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In a career on stage, screen and television that has endured for more than 50 years, writer, actor and comedian Martin Short got his start in a 1972 Canadian production of the stage musical "Godspell" in a cast that included Eugene Levy, Andrea Martin, Victor Garber, Dave Thomas and Gilda Radner, all of whom would work with Short on subsequent projects in the years to come.

Short's first exposure to American audiences was as a member of the Second City troupe in the sketch show, "Sctv Network 90," which aired on NBC from 1981-83 and earned Short his first Emmy for writing. There he created such signature Short characters as Ed Grimley and Jiminy Glick. He went on to be cast in Season 10 of "Saturday Night Live" (1985-86) along with Billy Crystal, Harry Shearer and Christopher Guest. Short then began his starring roles in films with 1986's "¡Three Amigos!" alongside Steve Martin and...

Raquel Welch and Saturday Night Live weren’t a match made in comedy heaven. The actress was assigned a “babysitter” to keep her out of Lorne Michaels’ hair when she hosted in 1976, according to Saturday Night: A Backstage History of Saturday Night Live. Welch was attempting to make the transition from 1960s sex symbol to Vegas-style dynamo. What could SNL do with a talent like this?

Welch had ideas, like this bizarro, high-kickin’ musical number. SNL viewers must have felt like they were watching a hybrid of a Donny and Marie variety show and a late-night Skinemax movie.

Of course, SNL writers had their own pitches, mostly centered on her cleavage. Chevy Chase had a brilliant idea — every time Welch was on-screen, he wanted the camera to slowly drift from her face to her breasts. Even funnier (to Chase): No one would tell Welch this was happening, though she...

Steve Martin and Lorne Michaels approached the early 1970s, that tumultuous time of Vietnam and Watergate, from completely different directions. “For Michaels, it was a call to arms, banishing big dumb comedy,” according to Lorne: The Man Who Invented Saturday Night Live. “For Martin, it was a chance to poke at the pieties of the counterculture.”

That’s why Michaels resisted booking Martin as an SNL host at first, considering the comedian’s so-stupid-it’s-smart stand-up to be mostly stupid. Before long, however, Michaels came around. “I was completely off about Steve,” he remembered. “You forget that there have to be jokes. His work, I began to see, had a joyousness. And we were deadly serious.”

Saturday Night Live came at just the right time for Martin. After leaving a writing job with the Smothers Brothers, he’d been on the road doing stand-up for about 10 years. That’s a...

The Saturday Night Live 50th Anniversary special was a celebration of the show’s legacy. However, that length of time would always make milestones like this feel bittersweet with emotional reflections on performers who are no longer with us, special fond memories for the cast and even deep regrets. Adam Sandler captured the hearts of everyone in the room as he name-dropped a list of talented former creatives who he wanted to immortalize in his song about the show’s 50 years. Additionally, he would also recount certain experiences like table reads, cut sketches, late nights and dealing with Lorne Michaels.

Film star Bill Murray got his start as a cast member early on and the actor never forgot his roots on the show. Variety reports on Murray’s appearance on the SiriusXM morning show, Sway in the Morning, where he mentions he got very emotional during the three-hour event. The story,...

Bill Murray has revealed that he got “surprisingly emotional” during “SNL50” last month, crying several times throughout the anniversary special.

During an appearance on SiriusXM’s “Sway in the Morning” (via Entertainment Weekly), the legendary comedian told host Sway Calloway that he couldn’t hold back his tears when he wasn’t on screen. “It was surprisingly emotional,” he sad. “I wept three times in the show. It really got to me.”

Murray said he wept because “obviously, there’s a lot of video and history that they’re showing and I didn’t see it coming.” Watching a clip of late cast member Gilda Radner alongside friend Steve Martin particularly affected him.

“There was Gilda [Radner] up there dancing with Steve Martin and I remember being there, watching them rehearse that dance number for days and days and days. I love Gilda, I was crazy about Gilda. And I sort of came apart,...

In the annals of “things that have gone wrong on Saturday NIght Live” — Ashlee Simpson’s lip-synching disaster, Charles Rocket’s inopportune F-bomb, slam dancers destroying Studio 8H during a Fear performance — no individual episode can compare to the debacle surrounding the show’s live, prime-time special from Mardi Gras in 1977.

Saturday Night had become the hottest show on TV, and NBC was ready to cash in on that early success with a primetime special. Lorne Michaels was eager to take his show on the road, using iconic cities’ architecture as urban comedy sets. When someone suggested New Orleans as a possible destination, Michaels was all for it. “Let’s go get steeped in it!” he proclaimed, according to Saturday Night: A Backstage History of Saturday Night Live.

The cast was stoked as well. Who wouldn’t want to escape New York’s winter for a week or two in the sunshine?...

Former Saturday Night Live star Victoria Jackson has denied "slamming" Tom Hanks for a joke in the SNL 50 special. Hanks angered some conservatives by reprising his role as Maga supporter Doug in a "Black Jeopardy" sketch at the anniversary show.

Jackson was initially reported to be angry over the suggestion that Donald Trump's supporters are racist, telling TMZ that she thought the sketch was "stupid." The comedian has since released a statement on Instagram to deny that she had any issue with Hanks, specifically.

Victoria Jackson Denies "Slamming" Tom Hanks Over SNL 50 Sketch

Brian 'Q' Quinn Reveals How SNL's Colin Jost Helped Him Get On Impractical Jokers

Brian 'Q' Quinn talks with Cbr about how Colin Jost helped him get on his hit comedy series Impractical Jokers.

"They say 'all publicity is good publicity,' but I don't know," she told her followers. "They say I slammed Tom Hanks.

This week marks the 50th anniversary celebration of Saturday Night Live (or SNL as it is more colloquially known). In its half-century of running, SNL has become a comedic institution unmatched in television history. Conceived by Lorne Michaels, the visionary who still helms the show to this day, SNL follows an iconic structure that consists of a celebrity host (and monologue),a musical guest, sketches performed by a principal cast, a weekend update news segment, and, always, the declaration of the iconic, "live from New York it's Saturday Night."

A vast number of industry legends have gotten their start on SNL, including the likes of Eddie Murphy, Will Ferrell, Amy Poehler, Julia Louis Dreyfus, Adam Sandler, Tina Fey, and Mike Myers. However, few people know the truth behind SNL's chaotic origins in 1975, or how close the beloved show was to failing to exist at all. Luckily, this is the...

When Tom Hanks took the stage late during last night's 50th anniversary celebration of "Saturday Night Live," he appeared to be headed into somber territory. The lights were dimmed to blue, his tone was reverent and, as he worked into his prepared comments, the subject one that hits so very close to home for the show's alumni and friends. "As we celebrate the achievements of the past 50 years," he said, "We must also take a moment to honor those we've lost. Countless members of the 'SNL' community taken too soon." Hanks paused briefly for effect, then continued. "I'm speaking, of course, about 'SNL' characters that have aged horribly."

No comedic institution can last 50 years without finding the third rail on occasion. For "SNL," a sketch comedy series both emerged from and tore apart 1960s counterculture humor, jolting viewers with gasp-inducing gags that seemed to fly under...

Near the end of the 50th anniversary Saturday Night Live special on Sunday night, original cast member Garrett Morris sat on a chair at the show’s primary stage (a.k.a. home base) to introduce “Don’t Look Back in Anger,” a 1978 SNL short that imagined an elderly John Belushi as the last survivor of that first group of Not Ready for Primetime Players. Before the film rolled, Morris quipped that when he joined the cast in 1975, “I had no idea I would be required to do so many reunion shows.

About halfway through “SNL50,” a sketch-comedy show that ran longer than “The Brutalist” (and also featured Adrien Brody), Laraine Newman walked into the iconic Studio 8H to gaze in wonder at the stage she helped cement as an American landmark. “God, 50 years,” Newman said, a sentimental melody playing as the original cast member started her walk down memory lane. Or, to be more accurate, she tried to walk down memory lane, but Chad — an uncaring stagehand and recurring favorite played by Pete Davidson — kept interrupting her journey. Her initial reverie was cut short by the piercing buzz of his cordless drill. Her thoughts on the magic and dysfunction of her iconic colleagues bored him so quickly he walked out of frame. When she asked him to put the spotlight on her, so she can “feel what it’s like to walk on that stage one more time,” he carelessly punched buttons,...

In the history of Saturday Night Live, was anything as secretive and anticipated as the moment this season right before Timothée Chalamet appeared onstage to sing the first of three Bob Dylan numbers? Which songs would they be? How would he sound? For me, it was all strangely familiar — a throwback to the moment when a lucky bunch of us in the SNL audience witnessed a complete-unknown music moment of its time, and from an equally unexpected source.

I can’t remember how we knew about it, but in the...

There's no greater honor in television than winning a Primetime Emmy Award. For 76 years and counting, the Television Academy has hosted a star-studded awards show that honors the best in televisions. Actors, directors, writers, producers, and more all gather to celebrate everyone's talents and toss back a few drinks. 

With all the back-slapping and glad-handing that happens at these Hollywood award shows, you might find yourself wondering which TV show has the most Emmy wins. Thankfully, we've dug through all the statistics and have the definitive answer. In fact, you might be surprised to hear that the show with the most Emmy award wins is one whose record won't be taken down anytime soon. That's largely because it's a television institution that's been running for 50 years and doesn't show any signs of slowing down. 

The TV show with the most Emmy wins is none other than "Saturday Night Live," clocking...

While SNL50: The Anniversary Special was not a regular episode, it ended the way every Saturday Night Live show for the last 50 years has, with a curtain call. This time, it was supersized, with the stage of Studio 8H packed by representatives of five decades of SNL casts, hosts and musical guests.

Former cast member and five-time host Martin Short took on emcee duties, acknowledging original cast members Chevy Chase, Jane Curtin, Garrett Morris and Laraine Newman on stage, with Curtin and Newman holding up a photo of their late colleague Gilda Radner.

“They paved the way,” Martin said of the group, with fellow Og Dan Aykroyd noticeably missing from the festivities. (Fans also took to social media to react to more recent cast member Bill Hader — and his hugely popular character Stefon — being Mia from the special.)

“And finally, the reason we are all here, the man who made our dreams come true,...

For 50 years, Saturday Night Live introduced the world to some of the funniest people on the planet. As the years have gone on, several beloved cast members who shaped the show's legacy have passed away.

Countless comedians became household names thanks to Saturday Night Live. Chevy Chase, Eddie Murphy, Will Ferrell, Tina Fey, and Kenan Thompson are just some of the names who audiences felt like they knew because of SNL.

That connection between the audience and the cast also means it especially hurts when a former SNL cast member passes away. Here's the complete list of the 15 Saturday Night Live cast members who have died.

Peter Aykroyd

Peter Aykroyd was the younger brother of original Saturday Night Live cast member Dan Aykroyd. The younger Aykroyd also got his start with Second City in Toronto.

Peter Aykroyd joined Saturday Night Live as a writer and cast member for season five...

Saturday Night Live is no stranger to mythologizing, and no episode has been as elevated to the stuff of legend as the late-night sketch comedy series’ inaugural showing.

A tricenarian Lorne Michaels, half a century yet removed from becoming the preeminent juggernaut of television — before SNL produced such comedic powerhouses as Tina Fey and Steve Martin and late-night mainstays as Seth Meyers and Jimmy Fallon, before Fey’s 30 Rock spoofed it and numerous other sketches were transformed into feature-length projects — and a group of rag-tag yet promising comedians, including Dan Aykroyd, John Belushi, Chevy Chase, Laraine Newman, Garrett Morris, Jane Curtin and Gilda Radner, comprised the as-yet untested unit piloting NBC’s experiment of sorts to replace reruns of Johnny Carson’s late-night TV program.

Coinciding with the debut of SNL Season 50, Jason Reitman’s Saturday Night, about the famed 90 minutes leading up to that first Oct. 11, 1975 show in...

Saturday Night Live's biggest stars are everywhere these days: from the hallowed halls of Studio 8H, all the way to the beachy shores of Malibu, California. And in honor of the historic 50th anniversary of the longstanding comedy sketch series, everyone is getting in on the action of celebrating and honoring its many iconic moments. Including Volkswagen, which reunited Bill Hader, Kristen Wiig, and Fred Armisen as "The Californians" in a commercial for their latest car.

The air-headed, valley girl-inflection-toting bottled blondes from the popular soap opera parody sketch star in the ad for the new Volkswagen ID Buzz, an electric take on their own California icon, the old Vw bus, which debuted on Thursday. And, frankly, it's giving nostalgia vibes in an extremely earth-conscious way, which is like, totally Californian of them. We can see why Karina (Wiig) and her lover Devin (Hader) are too impressed by her...

Eddie Vedder was one of the early performers at Saturday Night Live’s 50th anniversary concert, but he certainly made his mark with an unforgettable two-song set featuring a cover of Tom Petty’s “The Waiting” and a nod to Elvis Costello’s infamous “Radio Radio” moment on SNL.

The Pearl Jam frontman opened with “The Waiting,” a tribute that doubled as an in memoriam for SNL legends lost over the years, including Gilda Radner, Phil Hartman, Chris Farley, Norm Macdonald, and John Belushi.

From there, Vedder paid homage to Costello’s iconic 1977 SNL performance, in which Costello abruptly stopped playing “Less Than Zero” and instead launched into “Radio Radio”. Vedder recreated the moment before tearing into a blistering rendition of Pearl Jam’s “Corduroy.”

The SNL50 concert also featured performances from Nirvana with Post Malone, Jack White, Miley Cyrus, Robyn and David Byrne, Fugees, The B-52s and Devo,...

Lorne Michaels is not done with Saturday Night Live.

The man who created NBC’s long-running comedy series has flip-flopped over the years about his potential exit from the show.

But today, two days ahead of the 50th anniversary of the show, Michaels said, “I may be wrong. But I don’t feel I’m done.”

Michaels doesn’t do much press these days – he didn’t even take part in any of the four documentaries about SNL on Peacock – but he did speak to his old friend Maureen Dowd in the New York Times ahead of Sunday’s live, three-hour show.

Asked whether he wants the show to finish in suttee, the ritual in which a Hindu wife is immolated upon her husband’s funeral pyre, would he prefer that SNL ends with him? “I’m not that guy,” he replied.

But he admitted that the 50th show will be an emotional affair.

If Lorne Michaels is the father of “Saturday Night Live,” then Rosie Shuster is its criminally under-acknowledged mother. Michaels may be prolific for his ability to wrangle talent and reassure network heads, but Shuster was vital in establishing the tone of this comedy institution that turns 50 this year.

“The show was one of the first to break through and represent what was actually going on,” Rosie Shuster told TheWrap during an extensive interview ahead of the “SNL” milestone.

When Shuster is written about, it’s often through the men in her life. The daughter of the Canadian comedy legend Frank Shuster, she is credited with introducing Michaels to the world of professional comedy. The two started writing together in high school and were married from 1967 to 1980. Their professional lives were just as intertwined as their personal as they both began their careers on “The Hart and Lorne Terrific Hour,” contributed...

The three-hour Saturday Night Live anniversary party on Sunday night not enough television for you?

Don’t worry, NBC has you covered. In the show’s regular time slot on Saturday night, the network will rebroadcast the very first episode from 50 years ago, hosted by comedian George Carlin. Because SNL was a topical show — and because this episode ran in the fall of 1975 — some of the jokes will not only be dated but incomprehensible thanks to long-forgotten cultural references.

Use this handy guide to get up to speed — only 55 miles per hour on the highway back then.

Play

That thing Michael O’Donoghue is reading in the cold open? That’s a print edition of a newspaper.

Carlin’s opening monologue describes football’s desire to eventually overtake baseball as our national pastime. Consider that goal mission accomplished.

Andy Kaufman’s musical ode to a childhood favorite is funny even if...

Actor and former “Saturday Night Live” star Bill Murray said performing on the famous sketch comedy show is very different and more difficult for talent today than when he was on the program 49 seasons ago, saying screen time is limited now and everyone is vying for their moment to shine.

“People talk about ‘Saturday Night Live,’ and I still hear people say, ‘Oh, the only good time was the first group.’ And I say, ‘Well, that’s not true,” Murray said while on “Late Night With Seth Meyers” Tuesday. “The first group was the most exciting group because it was brand new. But there’s a learning curve that goes with doing the show, and it takes you about a year or even more to learn how to do it.”

The comedian went on to tell Meyers, who is also an “SNL” alum, that not only do you have to...

As “Saturday Night Live” celebrates 50 years of being on air, the National Comedy Center in Jamestown, NY will preserve a collection of the show’s creative papers from the first five years of its history.

Original “SNL” cast member Laraine Newman and original writer Alan Zweibel will guest curate the collection of the original writers’ room documents.

The script for the first “SNL” episode, which was hosted by George Carlin, will go into the collection along with drafts for Weekend Update segments among other features and sketches. Early versions of the John Belushi samurai sketches, and the Gilda Radner character known as Roseanne Roseannadanna are also included.

“These papers are a rare encapsulation of the creative chaos and revolutionary spirit of ‘SNL’s formative years, when so many classic sketches and memorable characters were first brought to life. It was a watershed moment in comedy history that I was fortunate to be a part of,...

We’re celebrating 50 years of “Saturday Night Live”! All this week, we’re digging into the late-night comedy institution with new stories, including lists, essays, interviews, and more.

We know what you’re thinking. Why choose to highlight only the later seasons of “Saturday Night Live” as opposed to the full 50 years? It is the 50th Anniversary after all, right? Being perfectly honest, most of the people involved in making this list were not born before 1990, meaning we really couldn’t even appreciate “SNL” until after the turn of the 21st Century. That being said, we’re also all TV obsessives who have certainly seen “Word Association” with Chevy Chase and Richard Pryor, as well as Phil Hartman’s Bill Clinton, and even the sketch that got Damon Wayans fired. Our reasoning for sticking to just the sketches that aired between 2001 and today — outside of the standard generational divides in...

With “Saturday Night Live” celebrating its anniversary on October 11, we are excited to unveil our rankings of the 30 best cast members. It’s a daunting task since there have been over 150 regular and featured repertory members and each fan has a favorite cast grouping (often from when they were watching in high school or college). Tour our photo gallery to see our full list of choices, but keep in mind that none were considered for their work beyond “SNL” with great film and/or television careers.

Our overall top selection is Eddie Murphy. After the original cast and creator Lorne Michaels left the show in 1980, ratings and critical reviews took a big fall. The explosion of succession by Murphy well into that sixth season literally saved the program from cancellation, so that’s the reason behind our decision.

It would have been easy to include all of the original 1970s...

When a Saturday Night Live (SNL) cast member, or even host, depicts a fictional character, sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. The best ones come back again and again, like Bobby Moynihan’s Drunk Uncle, Adam Sandler’s Canteen Boy, Kristen Wiig’s Target Lady, Gilda Radner’s Roseanne Roseannadanna, and Tom Hanks’ David S. Pumpkins. Some SNL characters became so popular that they ended up getting their own movies and/or TV shows, like Will Forte’s MacGruber and Will Ferrell and Chris Kattan’s The Roxbury Guys.

In celebration of the 50th anniversary of Saturday Night Live, NBC will re-air its very first episode on Feb 15, 2025 at 11:30 p.m. Et/Pt. The landmark sketch comedy variety show premiered on Oct. 11, 1975, then titled NBC's Saturday Night. Created by Lorne Michaels, the show was imagined as a hip, late-night comedy hour for young people. 2024's film Saturday Night, directed by Jason Reitman, covers the chaotic minutes leading up to the historic premiere, and would make a great complementary watch with the re-aired premiere. The series would officially be named Saturday Night Live in September 1977 after the network acquired the rights, which were previously owned by ABC for Saturday Night Live with Howard Cosell.

The series would star an ensemble cast of up-and-coming writers and performers from the comedy scene, known for the first three seasons as the "Not Ready for Prime Time Players." The first performers in the show included head writer,...

Legendary comedian Chevy Chase has officially joined the cast ofa comedic thriller starring Bruce Dern and Joey Lauren Adams.

Per Deadline, Chase joins Dern and Adams in CATnip, a new thriller written and directed by Nyle Cavazos Garcia. An official description of the film reads: "A struggling family’s fresh start in a run-down apartment building turns into a fight for survival as a horde of feral cats unleashes terror, revealing the dark and deadly horrors lurking within its walls." Nyle Cavazos Garcia serves as both writer and director on the film, which also stars Jake Busey, Geoffrey Arend, Keli Price, Lorelei Linklater, Charlotte Kirk, Brooke Bundy, Kylee Levien, and River Jose.

RelatedDan Aykroyd Joins Filmgoers in Raving Over Jason Reitman's Saturday Night Live Movie

Original SNL cast member Dan Aykroyd has nothing but good things to say about the acclaimed new film, Saturday Night.

The film is expected to begin shooting in February,...

NBC will continue celebrating 50 years of “Saturday Night Live” when the network broadcasts the first-ever episode of the late night program on Saturday, February 15 at 11:30 p.m. Et/Pt in place of an original episode during the show’s regular time slot.

Originally aired on October 11, 1975, under the title “NBC’s Saturday Night,” the first episode of the iconic sketch comedy series was hosted by George Carlin with musical guests Billy Preston and Janice Ian, and gave viewers a first look at the cast of relative unknowns, later dubbed the Not Ready for Prime Time Players – Dan Aykroyd, John Belushi, Chevy Chase, Jane Curtin, Garrett Morris, Laraine Newman and Gilda Radner. Also appearing on the show that night was comedian Andy Kaufman and a sketch from Muppets creator Jim Henson.

Earlier in the night, NBC will air an encore presentation of the critically acclaimed documentary “Ladies & Gentlemen… 50 Years of SNL Music,...

Right before celebrating 50 years of Saturday Night Live, NBC will go back to where it all began.

The network will air the inaugural episode of SNL — then called NBC’s Saturday Night — at 11:30 p.m. Et/Pt Feb. 15, a night before the primetime 50th anniversary special. Additionally, NBC will rebroadcast the documentary Ladies and Gentlemen … 50 Years of SNL Music in primetime on Feb. 15.

The first SNL, which aired on Oct. 11, 1975, was hosted by George Carlin and featured musical performances from Billy Preston and Janice Ian along with sketches by the show’s original cast: Dan Aykroyd, John Belushi, Chevy Chase, Jane Curtin, Garrett Morris, Laraine Newman and Gilda Radner. Andy Kaufman also appeared on the show, and it featured a sketch with Jim Henson’s Muppets. (The episode is also in Peacock’s SNL streaming library.)

The first episode — or rather, the chaotic minutes leading up to the premiere...

On Feb. 15, NBC will re-air the first-ever episode of “Saturday Night Live.” The telecast comes one day before the network’s three-hour special celebrating the show’s 50th anniversary.

Originally airing on Oct. 11, 1975, the episode was hosted by George Carlin with musical guests Billy Preston and Janice Ian. The original cast of the late night sketch show, which was then titled “NBC’s Saturday Night,” was known as the Not Ready for Prime Time Players and included Dan Aykroyd, John Belushi, Chevy Chase, Jane Curtin, Garrett Morris, Laraine Newman and Gilda Radner. The premiere episode also featured an appearance from Andy Kaufman and a sketch from Muppets creator Jim Henson.

The 1975 telecast was the subject of Jason Reitman’s 2024 film “Saturday Night,” which starred Gabriel Labelle as “SNL” executive producer Lorne Michaels and followed the chaotic 90 minutes before the show reached the air.

The re-airing of the premiere episode of...

NBC will mark the 50th anniversary of “Saturday Night Live” by rebroadcasting the first-ever episode of the show on Feb. 13. The episode originally aired on Oct. 11, 1975 under the name “Saturday Night,” and was hosted by George Carlin with musical guests Billy Preston and Janice Ian.

The first “SNL” episode will re-air on NBC on Feb. 15 at 11:30 p.m. Et/Pt and features the iconic Not Ready for Primetime Players: Dan Aykroyd, John Belushi, Chevy Chase, Jane Curtin, Garrett Morris, Laraine Newman and Gilda Radner. The episode also features Andy Kaufman and Jim Henson. The making of the episode was fictionalized in Jason Reitman’s 2024 film “Saturday Night.”

Right before the “SNL” presentation, NBC will air an encore of the incredible Questlove-directed documentary “Ladies and Gentlemen… 50 Years of SNL Music” at 8 p.m. Et/Pt on the network.

This special rebroadcast takes place a day before NBC’s massive 50th anniversary special.

Saturday Night Live is getting nostalgic ahead of its 50th anniversary.

NBC will air the first ever episode of the show on February 15 at 11:30pm Et, the night before it premieres SNL50: The Anniversary Special.

Originally titled NBC’s Saturday Night, the episode aired on October 11, 1975 with George Carlin as host and Billy Preston and Janice Ian as musical guests.

The episode featured a cast including Dan Aykroyd, John Belushi, Chevy Chase, Jane Curtin, Garrett Morris, Laraine Newman and Gilda Radner.

It was this episode that served as the entrance to Jason Reitman’s recent feature film Saturday Night.

The cold open feature Belushi as a foreign man learning English, being taught by writer Michael O’Donoghue, before Chase appeared with a headset on to shout “Live From New York, It’s Saturday Night” for the first time.

Carlin performed stand up including three monologues but did not appear in any sketches,...

It's hard to believe, but this year, Saturday Night Live turns 50 years old. Created by Lorne Michaels, the show premiered on Oct. 11, 1975 and while it didn't go quite as smoothly, it certainly became a cultural phenomenon. Dan Aykroyd, John Belushi, Chevy Chase, George Coe, Jane Curtin, Garrett Morris, Laraine Newman, Michael O'Donoghue, Gilda Radner, and host George Carlin were the first to appear on the legendary show. And now, as its 50th anniversary special approaches, NBC has released a partial list of major A-list actors, musicians, and celebrities who will appear.

SNL50: The Anniversary Special will feature a who's who of major celebrities, per Variety. They include Sir Paul McCartney, Tom Hanks, Kim Kardashian, Steve Martin, Martin Short, Scarlett Johansson, Dave Chappelle, Miley Cyrus, Paul Simon, Robert De Niro, Sabrina Carpenter, Pedro Pascal, Bad Bunny, Quinta Brunson, Peyton Manning, Woody Harrelson, Adam Driver, Ayo Edebiri, and John Mulaney. More stars will be announced soon.

Dylan O'Brien's breakout role was Stiles Stilinski in the MTV supernatural teen series Teen Wolf, but since the show's ending, he has established himself as a successful actor. He's had his own dystopian trilogy, The Maze Runner, starred in the two-time Oscar-nominated film Deepwater Horizon, and his latest roles have cemented him as a very successful star.

In 2024, O'Brien attempted a different role as he played a real person on Saturday Night. The film is based on the late-night live sketch comedy series Saturday Night Live, most specifically the show's premiere night in 1975, and O'Brien played Dan Aykroyd. Following the critical success of the film, Saturday Night is a new hit on Netflix, Tudum reports.

Related'i Never Saw Him Laugh': SNL Star Recalls Doing 'Nerve-Wracking' Impression of Star Wars Star to His Face

Saturday Night Live cast member James Austin Johnson has admitted it was “pretty nerve-wracking” to impersonate Adam Driver to his face.

“I have my personal conspiracy theory, which is that whoever came in after Lorne (Michaels) and the original cast was going to be killed,” says Saturday Night Live writer Pam Norris in SNL oral history Live From New York. “Because, you know, you can’t replace the Beatles.”

But replacing the Beatles of comedy was the daunting job facing Joe Piscopo, Eddie Murphy and the rest of the Season Six cast. Even though John Belushi, Gilda Radner and Bill Murray didn’t hit it out of the park every time, viewers remembered them that way. How could new cast members possibly measure up?

Because the original cast was so burnt out by the time they ended their run, you’d think guys like Belushi and Dan Aykroyd would stay far away from 30 Rock. But according to Joe Piscopo’s upcoming memoir, Average Joe, that wasn’t the case. In fact,...

Howard Stern celebrates the 50th anniversary of “Saturday Night Live” with a week-long showcase of his legendary interviews with “SNL” cast members, celebrity hosts, writers, and musical guests representing every era of the late-night show’s storied history.

SNL on Stern: Part IHoward Stern SpecialsListen on the App

Listen on the App

‘SNL On Stern’ How to Listen

“SNL On Stern” begins with a special live kick-off show at 5pm Et on January 31 and runs for a full week on Howard 101 (Ch. 101) and the SiriusXM app.

What You’ll Hear

Brand new commentary from Howard discussing his longtime fascination with “Saturday Night Live” and its stars (many of who appear in this one-of-a-kind oral history of “SNL”), plus highlights from Howard’s interviews and additional commentary from “Saturday Night Live” cast members and executive producer Lorne Michaels.

‘SNL On Stern Roundtable’

The roundtable special stars “SNL” cast members Chris Kattan,...

Saturday Night would make for a very solid double-bill with a Muppets movie. And not just because there are Muppets in it — well, primitive Muppets, at least, in the form of early Jim Henson creations King Ploobis and Vazh. Because much like one of Kermit and co’s capers, it’s all about putting on a show, and how much stress, anxiety and arm-flapping goes into playing music and lighting lights. At the centre of Jason Reitman’s movie, essentially playing the role of the frog, is the cardigan-wearing Lorne Michaels (Gabriel Labelle), young Canadian TV producer and wannabe revolutionary of the medium. He’s the sensible one. Around him swirls chaos, in many forms. There’s even an Animal stand-in, in the burly shape of John Belushi (Matt Wood), cocaine appreciator and walking tornado.

This is, however, far from family viewing. NBC’s sketch-comedy series Saturday Night Live (known...

Director Jason Reitman's Saturday Night makes its quiet debut on a fan-favorite streaming platform.

Per Netflix, 2024's Saturday Night joined the streaming giant's ever-expanding catalog of films and TV shows. The move came with little fanfare on January 25, almost four months to the day after the film kicked off its theatrical run.

Related Ben Stiller Reveals a Surprising Star Trek Connection With His Most Treasured Possession

Ben Stiller showcases just how much of a Trekkie he truly is during new Q & A.

Directed by Reitman from a script co-written by Gil Kenan, Saturday Night charts the events leading up to the very first episode of Saturday Night Live, which aired on October 11, 1975. The film features an expansive ensemble cast, including Teen Wolf and The Maze Runner star Dylan O'Brien in the role of the legendary Dan Aykroyd. Saturday Night also stars Gabriel Labelle in the role of Saturday Night Live...

Over its 50-year history, Saturday Night Live (SNL) has dominated pop culture with some hilarious breakout sketches. Skits like "Porn Teacher" (with Amy Schumer), "Black Jeopardy with Tom Hanks," the controversial "Harry Potter: Hermione Growth Spurt" (with Lindsay Lohan), and Adam Driver's amazing "Star Wars Undercover Boss: Starkiller Base" are all fan favorites. However, if there's one skit that has gotten stuck in fans' heads more than any other, it has to be the infamous "More Cowbell" skit featuring Will Ferrell and Christopher Walken. A new docuseries, titled SNL 50: Beyond Saturday Night, is looking at the show's long history, with an entire episode dedicated to the beloved sketch.

The skit makes fun of Blue Öyster Cult's hit song "Don't Fear the Reaper," or, to be more specific, the incessant amount of cowbell present in the track. "This is beyond my wildest dreams that you’re making a documentary about the cowbell sketch,...

Iconic American comedy show Saturday Night Live turns 50 this year, kicking off the celebrations is a four part documentary.

It’s no exaggeration to say that Saturday Night Live is responsible for launching the careers of a huge amount of American comedy talent, from the early days with Gilda Radner, Chevy Chase, John Belushi, and Bill Murray, through eras with the much missed Phil Hartman, Adam Sandler, Chris Farley, Mike Myers, Molly Shannon, Will Ferrell, Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, Maya Rudolph, Kristen Wiig and many, many more.

This month sees the release of Saturday Night in the UK, following its release in the US last year. It’s a new film from Jason Reitman, who co-wrote the script with Gil Keenan, and it dramatizes the chaotic, stressful ninety minutes leading up to the very first show in 1975. It stars Gabriel Labelle as Lorne Michaels, Rachel Sennott as Rosie Shuster, Cory Michael Smith as Chevy Chase,...

Former Saturday Night Live cast member David Spade was shocked by how the current cast interacts with the legendary NBC sketch show’s creator and executive producer Lorne Michaels, as per The Hollywood Reporter. Spade commented on the new atmosphere around 30 Rock on the Fly on the Wall podcast he hosts with fellow former SNL cast member Dana Carvey.

Spade and Carvey’s time on SNL overlapped by three years, with Carvey’s tenure running from 1986 to 1993 and Spade was on the show from 1990 to 1996. And apparently, Lorne Michaels wasn’t quite as cuddly with the cast members in the ‘90s as he is today.

On the podcast, Spade shared an experience he had recently when he returned to the show to play Hunter Biden.

“Lorne was giving notes when I did Hunter Biden. We’re all sitting there and Lorne’s got a microphone and he’s like, ‘Cold open.

Jennifer Aniston turned down SNL in the ‘90s? ( Photo Credit – Instagram )

Now, you know how that story turned out, but what if Aniston had said yes to Lorne Michaels and the SNL crew? Well, in typical Jen fashion, it didn’t go down the way anyone expected. In fact, she practically turned SNL down with a side of boldness and sass.

“I remember walking in, and it was [David] Spade and Sandler, and I knew those guys forever, and I was so young and dumb and I went into Lorne’s office and I was like, ‘I hear women are not respected on this show,’” Jennifer Aniston recalled. Yep, she didn’t exactly hold back. She kept going, telling Lorne that she preferred the “good old days” of Gilda Radner and Jane Curtin. Not exactly what you’d expect from someone walking into the office of the man who made SNL a cultural juggernaut.

Jason Reitman, the director of this year's semi-biographical film Saturday Night, reveals he received a not-so-kind compliment from one of the figures depicted in the movie—none other than Chevy Chase himself, aka the most difficult actor to work with in Hollywood.

While Chase wasn't involved in the film's production, he actually saw it. After all, Chase is one of the most prominent characters in the film. Saturday Night follows the events that led up to the first broadcast of the signature live comedy show, Saturday Night Live. Aside from showrunner Lorne Michaels, other real-life comedians featured in the movie include Gilda Radner, Dan Aykroyd, Billy Crystal, John Belushi, Jane Curtin and Andy Kaufman.

Reitman went on the podcast Fly on the Wall, which features SNL stars David Spade and Dana Carvey. When asked about the film, Reitman revealed what Chase told him after watching it:

"So, Chevy comes in to watch the movie,...

Saturday Night filmmaker Jason Reitman received quite a critical review for his film from one of the original SNL castmembers.

During a recent episode of the Fly on the Wall podcast, the director revealed Chevy Chase’s reaction to the movie, prefacing, “Chevy loves to say the thing you’re not supposed to say.” The film follows the chaotic 90 minutes leading up to the first broadcast of SNL in 1975.

“So, Chevy comes in to watch the movie, and he is there with [wife] Jayni and they watch the film, and he’s in the group, and he comes up to me after and he pats me on the shoulder and goes, ‘Well, you should be embarrassed,’” Reitman recalled to hosts David Spade and Dana Carvey.

As everyone bursts out in laughter, Spade said, “You couldn’t even write it better.” Carvey added that Chase “knows that’s funny, like that’s...

Controversial actor Chevy Chase was instrumental in creating Saturday Night Live as one of the original cast members of the legendary sketch comedy series. However, he does not seem to be thrilled with the feature film that was made about the show's very first episode coming together.

Saturday Night, directed by Jason Reitman, was released in theaters in September. Gotham actor Cory Michael Smith played the movie's version of Chase, and while the film didn't meet expectations at the box office, its reviewers were strong. Not everybody was a fan of the film, as it turns out, as one of the first people to give it a bad review was Chase himself. Per Deadline, Reitman was speaking with David Spade and Dana Carvey for the Fly on the Wall podcast when he shared Chase's reaction to Saturday Night.

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Although Jason Reitman has earned rave reviews for his depiction of the 90 minutes leading up to the first Saturday Night Live, some critiques sting a bit more than others.

The Saturday Night co-writer and director recently revealed original SNL cast member Chevy Chase‘s reaction to the film, which fellow sketch comedy alum David Spade called “an exact Chevy thing” to say.

“So, Chevy comes in to watch the movie, and he is there with [wife] Jayni and they watch the film, and he’s in the group, and he comes up to me after and he pats me on the shoulder and goes, ‘Well, you should be embarrassed,'” he told Spade and Dana Carvey on their Fly on the Wall podcast.

Spade said of Chase’s response, “You couldn’t even write it better.” Carvey added that Chase “knows that’s funny, like that’s the roughest thing you...

2024 was a packed year for several actors working in Hollywood, whether they are continuously rising stars or already well-established names in the industry. The year had plenty of noteworthy character-driven dramas, animated features, chaotic comedies, and big-budget blockbusters to keep audiences entertained. More importantly, these actors proved their capability of playing two different types of characters.

For example, multiple actors from the enthralling and visually stunning Dune: Part Two, like Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, and Austin Butler, also appeared in acclaimed and award-worthy dramas in the same year. They are just a few of many actors who stole the show in 2024 with their commanding screen presence and shockingly good versatility. From newcomers like Cailee Spaeny to big-name stars like Chris Hemsworth, 2024 was a spectacular year for these particular performers.

Gabriel Labelle Ran a Food Stand & Portrayed The Iconic Lorne Michaels Snack Shack & Saturday Night

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Snack Shack

Moose

Saturday Night...

Bill Murray, iconic comedian and actor, speaks out in defense of the current cast of Saturday Night Live, rejecting claims that the long-running show on NBC has lost its edge. Saturday Night Live, which first aired in 1975, remains a cornerstone of American television. Known for its sketch comedy format, musical performances, and Weekend Update segment, SNL has garnered multiple Emmy Awards and launched the careers of countless stars. The SNL season 50 cast features a mix of seasoned veterans like Kenan Thompson (Fat Albert) and newer faces like the TikTok comedian Jane Wickline.

In an interview with Jason and Travis Kelce's podcast New Heights, Murray praised the current SNL cast and assured audiences that the show is as good as ever. Murray, who was part of the show's original cast in the late 1970s alongside Dan Aykroyd, John Belushi, Jane Curtin, and Gilda Radner, brings decades of comedy experience from...

Deadline’s Read the Screenplay series that shines a spotlight on the scripts for this year’s buzziest films is now pointing the viewfinder on Saturday Night, the Jason Reitman-directed film that tells the origin story of NBC’s venerable late-night franchise by focusing on the 90 minutes leading up to its TV debut.

The flick written by Reitman and Gil Kenan takes place on October 11, 1975, when an ambitious troupe of young comedians and writers would go on to change television forever. Formerly titled SNL 1975 (that’s the title on the script), the film tells the true story of what happened behind the scenes that night leading up to the first-ever broadcast of SNL.

The movie stars Gabriel Labelle as SNL honcho Lorne Michaels, Dylan O’Brien (as Dan Aykroyd), Cory Michael Smith (Chevy Chase), Rachel Sennott (Rosie Shuster), Lamorne Morris (Garrett Morris), Nicholas Braun (Jim Henson), Finn Wolfhard (NBC...