Saturday Night Live logo (2004 Season) Saturday Night Live (SNL) is a weekly late-night ninety-minute live comedy-variety show which has been broadcasted virtually every Saturday night on the American NBC network since its debut on October 11, 1975. It is one of the longest-running network entertainment programs in American television history, second only to the 50-season (and counting) run of The Tonight Show. The show was created by Lorne Michaels, who over the years has produced and written for the show, and remains its executive producer.
Each week, the show's cast is joined by a guest host and a musical act, forming a repertory company for the week. SNL's ever-changing cast list is a veritable 'Who's Who' of comedy and the show has been the launching place for some of the biggest American comedy stars of the last thirty years. In January 2005, NBC renewed SNL's contract until 2012, and announced a February 20, 2005 primetime special focusing on the first 5 years of SNL. [1] (http://tv.zap2it.com/tveditorial/tve_main/1,1002,271|93085|1|,00.html)
The list of major stars who had career-making stints on SNL includes John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd (The Blues Brothers), Gilda Radner, Chevy Chase, Bill Murray, Steve Martin, Christopher Guest, Michael McKean and Harry Shearer (This Is Spinal Tap), Eddie Murphy, Martin Short, Jon Lovitz, Phil Hartman, Dennis Miller, Dana Carvey and Mike Myers (Wayne's World), Chris Farley, David Spade, Chris Rock, Adam Sandler, Rob Schneider and Will Ferrell. Although all these actors went on to successful film or TV careers, some died tragically young, notably Belushi and Farley (from drug abuse), Radner (cancer) and Hartman, who was the victim of a murder/suicide orchestrated by his wife. One-season cast member Danitra Vance died of breast cancer in 1994, and one of the original writers and featured players, Michael O'Donoghue (he wrote the classic "Star Trek" spoof in the first season) died of a brain tumor in 1994.
The show's structure
The show usually follows a standard format. It opens with a sketch, known as the cold opening, which begins without any announcement or titles, often features a political parody, and always ends with someone saying "Live from New York, it's Saturday Night!" (however, some season premiere episodes have the spiel "Live from New York, for the (ordinal number of season) year, it's Saturday Night!"). It is followed by a segue into the opening credits, which usually open with a shot of the Statue of Liberty and a montage of the cast members cut with various locations around the city. The opening credits are voiced-over by long-time NBC announcer Don Pardo.
Next is the opening monologue performed by the guest host(s), often followed by a TV commercial parody. The show continues with more comedy skits (sketches might feature recurring characters, running gags, celebrity impersonations, movie and TV spoofs, and skits parodying the news issues of the day), followed by a performance by the guest musical act. More recent shows have the second act divided by an animated short by Robert Smigel. The news parody segment Weekend Update marks the show's midway point. The second half of the program continues with more sketches, and in most cases a second performance by the musical guest. Some shows also feature filmed segments, often featuring cast members, or it may feature independent film shorts.
History
Fans generally tend to divide SNL's history into seperate "eras." These eras are usually five-year segments which tend to give an ample amount of time to show moderate-to-major changes in the cast and writing staff (this may soon change, however, as cast members are now signing contracts for longer tenure than in years past). Following are links to the history behind each of the currently six SNL eras, and also a history of the show's most popular recurring sketch:
- The Seventies
- The Glory Days: The Original "Not-Ready-For-Prime-Time-Players" made their television debut on October 11, 1975, and started a revolution. Never before had a television network managed to keep a coveted 18-35 demographic at home, tuned to their TVs on a Saturday night. Trace the history from day one, and the show's first breakout star, Chevy Chase, through the ultimate departure of the the original cast and writers and eventually Executive Producer Lorne Michaels.
- The Early Eighties
- The Ebersol Era: 1980 saw a sudden emergence of a young 19-year-old comedian named Eddie Murphy during the infamous "Season Six". While the season was a disaster under new (and soon-to-be-old) show-runner Jean Doumanian, Murphy managed to hold the show together through almost four seasons while new Executive Producer Dick Ebersol (Doumanian's replacement) retooled much of the show. By the end of his tenure, the future NBC Sports Chairman scored a home run with the famous "All-Star" cast of 1984.
- The Late Eighties
- Lorne Returns: The 1985 season saw the return of Lorne Michaels as Executive Producer. Though it introduced future star Jon Lovitz, the season got off to a rocky start under Lorne's "All-Star" cast of his own. SNL was on the brink of cancellation when major changes to the cast in 1986 allowed the show to quickly redeem itself, and garnered what is considered by many some of the finest talent—with new stars Dana Carvey and Phil Hartman—since the show's heyday.
- The Early Nineties
- The Overpopulation Era: The 1990 season ended with the departure of Weekend Update record-holder Dennis Miller and his signature quips of obscure allusions. To compensate for the constant emigration of beloved cast members, Lorne packed the 1991 season with almost 20 cast members and featured players, to allow the cast to more steadily "graduate" through the system at a slower pace. However, this method somewhat backfired as by the notorious 20th season an over-abundance of watered-down recurring sketches had plagued the show resulting in an almost complete cast overhaul by 1995.
- The Late Nineties
- The New Kids In Town: Continue your journey through SNL's long history with the first appearance of future stars Will Farrell, Molly Shannon and Jimmy Fallon. The Late Nineties were a time of more rejuvenation after a less-then-beloved 1994 season, and produced some of the most well-known recurring characters (almost too many) in years. SNL was also in the headlines again during this time regarding their noteable, and side-splittingly funny coverage of the Clinton-Lewinsky scandal, which was so popular, it eventually spawned its own home video collection dedicated to the affair.
- The Early 2000s
- Still Standing: Through good times and bad, SNL is still going strong after almost 30 seasons of broadcast. Trace the recent history from the 2000 season, which coined such now famous terms as "strategery," up to Ashlee Simpson's controversial 2004 music performance.
- Weekend Update
- Many famous (and infamous) recurring sketches have come and gone througout the years, but none are as well known, or as well-received as Weekend Update. Considered by many to be the segment viewers most often look forward to, Weekend Update (under one name or another) has been a part of virtually every show since day one. We offer a brief history of SNL's most popular and longest recurring segment.
The process
The following is a summary of the process used to produce the show. It is based in part on an August 2000 Writer's Digest article and an April 2004 Fresh Air interview with Tina Fey:
- Monday: The day begins with a topical meeting, identifying the biggest story for the show's opening. This is followed by a free-form pitch meeting with Lorne Michaels and the show's host for the week. According to an October 2004 60 Minutes segment on the show, throughout the week the host has a lot of influence on which sketches get aired. Following the meeting, writers begin to draft the two scripts each must produce.
- Tuesday: Starting in the afternoon, anywhere from 30 to 45 scripts are written, significantly more than will make it to air. Most writers work through the night. Once a writer's scripts are complete, he or she will often help other writers on their scripts.
- Wednesday: All scripts get a read-through. After the read-through, the head writer(s) and the producers meet with the host to decide which sketches to work on for the rest of the week, with Lorne Michaels and the host having the final say.
- Thursday: The surviving sketches are reviewed, word-by-word, by the writing staff as a whole (or in two groups in the case of co-head writers). Some sketches which survived the cut because of their premise but otherwise needed a lot of work are rewritten completely. Others are changed in smaller ways. Thursday is also the day that Weekend Update starts coming together, starting with the news items written by writers dedicated all week to the segment. This is also the first day the crew comes in for rehearsal. The music act is rehearsed as well as some of the larger more important skits.
- Friday: the show is blocked (staged). The writer of each skit acts as producer, working with the show's set designers and costumers.
- Saturday: With the show still far from finalized, the day begins with a run-through, with props, in front of Lorne Michaels. After the run-through, the cast and crew find out which of the sketches are in the dress rehearsal, and which are cut. The writer/producer deals with any changes. This is followed by an 8pm dress rehearsal in front of a live audience, which lasts until 10pm or sometimes later, and which contains around twenty minutes of material which will not make it to the broadcast. Lorne Michaels uses first-hand observation of the audience reaction to the rehearsal, and input from the host, to determine the final round of changes, re-ordering sketches as necessary. The show then begins at 11:35pm (Eastern Time).
The status of the show during the week is maintained on a bulletin board. Sketches and other segments are given labels which are put on index cards and put on the board in the order of their performance. The order is based on content as well as production limitations such as camera placement and performer availability. Segments which have been cut are kept to the side of the board. As the broadcast approaches, often the writer/producer discovers the fate of his or her segment only by consulting the bulletin board.
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 hosts in developing and selecting the skits in which they will appear.
When it's not live
SNL is one of the few shows on television to have its in- and off-season reruns aired out of its original broadcast sequence. The sequence of the in-season reruns (that is, encore shows that air during the season it originally aired) are usually determined by the episode(s)' popularity. So, for example, if by the midway point of the season in December, a show hosted by Robert DeNiro turned out to be the highest rated show of the season thus far, it would be the first show to be repeated when SNL begins airing its reruns during one of their live breaks. Shows usually air twice during a particular season, but often the highest rated shows of the season have a second encore show towards the end of the off-season.
Encore showings are not always identical to the original broadcast. Frequently, segments that did not work well during the original showing are replaced by alternate performances, or sometimes completely different skits, that had been taped at the dress rehearsal that preceded the live broadcast.
From time-to-time, SNL airs compilation shows. Such shows will feature the best of a previous season (consisting of skits and musical segments specially selected by the producers), or of a particular cast member (such as Eddie Murphy or Adam Sandler) or guest (such as Tom Hanks), or centered on a particular theme (for example, Halloween, Christmas, or a major news event).
When it's less than live
Over the years SNL has almost always been broadcast live on the east coast, in spite of the expletive spoken by Charles Rocket in 1981. The exceptions were shows hosted by Richard Pryor, Sam Kinison, and Andrew Dice Clay, which were broadcast on a five-second delay.
During Eddie Murphy's last season, he was only available for part of the season, so they recorded a number of extra sketches featuring him that were broadcast in epsiodes he was not available for according to the book Saturday Night: A Backstage History of Saturday Night Live by Doug Hill and Jeff Weingrad.
Some live shows may also be altered and edited for the west coast (where it is broadcast at 11:35pm Pacific Time, three hours after the live broadcast); in some cases recordings of sketches or performances from the program's dress rehearsal have been substituted for the later feed. When Sam Kinison delivered a comic monologue in 1986, NBC removed his plea for the legalization of marijuana from the West Coast broadcast.
Infamous moments
Since it is broadcast live, SNL has had several infamous events that were either unplanned or provoked sufficient controversy to receive media coverage:
- In 1981, Charles Rocket says "I'd like to know who the fuck did it" during the live feed of the "goodnights" segment.
- In 1990, comedian Andrew Dice Clay is chosen to host; cast member Nora Dunn and scheduled musical guest Sinéad O'Connor boycott the show in protest, due to perceptions that his jokes were misogynistic.
- In 1992, at the end of a musical performance, Sinéad O'Connor rips up a photo of the Pope and shouts "Fight the real enemy".
- In 1997, during his Weekend Update Norm MacDonald fumbled with his words and then said "What the fuck was that", not realizing what he had said.
- In 2004, musical guest Ashlee Simpson walks offstage in an incident in which she used a backing tape to enhance or replace her live vocals due to illness—her difficulty singing during rehearsals earlier in the day, an effect of acid reflux, was subsequently shown on the news program 60 Minutes, which coincidentally happened to be on set that week preparing a report.
The rights to SNL
NBC holds the copyright to every episode of the show made thus far. The syndication rights to the original incarnation (1975-1980) were originally acquired by Filmways Television (later Orion Television and MGM), while the syndication rights to the shows made from 1980 forward (that is, rerun rights beginning two years after its original NBC airings) have been held by Broadway Video, Lorne Michaels' production company.
The home video rights have also been scattered. Warner Home Video originally released several episodes from the original incarnation (1975-1980). Paramount released a "Best Of Eddie Murphy" video compilation in the 1980s (Murphy had a multi-picture deal with Paramount at the time). In the 1990s, Starmaker Entertainment held the video rights. Today, Lions Gate Home Entertainment handles the VHS and DVD releases of SNL under a new license with NBC.
For many years, both Comedy Central and E! Entertainment Television aired SNL reruns under license with Broadway Video and Orion/MGM (respectively). In 2003, full rights reverted completely to NBC, and the E! network acquired the exclusive syndication rights to the series.
The only episodes that have not been included in any syndication package (including the current deal with E!) are the prime-time special at the Mardi Gras in New Orleans (the only time the show has originated outside of New York), the Louise Lasser and Milton Berle episodes, and the shows where Andrew Dice Clay and Drew Barrymore first appeared as hosts.
Contracts
SNL received some negative publicity in 1999 when it was leaked that, henceforth, actors joining the show would have to agree in their five- to six-year contract that, upon request, they would act in up to three movies by SNL Films, for fees of US$75,000, US$150,000, and then US$300,000; and also that, upon request, they would leave SNL and act in an NBC sitcom for up to an additional six years. This appeared to be a reaction to the departure of Adam Sandler to movie stardom.
Some agents and managers characterized these long-term contracts as involuntary servitude, saying that almost any young, undiscovered comic would immediately agree to any given set of exploitative contractual restrictions for the opportunity to launch their careers via the show. NBC publicly defended the new contracts, saying that SNL was doing a service to young comics by launching so many careers.
It was reported in 1999 that the starting salary for SNL cast members was US$5,000 per episode.
The Banned List
Over the years, SNL has banned both hosts and musical guests for their unorthodox behavior. The most notable is that of Sinéad O'Connor. In 1992, she appeared on the program with host Tim Robbins. In her second set of the show, she performed an a capella version of Bob Marley's "War". At the end, she picked up a picture of Pope John Paul II, ripped it up, and said, "Fight the real enemy." NBC received many complaints about this within a matter of minutes, and Robbins did not even thank O'Connor at the end of the show for being the musical guest. O'Connor was given a verbal beating by many other celebrities and public figures. To this day, NBC refuses to lend out the footage to any media outlet. They have also edited out the incident from the syndicated version of the episode. She has been banned from ever performing on the show.
Comedian Martin Lawrence has also been banned from the show. His opening monologue included talking about female genitalia. The monologue has been completely edited out in the syndicated version, with just a graphic describing in general what Lawrence had said. The graphic also told viewers that it was a lively monologue and it almost cost many SNL employees their jobs. An unofficial transcript of the monologue can be found here (http://snltranscripts.jt.org/93/93nmono.phtml).
Another banning of sorts happened in 1982 when the show decided to leave the fate of a featured player in the hands of viewers. Andy Kaufman, who appeared on the show since its beginning in 1975, was on the chopping block. Viewers had to call a 900 number to decide if Kaufman should be allowed to stay, or be banned for life from the show. Viewers decided to kick him off and Kaufman never returned to the show. In truth, the idea was pitched to Dick Ebersol weeks before by Andy, and Ebersol used the idea after he had a fight with Kaufman. When Andy heard the news that he was banned, he felt betrayed.
Elvis Costello was banned from SNL for 13 years. In December 1977, he was slated to perform with his group The Attractions. NBC and the show's producer Lorne Michaels didn't want Costello to perform "Radio, Radio" since it was an anti-media song. Costello defied them by beginning to play "Less Than Zero," stopping at the beginning, telling the audience that there was no reason to do that song, and started playing "Radio, Radio." This infuriated Michaels because he was told not to play the song, but also because the stunt threw the show off schedule. Costello was invited to come back and play in 1989, and even reenacted his act of defiance on the 25th Anniversary Show in 1999.
Trivia
- Steve Martin was a frequent guest host of the program, and even had popular recurring characters, but was never a member of the cast.
- Eddie Murphy is the only person to have hosted the show while still a cast member; this occurred during season 8 (December 11, 1982), when Murphy filled in for a sick Nick Nolte.
- Michael McKean is the only performer to appear as cast member, host, and (as David St. Hubbins of Spinal Tap) musical guest.
- Harry Shearer and Brian Doyle-Murray are the only two cast members to work under both Lorne Michaels and Dick Ebersol. Shearer in 1979 & 1984, and Doyle-Murray in 1979 & 1981. In addition, Doyle-Murray also worked under one-season Producer Jean Doumanian as a writer.
The cast
See Saturday Night Live cast.
By the numbers
Frequent hosts
The following performers have hosted SNL at least five times:
Several special episodes of Saturday Night Live have been compiled and aired that were "best of" episodes of several of these hosts, including Christopher Walken and Tom Hanks.
Recurring characters and sketches
 Dolly Parton with SNL's Victoria Jackson. Undoubtedly, SNL's most popular and longest recurring sketch is Weekend Update. Other recurring characters and sketches can be found at Recurring Saturday Night Live characters and sketches
- "But nooooooo!" (John Belushi)
- "I'm all verklempt ... (sniff) ... talk amongst yourselves .. I'll give you a topic ...." (Mike Myers)
- "I'm Chevy Chase, and you're not." (Chevy Chase)
- "Generalissimo Francisco Franco is still dead" (Chevy Chase)
- "Jane, you ignorant slut." (Dan Aykroyd)
- "We are, two wild and crazy guys!" (Steve Martin, Dan Aykroyd)
- "Well, isn't that convenient? / Isn't that special?" (Dana Carvey)
- "Yeah, that's the ticket!" (Jon Lovitz)
- "You look mahvelous!" (Billy Crystal speaking with a Fernando Lamas accent)
- "I'm good enough, I'm smart enough, and doggone it, people like me!" (Al Franken)
- "Ve are goink to pump (clap) you up!" (Dana Carvey, Kevin Nealon)
- "Excellent!" (Dana Carvey, Mike Myers)
- "...Not!" (Dana Carvey, Mike Myers)
- "My father always used to say, it's always something. If it's not one thing, it's another." (Gilda Radner)
- "Never mind." (Gilda Radner)
- "We're not worthy!" (Dana Carvey, Mike Myers)
- "I'm fifty! Fifty years old!" (Molly Shannon)
- "I gotta have more cowbell!" (Christopher Walken)
- "Do not taunt Happy Fun Ball"
- "And I live...in a van... down by the river!" (Chris Farley)
- "Buh-bye." (David Spade)
- "Da Bears." (Chris Farley, Mike Myers, George Wendt)
- "...or so the Germans would have us believe." (Norm MacDonald)
- "Lockbox" (Darrell Hammond)
- "Strategery" (Will Ferrell)
- "I Love it-I Love it-I Love it" (Molly Shannon)
- "Super Star!" (Molly Shannon)
- "You guessed it -- Frank Stallone." (Norm MacDonald)
- "...which just goes to prove my theory -- Germans love David Hasselhoff" (Norm MacDonald)
- "Oh, you like-a the juice? The juice is good, eh? " (Rob Schneider)
- "Don't get me started... don't even get me started..." (Molly Shannon)
Movies based on SNL skits
Saturday Night Live sketches have inspired many theatrical and TV movies. Here's a list of them:
See also
External links
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