Bill's Real Life Adventures is based on the Mr. Bill sketches from early seasons of SNL.[283]

In 2024, the film Saturday Night was released, about the production of the first SNL episode to air on October 11, 1975, with Gabriel LaBelle as Michaels.

Commercials

[edit]

Over the years popular characters from the show have appeared in ad campaigns for an assortment of products.

Sketch Referenced Product Returning Actors Release Date Additional Notes
Bill Swerski's Superfans State Farm Robert Smigel, George Wendt 09/2013[284]
Coneheads State Farm Dan Aykroyd, Jane Curtin 05/2015[285] Two separate Coneheads commercials in this campaign
Coneheads Subway N/A 1993
I Wish It Was Christmas Today Acura N/A 11/2014[286] Cover by Julian Casablancas
Land Shark BMW N/A 2003
MacGruber Pepsi Will Forte, Kristen Wiig 02/1/2009[287] Premiered during Super Bowl XLIII, three commercials total
Mango T by Alexander Wang Chris Kattan 06/2014[288]
Mr. Bill Subway Walter Williams
Mr. Bill MasterCard Walter Williams 06/2008[289]
Mr. Bill Ramada Inn Walter Williams 2001[290]
Mr. Bill Anti-Drug PSA Walter Williams 1980's
Mr. Bill Burger King Walter Williams 1985
Mr. Bill America's Wetland campaign Walter Williams 2004-2005[291] Ads pulled over Mr. Williams' concern Shell Oil Co. exploited them for positive PR[292]
Pumping Up with Hans & Franz State Farm Dana Carvey, Kevin Nealon 09/04/2014[293]
The Richmeister State Farm Rob Schneider 09/2014[294] Commercial pulled in response to Mr. Schneider's statements on vaccines[295]
The Roxbury Guys Diet Pepsi Max Chris Kattan 02/3/2008 Premiered during Super Bowl XLII
Wayne's World Uber Eats Dana Carvey, Mike Myers 02/2021[296] Campaign debuted in lead-up to Super Bowl LV and ran again during the big game

Music

[edit]

A cast album was released in 1976 on the Arista label including the song "Chevy's Girls" and comedy bits from the show (Weekend Update, "Emily Litella", "Gun Control");[297] it was later re-issued on CD and MP3 download.

In 2005, the comedy troupe The Lonely Island—consisting of SNL members Andy Samberg, Akiva Schaffer, and Jorma Taccone—gained national exposure after joining the show and debuting their comedic music video "Lazy Sunday", written with fellow cast member Chris Parnell. The song became a surprise hit.[298][299] It was posted on YouTube without permission from NBC; "Lazy Sunday" popularized the website, which had launched five months earlier. Schaffer said that for years after the video was released, "You couldn’t kind of write a story about YouTube without mentioning us."[300][301][302]

Further successes with songs including "Like a Boss", "Jizz in My Pants", "I'm on a Boat", "We Like Sportz", "Boombox", and "Dick in a Box" – the latter of which won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics in 2007[303] – saw The Lonely Island go on to release two albums, Incredibad (2009)[304] and Turtleneck & Chain (2011), containing SNL-developed songs and original works. The albums were released by Universal Republic Records, which was provided with a license to the SNL songs by NBC and Broadway Video.

Other

[edit]

Several programs have documented the behind-the-scenes events of the show. A 60 Minutes report taped in October 2004 depicted the intense writing frenzy that goes on during the week leading up to a show, with crowded meetings and long hours. The report particularly noted the involvement of the guest host(s) in developing and selecting the sketches in which they will appear. Similarly, there has been an A&E episode of Biography which covered the production process, as well as an episode of TV Tales in 2002 on E!. In 2010, Saturday Night, a 94-minute documentary by actor James Franco in his directorial debut, was released; it follows the production process of the December 6, 2008, episode hosted by John Malkovich, from the concept stage to the episode actually airing live. Although it originated as a five-minute short film for Franco's New York University film class, Michaels granted Franco access to the process, allowing the project to be expanded.[153] On February 15, 2015, NBC aired a 3+12-hour special on Saturday Night Live's 40th anniversary. The program included a mix of clips, new performances of classic characters from previous cast members, and special guest appearances from previous hosts.[305]

In September 2011 ice cream company Ben & Jerry's released a limited-edition ice cream called "Schweddy Balls", inspired by a 1998 sketch of the same name starring Alec Baldwin, Ana Gasteyer, and Molly Shannon.[306][307] According to the company, the ice cream became their fastest-selling limited-edition flavor.[308][failed verification] The ice cream was also subject to criticism and boycotts by One Million Moms, a project of the American Family Association, over the "vulgar" name.[306][309] Some retail chains chose not to sell the flavor, but declined to say if the decision was at their own discretion or based on the One Million Moms boycotts.[309][310] In June 2014 two new flavors inspired by SNL sketches were introduced: Lazy Sunday, based on a sketch of the same name featuring Andy Samberg and Chris Parnell, and Gilly's Catastrophic Crunch based on the recurring Gilly sketches featuring Kristen Wiig.[311] Two Wild and Crazy Pies, based on the catchphrase of the recurring Festrunk Brothers, was introduced in September 2014,[312] followed by Wayne'Swirled, which was inspired by the eponymous Wayne's World in February 2015.[313]

Notes

[edit]
  1. ^ Nolte was booked to host the show, but had cancelled just four days before showtime. Ebersol offered Murphy the chance to host, a move that Piscopo would perceive as a major slight. Piscopo would later claim that Ebersol used Murphy's success to divide the two erstwhile friends and play them against one another.[43] Murphy's star had exploded, and he left SNL to concentrate on his film career in early 1984.[44]

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]

Citations

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c d e Porter, Rick (September 28, 2021). "'Saturday Night Live' Director Don Roy King Retiring". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on October 9, 2021. Retrieved June 14, 2021.
  2. ^ "70th Emmy Facts & Figures" (PDF). Emmy Awards. Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. July 12, 2018. p. 5. Archived (PDF) from the original on January 24, 2022. Retrieved June 16, 2022.
  3. ^ Hill & Weingrad 1986, p. 7.
  4. ^ a b Henry & Henry 2013, p. 167.
  5. ^ Shales & Miller 2015, pp. 19–20.
  6. ^ Wilson Hunt, Stacy (April 22, 2011). "A Rare Glimpse Inside the Empire of 'SNL's' Lorne Michaels". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on January 24, 2022. Retrieved June 20, 2022.
  7. ^ a b c Hammill 2004, p. 2008.
  8. ^ Greenfield, Jeff (February 11, 2015). "New York Magazine's Original 1975 Review of Saturday Night Live". Vulture. Archived from the original on February 23, 2024. Retrieved August 23, 2024.
  9. ^ Shaw, Gabbi; Olito, Frank (December 20, 2022). "WHERE ARE THEY NOW: All 162 cast members in 'Saturday Night Live' history". Business Insider. Retrieved August 21, 2024.
  10. ^ Marx, Sienkiewicz & Becker 2013, p. 6.
  11. ^ Purdum, Todd S. (April 4, 2011). "'Saturday Night Live' mocks politics with bipartisan gusto". Politico. Archived from the original on January 5, 2012. Retrieved January 2, 2022.
  12. ^ Atwater, Carleton (December 7, 2010). "Looking Back at the First Five Years of SNL". Vulture. Archived from the original on September 19, 2024. Retrieved August 21, 2024.
  13. ^ Shales & Miller 2015, p. 59.
  14. ^ Wayne, Teddy (October 29, 2013). "The Lowest Form of Humor: How the National Lampoon Shaped the Way We Laugh Now". The Millions. Archived from the original on September 19, 2024. Retrieved August 21, 2024.
  15. ^ Tapper, Jake (July 3, 2005). "National Lampoon Grows Up By Dumbing Down". The New York Times. Archived from the original on September 19, 2024. Retrieved August 21, 2024.
  16. ^ Wright, Megh (November 4, 2014). "Saturday Night's Children: Michael O'Donoghue (1975)". Vulture. Archived from the original on March 19, 2023. Retrieved August 23, 2024.
  17. ^ "Remembering Carlin on the "SNL" Premiere". Variety. June 23, 2008. Archived from the original on September 19, 2024. Retrieved August 21, 2024.
  18. ^ a b Jones, Abby; Clair, Fiona (October 2, 2021). "22 things you probably never knew about 'Saturday Night Live'". Business Insider. Archived from the original on April 14, 2024. Retrieved August 22, 2024.
  19. ^ Rothman, Lily (September 26, 2014). "The Surprising Story Behind Saturday Night Live's Most Famous Line". TIME. Archived from the original on August 12, 2024. Retrieved August 19, 2024.
  20. ^ Sheff-Cahan, Vicki; Schindehette, Susan; Park, Jeannie (September 25, 1989). "'Saturday Night Live' !". People. Archived from the original on August 21, 2024. Retrieved August 22, 2024.
  21. ^ Hill & Weingrad 1986, pp. 96–97.
  22. ^ Hill & Weingrad 1986, pp. 103, 104, 193.
  23. ^ Kaplan 2014, pp. 6–7.
  24. ^ Kaplan 2014, p. 10.
  25. ^ Hill & Weingrad 1986, p. 322.
  26. ^ Hill & Weingrad 1986, pp. 342–343.
  27. ^ a b Shales & Miller 2015, p. 288.
  28. ^ Shales & Miller 2015, pp. 178–182.
  29. ^ Shales & Miller 2015, pp. 183–184.
  30. ^ Shales & Miller 2015, pp. 185–186.
  31. ^ Shales & Miller 2015, pp. 192–193.
  32. ^ Shales & Miller 2015, p. 175.
  33. ^ Hill & Weingrad 1986, pp. 431–433.
  34. ^ DeSantis, Rachel (February 6, 2017). "Saturday Night Live: A history of F-bombs". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on September 19, 2024. Retrieved July 31, 2024.
  35. ^ Shales & Miller 2015, p. 202.
  36. ^ Rabin, Nathan (September 5, 2012). "How Bad Can It Be? Case File #23: Saturday Night Live's aborted 1980-81 season". The A.V. Club. Archived from the original on June 27, 2024. Retrieved August 23, 2024.
  37. ^ Shales & Miller 2015, pp. 204–205.
  38. ^ Shales & Miller 2015, pp. 222–225.
  39. ^ Hill & Weingrad 1986, p. 452.
  40. ^ Shales & Miller 2015, p. 270.
  41. ^ Kaplan 2014, p. 12.
  42. ^ Meaney, Jake (October 14, 2010). "'Saturday Night Live: The Best of Eddie Murphy' Brings on Bursts of Genius". PopMatters. Archived from the original on November 5, 2013. Retrieved January 8, 2022.
  43. ^ a b Hill & Weingrad 1986, pp. 465–467.
  44. ^ Shales & Miller 2015, p. 236.
  45. ^ Shales & Miller 2015, p. 255.
  46. ^ Shales & Miller 2015, p. 286.
  47. ^ Hill & Weingrad 1986, p. 474.
  48. ^ a b Saturday Night Live in the '80s: Lost and Found (Documentary). November 13, 2005. Archived from the original on September 19, 2024. Retrieved August 25, 2024.
  49. ^ Atwater, Carleton (January 6, 2011). "Looking Back at Saturday Night Live, 1980-1985". Vulture. Archived from the original on September 19, 2024. Retrieved August 20, 2024.
  50. ^ Shales & Miller 2015, pp. 293–294.
  51. ^ Shales & Miller 2015, pp. 308–313.
  52. ^ Evans, Bradford (September 27, 2013). "The 8 Biggest Transitional Seasons in 'SNL' History". Vulture. Archived from the original on September 19, 2024. Retrieved August 24, 2024.
  53. ^ Kaplan 2014, p. 14.
  54. ^ Siegel, Alan (September 11, 2019). "Comedy in the '90s, Part 3: The Bad Boys of 'Saturday Night Live'". The Ringer. Archived from the original on September 13, 2019. Retrieved April 30, 2024.
  55. ^ Fallon, Kevin (June 14, 2015). "The Secrets of 'Saturday Night Live': Where Comedy Legends Are Born". The Daily Beast. Archived from the original on June 5, 2017. Retrieved May 8, 2024.
  56. ^ Shales & Miller 2015, p. 360.
  57. ^ Shales & Miller 2015, pp. 415–416.
  58. ^ Crouch, Ian (October 21, 2014). "The Nine Lives of "Saturday Night Live"". The New Yorker. Archived from the original on April 26, 2024. Retrieved August 26, 2024.
  59. ^ Smith, Chris (March 13, 1995). "How 'Saturday Night Live' Became a Grim Joke". New York. Retrieved August 26, 2024.
  60. ^ "SNL new and improved". Ellensburg Daily Record. The Associated Press. September 27, 1995. Archived from the original on September 19, 2024. Retrieved May 28, 2024.
  61. ^ Saturday Night Live in the '90s: Pop Culture Nation (Television production). 2007.
  62. ^ Boedeker, Hal (October 14, 1995). "'Mad TV' Clobbers 'SNL'". Orlando Sentinel. Archived from the original on October 7, 2015. Retrieved June 7, 2024.
  63. ^ Funk, Tim (July 21, 1995). "'Saturday Night Dead' to be renovated". Ocala Star-Banner. Knight-Ridder Newspapers. Archived from the original on June 7, 2024. Retrieved June 7, 2024.
  64. ^ de Moraes, Lisa (November 2, 2000). "Taped From New York, It's the Candidates on 'Saturday Night'". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on May 29, 2024.
  65. ^ Dickson, EJ; Greene, Andy (September 8, 2021). "'In Bad Times, People Turn to the Show': Inside the 9/11 Episode of 'SNL'". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on September 11, 2022. Retrieved August 20, 2024.
  66. ^ Kaplan, Don (April 27, 2005). "'SNL' Goes High-Def". New York Post. Archived from the original on February 17, 2015. Retrieved August 27, 2024.
  67. ^ Carter, Bill (September 21, 2006). "Bowing to Budget Cuts at NBC, 'Saturday Night Live' Pares Five Performers". The New York Times. Archived from the original on April 19, 2015. Retrieved April 19, 2015.
  68. ^ Ryzik, Melena (November 19, 2007). "Strike or No Strike, for a Select Few, Saturday Night Was Live". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on April 4, 2023. Retrieved May 14, 2024.
  69. ^ Poniewozik, James (September 14, 2008). "Fey's Palin? Not Failin'". TIME. Archived from the original on August 9, 2022. Retrieved August 21, 2024.
  70. ^ Shales & Miller 2015, pp. 586–589.
  71. ^ Robinson, Joanna (August 9, 2016). "Eight Years Later, S.N.L. Still Has an Obama Problem". Vanity Fair. Archived from the original on August 24, 2024. Retrieved August 24, 2024.
  72. ^ Shales & Miller 2015, p. 667.
  73. ^ Parton, Brad (January 23, 2014). "The Evolution of 'SNL's Pretaped Sketches and Digital Shorts". Vulture. Retrieved August 24, 2024.
  74. ^ Wicks, Amanda (January 29, 2023). "SNL Is Excelling in One Particular Way". The Atlantic. Archived from the original on August 24, 2024. Retrieved August 24, 2024.
  75. ^ Boyle, Michael (January 22, 2022). "Why Please Don't Destroy's Warp-Speed Absurdity Is the Future of Saturday Night Live". Slate. Archived from the original on September 19, 2024. Retrieved August 24, 2024.
  76. ^ "The Influentials: TV and Radio". New York. May 3, 2006. Archived from the original on September 7, 2024. Retrieved August 22, 2024.
  77. ^ Evans, Bradford (August 26, 2013). "A Video Guide to Good Neighbor's Pre-'SNL' Years". Vulture. Archived from the original on January 8, 2024. Retrieved August 29, 2024.
  78. ^ Abramovitch, Seth (May 19, 2022). "How 'Saturday Night Live' Breakout Please Don't Destroy Became Show's Viral Weapon". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on May 12, 2023. Retrieved August 28, 2024.
  79. ^ a b Porter, Rick (September 30, 2022). "Breaking Down 'SNL's' Biggest Cast Overhaul in a Generation". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved November 14, 2024.
  80. ^ Snetiker, Marc (August 4, 2017). "'SNL': Colin Jost to replace Seth Meyers as 'Weekend Update' co-anchor". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved November 27, 2024.
  81. ^ Konerman, Jennifer (October 1, 2016). "Alec Baldwin Debuts as 'SNL's' Trump: "I Have the Best Judgment"". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on August 24, 2024. Retrieved August 24, 2024.
  82. ^ Robinson, Joanna (November 9, 2020). "With Trump Done, Is Saturday Night Live Actually Funny Again?". Vanity Fair. Archived from the original on June 7, 2023. Retrieved August 27, 2024.
  83. ^ Levin, Bess (June 22, 2021). "Of Course Trump Tried to Get the Justice Department to Stop SNL From Making Fun of Him". Vanity Fair. Retrieved November 14, 2024.
  84. ^ Sharf, Zack (June 22, 2021). "Donald Trump Reportedly Wanted Justice Department, FCC to Make 'SNL' Stop Mocking Him". IndieWire. Retrieved November 14, 2024.
  85. ^ "Alec Baldwin returns to "Saturday Night Live" for first time since "Rust" case dismissal - CBS News". www.cbsnews.com. October 20, 2024. Retrieved November 14, 2024.
  86. ^ Wright, Megh (March 16, 2020). "SNL to Suspend Production Due to the Coronavirus". Vulture. Archived from the original on August 27, 2024. Retrieved August 27, 2024.
  87. ^ Steinberg, Brian (April 9, 2020). "'Saturday Night Live' Charts Return Amid Coronavirus Pandemic". Variety. Archived from the original on August 27, 2024. Retrieved August 27, 2024.
  88. ^ White, Peter (September 10, 2020). "'Saturday Night Live' To Return To Studio 8H In October". Deadline. Archived from the original on September 11, 2020. Retrieved August 29, 2024.
  89. ^ White, Peter (September 12, 2022). "'SNL': Lorne Michaels Addresses Season 48 Cast Changes, Reveals There Will Be At Least Four New Castmembers". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved September 13, 2022.
  90. ^ Goldberg, Lesley (January 17, 2024). "'SNL' Without Lorne Michaels? "It Could Easily be Tina Fey," Creator Says". Variety. Archived from the original on September 19, 2024. Retrieved August 21, 2024.
  91. ^ Sloop, Hope (February 27, 2024). "Why Adam Sandler Does Not Think Lorne Michaels Is Retiring From 'Saturday Night Live' Yet (Exclusive)". Entertainment Tonight. Retrieved August 21, 2024.
  92. ^ Brathwaite, Lester (December 20, 2021). "Lorne Michaels eyeing retirement from SNL at show's 50th anniversary — in 3 years". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on August 18, 2024. Retrieved August 21, 2024.
  93. ^ Murphy, Chris (August 1, 2022). "Kenan Thompson Thinks Ending SNL at 50 "Might Not Be a Bad Idea"". Vanity Fair. Archived from the original on September 19, 2024. Retrieved August 21, 2024.
  94. ^ Rose, Lacey (September 19, 2024). "'SNL' Turns 50. Now What? Lorne Michaels, Colin Jost and Michael Che on Election Insanity, Succession Plans and Trying to Make America Funny Again". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved October 27, 2024.
  95. ^ Goldberg, Lesley (May 10, 2024). "'SNL' to Mark 50th Anniversary With a Live Primetime Special (on a Sunday)". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on September 10, 2024. Retrieved August 25, 2024.
  96. ^ Shales & Miller 2015, p. 325.
  97. ^ Sneider, Jeff (February 28, 2012). "'Descendants' scribes sell pitch to Indian Paintbrush". Variety. Archived from the original on September 19, 2024. Retrieved January 2, 2022.
  98. ^ Dunn, Jancee (April 2008). "Tina Fey: Funny Girl". Reader's Digest. The Reader's Digest Association. Archived from the original on May 18, 2012. Retrieved January 7, 2012.
  99. ^ "SNL FAQ". Broadway Video. Archived from the original on May 16, 2012. Retrieved January 1, 2012.
  100. ^ "When 'Saturday Night Live' briefly had three cast groups". faroutmagazine.co.uk. March 19, 2022. Archived from the original on June 3, 2024. Retrieved June 3, 2024.
  101. ^ a b c d Bort, Ryan (September 12, 2014). "Why SNL's Weekend Update Anchor Change Is Brilliant". Esquire. Retrieved August 29, 2024.
  102. ^ Kenan Thompson biography Archived September 19, 2024, at the Wayback Machine NBC
  103. ^ Kang, Esther; Tagen-Dye, Carly (December 5, 2023). "Kenan Thompson Nearly Quit Saturday Night Live After Receiving 'Zero Air Time' for His 'Rookie Mistakes'". People. Retrieved August 19, 2024.
  104. ^ "Saturday Night Live Cast - NBC.com". NBC. Archived from the original on August 7, 2016. Retrieved October 3, 2019.
  105. ^ Ng, Philiana (March 12, 2010). "Jimmy Fallon Reveals Secrets Behind the Best 'Late Night' Sketches". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on March 15, 2012. Retrieved January 24, 2012.
  106. ^ a b c d Bogdanovich, Peter (August 16, 1999). "SNL's Killer Contract". New York Observer. Archived from the original on January 19, 2012. Retrieved January 24, 2012.
  107. ^ Barker, Olivia (May 21, 2010). "Kristen Wiig of 'SNL' helps save the day in 'MacGruber'". USA Today. Archived from the original on February 1, 2011. Retrieved January 24, 2012.
  108. ^ a b Mohr 2004, p. 81.
  109. ^ Shales & Miller 2015, p. 118.
  110. ^ "War of the Funnymen". Netscape. Archived from the original on October 3, 2010. Retrieved September 11, 2010.
  111. ^ "Miles Teller/Kendrick Lamar". Saturday Night Live. Season 48. Episode 1. October 1, 2022. Event occurs at Closing credits. NBC.
  112. ^ Otterson, Joe (December 12, 2017). "' SNL' Names Michael Che, Colin Jost Co-Head Writers".
  113. ^ Wright, Megh (February 27, 2022). "SNL Adds 3 New Writers for Season 47". Vulture. Retrieved February 27, 2022.
  114. ^ Frucci, Adam (September 20, 2011). "SNL Rounds Out Its New Season Hires with Writers Zach Kanin and Peter Schultz". Vulture. Retrieved January 10, 2022.
  115. ^ "Chris Pratt/Ariana Grande". Saturday Night Live. Season 40. Episode 1. September 27, 2014. Event occurs at Closing credits. NBC.
  116. ^ Abramovitch, Seth (September 16, 2013). "'SNL' Announces Hire of 6 New Castmembers". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on September 19, 2013. Retrieved May 8, 2016.
  117. ^ "SNL Backstage". Saturday Night Live. NBC. December 17, 2011. Archived from the original on December 11, 2011. Retrieved December 18, 2011.
  118. ^ a b Wright, Megh (September 8, 2010). "Behind SNL's Weekend Update: Interview with Writer/Producer Doug Abeles". Gawker. Archived from the original on April 26, 2013. Retrieved January 8, 2021.
  119. ^ Keller, Richard (April 17, 2008). "The Not Ready for Prime-Time Players who made it to the big time: 1975–1985". AOL. Archived from the original on August 3, 2012. Retrieved January 7, 2012.
  120. ^ "Comedy Isn't Funny". New York Magazine. March 13, 1995. Archived from the original on September 19, 2024. Retrieved June 20, 2015.
  121. ^ "Saturday Night's Alright for Firing". New York. June 12, 1995. p. 17. Retrieved April 29, 2024.
  122. ^ Miller, Dennis; Downey, Jim (May 30, 2013). "The Dennis Miller Show" (Interview). Interviewed by Dennis Miller. Archived from the original on August 26, 2013.
  123. ^ "Host of Late Night with Conan O'Brien". Greater Talent Network. Archived from the original on April 18, 2008. Retrieved May 11, 2008.
  124. ^ "Top 10 Post-SNL Careers". Time. June 5, 2009. Archived from the original on April 16, 2010. Retrieved January 8, 2022.
  125. ^ Levin, Gary (February 8, 2001). "Fey makes way in funnyman's world". USA Today: 04.D.
  126. ^ Gay, Jason (March 4, 2001). "Meet Four-Eyed New Sex Symbol, 'Weekend Update' Anchor Tina Fey". New York Observer. Archived from the original on January 15, 2012. Retrieved July 1, 2009.
  127. ^ Witchel, Alex (November 25, 2001). "Counterintelligence; 'Update' Anchor: The Brains Behind Herself". The New York Times. Retrieved July 1, 2009.
  128. ^ Otto, Jeff (April 23, 2004). "IGN Interviews Tina Fey". IGN. p. 1. Archived from the original on July 18, 2012. Retrieved August 10, 2010.
  129. ^ Ebert, Roger (November 3, 2010). "Megamind". RogerEbert.com. Archived from the original on December 25, 2021. Retrieved January 2, 2022.
  130. ^ Grosz, Christy (June 10, 2009). "Face it; Tina Fey rocks". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on May 3, 2011. Retrieved January 2, 2022.
  131. ^ Poniewozik, James (September 18, 2006). "Do Not Adjust Your Set". Time. Archived from the original on November 25, 2006. Retrieved January 8, 2022.
  132. ^ Banay, Sophia (September 26, 2008). "Fey Day". Portfolio. Archived from the original on April 10, 2012. Retrieved August 13, 2018.
  133. ^ a b Schneider, Michael (September 17, 2010). "'SNL' retirement for announcing legend Don Pardo?". Variety. Reed Business Information. Archived from the original on January 2, 2022. Retrieved January 2, 2022.
  134. ^ "R.I.P. 'Saturday Night Live' Announcer Don Pardo". Deadline Hollywood. August 18, 2014. Archived from the original on August 20, 2014. Retrieved August 19, 2014.
  135. ^ Ward, Coley (September 9, 2010). "Pardo to voice 'SNL' from Tucson". Archived from the original on January 2, 2022. Retrieved January 8, 2022.
  136. ^ "Jamie Lee Curtis/The Fixx". Saturday Night Live. February 18, 1984. NBC.
  137. ^ Shales & Miller 2015, p. 444.
  138. ^ Ausiello, Michael (September 18, 2014). "SNL Taps Darrell Hammond to Succeed Don Pardo as Announcer". TVLine. Archived from the original on September 20, 2014. Retrieved September 18, 2014.
  139. ^ Shales & Miller 2015, p. 400.
  140. ^ Sklar, Rachel (February 7, 2008). "George Carlin's SNL Monologue". HuffPost. Archived from the original on November 8, 2013. Retrieved January 2, 2022.
  141. ^ Hartsell, Carol (March 10, 2013). "Justin Timberlake Joins The Five-Timers Club During 'SNL' Monologue". HuffPost. Archived from the original on March 13, 2013. Retrieved January 2, 2022.
  142. ^ Semigran, Aly (September 25, 2011). "'Saturday Night Live' recap: The return of the king (a.k.a. Alec Baldwin)". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on January 5, 2012. Retrieved January 2, 2022.
  143. ^ Darus, Alex (April 26, 2022). "The Musical Guest With The Most SNL Appearances". Looper.com. Archived from the original on September 19, 2024. Retrieved August 14, 2022.
  144. ^ a b Shales & Miller 2015, p. 68.
  145. ^ Leung, Rebecca (February 11, 2009). "Michaels: Lip-Sync An 'SNL' No-No". 60 Minutes. CBS. Archived from the original on March 6, 2014. Retrieved January 2, 2022.
  146. ^ "New York sets record for positive COVID cases in one day". New York Post. December 18, 2021. Archived from the original on September 19, 2024. Retrieved December 20, 2021.
  147. ^ "'SNL' Drops Live Audience and Musical Guest Charli XCX Due to COVID Spike". NBC Boston. December 18, 2021. Archived from the original on December 18, 2021. Retrieved December 20, 2021.
  148. ^ "SNL Band from NBC". Archived from the original on January 19, 2010. Retrieved May 5, 2014.
  149. ^ Darr, Deanna (May 16, 2013). "On the Record: 'Tapestry,' SNL songs close, but not the same". Rapid City Journal. Archived from the original on January 21, 2018. Retrieved May 4, 2017.
  150. ^ "SNL's Studio from NBC". Archived from the original on April 24, 2010. Retrieved February 14, 2010.
  151. ^ a b Shales & Miller 2015, p. 52.
  152. ^ a b c d e Mohr 2004, p. 27.
  153. ^ a b c d e Carlson, Daniel (October 14, 2010). "Saturday Night – Film Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on November 4, 2013. Retrieved January 8, 2022.
  154. ^ Shales & Miller 2015, p. 113.
  155. ^ Mohr 2004, p. 28.
  156. ^ Mohr 2004, pp. 28–29.
  157. ^ Mohr 2004, p. 30.
  158. ^ Mohr 2004, p. 23.
  159. ^ "Writer and Actress Tina Fey (Time 15:30)" (Audio). Fresh Air. NPR. April 28, 2004. Archived from the original on September 19, 2024. Retrieved March 3, 2008.
  160. ^ Hill, Julianne (August 2000). "SNL's Tina Fey". Writer's Digest: 40.
  161. ^ "Case study. Saturday Night Live: Live from New York through a fibre channel SAN" (PDF). QLogic. 2005. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 17, 2010. Retrieved November 16, 2009.
  162. ^ "Broadway Video's reinvention by design". Post. May 1, 2009. Archived from the original on February 16, 2015. Retrieved February 16, 2015.
  163. ^ "Studio 8H and the Chapman crane". Eyes Of A Generation ... Television's Living History. Archived from the original on September 19, 2024. Retrieved January 19, 2019.
  164. ^ "Creating Saturday Night Live: Crane Camera - SNL". SNL YouTube. January 9, 2019. Archived from the original on December 21, 2021. Retrieved January 19, 2019.
  165. ^ "Electra II / Nike". www.chapman-leonard.com. Archived from the original on January 20, 2019. Retrieved January 19, 2019.
  166. ^ "NBC Production Services". NBC Production Services. Archived from the original on March 2, 2014. Retrieved April 12, 2010.
  167. ^ 1FILM TAX CREDIT –QUARTERLY REPORTCALENDAR YEAR 2015:FOURTH QUARTER DECEMBER 31,2015 Archived May 30, 2016, at the Wayback Machine Empire State Development
  168. ^ Shales & Miller 2015, p. 60.
  169. ^ Shales & Miller 2015, p. 62–63.
  170. ^ Sawalich, William (February 23, 2010). "Mary Ellen Matthews: It's Saturday Night!". Digital Photo Pro. Archived from the original on January 11, 2014. Retrieved April 19, 2011.
  171. ^ a b Sawalich, William (February 23, 2010). "Mary Ellen Matthews: It's Saturday Night!". Digital Photo Pro. Archived from the original on January 11, 2014. Retrieved April 19, 2011.
  172. ^ "NBC New York".
  173. ^ Steinberg, Brian (January 13, 2018). "Sam Rockwell Drops Surprise 'F-Bomb' on 'SNL'". Variety. Archived from the original on September 19, 2024. Retrieved February 23, 2019.
  174. ^ Shales, Tom (November 10, 2002). "Live From New York". The New York Times. Archived from the original on April 26, 2013. Retrieved November 13, 2012.
  175. ^ Schneider, Michael. "NBC Brings Saturday Night Live to Saturday Primetime". TV Guide. Archived from the original on January 24, 2022. Retrieved January 2, 2022.
  176. ^ Steinberg, Brian (March 7, 2024). "NBC Veers From 'Vintage' Repeats of 'SNL'". Variety. Archived from the original on March 10, 2024. Retrieved March 28, 2024.
  177. ^ Romano, Allison (October 25, 2002). "Comedy Central Goes Mad". Broadcasting & Cable. Archived from the original on September 19, 2024. Retrieved January 2, 2022.
  178. ^ "Classic Saturday Night Live Episodes Now Airing on VH1". VH1. September 27, 2010. Archived from the original on November 20, 2011. Retrieved April 30, 2011.
  179. ^ Wilstein, Matt (March 16, 2017). "SNL to Air Live in All Time Zones for First Time Ever". The Daily Beast. Retrieved March 16, 2017.
  180. ^ Petski, Denise (September 19, 2017). "'Saturday Night Live' To Continue Airing Live Coast To Coast". Deadline. Archived from the original on December 30, 2019. Retrieved May 27, 2024.
  181. ^ Lambert, Harper (October 2, 2021). "How to Watch the 'SNL' Season Premiere: Where It's Streaming and When". TheWrap. Retrieved October 10, 2024.
  182. ^ Steinberg, Brian (May 8, 2021). "Elon Musk's 'SNL' Debut Will Get Global YouTube Live Stream". Variety. Archived from the original on September 19, 2024. Retrieved May 8, 2021.
  183. ^ McCarron, Anthony (May 24, 2016). "Ron Darling recalls his public apology after the '86 Mets pre-empted 'Saturday Night Live'". New York Daily News.
  184. ^ "Scorecard: Fight Club". Sports Illustrated Vault. February 26, 2001. Archived from the original on September 9, 2010. Retrieved January 2, 2022.
  185. ^ "'SNL' fans ticked off after show is delayed by college football game". New York Post. November 8, 2020. Archived from the original on November 8, 2020. Retrieved November 8, 2020.
  186. ^ Berkowitz, Joe (October 13, 2024). "Saturday Night Live Recap: Trapped in Purgatory". Vulture. Retrieved October 15, 2024.
  187. ^ a b c "Saturday Night Live's International Siblings". jezebel. June 11, 2011. Archived from the original on January 21, 2018. Retrieved January 8, 2022.
  188. ^ "Saturday Night Live – Ohjelmat – MTV.fi". mtv. Archived from the original on August 30, 2018. Retrieved January 6, 2015.
  189. ^ "RTL Samstag Nacht (TV Series 1993–1998)". IMDb. November 6, 1993. Retrieved April 21, 2018.
  190. ^ "OSN". OSN. October 15, 2011. Archived from the original on March 1, 2014. Retrieved October 23, 2011.
  191. ^ "Schedule for Comedy Central, Comedy Central Schedule playing on Tue, Dec 08 | Tuesday, 08 December | burrp!TV Guide". Archived from the original on December 8, 2015. Retrieved November 28, 2015.
  192. ^ "SNL Italy". Tv.mediaset.it. July 6, 2011. Archived from the original on August 16, 2011. Retrieved August 6, 2011.
  193. ^ Choi, EunHwa (November 22, 2011). "Saturday Night Live Korea to Start Airing on December 3". enewsWorld. CJ E&M. Archived from the original on January 28, 2013. Retrieved March 9, 2013.
  194. ^ Noh, Hyun-gi (November 27, 2011). "Live from Seoul, It's Saturday Night!". Korea Times. Archived from the original on September 19, 2024. Retrieved March 9, 2013.
  195. ^ 김주혁, <SNL KOREA> 코믹 화보 폭소 작렬 '이런 모습 처음이야. JK Star News (in Korean). November 28, 2011. Archived from the original on April 26, 2013. Retrieved November 23, 2012.
  196. ^ tvN-장진 감독, 한국판 '새터데이 나이트 라이브' 제작 합심. Boom Seoul (in Korean). November 9, 2011. Archived from the original on April 26, 2012. Retrieved November 23, 2012.
  197. ^ "SNL Japan". Axiommagazine.jp. June 5, 2011. Archived from the original on September 18, 2016. Retrieved August 6, 2011.
  198. ^ Angelo, Megan (June 4, 2011). "Saturday Night Live JPN". Businessinsider.com. Archived from the original on July 10, 2020. Retrieved August 6, 2011.
  199. ^ "Live from Tokyo, it's Saturday Night!". japantimes.co.jp. July 8, 2011. Archived from the original on February 5, 2015. Retrieved February 5, 2015.
  200. ^ ТВ. Вечер. Шоу. Откуда телепродюсеры знают, что нужно зрителю. RBC Daily. September 20, 2013. Archived from the original on September 19, 2024. Retrieved April 22, 2020.
  201. ^ Borodina, Arina (September 25, 2013). Ванга снова вернулась в телевизор. RIA Novosti. Archived from the original on August 21, 2020. Retrieved April 22, 2020.
  202. ^ Petrovskaya, Irina (September 27, 2013). Искусство делать большое дело. Novaya Gazeta. Archived from the original on August 7, 2020. Retrieved April 22, 2020.
  203. ^ Sobolewski, Samantha (May 8, 2013). "Saturday Night Live gets Canadian treatment". The Loop.
  204. ^ Kelly, Brendan (May 13, 2014). "SNL Quebec is returning for a second season". Montreal Gazette. Archived from the original on July 15, 2014. Retrieved December 12, 2014.
  205. ^ "SNL Québec victime des compressions à Télé-Québec" Archived June 23, 2015, at the Wayback Machine. Radio-Canada, March 3, 2015.
  206. ^ "Radio-Canada repêche les comédiens de SNL Québec" Archived July 2, 2015, at the Wayback Machine. La Presse, April 9, 2015.
  207. ^ "Pierwszy odcinek polskiego "Saturday Night Live" nie zachwycił (opinie)". www.wirtualnemedia.pl. December 4, 2017. Archived from the original on April 30, 2021. Retrieved April 30, 2021.
  208. ^ "Polskie "Saturday Night Live" jednak mocno rozczarowuje". December 12, 2017.
  209. ^ "Obejrzałem 2. odcinek SNL Polska, ale się nie uśmiałem - mobiRANK.pl". December 9, 2017.
  210. ^ "Karolak zafundował widzom jazdę bez trzymanki. "SNL Polska" się rozkręca!". December 9, 2017. Archived from the original on March 12, 2023. Retrieved March 12, 2023.
  211. ^ ""SNL Polska - Weekend Update" od 27 października w Showmax, dzień później w Telewizji WP". October 23, 2018. Archived from the original on March 12, 2023. Retrieved March 12, 2023.
  212. ^ "Showmax wycofuje się z Polski, Naspers sprzeda serwis". December 12, 2018.
  213. ^ White, Peter (December 10, 2021). "'Saturday Night Live': British Version Of NBC Late-Night Comedy In The Works At Comcast-Backed Sky". Deadline. Archived from the original on December 11, 2021. Retrieved December 13, 2021.
  214. ^ Fitzgerald, Toni (November 17, 2018). "Which 'Saturday Night Live' Cast Delivers The Best Ratings In 44 Seasons?". Forbes. Retrieved May 7, 2021.
  215. ^ "The TV Ratings Guide". Retrieved January 19, 2020.
  216. ^ "TV Guide names Top 50 shows". Associated Press/CBS News. April 26, 2002. Archived from the original on February 7, 2012. Retrieved November 23, 2009.
  217. ^ Poniewozik, James (September 6, 2007). "All-TIME 100 TV Shows". Time. Archived from the original on October 28, 2007. Retrieved January 8, 2022.
  218. ^ "'101 Best Written TV Series of All Time' From WGA/TV Guide: Complete List". Deadline Hollywood. June 2, 2013. Archived from the original on June 7, 2013. Retrieved June 3, 2013.
  219. ^ Fretts, Bruce; Roush, Matt. "The Greatest Shows on Earth". TV Guide. 61 (3194–3195): 16–19.
  220. ^ "Hollywood's 100 Favorite TV Shows". The Hollywood Reporter. September 16, 2015. Archived from the original on July 17, 2019. Retrieved July 17, 2019.
  221. ^ Nunan, Tom. "FORBES BUSINESS HOLLYWOOD & ENTERTAINMENT Saturday Night Live, America's Longest Running Sketch Variety Show, Posts #1 Comedy Ranking". Forbes.
  222. ^ Katz, Josh (December 27, 2016). "'Duck Dynasty' vs. 'Modern Family': 50 Maps of the U.S. Cultural Divide". The New York Times. Archived from the original on March 29, 2017. Retrieved February 20, 2017.
  223. ^ Berman, Judy (October 5, 2020). "Can We Joke About the President Having COVID-19? Late-Night Comedy Can't Decide". Time. Archived from the original on December 3, 2020. Retrieved November 28, 2020.
  224. ^ Valby, Karen (October 18, 2020). "'Saturday Night Live' Has a Jim Carrey Problem". Vanity Fair. Archived from the original on December 20, 2020. Retrieved November 28, 2020.
  225. ^ Cavna, Michael (October 30, 2020). "Why Jim Carrey's Biden impersonation on SNL isn't quite catching on". Washington Post. Archived from the original on November 21, 2020. Retrieved November 28, 2020.
  226. ^ Ali, Lorraine (November 12, 2020). "Commentary: Joe Biden won the election, but Jim Carrey's impression of him is 'SNL' fans' loss". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on November 28, 2020. Retrieved November 28, 2020.
  227. ^ Harris, Aisha; with Tobin Low. "The Meaning Of 'SNL' in 2020". National Public Radio. Archived from the original on October 21, 2023. Retrieved November 28, 2020.
  228. ^ "The 100 Greatest TV Shows of All Time". Variety. December 20, 2023. Archived from the original on December 20, 2023. Retrieved December 21, 2023.
  229. ^ "Saturday Night Live - Emmy Awards, Nominations and Wins". emmys.com. Archived from the original on July 30, 2019. Retrieved October 11, 2022.
  230. ^ "Writers Guild Awards". Writers Guild of America Awards. Writers Guild of America West. Archived from the original on May 3, 2012. Retrieved June 15, 2022.
  231. ^ "George Foster Peabody award winners" (PDF). National Association of Broadcasters. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 26, 2011. Retrieved November 23, 2009.
  232. ^ "With 13 Additional Emmy Nominations, 'Saturday Night Live' Breaks Record as Most Nominated Show in Awards Program's History". TVWeek. Archived from the original on March 4, 2014. Retrieved November 6, 2010.
  233. ^ Itzkoff, Dave (July 8, 2010). "Saturday Night Live Breaks an Emmy Record, and Lorne Michaels Is Cool With That". The New York Times. Archived from the original on July 18, 2011. Retrieved May 5, 2014.
  234. ^ Beachum, Chris (September 17, 2017). "'Saturday Night Live' wins 4 more Emmys Sunday; extends mind-blowing Emmy series record for wins to 64". Gold Derby. Archived from the original on September 20, 2017. Retrieved September 17, 2017.
  235. ^ Fitzpatrick, John (November 5, 2008). "The SNL Effect: 'Saturday Night Live' Political Skits Make Real Impact on Voters". Reuters. Thomson Reuters. Archived from the original on February 28, 2014. Retrieved August 29, 2013.
  236. ^ Kingkade, Tyler (September 25, 2012). "'Saturday Night Live' Political Skits May Sway The Presidential Election, Academics Argue". HuffPost. Archived from the original on March 2, 2014. Retrieved August 29, 2013.
  237. ^ a b c Miller, James Andrew; Shales, Tom (August 20, 2014). "'SNL' Political Secrets Revealed: Hillary's "Entitlement", the Sketch Obama Killed and the Show's "Karl Rove"". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on October 20, 2014. Retrieved January 8, 2022.
  238. ^ Patten, Dominic (May 2, 2012). "No SNL For Mitt Romney This Season, Says Lorne Michaels". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved January 2, 2022.
  239. ^ "2". 41. November 7, 2015. NBC. Archived from the original on December 21, 2021. Retrieved October 4, 2020.
  240. ^ de Moraes, Lisa (November 5, 2015). "Donald Trump On 'SNL': Latino PAC Offers Reward To Disrupt Broadcast". Deadline. Archived from the original on October 9, 2020. Retrieved October 6, 2020.
  241. ^ Nehamas, Nicholas; Haberman, Maggie; Rogers, Katie (November 2, 2024). "Harris Will Make Surprise Appearance on 'Saturday Night Live'". The New York Times. Retrieved November 2, 2024.
  242. ^ a b Tapper, Jake (October 13, 2002). "Sin". Salon. Archived from the original on June 19, 2015. Retrieved June 19, 2015.
  243. ^ a b Leung, Rebecca (October 28, 2004). "Michaels: Lip-Sync An 'SNL' No-No". CBS News. Archived from the original on March 6, 2014. Retrieved July 31, 2024.
  244. ^ Rich, Katey (January 14, 2018). "Saturday Night Live: "S—hole" and An Accidental F-Bomb Challenge NBC Censors". Vanity Fair. Archived from the original on July 7, 2022. Retrieved July 22, 2018.
  245. ^ Gupta, Prachi (October 7, 2014). "5 sketches that "SNL" allegedly plagiarized". Salon. Archived from the original on June 29, 2024. Retrieved July 31, 2024.
  246. ^ Murray, Noel (March 7, 2006). "Inventory: Ten Memorable Saturday Night Live Musical Moments". A.V. Club. The Onion. Archived from the original on January 23, 2015. Retrieved January 22, 2015.
  247. ^ "Singer rips pope, shocks audience". The Spokesman-Review. October 5, 1992. p. A4. Archived from the original on April 8, 2023. Retrieved March 11, 2011.
  248. ^ Hess, Amanda (May 18, 2021). "Sinead O'Connor Remembers Things Differently". The New York Times. Archived from the original on September 15, 2021. Retrieved July 28, 2023.
  249. ^ "Ashlee Simpson takes 'SNL' lip sync blame". TODAY. NBC News. October 28, 2004. Archived from the original on October 23, 2016. Retrieved July 31, 2024.
  250. ^ a b Kilkenny, Katie (October 5, 2018). "'SNL': Awkwafina to Become First Asian Woman to Host in 18 Years". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on January 26, 2020. Retrieved September 15, 2019.
  251. ^ Alexander, Brenda (June 6, 2020). "Chris Rock Left 'SNL' For 'In Living Color' Over Frustrations With Stereotypical Material". Showbiz CheatSheet. Retrieved July 20, 2021.
  252. ^ Gennis, Sadie (October 14, 2013). "Kenan Thompson Blames SNL's Diversity Issue on Lack of Talented Black Comediennes". TV Guide. Archived from the original on October 15, 2013. Retrieved January 3, 2020.
  253. ^ Kerry, Coddett (November 8, 2013). "The Real Problem With SNL and Casting Black Women". The Atlantic. Retrieved January 3, 2020.
  254. ^ Jeffries, Michael P. (September 7, 2017). "The Remarkable Rise of Tiffany Haddish". The Atlantic. Archived from the original on December 9, 2019. Retrieved December 9, 2019.
  255. ^ Weisman, Aly. "'SNL's' Kenan Thompson Refuses To Dress In Drag Until The Show Hires A Black Woman". Business Insider. Archived from the original on October 30, 2020. Retrieved March 5, 2019.
  256. ^ "16 Times Women Changed the Game on 'Saturday Night Live'". Glamour. June 27, 2018. Archived from the original on November 13, 2020. Retrieved March 5, 2019.
  257. ^ a b Liu, Jennifer (September 17, 2019). "Before his historic promotion to the SNL stage, Bowen Yang was voted 'most likely to be a cast member on Saturday Night Live' in high school". CNBC. Archived from the original on March 8, 2021. Retrieved September 19, 2019.
  258. ^ a b c Coleman, Nancy (September 12, 2019). "'S.N.L.' Has Long Lacked Asian Players. One Just Joined the Cast". The New York Times. Retrieved September 15, 2019.
  259. ^ Pfefferman, Naomi (January 12, 2009). "InterfaithFamily.com". InterfaithFamily. Archived from the original on May 14, 2021. Retrieved October 4, 2012.
  260. ^ Chan, Tim (September 16, 2019). "'SNL' Hired Bowen Yang, But It Still Has a Diversity Problem". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on September 18, 2019. Retrieved September 17, 2019.
  261. ^ Shales & Miller 2015, p. 295.
  262. ^ *Miller, Liz Shannon (March 19, 2018). "'Saturday Night Live': Alec Baldwin Says There Have Been Many Gay Male Cast Members — They Just Weren't Out". Indiewire. Archived from the original on September 26, 2019. Retrieved September 16, 2019.
    • Sherman, Phillip (1994). Bernstein, Samuel (ed.). Uncommon Heroes: A Celebration of Heroes and Role Models for Gay and Lesbian Americans. Fletcher Press.
  263. ^ * Sims, David (September 13, 2019). "'Saturday Night Live' Made a Mistake Hiring Shane Gillis". The Atlantic. Archived from the original on May 15, 2021. Retrieved September 13, 2019.
  264. ^ a b Lewis, Sophie (September 13, 2019). "New "SNL" cast member Shane Gillis exposed in videos using racist and homophobic slurs". CBS News. Archived from the original on May 15, 2021. Retrieved September 13, 2019.
  265. ^ Deggans, Eric (February 25, 2024). "Shane Gillis struggles in a 'Saturday Night Live' monologue that avoids the obvious". NPR. Archived from the original on April 9, 2024. Retrieved August 2, 2024.
  266. ^ Yurcaba, Jo (September 15, 2022). "'Saturday Night Live' announces its first nonbinary cast member". NBC News. Archived from the original on September 16, 2022. Retrieved September 15, 2022.
  267. ^ Evans, Greg (October 2, 2016). "'SNL' Surprise: Newcomers Mikey Day, Alex Moffat & Melissa Villaseñor Actually Make Good, Strong Impressions". Deadline. Archived from the original on July 21, 2021. Retrieved August 6, 2021.
  268. ^ Romero, Dennis (September 12, 2016). "SNL Hires its First Latina Cast Member, and She's From L.A." LA Weekly. Archived from the original on July 19, 2021. Retrieved August 6, 2021.
  269. ^ Villafañe, Veronica (September 30, 2016). "SNL Starts New Season With Debut Of First Latina Cast Member, Latino Writer And Lin-Manuel Miranda". Forbes. Archived from the original on August 6, 2021. Retrieved August 6, 2021.
  270. ^ Beatts & Head 1977.
  271. ^ Eric Idle Books Archived December 8, 2020, at the Wayback Machine from dailyllama.com
  272. ^ Hill & Weingrad 1986.
  273. ^ Cader 1994.
  274. ^ Fretts, Bruce (October 7, 1994). "Book Review: 'Saturday Night Live: The First Twenty Years'". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on April 12, 2023. Retrieved April 12, 2023.
  275. ^ O'Sullivan, William (January 4, 2003). "Live From New York: An Uncensored History of Saturday Night Live, Definitive record of an enduring creative work". Washingtonian. Archived from the original on May 21, 2011. Retrieved April 30, 2011.
  276. ^ Mohr 2004.
  277. ^ Ryan, Mike (February 26, 2009). "'SNL's' Bobby Moynihan Discusses Working with Beyonce, Justin Timberlake, James Franco And More". Starpulse. Archived from the original on March 1, 2014. Retrieved January 26, 2012.
  278. ^ "The Blues Brothers". Box Office Mojo. Internet Movie Database. Archived from the original on July 7, 2019. Retrieved December 16, 2008.
  279. ^ Script Review: THE SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE MOVIE Archived November 27, 2020, at the Wayback Machine from filmbuffonline.com
  280. ^ Live, From New York, It's the Worst Movies From the Cast of SNL Archived May 27, 2010, at the Wayback Machine from filmcritic.com
  281. ^ It's Pat: Julia Sweeney's gender-bending character goes to Hollywood, but can he ... er ... she ... er ... er ... Pat cross over? Archived August 19, 2017, at the Wayback Machine, a September 1994 article from Rolling Stone
  282. ^ Fierman, Daniel (February 26, 1999). "Judge's Dread". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on December 11, 2020. Retrieved August 16, 2007.
  283. ^ Rosenberg, Howard (September 10, 1986). "The First Arrivals on the Home Front". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved April 12, 2023.
  284. ^ "'Da Bears' Boys of 'SNL' Return to Taunt Aaron Rodgers". yahoo.com. September 9, 2013. Retrieved February 9, 2021.
  285. ^ "Ad of the Day: SNL's Coneheads Remake the 'Jake From State Farm' Commercial". May 12, 2015. Archived from the original on September 19, 2024. Retrieved February 9, 2021.
  286. ^ "Acura's Got A Commercial With Julian Casablancas Music, Too". Stereogum. November 28, 2014. Archived from the original on February 9, 2021. Retrieved February 9, 2021.
  287. ^ Graham, Mark (February 2, 2009). "MacGruber Sells Out to Pepsi, Rebrands Himself 'Pepsuber'". Vulture. Archived from the original on November 28, 2020. Retrieved February 9, 2021.
  288. ^ Holmes, Sally (June 3, 2014). "Mango Makes His Hilarious Return for T by Alexander Wang". ELLE. Archived from the original on October 20, 2014. Retrieved February 9, 2021.
  289. ^ Lee, Wendy A. (June 3, 2008). "Mr. Bill Returns (in One Piece) to Pitch a Debit Card (Published 2008)". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved February 9, 2021.
  290. ^ "'Oh NOoooooo' Mr. Bill revived by Impax for Ramada". Philadelphia Business Journal. Archived from the original on June 18, 2021. Retrieved February 9, 2021.
  291. ^ "Mr. Bill comes to the rescue of Louisiana's disappearing wetlands". Sarasota Herald-Tribune. January 12, 2004. Archived from the original on October 21, 2023. Retrieved April 12, 2023.
  292. ^ "Mr. Bill Says 'Noooo!' to Wetlands Ads". Los Angeles Times. June 12, 2005. Archived from the original on June 25, 2021. Retrieved February 9, 2021.
  293. ^ Quinn, Cassidy (September 5, 2014). "Saturday Night Live alumni star in new State Farm ad". KGW. Archived from the original on April 12, 2023. Retrieved April 12, 2023.
  294. ^ "State Farm Commercial With Rob Schneider Brings Back The Richmeister From 'SNL' – VIDEOS". Bustle. September 4, 2014. Archived from the original on February 14, 2021. Retrieved February 9, 2021.
  295. ^ "State Farm Pulls Rob Schneider "Richmeister" Commercials After Backlash Over Actor's Stance Against Mandatory Vaccines". E! Online. September 25, 2014. Archived from the original on February 14, 2021. Retrieved February 9, 2021.
  296. ^ "Schwing! Cardi B Crashes Wayne and Garth's 2021 Super Bowl Ad Reunion: Watch". Billboard. February 3, 2021. Archived from the original on February 10, 2021. Retrieved February 9, 2021.
  297. ^ "NBC's Saturday Night Live". www.discogs.com. 1976. Archived from the original on December 24, 2018. Retrieved December 23, 2018.
  298. ^ Stein, Joel (April 17, 2006). "Straight Outta Narnia". Time. Archived from the original on June 14, 2006. Retrieved January 2, 2022.
  299. ^ Itzkoff, Dave (December 27, 2005). "Nerds in the Hood, Stars on the Web". The New York Times. Retrieved November 13, 2024.
  300. ^ Spangler, Andrew Wallenstein,Todd (December 18, 2015). "'Lazy Sunday' Turns 10: 'SNL' Stars Recall How TV Invaded the Internet". Variety. Retrieved November 14, 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  301. ^ Higgins, Bill (October 5, 2017). "Hollywood Flashback: 'SNL's' 'Lazy Sunday' Put YouTube on the Map in 2005". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved November 14, 2024.
  302. ^ Anderson, Nate (November 23, 2008). "Did "Lazy Sunday" make YouTube's $1.5 billion sale possible?". Ars Technica. Retrieved November 14, 2024.
  303. ^ "2007 Emmy Winners: the Complete List". Daily News (New York). September 17, 2007. Archived from the original on January 8, 2022. Retrieved January 8, 2022.
  304. ^ Kaufman, Gil (December 10, 2008). "'SNL' Star Andy Samberg Recruits T-Pain, Justin Timberlake, Norah Jones for New Album". MTV News. Archived from the original on September 5, 2014. Retrieved January 8, 2022.
  305. ^ Lowry, Brian (February 16, 2015). "TV Review: 'Saturday Night Live's' 40th Exhibits Middle-Aged Bloat". Variety.
  306. ^ a b Veroni 2014.
  307. ^ Steinmetz, Katy (September 7, 2011). "Schweddy Balls: Ben & Jerry's Newest Vermont Export". Time. Retrieved February 21, 2012.
  308. ^ O'Connell, Michael (October 20, 2011). "Ben and Jerry's 'Saturday Night Live' Flavor, 'Schweddy Balls,' Not Welcome in Some Stores". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on September 21, 2021. Retrieved January 8, 2021.
  309. ^ a b Netburn, Deborah (September 23, 2011). "Is Ben & Jerry's 'Schweddy Balls' R-rated ice cream?". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on January 8, 2021. Retrieved February 21, 2012.
  310. ^ Semigran, Aly (October 21, 2011). "Ben & Jerry's Schweddy Balls not being sold in some stores: Have you had a taste yet?". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on January 8, 2022. Retrieved January 8, 2022.
  311. ^ Kludt, Amanda (June 19, 2014). "Ben & Jerry's Introduces SNL-Themed Ice Cream". Eater. Archived from the original on March 7, 2021. Retrieved December 12, 2014.
  312. ^ Aiken, Kristen (September 24, 2014). "Ben & Jerry's New 'SNL'-Inspired Flavor Is Their Best Yet, But You Won't Find It in a Pint". HuffPost. Archived from the original on September 19, 2024. Retrieved December 1, 2021.
  313. ^ "Introducing Wayne'Swirled: The Newest SNL Batch!". Ben & Jerry. February 10, 2015. Retrieved February 16, 2015.

Bibliography

[edit]

Further reading

[edit]
[edit]