Saturday Night “Razzmatazz”

Perhaps nothing on live television is more highly anticipated than these seven words:

Live from New York, it’s Saturday Night!

I have been a fan of Saturday Night Live since its inception in 1975[1]. And while television has come a long way in the past several decades, nothing else out there has truly been able to mirror what SNL brings to the table. From its wit and satire to its social commentary to its unabashed absurdity and willingness to poke fun at—well—everything, Saturday Night Live has pushed social boundaries and transcended notions of what television can accomplish long before it was acceptable to do so.

But how did this iconic American staple come to be? It all started in 1974 when then NBC President (Herbert Schlosser) approached his vice president of late night programming (Dick Ebersol) seeking a comical, dynamic show that could fill the network’s Saturday night timeslot. The network approached Lorne Michaels, and within three weeks Michaels and Ebersol breathed life into Michaels’ idea for a variety show highlighting elevated comedic sketches, political satire, and musical performances. The target audience was viewers ages 18-34, and the duo sought to create something authentic, different, and cutting that would push modern boundaries and thus drive loyalty amongst an age demographic that is difficult to secure. Talented writers and actors would be key, so NBC secured brilliant comedians such as John Belushi, Gilda Radner, Chevy Chase, Dan Aykroyd, Larraine Newman, Jane Curtin, and Michael O’Donoghue. They named it “NBC’s Saturday Night,” held their breath, and gave it a go.

The show quickly developed a cult-like following after its initial debut on October 11^th, 1975[2] and was officially renamed to “Saturday Night Live” in 1976. Over the next three years the show gained both popularity and attention, garnering a mainstream fan base determined to tune in every Saturday night.

The recipe is simple: Add one part cold open with two parts monologue. Mix in game show skit and catchy commercial and stir vigorously. Fold in generous helping of Weekend Update, taking care to pepper in any salty remarks with a well-timed delivery. Sprinkle a healthy dose of celebrity host, add a dash of musical guest, bake for approximately 1.5 hours on NBC°F, and voila! You’ve whipped up the makings of comedic greatness, a little late night razzmatazz!

Now in its 45^th season, SNL is one of the longest-running television network programs in the United States. Clearly the show is doing something right. No doubt part of this is the team of writers and their propensities to develop shockingly wonderful, distinctly memorable characters that regularly reappear in various skits.

In no particular order, my top 10 favorite SNL characters are as follows:

1. Stefon: “New York’s hottest club is… This place has everything!”

2. Sean Connery (Celebrity Jeopardy): “I’ll take the rapists[3] for 200.”

3. Gilly: “What? Uh-huh. Sorry.”

4. Spartans Cheerleaders: “U.G.L.Y. You ain’t got no alibi, you ugly! Yeah, yeah you ugly!”

5. Debbie Downer: “Wah-wahhhh!”

6. The Californians: “Stuarrtttt?!! What are youuu doin here?!!”

7. Penelope: “I just got back from my honeymoon, so… We went to the moon, actually, it’s made of honey…”

8. Kaitlin: “Rick! Rick! It’s the pupa stage, Rick!”

9. Mary Catherine Gallagher: “Sometimes, when I get real nervous, I stick my hand under my armpits and smell them. Aaah!”

10. Sue the Surprise Lady: “I’m just so FREAKIN’ excited!”

While outrageous, these characters are familiar, topical, and mind-bogglingly relatable, and—satirized as they may be—the shared human “truth” underpinning their thoughts and actions only increases their hilarity and overall appeal.

A few years ago my mom and I visited the “Saturday Night Live: The Experience” museum in Chicago. As loyal SNL fans, we were excited to spend a “girls’ day” in the city eating, drinking, shopping, and laughing as we reminisced over our favorite skits. SNL isn’t merely a show in my household; rather, it has become a lifestyle, with memorable lines from famous skits working their way into our everyday vernacular. Recovering from a fever with the only viable prescription being “more cowbell”, harassing one another by channeling Kristen Wiig’s train wreck of a character from the Laurence Welk Show with tiny pinching hands[4], reciting Sean Connery on celebrity Jeopardy with “I’ll take the anal bum cover for 7,000[5]”, or mimicking Penelope’s propensity to one-up anyone and everyone she meets by making outrageous, unfounded claims: These are the moments, lines, and mannerisms that have manifested themselves into my family’s everyday repertoire, solidifying themselves as inside jokes so ingrained into the fabric of our conversations they seem natural and almost expected.

One of most surprising aspects of the SNL museum was its depiction of everything it takes to make an episode. Weekly production usually begins Mondays with a free-form pitch meeting where the cast, writers, producers, and guest host sit down and hash out what they believe will be funny, topical, and engaging. Tuesday is writing day, and the writers dive head-first into creating script after script, breathing life into concepts tossed about in the previous day’s brainstorm. Writing continues until Wednesday at 5:00PM when the cast reads through the scripts during a round-table meeting in the writers’ room. Notably, writers pitch an average of forty sketches, and read-throughs last multiple hours while various stakeholders (including production and design directors, hair and make-up artists, etc.) consider the feasibility and effectiveness of each proposed sketch. After read-throughs are complete, Michaels and his team decide which sketches will make the cut for that week’s show and organize the chronology of sketches, making sure everything fits appropriately within the 90-minute time slot. While the writing is solidified, set design and costume building ramps up on Thursday, and artists pull out all the stops to create authentic pieces that complement and enhance each skit. Sketches are rewritten, tweaked, and perfected until rehearsals begin on Friday and continue over the next 24 hours, with the final rehearsal taking place in front of a live audience Saturday at 8:00PM ET. Then, at 11:30PM ET the training wheels come off, the cameras click on, and fans all across America gather in front of their TVs: It’s show time!

In all, it was thrilling to stroll through the recreated Studio 8H and encounter various props, costumes, and design elements that define the show we have come to know and love. SNL has blossomed into a phenomenon that is deeply ingrained in modern pop culture, and the show continues its legacy of pushing boundaries and normalizing satire all in the name of a good laugh or two.

Cam and I were excited for the season premier two weeks ago, and even if we can’t catch the entire show live[6] we make a habit of following up with anything we missed later during the week. There’s just something about sitting down to laugh, indulging in both the real and imagined absurdities of life and acknowledging common human truths that most certainly exist but aren’t readily addressed in other contexts. SNL experiments in a way few other mediums can, and it is this bold sense of experimentation that catches our attention and leaves us hungry for what’s next.

Is SNL comedically on point 100% of the time? No. However, the show has also created a number of memorable knockouts that leave loyal viewers coming back for more week after week. So whether you’re watching from the East Coast, West Coast, or anything in between, this weekend tune into NBC and get ready to laugh, cry, and hear those seven magical words:

Live from New York, it’s Saturday night!

After this, anything is possible.