Saturday Night Live

For the current season, seeSaturday Night Liveseason 50.

"SNL" redirects here. For other uses, seeSNL(disambiguation)andSaturday Night Live(disambiguation).

Saturday Night Live
Logo used since October 1, 2022
Also known as	NBC's Saturday Night(1975–1977) Saturday Night Live '80(1980)
Genre	Stand-up comedy Satire Political satire Variety show Sketch comedy
Created by	Lorne Michaels
Written by	List ofSaturday Night Livewriters
Directed by	Dave Wilson (1975–1986; 1989–1995) Paul Miller (1986–1989) Beth McCarthy-Miller (1995–2006) Don Roy King (2006–2021) Liz Patrick (2021–present)
Starring	List ofSaturday Night Livecast members
Announcer	Don Pardo Mel Brandt Bill Hanrahan Darrell Hammond
Country of origin	United States
Original language	English
No.of seasons	50
No.of episodes	969(list of episodes)
Production
Executive producers	Lorne Michaels (1975–1980; 1985–present) Jean Doumanian(1980–1981) Dick Ebersol(1981–1985)
Production locations	Studio 8H,NBC Studios,New York City
Running time	93 minutes (with commercials)
Production company	Broadway Video(1981–present) Other studios: NBC(1975–1982) NBC Productions(1982–1996) NBC Studios(1996–1999) SNL Studios(1999–present)
Original release
Network	NBC
Release	October 11, 1975(1975-10-11)– present(present)
Related
TV Funhouse Saturday Night Live Weekend Update Thursday

Saturday Night Live(SNL) is an Americanlate-nightlivesketch comedyvariety showcreated byLorne Michaelsand developed by Michaels andDick Ebersolthat airs onNBC.The show's premiere was hosted byGeorge CarlinonNBCon October 11, 1975, under the original titleNBC's Saturday Night.The show'scomedy sketches,which often parody contemporary American culture and politics, are performed by alarge and varying cast of repertory and newer cast members.Each episode is hosted by a celebrity guest, who usually delivers the openingmonologueand performs in sketches with the cast, with featured performances by a musical guest. An episode normally begins with acold opensketch that is usually based on political events and ends with someonebreaking characterand 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 byJean 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 ofshowrunner.ManySNLcast 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 at30 Rockefeller Plaza,SNLhas aired 969 episodes since its debut and began its50th seasonon September 28, 2024, making it one of thelongest-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, includingThe Blues Brothers(1980) andWayne's World(1992). The show has been marketed in other ways, includinghome media releasesof "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 Livehas received a vast number of awards, including 84Primetime Emmy Awards,sixWriters Guild of America Awards,and threePeabody Awards.In 2000, it was inducted into theNational Association of Broadcasters Hall of Fame.It was ranked tenth inTV Guide's "50 Greatest TV Shows of All Time"list, and in 2007 it was listed as one ofTime'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.The live aspect of the show has resulted in several controversies and acts of censorship, with mistakes and intentional acts of sabotage by performers as well as guests.

History

Main article:History ofSaturday Night Live

Development: 1974–1975

Beginning in 1965,NBCnetwork affiliatesbroadcast reruns ofThe Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carsonon Saturday or Sunday nights. In 1974,Johnny Carsonpetitioned 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.In response, NBC presidentHerbert Schlosserapproached the vice president of late-night programming,Dick Ebersol,and asked him to create a show to fill the Saturday night time slot.Schlosser and Ebersol then approachedLorne Michaels.Over the next three weeks, Ebersol and Michaels developed the latter's idea for a variety show featuringhigh-conceptcomedy sketches, political satire, and music performances that would attract 18- to 34-year-old viewers.NBC decided to base the new show at their studios in30 Rockefeller Center.Michaels was givenStudio 8H,a converted radio studio that was home to NBC's election andApollomoon landing coverage. It was revamped for the premiere at a cost of $250,000.

By 1975, Michaels had assembled the show's initial cast, includingDan Aykroyd,John Belushi,Chevy Chase,Jane Curtin,Garrett Morris,Laraine Newman,Gilda Radner,andGeorge Coe.The cast was nicknamed the "Not Ready for Prime-Time Players",a term coined by show writerHerb Sargent.Much of the talent pool involved in the inaugural season was recruited fromThe National Lampoon Radio Hour,including the original head writer,Michael O'Donoghue.

Debut and early years: 1975–1980

NBC's Saturday Nightdebuted on October 11, 1975,with an episode featuring Carlin as host.The original title was used because theSaturday Night Livetitle was in use bySaturday Night Live with Howard Cosellon rival networkABC.After the cancellation of Cosell's show in 1976, NBC purchased the rights to the name and officially changed the show's name toSaturday Night Liveat the start of the1977–1978 season.The cast was initially paid $750 per episode, and essentially lived at the offices, according to Michaels.The show found its footing by the fourth episode, hosted byCandice Bergen,which featured the cast in most segments.SNL's humor soon began to be seen as refreshing and daring, in comparison to previous sketch and variety shows that would rarely deal with controversial topics and issues.Iconic characters during the show's first five seasons included Belushi'ssamurai,theConeheads(Aykroyd, Curtin, Newman), and Radner'sRoseanne Roseannadanna.

During its first season, the show quickly developed acult following.It became a mainstream hit in 1978, spawning (in 1978) "Best ofSaturday Night Live"compilations that reached viewers who could not stay awake for the live broadcasts.But during the first season in 1975 and 1976, some NBC executives were not satisfied with the show's Nielsen ratings and shares.Lorne Michaels and Dick Ebersol pointed out to them that Nielsen's measurement of demographics indicated that baby boomers constituted a large majority of the viewers who did commit to watching the show, and many of them watched little else on television.In 1975 and 1976, they were the most desirable demographic for television advertisers, even thoughGeneration Xwas the right age for commercials for toys and other children's products. Baby boomers far outnumbered Generation X in reality but not in television viewership with the exception of Michaels's new show and major league sports, and advertisers had long been concerned about baby boomers' distaste for the powerful medium.NBC executives eventually understood Michaels's explanation of the desirable demographics and decided to keep the show on the air despite angry letters and phone calls the network received from viewers who were offended by certain sketches.

They included aWeekend Updatesegment on April 24, 1976, that ridiculed Colorado murder suspectClaudine Longet,and warranted an on-air apology by announcerDon Pardoduring the following episode.Herminio Traviesas, a censor who was vice president of the network's Standards and Practices department, objected to cast member Laraine Newman's use of the term "pissed off" in the March 13, 1976, episode with hostAnthony Perkins;he was in the process of placing the show on a permanent delay of several seconds, instead of live, but he changed his mind after Newman personally apologized to him.On December 17, 1977, British singer-songwriterElvis Costelloappeared as a last-minute replacement after theSex Pistolscanceled. Within seconds of starting to play the agreed-upon song "Less than Zero",Costello stopped his band and launched into"Radio Radio",a song about corporate-controlled broadcasting.Costello was banned fromSNLfor 12 years.

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" onSNLby the1978–1979 season,according to Doug Hill and Jeff Weingrad.Aykroyd and Belushi left the show after the 1978–1979 season to makeThe Blues Brothers,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.Michaels suggested writersAl Franken,Tom Davis,andJim Downeyas his replacements; NBC presidentFred Silvermandisliked 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.Unable to secure the deal that he wanted, Michaels chose to leave NBC, andJean Doumanianwas given his position.Almost every writer and cast member, including Michaels, left the show after the May 24, 1980, series finale.

Jean Doumanian and Dick Ebersol years: 1980–1985

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

Although some executives suggestedSNLbe cancelled, the show received a reprieve, andDick Ebersolwas hired as producer.Ebersol's sketches leaned towards more accessible, broad comedy, which alienated some long-time fans, writers, and cast members.His distaste for political humor led the show to largely avoid jokes about PresidentRonald Reaganduring his time as showrunner.Under Ebersol's leadership, Eddie Murphy, who had been underused during Doumanian's tenure, rose to prominence with popular characters likeMister Robinson's NeighborhoodandGumby.His success was a major factor in the show's resurgence,though it created tensions within the cast.

In a break with tradition, producers hired established comedians likeBilly CrystalandMartin Shortfor the1984–1985 season.Though this season was considered one of the series' funniest, it diverged significantly from Michaels' innovative approach.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.NBC rejected these requests and instead decided to approach Michaels to return as producer.

Michaels returns: 1985–2005

Michaels returned for the1985–1986 season;the show was again recast, with Michaels borrowing Ebersol's idea to seek out established actors.Writers struggled with the cast,and Michaels cleaned house again for the1986–1987 season,seeking unknown talent such asDana CarveyandPhil Hartmaninstead of known names.This new cast was successful at reviving the show's popularity in the eyes of critics and audiences.

In the early 1990s, much of this core cast began to leave the show, and younger performers such asChris FarleyandAdam Sandlerbegan to be promoted to repertory status.Some of these cast members, like Sandler, Farley,Rob Schneider,Spade, andChris Rock,would come to be known as the "Bad Boys ofSNL"for their outrageous comedy style.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.

The show lost Carvey and Hartman, two of its biggest stars, between 1992 and 1994. Wanting to increaseSNL's ratings and profitability, NBC West Coast presidentDon Ohlmeyerand other executives began to actively interfere in the show, recommending that new stars such asChris FarleyandAdam Sandlerbe fired and critiquing the costly nature of performing the show live.Criticism of the show's writing increased during this period, which reached its peak by the1994–1995 season,which is considered one of the series' worst. A widely publicized profile of the show inNew Yorkduring this period was highly critical of the show's humor, cast, and backstage dysfunction.

The show's cast was largely overhauled for the1995–1996 seasonwith names such asWill FerrellandCheri Oteri,which was successful at revitalizing the show.The show faced new competition during this period in the form ofFox's sketch comedy showMad TV,which aired a half hour earlier thanSNLand featured a more diverse cast.

The 2000–2001 season was also noted for its well-received spoofing of that year'spresidential campaignbetweenAl GoreandGeorge W. Bush.The show'sNew York Citycast and crew were highly impacted by theSeptember 11 attacksin 2001, and returned on September 29 with an acclaimed appearance byRudy Giuliani.Political humor was reduced for the following seasons.

Digital expansion and Trump presidency: 2005–present

The show switched tohigh-definitionbroadcasting for the2005–2006 season.Before the start of the2006–2007 season,the show suffered budget cuts that led to a smaller cast.Thefollowing seasonwas also cut short by the2007–2008 Writers Guild of America strike,which led to several cancelled episodes.

Fey later returned to the show during the2008 presidential electionfor several critically acclaimed guest appearances as vice presidential candidateSarah Palin.WriterRobert Smigellater 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".Armisen playedBarack Obamafrom 2008 to 2012, following which cast memberJay Pharoahassumed the impression.

The show began to rely more on pre-recorded material and videos more than it ever had before during this period,to the extent that some commentators said it had sometimes outshined live material on the show.Taped material significantly increased in the mid-2000s withSNLDigital Shorts byThe Lonely Island,and continued into the following years with videos by Good Neighbor andPlease Don't Destroy.

The showfrequently parodiedDonald Trumpbefore and during hispresidency;an ongoing impression by actorAlec Baldwinled to a significant increase in ratings and a "shot of relevance" for the show, according toVanity Fair's Joanna Robinson.

Due to theCOVID-19 pandemic,SNL's2019–2020 seasonwas indefinitely halted on March 16, 2020.The season was later resumed in April with three remotely produced episodes labelledSaturday Night Live at Home,and the show returned to Studio 8H in October 2020.A three-hour prime-time live broadcast to celebrate the series' fiftieth anniversary will air on February 16, 2025.

Future

In January 2024,Varietysaid that "speculation [had] been rampant for years" that Michaels would retire from the series after itsfiftieth season,premiering in 2024.Michaels toldEntertainment Tonightthat month that former head writer and cast memberTina Feycould "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 herSNLtenure ended, including on30 Rock.Michaels earlier said in 2021 that the show's fiftieth anniversary would be "a really good time to leave".Kenan Thompson,the show's longest-serving cast member, speculated in 2022 thatSNLmay come to an end altogether after its fiftieth season, saying that it could make financial sense for NBC.

Cast and crew

Cast

Main article:List ofSaturday Night Livecast members

Those selected to join the cast ofSNLare normally already accomplished performers, recruited from improvisational comedy groups such asThe Groundlings(Newman, Hartman,Will Ferrell,Jon Lovitz,Kristen Wiig) andThe Second City(Aykroyd, Farley,Tina Fey,Tim Meadows), or established stand-up comedians (Carvey, Sandler, Macdonald,Chris Rock), who already possess the training or experience necessary forSNL.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.Of the many roles available in the show, one of the longest-running and most coveted is being the host ofWeekend 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, includingDennis Miller,Seth Meyers,Norm Macdonald,Colin Quinn,andJimmy Fallon.

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

As of Season 49,SNLhas 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,Kristen Wiig,and many others.Kenan Thompson is the show's longest-serving cast member.Currently, the cast consists of 17 members, with 14 repertory players and 3 featured players:

2024–25 season cast
Repertory players	Featured players
Michael Che(joined2014)ⱡ Mikey Day(joined2016) Andrew Dismukes(joined2020) Chloe Fineman(joined2019) Heidi Gardner(joined2017) Marcello Hernandez(joined2022) James Austin Johnson(joined2021) Colin Jost(joined 2014)ⱡ Michael Longfellow(joined 2022) Ego Nwodim(joined2018) Sarah Sherman(joined 2021) Kenan Thompson(joined2003) Devon Walker(joined 2022) Bowen Yang(joined 2019)	Ashley Padilla(joined2024) Emil Wakim(joined 2024) Jane Wickline(joined 2024)
ⱡ denotesWeekend Updateanchor

The cast were often contracted from anywhere between five and six years to the show,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.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 onSNLand 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 asMike MyersandAdam Sandler,gained fame onSNLonly to leave and make money for other studios.In a 2010 interview, Wiig was reported to be contracted toSNLfor a total of seven years.The contracts also contain a network option that allows NBC to remove a cast member at any time.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.By the late 1990s, new cast members received a salary between $5,000and $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.In 2001, Ferrell became the highest-paid cast member, being paid $350,000 per season (approximately $17,500 per episode).

Number of cast members by season

Writers

Main article:List ofSaturday Night Livewriters

ShowrunnerLorne Michaels

As of the 2022–23 season, Kent Sublette,Alison Gates,andStreeter Seidellare the show's co-head writers.

Seth Meyersbecame a co-head writer in 2005, became the single head writer from 2008 to 2012, and then left in 2014. The Weekend Update segment has its own dedicated team of writers led by head writer and producer Alex Baze as of the 2011–12 season.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.

Colin Josthas 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.Michael Chehas 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.

SNLwriters 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,andImprovOlympic.ComedianJim Downeywas head writer for nine years beginning in 1985.Experienced writers with backgrounds in television shows are also sometimes brought into theSNLwriting room. Like theSNLcast who appear on camera, many of the writers have been able to find their own success outside the show, such asConan O'Brien,who was brought intoSNLfrom The Groundlings in 1988, went on to write forThe Simpsons,and eventually began hosting his ownshow.Former head writerAdam McKay,along with performer Ferrell, founded the successful comedy websiteFunny or Die.In 2000 Tina Fey became the first womanSNLhead writerand successfully made the transition to starring on the show,as well as writing and starring in feature films,ultimately creating and starring in her own show30 Rock,which was partly based on herSNLexperiences.In 2005 Fey was paid $1.5million per season for her dual role as head writer and performer.WriterJohn Mulaneyhas also found success outside ofSNLthrough well-received stand-up specials, hisBroadwayactThe Oh, Hello Show,and the specialJohn Mulaney & the Sack Lunch Bunch.

Announcers

Don Pardoserved 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 andMel BrandtandBill Hanrahanfilled 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.

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.Former cast members Joe Piscopoand Darrell Hammond have also impersonated Pardo and fulfilled his announcing duties during times Pardo was unavailable.Hammond took over as full-time announcer starting withseason 40.

Hosts and musical guests

Main article:List ofSaturday Night Liveguests

A typical episode ofSNLwill 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.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." ComedianGeorge Carlinwas the first to hostSNLin the debut October 1975 episode;three episodes later,Candice Bergenbecame 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 theFive-Timers Club,a term that originated on a sketch performed onTom Hanks's fifth episode.As of February 11, 2017, actorAlec Baldwinholds the record for most times hosting, having performed the duty on seventeen different occasions since 1990; Baldwin took the record from actorSteve Martinwho has hosted fifteen times since 1976.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 Grohlis the most frequent musical guest, performing on fourteen shows since 1992.

Michaels does not allow musical guests to perform usinglip-synchingtracks,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.A 1975 performance by pop groupABBAwas the first and only act to feature lip-synching,untilthe controversial 2004 performance of Ashlee Simpson.

The December 18, 2021, episode (hosted byPaul Rudd) became the first episode to not feature any musical performances since the first episode ofseason 12,as well as the third episode in the show's duration to not have a musical guest, due to the rise of theOmicron variantin New York City during theCOVID-19 pandemic.Charli XCXwas 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.

The Band

Main article:Saturday Night Live Band

The Saturday Night Live Band (also known as "The Live Band" ) is thehouse bandforSNL.Academy Award-winning composerHoward Shoreserved as the first musical director, from 1975 to 1980, appearing in many musical sketches, including Howard Shore and His All-Nurse Band and (backing aU.S. Coast Guardchorus) Howard Shore and the Shore Patrol. Over the years, the band has featured several New York studio musicians includingPaul 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), andG. E. Smith(musical director from 1985 to 1995). As of 2017, the band is under the leadership ofTower of PoweralumnusLenny Pickett,keyboardistLeon 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 aSaturday Night Livebumper graphic until the program resumes.The band plays "Closing Theme (Waltz in A)", written by Shore, at the end of the show.

Production

Main articles:List of recurringSaturday Night Livecharacters and sketchesandRecurringSaturday Night Livecharacters and sketches (listed Alpha betically)

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

The studio

Main article:Studio 8H

Since the show's inception,SNLhas aired from Studio 8H, located on floors eight and nine of the Comcast Building (formerly theRCA BuildingandGE Building,now30 Rockefeller Plazaor "30Rock "). Three of the shows of the 1976–77 season were shot at the formerNBC Studiosin Brooklyn, due toNBC Newsusing Studio 8H forpresidential electioncoverage.

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 inhigh-definition television,appearingletterboxedon conventional television screens. The offices ofSNLwriters, producers, and other staff can be found on the 17th floor of "30Rock ".

Creating an episode

Production on anSNLepisode will normally start on a Monday with a free-form pitch meetingbetween 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,a process that usually extends through the night into the following morning. Writing may not begin until 8:00p.m. on Tuesday.At 5:00p.m. on Wednesday, the sketches are read by the cast during a round-table meeting in the writers' room,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.

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.Sketches may be rewritten starting the same day, but will certainly commence on Thursday. Work focuses on developing and rewriting the remaining sketchesand possibly rehearsals.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 8:00p.m., again on Saturday, before the live show.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.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.The opening monologue, spoken by the guest host, is given low priority and can be written as late as Saturday afternoon.

According to an interview withTina Feyin 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.

Post-production

With onsite facilities housed on floors eight and seventeen of Rockefeller Plaza, post-production duties on live broadcasts ofSaturday Night Liveinclude the mi xing 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 primarilyanalogtodigitalin 1998, with live shows typically requiring 1.5 terabytes of storage, consisting of audio elements and five cameras' worth of visual elements.Elements ofSaturday Night Livethat are pre-recorded, such as certain commercial parodies,SNL Digital Shorts,and show graphics are processed off-site in the post-production facilities ofBroadway Video.

Filming and photography

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

As of 2014, aGrass ValleyGVG 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 aChyronLyric Pro character generator and anAvidDeko character generator. Audio facilities consist of a Calrec T Series digitally controlled analog mi xing console, and aYamahadigital mi xing consoleused for tape playback support and utility audio work.While exact budgets for other seasons are not known, the 39th season (2013–14) had a budget of over $70million, for which it received a subsidy from New York State in the amount of $12.3million.

As of 2009, the opening title sequence and opening montage are shot using theCanon EOS 5D Mark IIandCanon EOS 7Ddigital SLR cameras. Typical elements are recorded at thirtyframes per second(fps), with slow-motion sequences shot at sixty fps, both in full 1080p high definition.

Edie Baskin was the originalSNLphotographer. She was hired after Michaels saw her photographs ofLas Vegasand other work. Baskin helped create the opening title sequence for the show by taking photos of New York City at night.The first episode used publicity photos of host George Carlin as transitionalbumpersbetween the show and commercial breaks, the second episode used photos Baskin had already taken of hostPaul 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.

Since 1999,Mary Ellen Matthewshas been the official photographer ofSNL,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 30Rock, 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.Matthews employs flattering portrait lighting withhard lightsto 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. "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.

Broadcast

See also:List ofSaturday Night Liveepisodes

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.

For most ofSNL'shistory, it aired live only to NBC stations in the Eastern andCentral TimeZones, with all others receiving a recorded broadcast at the normal start time of late-night network programming (11:30p.m.Pacificand 10:30p.m. in other time zones). Since 2017, the show is broadcast live across the contiguous United States. Because the show airs outside of thesafe harboroutside of Eastern and Central Time, a briefbroadcast delayis installed to meetFederal Communications Commissionregulations of primetime programming.

Outside of the contiguous United States, the show also airs live on the three NBC stations inAlaskaat 7:30 p.m. local. Two NBC stations still broadcastSNLon tape delay:KHNLinHonoluludelays it one hour to 7:30 p.m., andKUAM-TVinGuam,where the live broadcast occurs at 1:30p.m. on Sunday, delays it to 11:00p.m.

Since the first opening in 1975 with Michael O'Donoghue, Chevy Chase, and John Belushi, the show has normally begun with acold opensketch which ends with one or more cast membersbreaking characterand proclaiming "Live from New York, it's Saturday Night!",followed by the opening credits.From May 1985 to April 1991,SNLwas occasionally preempted forSaturday Night's Main Event.

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.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 titleSNL Vintage.The network dropped the vintage titling and changed to very recent rebroadcasts beginning in the 2023–2024 season.

NBC and Broadway Video both hold the underlying rights to the show, while the copyright to every episode lies either with NBC orUniversal Television.From 1990 until 2004, and again since 2015,Comedy Centraland its predecessorHa!aired reruns of the series, after whichE!signed a deal to carry reruns.Abbreviated thirty- and sixty-minute versions of the first five seasons aired asThe Best of Saturday Night Livein syndication (fromOrion Television;at the time, the FCC'sfin-synrules prevented NBC from directly distributing reruns of the show) beginning in the 1980s, and later onNick at Nitein 1988. In September 2010, reruns of most episodes made from 1998 onward began airing onVH1.Starting in February 2016, VH1 and Comedy Central's sister channelLogobegan airing reruns of 2006-onward episodes on Sunday nights, launching its broadcast as counterprogramming forSuper Bowl 50and 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 the42nd seasonlive in all mainland U.S. time zones for the first time, creating a communal experience across the states. NBC executiveRobert Greenblattexplained 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".NBC announced on September 19, 2017, that all subsequent episodes would air live coast-to-coast in the U.S. NBC announced that the May 8, 2021, episode hosted byElon Muskwould be livestreamed onYouTubeworldwide for the first time.

Delays

The episode scheduled for October 25, 1986, hosted byRosanna Arquette,was not aired until November 8 due toNBCbroadcasting game 6 of the1986 World Seriesbetween theNew York MetsandBoston Red Sox;the four-hour game entered extra innings, causing that night's broadcast ofSNLto be canceled. The show was recorded for the studio audience starting at 1:30 a.m. Eastern Time and broadcast two weeks later with a jocular "apology" by Mets pitcherRon Darling.

The episode scheduled for February 10, 2001, hosted byJennifer Lopez,aired 45 minutes late due to anXFLgame. 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 whenSNLstarted, so that no such incident would happen again.

The November 7, 2020 episode, hosted byDave Chappelle,began at 12:10 a.m. Eastern after aClemson-Notre Damecollege footballgame went into double overtime.

International versions

BecauseSNLhas 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.

In the mid-late 1980sChannel Four,in association withLondon Weekend Television,created a show for British audiences calledSaturday LiveandFriday Night Live,the repeat version was entitled "Saturday Almost Live". It was based on theSNLformat but had no direct connection to the US program.

A German version ofSNLnamedRTL Samstag Nachtaired between 1993 and 1998 onRTL Television.Most episodes were hosted by German celebrities, however, some shows were hosted by American personalities who never hosted the American version, includingMel BrooksandMichael Winslow.Due to language barriers, they appeared only in opening monologues and in a limited number of sketches.

SNLin its original American version has aired inIsraelsince the early 2000s and is broadcast by satellite provideryes.There was a local SNL-based show namedAm 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.

SNLalso airs in the Middle East and North Africa,OSNFirst HD every Saturday night, one week after it airs in the U.S.

In India and Sri Lanka,Saturday Night Live!airs an hour-long version onComedy Centralone week after the U.S. broadcast.

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.Italy'sSaturday Night Live From Milanaired for four seasons and used original material.

On December 3, 2011, South Korea'sSNL Koreapremiered on cable channeltvN.As of November 11, 2017, has completed nine seasons with 205 episodes. On September 4, 2021, it was rebooted and broadcast throughCoupang Play,a South Korean OTT service. Only the broadcasting stations are different, but the members are similar or reinforced.

The Japanese versionSaturday Night Live JPN,which ran for six months in 2011, was created in part with sponsorCoca-Colaand Lorne Michaels's production company, Broadway Video, and broadcast onFuji TVnetworks. 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.

In 2013, the Russian channelNTVaired theSNLadaptation entitledСуббота. Вечер. Шоу(Saturday. Evening. Show) and produced byEndemol's Weit Media. Unlike other international versions, it was not broadcast live.Due to low ratings and negative reviews, the third episode was pulled from the schedule.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 onTélé-Québecin the Canadian province ofQuebecunder the titleSNL Québec;the specials were broadcast on February 8 and March 22, 2014. Hosted byLouis-José HoudeandStéphane Rousseau,it is the same format and length as the originalSNLseries.Certain sketches from the original program, such asDebbie DownerandSchweddy Balls,were adapted into French, while other sketches were original material written directly for the Quebec series. On May 13, 2014,SNL Quebecwas renewed for another eight episodes to be broadcast monthly over the 2014–15 season ending with a "Best of" compilation.Télé-Québec announced in May 2015 the series would not be renewed due to funding cutbacks,andIci Radio-Canada Télésubsequently signed the show's production team and cast to produce a new series,Le nouveau show,for that network.

The French channelM6launched the pilot episode of itsSNLadaptation,Le Saturday Night Live,in January 2017.

The Polish division ofShowmaxvideo-on-demand streaming service launched the first season of itsSNLadaptation,SNL Polskaon December 2, 2017. The show received mixed reviews,however improving by the end of the series.Following the first series, a stand-alone "Weekend Update" was introduced in autumn 2018.In December 2018Showmaxannounced the closure of its Polish branch, effectively cancelling the show.

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

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	Thứ bảy đêm hiện trường	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

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.

Season	Episodes	Start Date	End Date	Viewers (Mil.)	Overall Rating	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	9.00	N/A	2.1

Reception

In 2002SNLwas ranked tenth onTV Guide's 50 Greatest TV Shows of All Time,while in 2007 it was honored with inclusion onTimemagazine's list of "100 Best TV Shows of All-TIME".

In June 2013 the show was placed at number 25 on the list of the 101 best written shows of all time by theWriters Guild of America,assessing series from the previous seventy years.In December 2013,TV Guideranked it #18 on their list of the 60 Greatest Shows of All Time.A 2015The Hollywood Reportersurvey of 2,800 actors, producers, directors, and other industry people namedSNLas their #7 favorite show.It is currentlythe 40th longest running television show in the U.S.

In 2016 aNew York Timesstudy of the fifty television shows with the mostFacebook likesfound thatSNL"is very much an urban show. It is most popular in cities throughout the country, and college towns.Amherst, Mass.;Madison, Wis.;andIthaca, N.Y.are all among the top10. "

Some critics have cautioned that the show is too dependent upon visiting guest actors and formerSNLcast members – particularly for its impersonations of prominent politicians in the2020 U.S. Presidential Electionraces – and is beginning to have difficulty producing relevant, truly funny content.

In 2023,VarietyrankedSaturday Night Live#15 on its list of the 100 greatest TV shows of all time.

Accolades

Main article:List of awards and nominations received bySaturday Night Live

Lorne Michaels and the cast of Saturday Night Live at the 68th AnnualPeabody Awardsfor Political Satire 2008

Saturday Night Livehas won numerous awards since its debut, including 84Primetime Emmy Awards,sixWriters Guild of America Awards,and threePeabody Awards.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 dramaER.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 ofIndividual Performance in a Variety or Music Programbefore that award was discontinued; since then, nominations have been in theSupporting ActorandSupporting Actresscategories 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), andKate McKinnon(2016, 2017). In addition,Alec Baldwinreceived two Emmy nominations, winning once in 2017, for his recurring guest role asDonald Trump.

Electoral effect

SNLhas 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-calledSNLEffect was observed during the2008 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 onSNL,with ten percent saying it had made a difference in their decision.Barack Obamawas the beneficiary of the political content, with 59 percent saying they did in fact cast a vote for the Democratic then-nominee.Chevy Chase's bumbling impression of then-presidentGerald Fordduring the 1976 presidential election was cited as an influence on the election, and a quote commonly attributed to 2008 vice-presidential candidateSarah Palinstating "I can see Russia from my house" was actually spoken bySNLcast member Tina Fey while portraying Palin.The political content was abandoned briefly following theSeptember 11, 2001,terrorist attack in New York, with Amy Poehler saying the writers did not want to produce politicized material.

Several politicians have appeared onSNL,including PresidentGerald Ford(in 1976, during the show's first season), then-Senator Barack Obama (2007), SenatorJohn 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.Senator Obama's appearance occurred in part because Hillary Clinton abandoned her scheduled appearance.Donald Trumphosted the show in 2015,which was met with controversy.

Controversies

Main article:List ofSaturday Night Liveincidents

Sinéad O'Connortears apart a picture ofPope John Paul IIduring a liveSNLperformance

Due to itslive 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.

One incident that garnered widespread media coverage was a 1992 appearance by singerSinéad O'Connor,in which sheripped up a photoofPope John Paul IIduring her performance in an effort to protest theCatholic Church.This led to hundreds of complaints from viewers and widespread criticism at the time,although retrospective opinion of her action has been more positive since the Church'scover-up of abusebecame public many years later.

Technical issues have also led to major controversies, such as in a widely publicized incident involving singerAshlee Simpsonin 2004 where she appeared tolip syncduring her second performance, appearing flustered when the wrong song was played.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.

Representations of minorities

Over the years,SNLhas been criticized for stereotypical and sparse representation of racial and gender groups. A 2016 study ofSNLepisodes 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.

Chris Rockindicated 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 onIn Living Color,which featured a mostly Black cast and would offer Rock more creative freedom.When longtime cast memberKenan Thompsonsuggested in 2013 that female African-American representation was low because producers were not finding such comedians who were "ready", media outlets countered it wasSNLthat was not ready, and the racial disparity "is symptomatic of problems deeply rooted in comedy and the entertainment industry at large".Thompson also refused to play any more black women on the show and demandedSNLhire black women instead.

SNLhas had "little representation from Asian actors, as cast members or hosts", in its run.UntilBowen 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 aFilipinagrandmother; andNasim Pedrad(2009–2014) was born inTehran,Iran.In the first forty-seven seasons, the show had seven hosts who were of Asian descent.

Denny Dillonwas the first gay cast member in the 1980–81 season, but wasin the closetat the time.Terry SweeneywasSNL's firstopenly gaymale cast member, appearing in the 1985–1986 season. Sweeney was also the first openly gay series regular on network television.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 asShane Gillis,who was found to have aired what was perceived as homophobic andanti-Asianjokes and slurs on his podcast.Within days, a spokesperson for Michaels announced Gillis was fired due to the controversy.Later, Gillis went on to hostSNLin 2024, during the 49th season.Molly Kearneybecame the first openlynon-binarycast member in 2022.

Melissa Villaseñorjoined as a featured player on the October 1, 2016, episode ofSNL.Villaseñor was the second Latina cast member afterNoël Wells,who is a quarter Mexican,and the first Latina to be promoted to repertory status.

In other media

Home media

Main article:List ofSaturday Night Livehome video releases

Universal Studios Home EntertainmentandLions Gate Entertainmenthold 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 theNBC Universalmerger. A majority of Lionsgate's SNL DVDs are "Best Of... "compilations.

Books

Saturday Night Live,the first authorized book about the series, was published byAvon Booksin 1977 and edited byAnne Beattsand John Head, with photography by Edie Baskin;all three worked forSNLat the time the book was published. The oversized illustrated paperback included the scripts for several sketches by the 1975–80 cast.In 1986 Doug Hill and Jeff Weingrad authoredSaturday Night: A Backstage History of Saturday Night Live,a behind-the-scenes look at the first ten seasons.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.

Live From New York: An Uncensored History of Saturday Night Live, as Told By Its Stars, Writers and Guestswas released in 2002. The book, written byTom Shalesand 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.In 2004 former cast memberJay Mohrreleased his memoirGasping for Airtime: Two Years in the Trenches of Saturday Night Liveabout 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 memberBobby Moynihandescribed the book as "a handbook on what NOT to do atSNL".

Films

Main article:List ofSaturday Night Livefeature films

SNLhas 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 $115million on a $27million budget.

In 1990 Michaels oversaw the writing of a sketch anthology feature film titledThe Saturday Night Live Moviewith many of the show's then-current writing staff, includingAl Franken,Tom Davis,Greg Daniels,Jim Downey,Conan O'Brien,Robert Smigel,andGeorge Meyer,contributing. The screenplay only got as far as a Revised First Draft dated July 26, 1990, before being abandoned.

The success ofWayne's World(1992) encouraged Michaels to produce more film spin-offs, based on several popular sketch characters. Michaels revived 1970s characters forConeheads(1993), followed byIt's Pat(1994);Stuart Saves His Family(1995);A Night at the Roxbury(1998),Superstar(1999), andThe 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 theWalt Disney Company,which also owns NBC's rivalABC), pulled it only one week after releasing it,andStuart Saves His Family,which lost $14million. Many of these films were produced byParamount Pictures.The films based onThe Blues Brotherswere produced byUniversal Studios,which merged with NBC in 2004 to formNBC Universal(Universal also has ajoint venturewith 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	$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 theTim Robbinsfilm of the same name(1992) first appeared onSNLin a short film about the conservative folk singer.

In addition, the 1999 comedy filmOffice Spaceoriginated from a series of animated short films byMike Judgethat aired onSNLin 1993.

The fictitious American folk music trioThe Folksmenfirst appeared onSNL,performing the song "Old Joe's Place" before later appearing in the filmA Mighty Wind(2002). The three members of the Folksmen were the same three comedians:Harry Shearer,Michael McKean,andChristopher Guest,who also appeared on the same episode as the rock groupSpinal Tap.At the time of the appearance (the 1984–85 season), Shearer and Guest were cast members.

Mr. Bill's Real Life Adventuresis based on theMr. Billsketches from early seasons ofSNL.

Commercials

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
Coneheads	State Farm	Dan Aykroyd,Jane Curtin	05/2015	Two separate Coneheads commercials in this campaign
Coneheads	Subway	N/A	1993
I Wish It Was Christmas Today	Acura	N/A	11/2014	Cover byJulian Casablancas
Land Shark	BMW	N/A	2003
MacGruber	Pepsi	Will Forte,Kristen Wiig	02/1/2009	Premiered during Super Bowl XLIII, three commercials total
Mango	T by Alexander Wang	Chris Kattan	06/2014
Mr. Bill	Subway	Walter Williams
Mr. Bill	MasterCard	Walter Williams	06/2008
Mr. Bill	Ramada Inn	Walter Williams	2001
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	Ads pulled over Mr. Williams' concern Shell Oil Co. exploited them for positive PR
Pumping Up with Hans & Franz	State Farm	Dana Carvey,Kevin Nealon	09/04/2014
The Richmeister	State Farm	Rob Schneider	09/2014	Commercial pulled in response to Mr. Schneider's statements on vaccines
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	Campaign debuted in lead-up to Super Bowl LV and ran again during the big game

Music

In 2005 the comedy troupeThe Lonely Island,consisting ofSNLmembersAndy Samberg,Akiva Schaffer,andJorma Taccone,gained national exposure after joining the show and debuting their comedic music video "Lazy Sunday",written with fellow cast memberChris Parnell.The song became a surprise hit,and convinced Michaels to encourage the troupe to develop more comedy songs. 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"– which won thePrimetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Original Music and Lyricsin 2007– saw The Lonely Island go on to release two albums,Incredibad(2009)andTurtleneck & Chain(2011), containingSNL-developed songs and original works. The albums were released byUniversal Republic Records,which was provided with a license to theSNLsongs by NBC and Broadway Video.

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" );it was later re-issued on CD and MP3 download.

Other

Several programs have documented the behind-the-scenes events of the show. A60 Minutesreport 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 anA&Eepisode ofBiographywhich covered the production process, as well as an episode ofTV Talesin 2002 onE!.In 2010,Saturday Night,a 94-minute documentary by actorJames Francoin his directorial debut, was released; it follows the production process of the December 6, 2008, episode hosted byJohn Malkovich,from the concept stage to the episode actually airing live. Although it originated as a five-minute short film for Franco'sNew York Universityfilm class, Michaels granted Franco access to the process, allowing the project to be expanded.On February 15, 2015, NBC aired a3+1⁄2-hour special onSaturday 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.

In September 2011 ice cream companyBen & Jerry'sreleased a limited-edition ice cream called "Schweddy Balls",inspired by a 1998 sketch of the same name starring Alec Baldwin,Ana Gasteyer,andMolly Shannon.According to the company, the ice cream became their fastest-selling limited-edition flavor.The ice cream was also subject to criticism and boycotts byOne Million Moms,a project of theAmerican Family Association,over the "vulgar" name.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.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, andGilly's Catastrophic Crunchbased on the recurringGillysketches featuring Kristen Wiig.Two Wild and Crazy Pies,based on the catchphrase of the recurringFestrunk Brothers,was introduced in September 2014,followed byWayne'Swirled,which was inspired by the eponymousWayne's Worldin February 2015.

See also

• Saturday Live/Friday Night Live(a British television comedy show with a similar format)

References

Bibliography

• Beatts, Anne;Head, John, eds. (1977).Saturday Night Live.New York: Avon Books.ISBN978-0-380-01801-7.
• Cader, Michael (1994).Saturday Night Live: The First Twenty Years.Boston: Houghton Mifflin.ISBN978-0-395-70895-8.
• Gates, Racquel (2013). "Bringing the Black: Eddie Murphy and African American Humor onSaturday Night Live".In Marx, Nick; Sienkiewicz, Matt; Becker, Ron (eds.).Saturday Night Live and American TV.Bloomington, Indiana: Indiana University Press. pp. 151–172.ISBN978-0-253-01090-2.JSTORj.ctt16gznsz.12.
• Hammill, Geoffrey (2004). "Saturday Night Live". In Newcomb, Horace (ed.).Encyclopedia of Television.Vol. 1 (2nd ed.). New York: Fitzroy Dearborn (published 2014). pp. 2008–2014.ISBN978-1-135-19479-6.
• Henry, David; Henry, Joe (November 5, 2013).Furious Cool: Richard Pryor and the World That Made Him.Algonquin Books.ISBN9781616200787.
• Hill, Doug; Weingrad, Jeff (1986).Saturday Night: A Backstage History of Saturday Night Live.New York: Beech Tree Books.ISBN978-0-688-05099-3.
• Kaplan, Arie (August 1, 2014).Saturday Night Live: Shaping TV Comedy and American Culture.21st Century.ISBN978-1-467710-86-2.
• Marx, Nick; Sienkiewicz, Matt; Becker, Ron (2013). "Introduction: SituatingSaturday Night Livein American Television Culture ". In Marx, Nick; Sienkiewicz, Matt; Becker, Ron (eds.).Saturday Night Live and American TV.Bloomington, Indiana: Indiana University Press. pp. 1–21.ISBN978-0-253-01090-2.JSTORj.ctt16gznsz.4.
• Mohr, Jay(2004).Gasping for Airtime: Two Years in the Trenches of Saturday Night Live.New York: Hyperion Books.ISBN978-1-4013-0006-7.
• Shales, Tom;Miller, James Andrew(October 6, 2015).Live From New York: The Complete, Uncensored History of Saturday Night Live as Told by Its Stars, Writers, and Guests(2nd ed.).Back Bay Books.ISBN978-0-316-29506-2.LCCN2014943177.
• Tropiano, Stephen (2013).Saturday Night Live FAQ.New York: Applause Books.
• Veroni, Clive (2014).Spin: How Politics Has the Power to Turn Marketing on Its Head.Toronto: House of Anansi Press.ISBN978-1-77089-318-4.

Further reading

• Davis, Tom(2009).Thirty-Nine Years of Short-Term Memory Loss: The Early Days of SNL from Someone Who Was There.New York: Grove Press.ISBN978-0-8021-1880-6.
• Streeter, Michael (2005).Nothing Lost Forever: The Films of Tom Schiller.New York: BearManor Media.ISBN978-1-59393-032-5.
• Whalley, Jim (2010).Saturday Night Live, Hollywood Comedy, and American Culture: From Chevy Chase to Tina Fey.New York: Palgrave Macmillan.doi:10.1057/9780230107946.ISBN978-0-230-10794-6.
• "Ex-SNL Star Darrell Hammond on His Shocking Drug Past:" I Had the Brilliant Idea I Should Try Crack ".E! News.October 24, 2011.Archivedfrom the original on March 26, 2012.RetrievedOctober 24,2011.
• Goldberg, Lesley; Abramovitch, Seth (January 7, 2014)."'Saturday Night Live' Adds First African-American Female in Five Years ".The Hollywood Reporter.Archivedfrom the original on January 7, 2014.RetrievedJanuary 7,2013.
• Andreeva, Nellie (January 6, 2013)."Sasheer Zamata JoinsSaturday Night LiveAs New Cast Member ".Deadline Hollywood.Archivedfrom the original on January 7, 2014.RetrievedJanuary 7,2013.
• "SNLundergoing another generational shift ".The Arizona Republic.February 4, 2006.Archivedfrom the original on June 30, 2012.RetrievedJanuary 9,2012.

External links

• Official website
• Saturday Night LiveatCurlie
• Saturday Night LiveatIMDb
• Official Broadway Video webpage
• Saturday Night Livevideo archiveatYahoo! Screen
• Saturday Night LiveatThe Interviews: An Oral History of Television