Saturday Night Live

Each week, the show features a different celebrity guest host, and features a guest musical act (sometimes the guest host is the musical guest). The show consists of comedy sketches, a comedic news segment, spoofs of television commercials, and performances by the guest musical artist. Many of the sketches feature recurring characters or running gags, as well as impressions[?] of various celebrities.

When the show began, it was originally called "Saturday Night", because ABC featured a program at the same time titled "Saturday Night Live with Howard Cosell". When the ABC program went off the air, the NBC program changed its name to "Saturday Night Live". The original cast (1975 - 1980) were known as the Not Ready for Prime-Time Players and included Second City[?] alum Dan Aykroyd, as well as Chevy Chase, John Belushi, Gilda Radner, Jane Curtin, Laraine Newman, and Garrett Morris. Bill Murray replaced Chase in 1977, after Chase left to pursue a movie career (this would become commonplace at SNL). Paul Shaffer, who also appeared in many sketches, was the musical director for the show from 1975 to 1980. Other regulars on the show included writer Al Franken, who later became famous as a political author and satirist, and Harry Shearer, who later acted in several films and television series, including The Simpsons. The show also featured frequent guest appearances by comedians Steve Martin and Andy Kaufman.

The entire original cast, as well as producer Lorne Michaels, quit the show at the end of the fifth season because NBC refused to give them a requested hiatus. Jean Doumanian[?] took over the production of the show and hired a completely new cast for the 1980 season. The new show was plagued by problems from the start, and was deemed disastrously unfunny by both critics and the viewing audience. Symbolic of the problems faced by the show, cast member Charles Rocket[?] uttered the f-word (he actually said "frig", but it could have been interpreted as the f-word) during one sketch in early 1981; NBC, which had had enough, fired Doumanian, who was then replaced by Dick Ebersol[?]. Ebersol built a new cast around Eddie Murphy and Joe Piscopo[?], the only cast members he retained from the Doumanian era. Michaels later returned to the show.

Complete cast list

• Fred Armisen[?] (2002-present)
• Dan Aykroyd (1975-1979)
• Morwenna Banks[?] (1994-1995)
• Jim Belushi[?] (1983-1985)
• John Belushi (1975-1979)
• Jim Breuer[?] (1995-1998)
• Dana Carvey (1986-1993)
• Chevy Chase (1975-1977)
• Ellen Cleghorne[?] (1991-1995)
• Billy Crystal (1984-1985)
• Jane Curtin (1975-1980)
• Joan Cusack (1985-1986)
• Denny Dillon[?] (1980-1981)
• Robert Downey, Jr.[?] (1985-1986)
• Rachel Dratch[?] (2001-present)
• Julia Louis-Dreyfus (1982-1985)
• Robin Duke[?] (1981-1983)
• Nora Dunn[?] (1985-1990)
• Christine Ebersole[?] (1981-1982)
• Chris Elliott (1994-1995)
• Jimmy Fallon[?] (1998-present)
• Chris Farley (1991-1995)
• Will Ferrell (1995-2002)
• Tina Fey (2001-present)
• Will Forte[?] (2002-present)
• Janeane Garofalo (1994-1995)
• Ana Gasteyer[?] (1996-2002)
• Gilbert Gottfried[?] (1980-1981)
• Mary Gross[?] (1981-1984)
• Christopher Guest (1984-1985)
• Anthony Michael Hall (1985-1986)
• Brad Hall[?] (1982-1984)
• Rich Hall[?] (1984-1985)
• Darrell Hammond[?] (1995-present)
• Phil Hartman (1986-1994)
• Jan Hooks[?] (1986-1991)
• Melanie Hutsell[?] (1991-1994)
• Victoria Jackson[?] (1986-1992)
• Chris Kattan[?] (1996-2003)
• Tim Kazurinsky (1981-1984)
• David Koechner[?] (1995-1996)
• Gary Kroeger[?] (1982-1985)
• Jon Lovitz[?] (1985-1990)
• Norm MacDonald (1994-1998)
• Gail Matthius[?] (1980-1981)
• Michael McKean (1993-1995)
• Mark McKinney[?] (1994-1997)
• Tim Meadows[?] (1991-2000)
• Dennis Miller[?] (1985-1991)
• Tracy Morgan[?] (1996-2003)
• Garrett Morris (1975-1980)
• Eddie Murphy (1980-1984}
• Bill Murray (1977-1980)
• Mike Myers (1989-1995)
• Kevin Nealon[?] (1986-1995)
• Laraine Newman (1975-1980)
• Cheri Oteri[?] (1995-2000)
• Chris Parnell[?] (2000-present)
• Joe Piscopo[?] (1980-1984)
• Amy Poehler[?] (2001-present)
• Randy Quaid[?] (1985-1986)
• Colin Quinn[?] (1997-2000)
• Gilda Radner (1975-1980)
• Ann Risley[?] (1980-1981)
• Chris Rock (1991-1992)
• Charles Rocket[?] (1980-1981)
• Tony Rosato[?] (1981-1982)
• Maya Rudolph[?] (2001-present)
• Adam Sandler (1991-1995)
• Horatio Sanz[?] (1999-present)
• Rob Schneider (1992-1994)
• Molly Shannon[?] (1995-2001)
• Harry Shearer (1979-1980, 1984-1985)
• Martin Short[?] (1984-1985)
• David Spade[?] (1991-1995)
• Pamela Stepheson[?] (1984-1985)
• Julia Sweeney[?] (1991-1994)
• Terry Sweeney[?] (1985-1986)
• Danitra Vance[?] (1985-1986)
• Nancy Walls[?] (1995-1996)

Notable "featured players" have included Peter Aykroyd[?], Don Novello, Al Franken, Brian Doyle-Murray, A. Whitney Brown[?], Damon Wayans[?], Ben Stiller, Robert Smigel[?], Sarah Silverman[?], Jay Mohr[?], Conan O'Brien and Laura Kightlinger[?].

The program is executive produced by Lorne Michaels, also associated with the Kids in the Hall.

People who have hosted five or more times

• Steve Martin (13)
• John Goodman[?] (12)
• Buck Henry[?] (10)
• Alec Baldwin (10)
• Chevy Chase (9)
• Tom Hanks (7)
• Danny DeVito (6)
• Elliot Gould[?] (6)
• Candace Bergen[?] (5)
• Bill Murray (5)
• Christopher Walken (5)
• Paul Simon (5)

People who have appeared as both host and musical guest

• Garth Brooks
• Ray Charles
• Hammer
• Jennifer Lopez
• Madonna
• Willie Nelson
• Dolly Parton
• Britney Spears
• Sting
• Stevie Wonder
• Frank Zappa

Recurring gags & characters included

• Father Guido Sarducci (Don Novello)
• Mr. Bill[?]
• The Coneheads[?]
• The "Bass-o-matic"[?]
• The Blues Brothers (Dan Aykroyd, John Belushi)
• Hans and Franz[?] (Kevin Nealon[?], Dana Carvey)
• Stuart Smalley[?] (Al Franken)
• The Ambiguously Gay Duo[?] (a cartoon by Robert Smigel[?])
• Matt Foley, Motivational Therapist[?] (Chris Farley)
• Weekend Update (anchors: Chevy Chase (1975-76), Jane Curtin (1976-80), Dan Aykroyd (1977-78), Bill Murray (1978-80), Charles Rocket[?] (1980-81), Gail Matthius[?] (1981), Brian Doyle-Murray (1981-82), Mary Gross[?] (1981-82), Christine Ebersole[?] (1982), Brad Hall[?] (1982-84), Christopher Guest (1984-85), Dennis Miller[?] (1985-91), Kevin Nealon[?] (1991-94), Norm MacDonald (1994-1997), Colin Quinn[?] (1998-2000), Jimmy Fallon[?] (2000-present) and Tina Fey (2000-present).
• Opening Commercial
• Monologue[?]
• Generalissimo Francisco Franco is still dead
• Wild and Crazy Guys[?] (Steve Martin and Dan Aykroyd)
• Emily Litella[?] (Gilda Radner)
• Celebrity Jeopardy[?] (Will Farell[?] and various others)
• Samurai[?] (John Belushi)
• The Ladies Man[?] (Tim Meadows[?])
• Church Lady[?] (Dana Carvey)
• Tommy Flanagan[?]
• Scottish Store[?] (Mike Myers)
• Ed Grimley (Martin Short[?])
• Wayne's World (Dana Carvey, Mike Myers)
• Mary Katherine Gallagher[?] (Molly Shannon[?])
• Mango (Chris Kattan[?])
• Mr. Robinson's Neighborhood[?] (Eddie Murphy)

Popular catch phrases originating from the show

• "I'm Chevy Chase, and you're not"
• "Jane, you ignorant slut" (Dan Aykroyd)
• "We are, two wild and crazy guys"
• "Well, excuse me!"
• "Well, isn't that special?"
• "Yeah, that's the ticket"
• "You look mah'velous"
• "I'm good enough, I'm smart enough and gosh darn it, people like me." (Stuart Smalley[?])
• "We're here to pump you up" (Hans and Franz[?])
• "Excellent" (Wayne's World)
• "...Not!" (Wayne's World)
• "My father always used to say, it's always something. If it's not one thing, it's another."
• "We're not worthy!" (Wayne's World)
• "I'm Fifty. Fifty years old!"

Movies which have spun off from the series (or included characters that previously appeared on the series)

• The Blues Brothers (1980)
• Gilda Live[?] (1981)
• Mo' Money[?]
• Bob Roberts[?]
• Mr. Saturday Night[?]
• Mr. Bill's Real Life Adventures[?] (1986)
• Wayne's World (1992)
• Wayne's World 2 (1993)
• Coneheads[?] (1993)
• It's Pat[?] (1994)
• Stuart Saves His Family[?] (1995)
• A Night at the Roxbury (1998)
• Blues Brothers 2000 (1998)
• Superstar[?] (1999)
• The Ladies Man[?] (2000)

External links

• Official NBC page (http://www.nbc.com/Saturday_Night_Live/about/index)
• Show transcripts (http://snltranscripts.jt.org)