Saturday_Night_Live

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"SNL" redirects here. For the British TV series, see Saturday Night Live (UK). For other uses, see SNL (disambiguation).
Not to be confused with S&L.
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Saturday Night Live
Image:Saturday Night Live Title Card.png
The Saturday Night Live inter-title since season 32.
Also known as NBC's Saturday Night (1975—1977)
Saturday Night Live '80 (1980)
Format Sketch comedy, Comedy, Variety
Created by Lorne Michaels
Starring See Saturday Night Live cast
Country of origin  United States
No. of seasons 34
No. of episodes 647 as of December 13, 2008 (List of episodes)
Production
Location(s) Studio 8H,
GE Building,
Rockefeller Center

New York City, New York
Running time 94 minutes
Broadcast
Original channel NBC
Picture format 480i (SDTV),
1080i (HDTV)
Original run October 11, 1975 – present
Chronology
Related shows TV Funhouse
External links
Official website
IMDb profile
TV.com summary

Saturday Night Live (SNL) is a weekly late-night 90-minute American sketch comedy/variety show based in New York City that debuted on October 11, 1975. It features a regular cast of typically up-and-coming comic actors, joined by a guest host and musical act. The show — broadcast live (or on tape delay to the Mountain and Pacific Time Zones) from Studio 8H at the GE Building in New York's Rockefeller Center — has launched careers for many major American comedy stars of the last thirty years. It was created by Canadian Lorne Michaels who, excluding seasons 6 — 10, has been with the show throughout, first as producer and writer and later its executive producer. SNL is one of the longest-running network programs in American television history.

Throughout its history (except for season 7 and other rare exceptions), the show has traditionally begun with a cold open that ends with someone breaking character and proclaiming "Live, from New York, it's Saturday Night!"

Contents

History

Creator Lorne Michaels in April 2008.
See also: history of SNL by season: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34

The show began as a replacement for Best of Carson. Originally, the show was called NBC's Saturday Night, as the current title was in use by rival network ABC. NBC purchased the rights to the name in 1976[1] and officially adopted the new title on March 26, 1977. After five years, creator Lorne Michaels chose not to renew his contract, and was joined in departure by the cast members and writers. Jean Doumanian took over the show for the 1980 season, hiring a new cast and writers that included Eddie Murphy. Doumanian was replaced after one year by Dick Ebersol, who had hired Michaels as the show's creator. Murphy and Joe Piscopo continued as cast members under Ebersol, remaining with the show until 1984. For fall 1984, Ebersol added several cast members with television experience, including Billy Crystal, Martin Short, Harry Shearer, and Pamela Stephenson. After one season, Ebersol wanted a more significant revamp, which was rejected in favor of bringing back Lorne Michaels.

Michaels return for the 1985-6 season restored an association with NBC that has lasted nearly thirty years. Since Michaels' return the show has launched the careers of Dennis Miller, Joan Cusack, Robert Downey, Jr., Damon Wayans, Dana Carvey, Phil Hartman, Jan Hooks, Kevin Nealon, Mike Myers, Chris Rock, Adam Sandler, Conan O'Brien, Will Ferrell, Jimmy Fallon, Tina Fey and Amy Poehler, among others. As head of Broadway Video and SNL Films, Michaels has leveraged the talent he's helped introduce, producing shows and films such as All You Need Is Cash, Wayne's World, Late Night with Conan O'Brien, Coneheads, and 30 Rock.

Saturday Night Live cast

Main article: Saturday Night Live cast

Current repertory players

Current featured players

Notable tenures

Although Saturday Night Live has a rapid turnover of supporting players, some performers have had long tenures with the show. A YesY in the final column indicates that the performer has a "Best Of" SNL Compilation:

Performer Years Number of
seasons		 Number of
episodes		 "Best of"
Compilation?
Darrell Hammond 1995–present 14 258 YesY
Al Franken 1977–1980; 1986–1995 11.5 90
Tim Meadows 1991–2000 9.5 190 YesY
Kevin Nealon 1986–1995 9 175
Phil Hartman 1986–1994 8 155 YesY
Seth Meyers 2001–present 8 138
Horatio Sanz 1998–2006 8 162
Chris Kattan 1996–2003 7.5 150 YesY
Chris Parnell 1998–2001; 2002–2006 7.5 148
Amy Poehler 2001–2008 7.5 140
Maya Rudolph 2000–2007 7.5 135
Fred Armisen 2002–present 7 118
Rachel Dratch 1999–2006 7 138
Will Ferrell 1995–2002 7 140 YesY
Will Forte 2002–present 7 118
Tracy Morgan 1996–2003 7 146 YesY

Announcer

Don Pardo has served as the announcer for the series since it began (except for season 7, when Mel Brandt and Bill Hanrahan filled that role). Pardo, who was 57 when the show debuted and who retired from NBC in 2004 at age 86, still flies in from his home in Tucson, Arizona, to introduce the show as of 2008.

Hosts/musical guests

See also: List of Saturday Night Live episodes

George Carlin was first to host the show; Candice Bergen was the first female to host the show a few weeks later and again hosted only six weeks after that.

The "Five Timers' Club"

The following performers have hosted SNL at least five times. A YesY indicates that the performer are the subjects of their own "Best of ..." videotape, DVD, or compilation special. If a hammer appears next to a persons name that means they were once a cast member on the show. The Five-Timers Club originates from a sketch which appeared on Tom Hanks' fifth episode. This list comes from raw data compiled and listed from the following independent sources: http://snlmusic.parshaparts.com/snlmusic.php and http://snlarc.jt.org/)

Performer Number of Episodes First Hosted Most Recently Hosted Date of Five Timer Membership
Steve Martin [2] 15 October 23, 1976 January 31, 2009 April 22, 1978 YesY
Alec Baldwin 13 April 21, 1990 November 11, 2006 December 10, 1994 YesY
John Goodman 12 December 2, 1989 November 3, 2001 May 7, 1994
Buck Henry 10 January 17, 1976 May 24, 1980 November 19, 1977
Chevy Chase 9 February 18, 1978 February 15, 1997 November 16, 1985 YesY hammer
Tom Hanks [3] 8 December 14, 1985 May 6, 2006 December 8, 1990 YesY
Christopher Walken [4] 7 January 20, 1990 April 5, 2008 May 19, 2001 YesY
Elliott Gould 6 January 10, 1976 November 15, 1980 February 16, 1980
Danny DeVito 6 May 15, 1982 December 10, 1999 January 9, 1993
Candice Bergen 5 November 8, 1975 May 19, 1990 May 19, 1990
Bill Murray 5 March 7, 1981 February 20, 1999 February 20, 1999 hammer
Drew Barrymore 5 November 20, 1982 February 3, 2007 February 3, 2007

The following performers have been musical guests on SNL at least five times:

Musical Guest Number of Episodes First Musical Appearance Last Musical Appearance Other Notes
Paul Simon 9 November 20, 1976 May 13, 2006 Simon also hosted or co-hosted four shows. He co-hosted with Catherine Oxenberg on May 10, 1986, during the 11th season. He solely hosted the second show on October 18, 1975 where he performed with Art Garfunkel and Phoebe Snow, on November 20, 1976, where he was one of two musical guests and on December 19, 1987. Is also best friend of show creator Lorne Michaels. (Also appeared in the original "Five Timers Club" sketch.)
Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers 7 November 10, 1979 April 10, 1999
Randy Newman 6 October 18, 1975 October 22, 1988
James Taylor 6 September 18, 1976 November 13, 1993
Beck 6 January 11, 1997 October 28, 2006 He appeared as musical guest two times in 1999 (with hosts Bill Paxton and Christina Ricci). He has also been featured in a sketch about the evils of medicinal marijuana.
Sting 5 October 17, 1987 November 20, 1999 Only non-American performer to appear as a musical guest at least five times; has also performed in at least one sketch during each of his appearances.
Foo Fighters 5 December 2, 1995 October 13, 2007 Lead singer Dave Grohl has actually appeared nine times; he was the drummer for Nirvana in their two performances, as well as for Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers and Tenacious D for one performance each.

Musical guests who simultaneously hosted

The following performers have pulled a double duty as both musical guests and host during the same SNL episode:

Musical Guest Date of Hosting/Musical Appearance Other Notes
Lily Tomlin November 22, 1975 She is actually the first to host and be in the musical act, but the show was listed without a musical act. So she is not given musical act credit
Desi Arnaz February 21, 1976 He is the first performer credited to appear simultaneously as host and musical guest.
Paul Simon November 20, 1976
Ray Charles November 12, 1977
The Rolling Stones October 7, 1978 Are the only band to host and be musical guests on SNL (even though Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Charlie Watts, and Ronnie Wood were the only band members to appear in sketches - Bill Wyman did not)
Frank Zappa October 21, 1978 Zappa's appearance (and general 'mugging') was so notorious he was, legend has it, never invited back.
Ricky Nelson February 17, 1979 Nelson proved to be a good sport by spoofing his TV sitcom image. He appeared in a Twilight Zone send-up in which, always trying to go "home", he found himself among characters from other early TV sitcoms: Leave It to Beaver, Father Knows Best and Make Room for Daddy.
Olivia Newton-John May 22, 1982
Lily Tomlin January 22, 1983 Appearing in the musical act also technically makes her the first to host and appear in the musical act twice. Though again the show was listed without a musical guest so she was not given credit. Tomlin appeared as Pervis Hawkins
Stevie Wonder May 7, 1983
Willie Nelson February 21, 1987
Dolly Parton April 15, 1989
Quincy Jones February 10, 1990 Jones' hosting stint had ten musical guests on one night, an SNL record.
Sting January 19, 1991 Sting also hosted in early 1997. He was not the credited musical guest but he did perform a few numbers.
MC Hammer December 7, 1991
Garth Brooks February 28, 1998 and November 13, 1999 He is one of only three performers to simultaneously act as host and musical guest more than once. Garth appeared in the second such episode as himself as host, and his alter ego Chris Gaines as musical guest.
Deion Sanders February 18, 1995 Bon Jovi was the credited musical guest, but Deion Sanders performed "It's On" and "Must be the Money."
Jennifer Lopez February 10, 2001
Britney Spears May 13, 2000 and February 2, 2002 At 18, she was the youngest person in SNL History to act as a host and musical guest the same time on May 13, 2000.
Justin Timberlake October 11, 2003 and December 16, 2006
Janet Jackson April 10, 2004
Queen Latifah October 9, 2004
Ludacris November 18, 2006
Jon Bon Jovi October 13, 2007 Jon Bon Jovi hosted, with Bon Jovi performing twice, and Foo Fighters performing once. It should be noted that although Bon Jovi performed, it was the Foo Fighters, not Bon Jovi, that was the credited musical guest

In addition, Christina Aguilera, who had previously appeared as a musical guest twice on April 8, 2000 and March 15, 2003, hosted on February 21, 2004, singing early in that broadcast. Maroon 5 was the musical guest for the episode, with two song performances.

Castmembers who have hosted

YesY indicates a castmember with a "Best Of" collection. Castmembers are put into order of when they first hosted.

Performer Times Hosted First Hosted Most Recently Hosted When a Castmember Other Notes
Chevy Chase 9 February 18, 1978 February 15, 1997 1975-1976 / 1½ seasons First former castmember to host and first to host more than five times. He is the first Weekend Update anchor to come back to host. As of 1997, he is banned from ever hosting again due to his harsh treatment of castmembers. YesY
Bill Murray 5 March 7, 1981 February 20, 1999 1977-1980 / 3½ seasons Second former castmember to host five or more time times. He is the second former Weekend Update anchor to come back to host SNL. Only castmember to host during Jean Doumanian's tenure as producer.
Eddie Murphy 2 December 11, 1982 December 15, 1984 1980-1984 / 3½ seasons He is the only performer to host while still a castmember. Also, he was the first of only four hosts who joined the cast when Lorne Michaels was not producing SNL. YesY
Don Novello 2 January 14 , 1984 May 12, 1984 1978-1980 + 1985-1986 Hosted both times as his character Father Guido Sarducci.
Billy Crystal 2 March 17, 1984 May 12, 1984 1984-1985 / 1 season He is the first performer to join the cast after he had hosted. He co-hosted with Ed Koch, Don Novello, Betty Thomas and Edwin Newman on May 12, 1984. Also, he is one of only four hosts who joined the cast when Lorne Michaels was not producing SNL.
Michael McKean 1 November 3, 1984 November 3, 1984 94-95 / 1½ He is the second performer to join the cast after hosting a show, and also the oldest individual to join the cast.
Martin Short 2 December 6, 1986 December 7, 1996 1984-1985 / 1 season He co-hosted with Chevy Chase and Steve Martin on December 6, 1986. He is one of only four castmembers hosts who joined the cast when Lorne Michaels was not producing SNL.
Paul Shaffer 1 January 31, 1987 1979-1980 / 1 season He is the only former leader of the SNL Band to host.
Dana Carvey 3 October 22, 1994 October 21, 2000 1986-1993 / 6½ seasons YesY
Damon Wayans 1 April 8, 1995 1985-1986 / ½ season He is the first castmember to come back to host SNL after being fired from the show, and the first castmember from In Living Color to host.
Phil Hartman 2 March 23, 1996 November 23, 1996 1986-1994 / 8 seasons YesY
Chris Rock 1 November 2, 1996 1990-1993 / 3 seasons YesY
Robert Downey Jr 1 November 16, 1996 1985-1986 / 1 season
Mike Myers 1 March 22, 1997 1989-1995 / 6 seasons Has an updated version of his Best Of. YesY
Chris Farley 1 October 25, 1997 1990-1995 / 5 seasons Made his final appearance on TV with the episode he hosted. YesY
Jon Lovitz 1 November 8, 1997 1986-1990 / 5 seasons YesY
Ben Stiller 1 October 24, 1998 1989-1989 / ½ season
David Spade 2 November 7, 1998 1990-1996 / 6 seasons YesY
Norm MacDonald 1 October 23, 1999 1993-1998 / 5 seasons He is the third former Weekend Update anchor to come back to host SNL and the only WU anchor to host after being fired from being an anchor on WU (he wasn't fired from the cast).
Dan Aykroyd 1 May 17, 2003 1975-1979 / 4 seasons He was the fourth former Weekend Update anchor to come back to host SNL, and holds the record for longest time between last appearance as cast member and first time hosting. YesY
Will Ferrell 1 May 14, 2005 1995-2002 / 7 seasons Only castmember to have two Best Of collections. YesY
Julia Louis-Dreyfus 2 May 13, 2006 March 17, 2007 1982-1985 / 3 seasons First female castmember to host / first women castmember from the Ebersol era.
Molly Shannon 1 May 12, 2007 1995-2001 / 6½ seasons Second female castmember to host, but first from the Michaels era. YesY
Tina Fey 1 February 23, 2008 2000-2006 / 6 seasons Fifth former Weekend Update anchor to come back to host SNL, first female anchor to host, hosted first episode back from the Writer's Strike.

The SNL Band

The Saturday Night Live Band (also known as "The Live Band") is the house band for SNL. It features New York studio musicians including Paul Shaffer (1975-1977, 1977-1980), G.E. Smith, Lou Marini (1975-1983), David Sanborn (1975), Michael Brecker, Ray Chew (1980-1983), Alan Rubin (1975-1983), Georg Wadenius (1979-1985), Steve Ferrone (1985), David Johansen (performing as Buster Poindexter) and Tom Malone, who served as leader of the band from 1981 to 1985. The band is currently under the leadership of Tower of Power alum Lenny Pickett and keyboardists Leon Pendarvis and Katreese Barnes.

Films based on SNL sketches

The films based on SNL sketches are listed below with their release, budget, gross, and ratings from Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic. The gross is from Box Office Mojo.[5] A Rotten Tomatoes score of 60% or higher indicates the film is "fresh" (well-received)[6]; Metacritic scores from 81-100, 61-80, 40-60, 20-39, and 0-19 indicate universal/near-universal acclaim, generally favorable reviews, mixed reviews, poor reviews, and overwhelming dislike, respectively.[7]

Film Release
date		 Budget Gross Rotten Tomatoes
rating		 Metacritic
rating
The Blues Brothers 1980 $27 million $57,229,890 76% (fresh) -
Wayne's World 1992 $20 million $121,697,323 83% (fresh) 53 (mixed reviews)
Wayne's World 2 1993 $40 million $48,197,805 58% -
Coneheads 1993 Unknown $21,274,717 27% -
It's Pat 1994 Unknown $60,822 0% -
Stuart Saves His Family 1995 $15 million $912,082 29% -
A Night at the Roxbury 1998 $17 million $30,331,165 10% 26 (poor reviews)
Blues Brothers 2000 1998 $28 million $14,051,384 45%
Superstar 1999 $14 million $30,636,478 33% 42 (mixed reviews)
The Ladies Man 2000 $11 million $13,616,610 11% 22 (poor reviews)

The early days of SNL spawned several movies, including the successful The Blues Brothers. However it was the success of Wayne's World, that encouraged Lorne 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, with the Stuart Smalley character); A Night at the Roxbury (1998, with the Butabi Brothers characters); Superstar (1999, with the Mary Katherine Gallagher character); and Ladies Man (2000). Some did moderately well, though others did not — notably It's Pat!, which did so badly at the box office the studio which made the film, Touchstone, pulled it only one week after releasing it, and Stuart Saves His Family, with the latter losing US$15 million.

In addition, Office Space (1999) originated from a series of Mike Judge animated short films that aired on SNL after appearing on several other programs.[8]

The character Bob Roberts from the Tim Robbins film of the same name, first appeared on SNL in a short film about the conservative folk singer.

The group The Folksmen first appeared on SNL, performing the song "Old Joe's Place" before later appearing in the film A Mighty Wind. 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.

The studio

Since the show's inception, SNL has aired from Studio 8H, located on floors 8 and 9 of GE Building (30 Rockefeller Plaza, or "30 Rock"). Due to the studio originally being a radio soundstage for Arturo Toscanini and his NBC Symphony Orchestra, the layout of the studio floor and the audience positioning causes some audience members to have an obstructed view of many of the sketches. According to NBC, the 8H studio has an almost perfect sound acoustic. The offices of SNL writers, producers, and other staff can be found on the 17th floor of "30 Rock."

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, appearing letterboxed on conventional television screens.

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.

Production process

The following is a summary of the process used to produce the show. It is based in part on interviews with former SNL head writer and performer Tina Fey in 2000 and 2004.[9][10]

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. The official name is "The Host Meeting" but all the writers and cast members call it "The Pitch Meeting"
  • 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, most of which will not be broadcast.
  • 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 are in need of work, are rewritten completely. Others are changed in smaller ways.
  • The Weekend Update crew starts coming together, starting with the news items written by writers dedicated all week to the segment.
  • The crew comes in for rehearsal, and the music act is rehearsed as well as some of the larger, more important sketches.
  • The host and musical guest and usually some cast members shoot two to four promos to play for NBC.

Friday:

  • The show is blocked.
  • The writer of each sketch 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 a dress rehearsal performed in front of the studio audience, which lasts from 8 p.m. - 10 p.m. (or sometimes later) and contains approximately twenty minutes of material which will be deleted from the final broadcast.
  • Lorne Michaels uses firsthand observation of the audience reaction during the dress rehearsal and input from the host and head writer to determine the final round of changes, re-ordering sketches as necessary.
  • The live show then begins at 11:29:30 p.m. Eastern Time, but some markets will delay airing.

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 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! Entertainment Television.

When it's not live

Reruns

SNL reruns are aired out of its original broadcast sequence, usually determined by which episodes have not yet been repeated, but had high ratings or acclaim for its live broadcast. 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, or episodes will be repeated a second or third time to coincide with a new event connected with the person who hosted. For example, the Natalie Portman episode aired in March 2006 to promote V for Vendetta was repeated August 5, 2006, prior to the film's DVD release August 8. Similarly, Jeff Gordon's episode reran following NBC's coverage of the Pepsi 400.

The show is never live in the western half of the USA. There was a short experiment in which it did air live on the west coast in 2001 after live XFL football games.[citation needed] NBC airs a recording of the live show for the Mountain and Pacific time zones, usually exactly as it aired in the East -- mistakes notwithstanding.

NBC and Broadway Video share the copyright to every episode of the show made thus far. 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.[11] 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, VH1, Comedy Central and E! Entertainment Television.

Compilations

From time-to-time, SNL airs compilation shows. Such shows will feature hand-selected best sketches from the previous season; of a particular cast member or multiple-time host; or centered on a particular theme (eg. Halloween, Christmas). Political sketches are typically culled for a special in presidential election years; the 2000 special was notable for having self-deprecating (though separate) appearances by candidates George W. Bush and Al Gore. During the 2008 presidential race, Hillary Clinton, Mike Huckabee, John McCain, Barack Obama, and Sarah Palin all made appearances on the show.

Delays

  • The show was forced by the network to run on a five-second delay on three separate occasions when Richard Pryor, Sam Kinison, and Andrew Dice Clay each hosted.
  • 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; the game entered extra innings, causing that night's broadcast of SNL to be canceled. 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 New York Mets pitcher Ron Darling.
  • 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.[12]
  • During Eddie Murphy's last season, he negotiated to record a number of extra sketches in September 1983 that featured him and were broadcast in episodes for which he was not available. His last live show was with host Edwin Newman on February 25, 1984.[13]
  • When Sam Kinison delivered a comic monologue in 1986, NBC removed his plea for the legalization of marijuana from the West Coast broadcast and all subsequent airings.
  • A portion of Martin Lawrence's 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."[14]
  • In a November 21, 1992 Wayne's World sketch, the characters Wayne and Garth (respectively portrayed by Mike Myers and Dana Carvey) made fun of Chelsea Clinton (the-then 12-year old daughter of President-Elect Bill Clinton), implying that Chelsea was incapable of causing males to "Schwing!" (essentially meaning she was unattractive). This joke was subsequently edited out of all repeats and syndication rebroadcasts of this sketch.[15]

Replaced/altered sketches

Encore showings are not always identical to the original broadcast. Successful sketches aired later in the show during the original broadcast may be reedited to appear earlier. In the earlier years of the show's history, reruns occasionally replaced weaker sketches with segments from other episodes, usually from episodes that did not have an encore showing at all.

Occasionally, sketches originally performed in the dress rehearsal (which is recorded as a backup) have replaced the live version in reruns. This is usually due to errors (either technical or by the actors) in the live broadcast. Examples include

  • A Peter Sarsgaard sketch from his January 21, 2006 appearance, involving Rachel Dratch's fake newscast, met with technical difficulties during the live broadcast when the in-sketch TV stopped working and a stagehand was seen fixing it.[16]
  • Kathleen Turner's monologue in 1989.[citation needed]
  • A sketch involving "butt pregnancy" during the first broadcast of the November 12, 2005, Jason Lee episode was replaced with a musical sketch about cafeteria food during the repeat.[17]
  • A sketch with Roseanne Barr where she played a customer service representative for a fictional credit card company. At the end of the sketch, she accidentally used the name "Master Card" and not the fictional (though very similar) name. The dress rehearsal version has replaced that version in all successive broadcasts.[citation needed]
  • A Debbie Downer sketch featuring Ben Affleck was pulled from later rebroadcasts and replaced with the dress rehearsal version. In this case, the replacement is actually referenced by a title card, explaining that the dress version "worked better." The main difference between the two is that in the dress version, the actors broke character and started laughing during the sketch (causing the audience to laugh more), while the live version was performed without laughter from the actors, and less laughter from the audience.[citation needed]
  • One of the most notable substitutions was the replacement of Sinéad O'Connor's October 3, 1992 live performance during which she destroyed a photograph of Pope John Paul II, with the dress rehearsal performance from earlier that evening where she holds up a picture of a starving African child.[18]
  • The It's a Match sketch with host Shia LaBeouf was edited so he would not fumble with the rings he pulled out from under his chair, and Casey Wilson's answer to where she was during the murder was "Making mouth whoopie" instead of "Eating pound cake and crying on my waterbed."[citation needed]
  • The "I Drink Your Milkshake" sketch involving Bill Hader (as Daniel Plainview) was edited to remove Hader's verbal mistake when saying the city in Wisconsin. The mistake was edited out by showing the restaurant picture earlier, and the verbal mistake completely removed from the sketch in all subsequent re-broadcasts.[citation needed]
  • The "VH1 Storytellers: Neil Diamond" sketch in episode 438 February 7, 1998 is edited out in repeats and is absent from the Will Ferrell "Best of" videos despite being recognized by many as one of SNL's funniest sketches.[citation needed]
  • The "Michael Phelps Diet" fake commercial from the season 34 premiere episode used a dress rehearsal version in reruns because the live version had a part where Michael Phelps can be seen turning his head to cough just before delivering his line.[citation needed]

Censorship

In some cases, a sketch was censored in repeat broadcasts.

  • A sketch featuring a performance of "War of the Worlds" by the Brooklyn Actor's Academy had as its primary joke the thick "Noo Yawk" accent of the actors. The sketch featured many lines using heavily accented forms of the word fuck; "fuggin'," "funkin'," etc. While the curse word proper was never actually used, the "close call" words are bleeped out on broadcasts of the sketch on E!, where the show is run in the daytime.[citation needed]
  • On the Rainn Wilson/Arcade Fire episode on February 24, 2007, during the sketch where four men talk about where they were when they first heard "Danny's Song", Bill Hader's character tells the story of how he first heard the song when he was spending time with his father in the park, and concludes that it was the first day that he thought, "I have a dad," instead of, "I have a dad with Down's Syndrome." Due to complaints[specify], the "Down's Syndrome" part of the line was bleeped out in all NBC reruns.
  • On the NBC rerun of the season 34 episode hosted by Anne Hathaway, the CSPAN Bailout sketch was edited to remove references to Herb Sandler and his wife, Marion, and their corrupt banking practices, as days after the sketch aired, Lorne Michaels discovered that Herb and Marion Sandler were an actual couple who were accused of this.[19]

Recent ratings

 This article or section is missing information about: the show's ratings in earlier years.
This concern has been noted on the talk page where it may be discussed whether or not to include such information. (December 2008)

Sarah Palin's October 18, 2008 guest appearance scored SNL highest ratings since Nancy Kerrigan hosted and Aretha Franklin was the musical guest on March 12, 1994. Fourteen million people watched the show, with even more (17 million) watching during the first half hour.[20] Updated ratings show that the Alaska governor garnered an audience of 15 million viewers (Josh Brolin was the episode's host, and Adele was the musical guest), and a 5.5 rating in the 18-49 demographic -- its best showing since Jan. 20, 2001, when Mena Suvari was host and Lenny Kravitz was musical guest.

If the October 18, 2008 broadcast had been a prime time program, it would have been No. 5 in total viewers behind "CSI," "NCIS," the "Dancing With The Stars" (Monday) and "Desperate Housewives"(Sunday). And "SNL" would have been No. 3 in the 18-49 count behind "Grey's Anatomy" and "Desperate Housewives."[citation needed]

On DVD

Saturday Night Live: The Complete First Season was released on DVD, in the UK, by Universal Studios on December 5, 2006.[21] Upon the set’s release, some criticism of its authenticity as complete and uncut arose from reviewers and fans.[22] This was due to the existence of original live copies, which in comparison to the "complete" episodes reveal edits and omissions, which are common among the rerun versions of the shows in the set. [23] One such example is a Wrigleys gum parody which originally aired in two episodes live, but was removed for the repeat broadcasts for time, and the DVD uses the repeat versions of these episodes. [24]

The complete second season was released in the US on DVD on December 4, 2007.[21], the third season on May 13, 2008, and the fourth season on December 2, 2008.[25]

In addition to the full season releases, there have been multiple releases both on VHS and DVD featuring the "Best Of" former cast members and guest hosts in addition to documentaries, musical performances and themed compilations of sketches as well as a release of the show's 25 year anniversary.


See also

References

 This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding reliable references. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (November 2008)
  1. ^ SNL Time Line
  2. ^ "Contrary to popular belief, Martin was never a cast member on "Saturday Night Live" (1975). However, he holds the records for guest appearances (25) on the show (followed closely by Buck Henry), hosting (at 13 times, he sets the standard for the SNL "Five Timers Club"), and hosting in a single season (3). He is also the only person to have hosted a season premiere, a season finale, and a Christmas show." http://www.starglimpse.com/celebs/pages/steve_martin/steve_martin.shtml
  3. ^ UPDATE!! SWEEPS DAY 10!! Tom Hanks Hosts His First SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE Since Sept. 28, 1996!! - Ain't It Cool News: The best in movie, TV, DVD, and comic book news
  4. ^ Young, Jamie Painter "His way: Christopher Walken has always danced to his own tune. He encourages his fellow actors to do the same.", Back Stage West, March 13, 2003. "Just a few weeks ago he did a rousing song-and-dance number during his opening monologue on Saturday Night Live, on which he has the distinction of being in the 'Five-Timers Club' of celebrities who have hosted the show five times or more. (He's hosted six.)"
  5. ^ Saturday Night Live franchise films from Box Office Mojo
  6. ^ FAQ: What is the Tomatometer? from Rotten Tomatoes
  7. ^ How We Calculate Our Scores: The Long FAQ from Metacritic
  8. ^ Fierman, Daniel (February 26, 1999). "Judge's Dread", Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved on 16 August 2007. 
  9. ^ Hill, Julianne (August 2000). "SNL's Tina Fey". Writer's Digest: p.40. 
  10. ^ "Writer and Actress Tina Fey" (Audio). Fresh Air. NPR (2004-04-28). Retrieved on 2008-03-03.
  11. ^ Romano, Allison (2002-10-25). "Comedy Central Goes Mad", Broadcasting & Cable. Retrieved on 3 March 2008. 
  12. ^ "It's Saturday Night Delayed!". Studio Briefing. Internet Movie Database (2001-02-13). Retrieved on 2008-03-03.
  13. ^ Hill, Doug; Jeff Weingrad (1986). Saturday Night: A Backstage History of Saturday Night Live. ISBN 0688050999. 
  14. ^ "Martin Lawrence's Monologue". SNL Transcripts (2003-04-12). Retrieved on 2008-03-03.
  15. ^ Nevius, C.W. (2004-01-22). "Just ask Chelsea, Jenna and Barbara: Escaping the glare of the spotlight isn't easy for kids whose dads work in the Oval Office". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved on 2008-03-03.
  16. ^ http://snltranscripts.jt.org/05/05k.phtml
  17. ^ http://snltranscripts.jt.org/05/05e.phtml
  18. ^ The Onion AV Club article: "Inventory: Ten Memorable Saturday Night Live Musical Moments."
  19. ^ http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/showtracker/2008/10/nbc-yanks-then.html
  20. ^ http://www.suntimes.com/news/elections/1230457,sarah-palin-tina-fey101908.article
  21. ^ a b Saturday Night Live at the Internet Movie Database
  22. ^ http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/sitereviews.cfm?ReleaseID=6254
  23. ^ Lacey, Gord (2006-12-02). "Saturday Night Live - The Complete 1st Season Review". TVShowsonDVD.com. Retrieved on 2008-03-03.
  24. ^ Lacey, Gord (2006-12-02). "Saturday Night Live - The Complete 1st Season Review". TVShowsonDVD.com. Retrieved on 2008-03-03.
  25. ^ Saturday Night Live: Seasons and Episode Guides from amazon.com

Further reading

  • Cader, Michael. (1994). Saturday Night Live: The First Twenty Years. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin. ISBN 0-395-70895-8.
  • Hill, Doug, and Jeff Weingrad. (1986). Saturday Night: A Backstage History of Saturday Night Live. New York, NY: Beech Tree Books. ISBN 0-688-05099-9.
  • Mohr, Jay. (2004). Gasping for Airtime: Two Years in the Trenches of Saturday Night Live. New York, NY: Hyperion. ISBN 1-4013-0006-5.
  • Shales, Tom, and James Andrew Miller. (2002). Live from New York: An Uncensored History of Saturday Night Live. Boston, MA: Little, Brown. ISBN 0-316-78146-0.
  • Streeter, Michael. (2005). Nothing Lost Forever: The Films of Tom Schiller. New York, NY: BearManor Media. ISBN 1593930321.

External links

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