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Saturday Night Live

Since Saturday Night Live has been on for almost 30 years I thought that it deserved it's on page on my site. So here you can learn about everything SNL.

About the Show

Airs:
Saturday at 11:30 PM on NBC

Saturday Night Live, NBCs Emmy Award-winning late-night comedy showcase, begins its 29th season on October 4, 2003 (11:30 p.m. 1:00 a.m. ET) for another year of laughs, surprises and great performances.

Over the last twenty-eight years, SNL has launched the careers of many of the brightest comedy performers of a generation and as The New York Times noted on the occasion of the shows Emmy winning 25th Anniversary special in 1999: In defiance of both time and show business convention, SNL [is] still the most pervasive influence on the art of comedy in contemporary culture. At the close of the century, Saturday Night Live placed seventh on Entertainment Weeklys list of the Top 100 Entertainers of the past fifty years.

Thus far, the program has won 18 Emmy Awards and been nominated for more than 80. SNL has been honored with the prestigious George Foster Peabody Award and cited as truly a national institution. Most recently, Saturday Night Live was inducted into the Broadcasting Hall of Fame by the National Association of Broadcasters. The show continues to garner the highest ratings of any late-night television program, entertaining millions each week.

SNLs impressive lineup of guest hosts last season featured some of the biggest stars of film, television and music including: Matt Damon, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Eric McCormack, Nia Vardalos, Brittany Murphy, Robert DeNiro, Ray Liotta, Matthew McConaughey, Jennifer Garner, Christopher Walken, Queen Latifah, Salma Hayek, Bernie Mac, Ray Romano, Ashton Kutcher, Adrien Brody and Dan Aykroyd. The show also featured the acting debuts of NASCAR superstar Jeff Gordon and headline-making turns by former Vice President Al Gore and Senator John McCain.

SNLs debut in 1975 was named #4 on the VH-1/Entertainment Weekly list of Greatest Rock & Roll Moments on Television. The show continued its unparalleled tradition of featuring both blockbuster and breakout musical acts hosting such performers as Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, Faith Hill, The White Stripes, Jay-Z, Eve, Nelly, Norah Jones, Phish, Avril Lavigne, The Donnas, The Dixie Chicks, Beck, Foo Fighters, Christina Aguilera, Ms. Dynamite, Good Charlotte, Zwan, 50 Cent, Sean Paul, Wayne Wonder and Beyoncé.

Saturday Night Live, which premiered October 11, 1975, is broadcast live from NBCs famed Studio 8H in New York Citys Rockefeller Center. The program is a production of Broadway Video in association with SNL Studios. Lorne Michaels is the executive producer.

The Process

  • Monday: The day begins with a topical meeting, identifying the biggest story for the show's opening. This is followed by a free-form pitch meeting with the host for the week.
  • Tuesday: Starting in the afternoon, the entire show is written, about 30-40 scripts. Each writer comes up with two scripts, usually spending the entire night at work.
  • Wednesday: All scripts get a read-through. After the read-through, the head writer and the producers meet with the host to decide which sketches to work on for the rest of the week.
  • Thursday: The surviving sketches are rewritten, word-by-word, by the writing staff as a whole. This is also the day that Weekend Update is first written.
  • Friday: the show is blocked (staged). The writer of each skit acts as producer, working with the set designers and costumes.
  • Saturday: The day begins with a run-through, with props, in front of Lorne Michaels. After that, the cast and crew finds out which of the sketches are in, and which are cut. This is followed by an 8-11pm dress rehearsal in front of a live audience. After any last-minute changes, at 11:30, the show begins.

Current Cast:
  • Will Forte - (Season 28+)
  • Seth Meyers - (Season 27+)
  • Amy Poehler - (Seasons 27+)
  • Maya Rudolph - (Season 26+)
  • Tina Fey - (Season 26+)
  • Rachel Dratch - (Seasons 25+)
  • Jimmy Fallon - (Season 24+)
  • Chris Parnell - (Seasons 24+)
  • Horatio Sanz - (Seasons 24+)
  • Darrell Hammond - (Season 20+)

Featuring:

  • Kenan Thompson - (Season 29+)
  • Finesse Mitchell - (Season 29+)
  • Fred Armisen - (Season 28+)

Past Cast:
  • Jeff Richards - (Seasons 27-29)
  • Dean Edwards - (Seasons 27-28)
  • Jerry Minor - (Season 26)
  • Tracy Morgan - (Seasons 22-28)
  • Ana Gasteyer - (Season 22-27)
  • Chris Kattan - (Season 21-28)
  • Will Ferrell - (Seasons 21-27)
  • Cheri Oteri - (Seasons 21-25)
  • Colin Quinn - (Seasons 21-25)
  • Jim Breuer - (Seasons 21-23)
  • Fred Wolf - (Seasons 21-22)
  • David Koechner - (Season 21)
  • Nancy Walls - (Season 21)
  • Molly Shannon - (Season 20-26)
  • Chris Elliott - (Season 20)
  • Laura Kightlinger - (Season 20)
  • Morwenna Banks - (Season 20)
  • Norm Macdonald - (Season 19-23)
  • Janeane Garofalo - (Season 19-20)
  • David Spade - (Seasons 17-21)
  • Mark McKinney - (Season 19-22)
  • Michael McKean - (Seasons 19-20)
  • Jay Mohr - (Seasons 19-20)
  • Sarah Silverman - (Season 19)
  • Robert Smigel - (Season 18)
  • Ellen Cleghorne - (Seasons 17-21)
  • Melanie Hutsell - (Seasons 17-19)
  • Siobhan Fallon - (Season 17)
  • Tim Meadows - (Season 16-25)
  • Adam Sandler - (Season 16-20)
  • Chris Farley - (Seasons 16-20)
  • Julia Sweeney - (Seasons 16-19)
  • Chris Rock - (Seasons 16-18)
  • Beth Cahill - (Season 16)
  • Rob Schneider - (Seeson 15-19)
  • Mike Myers - (Season 14-20)
  • Ben Stiller - (Season 14)
  • Kevin Nealon - (Seasons 12-20)
  • Phil Hartman - (Seasons 12-19)
  • Dana Carvey - (Seasons 12-18)
  • Jan Hooks - (Seasons 12-16)
  • Victoria Jackson - (Season 11-17)
  • A. Whitney Brown - (Season 11-16)
  • Dennis Miller - (Seasons 11-16)
  • Nora Dunn - (Seasons 11-15)
  • Jon Lovitz - (Seasons 11-15)
  • Tom Joan Cusack - (Season 11)
  • Randy Quaid - (Season 11)
  • Danitra Vance - (Season 11)
  • Robert Downey Jr. - (Season 11)
  • Dan Vitale - (Season 11)
  • Damon Wayans - (Season 11)
  • Anthony Michael Hall - (Season 11)
  • Terry Sweeney - (Season 10-11)
  • Christopher Guest - (Season 10)
  • Billy Crystal - (Season 10)
  • Rich Hall - (Season 10)
  • Pamela Stephenson - (Season 10)
  • Martin Short - (Season 10)
  • Jim Belushi - (Seasons 9-10)
  • Gary Kroeger - (Seasons 8-10)
  • Julia Louis-Dreyfus - (Seasons 8-10)
  • Mary Gross - (Seasons 7-10)
  • Tony Rosato - (Seasons 7-8)
  • Brad Hall - (Seasons 6-9)
  • Robin Duke - (Seasons 6-9)
  • Eddie Murphy - (Seasons 6-9)
  • Tim Kazurinsky - (Seasons 6-9)
  • Joe Piscopo - (Seasons 6-9)
  • Christine Ebersole - (Season 6-7)
  • Gilbert Gottfried - (Season 6)
  • Yvonne Hudson - (Season 6)
  • Mitchell Kriegman - Extra (Season 6)
  • Matthew Laurence - (Season 6)
  • Gail Matthius -  (Season 6)
  • Ann Risley - (Season 6)
  • Charles Rocket - (Season 6)
  • Patrick Weathers - (Season 6)
  • Laurie Metcalf - (Season 6)
  • Emily Prager - (Season 6)
  • Denny Dillon - (Season 5-6)
  • James Downey - (Season 5)
  • Paul Shaffer - (Season 5)
  • Harry Shearer - (Season 4-5, 9-10)
  • Don Novello - (Seasons 4-5)
  • Alan Zweibel - (Season 4-5)
  • Al Franken - (Season 3-5, 11-20)
  • Brian Doyle-Murray - (Season 3-5)
  • Tom Davis - (Seasons 3-5)
  • Bill Murray - (Season 3-5)
  • Peter Aykroyd - (Season 3-5)
  • Tom Schiller - (Season 3-5)
  • George Coe - (Episodes 1-8)
  • Laraine Newman - (Seasons 1-5)
  • Garrett Morris - (Seasons 1-5)
  • Gilda Radner - (Seasons 1-5)
  • Jane Curtin - (Seasons 1-5)
  • Michael O'Donoghue - (Seasons 1-4, 7)
  • John Belushi - (Seasons 1-4)
  • Dan Aykroyd - (Seasons 1-4)
  • Chevy Chase - (Season 1-2)

People Who Hosted Most:

  • Steve Martin (13 times)
  • John Goodman (12)
  • Buck Henry (10)
  • Alec Baldwin (10)
  • Chevy Chase (9)
  • Tom Hanks (7)
  • Danny DeVito (6)
  • Elliot Gould (6)
  • Candace Bergen (5)
  • Bill Murray (5)
  • Christopher Walken (5)
  • Paul Simon (5)

Credits

Day & time:
Saturdays on NBC (11:30 p.m.-1 a.m. ET)

Original Premiere: October 11, 1975

Season 29 Premiere: October 4, 2003

Executive producer: Lorne Michaels

Produced by: Steve Higgins

Director: Beth McCarthy Miller

Supervising producer: Ken Aymong

Producers: Marci Klein, Michael Shoemaker

Head Writers: Tina Fey, Dennis McNicholas

Writing Supervised by: Paula Pell, T. Sean Shannon, Andrew Steele

Writers: Doug Abeles, Leo Allen, James Anderson, Jordan Black, James Downey, James Eagan, Tina Fey, Charlie Grandy, Steve Higgins, David Iserson, Erik Kenward, Dennis McNicholas, Lorne Michaels, Matt Murray, Paula Pell, Ken Scarborough, Michael Schur, Frank Sebastiano, T. Sean Shannon, Eric Slovin, Robert Smigel, J.B. Smoove, Emily Spivey, Andrew Steele, Jason Sudeikis

Film producer: James Signorelli

Musical directors: Lenny Pickett, Leon Pendarvis

Musicians: The Saturday Night Live Band

Production designers: Eugene Lee, Akira Yoshimura, Keith Ian Raywood

Costume designer: Tom Broecker

Announcer: Don Pardo

Production: Produced by SNL Studios in association with Broadway Video

Origination: NBC Studio 8H in Rockefeller Center

Recurring Characters:

  • Father Guido Sarducci (Don Novello)
  • Mr. Bill
  • The Coneheads (Dan Aykroyd, Jane Curtin)
  • Church Lady (Dana Carvey)
  • The "Bass-o-matic"
  • The Blues Brothers (Dan Aykroyd, John Belushi)
  • Hans and Franz (Kevin Nealon, Dana Carvey)
  • Stuart Smalley (Al Franken)
  • The Ambiguously Gay Duo (a cartoon by Robert Smigel)
  • Matt Foley, Motivational Therapist (Chris Farley)
  • Generalissimo Francisco Franco is still dead
  • Wild and Crazy Guys (Steve Martin and Dan Aykroyd)
  • Emily Litella (Gilda Radner)
  • Celebrity Jeopardy!
  • Samurai (John Belushi)
  • The Ladies Man (Tim Meadows)
  • Church Lady (Dana Carvey)
  • Tommy Flanagan
  • Scottish Store (Mike Myers)
  • Ed Grimley (Martin Short)
  • Wayne's World (Dana Carvey, Mike Myers)
  • Mary Katherine Gallagher (Molly Shannon)
  • Mango (Chris Kattan)
  • Mr. Robinson's Neighborhood (Eddie Murphy)
  • Sprockets, (Mike Myers)
  • The Continental, (Christopher Walken)
  • Roxbury Brothers (Will Ferrell and Chris Kattan)
  • Spartan Cheerleaders (Will Ferrell and Cheri Oteri)

Weekend Update Host:
  • Chevy Chase (1975-76)
  • Jane Curtin (1976-77)
  • Jane Curtin and Dan Aykroyd (1977-78)
  • Jane Curtin and Bill Murray (1978-80)
  • Charles Rocket (1980-81)
  • Gail Matthius (1981)
  • Brian Doyle-Murray and Mary Gross (1981-82)
  • Christine Ebersole (1982)
  • Brad Hall (1982-84)
  • Christopher Guest (1984-85)
  • Dennis Miller (1985-91)
  • Kevin Nealon (1991-94)
  • Norm MacDonald (1994-1997)
  • Colin Quinn (1998-2000)
  • Jimmy Fallon and Tina Fey (2000-present)

SNL Movies:
 
From the first broadcast during the 1975 - 1976 season, Saturday Night Live stood out as something that would be a unique moment in television, even if the series would have been cancelled during its first season.  The brainchild of producer Lorne Michaels, the late night comedy/variety series quickly discovered that it would live or die on the strength of recurring characters created by the cast members.  Those characters brought attention to the series that helped it enter the American mainstream, with catch phrases such as "I'm Chevy Chase and you're not," "We're two wild and crazy guys" and the immortal "Jane, you ignorant slut."  Despite the attention, the only way any of the SNL actors were going to make it to the big screen was by grabbing the odd film role during the series' short hiatus or, in the case of Chevy Chase, leave the series entirely.

That is, until the Blues Brothers appeared on the scene.

Jake and Elwood Blues as performed by John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd had made a couple of appearances on SNL and were pet creations of the duo.  The actors took their creations outside of the late night television venue by doing live concerts, backed by some of the hottest blues musicians in the business.  It wasn't long before Hollywood came knocking and the John Landis-directed film, The Blues Brothers, hit theaters.

After that many other movie based on SNL characters have been made and here is a list:

  • The Blues Brothers
  • Gilda Live
  • Mr. Saturday Night
  • Mr. Bill's Real Life Adventures
  • Wayne's World
  • The Coneheads
  • Wayne's World 2
  • It's Pat
  • Stuart Saves His Family
  • Blues Brothers 2000
  • A Night at the Roxbury
  • Superstar
  • The Ladies Man

In Development?:
Other SNL characters that have been in development but have not, as yet, made their big screen appearances:

  • Dieter Mike Myers was actively developing a film based on his nihilistic German character who hosted the talk show "Sprockets" after the success of the Austin Powers films.  Project currently dead.
  • Hans & Franz The body building duo played by Dana Carvey and Kevin Nealon were being primed for a film back when the two were still performing the characters on the series.  Project was put on hold when Carvey was sidelined with a heart ailment.  Currently dead.
  • Mango The curiously effeminate stage performer loved by men and women played by Chris Kattan has been mentioned as a potential central character for a film but, based on the lack of success Kattan has had headlining films, this one is probably DOA.
  • Ed Grimley Already the star of a short-lived animated series, this Martin Short character has been discussed as a possible SNL-to-film crossover for some time.  A project that could still happen with Short playing a number of characters in the film.
  • Church Lady Another of Dana Carvey's characters, there was some talk of a Church Lady Exorcist parody but nothing has happened on this project for years.  Probably dead.
  • Astronaut Jones God help us all, there has actually been talk of letting Tracy Morgan headline film based on Astronaut Jones.  While not as annoying as some of his other characters, Jones does have the potential for a funny film.  Of course, so did Pluto Nash and we all know how that turned out.
  • Father Guido Sarducci Don Novello's Italian priest parody has made appearances in numerous films but there has been talk over the years of giving him his own film.  There was also talk of Sarducci being featured in the proposed Church Lady film.

Trivia about Saturday Night Live:

  • George Carlin was the first guest host of Saturday Night Live. First musical guest was Janis Ian, who opened with "At seventeen".
  • It was originally titled "Saturday Night" because ABC already had a "Saturday Night Live". This is where "Live from New York, it's Saturday Night" is derived from, they had to say it so people would know it was live. The original cast members were known as the "Not Ready for Prime-time Players".
  • Will Ferrell became the highest paid cast member in SNL history in 2001. He received a salary of $350,000 for the 2001-2002 season.
  • Tina Fey is the first female head writer in the show's history.
  • Chris Parnell is the only cast member to be fired and then rehired the following season.
  • As of May 2002, Chris Parnell is the only current cast member to never break character.
  • The 1980-1981 season was so disastrous that NBC called in programming executive, Dick Ebersol (one of the creative masterminds of the original show) to save the show. Ebersol fired producer Jean Doumanion and the rest of the cast except Eddie Murphy and Joe Piscopo. He hired a new cast and was able to put one show on the air before a Writers' Strike shut down production for the remainder of the season. The 1980-1981 season is only season in SNL history that is never rebroadcast on NBC.
  • When the show first debuted, it did not air every weekend. It alternated Saturdays with a newsmagazine show called "Weekend".
  • In 1985, Vance, Danitra became the show's first black female cast member. She left the show a year later due to her frustration about being typecast as maids and hookers.
  • Steve Martin is the only person to host a season premiere, a season finale, and a Christmas show and is the only person to host the show three times in a single season.
  • Candice Bergen was the first female host, the first person to host the show for a second time, and the first (and thus far only) female to host five times.
  • John Goodman hosted the show 11 years in a row.
  • Nick Nolte was scheduled to host the 1982 Christmas episode but he became to ill to host, so his 48 Hrs. co-star (and cast member), Eddie Murphy took over as host (he became the first cast member to host while still a regular).
  • Dana Carvey holds the record for saying, "Live from New York, it's Saturday Night."
  • The show has only had three directors in its history (Dave Wilson, Paul Miller, and Beth McCarthy).
  • In 2000, NBC aired special 30-minute "Weekend Update"s in primetime slots to fill airtime. Only two made it to air.
  • Anthony Michael Hall was the youngest member of SNL at 17 years old.
  • Drew Barrymore was the youngest person ever to host the show, at the age of 7 (in 1982).
  • Beginning in 2000, the Saturday Night Live logo used the abbreviation "SNL", which became how the show was known.
  • No women who had been cast members have ever hosted the show.
  • Jim Henson created new "adult" Muppets who appeared in every episode of the first season. The Muppets sketches were unpopular with the audience and the writing staff so they were dropped.
  • Martin Lawrence was banned for life after his appearance on the show due to an off color remark he made about women's hygiene.

SNL