Difference between revisions of "Template:Lorne Michaels"

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{{about|the NBC show|the Korean version and the unrelated ABC show|SNL (disambiguation)}}<!-- Included in addition to "redirect" line as does not clarify situation w.r.t. identically-named shows -->
|name = Lorne Michaels
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{{redirect|SNL}}
|title = Works by [[Lorne Michaels]]
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{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2014}}
|state = {{{state|autocollapse}}}
 
|listclass = hlist
 
  
|group1 = Film<br/>producer
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{{Infobox television
|list1= {{Navbox subgroup
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| show_name            = Saturday Night Live
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| image                = SNL40.png
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| caption              =
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| show_name_2          = {{plainlist|
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*''NBC's Saturday Night'' {{small|(1975–1977)}}
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*''Saturday Night Live '80'' {{small|(1980)}}
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}}
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| genre                = [[Variety show]]
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| creator              = [[Lorne Michaels]]
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| writer              =  See [[List of Saturday Night Live writers|List of ''Saturday Night Live'' writers]]
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| director            = {{plainlist|
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*[[Dave Wilson (director)|Dave Wilson]] {{small|(1975–1986, 1989–1995)}}
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{{collapsible list|title=Additional directors:|
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*[[Paul Miller (TV director)|Paul Miller]] {{small|(1986–1989)}}
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*[[Beth McCarthy-Miller]] {{small|(1995–2006)}}
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*[[Don Roy King]] {{small|(2006–present)}}
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}}
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}}
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| starring            = See [[Saturday Night Live cast members|List of ''Saturday Night Live'' cast members]]
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| narrated            = {{plainlist|
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*[[Don Pardo]] {{small|(1975–1981, 1982–2014)}}
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*[[Darrell Hammond]] {{small|(2014–present)}}
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{{collapsible list|title=Additional narrators:|
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*[[Bill Hanrahan]] {{small|(1981)}}
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*[[Mel Brandt]] {{small|(1981–1982)}}
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}}
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}}
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| country              = United States
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| language            = English
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| num_seasons          = 40
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| num_episodes        =  774<!--as of December 6, 2014 --><!-- does not include specials --> ([[List of Saturday Night Live episodes|List of episodes]])
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| executive_producer  = {{plainlist|
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*[[Lorne Michaels]] {{small|(1975–80, 1985–present)}}
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{{collapsible list|title=Additional producers:|
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*[[Jean Doumanian]] {{small|(1980–81)}}
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*[[Dick Ebersol]] {{small|(1981–85)}}
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}}
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}}
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| location            = [[NBC Studios (New York City)|NBC Studios]]<br>[[New York, New York]]
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| runtime              = 93 minutes (with commercials)
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| company              = {{plainlist|
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*[[Broadway Video]] {{small|(1981–present)}}
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{{collapsible list|title=Additional studios:|
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*[[NBC]] {{small|(1975–1982)}}
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*Dolphin Productions {{small|(1975–82)}}
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*NBC Productions {{small|(1982–96)}}
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*NBC Studios {{small|(1996–99)}}
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*[[SNL Studios]] {{small|(1999–present)}}}}
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}}
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| channel              = [[NBC]]
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| picture_format      = [[480i]] ([[4:3]] [[SDTV]]) <small>(1975–2005)</small><br /> [[1080i]] ([[16:9]] [[High-definition television|HDTV]]) <small>(2005–present)</small>
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| first_aired          = October 11, 1975
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| last_aired          = present
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| related              =  <!-- This section is for series which are related by continuity or production, not series of the same genre -->''[[TV Funhouse]]''<br />''[[Saturday Night Live Weekend Update Thursday]]''<br />''[[SNL Vintage]]''
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| website              = http://www.nbc.com/Saturday_Night_Live/
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| website_title        = Website
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}}
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'''''Saturday Night Live''''' (abbreviated as '''''SNL''''') is an American late-night [[live television]] [[sketch comedy]] and [[variety show]] created by [[Lorne Michaels]] and developed by [[Dick Ebersol]]. The show premiered on [[NBC]] on October 11, 1975, under the original title '''''NBC's Saturday Night'''''. The show's [[Recurring Saturday Night Live characters and sketches (listed chronologically)|comedy sketches]], which parody contemporary 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 an opening [[monologue]] and performs in sketches with the cast) and features performances by a musical guest. An episode normally begins with a [[cold open]] sketch that ends with someone [[breaking character]] and proclaiming, "[[Live from New York, it's Saturday Night!]]," beginning the show proper.
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In 1980, Michaels left the series to explore other opportunities. He was replaced by [[Jean Doumanian]], who was replaced by Ebersol after a season of bad reviews. Ebersol ran the show until 1985, when Michaels returned; Michaels has remained since then. Many of ''SNL''{{'}}s cast 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, or starring in TV and film.
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Broadcast from Studio 8H at NBC's headquarters in the [[GE Building]], ''SNL'' has aired 773 episodes since its debut, and began its [[Saturday Night Live (season 40)|fortieth season]] on September 27, 2014, making it one of the [[List of longest running United States television series|longest-running network television programs in the United States]]. The show format has been developed and recreated in several countries, including [[Spain]], [[Italy]], [[Brazil]], [[Japan]], [[South Korea]], and [[Canada]], each meeting with different levels of success. Successful sketches have seen life outside of the show as [[feature films]], although only two met with critical and financial success: ''[[The Blues Brothers (film)|The Blues Brothers]]'' (1980) and ''[[Wayne's World (film)|Wayne's World]]'' (1992). The show has been marketed in other ways, including [[List of Saturday Night Live DVD releases|home media releases]] of "best of" and whole seasons, and books and documentaries about behind-the-scenes activities of running and developing the show.
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Throughout more than three decades on air, ''Saturday Night Live'' has received a number of awards, including 36 [[Primetime Emmy Award]]s, a [[Peabody Award]], and three [[Writers Guild of America Award]]s. In 2000, it was inducted into the [[National Association of Broadcasters Hall of Fame]]. It was ranked tenth in ''[[TV Guide]]''{{'s}} "[[TV Guide's 50 Greatest TV Shows of All Time|50 Greatest TV Shows of All Time]]" list, and in 2007 it was listed as one of ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'' magazine's "100 Best TV Shows of All-''TIME''". As of 2012, it has received 156 Emmy nominations, the most received by any one show in television history. 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.
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==Development== <!-- Short overview, with links to details available in other articles -->
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{{History of SNL|float=left}}
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From 1965 until September 1975, NBC ran ''[[The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson|The Best of Carson]]'' reruns of ''The Tonight Show'', airing them on either Saturday or Sunday night at local affiliates' discretion (originally known as ''The Saturday/Sunday Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson''). In 1974, [[Johnny Carson]] announced that he wanted the weekend shows pulled and saved so that they could be aired during weeknights, allowing him to take time off.<ref>[http://www.nbc.com/saturday-night-live/about/history.shtml SNL's Beginnings] from [[NBC]]</ref>
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In 1974, NBC president Herbert Schlosser approached his vice president of late night programming, [[Dick Ebersol]], and asked him to create a show to fill the Saturday night time slot. At the suggestion of [[Paramount Pictures]] executive [[Barry Diller]], 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. By 1975, Michaels had assembled a talented cast, including [[Dan Aykroyd]], [[John Belushi]], [[Chevy Chase]], [[Jane Curtin]], [[Garrett Morris]], [[Laraine Newman]], [[Michael O'Donoghue]], [[Gilda Radner]],<ref name="History2"/> and [[George Coe]].<ref name="LFNYch1"/> The show was originally called ''NBC's Saturday Night'', because ''Saturday Night Live'' was in use by ''[[Saturday Night Live with Howard Cosell]]'' on the rival network [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]].<ref name="OriginalTitle"/> NBC purchased the rights to the name in 1976 and officially adopted the new title on March 26, 1977.{{citation needed|date=November 2012}}
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Debuting on October 11, 1975,<ref name="History1"/> the show became an instant hit, thrusting the cast into instant stardom. Chase left the show during the second season and was replaced by the new and upcoming comic [[Bill Murray]]. Aykroyd and Belushi left the show after season four. In 1980 (after season five), Michaels—emotionally and physically exhausted—requested to put the show on hiatus for a year to give him time to pursue other ideas.{{Sfn|Shales|Miller|2002|pp=121-122}} Concerned that the show would be cancelled without him, Michaels suggested writers [[Al Franken]], [[Tom Davis (comedian)|Tom Davis]], and [[Jim Downey (comedian)|Jim Downey]] as his replacements. However, NBC president [[Fred Silverman]] disliked Franken and—after Franken performed "Limo for a Lame-O", a scathing critique of Silverman's presidency—Silverman was furious at Franken and blamed Michaels for approving the sketch.{{Sfn|Shales|Miller|2002|pp=157-159,161}} Unable to get the deal he wanted, Michaels chose to leave NBC for [[Paramount Pictures]], intending to take his associate producer, [[Jean Doumanian]], with him. Michaels later learned that Doumanian had been given his position at ''SNL'' after being recommended by her friend, NBC vice-president Barbara Gallagher.{{Sfn|Shales|Miller|2002|p=160-161}} Michaels' departure led to most of the cast and writing staff leaving the show.{{Sfn|Shales|Miller|2002|p=167}}
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The reputation of the show as a springboard to fame meant that many aspiring stars were eager to join the new series. Doumanian was tasked with hiring a full cast and writing staff in less than three months, and NBC immediately cut the show's budget from the previous $1 million per episode down to just $350,000. Doumanian faced resentment and sabotage from the remaining Michaels staff, particularly males who did not appreciate a woman believing she could take Michaels' place.{{Sfn|Shales|Miller|2002|pp=166, 176}} The season was a disaster; ratings plummeted, and audiences failed to connect to the original cast's replacements, such as [[Charles Rocket]] and [[Ann Risley]].{{Sfn|Shales|Miller|2002|p=167}} Doumanian's fate was sealed when, during a sketch, Rocket said "fuck" on live television.{{Sfn|Shales|Miller|2002|p=175}} After only ten months, Doumanian was dismissed.{{Sfn|Shales|Miller|2002|p=130}}<ref name="CrewDoumanian"/> Although executives suggested that ''SNL'' be left to die, network chief [[Brandon Tartikoff]] wanted to keep the show going, believing that the concept was more important to the network than money. Tartikoff turned to Ebersol, who previously had been fired by Silverman. Ebersol gained Michaels' approval in an attempt to avoid the same staff sabotage that had blighted Doumanian's tenure.{{Sfn|Shales|Miller|2002|p=177-179}}
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{| class="toccolours" style="float: right; margin-left: 1.5em; margin-right: 1em; font-size: 85%; background:#c6dbf7; color:black; width:30em; max-width: 40%;" cellspacing="5"
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| style="text-align: left;" | "He [Lorne Michaels] put me on TV, and no one else would have done that. Lorne created a show that's impacted culture for over 35 years. No one has ever really successfully been able to replicate it."
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|-
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| style="text-align: left;" | -- [[Tina Fey]] on Michaels' influence on comedy.<ref name="MSNBC">{{cite news|url=http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/42723845/ns/today-entertainment/|publisher=MSNBC|title=How Lorne Michaels became comedy's most powerful man|date=April 23, 2011|accessdate=April 25, 2011}}</ref>
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|}
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Ebersol's tenure saw commercial success, but was considered lackluster compared to the Michaels era, except for the breakout of cast member [[Eddie Murphy]].{{Sfn|Shales|Miller|2002|p=155}} Murphy, the main draw of the cast, left in 1984 to pursue his already successful film career, and Ebersol decided to again rebuild the cast. He broke from history by hiring established comedians such as [[Billy Crystal]] and [[Martin Short]] who could bring their already successful material to the show.{{Sfn|Shales|Miller|2002|pp=177-179}} Ebersol's final year with this new cast is considered one of the series' funniest, but had strayed far from the precedent-shattering show that Michaels had created.{{Sfn|Shales|Miller|2002|p=197}} After that season, Ebersol wanted a more significant revamp, including departing from the show's established "live" format.{{citation needed|date=January 2012}} Following unsuccessful forays into film and television, in need of money, and eager not to see Tartikoff cancel the show,{{Sfn|Shales|Miller|2002|p=200}} Michaels finally returned in 1985 after Ebersol opted not to. The show was again recast, with Michaels borrowing Ebersol's idea, and seeking out established acts such as [[Joan Cusack]] and [[Robert Downey, Jr.]]{{Sfn|Shales|Miller|2002|p=199}} The cast and writers struggled creatively, and in April 1986, Tartikoff made the decision to cancel the show, until he was convinced by producer [[Bernie Brillstein]] to give it one more year.{{Sfn|Shales|Miller|2002|p=211}} The show was renewed but for the first time in its history, for only thirteen episodes instead of the usual twenty-two.{{Sfn|Shales|Miller|2002|p=212}} Michaels again fired most of the cast and, learning his lesson from the previous seasons, sought out unknown talent such as [[Dana Carvey]] and [[Phil Hartman]] instead of known names.{{Sfn|Shales|Miller|2002|p=212}}
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The show ran successfully again until it lost Carvey and Hartman, two of its biggest stars, between 1992 and 1994. Wanting to increase ''SNL''{{'}}s ratings and profitability, then-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 because Ohlmeyer did not "get" them, and critiquing the costly nature of performing the show live. The show faced increasing criticism from the press and cast, in part encouraged by the NBC executives hoping to weaken Michaels' position.{{Sfn|Shales|Miller|2002|pp=352-353, 358}} Michaels received a lucrative offer to develop a Saturday night project for [[CBS]] during this time, but remained loyal to ''SNL''.{{Sfn|Shales|Miller|2002|pp=350-351}} By 1995, Farley and Sandler were fired, and [[Mike Myers]], another popular cast member, had left for a film career, but a new cast waited to replace them, featuring the likes of [[Will Ferrell]], [[Jimmy Fallon]], and [[Tina Fey]].{{Sfn|Shales|Miller|2002|pp=359}} The show focused on performers, and writers were forced to supply material for the casts' existing characters before they could write original sketches.{{Sfn|Shales|Miller|2002|pp=361-362}} By 1997, Ohlmeyer renewed his focus on limiting Michaels' independence, forcing the removal of Downey and cast member [[Norm MacDonald]].{{Sfn|Shales|Miller|2002|pp=363}}
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==Cast and crew==
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===Cast===
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[[File:SNL Original Cast.jpg|thumb|The original 1975 cast, from left to right: [[Laraine Newman]], [[John Belushi]], [[Jane Curtin]], [[Gilda Radner]], [[Dan Aykroyd]], [[Garrett Morris]], and [[Chevy Chase]]]]
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{{Main|Saturday Night Live cast members}}
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The original 1975 cast of ''SNL'', officially known on-air as "The Not Ready For Prime-Time Players",<ref name="CastPTime"/> a term coined by writer [[Herb Sargent]],{{Sfn|Shales|Miller|2002|p=38}} included Laraine Newman, John Belushi, Jane Curtin, Gilda Radner, Dan Aykroyd, Garrett Morris and Chevy Chase. Radner was the first person hired after Michaels himself. Although Chase became a performer, he was hired on a one-year writer contract, and refused to sign the performer contract that was repeatedly given to him, allowing him to leave the show after the first season in 1976.{{Sfn|Shales|Miller|2002|p=23}} Newman was brought aboard after having a prior working relationship with Michaels.{{Sfn|Shales|Miller|2002|p=27}} Morris was initially brought in as a writer, but attempts to have him fired by another writer led Michaels to have Morris audition for the cast, where he turned in a successful performance.{{Sfn|Shales|Miller|2002|p=28}} Curtin and Belushi were the last two cast members hired.{{Sfn|Shales|Miller|2002|p=27}} Belushi had a disdain for television and had repeatedly turned down offers to appear on other shows, but decided to work with the show because of the involvement of Radner, and writers [[Anne Beatts]] and [[Michael O'Donoghue]].{{Sfn|Shales|Miller|2002|p=26}} Michaels was still reluctant to hire Belushi, believing he would be a source of trouble for the show, but Beatts, O'Donoghue and Ebersol successfully argued for his inclusion.{{Sfn|Shales|Miller|2002|p=26}} After Chase left the show he was replaced by Bill Murray, whom Michaels had intended to hire for the first-season cast, but was unable to due to budget restrictions.{{Sfn|Shales|Miller|2002|p=34}} When Chase returned to host in 1978, he found the remaining cast resentful at his departure and his success, particularly Belushi. Murray, goaded by the rest of the cast, and Chase came to blows shortly before the show.{{Sfn|Shales|Miller|2002|pp=82-83}} Chase's departure for film made Michaels possessive of his talent; he threatened to fire Aykroyd if he took the role of D-Day in the 1978 comedy ''[[National Lampoon's Animal House|Animal House]]'', and later refused to allow ''SNL'' musician [[Paul Shaffer]] to participate in ''[[The Blues Brothers (film)|The Blues Brothers]]'' (1980) with Aykroyd and Belushi after they left in 1979 to pursue film careers.{{Sfn|Shales|Miller|2002|p=81}}<ref name="CastHistory"/> Michaels began to struggle to hold the remaining cast together in the wake of Chase, Aykroyd, and Belushi's independent successes. Radner had a one-woman [[Broadway theatre|Broadway]] show and Murray starred in the 1979 comedy ''[[Meatballs (film)|Meatballs]]''.{{Sfn|Shales|Miller|2002|p=118}} In 1980, when Michaels chose to leave the series to pursue other interests, he was followed by the remaining original cast, Curtin, Newman, and Morris, Murray, and additional cast members.<ref name="CastHistory"/>
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The Doumanian-era cast faced immediate comparison to the beloved former cast and were not received favorably.{{Sfn|Shales|Miller|2002|p=130}} Ebersol fired the majority of her hires, except for two unknown comedians: [[Eddie Murphy]] and [[Joe Piscopo]].{{Sfn|Shales|Miller|2002|p=140}} Talent coordinator Neil Levy claimed Murphy contacted and pleaded with him for a role on the show, and after seeing him audition, Levy fought with Doumanian to cast him instead of [[Robert Townsend (actor)|Robert Townsend]]. Doumanian wanted only one black cast member and favored Townsend, but Levy convinced her to choose Murphy. Doumanian, however, also claimed credit for discovering Murphy and fighting with NBC executives to bring him onto the show.{{Sfn|Shales|Miller|2002|pp=136-137}} Even so, Murphy would languish as a background character until Ebersol took charge,{{Sfn|Shales|Miller|2002|p=153}} after which Murphy was credited with much of that era's success.<ref name="Murphy1"/>{{Sfn|Shales|Miller|2002|pp=161-163,165}} Murphy's star exploded, and he quickly appeared in films such as ''[[48 Hrs.]]'' and ''[[Trading Places]]'', before leaving for his film career in early 1984. Much of the Ebersol cast departed after the 1983–84 season and were replaced with established comedians who could supply their own material, but at an inflated cost; [[Billy Crystal]] and [[Martin Short]] were paid $25,000 and $20,000 per episode respectively, a far cry from earlier salaries.{{Sfn|Shales|Miller|2002|pp=177-179}} Michaels' return in 1985 saw a cast reset that featured established talent such as Robert Downey Jr., [[Jon Lovitz]] and [[Dennis Miller]].{{Sfn|Shales|Miller|2002|p=198}} The season was poorly received, and another reset followed in 1986. Learning his lesson from the previous season, Michaels avoided known talent in favor of actual ability. He kept Lovitz, Miller and [[Nora Dunn]], and brought in new, untested talent such as Dana Carvey, [[Phil Hartman]], and [[Jan Hooks]], who together would define a new era on the show into the early 1990s.{{Sfn|Shales|Miller|2002|p=209}} The cast continued on for the next decade with the addition of new talent such as [[Mike Myers]], [[Adam Sandler]], and [[Chris Farley]]. Afraid of cast leaving for film, Michaels had overcrowded the cast, causing a divide between the veteran members and the new, younger talent, increasing competition for limited screen time.{{Sfn|Shales|Miller|2002|p=308-309, 346-347}} By 1995, Carvey and Hartman had left, taking with them a virtual army of characters, Myers quit for his movie career, and increasing network pressure forced Michaels to fire Sandler and Farley. The show saw its next major overhaul, bringing in a new cast including Will Ferrell, Tina Fey, and Jimmy Fallon.{{Sfn|Shales|Miller|2002|p=352-353,359}} While cast members would leave over the following two decades, the show saw its next biggest transition in 2013, with the addition of 6 cast members to compensate for the departure of several longtime cast members like [[Bill Hader]], [[Jason Sudeikis]], and [[Fred Armisen]].<ref name="2013CastTransition"/>
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''SNL'' has featured over 130 cast members including [[Rachel Dratch]], [[Amy Poehler]], [[Chris Rock]], [[David Spade]], [[Will Forte]], [[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]], [[Tracy Morgan]], [[Chris Parnell]], [[Maya Rudolph]], and [[Kristen Wiig]]. [[Darrell Hammond]] is the longest-serving cast member, having been a part of the cast for fourteen years between 1995 and 2009.<ref name="CastHammond"/> Those selected to join the cast of ''SNL'' are normally already accomplished performers, recruited from improvisational comedy groups such as [[The Groundlings]] (Ferrell, Hartman,{{Sfn|Shales|Miller|2002|p=219}} Lovitz, Wiig<ref name="CastWiig1"/>) and [[The Second City]] (Aykroyd, Farley, Fey,<ref name="FeySC"/> [[Tim Meadows]]), or established stand-up comedians (Carvey, Sandler, Rock, [[Norm Macdonald]]), who already possess the training or experience necessary for ''SNL''.<ref name="CastCasting"/>
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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 which has alternated between having one or two hosts, and which allows the cast members involved to perform as themselves and be on camera for an extended period of time.<ref name="CastUpdate1"/> Many of the "Weekend Update" hosts have gone on to find greater success outside of the show, including: Chase, Curtin, Murray,<ref name="CastUpdate1"/> Miller, Macdonald,{{Sfn|Shales|Miller|2002|p=286}} Fey,<ref name="CastUpdate1"/> Fallon,{{Sfn|Shales|Miller|2002|p=293}} and Poehler. From 2008, [[Seth Meyers]] was the solo host of "Weekend Update",<ref name="CastUpdate1"/> before being partnered with [[Cecily Strong]] in 2013. After Meyers left for ''[[Late Night with Seth Meyers]]'' in February 2014, Strong was paired with head writer [[Colin Jost]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.today.com/entertainment/snl-head-writer-join-cecily-strong-weekend-update-co-anchor-2D11981955|title='SNL' head writer to join Cecily Strong as 'Weekend Update' co-anchor
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|first=Gael Fashingbauer |last=Cooper|work=The Today Show|date=January 23, 2014|accessdate=January 23, 2014}}</ref> 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.
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{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders"  style="text-align:left; width:99%;"
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! colspan="2"|2014–15 season cast<ref>[http://www.nbc.com/saturday-night-live/bios/ SNL Cast] from [[NBC]]</ref><ref name="2013SepCasting"/>
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|-
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! Repertory players
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! Featured players
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|-
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|{{div col}}
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* [[Vanessa Bayer]] (joined [[Saturday Night Live (season 36)|2010]])
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* [[Aidy Bryant]] (joined [[Saturday Night Live (season 38)|2012]])
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* [[Taran Killam]] (joined 2010)
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* [[Kate McKinnon]] (joined [[Saturday Night Live (season 37)|2012]])
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* [[Bobby Moynihan]] (joined [[Saturday Night Live (season 34)|2008]])
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* [[Jay Pharoah]] (joined 2010)
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* [[Cecily Strong]] (joined 2012)
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* [[Kenan Thompson]] (joined [[Saturday Night Live (season 29)|2003]])
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{{div col end}}
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|
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{{div col}}
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* [[Beck Bennett]] (joined [[Saturday Night Live (season 39)|2013]])
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* [[Michael Che]] (joined [[Saturday Night Live (season 40)|2014]]) ⱡ
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* [[Pete Davidson]] (joined 2014)
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* [[Leslie Jones (comedian)|Leslie Jones]] (joined 2014)
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* [[Colin Jost]] (joined 2014) ⱡ
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* [[Kyle Mooney]] (joined 2013)
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* [[Sasheer Zamata]] (joined [[Saturday Night Live (season 39)|2014]])
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{{div col end}}
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|-
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| colspan="2" | ⱡ <small>denotes [[Weekend Update]] anchor</small>
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|}
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The cast were often contracted from anywhere between five and six years to the show,<ref name="CastContract2"/><ref name="CastContract"/> 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 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.<ref name="CastContract"/> The move drew criticism from talent agents and managers who believed that 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, such as Myers and Sandler, gained fame on ''SNL'' only to leave and make money for other studios.<ref name="CastContract"/> In a 2010 interview, Wiig was reported to be contracted to ''SNL'' for a total of seven years.<ref name="CastContract3"/> The contracts also contain a network option which allows NBC to remove a cast member at any time.{{Sfn|Mohr|2004|p=81}} In the first season of the show, cast were paid $750 per episode, rising to $2,000 by season two, and $4,000 by season four.{{Sfn|Shales|Miller|2002|p=78}} By the late 1990s, new cast members received a salary between $5,000<ref name="CastContract"/> 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 which made it to air.{{Sfn|Mohr|2004|p=81}} In 2001, Ferrell became the highest paid cast member, being paid $350,000 per season (approximately $17,500 per episode).<ref name="CastContractFerrell"/> In 2014, [[Sasheer Zamata]] was added as a cast member in mid-season after criticism about the show's lack of an African-American woman.<ref>{{cite news |title=Saturday Night Live hires stand-up comic Sasheer Zamata as first black female cast member in Six years |url=http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2534921/Saturday-Night-Live-hires-stand-comic-Sasheer-Zamata-black-female-cast-member-SIX-years.html |quote=Show creator Lorne Michaels doesn't usually add cast members mid-season but decided to break tradition after facing criticism over the show's lack of diversity. |newspaper=[[DailyMail]] |date= January 6, 2014 |accessdate=January 7, 2014 |location=London}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Upright Citizens Brigade alum Sasheer Zamata will join the late-night sketch series Jan. 18. |url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/saturday-night-live-adds-sasheer-668659?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+thr%2Fnews+(The+Hollywood+Reporter+-+Top+Stories) |quote=... the long-running sketch series faced widespread criticism that the new cast of SNL lacked minority faces and specifically the inclusion of an African-American woman. |newspaper=[[Hollywood Reporter]] |date=January 6, 2014 |accessdate=January 7, 2014 |first=Lesley |last=Goldberg}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title='S.N.L' Hires Black Female Cast Member |url=http://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/07/business/media/snl-hires-black-female-cast-member.html?gwh=8A4848755E7063B0587E0F44B735AC93&gwt=pay&_r=0 |quote=The selection of Ms. Zamata came at the conclusion of what amounted to a midseason talent search by ''S.N.L.'', which had been criticized for what was described as a glaring omission in the show's cast. |newspaper=[[New York Times]] |date=January 6, 2014 |accessdate=January 7, 2014 |first=Bill |last=Carter}}</ref><!--<ref name="DevSeason39"/><ref name="DevSeason39B"/>-->
 +
 
 +
===Writers===
 +
[[File:Lorne Michaels David Shankbone 2010.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Lorne Michaels]] in 2010]]
 +
{{Main|List of Saturday Night Live writers}}
 +
As of the 2013–14 season, [[Colin Jost]] and [[Rob Klein]] are the show's co-head writers. Meyers had been co-head writer since 2005 and became the single head writer from 2008 to 2012. 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.<ref name="2013SepCasting"/><ref name="AlexBaze1"/><ref name="WritersAbelesInt1"/> Scenes on "Weekend Update" that involve members of the cast acting in-character alongside the host are often written by staff writers outside of the dedicated "Weekend Update" team, who know those characters better.<ref name="WritersAbelesInt1"/>
 +
 
 +
''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 [[IO Theater|ImprovOlympic]].<ref name="CastHistory"/> Experienced writers with backgrounds in television shows are also sometimes brought into the ''SNL'' writing room. Like the ''SNL'' cast that step before the cameras, 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, went on to writing for ''[[The Simpsons]]'', and eventually began hosting his own [[Late Night with Conan O'Brien|show]],<ref name="speakerbio"/> and former head writer [[Adam McKay]] who, along with performer Ferrell, founded the successful comedy website [[Funny or Die]].<ref name="WriterMcKay"/> In 2000, Tina Fey became the first female ''SNL'' head writer<ref name="Levin2001"/><ref name="observer"/> and successfully transitioned into starring on the show,<ref name="witchel"/> as well as writing and starring in feature films,<ref name="Otto2004"/><ref name="Ebert2010"/><ref name="grosz"/> and ultimately creating and starring in her own show ''[[30 Rock]]''—partly based on her ''SNL'' experiences.<ref name="Poniewozik2006"/> In 2005, Fey was being paid $1.5 million per season for her dual role as head writer and performer.<ref name="WriterHeadSalary"/>
 +
 
 +
===Announcers===
 +
[[Don Pardo]] served as the announcer for the series when it first began,<ref name="Announcer1"/> 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 where he again announced his retirement, but then continued into the 2009–10 season.<ref name="Announcer1"/> In 2010, then 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.<ref name="Announcer1"/><ref name="2014Pardo"/> Cast members Joe Piscopo<ref>{{cite episode |title=Jamie Lee Curtis/The Fixx |series=Saturday Night Live |network=NBC |airdate=February 18, 1984}}</ref> and Darrell Hammond also periodically impersonated Pardo and fulfilled his announcing duties when Pardo was unavailable.{{Sfn|Shales|Miller|2002|p=295}} Hammond took over as full-time announcer starting with [[Saturday Night Live (season 40)|season 40]].<ref>{{cite web|last1=Ausiello|first1=Michael|title=SNL Taps Darrell Hammond to Succeed Don Pardo as Announcer|url=http://tvline.com/2014/09/18/darrell-hammond-saturday-night-live-announcer-replacing-don-pardo-snl/|accessdate=18 September 2014}}</ref>
 +
 
 +
===Hosts and musical guests===
 +
{{Main|List of Saturday Night Live guests}}
 +
 
 +
A typical episode of ''SNL'' will feature a single host chosen for their popularity, novelty, or because they have a film, album or other work being released near the time of their appearance on the show.{{Sfn|Shales|Miller|2002|p=229}} The host delivers the opening monologue and performs in sketches with the cast. Traditionally the host of the show ends the opening monologue by introducing the musical guest for the night. Comedian [[George Carlin]] was the first to host ''SNL'' in the debut October 1975 episode;<ref name="HostCarlin"/> three episodes later, [[Candice Bergen]] became the first female host{{Sfn|Shales|Miller|2002|p=44}} and subsequently the first to host more than once.{{Sfn|Shales|Miller|2002|p=48}} Hosts have been drawn from a wide spectrum of backgrounds, from actors, such as [[Christopher Walken]], [[Buck Henry]], and [[John Goodman]],{{Sfn|Shales|Miller|2002|p=396}} to musicians like [[George Harrison]]{{Sfn|Shales|Miller|2002|p=231}} and [[Dolly Parton]],{{Sfn|Shales|Miller|2002|p=230}} to political activist [[Ralph Nader]].{{Sfn|Shales|Miller|2002|p=229}} 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]]' fifth episode.<ref name="Host5Timer"/> As of September 24, 2011, actor [[Alec Baldwin]] holds the record for most times hosting, having performed the duty on sixteen different occasions since 1990; Baldwin took the record from actor [[Steve Martin]] who had hosted fifteen times since 1976.<ref name="HostBaldwinRec"/>
 +
 
 +
Each episode also features a musical guest, a solo act or a band, who perform two to three musical numbers. Occasionally, the musical guest has also simultaneously served as the host. As of May 19, 2012, [[Dave Grohl]] is the most frequent musical guest, performing on eleven shows since 1992.<ref name="MusicalGrohl"/> Michaels does not allow musical guests to perform using lip-synching tracks,{{Sfn|Shales|Miller|2002|p=45}} believing it diminishes the live aspect of the show. Exceptions are only made 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 simultaneously.<ref name="60MinutesInterview"/> A 1975 performance by pop group [[ABBA]] was the first and only act to feature lip-synching,{{Sfn|Shales|Miller|2002|p=45}} until [[Saturday Night Live#Ashlee Simpson|the controversial 2004 performance of Ashlee Simpson]].
 +
 
 +
===The ''SNL'' Band===
 +
{{Main|Saturday Night Live Band}}
 +
 
 +
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]] (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 (musician)|Tom Malone]] (who took over as musical director from 1981 to 1985), and [[G.E. Smith]] (musical director from 1985 to 1995). The band is currently under the leadership of [[Tower of Power]] alumnus [[Lenny Pickett]], keyboardist [[Leon Pendarvis]] and [[Eli Bruegemann]] who does not play in the band on the live show. The number of musicians has varied over the years, but the basic instrumentation has been three saxophones, one trombone, one trumpet, and a rhythm section featuring two keyboards, a guitar, bass, drums, and an extra percussionist, not a permanent part of the band until Valerie Naranjo's arrival in 1995. The 1983–1984 and 1984–1985 seasons featured the smallest band, a six-piece combo. 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.<ref>[http://www.nbc.com/saturday-night-live/about/band.shtml SNL Band] from [[NBC]]</ref>
 +
 
 +
==Production==
 +
[[File:29 - New York - Octobre 2008.jpg|thumb|upright|[[GE Building]] (30 Rockefeller Plaza, or "30 Rock") from where the show is broadcast.]]
 +
 
 +
===The studio===
 +
Since the show's inception, ''SNL'' has aired from Studio 8H, located on floors 8 and 9 of the [[GE Building]] (30 Rockefeller Plaza, or "30 Rock"). The studio had previously been used as a radio [[soundstage]] for [[Arturo Toscanini]] and his [[NBC Symphony Orchestra]].{{Sfn|Shales|Miller|2002|p=31}} Michaels was dumbfounded when he originally inspected Studio 8H in 1975, and found it technically limited, outdated, in need of repair,{{Sfn|Shales|Miller|2002|p=30}} and lacking the capacity to host a live show.{{Sfn|Shales|Miller|2002|p=31}} Michaels demanded that NBC executives rebuild the studio and improve the acoustics to accommodate the intended musical acts,{{Sfn|Shales|Miller|2002|p=31}} at a cost of approximately $300,000.{{Sfn|Shales|Miller|2002|p=31}} Three of the first four shows of the 1976–77 season were shot at the former [[JC Studios|NBC Studios]] in Brooklyn, due to [[NBC News]] using Studio 8H for Presidential election coverage.<ref>[http://www.nbc.com/saturday-night-live/about/history.shtml SNL's Studio] from [[NBC]]</ref>
 +
 
 +
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 [[letterbox]]ed on conventional television screens.  The offices of SNL writers, producers, and other staff can be found on the 17th floor of "30 Rock".{{Sfn|Shales|Miller|2002|p=35}}
 +
 
 +
===Creating an episode===
 +
Production on an ''SNL'' episode will normally start on a Monday with a free-form pitch meeting{{Sfn|Mohr|2004|p=27}}{{Sfn|Shales|Miller|2002|p=79}}<ref name="SatNightDocu"/> between the cast, writers, producers including Michaels, and the guest host, in Michaels' office, over two hours. The host is invited to pitch ideas during this meeting. Although some sketch writing 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,{{Sfn|Shales|Miller|2002|p=79}} a process which can extend through the night into the following morning. Writing may not begin until 8pm on the Tuesday evening.{{Sfn|Mohr|2004|p=27}}<ref name="SatNightDocu"/> At 5pm on Wednesday, the sketches are read during a round-table meeting in the writers room,<ref name="SatNightDocu"/> 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 an attendance of approximately fifty people.{{Sfn|Mohr|2004|p=28}} At this point there may be at least 40 sketch ideas which are read-through in turn, lasting upwards of three hours.{{Sfn|Mohr|2004|p=28}}
 +
 
 +
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' office to view the show breakdown and learn whether or not their sketch has survived.{{Sfn|Mohr|2004|pp=28-29}} Sketches may be rewritten starting the same day,{{Sfn|Shales|Miller|2002|p=79}} but will certainly commence on Thursday, work focuses on developing and rewriting the remaining sketches,{{Sfn|Mohr|2004|p=27}} and possibly rehearsals.<ref name="SatNightDocu"/> If a sketch is still scheduled beyond Thursday, it is rehearsed on Friday or Saturday{{Sfn|Shales|Miller|2002|p=79}} before moving to a rehearsal before a live audience at 8pm, again on Saturday before the live show.{{Sfn|Mohr|2004|p=27}}<ref name="SatNightDocu"/> 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.{{Sfn|Mohr|2004|p=30}} 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.{{Sfn|Mohr|2004|p=27}} The opening monologue, spoken by the guest host, is given low priority and can be written as late as Saturday afternoon.{{Sfn|Mohr|2004|p=23}}
 +
 
 +
According to an interview with 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.<ref>{{cite web
 +
| url= http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=1854950
 +
| title= Writer and Actress Tina Fey (Time 15:30)
 +
| work= [[Fresh Air]]
 +
| publisher= [[National Public Radio|NPR]]
 +
| format= Audio
 +
| date= April 28, 2004
 +
| accessdate= March 3, 2008
 +
}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal
 +
| journal= [[Writer's Digest]]
 +
|date=August 2000
 +
| title= ''SNL''{{'s}} Tina Fey
 +
| first= Julianne
 +
| last= Hill
 +
| pages= 40
 +
}}<!-- the citation but not the text is at http://www.writersdigest.com/articles/indexes/wd2000.asp --></ref>
 +
 
 +
===Post-production===
 +
With onsite facilities housed on floors 8 and 17 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 reorganise for future repeats and syndication. The production tracking system was migrated from primarily [[analog recording|analog]] to [[Digital data|digital]] in 1998, with live shows typically requiring 1.5 terabytes of storage, consisting of audio elements and 5 cameras worth of visual elements.<ref name="snlpostprodsan">{{cite web|url=http://www.qlogic.com/SiteCollectionDocuments/Education_and_Resource/case_studies/SNL_v3.pdf |title=Case study. Saturday Night Live: Live from New York through a fibre channel SAN | year=2005|accessdate=November 16, 2009| publisher=QLogic}} {{Dead link|date=October 2010|bot=H3llBot}}</ref>
 +
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]].<ref name="broadreinvent">{{cite web|url= http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G1-200674344.html|title=Broadway Video's reinvention by design; this New York post stalwart has added talent and increased services| date=May 1, 2009|accessdate=November 8, 2009| publisher=[[Post (magazine)|Post]]}}</ref><ref name="broadwayvideodotcom">{{cite web|url=http://www.broadwayvideo.com |title=Welcome to Broadway Video |publisher=Broadwayvideo.com |accessdate=April 12, 2010}}</ref>
 +
 
 +
===Filming and photography===
 +
Studio 8H production facilities are maintained by NBC Production Services. Video camera equipment includes four Sony BVP-700 CCD cameras, and two Sony BVP-750 CCD handheld cameras, both using [[Vinten]] pedestals. A 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 analogue video recorders used to store footage. Graphics are provided by a Chyron {{sic|hide=y|Infinit!}} character generator and a Quantel PictureBox. Audio facilities consist of a Calrec T Series digitally controlled analogue mixing console, and a Yamaha [[digital mixing console]] used for tape playback support and utility audio work.<ref name="nbcproduction8h">{{cite web|url=http://www.nbcproductionservices.com/studio8H.stm |title=NBC Production Services |publisher=NBC Production Services |accessdate=April 12, 2010}}</ref>
  
|group1=1980s
+
As of 2009, the opening title sequence and opening montage is shot using the [[Canon EOS 5D Mark II]] and [[Canon EOS 7D]] digital SLR cameras. Typical elements are recorded at 30&nbsp;[[frame rate|fps]], with slow-motion sequences shot at 60&nbsp;fps, both in full 1080p high definition.<ref name="snlpostprodcanon">{{cite web|url=http://www.shootonline.com/go/index.php?name=Release&op=view&id=rs-web2-1141654-1257971505-2 |title=NBC's Saturday Night Live shoots opening title sequence in full 1080p HD video with Canon's EOS digital SLR cameras | date=November 11, 2009 |accessdate=November 16, 2009| publisher=[[Shoot]]}}</ref>
|list1=
 
*''[[Gilda Live]]''
 
*''[[Nothing Lasts Forever (film)|Nothing Lasts Forever]]''
 
*''[[¡Three Amigos!]]''
 
  
|group2=1990s
+
Edie Baskin was the original ''SNL'' photographer. She was hired after Michaels saw her photographs of [[Las Vegas Valley|Las Vegas]] and other work. Baskin helped create the opening title sequence for the show by taking photos of New York City at night.{{Sfn|Shales|Miller|2002|p=39}} The first episode used publicity photos of Carlin as transitional [[Bumper (broadcasting)|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 which continues today.{{Sfn|Shales|Miller|2002|p=41}}
|list2=
 
*''[[Wayne's World (film)|Wayne's World]]''
 
*''[[Coneheads]]''
 
*''[[Wayne's World 2]]''
 
*''[[Lassie (1994 film)|Lassie]]''
 
*''[[Tommy Boy]]''
 
*''[[Stuart Saves His Family]]''
 
*''[[Black Sheep (1996 film)|Black Sheep]]''
 
*''[[Brain Candy|Kids in the Hall: Brain Candy]]''
 
*''[[A Night at the Roxbury]]''
 
*''[[Superstar (1999 film)|Superstar]]''
 
  
|group3=2000s
+
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.<ref name="MatthewsInt1"/> Matthews employs flattering portrait lighting with [[soft light|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."<ref name="MatthewsInt2"/> 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.<ref name="MatthewsInt2"/>
|list3=
 
*''[[The Ladies Man (2000 film)|The Ladies Man]]''
 
*''[[Enigma (2001 film)|Enigma]]''
 
*''[[Mean Girls]]''
 
*''[[Hot Rod (film)|Hot Rod]]''
 
*''[[Baby Mama (film)|Baby Mama]]''
 
  
|group4=2010s
+
==Broadcast==
|list4=
+
[[File:SNL stage.jpg|thumb|''SNL''{{'}}s main stage, during rehearsal, 2008]]
*''[[MacGruber (film)|MacGruber]]''
+
{{See also|List of Saturday Night Live episodes}}
*''[[The Guilt Trip (film)|The Guilt Trip]]''  
+
The show usually begins at 11:30 p.m. ([[Eastern Time Zone|EST]]),<ref name="nbcabout">{{cite web|title=NBC.com - Saturday Night Live (About)|url=http://www.nbc.com/saturday-night-live/about/|accessdate=April 29, 2011|work=NBC.com}}</ref> unless a delay occurs. The show broadcasts for one and a half hours, ending at 1 a.m. For the Mountain<ref>except for [[KSNG]], [[KSNK]], and [[KQCD]], [[Effects of time zones on North American broadcasting#Scheduling variations for areas located between two time zones|which air the live feed]]</ref> and Pacific time zones, NBC airs the prerecorded live show usually unedited, mistakes notwithstanding. 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!]]", launching the opening credits.<ref name="LFNYch1"/>
  
}}
+
Beginning February 2013, NBC has aired cut-down hour-long repeats at 10pm Saturday during the regular season, repeating the previous week's episode if it was original.<ref>{{cite web|last=Schneider|first=Michael|title=NBC Brings Saturday Night Live to Saturday Primetime|url=http://www.tvguide.com/news/saturday-night-live-primetime-1062086.aspx|work=tvguide.com|accessdate=April 16, 2014}}</ref>
 +
 
 +
NBC and [[Broadway Video]] both hold the underlying rights to the show, while the copyright to every episode lies solely with NBC. From 1990 until 2004, [[Comedy Central]] and its predecessor [[Ha! (TV channel)|Ha!]] re-aired reruns of the series, after which [[E!|E! Entertainment Television]] signed a deal to reruns.<ref>{{cite news
 +
| last= Romano
 +
| first= Allison
 +
| url= http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA255086.html
 +
| title= Comedy Central Goes Mad
 +
| work= [[Broadcasting & Cable]]
 +
| date= October 25, 2002
 +
| accessdate= March 3, 2008
 +
}}</ref> Abbreviated thirty and sixty minute versions of the first five seasons aired as ''The Best of Saturday Night Live'' in syndication beginning in the 1980s and later on [[Nick at Nite]] in 1988. In September 2010, reruns of most episodes post-1998 began to air on [[VH1]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Classic Saturday Night Live Episodes Now Airing On VH1|url=http://blog.vh1.com/?p=145034|date=September 27, 2010 |accessdate=April 30, 2011|work=VH1}}</ref>
 +
 
 +
===International===
 +
Because ''SNL'' has been a huge success in America, other countries have created their own versions of the show, including [[Spain]], [[Italy]], [[Japan]] and [[South Korea]].<ref name="jezebel">{{cite web|title=Saturday Night Live's International Siblings|url=http://jezebel.com/5810481/saturday-night-lives-international-siblings|accessdate=June 26, 2011|work=jezebel}}</ref> SNL is aired in [[Israel]] on [[yes Comedy]]. SNL is also aired in the Middle East and North Africa on [[OSN]] Comedy every Saturday night, one week after it airs in the U.S.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.osn.com/onlineguide/schedules/channel_en_gb.aspx?Channel=OCO&Genre=SER |title=OSN |publisher=OSN |date=October 15, 2011 |accessdate=October 23, 2011}}</ref>
 +
 
 +
Germany's version of the show, "RTL Samstag Nacht" was a hit in the 1990s on the RTL channel.
 +
 
 +
Spain's version of the show was short-lived, only lasting a few episodes which aired on Thursdays and not Saturdays as the title suggested. This version copied heavily from the American version, in that they did their own versions of sketches that were already done on the original series.<ref name="jezebel"/> Italy's ''Saturday Night Live From Milan'' aired for four seasons and used original material.<ref name="jezebel"/><ref name="mediaset1">{{cite web|url=http://www.tv.mediaset.it/italia1/snl/ |title=SNL Italy |publisher=Tv.mediaset.it |date=July 6, 2011 |accessdate=August 6, 2011}}</ref>
 +
 
 +
The Japanese version ''Saturday Night Live JPN'', which ran for six months in 2011, was created in part with Lorne Michaels' 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.<ref name="jezebel"/><ref name="mediaset1"/><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.axiommagazine.jp/2011/06/05/saturday-night-live-japan/ |title=SNL Japan |publisher=Axiommagazine.jp |date=June 5, 2011 |accessdate=August 6, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|first=Megan|last=Angelo |url=http://www.businessinsider.com/japanese-snl-saturday-night-live-kristen-wiig-2011-6 |title=Saturday Night Live JPN |publisher=Businessinsider.com |date=June 4, 2011 |accessdate=August 6, 2011}}</ref>
 +
 
 +
On December 3, 2011, South Korea's ''[[Saturday Night Live Korea|SNL Korea]]'' premiered on cable channel [[TVN (South Korea)|tvN]].<ref>{{cite news|last=Choi|first=EunHwa|title=''Saturday Night Live Korea'' to Start Airing on December 3|url=http://enewsworld.mnet.com/enews/contents.asp?idx=1690|accessdate=March 9, 2013|newspaper=enewsWorld|date=November 22, 2011|agency=CJ E&M}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Noh|first=Hyun-gi|title=Live from Seoul, It's Saturday Night!|url=http://koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/culture/2011/11/135_99614.html|accessdate=March 9, 2013|newspaper=Korea Times|date=November 27, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.jkn.co.kr/article/news/20111128/4622991.htm |title=김주혁, <SNL KOREA> 코믹 화보 폭소 작렬 '이런 모습 처음이야|work=JK Star News|date=November 28, 2011|accessdate=November 23, 2012|language=Korea}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://boom.seoul.co.kr/news/newsView.php?id=20111109050018 |title=tvN-장진 감독, 한국판 '새터데이 나이트 라이브' 제작 합심|work=Boom Seoul|date=November 9, 2011|accessdate=November 23, 2012|language=Korean}}</ref> As of July 20, 2013, it is in its fourth consecutive season, with 20 episodes.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.asiae.co.kr/news/view.htm?idxno=2013072109102580081 |title='SNL 코리아', 유쾌함 뒤에 숨겨진 숨가쁜 생방송 현장 속으로|work=Asia Economy|date=July 21, 2013|accessdate=July 25, 2013|language=Korean}}</ref>
 +
 
 +
In 2014, two 90-minute specials were broadcast in French on [[Télé-Québec]] in the [[Canada|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]], and is the same format and length as the original SNL series.<ref>{{cite news|last=Sobolewski|first=Samantha|title=''Saturday Night Live'' gets Canadian treatment|url=http://www.theloop.ca/showbiz/tv-guide/news/article/-/a/2360544/-Saturday-Night-Live-gets-Canadian-treatment|accessdate=May 9, 2013|date=May 8, 2013}}</ref> Certain sketches from the original program, such as [[Debbie Downer]] and [[Schweddy Balls]] were adapted into French.<ref>{{cite web|author=03.22.14 by Chris Hanna |url=http://chrishannamtl.wordpress.com/2014/03/22/10-ways-to-fix-snl-quebec/ |title=Chris Hanna &#124; 10 ways to fix SNL Québec |publisher=Chrishannamtl.wordpress.com |date=2014-03-22 |accessdate=2014-12-12}}</ref> On May 13, 2014, SNL Quebec was renewed for another 8 episodes to be broadcast monthly over the 2014-2015 season ending with a "Best Of" compilation. The entire cast is expected to return.<ref>{{cite web|author=Brendan Kelly, Montreal Gazette |url=http://blogs.montrealgazette.com/2014/05/13/guy-a-lepage-veronique-cloutier-patrick-huard-to-host-snl-quebec-next-season/ |title=SNL Quebec is returning for a second season &#124; Montreal Gazette |publisher=Blogs.montrealgazette.com |date=2014-05-13 |accessdate=2014-12-12}}</ref>
 +
 
 +
===Delays===
 +
* The episode scheduled for October 25, 1986, hosted by [[Rosanna Arquette]], was not aired until November 8 due to [[Major League Baseball on NBC|NBC]] broadcasting Game 6 of the [[1986 World Series]] between the [[New York Mets]] and [[Boston Red Sox]]; the game entered extra innings, causing that night's broadcast of ''SNL'' to be cancelled. The show was recorded for the studio audience starting at 1:30 a.m. Eastern Time, and broadcast two weeks later with an "apology" by Mets pitcher [[Ron Darling]]. (He explained that the Mets players had all been happy and excited to win the World Series game, widely considered one of the [[1986 World Series#Game 6|most memorable]] in the event's 109-year history, but of course they all had become upset and glum when, in the locker room afterwards, they found out that they had caused the first-ever cancellation of ''SNL''. Footage showed the depressed players sadly staring at the locker room floor in shame.){{citation needed|date=October 2013}}
 +
* 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 that the episode was re-run a mere three weeks later, and the fledgling league actually changed the rules in order to speed up play so that no such incident would happen again.<ref>{{cite news| url=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1021846/index.htm | work=CNN | title=Fight Club | date=February 26, 2001}}</ref>
 +
 
 +
==Reception==
 +
In 2002, the show was ranked tenth on [[TV Guide's 50 Greatest TV Shows of All Time]],<ref name="tvguidebestsnl">{{cite news|url=http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2002/04/26/entertainment/main507388.shtml|title=TV Guide names Top 50 shows|accessdate=November 23, 2009|publisher=Associated Press/CBS News | date=April 26, 2002}}</ref> while in 2007 it was honored with inclusion on ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'' magazine's list of "100 Best TV Shows of All-''TIME''."<ref name="nbcabout"/><ref name="AwardTime100"/> 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 70 years.<ref name="2013WGABestever"/> In December 2013, ''TV Guide'' ranked it #18 on their list of the 60 Greatest Shows of All Time.<ref>{{cite journal |last=Fretts |first=Bruce |last2=Roush |first2=Matt |title=The Greatest Shows on Earth |url= |journal=TV Guide Magazine |publisher= |volume=61 |issue=3194-3195 |pages=16–19 |doi= |accessdate=December 22, 2013}}</ref>
 +
 
 +
===Accolades===
 +
{{Main|List of awards and nominations received by Saturday Night Live}}
 +
 
 +
''Saturday Night Live'' has won numerous awards since its debut, including 36 [[Primetime Emmy Award]]s,<ref name="emmysearchsnl">{{cite web|url=http://www.emmys.org/awards/awardsearch.php |title=Primetime Emmy Award Database |publisher=Emmys.com |accessdate=April 12, 2010}}</ref> 2 [[Peabody Award]]s,<ref name="peabodywinnersbooksnl">{{cite web|url=http://www.peabody.uga.edu/winners/PeabodyWinnersBook.pdf|title=George Foster Peabody award winners|accessdate=November 23, 2009|publisher=National Association of Broadcasters}}</ref> and 4 [[Writers Guild of America Award]]s.<ref name="writersguildsnl">{{cite web|url=http://www.wga.org/awards/awardssub.aspx?id=1517|title=Writers Guild Awards|accessdate=November 23, 2009|publisher=Writers Guild of America, West|archiveurl=http://archive.is/1fr9|archivedate=May 25, 2012}}</ref> In 2009, it received a total of 13 Emmy nominations for a lifetime total of 126, breaking the record for the most award nominated show in Emmy history, previously set with 124 by hospital drama ''[[ER (TV series)|ER]]''.<ref name="AwardsRecordEmmy"/><ref name="AwardsRecordEmmy2"/> As of August 2012, it has received a record total of 156 Emmy nominations.<ref name="nbcabout"/><ref name="2012AccoAug"/> Only 17 cast members have received individual Emmy nominations in the show's entire history. Of these only Chevy Chase and Gilda Radner have won, taking the award for Outstanding Individual Performance, in 1976 and 1978 respectively. In 1983, Eddie Murphy became the last male cast member to be nominated for a Best Supporting Actor Emmy until [[Bill Hader]] nearly thirty years later in 2012: Hader received a second nomination in 2013, making him the cast's only male multiple nominee.<ref name="2012AccoAug"/><ref name="2012AccoSep"/><ref name="2013AccoHader"/>
 +
 
 +
===Electoral impact===
 +
''SNL'' has also had an effect on U.S. elections – most commonly presidential elections. Voters have reported that political sketches that were shown on the program influenced them in the voting booth. The so-called ''SNL'' Effect was observed during the [[United States presidential election, 2008|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 that 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 then-Democratic nominee.<ref name="ImpactGeneral"/>
 +
 
 +
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.<ref name="ImpactPalin"/> Several politicians have appeared on ''SNL'', including President [[Gerald Ford]] (in 1976, during the show's first season), Senator (at the time) Barack Obama (2007), Senator [[John McCain]] (2002 & 2008), Senator Hillary Clinton (2008), and Governor Sarah Palin (2008), who appeared alongside Fey's Palin impression, resulting in the show's largest audience in 14 years with 14 million viewers.<ref name="HostPoliticians"/><ref name="THRPolitical"/> Senator Obama's appearance occurred in part because Hillary Clinton abandoned her scheduled appearance.<ref name="THRPolitical"/>  The political content was abandoned briefly following the [[September 11 attacks|September 11, 2001]] terrorist attack in New York, with Poehler saying that the writers did not want to produce politicized material; highly political content would be absent for the next 4 years.<ref name="THRPolitical"/>
 +
 
 +
==In other media==
 +
 
 +
===Home media===
 +
{{Main|List of Saturday Night Live DVD releases}}
 +
Currently, [[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 are a result of prior contracts with NBC struck before the [[NBC Universal]] merger. A majority of Lionsgate's SNL DVDs are "Best Of..." compilations.
 +
 
 +
===Books===
 +
''Saturday Night Live'' (ISBN 0-380-01801-2), the first authorized book about the series, was published by [[Avon (publishers)|Avon Books]] in 1977 and edited by [[Anne Beatts]] and [[John Head]]{{dn|date=November 2014}}, with photography by Edie Baskin;<ref>[http://lccn.loc.gov/78102562 ''Saturday Night Live'' (1977)''] from the [[Library of Congress]] Online Catalog</ref> all three worked for ''SNL'' at the time the book was published. The oversized illustrated paperback included the scripts for several sketches by the 1975-1980 cast.<ref>[http://www.dailyllama.com/spam/books/idle.html Eric Idle Books] from dailyllama.com</ref> In 1986, Doug Hill and Jeff Weingrad authored ''Saturday Night: A Backstage History of Saturday Night Live'' (ISBN 0-688-05099-9), a behind-the-scenes look at the first ten seasons. ''Saturday Night Live: The First Twenty Years'' (ISBN 0-395-75284-1), 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.<ref>{{cite news|title=Book Review: 'Saturday Night Live: The First Twenty Years'. |url=http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,303994,00.html|accessdate=April 30, 2011| publisher=Entertainment Weekly| first1=Bruce | last1=Fretts | date=October 7, 1994}}</ref>
 +
 
 +
''Live From New York: An Uncensored History of Saturday Night Live, as Told By Its Stars, Writers and Guests'' (ISBN 0-316-73565-5) was released in 2002. The book, written by [[Tom Shales]] and James Andrew Miller, consists of interviews from 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.<ref>{{cite news|title=Live From New York: An Uncensored History of Saturday Night Live, Definitive record of an enduring creative work|url=http://www.washingtonian.com/bookreviews/50.html|accessdate=April 30, 2011| publisher=Washingtonian| first1=William | last1=O'Sullivan | date=January 4, 2003}}</ref> In 2004, former cast member [[Jay Mohr]] released his memoir ''[[Gasping for Airtime: Two Years in the Trenches of Saturday Night Live]]'' (ISBN 1-401-30801-5), 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. Cast member Bobby Moynihan described the book as "a handbook on what NOT to do at ''SNL''."<ref name="BookMohr1"/>
 +
 
 +
===Films===
 +
''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 (film)|The Blues Brothers]]'' (1980), which earned over $115 million on a $27 million budget.<ref name="BOMBlues"/>
 +
 
 +
In 1990, Michaels oversaw the writing of a sketch anthology feature film titled ''The Saturday Night Live Movie'' with many of the show's current writing staff, including [[Al Franken]], [[Tom Davis (comedian)|Tom Davis]], [[Greg Daniels]], [[Jim Downey (comedian)|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.<ref>[http://www.filmbuffonline.com/FBOLNewsreel/wordpress/2012/07/06/script-review-the-saturday-night-live-movie/ Script Review: THE SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE MOVIE] from filmbuffonline.com</ref>
 +
 
 +
However, it was the success of ''Wayne's World'' (1992) that encouraged Michaels to produce more film [[spin-off (media)|spin-off]]s, based on several popular sketch characters. Michaels revived 1970s characters for ''[[Coneheads (film)|Coneheads]]'' (1993), followed by ''[[It's Pat]]'' (1994); ''[[Stuart Saves His Family]]'' (1995); ''[[A Night at the Roxbury]]'' (1998); ''[[Superstar (1999 film)|Superstar]]'' (1999) and ''[[The Ladies Man (2000 film)|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 [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]]), pulled it only one week after releasing it,<ref>[http://www.filmcritic.com/features/2010/05/snls-bad-boys----top-ten-worst-snlmovies/ Live, From New York, It's the Worst Movies From the Cast of SNL] from filmcritic.com</ref> and ''Stuart Saves His Family'', which lost $15 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 [[United International Pictures|joint venture]] with Paramount for international distribution of the two studios' films).
 +
 
 +
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="width:99%;"
 +
|-
 +
! rowspan="2" style="text-align:center;"| Film
 +
! rowspan="2" style="text-align:center;"| Release date<br />(United States)
 +
! rowspan="2" style="text-align:center;"| Budget<br />(estimated)
 +
! colspan="3" style="text-align:center;"| Box office revenue
 +
|-
 +
! style="text-align:center;"| United States
 +
! style="text-align:center;"| Elsewhere
 +
! style="text-align:center;"| Worldwide
 +
|-
 +
|''[[The Blues Brothers (film)|The Blues Brothers]]'' || {{sort|19800620|June 20, 1980}} || $27 million || $57,229,890 ||$58,000,000 ||{{sort|115229890|$115,229,890}}
 +
|-
 +
|''[[Wayne's World (film)|Wayne's World]]''  || {{sort|19920214|February 14, 1992}} || $20 million || $121,697,323 ||$61,400,000 ||{{sort|183097323|$183,097,323}}
 +
|-
 +
| ''[[Coneheads (film)|Coneheads]]'' || {{sort|19930723|July 23, 1993}} || $33 million || $21,274,717 || {{n/a}} || {{sort|021274717|$21,274,717}}
 +
|-
 +
| ''[[Wayne's World 2]]'' || {{sort|19931210|December 10, 1993}} || $40 million || $48,197,805 || {{n/a}} || {{sort|048197805|$48,197,805}}
 +
|-
 +
| ''[[It's Pat]]'' || {{sort|19940826|August 26, 1994}} || {{n/a}} || $60,822 || {{n/a}} ||  {{sort|000060822|$60,822}}
 +
|-
 +
| ''[[Stuart Saves His Family]]'' || {{sort|19950414|April 14, 1995}} || $15 million || $912,082 || || {{sort|000912082|$912,082}}
 +
|-
 +
| ''[[Blues Brothers 2000]]'' || {{sort|19980206|February 6, 1998}} || $28 million || $14,051,384 || {{n/a}} ||  {{sort|014051384|$14,051,384}}
 +
|-
 +
| ''[[A Night at the Roxbury]]'' || {{sort|19981002|October 2, 1998}} || $17 million || $30,331,165 || {{n/a}} ||  {{sort|030331165|$30,331,165}}
 +
|-
 +
| ''[[Superstar (1999 film)|Superstar]]'' || {{sort|19991008|October 8, 1999}} || $14 million || $30,636,478 || {{n/a}} ||  {{sort|030636478|$30,636,478}}
 +
|-
 +
| ''[[The Ladies Man (2000 film)|The Ladies Man]]'' || {{sort|20001013|October 13, 2000}} || $24 million || $13,616,610 || $126,602 || {{sort|013616610|$13,743,212}}
 +
|-
 +
| ''[[MacGruber (film)|MacGruber]]'' || {{sort|20100521|May 21, 2010}} || $10 million || $8,525,600 || $797,295 ||  {{sort|009259314|$9,259,314}}
 +
|}
 +
 
 +
The character Bob Roberts from the [[Tim Robbins]] [[Bob Roberts|film of the same name]] (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.<ref>{{cite news | last = Fierman | first = Daniel | title = Judge's Dread | work = [[Entertainment Weekly]] | date = February 26, 1999 | url = http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,274497,00.html | accessdate = August 16, 2007}}</ref>
 +
 
 +
The group [[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 (band)|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 off the [[Mr. Bill]] sketches from early seasons of ''SNL''.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0091565/ |title=Mr. Bill's Real Life Adventures (1986) - IMDb |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |website=IMDb |accessdate=October 1, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |first=Howard |last=Rosenberg |title=The First Arrivals on the Home Front |url=http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/latimes/access/58024463.html?dids=58024463:58024463&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&date=Sep+10%2C+1986&author=HOWARD+ROSENBERG&pub=Los+Angeles+Times+(pre-1997+Fulltext)&desc=THE+FIRST+ARRIVALS+ON+THE+HOME+FRONT&pqatl=google |work=Los Angeles Times |page=1, Calendar section |date=September 10, 1986 |accessdate=October 11, 2013}}</ref>
 +
 
 +
===Music===
 +
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 skit music video "[[Lazy Sunday]]", written with fellow cast member [[Chris Parnell]]. The song became a surprise hit,<ref name="LonelyIsland1"/> 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 an Emmy for ''Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics'' in 2007<ref name="LonelyIsland2"/>—saw The Lonely Island go on to release two albums, ''[[Incredibad]]'' (2009)<ref name="LonelyIsland3"/> and ''[[Turtleneck & Chain]]'' (2011), containing ''SNL''-developed songs and original works. The albums were released by [[Universal Republic Records]] who were provided with a license to the ''SNL'' songs 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. 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 Network|A&E]] episode of ''[[Biography (TV series)|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.<ref name="SatNightDocu"/>
 +
 
 +
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]].<ref name="MerchIceCream3"/> The ice cream became the fastest-selling Ben & Jerry's limited-edition flavor. The ice cream was also subject to criticism and boycotts by the [[American Family Association|One Million Moms]] organization over the "vulgar"<ref name="MerchIceCream2"/> 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.<ref name="MerchIceCream2"/><ref name="MerchIceCream"/> In June 2014, two new flavours 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 Catastropic Crunch'' based on the recurring ''[[Gilly (Saturday Night Live)#Gilly|Gilly]]'' sketches featuring Kristen Wiig.<ref>{{cite web|last=Kludt |first=Amanda |url=http://eater.com/archives/2014/06/19/saturday-night-live-inspired-ben-jerrys-newest-flavors.php |title=Ben & Jerry's Introduces SNL-Themed Ice Cream |publisher=Eater |date=2014-06-19 |accessdate=2014-12-12}}</ref> There are also plans for a further two flavours to be released later in the year commemorate the 40th anniversary of SNL.
 +
 
 +
==Controversies==
 +
 
 +
===Andrew Dice Clay===
 +
[[Andrew Dice Clay]] was scheduled as host on the May 12, 1990, episode. Cast member [[Nora Dunn]] immediately announced to the press that she was boycotting the show in protest at Clay's perceived misogynistic, politically incorrect act, doing so without informing Michaels, the cast or most of the crew about her intent.{{Sfn|Shales|Miller|2002|pp=224-225}} The backlash was immediate; casting Clay was compared to [[the Holocaust]] by an audience member during an interview with Michaels,{{Sfn|Shales|Miller|2002|p=225}} female members of the cast and crew were harassed by phone and mail for sticking with the show, and metal detectors were installed at the show to enhance security. NBC censors insisted that the episode be placed on a delay to compensate for anything Clay might say on air.{{Sfn|Shales|Miller|2002|pp=224,227}} During the live show, some audience members heckled Clay and were immediately removed by the increased security detail.{{Sfn|Shales|Miller|2002|p=226}} Dunn's contract was already coming to an end, and with one episode left in the season, the staff voted against having her take part in the final episode or return.{{Sfn|Shales|Miller|2002|pp=225-226}} [[Sinéad O'Connor]] was scheduled to be the musical guest for the episode, but she boycotted the show because of Clay's involvement, forcing the producers to find musical replacements.<ref name="ControOConnor2"/>
 +
 
 +
===Sinéad O'Connor===
 +
[[File:Sinead rips into the Pope.jpg|thumb|[[Sinéad O'Connor]] tears a picture of [[Pope John Paul II]] apart.]]
 +
On October 3, 1992, Sinéad O'Connor was scheduled to appear, performing an [[a cappella]] performance of [[Bob Marley]]'s "[[War (Bob Marley song)|War]]". During the dress rehearsal, O'Connor held up a photo of a [[Yugoslav Wars|Balkan child]] as a protest of child abuse in war before bowing and leaving the stage, which the episode's director Dave Wilson described as a "very tender moment".<ref name="salon"/> However, during the live show, O'Connor altered the "War" lyric "fight racial injustice" to "fight child abuse" as a protest against the cases of [[Catholic sex abuse cases|sexual abuse in the Roman Catholic Church]]. She presented a photo of [[Pope John Paul II]] while singing the word "evil", before tearing the image into pieces and saying "Fight the real enemy".<ref name="salon"/><ref name="sineadonion"/> NBC had no foreknowledge of O'Connor's plan, and Wilson purposely failed to use the "applause" button, leaving the audience to sit in silence. Michaels made the decision to allow O'Connor to take the stage with the rest of the cast at the end of the show, for which he was later punished. NBC received thousands of irate calls in the aftermath of the incident, and protests against O'Connor occurred outside of the 30 Rock building, where a steamroller crushed dozens of her tapes, CDs and LPs.<ref name="salon"/> In the following weeks on ''SNL'', guests [[Joe Pesci]] and [[Madonna (entertainer)|Madonna]] both voiced their opposition to O'Connor.<ref name="salon"/><ref name="sineadonion"/>
 +
 
 +
As of 2012, NBC still declines to rebroadcast the sequence with the exception of an interview with O'Connor on MSNBC's ''[[The Rachel Maddow Show (TV series)|The Rachel Maddow Show]]'', which aired on April 24, 2010, when the clip was aired in full. In reruns the incident is replaced with the dress rehearsal performance. The original episode was made available on volume four of the ''SNL'' DVD special ''Saturday Night Live - 25 Years of Music'', with an introduction by Michaels about the incident. On February 20, 2011, the clip was aired on the ''SNL'' special "Backstage" showing footage of the dress rehearsal and live performance side by side. The footage cuts to interviewees during the moment the photo was ripped.{{citation needed|date=January 2012}}
 +
 
 +
The incident was mocked during a live episode of the television show ''[[30 Rock]]'', in which an NBC page ([[Kristen Schaal]]) comes on stage and tears a picture of O'Connor in half.<ref>{{cite web|title=30 Rock: Live From Studio 6H|url=http://www.picktainment.com/blog/2012/04/30-rock-live-from-studio-6h/|accessdate=May 6, 2011}}</ref>
 +
 
 +
===Rage Against the Machine===
 +
On April 13, 1996, musical guests [[Rage Against the Machine]] (RATM) were scheduled to perform two songs. The show was hosted that night by billionaire [[Steve Forbes]]. According to RATM guitarist [[Tom Morello]], "RATM wanted to stand in sharp juxtaposition to a billionaire telling jokes and promoting his [[flat tax]] by making our own statement."<ref name="SNL">{{cite web|last=Morello|first=Tom|url=http://www.musicfanclubs.org/rage/snl.htm|title=Saturday Night Live Incident|publisher=Music Fan Clubs Organization|accessdate=November 12, 2007}}</ref>
 +
To this end, the band hung two [[Flag desecration#Flying an American flag upside down|upside-down]] [[Flag of the United States|American flags]] from their amplifiers. Seconds before they took the stage to perform "[[Bulls on Parade]]", ''SNL'' and NBC sent stagehands in to pull the flags down.<ref>{{cite web|title=Rage Against the Machine|url=http://www.esquilax.com/flag/ratm.shtml|work=The Flag Burning Page|accessdate=March 16, 2008}}</ref> Following the removal of the flags during the first performance, the band was approached by ''SNL'' and NBC officials and ordered to immediately leave the building. Upon hearing this, bassist [[Tim Commerford]] reportedly stormed Forbes' dressing room, throwing shreds from one of the torn-down flags.
 +
Morello said that members of the ''SNL'' cast and crew, whom he declined to name, "expressed solidarity with our actions, and a sense of shame that their show had censored the performance."<ref name="SNL"/>
 +
 
 +
===Ashlee Simpson===
 +
[[Ashlee Simpson]] appeared as a musical guest on October 23, 2004. Her first performance, "[[Pieces of Me]]," was performed without incident, but when she began her second song, "[[Autobiography (Ashlee Simpson album)|Autobiography]]," the vocals for "Pieces of Me" were heard again—before she had even raised the microphone to her mouth. Simpson began to do an impromptu jig, and then left the stage.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.today.com/id/6356035/ns/today-today_entertainment/t/ashlee-simpson-takes-snl-lip-sync-blame |title=Ashlee Simpson takes ‘SNL’ lip sync blame - today > entertainment - Music |publisher=TODAY.com |date=2004-10-28 |accessdate=2014-12-12}}</ref> During the closing of the show Simpson appeared with the guest host [[Jude Law]] and said: "I'm so sorry. My band started playing the wrong song, and I didn't know what to do, so I thought I'd do a [[hoedown]]."<ref>{{cite news|title=USA Today: Did 'Saturday Night Live' expose Ashlee Simpson's extra help?|url=http://www.usatoday.com/life/music/news/2004-10-24-simpson-snl_x.htm | accessdate=January 8, 2009 | date=October 24, 2004}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Ashlee Simpson Performance Incident|url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Rt318_cEsw&feature=related|publisher=[[YouTube]] |accessdate=July 23, 2010}}</ref>
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 +
On October 25, Simpson explained that due to complications arising from severe [[Gastroesophageal reflux disease|acid reflux]] disease, she had completely lost her voice and her doctor had advised her not to sing. Her father wanted her to use a vocal [[guide track]] for the performance after she had suffered vocal issues during rehearsals.<ref name="60MinutesInterview"/> Simpson stated of the incident, "I made a complete fool of myself." According to Simpson, the drummer hit the wrong button, which caused the wrong track to be played.<ref>{{cite news | last=Vineyard | first=Jennifer | title=Ashlee Blames Gastric Distress For 'SNL' Lip-Synch Snafu | date= October 25, 2004 | publisher=MTV News|url=http://www.vh1.com/artists/news/1492993/10252004/simpson_ashlee.jhtml}}</ref> Lorne Michaels had been unaware of the plan to use lip synching, and said in an interview with ''60 Minutes'' that he would not have allowed it.<ref name="60MinutesInterview"/> Simpson is the only musical guest ever to walk off stage during a live performance.<ref name="60MinutesInterview"/>
 +
 
 +
===Other incidents===
 +
* On December 13, 1975, the show was forced by the network to run on a five-second delay when controversial comedian [[Richard Pryor]] hosted.{{Sfn|Shales|Miller|2002|p=47}}<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0694453/|title=Saturday Night Live: Season 1, Episode 7 Richard Pryor/Gil Scott-Heron|date=December 13, 1975|publisher=IMDb.com|accessdate=November 23, 2012}}</ref> Engineers at the show later said they did not run the delay because no one knew how to achieve the effect.<ref>Furious Cool: Richard Pryor and the World that Made Him.</ref>
 +
* A stand-up routine by [[Sam Kinison]] in the October 18, 1986, episode was edited in West Coast and later airings to replace two parts of the routine with a silent image of the previous season's cast. The first cutaway occurred when Kinison began asking for the legalization of [[cannabis (drug)|cannabis]] and said: "You can't get any more pot. If you give us back the pot, we'll forget about the crack".<ref name="ControKinison"/> The joke violated NBC policy of the time that all references to drugs must be negative. The second, longer cutaway occurred when Kinison made a joke about [[Crucifixion of Jesus|the Crucifixion]]. During rehearsal, Kinison had not performed the drug joke; he had performed, and been asked to remove, the Crucifixion joke.<ref name="ControKinison"/>
 +
* In a "[[Wayne's World]]" sketch, the characters Wayne and Garth (portrayed by Myers and Carvey, respectively) made fun of [[Chelsea Clinton]] (the then 12-year-old daughter of the then President-elect [[Bill Clinton]]), implying that Chelsea was incapable of causing males to "[[erection|Schwing!]]". This joke was subsequently edited out of all repeats and syndication rebroadcasts of this sketch.<ref name="ControWayne"/>
 +
* A portion of [[Martin Lawrence]]'s February 19, 1994, monologue concerning feminine hygiene has been removed from all repeats, replaced with a [[voice-over]] and [[intertitle]]s stating that the excised portion "...was a frank and lively presentation, and nearly cost us all our jobs."<ref name="ControLawrence"/>
 +
* In 1995, an Irish Bartender sketch, written by comedian [[Jay Mohr]], was aired. By April 15, 1995, during the Saturday rehearsal, Mohr was brought to Michaels, and shown a video of the Irish Bartender act as performed by its creator, [[Rick Shapiro]]. Mohr denied any knowledge of Shapiro or his act at the time, but later admitted in his memoir that he had stolen the sketch word for word from Shapiro's work. Shapiro and his manager sued the show and gained an undisclosed settlement which included the sketch being removed from all reruns of the show.{{Sfn|Mohr|2004|p=125}}
 +
* In March 1998, a [[Robert Smigel]] animated short film, "Conspiracy Theory Rock", aired. The short is a scathing political sketch accusing corporations including [[The Walt Disney Company|Disney]], [[Fox Entertainment Group|FOX]], and then-owners of NBC [[General Electric]], of developing a media monopoly to manipulate public perception, and conceal questionable actions. The clip aired only once as part of the original ''SNL'' episode and was removed from syndicated repeats with Michaels explaining that it "wasn't funny". The clip was eventually released as part of the ''Saturday TV Funhouse'' compilation DVD in 2006.<ref name="ControSmigel"/>
 +
* A sketch involving "butt pregnancy" during the first broadcast of the November 12, 2005, episode was replaced with a musical sketch about cafeteria food during the repeat.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://snltranscripts.jt.org/05/05e.phtml |title=SNL Transcripts: Jason Lee: 11/12/05 |publisher=Snltranscripts.jt.org |date=November 12, 2005 |accessdate=April 12, 2010}}</ref>
 +
* On September 26, 2009, [[Jenny Slate]] made her ''SNL'' debut in a biker babe sketch alongside Wiig and actress [[Megan Fox]], where their characters repeatedly use the word "frickin'". During one instance Slate instead accidentally said "fuckin'", which was dubbed over with "freakin'" for subsequent airings.<ref name="ControSlate"/>
 +
* On December 15, 2012, actor [[Samuel L. Jackson]], appearing on the recurring [[Kenan Thompson]] sketch "What Up With That?" as a talk show guest whose segment was cut for time, exclaimed what sounded like the words "fuck" and "bullshit." Thompson ad-libbed in response, "C'mon, Sam, that costs money!" Jackson later claimed he hadn't said the full word "fuck" and that Thompson was supposed to cut off his second expletive.<ref>{{cite news|title=SNL Silent Night Children's Choir Opens Show|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/16/snl-silent-night-connecticut-shooting_n_2310590.html|work=The Huffington Post|accessdate=January 16, 2013|date=December 16, 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Samuel L. Jackson Explains F-Bomb On 'SNL', Blames Kenan Thompson|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/19/samuel-l-jackson-explains-f-bomb-blames-kenan_n_2330478.html|work=The Huffington Post|accessdate=January 13, 2013|first=Carol|last=Hartsell|date=December 19, 2012}}</ref>
 +
 
 +
==References==
 +
{{Reflist|30em|refs=
 +
<ref name="2012AccoAug">{{cite news|first=Tim | last=Appelo| title=Emmys 2012: Kristen Wiig, Kathryn Joosten Top This Year's Last Chance Contenders| url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/emmys-2012-urgent-contenders-kristen-wiig-kathryn-joosten-kathy-bates-363831 |publisher=Prometheus Global Media| work=The Hollywood Reporter|date=August 22, 2012| accessdate=August 22, 2012| archiveurl =http://www.webcitation.org/6JF7LZRWs <!-- http://archive.is/2DJQv -->|archivedate=August 29, 2013 | deadurl=no}}</ref>
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<ref name="2012AccoSep">{{cite news|first=Aly| last=Semigran| title=A HISTORY OF 'SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE' AT THE EMMYS | url=http://www.hollywood.com/news/tv/40139374/a-history-of-saturday-night-live-at-the-emmys?page=all |publisher=Hollywood.com, LLC | work=[[Hollywood.com]] |date=September 17, 2012| accessdate=September 15, 2013 | archiveurl =http://archive.is/u3XkS |archivedate=September 15, 2013 | deadurl=no}}</ref>
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 +
<ref name="2013AccoHader">{{cite news|first=Jose | last=Iniguez | title='SNL' Alum Bill Hader Considers Giving Stefon Another Life| url=http://www.ryot.org/bill-hader-bringing-stefon-to-the-big-screen/343521 |publisher=Ryot | work= |date=August 29, 2013| accessdate=August 29, 2013 | archiveurl =http://www.webcitation.org/6JF74JIEf |archivedate=August 29, 2013  | deadurl=no}}</ref>
 +
 
 +
<ref name="2013CastTransition">{{cite web|first=Mark| last=Graham | title=Meet The Six New Faces On Saturday Night Live | url=http://www.vh1.com/celebrity/2013-09-28/snl-new-faces/ |publisher=[[Viacom Media Networks]] | work=[[VH1]] |date=September 28, 2013| accessdate=December 1, 2013 | archiveurl =http://archive.is/vBzxW |archivedate=December 1, 2013 | deadurl=no}}</ref>
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<ref name="2013SepCasting">{{cite news|first=Seth|last=Abramovitch | url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/snl-announces-hire-6-new-629845 |title='SNL' Announces Hire of 6 New Castmembers|publisher=Prometheus Global Media| work=The Hollywood Reporter |date=September 16, 2013 |accessdate=September 16, 2013| archiveurl =http://archive.is/Ef38e |archivedate=September 16, 2013 | deadurl=no}}</ref>
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 +
<ref name="2013WGABestever">{{cite news | last=| first= | url=http://www.deadline.com/2013/06/wgas-101-best-written-tv-series-of-all-time-complete-list/ | title='101 Best Written TV Series Of All Time' From WGA/TV Guide: Complete List | publisher=PMC |work=Deadline.com | date=June 2, 2013| accessdate=June 3, 2013 | archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6H5yn3sZq |archivedate=June 3, 2013 |deadurl=no}}</ref>
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<ref name="2014Pardo">{{cite news | url=http://deadline.com/2014/08/don-pardo-dead-saturday-night-live-821449/http://www.deadline.com/2013/06/wgas-101-best-written-tv-series-of-all-time-complete-list/ | title=R.I.P. ‘Saturday Night Live’ Announcer Don Pardo | publisher=PMC |work=Deadline.com | date=August 18, 2014| accessdate=August 19, 2014| archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6RxDN6cji |archivedate=August 19, 2014 |deadurl=no}}</ref>
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<ref name="60MinutesInterview">{{cite news|first=Rebecca|last=Leung|url=http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/10/28/60minutes/main652196.shtml |title=Michaels: Lip-Sync An 'SNL' No-No |publisher=[[CBS]]|work=[[60 Minutes]]|date=February 11, 2009| accessdate= January 25, 2012| archiveurl = | archivedate = | deadurl=no}}</ref>
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 +
<ref name="AlexBaze1">{{cite web|url=http://www.nbc.com/saturday-night-live/backstage/ |title=SNL Backstage |publisher=[[NBC]]|work=Saturday Night Live|date=December 17, 2011| accessdate= December 18, 2011| archiveurl = http://www.webcitation.org/6420n6r7x | archivedate = December 18, 2011| deadurl=no}}</ref>
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<ref name="Announcer1">{{cite news| title='SNL' retirement for announcing legend Don Pardo?| url=http://weblogs.variety.com/on_the_air/2010/09/legendary-announcer-don-pardo-may-finally-have-his-saturday-nights-back-its-believed-that-pardo-is-looking-at-stepping-d.html| work=Variety| publisher=Reed Business Information| date=September 17, 2010|first=Michael|last=Schneider| accessdate=May 24, 2011}}</ref>
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 +
<ref name="AwardsRecordEmmy">{{cite web|url=http://www.tvweek.com/blogs/tvbizwire/2010/07/with-13-additional-emmy-nomina.php |title=With 13 Additional Emmy Nominations, 'Saturday Night Live' Breaks Record as Most Nominated Show in Awards Program's History|publisher=TVWeek |accessdate=November 6, 2010}}</ref>
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<ref name="AwardsRecordEmmy2">{{cite news| url=http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/07/08/saturday-night-live-breaks-an-emmy-record-and-lorne-michaels-is-cool-with-that/?ref=television | work=The New York Times | title=''Saturday Night Live'' Breaks an Emmy Record, and Lorne Michaels Is Cool With That | first=Dave | last=Itzkoff | date=July 8, 2010}}</ref>
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<ref name="AwardTime100">{{cite news |url=http://www.time.com/time/specials/2007/article/0,28804,1651341_1659192_1652529,00.html |title=The 100 Best TV Shows of All-''TIME'' |first=James |last=Poniewozik |authorlink=James Poniewozik |work=[[Time (magazine)|Time]] |publisher=Time.com |accessdate=March 4, 2010 | date=September 6, 2007}}</ref>
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<ref name="BOMBlues">{{cite web|title=The Blues Brothers|work=[[Box Office Mojo]]|publisher=[[Internet Movie Database]]|url=http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=bluesbrothers.htm|accessdate=December 16, 2008}}</ref>
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 +
<ref name="BookMohr1">{{cite news |first=Mike| last=Ryan| url=http://www.starpulse.com/news/index.php/2009/02/26/snl_s_bobby_moynihan_discusses_working_w?page=2|title='SNL's' Bobby Moynihan Discusses Working with Beyonce, Justin Timberlake, James Franco And More |publisher=Starpulse |accessdate=January 26, 2012 | date=February 26, 2009|archiveurl= |archivedate= | deadurl=no}}</ref>
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 +
<ref name="CastCasting">{{cite web | title=SNL FAQ| publisher = [[Broadway Video]]| url=http://www.broadwayvideo.com/snl-faq/ | accessdate=January 1, 2012 | archiveurl = http://www.webcitation.org/64ZEXONgX |archivedate=January 9, 2012 | deadurl=no}}</ref>
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<ref name="CastContract">{{cite web |first=Peter| last=Bogdanovich| title=SNL's Killer Contract | publisher = [[Jared Kushner]]|work=[[The New York Observer]]| url=http://www.observer.com/1999/snl-s-killer-contract |date=August 16, 1999| accessdate=January 24, 2012 | archiveurl = http://www.webcitation.org/64wDH8Uva |archivedate=January 24, 2012 | deadurl=no}}</ref>
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<ref name="CastContract2">{{cite news|first=Philiana| last=Ng| title=Jimmy Fallon Reveals Secrets Behind the Best 'Late Night' Sketches | url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/jimmy-fallon-reveals-secrets-best-167001 |publisher=Prometheus Global Media| work=The Hollywood Reporter|date=March 12, 2010| accessdate=January 24, 2012| archiveurl = |archivedate= | deadurl=no}}</ref>
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<ref name="CastContract3">{{cite news|first=Olivia| last=Barker| title=Kristen Wiig of 'SNL' helps save the day in 'MacGruber' | url=http://www.usatoday.com/life/people/2010-05-21-kristenwiig21_ST_N.htm |publisher=Gannett Company| work=[[USA Today]]|date=May 21, 2010| accessdate=January 24, 2012| archiveurl = |archivedate= | deadurl=no}}</ref>
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 +
<ref name="CastContractFerrell">{{cite web|url=http://webcenters.netscape.compuserve.com/celebrity/package.jsp?name=celebrity/content/bsf_carreyvsfarrell |title=War of the Funnymen&nbsp;– Netscape Celebrity |publisher=Webcenters.netscape.compuserve.com |accessdate=September 11, 2010}}</ref>
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<ref name="CastHammond">{{cite web | title=E News | work=Ex-SNL Star Darrell Hammond on His Shocking Drug Past: "I Had the Brilliant Idea I Should Try Crack| url=http://www.eonline.com/news/ex-snl_star_darrell_hammond_on_his/271199 | accessdate=October 24, 2011}}</ref>
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<ref name="CastHistory">{{cite web |first=Richard| last=Keller| title=The Not Ready for Prime-Time Players who made it to the big time: 1975-1985 | url=http://www.aoltv.com/2008/04/17/the-not-ready-for-prime-time-players-who-made-it-to-the-big-time/ |publisher=[[AOL]]|date=April 17, 2008| accessdate=January 7, 2012| archiveurl =http://www.webcitation.org/64VJJ2lRI |archivedate=January 7, 2012 | deadurl=no}}</ref>
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<ref name="CastPTime">{{cite web |first=Todd S.| last=Purdum| title='Saturday Night Live' mocks politics with bipartisan gusto | url=http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0411/53754.html |publisher=[[Allbritton Communications Company]]|work=[[Politico]]|date=April 4, 2011| accessdate=January 14, 2012| archiveurl =http://www.webcitation.org/64fsBxxOV |archivedate=January 14, 2012 | deadurl=no}}</ref>
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<ref name="CastUpdate1">{{cite news|first=Bradford| last=Evans| title=The Lost Weekend Update Anchors| url=http://splitsider.com/2011/10/the-lost-weekend-update-anchors |publisher=[[The Awl]]|work=[[Splitsider]]|date=October 27, 2011| accessdate=January 9, 2012| archiveurl =http://www.webcitation.org/64ZRw3qBn |archivedate=January 9, 2012 | deadurl=no}}</ref>
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 +
<ref name="CastWiig1">{{cite news| title='Descendants' scribes sell pitch to Indian Paintbrush| url=http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118050850| work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]| publisher=[[Reed Business Information]]| date=February 28, 2012 |first=Jeff|last=Sneider| accessdate=February 28, 2012}}</ref>
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 +
<ref name="ControKinison">{{cite news|first=David T.| last=Friendly| title= NBC censors comedian Kinison's jokes on ''SNL'' | url=http://www.chron.com/CDA/archives/archive.mpl/1986_274404/nbc-censors-comedian-kinison-s-jokes-on-snl.html |publisher=[[Hearst Corporation]]|work=[[Houston Chronicle]]|date=October 22, 1986| accessdate=January 8, 2012| archiveurl =http://www.webcitation.org/64XWQNJOo |archivedate=January 8, 2012 | deadurl=no}}</ref>
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 +
<ref name="ControLawrence">{{cite web | url= http://snltranscripts.jt.org/93/93nmono.phtml | title= Martin Lawrence's Monologue | work= ''SNL'' Transcripts | date= April 12, 2003 | accessdate= March 3, 2008}}</ref>
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 +
<ref name="ControOConnor2">[http://www.nytimes.com/1990/05/14/arts/review-television-saturday-night-live-with-andrew-dice-clay.html?src=pm Review/Television; 'Saturday Night Live,' With Andrew Dice Clay&nbsp;– New York Times]. Nytimes.com (May 14, 1990). Retrieved on March 19, 2011.</ref>
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 +
<ref name="ControSlate">{{cite news|url=http://www.nydailynews.com/gossip/aturday-night-live-cast-member-jenny-slate-drops-f-bomb-premiere-episode-hosted-megan-fox-article-1.383203|title='Saturday Night Live' cast member Jenny Slate drops F-bomb in premiere episode hosted by Megan Fox|last=Schreffler|first=Laura|author2=Hays, Elizabeth |date=September 28, 2009|work=New York Daily News|accessdate=January 7, 2012 |archiveurl =http://www.webcitation.org/64WVZrGBz |archivedate=January 7, 2012 | deadurl=no}}</ref>
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 +
<ref name="ControSmigel">{{cite news |first=Christine | last=Friar| url= http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/04/banned-snl-clip-video_n_1184426.html | title= 'Banned SNL Clip': Rare 'Conspiracy Theory Rock!' Short Unearthed And Going Viral (VIDEO)| date= January 4, 2012 | publisher= The Huffington Post | accessdate= January 7, 2012| archiveurl =http://www.webcitation.org/64WUPYoN8|archivedate=January 7, 2012 | deadurl=no}}</ref>
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 +
<ref name="ControWayne">{{cite news | url= http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2004/01/22/DDGJO4EJ9U1.DTL | title= Just ask Chelsea, Jenna and Barbara: Escaping the glare of the spotlight isn't easy for kids whose dads work in the Oval Office | date= January 22, 2004 | work= [[San Francisco Chronicle]] | first= C.W. | last= Nevius | accessdate= March 3, 2008}}</ref>
 +
 
 +
<ref name="CrewDoumanian">{{cite web|title=Cityfile: Jean Doumanian|url=http://cityfile.com/profiles/jean-doumanian|accessdate=February 14, 2010|work=Cityfile}}</ref>
 +
 
 +
<!--<ref name="DevSeason39">{{cite news|first1=Lesley |last1=Goldberg |first2=Seth |last2=Abramovitch |title='Saturday Night Live' Adds First African-American Female in Five Years |url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/saturday-night-live-adds-sasheer-668659 | publisher=Prometheus Global Media |work=The Hollywood Reporter |date=January 7, 2014| accessdate=January 7, 2013 | archiveurl=http://archive.is/3kjFs |archivedate=January 7, 2013 | deadurl=no}}</ref>
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 +
<ref name="DevSeason39B">{{cite news | last=Andreeva | first=Nellie | url=http://www.deadline.com/2014/01/saturday-night-live-adds-sasheer-zamata-black-cast-member/ | title=Sasheer Zamata Joins ''Saturday Night Live'' As New Cast Member | publisher=PMC |work=Deadline.com | date=January 6, 2013 | accessdate=January 7, 2013 | archiveurl=http://archive.is/6cK1w |archivedate=January 7, 2013 |deadurl=no}}</ref>-->
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 +
<ref name="Ebert2010">{{cite news|first=Roger|last=Ebert|url=http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20101103/REVIEWS/101109990/1023|title=Megamind|accessdate=November 5, 2010|date=November 3, 2010|work=[[Chicago Sun-Times]]}}</ref>
 +
 
 +
<ref name="FeySC">{{cite news|first=Jancee| last=Dunn| title=Tina Fey: Funny Girl | url=http://www.rd.com/family/tina-fey-interview/2/ |publisher=[[The Reader's Digest Association]]| work=[[Reader's Digest]]|date=April 2008| accessdate=January 7, 2012| archiveurl =http://www.webcitation.org/64WRTYGE6 |archivedate=January 7, 2012 | deadurl=no}}</ref>
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 +
<ref name="grosz">{{cite news|url=http://articles.latimes.com/2009/jun/10/news/en-feyqa10|title=Tina Fey: Let's face it; she rocks|last=Grosz |first=Christy|date=June 10, 2009|work=[[Los Angeles Times]]|accessdate=September 15, 2009|page=1}}</ref>
 +
 
 +
<ref name="History1">{{cite web|first=Geoffrey|last=Hammill| title=Saturday Night Live |url=http://www.museum.tv/eotvsection.php?entrycode=saturdaynigh|publisher=[[The Museum of Broadcast Communications]] |accessdate=November 13, 2012  |archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6C8Gbo03z |archivedate=November 13, 2012 |deadurl=no}}</ref>
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 +
<ref name="History2">{{cite news|first=Stacey |last=Wilson |title=A Rare Glimpse Inside the Empire of 'SNL's' Lorne Michaels |url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/how-snls-lorne-michaels-became-179894 | publisher=Prometheus Global Media |work=The Hollywood Reporter |date=April 22, 2011| accessdate=November 13, 2012 | archiveurl= http://www.webcitation.org/6C8GUnMJL|archivedate= November 13, 2012 | deadurl=no}}</ref>
 +
 
 +
<ref name="Host5Timer">{{cite news| first = Carol| last =Hartsell| title =Justin Timberlake Joins The Five-Timers Club During 'SNL' Monologue (VIDEO) |url =http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/03/10/justin-timberlake-five-timers-club-snl_n_2846558.html |publisher =The Huffington Post|date=March 10, 2013 | accessdate=March 10, 2013| archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6F177L54v | archivedate=March 10, 2013 | deadurl=no}}</ref>
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 +
<ref name="HostBaldwinRec">{{cite news|first=Aly| last=Semigran| title='Saturday Night Live' recap: The return of the king (a.k.a. Alec Baldwin) | url=http://popwatch.ew.com/2011/09/25/saturday-night-live-recap/ |publisher=[[Time Inc.]]| work=[[Entertainment Weekly]]|date=September 25, 2011| accessdate=January 8, 2012| archiveurl =http://www.webcitation.org/64XYc7v0Q |archivedate=January 8, 2012 | deadurl=no}}</ref>
 +
 
 +
<ref name="HostCarlin">{{cite news| first =Rachel | last =Sklar | title =George Carlin's SNL Monologue |url =http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/06/24/george-carlins-snl-monolo_n_108838.html |publisher =The Huffington Post|date=February 7, 2008 | accessdate=January 14, 2012| archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/64fv9yn9A | archivedate= January 14, 2012| deadurl=no}}</ref>
 +
 
 +
<ref name="HostPoliticians">{{cite news| first =Dominic | last =Patten | title =No ''SNL'' For Mitt Romney This Season, Says Lorne Michaels |url =http://www.deadline.com/2012/05/no-%E2%80%98snl%E2%80%99-for-mitt-romney-this-season-says-lorne-michaels/ |publisher =[[PMC (company)|PMC]]| work=[[Deadline.com]]| date=May 2, 2012 | accessdate=May 2, 2012| archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/64fv9yn9A | archivedate= January 14, 2012| deadurl=no}}</ref>
 +
 
 +
<ref name="ImpactGeneral">{{cite news | first1=John | last1=Fitzpatrick |title=The SNL Effect: 'Saturday Night Live' Political Skits Make Real Impact on Voters |url=http://www.reuters.com/article/2008/11/05/idUS255618+05-Nov-2008+PRN20081105| publisher=[[Thomson Reuters]] |work=[[Reuters]] | date=November 5, 2008 |accessdate=August 29, 2013| archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6JF9Rb9mz | archivedate=August 29, 2013 | deadurl=no}}</ref>
 +
 
 +
<ref name="ImpactPalin">{{cite news| first =Tyler | last =Kingkade | title ='Saturday Night Live' Political Skits May Sway The Presidential Election, Academics Argue |url =http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/09/21/saturday-night-live-political-skits_n_1901761.html |publisher =The Huffington Post|date=September 25, 2012 | accessdate=August 29, 2013| archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6JF8tUE3r | archivedate=August 29, 2013 | deadurl=no}}</ref>
 +
 
 +
<ref name="Levin2001">{{cite journal|first=Gary|last=Levin|title=Fey makes way in funnyman's world|date=February 8, 2001|work=[[USA Today]]|page=04.D}}</ref>
 +
 
 +
<ref name="LFNYch1">{{cite news|first=Tom | last=Shales | title=FIRST CHAPTER: 'Live From New York'|url=http://www.nytimes.com/2002/11/10/books/chapters/1110-1st-shales.html?pagewanted=15 |publisher=[[The New York Times Company]] |work=[[The New York Times]] | date=November 10, 2002 |accessdate=November 13, 2012 |archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6C8I7ECKk |archivedate=November 13, 2012 |deadurl=no}}</ref>
 +
 
 +
<ref name="LonelyIsland1">{{cite news|url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1184075,00.html|title=Straight Outta Narnia|first=Joel|last=Stein|work=[[Time (magazine)|TIME]]|date=April 17, 2006|accessdate=May 13, 2011}}</ref>
 +
 
 +
<ref name="LonelyIsland2">{{cite news |title=2007 Emmy Winners: the Complete List |publisher=[[Daily News (New York)]] |date=September 17, 2007 |url=http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/television/2007-emmy-winners-complete-list-article-1.248071?pgno=2 |accessdate=December 22, 2008}}</ref>
 +
 
 +
<ref name="LonelyIsland3">{{cite news|url=http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1601144/20081211/timberlake_justin.jhtml|title='SNL' Star Andy Samberg Recruits T-Pain, Justin Timberlake, Norah Jones for New Album|accessdate=December 13, 2008|last=Kaufman|first=Gil|date= December 10, 2008|publisher=[[MTV News]]}}</ref>
 +
 
 +
<ref name="MatthewsInt1">{{cite news|title=Mary Ellen Matthews: It's Saturday Night!|url=http://www.digitalphotopro.com/profiles/mary-ellen-matthews-its-saturday-night.html|accessdate=April 19, 2011|work=Digital Photo Pro | first1=William | last1=Sawalich | date=February 23, 2010}}</ref>
 +
 
 +
<ref name="MatthewsInt2">{{cite news|title=Mary Ellen Matthews: It's Saturday Night!|url=http://www.digitalphotopro.com/profiles/mary-ellen-matthews-its-saturday-night.html?start=2|accessdate=April 19, 2011|work=Digital Photo Pro | first1=William | last1=Sawalich | date=February 23, 2010}}</ref>
 +
 
 +
<ref name="MerchIceCream">{{cite news|first=Aly| last=Semigran | title=Ben & Jerry's Schweddy Balls not being sold in some stores: Have you had a taste yet?|url=http://popwatch.ew.com/2011/10/21/ben-and-jerrys-schweddy-balls-not-sold-in-stores/ |publisher=[[Time Inc.]] | work = [[Entertainment Weekly]] |date=October 21, 2011| accessdate=February 21, 2012|archiveurl= |archivedate= |deadurl=no}}</ref>
 +
 
 +
<ref name="MerchIceCream2">{{cite news|first=Deborah| last=Netburn | title=Is Ben & Jerry's 'Schweddy Balls' R-rated ice cream?
 +
|url=http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/nationnow/2011/09/is-ben-jerrys-schweddy-balls-r-rated-ice-cream.html |publisher=[[Tribune Company]] | work = [[Los Angeles Times]] |date=September 23, 2011| accessdate=February 21, 2012|archiveurl= |archivedate= |deadurl=no}}</ref>
 +
 
 +
<ref name="MerchIceCream3">{{cite news|first=Katy| last=Steinmetz | title=Schweddy Balls: Ben & Jerry's Newest Vermont Export |url=http://newsfeed.time.com/2011/09/07/schweddy-balls-ben-jerrys-newest-vermont-export/ |publisher=[[Time Inc.]] | work = [[Time (magazine)|Time]] |date=September 7, 2011| accessdate=February 21, 2012|archiveurl= |archivedate= |deadurl=no}}</ref>
 +
 
 +
<ref name="Murphy1">{{cite news|first=Jake | last=Meaney | title='Saturday Night Live: The Best of Eddie Murphy' Brings on Bursts of Genius |url=http://www.popmatters.com/review/132111-saturday-night-live-the-best-of-eddie-murphy/ |publisher=[[PopMatters]] |date=October 14, 2010 | accessdate=September 15, 2013 |archiveurl=http://archive.is/c5v0V |archivedate=September 15, 2013  |deadurl=no}}</ref>
 +
 
 +
<ref name="MusicalGrohl">{{cite news|first= | last=| title=Dave Grohl Makes His 11th Appearance on 'Saturday Night Live' Tonight |url=http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/dave-grohl-makes-his-11th-appearance-on-saturday-night-live-tonight-20120519 |publisher=[[Jann Wenner]] | work = [[Rolling Stone]] | date=May 19, 2011| accessdate=May 19, 2012|archiveurl= http://www.webcitation.org/67o1GfW8D |archivedate=May 19, 2012 |deadurl=no}}</ref>
 +
 
 +
<ref name="observer">{{cite news|url=http://www.observer.com/node/44088|title=Meet Four-Eyed New Sex Symbol, 'Weekend Update' Anchor Tina Fey|last=Gay|first=Jason|date=March 4, 2001|work=[[The New York Observer]]|accessdate=July 1, 2009}}</ref>
 +
 
 +
<ref name="OriginalTitle">{{cite web|title=NBC.com > Saturday Night Live (History)|url=http://www.nbc.com/saturday-night-live/about/history.shtml|accessdate=February 14, 2010|work=NBC.com}}</ref>
 +
 
 +
<ref name="Otto2004">{{cite news|first=Jeff|last=Otto|url=http://movies.ign.com/articles/508/508797p1.html|title=IGN Interviews Tina Fey|accessdate=August 10, 2010|date=April 23, 2004|publisher=IGN|page=1}}</ref>
 +
 
 +
<ref name="Poniewozik2006">{{cite news|url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1535853,00.html|title=Do Not Adjust Your Set|last=Poniewozik|first=James|date=September 18, 2006|work=[[Time (magazine)|Time]]|accessdate=July 2, 2009}}</ref>
 +
 
 +
<!--ref name="S31Heads">{{cite news|url=http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/arizonaliving/articles/0204snl0204.html |title=''SNL'' undergoing another generational shift|publisher=[[Gannett Company]] |work=[[The Arizona Republic]]|date=February 4, 2006| accessdate=January 9, 2012|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/64ZJtdqOv |archivedate=January 9, 2012|deadurl=no}}</ref-->
 +
 
 +
<ref name="SatNightDocu">{{cite news|first=Daniel| last=Carlson| title=Saturday Night -- Film Review | url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/review/saturday-night-film-review-29403 |publisher=[[Prometheus Global Media]]| work=[[The Hollywood Reporter]]|date=October 14, 2010| accessdate=January 7, 2012| archiveurl =http://www.webcitation.org/64VMCkSu8 |archivedate=January 7, 2012 | deadurl=no}}</ref>
  
|group2=Film writer
+
<ref name="salon">{{cite news | first=Jake | last=Tapper | url=http://archive.salon.com/ent/feature/2002/10/12/sinead/index_np.html | title=Sinéad was right | work= Arts & Entertainment | publisher= [http://www.Salon.com/ Salon.com] | date=October 12, 2002 | accessdate=October 24, 2006|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/64ZEck3wh |archivedate=January 9, 2012 | deadurl=no}}</ref>
|list2=
 
*''[[Gilda Live]]''
 
*''[[¡Three Amigos!]]''
 
  
|group3=Film executive producer
+
<ref name="sineadonion">''[[The Onion AV Club]]'' article: "[http://www.avclub.com/content/node/46061 Inventory: Ten Memorable Saturday Night Live Musical Moments]."</ref>
|list3=
 
*''[[Mr. Mike's Mondo Video]]''
 
  
|group4 = Television<br/>executive<br/>producer
+
<ref name="speakerbio">{{cite web|accessdate=May 11, 2008|url=http://www.greatertalent.com/speakers/speakers.php?speakerid=235|title=Host of Late Night with Conan O'Brien|publisher=Greater Talent Network |archiveurl = http://web.archive.org/web/20080418032637/http://www.greatertalent.com/speakers/speakers.php?speakerid=235 <!-- Bot retrieved archive --> |archivedate = April 18, 2008}}</ref>
|list4 ={{Navbox subgroup
 
  
|group1=1970s
+
<ref name="THRPolitical">{{cite news|first1=James Andrew|last1=Miller |first2=Tom |last2=Shales | url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/snl-political-secrets-revealed-hillarys-726324 |title='SNL' Political Secrets Revealed: Hillary's "Entitlement," the Sketch Obama Killed and the Show's "Karl Rove" | publisher=Prometheus Global Media| work=The Hollywood Reporter |date=August 20, 2014|accessdate=October 19, 2014| archiveurl =http://www.webcitation.org/6TRaz7FN9|archivedate=October 19, 2014| deadurl=no}}</ref>
|list1=
 
*''[[Saturday Night Live]]''
 
*''[[All You Need Is Cash]]''
 
  
|group2=1980s
+
<ref name="witchel">{{cite news|url=http://www.nytimes.com/2001/11/25/style/counterintelligence-update-anchor-the-brains-behind-herself.html?sec=&spon=&pagewanted=all|title=Counterintelligence; 'Update' Anchor: The Brains Behind Herself|last=Witchel|first=Alex|date=November 25, 2001|work=[[The New York Times]]|accessdate=July 1, 2009}}</ref>
|list2=
 
*''[[Sunday Night (American TV program)|Sunday Night]]''
 
*''[[40th Primetime Emmy Awards]]''
 
*''[[The Kids in the Hall]]''
 
  
|group3=1990s
+
<ref name="WritersAbelesInt1">{{cite news|first=Megh| last=Wright| title=Behind SNL's Weekend Update: Interview with Writer/Producer Doug Abeles | url=http://gawker.com/5632852/behind-snls-weekend-update-interview-with-writerproducer-doug-abeles?tag=television |publisher=Gawker Media| work=[[Gawker]]|date=September 8, 2010| accessdate=January 9, 2012| archiveurl =http://www.webcitation.org/64ZPXum3g |archivedate=January 9, 2012 | deadurl=no}}</ref>
|list3=
 
*''[[Lookwell]]''
 
*''[[Frosty Returns]]''
 
*''[[The Vacant Lot]]''
 
*''[[Late Night with Conan O'Brien]]''
 
  
|group4=2000s
+
<ref name="WriterHeadSalary">{{cite news|first=Sophia| last=Banay| title=Fey Day | url=http://www.portfolio.com/culture-lifestyle/culture-inc/arts/2008/09/26/Whats-Tina-Fey-Worth/ |publisher=Gawker Media| work=[[Gawker]]|date=September 26, 2008| accessdate=January 24, 2012| archiveurl = |archivedate= | deadurl=no}}</ref>
|list4=
 
*''[[The Rutles 2: Can't Buy Me Lunch]]''
 
*''[[The Colin Quinn Show]]''
 
*''[[The Tracy Morgan Show]]''
 
*''[[Sons & Daughters (U.S. TV series)|Sons and Daughters]]''
 
*''[[30 Rock]]''
 
*''[[To Love and Die]]''
 
*''[[Late Night with Jimmy Fallon]]''
 
  
|group5=2010s
+
<ref name="WriterMcKay">{{cite news|title=Top 10 Post-SNL Careers| url=http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1902936_1902935_1902881,00.html |publisher=[[Time Inc.]]| work=[[Time (magazine)|Time]]|date=June 5, 2009| accessdate=January 24, 2012| archiveurl = |archivedate= | deadurl=no}}</ref>
|list5=
 
*''[[Portlandia (TV series)|Portlandia]]''
 
*''[[Up All Night (TV series)|Up All Night]]''
 
*''[[The Awesomes]]''
 
*''[[The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon]]''
 
*''[[Late Night with Seth Meyers]]''
 
*''[[Mulaney]]''
 
  
 
}}
 
}}
 +
;Bibliography
 +
* {{cite book |last1=Mohr|first1=Jay |editor1-last=|editor1-first=|title=Gasping for Airtime: Two Years in the Trenches of Saturday Night Live |series= |volume= |year=2004 |publisher=[[Hyperion Books]] |location=New York |isbn=1-4013-0006-5 |pages= |chapter=|ref=harv}}
 +
* {{cite book |last1=Shales|first1=Tom|first2=James Andrew |last2=Miller| editor1-last=|editor1-first=|title=Live from New York: An Uncensored History of Saturday Night Live|series= |volume= |year=2002 |publisher=[[Hachette Book Group USA]] |location=New York |isbn= 0-316-73565-5|pages= |chapter=|ref=harv}}
 +
 +
==Further reading==
 +
{{Refbegin}}
 +
* Cader, Michael (1994). ''Saturday Night Live: The First Twenty Years''. Boston: Houghton Mifflin. ISBN 0-395-70895-8.
 +
* Davis, Tom (2009). ''Thirty-Nine Years of Short-Term Memory Loss: The Early Days of SNL from Someome Who Was There.'' New York: Grove Press. ISBN 0-802-11880-1.
 +
* Hill, Doug, and Jeff Weingrad (1986). ''Saturday Night: A Backstage History of Saturday Night Live''. New York: Beech Tree Books. ISBN 0-688-05099-9.
 +
* Streeter, Michael (2005). ''Nothing Lost Forever: The Films of Tom Schiller''. New York: BearManor Media. ISBN 1-59393-032-1.
 +
{{Refend}}
 +
<!-- * [http://www.portlandmonthly.com/portmag/2011/04/live-from-harpswell-%E2%80%A6the-barrymores-of-comedy/ Portland magazine interviews Abby Elliott and her family - the only ones to have THREE generations on SNL] -- moved to [[Abby Elliott]] -->
  
|group5=Television writer
+
==External links==
|list5=
+
{{sisterlinks|n=no|b=no|voy=no|v=no|species=no|mw=no|m=no|wikt=no|d=Q13979|commons=Category:Saturday Night Live|s=no}}
*''The Beautiful Phyllis Diller Show''
+
*{{Dmoz|Arts/Television/Programs/Comedy/Sketch_Comedy/Saturday_Night_Live/}}
*''[[Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In]]''
+
* [http://www.nbc.com/Saturday_Night_Live/ Official NBC website]
*''[[Barris and Company]]''
+
* [http://www.broadwayvideo.com/ Official website] for [[Broadway Video]]
*''[[The Hart and Lorne Terrific Hour]]''
+
* {{IMDb title|id=0072562|title=Saturday Night Live}}
*''[[Lily (1973 special)|Lily]]''
+
* {{tv.com show|saturday-night-live|Saturday Night Live}}
*''[[Saturday Night Live]]''
+
* [http://screen.yahoo.com/snl/ Saturday Night Live video archive] at [http://screen.yahoo.com/ Yahoo Screen]
*''[[The New Show]]''
+
* {{emmytvlegends title|saturday-night-live}}
*''[[Late Night with Conan O'Brien]]''
 
*''[[The Colin Quinn Show]]''
 
*''[[Saturday Night Live Weekend Update Thursday]]''
 
  
|group6=Television producer
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{{navboxes
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|title=''Saturday Night Live'' navigation boxes
*''[[Lily (1973 special)|Lily]]''
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|list1={{Saturday Night Live}}
*''[[The Hart and Lorne Terrific Hour]]''
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{{SNLCurrentCast}}
*''[[The New Show]]''
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{{Late night television in the United States}}
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{{Lorne Michaels}}
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{{NBCNetwork Shows (current and upcoming)}}
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}}
  
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{{EmmyAward VarietyMusicComedy 1976–2000}}
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*''[[Saturday Night Live]]''
 
  
}}<noinclude>
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Saturday Night Live}}
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[[Category:Saturday Night Live| ]]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Michaels, Lorne}}
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[[Category:1975 American television series debuts]]
[[Category:Film producer navigational boxes]]
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[[Category:1970s American television series]]
[[Category:Television creator templates]]
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[[Category:1980s American television series]]
[[Category:Television producer templates]]
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[[Category:1990s American television series]]
[[Category:Television writer templates]]
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[[Category:2000s American television series]]
</noinclude>
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[[Category:2010s American television series]]
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[[Category:American sketch comedy television shows]]
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[[Category:American variety television series]]
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[[Category:English-language television programming]]
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[[Category:Peabody Award winning television programs]]
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[[Category:Live television programs]]
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[[Category:Satirical television programmes]]
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[[Category:Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Variety Series winners]]
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Revision as of 02:17, 12 December 2014

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File:SNL40.png
GenreVariety show
Created byLorne Michaels
Inspired byScript error: No such module "If empty".
Written bySee List of Saturday Night Live writers
Directed by
Presented byScript error: No such module "If empty".
StarringSee List of Saturday Night Live cast members
Narrated by
Theme music composerScript error: No such module "If empty".
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasonsScript error: No such module "If empty".
No. of episodes774 (List of episodes)
Production
Executive producers
Production locationsNBC Studios
New York, New York
Running time93 minutes (with commercials)
Production companyScript error: No such module "If empty".
Release
Original networkScript error: No such module "If empty".
Picture format480i (4:3 SDTV) (1975–2005)
1080i (16:9 HDTV) (2005–present)
Original releaseScript error: No such module "If empty". –
present
Chronology
Related showsTV Funhouse
Saturday Night Live Weekend Update Thursday
SNL Vintage
External links
Website

Saturday Night Live (abbreviated as SNL) is an American late-night live television sketch comedy and variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Dick Ebersol. The show premiered on NBC on October 11, 1975, under the original title NBC's Saturday Night. The show's comedy sketches, which parody contemporary 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 an opening monologue and performs in sketches with the cast) and features performances by a musical guest. An episode normally begins with a cold open sketch that ends with someone breaking character and proclaiming, "Live from New York, it's Saturday Night!," beginning the show proper.

In 1980, Michaels left the series to explore other opportunities. He was replaced by Jean Doumanian, who was replaced by Ebersol after a season of bad reviews. Ebersol ran the show until 1985, when Michaels returned; Michaels has remained since then. Many of SNL's cast 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, or starring in TV and film.

Broadcast from Studio 8H at NBC's headquarters in the GE Building, SNL has aired 773 episodes since its debut, and began its fortieth season on September 27, 2014, 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, including Spain, Italy, Brazil, Japan, South Korea, and Canada, each meeting with different levels of success. Successful sketches have seen life outside of the show as feature films, although only two met with critical and financial success: 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 more than three decades on air, Saturday Night Live has received a number of awards, including 36 Primetime Emmy Awards, a Peabody Award, and three Writers Guild of America 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 magazine's "100 Best TV Shows of All-TIME". As of 2012, it has received 156 Emmy nominations, the most received by any one show in television history. 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.

Development

History of Saturday Night Live series:

1975–1980
(seasons 1, 2, 3, 4, 5)
1980–1985
(seasons 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
1985–1990
(seasons 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
1990–1995
(seasons 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
1995–2000
(seasons 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
2000–2005
(seasons 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
2005–2010
(seasons 31, 32, 33, 34, 35)
2010–2015
(seasons 36, 37, 38, 39, 40)
2015–2020
(seasons 41, 42, 43, 44, 45)
2020–present
(seasons 46)

Weekend Update

From 1965 until September 1975, NBC ran The Best of Carson reruns of The Tonight Show, airing them on either Saturday or Sunday night at local affiliates' discretion (originally known as The Saturday/Sunday Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson). In 1974, Johnny Carson announced that he wanted the weekend shows pulled and saved so that they could be aired during weeknights, allowing him to take time off.[1]

In 1974, NBC president Herbert Schlosser approached his vice president of late night programming, Dick Ebersol, and asked him to create a show to fill the Saturday night time slot. At the suggestion of Paramount Pictures executive Barry Diller, 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. By 1975, Michaels had assembled a talented cast, including Dan Aykroyd, John Belushi, Chevy Chase, Jane Curtin, Garrett Morris, Laraine Newman, Michael O'Donoghue, Gilda Radner,[2] and George Coe.[3] The show was originally called NBC's Saturday Night, because Saturday Night Live was in use by Saturday Night Live with Howard Cosell on the rival network ABC.[4] NBC purchased the rights to the name in 1976 and officially adopted the new title on March 26, 1977.[citation needed]

Debuting on October 11, 1975,[5] the show became an instant hit, thrusting the cast into instant stardom. Chase left the show during the second season and was replaced by the new and upcoming comic Bill Murray. Aykroyd and Belushi left the show after season four. In 1980 (after season five), Michaels—emotionally and physically exhausted—requested to put the show on hiatus for a year to give him time to pursue other ideas.[6] Concerned that the show would be cancelled without him, Michaels suggested writers Al Franken, Tom Davis, and Jim Downey as his replacements. However, NBC president Fred Silverman disliked Franken and—after Franken performed "Limo for a Lame-O", a scathing critique of Silverman's presidency—Silverman was furious at Franken and blamed Michaels for approving the sketch.[7] Unable to get the deal he wanted, Michaels chose to leave NBC for Paramount Pictures, intending to take his associate producer, Jean Doumanian, with him. Michaels later learned that Doumanian had been given his position at SNL after being recommended by her friend, NBC vice-president Barbara Gallagher.[8] Michaels' departure led to most of the cast and writing staff leaving the show.[9]

The reputation of the show as a springboard to fame meant that many aspiring stars were eager to join the new series. Doumanian was tasked with hiring a full cast and writing staff in less than three months, and NBC immediately cut the show's budget from the previous $1 million per episode down to just $350,000. Doumanian faced resentment and sabotage from the remaining Michaels staff, particularly males who did not appreciate a woman believing she could take Michaels' place.[10] The season was a disaster; ratings plummeted, and audiences failed to connect to the original cast's replacements, such as Charles Rocket and Ann Risley.[9] Doumanian's fate was sealed when, during a sketch, Rocket said "fuck" on live television.[11] After only ten months, Doumanian was dismissed.[12][13] Although executives suggested that SNL be left to die, network chief Brandon Tartikoff wanted to keep the show going, believing that the concept was more important to the network than money. Tartikoff turned to Ebersol, who previously had been fired by Silverman. Ebersol gained Michaels' approval in an attempt to avoid the same staff sabotage that had blighted Doumanian's tenure.[14]

"He [Lorne Michaels] put me on TV, and no one else would have done that. Lorne created a show that's impacted culture for over 35 years. No one has ever really successfully been able to replicate it."
-- Tina Fey on Michaels' influence on comedy.[15]

Ebersol's tenure saw commercial success, but was considered lackluster compared to the Michaels era, except for the breakout of cast member Eddie Murphy.[16] Murphy, the main draw of the cast, left in 1984 to pursue his already successful film career, and Ebersol decided to again rebuild the cast. He broke from history by hiring established comedians such as Billy Crystal and Martin Short who could bring their already successful material to the show.[14] Ebersol's final year with this new cast is considered one of the series' funniest, but had strayed far from the precedent-shattering show that Michaels had created.[17] After that season, Ebersol wanted a more significant revamp, including departing from the show's established "live" format.[citation needed] Following unsuccessful forays into film and television, in need of money, and eager not to see Tartikoff cancel the show,[18] Michaels finally returned in 1985 after Ebersol opted not to. The show was again recast, with Michaels borrowing Ebersol's idea, and seeking out established acts such as Joan Cusack and Robert Downey, Jr.[19] The cast and writers struggled creatively, and in April 1986, Tartikoff made the decision to cancel the show, until he was convinced by producer Bernie Brillstein to give it one more year.[20] The show was renewed but for the first time in its history, for only thirteen episodes instead of the usual twenty-two.[21] Michaels again fired most of the cast and, learning his lesson from the previous seasons, sought out unknown talent such as Dana Carvey and Phil Hartman instead of known names.[21]

The show ran successfully again until it lost Carvey and Hartman, two of its biggest stars, between 1992 and 1994. Wanting to increase SNL's ratings and profitability, then-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 because Ohlmeyer did not "get" them, and critiquing the costly nature of performing the show live. The show faced increasing criticism from the press and cast, in part encouraged by the NBC executives hoping to weaken Michaels' position.[22] Michaels received a lucrative offer to develop a Saturday night project for CBS during this time, but remained loyal to SNL.[23] By 1995, Farley and Sandler were fired, and Mike Myers, another popular cast member, had left for a film career, but a new cast waited to replace them, featuring the likes of Will Ferrell, Jimmy Fallon, and Tina Fey.[24] The show focused on performers, and writers were forced to supply material for the casts' existing characters before they could write original sketches.[25] By 1997, Ohlmeyer renewed his focus on limiting Michaels' independence, forcing the removal of Downey and cast member Norm MacDonald.[26]

Cast and crew

Cast

The original 1975 cast of SNL, officially known on-air as "The Not Ready For Prime-Time Players",[27] a term coined by writer Herb Sargent,[28] included Laraine Newman, John Belushi, Jane Curtin, Gilda Radner, Dan Aykroyd, Garrett Morris and Chevy Chase. Radner was the first person hired after Michaels himself. Although Chase became a performer, he was hired on a one-year writer contract, and refused to sign the performer contract that was repeatedly given to him, allowing him to leave the show after the first season in 1976.[29] Newman was brought aboard after having a prior working relationship with Michaels.[30] Morris was initially brought in as a writer, but attempts to have him fired by another writer led Michaels to have Morris audition for the cast, where he turned in a successful performance.[31] Curtin and Belushi were the last two cast members hired.[30] Belushi had a disdain for television and had repeatedly turned down offers to appear on other shows, but decided to work with the show because of the involvement of Radner, and writers Anne Beatts and Michael O'Donoghue.[32] Michaels was still reluctant to hire Belushi, believing he would be a source of trouble for the show, but Beatts, O'Donoghue and Ebersol successfully argued for his inclusion.[32] After Chase left the show he was replaced by Bill Murray, whom Michaels had intended to hire for the first-season cast, but was unable to due to budget restrictions.[33] When Chase returned to host in 1978, he found the remaining cast resentful at his departure and his success, particularly Belushi. Murray, goaded by the rest of the cast, and Chase came to blows shortly before the show.[34] Chase's departure for film made Michaels possessive of his talent; he threatened to fire Aykroyd if he took the role of D-Day in the 1978 comedy Animal House, and later refused to allow SNL musician Paul Shaffer to participate in The Blues Brothers (1980) with Aykroyd and Belushi after they left in 1979 to pursue film careers.[35][36] Michaels began to struggle to hold the remaining cast together in the wake of Chase, Aykroyd, and Belushi's independent successes. Radner had a one-woman Broadway show and Murray starred in the 1979 comedy Meatballs.[37] In 1980, when Michaels chose to leave the series to pursue other interests, he was followed by the remaining original cast, Curtin, Newman, and Morris, Murray, and additional cast members.[36]

The Doumanian-era cast faced immediate comparison to the beloved former cast and were not received favorably.[12] Ebersol fired the majority of her hires, except for two unknown comedians: Eddie Murphy and Joe Piscopo.[38] Talent coordinator Neil Levy claimed Murphy contacted and pleaded with him for a role on the show, and after seeing him audition, Levy fought with Doumanian to cast him instead of Robert Townsend. Doumanian wanted only one black cast member and favored Townsend, but Levy convinced her to choose Murphy. Doumanian, however, also claimed credit for discovering Murphy and fighting with NBC executives to bring him onto the show.[39] Even so, Murphy would languish as a background character until Ebersol took charge,[40] after which Murphy was credited with much of that era's success.[41][42] Murphy's star exploded, and he quickly appeared in films such as 48 Hrs. and Trading Places, before leaving for his film career in early 1984. Much of the Ebersol cast departed after the 1983–84 season and were replaced with established comedians who could supply their own material, but at an inflated cost; Billy Crystal and Martin Short were paid $25,000 and $20,000 per episode respectively, a far cry from earlier salaries.[14] Michaels' return in 1985 saw a cast reset that featured established talent such as Robert Downey Jr., Jon Lovitz and Dennis Miller.[43] The season was poorly received, and another reset followed in 1986. Learning his lesson from the previous season, Michaels avoided known talent in favor of actual ability. He kept Lovitz, Miller and Nora Dunn, and brought in new, untested talent such as Dana Carvey, Phil Hartman, and Jan Hooks, who together would define a new era on the show into the early 1990s.[44] The cast continued on for the next decade with the addition of new talent such as Mike Myers, Adam Sandler, and Chris Farley. Afraid of cast leaving for film, Michaels had overcrowded the cast, causing a divide between the veteran members and the new, younger talent, increasing competition for limited screen time.[45] By 1995, Carvey and Hartman had left, taking with them a virtual army of characters, Myers quit for his movie career, and increasing network pressure forced Michaels to fire Sandler and Farley. The show saw its next major overhaul, bringing in a new cast including Will Ferrell, Tina Fey, and Jimmy Fallon.[46] While cast members would leave over the following two decades, the show saw its next biggest transition in 2013, with the addition of 6 cast members to compensate for the departure of several longtime cast members like Bill Hader, Jason Sudeikis, and Fred Armisen.[47]

SNL has featured over 130 cast members including Rachel Dratch, Amy Poehler, Chris Rock, David Spade, Will Forte, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Tracy Morgan, Chris Parnell, Maya Rudolph, and Kristen Wiig. Darrell Hammond is the longest-serving cast member, having been a part of the cast for fourteen years between 1995 and 2009.[48] Those selected to join the cast of SNL are normally already accomplished performers, recruited from improvisational comedy groups such as The Groundlings (Ferrell, Hartman,[49] Lovitz, Wiig[50]) and The Second City (Aykroyd, Farley, Fey,[51] Tim Meadows), or established stand-up comedians (Carvey, Sandler, Rock, Norm Macdonald), who already possess the training or experience necessary for SNL.[52]

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 which has alternated between having one or two hosts, and which allows the cast members involved to perform as themselves and be on camera for an extended period of time.[53] Many of the "Weekend Update" hosts have gone on to find greater success outside of the show, including: Chase, Curtin, Murray,[53] Miller, Macdonald,[54] Fey,[53] Fallon,[55] and Poehler. From 2008, Seth Meyers was the solo host of "Weekend Update",[53] before being partnered with Cecily Strong in 2013. After Meyers left for Late Night with Seth Meyers in February 2014, Strong was paired with head writer Colin Jost.[56] 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.

2014–15 season cast[57][58]
Repertory players Featured players
denotes Weekend Update anchor

The cast were often contracted from anywhere between five and six years to the show,[59][60] 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 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.[60] The move drew criticism from talent agents and managers who believed that 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, such as Myers and Sandler, gained fame on SNL only to leave and make money for other studios.[60] In a 2010 interview, Wiig was reported to be contracted to SNL for a total of seven years.[61] The contracts also contain a network option which allows NBC to remove a cast member at any time.[62] In the first season of the show, cast were paid $750 per episode, rising to $2,000 by season two, and $4,000 by season four.[63] By the late 1990s, new cast members received a salary between $5,000[60] 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 which made it to air.[62] In 2001, Ferrell became the highest paid cast member, being paid $350,000 per season (approximately $17,500 per episode).[64] In 2014, Sasheer Zamata was added as a cast member in mid-season after criticism about the show's lack of an African-American woman.[65][66][67]

Writers

As of the 2013–14 season, Colin Jost and Rob Klein are the show's co-head writers. Meyers had been co-head writer since 2005 and became the single head writer from 2008 to 2012. 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.[58][68][69] Scenes on "Weekend Update" that involve members of the cast acting in-character alongside the host are often written by staff writers outside of the dedicated "Weekend Update" team, who know those characters better.[69]

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.[36] Experienced writers with backgrounds in television shows are also sometimes brought into the SNL writing room. Like the SNL cast that step before the cameras, 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, went on to writing for The Simpsons, and eventually began hosting his own show,[70] and former head writer Adam McKay who, along with performer Ferrell, founded the successful comedy website Funny or Die.[71] In 2000, Tina Fey became the first female SNL head writer[72][73] and successfully transitioned into starring on the show,[74] as well as writing and starring in feature films,[75][76][77] and ultimately creating and starring in her own show 30 Rock—partly based on her SNL experiences.[78] In 2005, Fey was being paid $1.5 million per season for her dual role as head writer and performer.[79]

Announcers

Don Pardo served as the announcer for the series when it first began,[80] 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 where he again announced his retirement, but then continued into the 2009–10 season.[80] In 2010, then 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.[80][81] Cast members Joe Piscopo[82] and Darrell Hammond also periodically impersonated Pardo and fulfilled his announcing duties when Pardo was unavailable.[83] Hammond took over as full-time announcer starting with season 40.[84]

Hosts and musical guests

A typical episode of SNL will feature a single host chosen for their popularity, novelty, or because they have a film, album or other work being released near the time of their appearance on the show.[85] The host delivers the opening monologue and performs in sketches with the cast. Traditionally the host of the show ends the opening monologue by introducing the musical guest for the night. Comedian George Carlin was the first to host SNL in the debut October 1975 episode;[86] three episodes later, Candice Bergen became the first female host[87] and subsequently the first to host more than once.[88] Hosts have been drawn from a wide spectrum of backgrounds, from actors, such as Christopher Walken, Buck Henry, and John Goodman,[89] to musicians like George Harrison[90] and Dolly Parton,[91] to political activist Ralph Nader.[85] 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' fifth episode.[92] As of September 24, 2011, actor Alec Baldwin holds the record for most times hosting, having performed the duty on sixteen different occasions since 1990; Baldwin took the record from actor Steve Martin who had hosted fifteen times since 1976.[93]

Each episode also features a musical guest, a solo act or a band, who perform two to three musical numbers. Occasionally, the musical guest has also simultaneously served as the host. As of May 19, 2012, Dave Grohl is the most frequent musical guest, performing on eleven shows since 1992.[94] Michaels does not allow musical guests to perform using lip-synching tracks,[95] believing it diminishes the live aspect of the show. Exceptions are only made 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 simultaneously.[96] A 1975 performance by pop group ABBA was the first and only act to feature lip-synching,[95] until the controversial 2004 performance of Ashlee Simpson.

The SNL Band

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 (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). The band is currently under the leadership of Tower of Power alumnus Lenny Pickett, keyboardist Leon Pendarvis and Eli Bruegemann who does not play in the band on the live show. The number of musicians has varied over the years, but the basic instrumentation has been three saxophones, one trombone, one trumpet, and a rhythm section featuring two keyboards, a guitar, bass, drums, and an extra percussionist, not a permanent part of the band until Valerie Naranjo's arrival in 1995. The 1983–1984 and 1984–1985 seasons featured the smallest band, a six-piece combo. 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.[97]

Production

File:29 - New York - Octobre 2008.jpg
GE Building (30 Rockefeller Plaza, or "30 Rock") from where the show is broadcast.

The studio

Since the show's inception, SNL has aired from Studio 8H, located on floors 8 and 9 of the GE Building (30 Rockefeller Plaza, or "30 Rock"). The studio had previously been used as a radio soundstage for Arturo Toscanini and his NBC Symphony Orchestra.[98] Michaels was dumbfounded when he originally inspected Studio 8H in 1975, and found it technically limited, outdated, in need of repair,[99] and lacking the capacity to host a live show.[98] Michaels demanded that NBC executives rebuild the studio and improve the acoustics to accommodate the intended musical acts,[98] at a cost of approximately $300,000.[98] Three of the first four 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.[100]

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".[101]

Creating an episode

Production on an SNL episode will normally start on a Monday with a free-form pitch meeting[102][103][104] between the cast, writers, producers including Michaels, and the guest host, in Michaels' office, over two hours. The host is invited to pitch ideas during this meeting. Although some sketch writing 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,[103] a process which can extend through the night into the following morning. Writing may not begin until 8pm on the Tuesday evening.[102][104] At 5pm on Wednesday, the sketches are read during a round-table meeting in the writers room,[104] 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 an attendance of approximately fifty people.[105] At this point there may be at least 40 sketch ideas which are read-through in turn, lasting upwards of three hours.[105]

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' office to view the show breakdown and learn whether or not their sketch has survived.[106] Sketches may be rewritten starting the same day,[103] but will certainly commence on Thursday, work focuses on developing and rewriting the remaining sketches,[102] and possibly rehearsals.[104] If a sketch is still scheduled beyond Thursday, it is rehearsed on Friday or Saturday[103] before moving to a rehearsal before a live audience at 8pm, again on Saturday before the live show.[102][104] 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.[107] 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.[102] The opening monologue, spoken by the guest host, is given low priority and can be written as late as Saturday afternoon.[108]

According to an interview with 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.[109][110]

Post-production

With onsite facilities housed on floors 8 and 17 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 reorganise 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 5 cameras worth of visual elements.[111] 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.[112][113]

Filming and photography

Studio 8H production facilities are maintained by NBC Production Services. Video camera equipment includes four Sony BVP-700 CCD cameras, and two Sony BVP-750 CCD handheld cameras, both using Vinten pedestals. A 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 analogue video recorders used to store footage. Graphics are provided by a Chyron Template:Sic character generator and a Quantel PictureBox. Audio facilities consist of a Calrec T Series digitally controlled analogue mixing console, and a Yamaha digital mixing console used for tape playback support and utility audio work.[114]

As of 2009, the opening title sequence and opening montage is shot using the Canon EOS 5D Mark II and Canon EOS 7D digital SLR cameras. Typical elements are recorded at 30 fps, with slow-motion sequences shot at 60 fps, both in full 1080p high definition.[115]

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.[116] The first episode used publicity photos of 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 which continues today.[117]

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.[118] 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."[119] 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.[119]

Broadcast

File:SNL stage.jpg
SNL's main stage, during rehearsal, 2008

The show usually begins at 11:30 p.m. (EST),[120] unless a delay occurs. The show broadcasts for one and a half hours, ending at 1 a.m. For the Mountain[121] and Pacific time zones, NBC airs the prerecorded live show usually unedited, mistakes notwithstanding. 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!", launching the opening credits.[3]

Beginning February 2013, NBC has aired cut-down hour-long repeats at 10pm Saturday during the regular season, repeating the previous week's episode if it was original.[122]

NBC and Broadway Video both hold the underlying rights to the show, while the copyright to every episode lies solely with NBC. From 1990 until 2004, Comedy Central and its predecessor Ha! re-aired reruns of the series, after which E! Entertainment Television signed a deal to reruns.[123] Abbreviated thirty and sixty minute versions of the first five seasons aired as The Best of Saturday Night Live in syndication beginning in the 1980s and later on Nick at Nite in 1988. In September 2010, reruns of most episodes post-1998 began to air on VH1.[124]

International

Because SNL has been a huge success in America, other countries have created their own versions of the show, including Spain, Italy, Japan and South Korea.[125] SNL is aired in Israel on yes Comedy. SNL is also aired in the Middle East and North Africa on OSN Comedy every Saturday night, one week after it airs in the U.S.[126]

Germany's version of the show, "RTL Samstag Nacht" was a hit in the 1990s on the RTL channel.

Spain's version of the show was short-lived, only lasting a few episodes which aired on Thursdays and not Saturdays as the title suggested. This version copied heavily from the American version, in that they did their own versions of sketches that were already done on the original series.[125] Italy's Saturday Night Live From Milan aired for four seasons and used original material.[125][127]

The Japanese version Saturday Night Live JPN, which ran for six months in 2011, was created in part with Lorne Michaels' 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.[125][127][128][129]

On December 3, 2011, South Korea's SNL Korea premiered on cable channel tvN.[130][131][132][133] As of July 20, 2013, it is in its fourth consecutive season, with 20 episodes.[134]

In 2014, two 90-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, and is the same format and length as the original SNL series.[135] Certain sketches from the original program, such as Debbie Downer and Schweddy Balls were adapted into French.[136] On May 13, 2014, SNL Quebec was renewed for another 8 episodes to be broadcast monthly over the 2014-2015 season ending with a "Best Of" compilation. The entire cast is expected to return.[137]

Delays

  • 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, causing that night's broadcast of SNL to be cancelled. The show was recorded for the studio audience starting at 1:30 a.m. Eastern Time, and broadcast two weeks later with an "apology" by Mets pitcher Ron Darling. (He explained that the Mets players had all been happy and excited to win the World Series game, widely considered one of the most memorable in the event's 109-year history, but of course they all had become upset and glum when, in the locker room afterwards, they found out that they had caused the first-ever cancellation of SNL. Footage showed the depressed players sadly staring at the locker room floor in shame.)[citation needed]
  • 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 that the episode was re-run a mere three weeks later, and the fledgling league actually changed the rules in order to speed up play so that no such incident would happen again.[138]

Reception

In 2002, the show was ranked tenth on TV Guide's 50 Greatest TV Shows of All Time,[139] while in 2007 it was honored with inclusion on Time magazine's list of "100 Best TV Shows of All-TIME."[120][140] 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 70 years.[141] In December 2013, TV Guide ranked it #18 on their list of the 60 Greatest Shows of All Time.[142]

Accolades

Saturday Night Live has won numerous awards since its debut, including 36 Primetime Emmy Awards,[143] 2 Peabody Awards,[144] and 4 Writers Guild of America Awards.[145] In 2009, it received a total of 13 Emmy nominations for a lifetime total of 126, breaking the record for the most award nominated show in Emmy history, previously set with 124 by hospital drama ER.[146][147] As of August 2012, it has received a record total of 156 Emmy nominations.[120][148] Only 17 cast members have received individual Emmy nominations in the show's entire history. Of these only Chevy Chase and Gilda Radner have won, taking the award for Outstanding Individual Performance, in 1976 and 1978 respectively. In 1983, Eddie Murphy became the last male cast member to be nominated for a Best Supporting Actor Emmy until Bill Hader nearly thirty years later in 2012: Hader received a second nomination in 2013, making him the cast's only male multiple nominee.[148][149][150]

Electoral impact

SNL has also had an effect on U.S. elections – most commonly presidential elections. Voters have reported that political sketches that were 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 that 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 then-Democratic nominee.[151]

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.[152] Several politicians have appeared on SNL, including President Gerald Ford (in 1976, during the show's first season), Senator (at the time) Barack Obama (2007), Senator John McCain (2002 & 2008), Senator Hillary Clinton (2008), and Governor Sarah Palin (2008), who appeared alongside Fey's Palin impression, resulting in the show's largest audience in 14 years with 14 million viewers.[153][154] Senator Obama's appearance occurred in part because Hillary Clinton abandoned her scheduled appearance.[154] The political content was abandoned briefly following the September 11, 2001 terrorist attack in New York, with Poehler saying that the writers did not want to produce politicized material; highly political content would be absent for the next 4 years.[154]

In other media

Home media

Currently, 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 are a result of prior contracts with NBC struck before the NBC Universal merger. A majority of Lionsgate's SNL DVDs are "Best Of..." compilations.

Books

Saturday Night Live (ISBN 0-380-01801-2), the first authorized book about the series, was published by Avon Books in 1977 and edited by Anne Beatts and John Head[disambiguation needed], with photography by Edie Baskin;[155] all three worked for SNL at the time the book was published. The oversized illustrated paperback included the scripts for several sketches by the 1975-1980 cast.[156] In 1986, Doug Hill and Jeff Weingrad authored Saturday Night: A Backstage History of Saturday Night Live (ISBN 0-688-05099-9), a behind-the-scenes look at the first ten seasons. Saturday Night Live: The First Twenty Years (ISBN 0-395-75284-1), 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.[157]

Live From New York: An Uncensored History of Saturday Night Live, as Told By Its Stars, Writers and Guests (ISBN 0-316-73565-5) was released in 2002. The book, written by Tom Shales and James Andrew Miller, consists of interviews from 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.[158] In 2004, former cast member Jay Mohr released his memoir Gasping for Airtime: Two Years in the Trenches of Saturday Night Live (ISBN 1-401-30801-5), 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. Cast member Bobby Moynihan described the book as "a handbook on what NOT to do at SNL."[159]

Films

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.[160]

In 1990, Michaels oversaw the writing of a sketch anthology feature film titled The Saturday Night Live Movie with many of the show's 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.[161]

However, it was the success of Wayne's World (1992) that 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,[162] and Stuart Saves His Family, which lost $15 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 N/A $21,274,717
Wayne's World 2 December 10, 1993 $40 million $48,197,805 N/A $48,197,805
It's Pat August 26, 1994 N/A $60,822 N/A $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 N/A $14,051,384
A Night at the Roxbury October 2, 1998 $17 million $30,331,165 N/A $30,331,165
Superstar October 8, 1999 $14 million $30,636,478 N/A $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 name (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.[163]

The group 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 off the Mr. Bill sketches from early seasons of SNL.[164][165]

Music

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 skit music video "Lazy Sunday", written with fellow cast member Chris Parnell. The song became a surprise hit,[166] 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 an Emmy for Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics in 2007[167]—saw The Lonely Island go on to release two albums, Incredibad (2009)[168] and Turtleneck & Chain (2011), containing SNL-developed songs and original works. The albums were released by Universal Republic Records who were provided with a license to the SNL songs 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. 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.[104]

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.[169] The ice cream became the fastest-selling Ben & Jerry's limited-edition flavor. The ice cream was also subject to criticism and boycotts by the One Million Moms organization over the "vulgar"[170] 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.[170][171] In June 2014, two new flavours 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 Catastropic Crunch based on the recurring Gilly sketches featuring Kristen Wiig.[172] There are also plans for a further two flavours to be released later in the year commemorate the 40th anniversary of SNL.

Controversies

Andrew Dice Clay

Andrew Dice Clay was scheduled as host on the May 12, 1990, episode. Cast member Nora Dunn immediately announced to the press that she was boycotting the show in protest at Clay's perceived misogynistic, politically incorrect act, doing so without informing Michaels, the cast or most of the crew about her intent.[173] The backlash was immediate; casting Clay was compared to the Holocaust by an audience member during an interview with Michaels,[174] female members of the cast and crew were harassed by phone and mail for sticking with the show, and metal detectors were installed at the show to enhance security. NBC censors insisted that the episode be placed on a delay to compensate for anything Clay might say on air.[175] During the live show, some audience members heckled Clay and were immediately removed by the increased security detail.[176] Dunn's contract was already coming to an end, and with one episode left in the season, the staff voted against having her take part in the final episode or return.[177] Sinéad O'Connor was scheduled to be the musical guest for the episode, but she boycotted the show because of Clay's involvement, forcing the producers to find musical replacements.[178]

Sinéad O'Connor

On October 3, 1992, Sinéad O'Connor was scheduled to appear, performing an a cappella performance of Bob Marley's "War". During the dress rehearsal, O'Connor held up a photo of a Balkan child as a protest of child abuse in war before bowing and leaving the stage, which the episode's director Dave Wilson described as a "very tender moment".[179] However, during the live show, O'Connor altered the "War" lyric "fight racial injustice" to "fight child abuse" as a protest against the cases of sexual abuse in the Roman Catholic Church. She presented a photo of Pope John Paul II while singing the word "evil", before tearing the image into pieces and saying "Fight the real enemy".[179][180] NBC had no foreknowledge of O'Connor's plan, and Wilson purposely failed to use the "applause" button, leaving the audience to sit in silence. Michaels made the decision to allow O'Connor to take the stage with the rest of the cast at the end of the show, for which he was later punished. NBC received thousands of irate calls in the aftermath of the incident, and protests against O'Connor occurred outside of the 30 Rock building, where a steamroller crushed dozens of her tapes, CDs and LPs.[179] In the following weeks on SNL, guests Joe Pesci and Madonna both voiced their opposition to O'Connor.[179][180]

As of 2012, NBC still declines to rebroadcast the sequence with the exception of an interview with O'Connor on MSNBC's The Rachel Maddow Show, which aired on April 24, 2010, when the clip was aired in full. In reruns the incident is replaced with the dress rehearsal performance. The original episode was made available on volume four of the SNL DVD special Saturday Night Live - 25 Years of Music, with an introduction by Michaels about the incident. On February 20, 2011, the clip was aired on the SNL special "Backstage" showing footage of the dress rehearsal and live performance side by side. The footage cuts to interviewees during the moment the photo was ripped.[citation needed]

The incident was mocked during a live episode of the television show 30 Rock, in which an NBC page (Kristen Schaal) comes on stage and tears a picture of O'Connor in half.[181]

Rage Against the Machine

On April 13, 1996, musical guests Rage Against the Machine (RATM) were scheduled to perform two songs. The show was hosted that night by billionaire Steve Forbes. According to RATM guitarist Tom Morello, "RATM wanted to stand in sharp juxtaposition to a billionaire telling jokes and promoting his flat tax by making our own statement."[182] To this end, the band hung two upside-down American flags from their amplifiers. Seconds before they took the stage to perform "Bulls on Parade", SNL and NBC sent stagehands in to pull the flags down.[183] Following the removal of the flags during the first performance, the band was approached by SNL and NBC officials and ordered to immediately leave the building. Upon hearing this, bassist Tim Commerford reportedly stormed Forbes' dressing room, throwing shreds from one of the torn-down flags. Morello said that members of the SNL cast and crew, whom he declined to name, "expressed solidarity with our actions, and a sense of shame that their show had censored the performance."[182]

Ashlee Simpson

Ashlee Simpson appeared as a musical guest on October 23, 2004. Her first performance, "Pieces of Me," was performed without incident, but when she began her second song, "Autobiography," the vocals for "Pieces of Me" were heard again—before she had even raised the microphone to her mouth. Simpson began to do an impromptu jig, and then left the stage.[184] During the closing of the show Simpson appeared with the guest host Jude Law and said: "I'm so sorry. My band started playing the wrong song, and I didn't know what to do, so I thought I'd do a hoedown."[185][186]

On October 25, Simpson explained that due to complications arising from severe acid reflux disease, she had completely lost her voice and her doctor had advised her not to sing. Her father wanted her to use a vocal guide track for the performance after she had suffered vocal issues during rehearsals.[96] Simpson stated of the incident, "I made a complete fool of myself." According to Simpson, the drummer hit the wrong button, which caused the wrong track to be played.[187] Lorne Michaels had been unaware of the plan to use lip synching, and said in an interview with 60 Minutes that he would not have allowed it.[96] Simpson is the only musical guest ever to walk off stage during a live performance.[96]

Other incidents

  • On December 13, 1975, the show was forced by the network to run on a five-second delay when controversial comedian Richard Pryor hosted.[188][189] Engineers at the show later said they did not run the delay because no one knew how to achieve the effect.[190]
  • A stand-up routine by Sam Kinison in the October 18, 1986, episode was edited in West Coast and later airings to replace two parts of the routine with a silent image of the previous season's cast. The first cutaway occurred when Kinison began asking for the legalization of cannabis and said: "You can't get any more pot. If you give us back the pot, we'll forget about the crack".[191] The joke violated NBC policy of the time that all references to drugs must be negative. The second, longer cutaway occurred when Kinison made a joke about the Crucifixion. During rehearsal, Kinison had not performed the drug joke; he had performed, and been asked to remove, the Crucifixion joke.[191]
  • In a "Wayne's World" sketch, the characters Wayne and Garth (portrayed by Myers and Carvey, respectively) made fun of Chelsea Clinton (the then 12-year-old daughter of the then President-elect Bill Clinton), implying that Chelsea was incapable of causing males to "Schwing!". This joke was subsequently edited out of all repeats and syndication rebroadcasts of this sketch.[192]
  • A portion of Martin Lawrence's February 19, 1994, monologue concerning feminine hygiene has been removed from all repeats, replaced with a voice-over and intertitles stating that the excised portion "...was a frank and lively presentation, and nearly cost us all our jobs."[193]
  • In 1995, an Irish Bartender sketch, written by comedian Jay Mohr, was aired. By April 15, 1995, during the Saturday rehearsal, Mohr was brought to Michaels, and shown a video of the Irish Bartender act as performed by its creator, Rick Shapiro. Mohr denied any knowledge of Shapiro or his act at the time, but later admitted in his memoir that he had stolen the sketch word for word from Shapiro's work. Shapiro and his manager sued the show and gained an undisclosed settlement which included the sketch being removed from all reruns of the show.[194]
  • In March 1998, a Robert Smigel animated short film, "Conspiracy Theory Rock", aired. The short is a scathing political sketch accusing corporations including Disney, FOX, and then-owners of NBC General Electric, of developing a media monopoly to manipulate public perception, and conceal questionable actions. The clip aired only once as part of the original SNL episode and was removed from syndicated repeats with Michaels explaining that it "wasn't funny". The clip was eventually released as part of the Saturday TV Funhouse compilation DVD in 2006.[195]
  • A sketch involving "butt pregnancy" during the first broadcast of the November 12, 2005, episode was replaced with a musical sketch about cafeteria food during the repeat.[196]
  • On September 26, 2009, Jenny Slate made her SNL debut in a biker babe sketch alongside Wiig and actress Megan Fox, where their characters repeatedly use the word "frickin'". During one instance Slate instead accidentally said "fuckin'", which was dubbed over with "freakin'" for subsequent airings.[197]
  • On December 15, 2012, actor Samuel L. Jackson, appearing on the recurring Kenan Thompson sketch "What Up With That?" as a talk show guest whose segment was cut for time, exclaimed what sounded like the words "fuck" and "bullshit." Thompson ad-libbed in response, "C'mon, Sam, that costs money!" Jackson later claimed he hadn't said the full word "fuck" and that Thompson was supposed to cut off his second expletive.[198][199]

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Bibliography

Further reading

  • Cader, Michael (1994). Saturday Night Live: The First Twenty Years. Boston: Houghton Mifflin. ISBN 0-395-70895-8.
  • Davis, Tom (2009). Thirty-Nine Years of Short-Term Memory Loss: The Early Days of SNL from Someome Who Was There. New York: Grove Press. ISBN 0-802-11880-1.
  • Hill, Doug, and Jeff Weingrad (1986). Saturday Night: A Backstage History of Saturday Night Live. New York: Beech Tree Books. ISBN 0-688-05099-9.
  • Streeter, Michael (2005). Nothing Lost Forever: The Films of Tom Schiller. New York: BearManor Media. ISBN 1-59393-032-1.

External links

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