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Saturday Night Live

Comedy history · 28 facts, each from at least two of 16 independent sources · last reviewed 2026-10-17

Saturday Night Live (SNL) is an NBC late-night program that debuted in 1975.1,2,3,4,5,6 Lorne Michaels serves as its executive producer.7,8,9,10 The show has made heavy use of recurring characters and catchphrases.11,12

Origins and Launch

When the show launched, Dick Ebersol was in charge of NBC's weekend late-night programming.13,14 The program first aired as NBC's Saturday Night, because the SNL name already belonged to a Howard Cosell show on ABC.5,9,13,15 George Carlin was the host of the first episode.5,14,16,17 Each broadcast opens with the line Live from New York.9,14,15

The Original Cast

The 1975 cast went by the name Not Ready for Prime Time Players, and its members included Belushi, Chase, Aykroyd, and Radner.1,3,5,8,9 Several people connected to National Lampoon, among them Belushi, Chase, and O'Donoghue, became part of the show.5,18 These first performers earned $750 for each episode.14,15 In the show's early years, Chevy Chase did satirical impressions of Gerald Ford.7,9,12 Chase was also the first member of the original group to depart.8,12 By 1980, none of the original cast remained.14,19 John Belushi died from a drug overdose in 1982.8,14

The 1980s and 1990s

Jean Doumanian was the producer of the 1980-81 season.3,12 Joe Piscopo was one of just two performers who joined that season and lasted through it.3,12 In the mid-1990s, Norm MacDonald was the anchor of Weekend Update, one of the show's segments.3,9,12,20,21 Adam Sandler was let go from the show in 1995.2,10

Other Contributors and Coverage

Dana Carvey's characters included the Church Lady.3,14 Fred Armisen was another member of the cast.2,3,8 Robert Smigel worked for the show as a writer.10,21 Tina Fey portrayed Sarah Palin in 2008.2,3,8,9 Shales and Miller wrote Live From New York, a book about the history of the program.1,10

Sources

  1. Looking Back at the First Five Years of SNL (vulture.com)
  2. The Nine Lives of “Saturday Night Live” | The New Yorker (newyorker.com)
  3. WHERE ARE THEY NOW: Every Cast Member of 'SNL' - Business Insider (businessinsider.com)
  4. The Secrets of ‘Saturday Night Live’: Where Comedy Legends Are Born (thedailybeast.com)
  5. New York Magazine’s Original 1975 Review of Saturday Night Live (vulture.com)
  6. Interesting Things to Learn About 'Saturday Night Live' (businessinsider.com) · archived copy
  7. Comedy Isn’t Funny (nymag.com)
  8. A Rare Glimpse Inside the Empire of ‘SNL’s’ Lorne Michaels (hollywoodreporter.com)
  9. SNL: Skewering pols for 35 years - POLITICO (politico.com)
  10. Comedy in the ’90s, Part 3: The Bad Boys of ‘Saturday Night Live’ - The Ringer (theringer.com)
  11. The Lowest Form of Humor: How the National Lampoon Shaped the Way We Laugh Now - The Millions (themillions.com) · archived copy
  12. How Bad Can It Be? Case File #23: Saturday Night Live’s aborted 1980-81 season (avclub.com)
  13. New York Magazine’s Original 1975 Review of Saturday Night Live (vulture.com) · archived copy
  14. Saturday Night Live! (people.com) · archived copy
  15. Interesting Things to Learn About 'Saturday Night Live' - Business Insider (businessinsider.com)
  16. Saturday Night Live Premiere Season and the NBC ABC Rivalry | TIME (time.com) · archived copy
  17. Remembering Carlin on the “SNL” Premiere (variety.com)
  18. The Lowest Form of Humor: How the National Lampoon Shaped the Way We Laugh Now - The Millions (themillions.com)
  19. 'Saturday Night Live: The Best of Eddie Murphy' Brings on Bursts of Genius » PopMatters (popmatters.com)
  20. Saturday Night Live history of the F-word (ew.com) · archived copy
  21. The Oral History of the 'Saturday Night Live' 9/11 Episode (rollingstone.com)

Updated November 12, 2026.

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