
==Episode 573== Can we get a year label on "episode 573" in infamous moments? Sure, hardcore fans may know what you're talking about when you rattle off episode 573, but I haven't a clue as to when it happened, especially because Jimmy Fallon caused me to stop watching SNL for about four years. User:TheCustomOfLife 23:55, Dec 22, 2004 (UTC) *The incident is far from an infamous moment simply becaue it was not only noticed by a few people, but it aroused no controversy.--User:Yoni90 01:34, Dec 23, 2004 (UTC) == Can we delete the recurring section? == The front page is quite lengthy, but I think most of the content there is worthwhile, except the recurring characters section. A number of people on that list were not popular characters (Merv the Perv, for instance) and just because you are a recurring character does not mean you are popular. Some of the popular recurring characters are discussed in the history pages, and ultimately, each fan has their own idea of what "popular" is anyway, based on their own personal preferences. Can I delete that section, or just take out all the names in favor of a link to a list of all the recurring characters over the years? I think snl.jt.org has one. --User:JamesB3 18:51, 22 Jan 2005 (UTC) ::I went through and deleted all the "RED" links from the recurring characters. if you ask me, if they don't have a page dedicated to a particular sketch, than that sketch probably isn't popular enough to be listed (even though some that were hardly popular do have their own page for some reason). You can delete the whole thing, for all I care, or link it to snl.jt.org, but it definately needed to be pruned for now. Takes up entirely too much space.user:bmb8609 (the above wasn't me; not sure who it was) :::Since no one objected, I removed the recurring characters and just left the WU mention and a link to a page of recurring characters. I also trimmed the catchphrases area because while some of those moments were popular, they weren't catchphrases, things that you would hear everywhere. Norm Macdonald was popular with the fans but you really didn't hear a lot of national discussion about anal rape or what the Germans believe. And aside from those I left on the list, I don't remember any other Molly Shannon catchphrases.--User:JamesB3 11:22, 25 Jan 2005 (UTC) ::::JonMoore, you ignored our points that many of the recurring characters listed were not very popular, and that it's redundant and takes up too much space. It is also a very broad definition of a catchphrase, since you can basically pull out anything and call it a catchphrase. I think that list needs to be trimmed down and after others have discussion on this, if none of them disagree with me, I am going to go back to the changes that you blacked out. I might just delete the recurring area altogether instead of including a link. Would that please you?--User:JamesB3 20:57, 25 Jan 2005 (UTC) :::::I don't have a problem with the link, if it serves a purpose (in this case, keeping the page from being cluttered). It's not like the whole page is a list of links. Also, that above post was me. I forgot to sign my name...also any edits made by 207.192... are probably me as well (I usually don't sign in). I'm the one who put together that comprehensive list of all the WU anchors, and wrote summarys for each of the historical "eras" bmb8609 ::::::In response to JamesB3, I missed this section of the talk page, I'm sorry. I agree it takes up too much space, but deleting it entirely as you did is a little silly. I think breaking it out into a seperate page would be the best recourse. Something like "Recurring Saturday Night Live characters and sketches". Would that be an acceptable compromise? Again, I apologize for missing this section; I thought you just randomly deleted these. [[User:JonMoore|[jon]]] 12:37, 26 Jan 2005 (UTC) :::::::Thank you for the further clarification, Jon. I think that to keep both sides happy, creating a separate page would be the best idea. --User:JamesB3 14:43, 26 Jan 2005 (UTC) == New stuff and possible split up == I've added external video links to every opening montage for each season (except 1977, which is the only season I don't have). I've also added a Season Breakdown for 2000-2005. Anyone else agree that the 90s section needs to be broken up into 1990-94 and 1995-96? It's incredibly too big,and the table of contents takes up half the page. Plus, given the cast and writers, they're virtually two completely different eras of the show that deserve their own seperate attention. Unless someone disagrees here, I'll get around to fixing this sometime this week. If anyone has any of the three opening montages from 77 season, let me know...bmb8609 :Yes, I agree that the 90's should be split into 2 different sections. Thank you for adding the 00-05 season breakdown, I hadn't got around to it yet. BTW, I think you meant 'writers' and 'eras'. You didn't need the apostrophe. I make that mistake all the time too. --User:JamesB3 11:22, 25 Jan 2005 (UTC) ::OK...fixed that error. I'll try and get that done tonight. Also, do we really need a page of hosts that have appeared as musical guests? I don't see why it's very noteworthy. It's not like you get a "prize" for it or something (i.e. The "Five Timers" club sketch). I'm going to remove it. user:bmb8609 :: UPDATE: The split up is finished. I now just need to go through each article and fix any continuity errors. Also the page titled "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_SNL:1990-2000" (the 90s page before I split it) still exists, but is now completely blank. I have no idea how to delete the page so that it's no longer taking up space on the server, maybe someone else can check into that? Thanks ::I applaud the work being done here on the "History of SNL" as it is remarkably detailed and highly informative. However, I must also point out that personal opinion runs amok throught the "history" articles, even in the short versions that are featured in the main article. A great example is "side-splittingly funny coverage of the Clinton-Lewinsky scandal." --User:Feitclub 22:04, Jan 28, 2005 (UTC) == Mr. Saturday Night and the Rutles == Were these movies really based on SNL material? I don't remember any SNL content in Mr. Saturday Night, and the title alone is not a good enough reason for inclusion. --User:JamesB3 11:23, 25 Jan 2005 (UTC) ::The Rutles made many appearences on SNL, but I don't know if they originate from SNL or Monty Python. I'd leave it in until we discover otherwise. ::As for Mr. Saturday Night, it appeared in a sketch from Nov. of 1984 titled "Buddy Young Is Back" so yes, it is based on an SNL script, but via a distant relation. Much like how "mo' money" is based on SNL only because Damon Wayon's originated the phrase through a Weekend Update sketch. So the answer is that yes, they're technically an SNL spin-off, but neither Buddy Young, or Damon Wayans' characters were recurring. I guess it all just depends on how technical you want to get with it. bmb8609 == Split? == Apparently this discussion page is at the 32K limit. Should it be split, or trimmed down? --User:JamesB3 22:02, 28 Jan 2005 (UTC) ==Vague== It would be nice if a short explanation regarding some of the obscenities could be presented. Like, for example, with Charles Rocket: "I'd like to know who the fuck did it" Did what? Can this be placed into context? Same goes for Norm McDonald. I'd be really grateful if context could be given. User:TheCustomOfLife 21:51, Feb 15, 2005 (UTC) ::This is a good point, and I think the reason it wasn't explained there, was because it's explained in further detail in the History: 1980-85 section. It could probably stand to be detailed a little more, but not too much since these parts are intended only to be "blurbs" for a lack of better terms. user:bmb8609 :::Eh, just a short context...copy and pasted from the history section, if need be, with a "See history of SNL 1980-1985 for more" or something like. User:TheCustomOfLife 05:45, Feb 16, 2005 (UTC) ==Simpson matter again== Considering just about everyone here disagrees with his biased editing of this page, is there anyway to get people banned from editing here (considering he's contributed NOTHING to this page, other than making sure that we don't hold a person who otherwise has nothing to do with SNL accountable for lip-synching onstage)? For crying out loud, this had gone on long enough. p.s. I cut the top half of this page off, since it was getting so big. feel free to add anything back if I cut off someting important. :Actually, I do keep an eye on the article in general and copyedit new additions periodically. And I'm not doing any biased editing. I just think that if we're going to mention it, we need a few words about her illness. It takes very little space and makes a world of difference in providing an objective account, even if it is just a brief summary. User:Everyking 18:05, 16 Feb 2005 (UTC) ::That's all well and good, but the other additions you make present the issue as Ashlee being a victim. She handled the situation terribly. If she'd simply started to sing her song, or attempted to, or, hell, just STAYED ON THE STAGE, instead of doing her goofy little dance and running off, this incident wouldn't be nearly as important. Instead, she showed a complete lack of professionalism by blaming it on 3 different things. It's one thing to bring up facts, it's another to distort them. User:Mo0[ User Talk:Mo0] 00:49, 19 Feb 2005 (UTC)
Settle down folks.
First off, this is an article about SNL. So Simpson's motivations, illnesses, statements, etc, are secondary. Simpson did not play the backing track. Simpson's manager did not play the backing track. The SNL control room played the backing track. One version of the text insinuates that she was at fault for what was coming over the sound system. An important fact to mention is that it was widely reported/commented upon, unlike some of these other "infamous events".
I put in what I hoped would be a compromise version, and even edited to please Everyking. But he took it further and now we're going back in circles. For reference, here's my suggestion again.
:''In 2004, musical guest Ashlee Simpson walked offstage when a pre-recorded backing track for the wrong song was accidentally played. It appeared to viewers that Simpson had been lip synching, though the singer denied this, claiming illness. The incident received wide-spread coverage in the news.''
Regardless, let's not lose any sleep over this. Cheers, -User:Willmcw 01:22, Feb 19, 2005 (UTC)
::That's a great version of it. User:Mo0[ User Talk:Mo0] 01:35, 19 Feb 2005 (UTC)
Thanks, I think it is short, simple and balanced. It's basically a condensed version of what was around on the other article for a while. The only thing that might be added, on reflection, is a mention of the skits that referred back to it. It is uncharacteristic of SNL to be self-referential. I'm trying to think up a way of saying all of that in a couple of words. Cheers, -User:Willmcw 05:16, Feb 19, 2005 (UTC)
However it's written, the essential things that neeed to be mentioned are: 1) she was the first person ever to walk off like this; 2) the problem was that the vocal tape for her first song was accidentally recued for her second number (we should make it clear exactly what happened); 3) a lot of people claimed she was lip-syncing, even though she claims she was going to sing along with the track (that needs to be spelled out, because a lot of people don't know what a 'backing track' is). User:68.118.61.219 12:36, 20 Feb 2005 (UTC)
I have no problem with mentioning all of the facts involved with the situation. Everyking, when you read this, the only reason I object to your edits is that Ashlee was not a victim of anything but her own stupidity when she walked off of the stage. If she'd stayed on, she would have shown a lot more professionalism than that stupid little dance that she did. User:Mo0[ User Talk:Mo0] 13:52, 20 Feb 2005 (UTC)
::Regarding the facts in the matter, remember this is only a passing mention. The incident is handled in greater detail in the article on the current era of SNL. I'm not sure that Simpson walking off stage was the most newsworthy aspect of the incident. Do we have a source for her being the first performer to walk off? Or is she only the first musical guest to do so? If the latter, that's much less notable. Was it the first time the control room ever played the wrong backing track? Is that news? Regarding the backing track, I hope someone more familiar with the music industry than I will write an article on backing tracks (Everyking?). Cheers, -User:Willmcw 23:14, Feb 20, 2005 (UTC)
Here it is again, with a provisional addition at the end:
:''In 2004, musical guest Ashlee Simpson walked offstage when a pre-recorded backing track for the wrong song was accidentally played. It appeared to viewers that Simpson had been lip synching, though the singer denied this, claiming illness. The incident marked the first time a performer had walked off stage on camera and was the subject of wide-spread coverage in the news.''
Can we get any confirmation that it was the first time anyone walked off? Other than that, is there a consensus that this is an acceptable version? We ought to settle this and move on. Cheers, -User:Willmcw 03:08, Feb 21, 2005 (UTC)
I dislike "claiming illness". There is very strong evidence that she was indeed sick, about as strong as the evidence could be, but this phrasing presents it like it's just some excuse. User:Everyking 03:18, 21 Feb 2005 (UTC)
:OK, how about "citing" instead of "claiming"? "It appeared to viewers that Simpson had been lip synching, though the singer denied this, citing illness." Is that fair? -User:Willmcw 03:34, Feb 21, 2005 (UTC)
::That seems unclear. She says it was a backing track, so that should be mentioned. How about "it appeared to viewers that Simpson was lip synching or singing along with a backing track; apparently she was suffering from illness and was unable to sing live as usual"? User:Everyking 04:08, 21 Feb 2005 (UTC)
:::Didn't she deny lip-synching? If there's no doubt that she was lipsynching then we should write the whole thing differently. The backing track was already mentioned in the first sentence, no need to repeat it. And why does the illness have to be "alleged" or "apparent"? Nobody has questioned that she might have something wrong with her. -User:Willmcw 04:41, Feb 21, 2005 (UTC)
::::She has denied lip synching per se (at least she did on the ''Today'' interview), but I would prefer to stress the alternative backing track explanation over that. User:Everyking 04:45, 21 Feb 2005 (UTC)
And with that I am going to withdraw from editing the article except to copyedit and revert vandalism. I feel that I have caused stress and conflict on the article, regardless of whether I'm right, and so I need to do penance by withdrawing from it. User:Everyking 05:32, 21 Feb 2005 (UTC)
:OK Everything, thanks for your input. Here's a version trying to better incorporate Everyking's input:
::''In 2004, musical guest Ashlee Simpson became the first performer to walk offstage when a pre-recorded backing track for the wrong song was accidentally played. It appeared to viewers that Simpson had been lip synching, though the singer later said she was using the backing track on account of a throat illness. The incident was the subject of wide-spread coverage in the news and even ''SNL'' skits.''
:It is longer than ideal for a stubby listing, but it is succinct and NPOV. Any objections? -User:Willmcw 06:33, Feb 21, 2005 (UTC)
::what you have there is fine.
Cool! It's posted. Thanks everybody. Cheers, -User:Willmcw 09:12, Feb 25, 2005 (UTC)
==Episode 573==
Can we get a year label on "episode 573" in infamous moments? Sure, hardcore fans may know what you're talking about when you rattle off episode 573, but I haven't a clue as to when it happened, especially because Jimmy Fallon caused me to stop watching SNL for about four years. User:TheCustomOfLife 23:55, Dec 22, 2004 (UTC)
*The incident is far from an infamous moment simply becaue it was not only noticed by a few people, but it aroused no controversy.--User:Yoni90 01:34, Dec 23, 2004 (UTC)
== Can we delete the recurring section? ==
The front page is quite lengthy, but I think most of the content there is worthwhile, except the recurring characters section. A number of people on that list were not popular characters (Merv the Perv, for instance) and just because you are a recurring character does not mean you are popular. Some of the popular recurring characters are discussed in the history pages, and ultimately, each fan has their own idea of what "popular" is anyway, based on their own personal preferences.
Can I delete that section, or just take out all the names in favor of a link to a list of all the recurring characters over the years? I think snl.jt.org has one. --User:JamesB3 18:51, 22 Jan 2005 (UTC)
::I went through and deleted all the "RED" links from the recurring characters. if you ask me, if they don't have a page dedicated to a particular sketch, than that sketch probably isn't popular enough to be listed (even though some that were hardly popular do have their own page for some reason). You can delete the whole thing, for all I care, or link it to snl.jt.org, but it definately needed to be pruned for now. Takes up entirely too much space.user:bmb8609
(the above wasn't me; not sure who it was)
:::Since no one objected, I removed the recurring characters and just left the WU mention and a link to a page of recurring characters. I also trimmed the catchphrases area because while some of those moments were popular, they weren't catchphrases, things that you would hear everywhere. Norm Macdonald was popular with the fans but you really didn't hear a lot of national discussion about anal rape or what the Germans believe. And aside from those I left on the list, I don't remember any other Molly Shannon catchphrases.--User:JamesB3 11:22, 25 Jan 2005 (UTC)
::::JonMoore, you ignored our points that many of the recurring characters listed were not very popular, and that it's redundant and takes up too much space. It is also a very broad definition of a catchphrase, since you can basically pull out anything and call it a catchphrase. I think that list needs to be trimmed down and after others have discussion on this, if none of them disagree with me, I am going to go back to the changes that you blacked out. I might just delete the recurring area altogether instead of including a link. Would that please you?--User:JamesB3 20:57, 25 Jan 2005 (UTC)
:::::I don't have a problem with the link, if it serves a purpose (in this case, keeping the page from being cluttered). It's not like the whole page is a list of links. Also, that above post was me. I forgot to sign my name...also any edits made by 207.192... are probably me as well (I usually don't sign in). I'm the one who put together that comprehensive list of all the WU anchors, and wrote summarys for each of the historical "eras" bmb8609
::::::In response to JamesB3, I missed this section of the talk page, I'm sorry. I agree it takes up too much space, but deleting it entirely as you did is a little silly. I think breaking it out into a seperate page would be the best recourse. Something like "Recurring Saturday Night Live characters and sketches". Would that be an acceptable compromise? Again, I apologize for missing this section; I thought you just randomly deleted these. [[User:JonMoore|[jon]]] 12:37, 26 Jan 2005 (UTC)
:::::::Thank you for the further clarification, Jon. I think that to keep both sides happy, creating a separate page would be the best idea. --User:JamesB3 14:43, 26 Jan 2005 (UTC)
== New stuff and possible split up ==
I've added external video links to every opening montage for each season (except 1977, which is the only season I don't have). I've also added a Season Breakdown for 2000-2005. Anyone else agree that the 90s section needs to be broken up into 1990-94 and 1995-96? It's incredibly too big,and the table of contents takes up half the page. Plus, given the cast and writers, they're virtually two completely different eras of the show that deserve their own seperate attention. Unless someone disagrees here, I'll get around to fixing this sometime this week. If anyone has any of the three opening montages from 77 season, let me know...bmb8609
:Yes, I agree that the 90's should be split into 2 different sections. Thank you for adding the 00-05 season breakdown, I hadn't got around to it yet. BTW, I think you meant 'writers' and 'eras'. You didn't need the apostrophe. I make that mistake all the time too. --User:JamesB3 11:22, 25 Jan 2005 (UTC)
::OK...fixed that error. I'll try and get that done tonight. Also, do we really need a page of hosts that have appeared as musical guests? I don't see why it's very noteworthy. It's not like you get a "prize" for it or something (i.e. The "Five Timers" club sketch). I'm going to remove it. user:bmb8609
:: UPDATE: The split up is finished. I now just need to go through each article and fix any continuity errors. Also the page titled "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_SNL:1990-2000" (the 90s page before I split it) still exists, but is now completely blank. I have no idea how to delete the page so that it's no longer taking up space on the server, maybe someone else can check into that? Thanks
::I applaud the work being done here on the "History of SNL" as it is remarkably detailed and highly informative. However, I must also point out that personal opinion runs amok throught the "history" articles, even in the short versions that are featured in the main article. A great example is "side-splittingly funny coverage of the Clinton-Lewinsky scandal." --User:Feitclub 22:04, Jan 28, 2005 (UTC)
== Mr. Saturday Night and the Rutles ==
Were these movies really based on SNL material? I don't remember any SNL content in Mr. Saturday Night, and the title alone is not a good enough reason for inclusion. --User:JamesB3 11:23, 25 Jan 2005 (UTC)
::The Rutles made many appearences on SNL, but I don't know if they originate from SNL or Monty Python. I'd leave it in until we discover otherwise.
::As for Mr. Saturday Night, it appeared in a sketch from Nov. of 1984 titled "Buddy Young Is Back" so yes, it is based on an SNL script, but via a distant relation. Much like how "mo' money" is based on SNL only because Damon Wayon's originated the phrase through a Weekend Update sketch. So the answer is that yes, they're technically an SNL spin-off, but neither Buddy Young, or Damon Wayans' characters were recurring. I guess it all just depends on how technical you want to get with it. bmb8609
== Split? ==
Apparently this discussion page is at the 32K limit. Should it be split, or trimmed down? --User:JamesB3 22:02, 28 Jan 2005 (UTC)
:As I understand it, that 32k limit is sort of outdated. I was told not to worry about it anymore, and I don't recall seeing it lately. User:Spalding 00:15, Apr 10, 2005 (UTC)
==Vague==
It would be nice if a short explanation regarding some of the obscenities could be presented. Like, for example, with Charles Rocket: "I'd like to know who the fuck did it" Did what? Can this be placed into context? Same goes for Norm McDonald. I'd be really grateful if context could be given. User:TheCustomOfLife 21:51, Feb 15, 2005 (UTC)
::This is a good point, and I think the reason it wasn't explained there, was because it's explained in further detail in the History: 1980-85 section. It could probably stand to be detailed a little more, but not too much since these parts are intended only to be "blurbs" for a lack of better terms. user:bmb8609
:::Eh, just a short context...copy and pasted from the history section, if need be, with a "See history of SNL 1980-1985 for more" or something like. User:TheCustomOfLife 05:45, Feb 16, 2005 (UTC)
==Simpson matter again==
Considering just about everyone here disagrees with his biased editing of this page, is there anyway to get people banned from editing here (considering he's contributed NOTHING to this page, other than making sure that we don't hold a person who otherwise has nothing to do with SNL accountable for lip-synching onstage)? For crying out loud, this had gone on long enough.
p.s. I cut the top half of this page off, since it was getting so big. feel free to add anything back if I cut off someting important.
:Actually, I do keep an eye on the article in general and copyedit new additions periodically. And I'm not doing any biased editing. I just think that if we're going to mention it, we need a few words about her illness. It takes very little space and makes a world of difference in providing an objective account, even if it is just a brief summary. User:Everyking 18:05, 16 Feb 2005 (UTC)
::That's all well and good, but the other additions you make present the issue as Ashlee being a victim. She handled the situation terribly. If she'd simply started to sing her song, or attempted to, or, hell, just STAYED ON THE STAGE, instead of doing her goofy little dance and running off, this incident wouldn't be nearly as important. Instead, she showed a complete lack of professionalism by blaming it on 3 different things. It's one thing to bring up facts, it's another to distort them. User:Mo0[ User Talk:Mo0] 00:49, 19 Feb 2005 (UTC)
Settle down folks.
First off, this is an article about SNL. So Simpson's motivations, illnesses, statements, etc, are secondary. Simpson did not play the backing track. Simpson's manager did not play the backing track. The SNL control room played the backing track. One version of the text insinuates that she was at fault for what was coming over the sound system. An important fact to mention is that it was widely reported/commented upon, unlike some of these other "infamous events".
I put in what I hoped would be a compromise version, and even edited to please Everyking. But he took it further and now we're going back in circles. For reference, here's my suggestion again.
:''In 2004, musical guest Ashlee Simpson walked offstage when a pre-recorded backing track for the wrong song was accidentally played. It appeared to viewers that Simpson had been lip synching, though the singer denied this, claiming illness. The incident received wide-spread coverage in the news.''
Regardless, let's not lose any sleep over this. Cheers, -User:Willmcw 01:22, Feb 19, 2005 (UTC)
::That's a great version of it. User:Mo0[ User Talk:Mo0] 01:35, 19 Feb 2005 (UTC)
Thanks, I think it is short, simple and balanced. It's basically a condensed version of what was around on the other article for a while. The only thing that might be added, on reflection, is a mention of the skits that referred back to it. It is uncharacteristic of SNL to be self-referential. I'm trying to think up a way of saying all of that in a couple of words. Cheers, -User:Willmcw 05:16, Feb 19, 2005 (UTC)
However it's written, the essential things that neeed to be mentioned are: 1) she was the first person ever to walk off like this; 2) the problem was that the vocal tape for her first song was accidentally recued for her second number (we should make it clear exactly what happened); 3) a lot of people claimed she was lip-syncing, even though she claims she was going to sing along with the track (that needs to be spelled out, because a lot of people don't know what a 'backing track' is). User:68.118.61.219 12:36, 20 Feb 2005 (UTC)
I have no problem with mentioning all of the facts involved with the situation. Everyking, when you read this, the only reason I object to your edits is that Ashlee was not a victim of anything but her own stupidity when she walked off of the stage. If she'd stayed on, she would have shown a lot more professionalism than that stupid little dance that she did. User:Mo0[ User Talk:Mo0] 13:52, 20 Feb 2005 (UTC)
::Regarding the facts in the matter, remember this is only a passing mention. The incident is handled in greater detail in the article on the current era of SNL. I'm not sure that Simpson walking off stage was the most newsworthy aspect of the incident. Do we have a source for her being the first performer to walk off? Or is she only the first musical guest to do so? If the latter, that's much less notable. Was it the first time the control room ever played the wrong backing track? Is that news? Regarding the backing track, I hope someone more familiar with the music industry than I will write an article on backing tracks (Everyking?). Cheers, -User:Willmcw 23:14, Feb 20, 2005 (UTC)
Here it is again, with a provisional addition at the end:
:''In 2004, musical guest Ashlee Simpson walked offstage when a pre-recorded backing track for the wrong song was accidentally played. It appeared to viewers that Simpson had been lip synching, though the singer denied this, claiming illness. The incident marked the first time a performer had walked off stage on camera and was the subject of wide-spread coverage in the news.''
Can we get any confirmation that it was the first time anyone walked off? Other than that, is there a consensus that this is an acceptable version? We ought to settle this and move on. Cheers, -User:Willmcw 03:08, Feb 21, 2005 (UTC)
I dislike "claiming illness". There is very strong evidence that she was indeed sick, about as strong as the evidence could be, but this phrasing presents it like it's just some excuse. User:Everyking 03:18, 21 Feb 2005 (UTC)
:OK, how about "citing" instead of "claiming"? "It appeared to viewers that Simpson had been lip synching, though the singer denied this, citing illness." Is that fair? -User:Willmcw 03:34, Feb 21, 2005 (UTC)
::That seems unclear. She says it was a backing track, so that should be mentioned. How about "it appeared to viewers that Simpson was lip synching or singing along with a backing track; apparently she was suffering from illness and was unable to sing live as usual"? User:Everyking 04:08, 21 Feb 2005 (UTC)
:::Didn't she deny lip-synching? If there's no doubt that she was lipsynching then we should write the whole thing differently. The backing track was already mentioned in the first sentence, no need to repeat it. And why does the illness have to be "alleged" or "apparent"? Nobody has questioned that she might have something wrong with her. -User:Willmcw 04:41, Feb 21, 2005 (UTC)
::::She has denied lip synching per se (at least she did on the ''Today'' interview), but I would prefer to stress the alternative backing track explanation over that. User:Everyking 04:45, 21 Feb 2005 (UTC)
And with that I am going to withdraw from editing the article except to copyedit and revert vandalism. I feel that I have caused stress and conflict on the article, regardless of whether I'm right, and so I need to do penance by withdrawing from it. User:Everyking 05:32, 21 Feb 2005 (UTC)
:OK Everything, thanks for your input. Here's a version trying to better incorporate Everyking's input:
::''In 2004, musical guest Ashlee Simpson became the first performer to walk offstage when a pre-recorded backing track for the wrong song was accidentally played. It appeared to viewers that Simpson had been lip synching, though the singer later said she was using the backing track on account of a throat illness. The incident was the subject of wide-spread coverage in the news and even ''SNL'' skits.''
:It is longer than ideal for a stubby listing, but it is succinct and NPOV. Any objections? -User:Willmcw 06:33, Feb 21, 2005 (UTC)
::what you have there is fine.
Cool! It's posted. Thanks everybody. Cheers, -User:Willmcw 09:12, Feb 25, 2005 (UTC)
==1980-85 Summary==
I've presented what I hope is a "compromise" to the ebersol era summary. I want Eddie Murphy in "Season Six" metioned first (before Ebersol) so that it remains in chronological order. (btw, "Show-Runner" is a widely-used, but unoffical term for an executive producer, I used it here to avoid literary redundancy since the phrase "executive producer" is used in the next sentence, but since it is technically unoffical, I have removed it as a compromise). I agree that the phrase "home-run" is silly and have since removed it, but since you bring it up, I would disagree that it's inaccaurate, as 1984 is a cited by many fans as a "classic" season. However, it IS objective, and so again, I have removed it. I also removed the "all-star" reference from the 1994 season, since this season was not truly an "all-star" season - at least not in the sense of the 84 or 85 seasons.
:The 1984 season has a mixed reputation at best. Many complained and still complained that ebersol watered down the program by relying to heavily on pre-taped over live sketches, and by having people like Martin Short come in and rehash characters they had already been doing on other programs. And to say that Ebersol "finally" hit a home run with that suggests that it was considered better than the earlier seasons with Murphy at his height, which is doubtful. Whether or not you want to call them 'all-star' shows, 1994 followed the same practice of hiring established performers to fill out the vacant spots in the cast- there just weren't as many vacancies in 1994. The connection should be made because both times Michaels tried it, it was a disaster.User:68.118.61.219 18:59, 27 Feb 2005 (UTC)
::Many who? Many leading TV critics? Many cast members? Many friends of yours? Wikipedia isn't for artistic criticism. What are the sources for your assertions? -User:Willmcw 05:46, Feb 28, 2005 (UTC)
==Dolly Parton picture caption==
Does anyone know who the third person in this photo is? :Image:Tv_snl_dolly_parton.jpg. The caption reads, "..w/ SNL's Victoria Jackson," but that only accounts for two people. (Gee, it almost looks like there are four or five people in there.) The one on the right resembles Carvey. If we can't name the other cast member, maybe we should at least acknowledge his or her presence. -User:Willmcw 09:12, Feb 25, 2005 (UTC)
::I'm not sure, and I don't really know why that pic is even there anymore. I think it referred to a section from way back when when the SNL pages was only one page long. In all reality, we ought to remove it, and maybe replaced it with something else (the page is running over 32K as it is right now anyway...)
::UPDATE According to [http://snltranscripts.jt.org/88/88qhooters.phtml this page] it's Jan Hooks...
::-User:Bmb8609
:::Awesome! Thanks for tracking that down. I'll correct the caption and move the picture to the History of SNL:1985-1990. Cheers, -User:Willmcw 20:12, Feb 28, 2005 (UTC)
== Catch Phrases? ==
A lot of the so-called "catch phrases" only showed up in one sketch, as far as I'm aware:
* "I got a fever. And the only perscription is more cowbell!" (Christopher Walken)
* "Strategery" (Will Ferrell)
* "Lockbox" (Darrell Hammond)
Should we remove these, or possibly rename the section "memorable phrases" or something more appropriate? When I think of a catch phrase, I think of something that happened at least three times or more. Am I wrong here? --User:DropDeadGorgias User_talk:DropDeadGorgias 20:50, Apr 12, 2005 (UTC)
::More or less typical wikibloat. I'd posit that a "catchphrase" is one that "catches on" to some extent in the general public -- Emily Latella's "never mind" is clearly a catchphrase; dozens more are not, despite the best attempts by the SNL people to make them so by using them ''ad nauseum''. The problem is, and will continue to be, that everybody's definition of "catchphrase" or even "memorable" is going to be different, and sooner or later we'll have every stupid line ever used on the show. This is the kind of thing, like the lists in Rock opera, that has me giving up on even trying -- it's like digging a hole in sand. (It's perhaps worth noting, also, that "stratergery" and "lockbox" are not only not catchphrases but they aren't even, technically, ''phrases''). User:Jgm 00:29, 13 Apr 2005 (UTC)
:::I've felt the same way, and put in some notes regarding these additions that we're constantly having to remove. I put in some editing notes that roughly describe what constitutes a catch phrase, and how - on the characters section - we're not trying to make a list of EVERY SINGLE CHARACTER. These notes can only be seen when you're in "edit" mode, so they in no way, affect the asthetics of the page.
:::However, I must say that the three lines you've listed, although only heard once, do constitue as catch phrases since they are very popular in the public "pop culture" vernacular, and are used quite often. In fact, I recently read an article on the cowbell sketch, and how that phrase is 5 years strong.
:::FYI, I also made a note regarding the Ashlee Simpson moment, and requested to consult this forum before editing the long-awaited compromised version that is shown there
:::UPDATE: Just to cover any disagreement, I've changed the title to catch phrases/memorable quotes, and updated the Edit disclaimer.
::::--user:Bmb8609
*Shouldn't this section be more appropriate on Wikiquote:Saturday Night Live? User:Zzyzx11 User talk:Zzyzx11 23:44, 30 May 2005 (UTC)
== Infamous Beastie Boys appearance==
I remember seeing an episode in which the Beastie Boys were the musical guests, and the lead singer dropped a couple F-bombs while singing. The song normally had profanity, but he added some more for good measure. I thought this would make a worthy addition to the infamous moments section, but I can't remember the date of the show. I know it was when they were performing "Sabotage", so mid 90's?
Sketch comedy shows
:''SNL redirects here. For other uses of SNL, see SNL (disambiguation).'' ''Saturday Night Live'' (''SNL'') is a weekly late-night 90-minute comedy-variety show from NBC which has been broadcast virtually every Saturday night since its debut on October 11, 1975. It is one of the longest-running network entertainment programs in American television history. Each week, the #Cast is joined by a guest host and a musical act. The show has been the launching place for some major American comedy stars of the last thirty years. It was created by Dick Ebersol and Lorne Michaels, of whom, the latter —excluding a hiatus from Season 6 through Season 10—has television producer and writer for the show and remains its executive producer (Jean Doumanian producing most of Season 6, and Ebersol 7-10). In January 2005, NBC renewed ''SNL'''s contract until 2012. ==Structure of the show== The show usually follows a standard format. It opens with a sketch, known as the cold opening, which begins without any announcement or titles, is often about politics or other current events, and always ends with someone saying "Live from New York City, it's Saturday Night!" The show then segues into the opening credits, which usually open with a shot of the Statue of Liberty and a montage of the cast members cut with various locations around the city. The opening credits are voiced-over by long-time NBC announcer Don Pardo. The show's theme music has been re-arranged many times, but always follows the same basic chord patterns. Next is the monologue performed by the guest host(s), often followed by a Saturday Night Live commercial. The show continues with more comedy skits (sketches might feature #Recurring characters and sketches, celebrity impersonations, movie and TV spoofs, and skits parodying the news issues of the day), followed by a performance by the guest musical act. More recent shows have the second act divided by an animated short by Robert Smigel. The news parody segment Weekend Update (sketch) marks the show's midway point. The second half of the program continues with more sketches, and in most cases a second performance by the musical guest. Some shows also feature filmed segments, often featuring cast members, or it may feature independent film shorts. In a few rare cases, a third musical performance by the week's musical guest is done at the end of the show, but in most instances this is just a goodbye segment by the host and musical guest. ==History== *History of SNL:1975-1980 *History of SNL:1980-1985 *History of SNL:1985-1990 *History of SNL:1990-1995 *History of SNL:1995-2000 *History of SNL:2000-2010 *Weekend Update ==Cast==
For a full list of past and present cast, see Saturday Night Live cast. ===Notable tenures=== Although ''SNL'' has an often rapid turnover of supporting players (many of whom have appeared for only one season or less), some performers have had long tenures with the show. Few have broken the eight-year barrier. Among the longest serving repertory players are: *Phil Hartman (8 seasons: October 1986 - May 1994) *Kevin Nealon (9 seasons: October 1986 - May 1995) *Tim Meadows (9½ seasons: February 1991 - May 2000) *Darrell Hammond (10 seasons: September 1995 - Present) ===Cast member deaths=== Although SNL is well known as the launchpad for many successful careers, several cast members have died tragically young. John Belushi was the first casualty in 1982 from drug abuse; Chris Farley died of the same in 1997. Gilda Radner died after a year-long battle with ovarian cancer in 1989. Most recently Phil Hartman was the victim of a murder-suicide by his wife in 1998. One-season cast member Danitra Vance died of breast cancer in 1994, and one of the original writers and featured players, Michael O'Donoghue, who long suffered from severe chronic migraine headaches, died of a cerebral hemorrhage in 1994. ===Contracts=== ''SNL'' received some negative publicity in 1999 when it was leaked that, henceforth, actors joining the show would have to agree in their five-to-six year contract that, upon request, they would act in up to three movies by SNL Films, for fees of US$75,000, US$150,000, and then US$300,000; and also that, upon request, they would leave ''SNL'' and act in an NBC sitcom for up to an additional six years. This appeared to be a reaction to former cast members like Adam Sandler and Mike Myers going on to movie stardom. Some agents and managers characterized these long-term contracts as involuntary servitude, saying that almost any young, undiscovered comic would immediately agree to any given set of exploitative contractual restrictions for the opportunity to launch their careers via the show. NBC publicly defended the new contracts, saying that ''SNL'' was doing a service to young comics by launching so many careers. It was reported in 1999 that the starting salary for ''SNL'' cast members was US$5,000 per episode. ==Production process== The following is a summary of the process used to produce the show. It is based in part on an August 2000 ''Writer's Digest'' article and an April 2004 Fresh Air interview with Tina Fey: *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. According to an October 2004 ''60 Minutes'' segment on the show, 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, significantly more than will make it to air. Most writers work through the night. 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 otherwise needed a lot of work are rewritten completely. Others are changed in smaller ways. Thursday is also the day that ''Weekend Update (sketch)'' starts coming together, starting with the news items written by writers dedicated all week to the segment. This is also the first day the crew comes in for rehearsal. The music act is rehearsed as well as some of the larger more important skits. *Friday: the show is blocked (staged). The writer of each skit 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 an 8 p.m. dress rehearsal in front of a live audience, which lasts until 10 p.m. or sometimes later, and which contains around twenty minutes of material which will not make it to the broadcast. Lorne Michaels uses first-hand observation of the audience reaction to the rehearsal, and input from the host, to determine the final round of changes, re-ordering sketches as necessary. The show then begins at 11:30 p.m. (11:35 or 11:45 in some markets). 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 skits in which they will appear. ==When it's not live== ''SNL'' is one of the few shows on television to have its in- and off-season reruns aired out of its original broadcast sequence. The sequence of the in-season reruns (that is, encore shows that air during the season it originally aired) are usually determined by the episode(s)' popularity. So, for example, if by the midway point of the season in December, a show hosted by Robert DeNiro turned out to be the highest rated show of the season thus far, it would be the first show to be repeated when ''SNL'' begins airing its reruns during one of their live breaks. 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. Encore showings are not always identical to the original broadcast. Frequently, segments that did not work well during the original showing are replaced by alternate performances, or sometimes completely different skits that had been taped at the dress rehearsal that preceded the live broadcast. From time-to-time, ''SNL'' airs compilation shows. Such shows will feature the best of a previous season (consisting of skits and musical segments specially selected by the producers), or of a particular cast member (such as Eddie Murphy or Adam Sandler) or guest (such as Tom Hanks), or centered on a particular theme (for example, Halloween, Christmas, or a major news event). Every election year, ''SNL'' airs a "Presidential Bash" featuring both classic and new skits involving Presidents and presidential candidates. The 2000 Bash was notable for having self-deprecating skits taped of the actual candidates (George W. Bush and Al Gore) rather than the players normally assigned to impersonate them. ==When it's less than live== Over the years ''SNL'' has almost always been Broadcasting#Recorded or live on the East Coast of the United States, in spite of the expletive spoken by Charles Rocket in 1981. The exceptions were shows hosted by Richard Pryor, Sam Kinison, and Andrew Dice Clay, which were broadcast on a seven-second delay. During Eddie Murphy's last season, he was only available for part of the season, so they recorded a number of extra sketches featuring him that were broadcast in episodes he was not available for, according to the book ''Saturday Night: A Backstage History of Saturday Night Live'' by Doug Hill and Jeff Weingrad. Some live shows may also be altered and edited for the West Coast of the United States (where it is broadcast at 11:30 p.m. Pacific Time, three hours after the live broadcast); in some cases recordings of sketches or performances from the program's dress rehearsal have been substituted for the later feed. When Sam Kinison delivered a comic monologue in 1986, NBC removed his plea for the legalization of marijuana from the West Coast broadcast. ==Rights to SNL== NBC holds the copyright to every episode of the show made thus far. The syndication rights to the original incarnation (1975-1980) were originally acquired by Filmways Pictures (later Orion Pictures Corporation and MGM), while the syndication rights to the shows made from 1980 forward (that is, rerun rights beginning two years after its original NBC airings) have been held by Broadway Video, Lorne Michaels' production company. The home video rights have also been scattered. Warner Home Video originally released several episodes from the original incarnation (1975-1980). Paramount Pictures released a "Best Of Eddie Murphy" video compilation in the 1980s (Murphy had a multi-picture deal with Paramount at the time). In the 1990s, Starmaker Entertainment held the video rights. Today, Lions Gate Entertainment handles the VHS and DVD releases of ''SNL'' under a new license with NBC. For many years, both Comedy Central and E! Entertainment Television aired ''SNL'' reruns under license with Broadway Video and Orion/MGM (respectively). In 2003, full rights reverted completely to NBC, and the E! network acquired the exclusive syndication rights to the series. The only episodes that have not been included in any syndication package (including the current deal with E!) are the prime-time special at Mardi Gras in New Orleans (the only time the show has originated outside of New York), and the infamous 1989 episode which Andrew Dice Clay hosted. ==Infamous moments== Since it is broadcast live, ''SNL'' has had several infamous events that were either unplanned or provoked sufficient controversy to receive media coverage: *In 1977, musical guest Elvis Costello threw the show's schedule off by playing the song ''Radio Radio'' (see ''Banned From The Show'', below). *In 1980 writer Al Franken performed the sketch "A Limo for the Lame-o" which mocked NBC president Fred Silverman's failure to improve the network's ratings. NBC executives were furious. *In 1981, Charles Rocket, portraying the gunshot victim in a parody of the "Who Shot J.R." plot on the program ''Dallas (TV series)'', said, "I'd like to know who the ''fuck'' did it," during the live feed of the "goodnights" segment. *In 1988 a sketch set at a nudist colony used the word penis many times, culminating in a performance of the nudist club anthem, "The Penis Song." [http://snltranscripts.jt.org/88/88bnudebeach.phtml] *In 1990, comedian Andrew Dice Clay was chosen to host; cast member Nora Dunn and scheduled musical guest Sinéad O'Connor boycotted the show in protest, due to perceptions that his jokes were misogynistic. *In 1992, Sinéad O'Connor ripped up a photo of the Pope (see ''#Banned From The Show''). *In 1994, host Martin Lawrence delivered a raunchy stand-up routine including jokes that had not been approved (see ''#Banned From The Show''). *In 1994 a sketch in which host Alec Baldwin played a pedophilia scoutmaster generated more hostile letters than any sketch in the show's history. [http://snltranscripts.jt.org/93/93mcanteen.phtml] *In 1997, during his Weekend Update Norm MacDonald fumbled with his words and then said, "What the f*** was that", not realizing what he had said. [http://snltranscripts.jt.org/96/96qupdate.phtml] *In 2004, musical guest Ashlee Simpson became the first SNL performer to walk offstage when a pre-recorded backing track for the wrong song was accidentally played. It appeared to viewers that Simpson had been lip synching, though the singer later said she was using the backing track due to a throat illness. The incident was the subject of widespread coverage in the news and subsequent ''SNL'' skits. *In 2005, musical guests System of a Down performed the song "B.Y.O.B.". At the end of the performance, guitarist Daron Malakian screamed, "F*** yeah!" which was missed by the censors. ==Banned from the show== Over the years, ''SNL'' has banned both hosts and musical guests from re-appearing on the show whether it be for a complete lack of effort in performance or for unconventional or often arrogant behavior either on or off the set. *One of the first hosts to be barred from performing again was Louise Lasser, who hosted at the end of the first season on July 24, 1976. Lasser was said to be going through personal problems at the time and was reportedly nearly incoherent throughout the broadcast. This episode was such a disappointment to producer Lorne Michaels, that it was also barred from syndication until as late as 2002. *Elvis Costello was banned from ''SNL'' for 12 years. In December 1977, he was slated to perform with his group The Attractions. NBC and the show's producer Lorne Michaels didn't want Costello to perform "Radio, Radio," since it was an anti-media song. Costello defied them by beginning to play "Less Than Zero," stopping, telling the audience that there was no reason to do that song, and started playing "Radio, Radio." Besides the defiance, it also infuriated Michaels because it put the show off schedule. Costello was finally invited to come back and play in 1989, and even reenacted his act of defiance on the 25th Anniversary Show with the Beastie Boys in 1999. *Frank Zappa had been banned from the show after his hosting stint on October 21, 1978. His acerbic and often misunderstood sense of humor made him more than unfavorable with the cast and crew. During his performance, he made a habit of reading cue-cards and mugging the camera. Many cast members (save for John Belushi) stood noticeably far from him during the goodnights. *The April 24, 1979, episode of the show hosted by Milton Berle resulted in his banning due to his habit of upstaging other performers, overacting, mugging for the camera, insertion of "classic" comedy bits and his maudlin performance of ''September Song.'' This episode was also barred from rebroadcast for over twenty years (until February 2003 when an edited version was shown on E!) as Lorne Michaels felt that the broadcast, and Berle in particular, brought the show down. *On November 13, 1982, host Robert Blake (actor), who had been very uncooperative with the scripts that had been given him throughout the week (at one point, he even crumpled up a script presented to him by cast member and writer Gary Kroeger, and threw it back in his face), was also barred from performing on the show again. *Another banning of sorts happened exactly one week after Blake's, when the show decided to leave the fate of a frequent guest in the hands of viewers. Andy Kaufman, who had appeared on the show periodically since its beginning in 1975, was on the chopping block. Viewers had to call a 900 number to decide if Kaufman should be allowed to stay, or be banned for life from the show. Viewers decided to kick him off and Kaufman never returned to the show. In truth, the idea was pitched to Dick Ebersol weeks before by Kaufman, and Ebersol used the idea after he had a fight with Kaufman. When Kaufman heard the news that he was banned, he felt betrayed. *Steven Seagal, who hosted on April 20, 1991, has also been barred from hosting due to his difficulty in working with the cast and crew, who weren't afraid to make note of the occasion almost a year and a half later. During Nicholas Cage's monologue in a 1992 episode, Nicholas is speaking with Lorne backstage and says, "...they probably think I'm the biggest jerk who's ever been on the show!" To which Lorne replied, "No, no. That would be Steven Seagal." [http://snltranscripts.jt.org/92/92amono.phtml] *Perhaps the most notable ostracism came in 1992, when '''Sinéad O'Connor''' appeared on the program with host Tim Robbins. In her second set of the show, she performed an a capella version of Bob Marley's "War." At the end, she picked up a picture of Pope John Paul II, ripped it up, and shouted, "Fight the real enemy!" From the booth, Director Dave Wilson immediately turned off the "applause" cue. NBC received many complaints about this within a matter of minutes. At the end of the show, Robbins refused to even thank O'Connor—as is custom—for being the musical guest. O'Connor was given a verbal beating by many other celebrities and public figures. To this day, NBC refuses to lend out the footage of the performance to any media outlet. They have also edited out the incident from the syndicated version of the episode (although, curiously, an unedited version has been screened on the Foxtel cable network in Australia). However, it was finally released in 2003, with an explanation from Lorne Michaels, on Disc 4 of the "Saturday Night Live - 25 Years of Music" DVD set. *Comedian Martin Lawrence has also been banned from the show. His opening monologue on the February 19, 1994 episode included comments about female genitalia. The monologue has been completely edited out in the syndicated version, with just a graphic describing in general what Lawrence had said. The graphic also told viewers that it was a lively monologue and it almost cost many ''SNL'' employees their jobs. [http://snltranscripts.jt.org/93/93nmono.phtml] *After hosting eight times, former SNL regular Chevy Chase was banned from ever hosting the show again after the February 15, 1997, episode due to his verbal abuse of the cast and crew during the week. Chase became notorious for his treatment of certain cast members when hosting past episodes, particularly his remarks to openly gay cast member Terry Sweeney in 1985 when he suggested that a perfect skit for Sweeney would be one in which Sweeney plays an AIDS victim who gets weighed every week. Chase's abusive behavior during the 1985 episode and others are detailed in the ''Live From New York: An Uncensored History of Saturday Night Live'' book. *The latest victim came on May 10, 2003, when host Adrien Brody came out to introduce the musical guest, reggae musician Sean Paul, dressed in Rastafarian attire. Without any prior notice, he began speaking in a Jamaican accent and went on a tirade of sorts for close to 45 seconds before finally introducing the act incorrectly, misannouncing Sean Paul as "Sean John." Lorne Michaels is notorious for his dislike of improvization and unannounced performances (as was also the case in Elvis Costello's incident), and therefore was furious with Brody for not obtaining clearance before performing this "monologue." ==Frequent hosts== The following performers have hosted SNL at least five times: *Steve Martin (13) *John Goodman (12) *Alec Baldwin (11) *Buck Henry (10) *Chevy Chase (8) *Tom Hanks (7) *Danny DeVito (6) *Elliott Gould (6) *Christopher Walken (6) *Candice Bergen (5) *Bill Murray (5) Several special episodes of ''SNL'' have been compiled and aired that were "best of" episodes of several of these hosts, including Christopher Walken, Tom Hanks, and Alec Baldwin. ==Recurring characters and sketches== Below is a short list of some of SNLs most popular recurring sketches. A COMPLETE listing can be found on Recurring Saturday Night Live characters and sketches.
==Movies based on SNL skits== The early days of SNL spawned a few movies and low-budget films. However, it wasn't until the huge success of ''Wayne's World'' that Broadway Video (Lorne Michaels' production company) became encouraged to feature more film spinoffs, with several popular 1990s sketch characters (and a few unlikely ones) becoming adapted into movies. Producers tried their luck with a revival of '70s characters The Coneheads, followed by movies based around Pat, Stuart Smalley, The Ladies Man, The Butabi Brothers and Mary-Catherine Gallagher. Some did moderate business but others bombed disastrously — notably ''It's Pat'' and ''Stuart Saves His Family'', with the latter losing US$15 million despite good reviews.
==Trivia== *Steve Martin was a frequent guest host of the program and even had popular recurring characters. However, contrary to popular belief, Martin was never a regular member of the cast. *Although Darrell Hammond holds the record for longest tenure of a Contract Player with 10 consecutive seasons (about 200 episodes), Al Franken has been credited for 12 seasons (1977-80) & (1985-94), although appearing only in a total of about 140 episodes as a Featured Player. *Morwenna Banks holds the record for the shortest tenure of a Contract Player with only four episodes (April 1995 - May 1995). The record for shortest tenure of a Featured Player goes to both Laurie Metcalf and Emily Prager, both appearing in only one episode (April 11, 1981). *Eddie Murphy is the only person to have hosted the show while still a Saturday Night Live cast#Started 1979-1985; this occurred during List of Saturday Night Live hosts and musical guests#Season 8 (December 11, 1982), when Murphy filled in for a sick Nick Nolte. *The cold opening occasionally varies from the traditional "Live From New York...", either to commemorate the season number (usually during season premieres) or to follow the consistency of a certain sketch. In 1981, the traditional cold opening was done away with entirely (returning the next season). *Michael McKean and Dan Aykroyd are the only performers to appear as cast members, hosts, and as musical guests (McKean as David St. Hubbins from "This Is Spinal Tap" and Aykroyd as Elwood Blues from "The Blues Brothers.") *Michael McKean and Billy Crystal are the only two people to join the cast after having hosted the show. *18 former cast members have later come back to host the show. Curiously, none of them female (Gilda Radner was scheduled to host in 1988, but was called off due to a writers strike, and died the following year). *Harry Shearer and Brian Doyle-Murray are the only two cast members to work under both Lorne Michaels and Dick Ebersol. Shearer in 1979 and 1984, and Doyle-Murray in 1979 and 1981. In addition, Doyle-Murray also worked under one-season Producer Jean Doumanian as a writer. *The eldest host was Ruth Gordon, at age 80, in the episode aired on January 22, 1977. *The youngest host was Drew Barrymore, at age 7, in the episode aired on November 20, 1982. *The eldest cast member was Michael McKean at age 47 (1994-1995). *The youngest cast member was Anthony Michael Hall at age 17 (1985-1986). *Kenan Thompson is the only cast member to date born after SNL's premiere in 1975. *The highest rating audience (according to Nielsen) was for the episode aired on October 13, 1979 (Steve Martin/Blondie (band)). *Guest hosts who had previously auditioned for the show earlier in their careers only to be turned down include: Paul Reubens, John Goodman and Jim Carrey (1980); and Lisa Kudrow (1990). *During the early years, the format of the show was not completely set in stone. For example, one early broadcast, hosted by Paul Simon, included a reunion with his former musical partner, Art Garfunkel. Only a few comedy sketches were featured during the episode, with others dropped in order to allow Simon and Garfunkel to perfom an extended musical set. On another occasion, Beat Generation author William S. Burroughs appeared on the program and read passages from his books, to mixed response. ==See also== *List of Saturday Night Live hosts and musical guests *Kids in the Hall, which was also produced by Lorne Michaels *Saturday Night Live commercial, a series of parody advertisements *List of Saturday Night Live episodes :*[http://www.io.com/~serpas/SNL/epguide.html A better episode list: simple, comprehensive, to-the-point.] *MADtv, a similar series appearing on Fox Broadcasting Company and Comedy Central ==External links== *[http://www.nbc.com/Saturday_Night_Live/ Official NBC website] *[http://www.museum.tv/archives/etv/S/htmlS/saturdaynigh/saturdaynigh.htm Summary of the series] from the Museum of Broadcast Communications *[http://dir.yahoo.com/Entertainment/Television_Shows/Comedies/Sketch_Comedy/Saturday_Night_Live/ Directory > Entertainment > Television Shows > Comedies > Sketch Comedy > Saturday Night Live], from Yahoo! *[http://groups.google.com/groups?q=alt.tv.snl&hl=en alt.tv.snl], Google's interface to a long-lived SNL fan's Usenet group *[http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0072562/ SNL infos on IMDB] ===Fansites=== *[http://www.geocities.com/snlra/ SNLRA], an extensive GeoCities-hosted ad-supported fansite *[http://snl.jt.org/ SNL Archives] and [http://snltranscripts.jt.org/ SNL Transcripts], extensive SNL fansites hosted by a Glendale, Arizona-based company *[http://www.saturday-night-live.com/ Saturday-Night-Live.com], yet another extensive ad-supported fansite, maintained by a college student NBC network shows Saturday Night Live Sketch comedy shows Variety television series Films based on television series Saturday
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Saturday_Night_Live_opening_commercial
Saturday_Night_Live_opening_commercial
Saturday_Night_Live_Samurai
Saturday Night Live
==Episode 573== Can we get a year label on "episode 573" in infamous moments? Sure, hardcore fans may know what you're talking about when you rattle off episode 573, but I haven't a clue as to when it happened, especially because Jimmy Fallon caused me to stop watching SNL for about four years. User:TheCustomOfLife 23:55, Dec 22, 2004 (UTC) *The incident is far from an infamous moment simply becaue it was not only noticed by a few people, but it aroused no controversy.--User:Yoni90 01:34, Dec 23, 2004 (UTC) == Can we delete the recurring section? == The front page is quite lengthy, but I think most of the content there is worthwhile, except the recurring characters section. A number of people on that list were not popular characters (Merv the Perv, for instance) and just because you are a recurring character does not mean you are popular. Some of the popular recurring characters are discussed in the history pages, and ultimately, each fan has their own idea of what "popular" is anyway, based on their own personal preferences. Can I delete that section, or just take out all the names in favor of a link to a list of all the recurring characters over the years? I think snl.jt.org has one. --User:JamesB3 18:51, 22 Jan 2005 (UTC) ::I went through and deleted all the "RED" links from the recurring characters. if you ask me, if they don't have a page dedicated to a particular sketch, than that sketch probably isn't popular enough to be listed (even though some that were hardly popular do have their own page for some reason). You can delete the whole thing, for all I care, or link it to snl.jt.org, but it definately needed to be pruned for now. Takes up entirely too much space.user:bmb8609 (the above wasn't me; not sure who it was) :::Since no one objected, I removed the recurring characters and just left the WU mention and a link to a page of recurring characters. I also trimmed the catchphrases area because while some of those moments were popular, they weren't catchphrases, things that you would hear everywhere. Norm Macdonald was popular with the fans but you really didn't hear a lot of national discussion about anal rape or what the Germans believe. And aside from those I left on the list, I don't remember any other Molly Shannon catchphrases.--User:JamesB3 11:22, 25 Jan 2005 (UTC) ::::JonMoore, you ignored our points that many of the recurring characters listed were not very popular, and that it's redundant and takes up too much space. It is also a very broad definition of a catchphrase, since you can basically pull out anything and call it a catchphrase. I think that list needs to be trimmed down and after others have discussion on this, if none of them disagree with me, I am going to go back to the changes that you blacked out. I might just delete the recurring area altogether instead of including a link. Would that please you?--User:JamesB3 20:57, 25 Jan 2005 (UTC) :::::I don't have a problem with the link, if it serves a purpose (in this case, keeping the page from being cluttered). It's not like the whole page is a list of links. Also, that above post was me. I forgot to sign my name...also any edits made by 207.192... are probably me as well (I usually don't sign in). I'm the one who put together that comprehensive list of all the WU anchors, and wrote summarys for each of the historical "eras" bmb8609 ::::::In response to JamesB3, I missed this section of the talk page, I'm sorry. I agree it takes up too much space, but deleting it entirely as you did is a little silly. I think breaking it out into a seperate page would be the best recourse. Something like "Recurring Saturday Night Live characters and sketches". Would that be an acceptable compromise? Again, I apologize for missing this section; I thought you just randomly deleted these. [[User:JonMoore|[jon]]] 12:37, 26 Jan 2005 (UTC) :::::::Thank you for the further clarification, Jon. I think that to keep both sides happy, creating a separate page would be the best idea. --User:JamesB3 14:43, 26 Jan 2005 (UTC) == New stuff and possible split up == I've added external video links to every opening montage for each season (except 1977, which is the only season I don't have). I've also added a Season Breakdown for 2000-2005. Anyone else agree that the 90s section needs to be broken up into 1990-94 and 1995-96? It's incredibly too big,and the table of contents takes up half the page. Plus, given the cast and writers, they're virtually two completely different eras of the show that deserve their own seperate attention. Unless someone disagrees here, I'll get around to fixing this sometime this week. If anyone has any of the three opening montages from 77 season, let me know...bmb8609 :Yes, I agree that the 90's should be split into 2 different sections. Thank you for adding the 00-05 season breakdown, I hadn't got around to it yet. BTW, I think you meant 'writers' and 'eras'. You didn't need the apostrophe. I make that mistake all the time too. --User:JamesB3 11:22, 25 Jan 2005 (UTC) ::OK...fixed that error. I'll try and get that done tonight. Also, do we really need a page of hosts that have appeared as musical guests? I don't see why it's very noteworthy. It's not like you get a "prize" for it or something (i.e. The "Five Timers" club sketch). I'm going to remove it. user:bmb8609 :: UPDATE: The split up is finished. I now just need to go through each article and fix any continuity errors. Also the page titled "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_SNL:1990-2000" (the 90s page before I split it) still exists, but is now completely blank. I have no idea how to delete the page so that it's no longer taking up space on the server, maybe someone else can check into that? Thanks ::I applaud the work being done here on the "History of SNL" as it is remarkably detailed and highly informative. However, I must also point out that personal opinion runs amok throught the "history" articles, even in the short versions that are featured in the main article. A great example is "side-splittingly funny coverage of the Clinton-Lewinsky scandal." --User:Feitclub 22:04, Jan 28, 2005 (UTC) == Mr. Saturday Night and the Rutles == Were these movies really based on SNL material? I don't remember any SNL content in Mr. Saturday Night, and the title alone is not a good enough reason for inclusion. --User:JamesB3 11:23, 25 Jan 2005 (UTC) ::The Rutles made many appearences on SNL, but I don't know if they originate from SNL or Monty Python. I'd leave it in until we discover otherwise. ::As for Mr. Saturday Night, it appeared in a sketch from Nov. of 1984 titled "Buddy Young Is Back" so yes, it is based on an SNL script, but via a distant relation. Much like how "mo' money" is based on SNL only because Damon Wayon's originated the phrase through a Weekend Update sketch. So the answer is that yes, they're technically an SNL spin-off, but neither Buddy Young, or Damon Wayans' characters were recurring. I guess it all just depends on how technical you want to get with it. bmb8609 == Split? == Apparently this discussion page is at the 32K limit. Should it be split, or trimmed down? --User:JamesB3 22:02, 28 Jan 2005 (UTC) ==Vague== It would be nice if a short explanation regarding some of the obscenities could be presented. Like, for example, with Charles Rocket: "I'd like to know who the fuck did it" Did what? Can this be placed into context? Same goes for Norm McDonald. I'd be really grateful if context could be given. User:TheCustomOfLife 21:51, Feb 15, 2005 (UTC) ::This is a good point, and I think the reason it wasn't explained there, was because it's explained in further detail in the History: 1980-85 section. It could probably stand to be detailed a little more, but not too much since these parts are intended only to be "blurbs" for a lack of better terms. user:bmb8609 :::Eh, just a short context...copy and pasted from the history section, if need be, with a "See history of SNL 1980-1985 for more" or something like. User:TheCustomOfLife 05:45, Feb 16, 2005 (UTC) ==Simpson matter again== Considering just about everyone here disagrees with his biased editing of this page, is there anyway to get people banned from editing here (considering he's contributed NOTHING to this page, other than making sure that we don't hold a person who otherwise has nothing to do with SNL accountable for lip-synching onstage)? For crying out loud, this had gone on long enough. p.s. I cut the top half of this page off, since it was getting so big. feel free to add anything back if I cut off someting important. :Actually, I do keep an eye on the article in general and copyedit new additions periodically. And I'm not doing any biased editing. I just think that if we're going to mention it, we need a few words about her illness. It takes very little space and makes a world of difference in providing an objective account, even if it is just a brief summary. User:Everyking 18:05, 16 Feb 2005 (UTC) ::That's all well and good, but the other additions you make present the issue as Ashlee being a victim. She handled the situation terribly. If she'd simply started to sing her song, or attempted to, or, hell, just STAYED ON THE STAGE, instead of doing her goofy little dance and running off, this incident wouldn't be nearly as important. Instead, she showed a complete lack of professionalism by blaming it on 3 different things. It's one thing to bring up facts, it's another to distort them. User:Mo0
Saturday Night Live
Sketch comedy shows
Saturday Night Live
:''SNL redirects here. For other uses of SNL, see SNL (disambiguation).'' ''Saturday Night Live'' (''SNL'') is a weekly late-night 90-minute comedy-variety show from NBC which has been broadcast virtually every Saturday night since its debut on October 11, 1975. It is one of the longest-running network entertainment programs in American television history. Each week, the #Cast is joined by a guest host and a musical act. The show has been the launching place for some major American comedy stars of the last thirty years. It was created by Dick Ebersol and Lorne Michaels, of whom, the latter —excluding a hiatus from Season 6 through Season 10—has television producer and writer for the show and remains its executive producer (Jean Doumanian producing most of Season 6, and Ebersol 7-10). In January 2005, NBC renewed ''SNL'''s contract until 2012. ==Structure of the show== The show usually follows a standard format. It opens with a sketch, known as the cold opening, which begins without any announcement or titles, is often about politics or other current events, and always ends with someone saying "Live from New York City, it's Saturday Night!" The show then segues into the opening credits, which usually open with a shot of the Statue of Liberty and a montage of the cast members cut with various locations around the city. The opening credits are voiced-over by long-time NBC announcer Don Pardo. The show's theme music has been re-arranged many times, but always follows the same basic chord patterns. Next is the monologue performed by the guest host(s), often followed by a Saturday Night Live commercial. The show continues with more comedy skits (sketches might feature #Recurring characters and sketches, celebrity impersonations, movie and TV spoofs, and skits parodying the news issues of the day), followed by a performance by the guest musical act. More recent shows have the second act divided by an animated short by Robert Smigel. The news parody segment Weekend Update (sketch) marks the show's midway point. The second half of the program continues with more sketches, and in most cases a second performance by the musical guest. Some shows also feature filmed segments, often featuring cast members, or it may feature independent film shorts. In a few rare cases, a third musical performance by the week's musical guest is done at the end of the show, but in most instances this is just a goodbye segment by the host and musical guest. ==History== *History of SNL:1975-1980 *History of SNL:1980-1985 *History of SNL:1985-1990 *History of SNL:1990-1995 *History of SNL:1995-2000 *History of SNL:2000-2010 *Weekend Update ==Cast==
===Current repertory players===
*Darrell Hammond (1995-present)
*Horatio Sanz (1998-present)
*Rachel Dratch (1999-present)
*Maya Rudolph (2000-present)
*Tina Fey (2000-present)
*Seth Meyers (2001-present)
*Amy Poehler (2001-present)
*Fred Armisen (2002-present)
*Will Forte (2002-present)
===Current featured players===
*Finesse Mitchell (2003-present)
*Kenan Thompson (2003-present)
*Rob Riggle (2004-present)
*Jason Sudeikis (2005-present)
For a full list of past and present cast, see Saturday Night Live cast. ===Notable tenures=== Although ''SNL'' has an often rapid turnover of supporting players (many of whom have appeared for only one season or less), some performers have had long tenures with the show. Few have broken the eight-year barrier. Among the longest serving repertory players are: *Phil Hartman (8 seasons: October 1986 - May 1994) *Kevin Nealon (9 seasons: October 1986 - May 1995) *Tim Meadows (9½ seasons: February 1991 - May 2000) *Darrell Hammond (10 seasons: September 1995 - Present) ===Cast member deaths=== Although SNL is well known as the launchpad for many successful careers, several cast members have died tragically young. John Belushi was the first casualty in 1982 from drug abuse; Chris Farley died of the same in 1997. Gilda Radner died after a year-long battle with ovarian cancer in 1989. Most recently Phil Hartman was the victim of a murder-suicide by his wife in 1998. One-season cast member Danitra Vance died of breast cancer in 1994, and one of the original writers and featured players, Michael O'Donoghue, who long suffered from severe chronic migraine headaches, died of a cerebral hemorrhage in 1994. ===Contracts=== ''SNL'' received some negative publicity in 1999 when it was leaked that, henceforth, actors joining the show would have to agree in their five-to-six year contract that, upon request, they would act in up to three movies by SNL Films, for fees of US$75,000, US$150,000, and then US$300,000; and also that, upon request, they would leave ''SNL'' and act in an NBC sitcom for up to an additional six years. This appeared to be a reaction to former cast members like Adam Sandler and Mike Myers going on to movie stardom. Some agents and managers characterized these long-term contracts as involuntary servitude, saying that almost any young, undiscovered comic would immediately agree to any given set of exploitative contractual restrictions for the opportunity to launch their careers via the show. NBC publicly defended the new contracts, saying that ''SNL'' was doing a service to young comics by launching so many careers. It was reported in 1999 that the starting salary for ''SNL'' cast members was US$5,000 per episode. ==Production process== The following is a summary of the process used to produce the show. It is based in part on an August 2000 ''Writer's Digest'' article and an April 2004 Fresh Air interview with Tina Fey: *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. According to an October 2004 ''60 Minutes'' segment on the show, 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, significantly more than will make it to air. Most writers work through the night. 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 otherwise needed a lot of work are rewritten completely. Others are changed in smaller ways. Thursday is also the day that ''Weekend Update (sketch)'' starts coming together, starting with the news items written by writers dedicated all week to the segment. This is also the first day the crew comes in for rehearsal. The music act is rehearsed as well as some of the larger more important skits. *Friday: the show is blocked (staged). The writer of each skit 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 an 8 p.m. dress rehearsal in front of a live audience, which lasts until 10 p.m. or sometimes later, and which contains around twenty minutes of material which will not make it to the broadcast. Lorne Michaels uses first-hand observation of the audience reaction to the rehearsal, and input from the host, to determine the final round of changes, re-ordering sketches as necessary. The show then begins at 11:30 p.m. (11:35 or 11:45 in some markets). 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 skits in which they will appear. ==When it's not live== ''SNL'' is one of the few shows on television to have its in- and off-season reruns aired out of its original broadcast sequence. The sequence of the in-season reruns (that is, encore shows that air during the season it originally aired) are usually determined by the episode(s)' popularity. So, for example, if by the midway point of the season in December, a show hosted by Robert DeNiro turned out to be the highest rated show of the season thus far, it would be the first show to be repeated when ''SNL'' begins airing its reruns during one of their live breaks. 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. Encore showings are not always identical to the original broadcast. Frequently, segments that did not work well during the original showing are replaced by alternate performances, or sometimes completely different skits that had been taped at the dress rehearsal that preceded the live broadcast. From time-to-time, ''SNL'' airs compilation shows. Such shows will feature the best of a previous season (consisting of skits and musical segments specially selected by the producers), or of a particular cast member (such as Eddie Murphy or Adam Sandler) or guest (such as Tom Hanks), or centered on a particular theme (for example, Halloween, Christmas, or a major news event). Every election year, ''SNL'' airs a "Presidential Bash" featuring both classic and new skits involving Presidents and presidential candidates. The 2000 Bash was notable for having self-deprecating skits taped of the actual candidates (George W. Bush and Al Gore) rather than the players normally assigned to impersonate them. ==When it's less than live== Over the years ''SNL'' has almost always been Broadcasting#Recorded or live on the East Coast of the United States, in spite of the expletive spoken by Charles Rocket in 1981. The exceptions were shows hosted by Richard Pryor, Sam Kinison, and Andrew Dice Clay, which were broadcast on a seven-second delay. During Eddie Murphy's last season, he was only available for part of the season, so they recorded a number of extra sketches featuring him that were broadcast in episodes he was not available for, according to the book ''Saturday Night: A Backstage History of Saturday Night Live'' by Doug Hill and Jeff Weingrad. Some live shows may also be altered and edited for the West Coast of the United States (where it is broadcast at 11:30 p.m. Pacific Time, three hours after the live broadcast); in some cases recordings of sketches or performances from the program's dress rehearsal have been substituted for the later feed. When Sam Kinison delivered a comic monologue in 1986, NBC removed his plea for the legalization of marijuana from the West Coast broadcast. ==Rights to SNL== NBC holds the copyright to every episode of the show made thus far. The syndication rights to the original incarnation (1975-1980) were originally acquired by Filmways Pictures (later Orion Pictures Corporation and MGM), while the syndication rights to the shows made from 1980 forward (that is, rerun rights beginning two years after its original NBC airings) have been held by Broadway Video, Lorne Michaels' production company. The home video rights have also been scattered. Warner Home Video originally released several episodes from the original incarnation (1975-1980). Paramount Pictures released a "Best Of Eddie Murphy" video compilation in the 1980s (Murphy had a multi-picture deal with Paramount at the time). In the 1990s, Starmaker Entertainment held the video rights. Today, Lions Gate Entertainment handles the VHS and DVD releases of ''SNL'' under a new license with NBC. For many years, both Comedy Central and E! Entertainment Television aired ''SNL'' reruns under license with Broadway Video and Orion/MGM (respectively). In 2003, full rights reverted completely to NBC, and the E! network acquired the exclusive syndication rights to the series. The only episodes that have not been included in any syndication package (including the current deal with E!) are the prime-time special at Mardi Gras in New Orleans (the only time the show has originated outside of New York), and the infamous 1989 episode which Andrew Dice Clay hosted. ==Infamous moments== Since it is broadcast live, ''SNL'' has had several infamous events that were either unplanned or provoked sufficient controversy to receive media coverage: *In 1977, musical guest Elvis Costello threw the show's schedule off by playing the song ''Radio Radio'' (see ''Banned From The Show'', below). *In 1980 writer Al Franken performed the sketch "A Limo for the Lame-o" which mocked NBC president Fred Silverman's failure to improve the network's ratings. NBC executives were furious. *In 1981, Charles Rocket, portraying the gunshot victim in a parody of the "Who Shot J.R." plot on the program ''Dallas (TV series)'', said, "I'd like to know who the ''fuck'' did it," during the live feed of the "goodnights" segment. *In 1988 a sketch set at a nudist colony used the word penis many times, culminating in a performance of the nudist club anthem, "The Penis Song." [http://snltranscripts.jt.org/88/88bnudebeach.phtml] *In 1990, comedian Andrew Dice Clay was chosen to host; cast member Nora Dunn and scheduled musical guest Sinéad O'Connor boycotted the show in protest, due to perceptions that his jokes were misogynistic. *In 1992, Sinéad O'Connor ripped up a photo of the Pope (see ''#Banned From The Show''). *In 1994, host Martin Lawrence delivered a raunchy stand-up routine including jokes that had not been approved (see ''#Banned From The Show''). *In 1994 a sketch in which host Alec Baldwin played a pedophilia scoutmaster generated more hostile letters than any sketch in the show's history. [http://snltranscripts.jt.org/93/93mcanteen.phtml] *In 1997, during his Weekend Update Norm MacDonald fumbled with his words and then said, "What the f*** was that", not realizing what he had said. [http://snltranscripts.jt.org/96/96qupdate.phtml] *In 2004, musical guest Ashlee Simpson became the first SNL performer to walk offstage when a pre-recorded backing track for the wrong song was accidentally played. It appeared to viewers that Simpson had been lip synching, though the singer later said she was using the backing track due to a throat illness. The incident was the subject of widespread coverage in the news and subsequent ''SNL'' skits. *In 2005, musical guests System of a Down performed the song "B.Y.O.B.". At the end of the performance, guitarist Daron Malakian screamed, "F*** yeah!" which was missed by the censors. ==Banned from the show== Over the years, ''SNL'' has banned both hosts and musical guests from re-appearing on the show whether it be for a complete lack of effort in performance or for unconventional or often arrogant behavior either on or off the set. *One of the first hosts to be barred from performing again was Louise Lasser, who hosted at the end of the first season on July 24, 1976. Lasser was said to be going through personal problems at the time and was reportedly nearly incoherent throughout the broadcast. This episode was such a disappointment to producer Lorne Michaels, that it was also barred from syndication until as late as 2002. *Elvis Costello was banned from ''SNL'' for 12 years. In December 1977, he was slated to perform with his group The Attractions. NBC and the show's producer Lorne Michaels didn't want Costello to perform "Radio, Radio," since it was an anti-media song. Costello defied them by beginning to play "Less Than Zero," stopping, telling the audience that there was no reason to do that song, and started playing "Radio, Radio." Besides the defiance, it also infuriated Michaels because it put the show off schedule. Costello was finally invited to come back and play in 1989, and even reenacted his act of defiance on the 25th Anniversary Show with the Beastie Boys in 1999. *Frank Zappa had been banned from the show after his hosting stint on October 21, 1978. His acerbic and often misunderstood sense of humor made him more than unfavorable with the cast and crew. During his performance, he made a habit of reading cue-cards and mugging the camera. Many cast members (save for John Belushi) stood noticeably far from him during the goodnights. *The April 24, 1979, episode of the show hosted by Milton Berle resulted in his banning due to his habit of upstaging other performers, overacting, mugging for the camera, insertion of "classic" comedy bits and his maudlin performance of ''September Song.'' This episode was also barred from rebroadcast for over twenty years (until February 2003 when an edited version was shown on E!) as Lorne Michaels felt that the broadcast, and Berle in particular, brought the show down. *On November 13, 1982, host Robert Blake (actor), who had been very uncooperative with the scripts that had been given him throughout the week (at one point, he even crumpled up a script presented to him by cast member and writer Gary Kroeger, and threw it back in his face), was also barred from performing on the show again. *Another banning of sorts happened exactly one week after Blake's, when the show decided to leave the fate of a frequent guest in the hands of viewers. Andy Kaufman, who had appeared on the show periodically since its beginning in 1975, was on the chopping block. Viewers had to call a 900 number to decide if Kaufman should be allowed to stay, or be banned for life from the show. Viewers decided to kick him off and Kaufman never returned to the show. In truth, the idea was pitched to Dick Ebersol weeks before by Kaufman, and Ebersol used the idea after he had a fight with Kaufman. When Kaufman heard the news that he was banned, he felt betrayed. *Steven Seagal, who hosted on April 20, 1991, has also been barred from hosting due to his difficulty in working with the cast and crew, who weren't afraid to make note of the occasion almost a year and a half later. During Nicholas Cage's monologue in a 1992 episode, Nicholas is speaking with Lorne backstage and says, "...they probably think I'm the biggest jerk who's ever been on the show!" To which Lorne replied, "No, no. That would be Steven Seagal." [http://snltranscripts.jt.org/92/92amono.phtml] *Perhaps the most notable ostracism came in 1992, when '''Sinéad O'Connor''' appeared on the program with host Tim Robbins. In her second set of the show, she performed an a capella version of Bob Marley's "War." At the end, she picked up a picture of Pope John Paul II, ripped it up, and shouted, "Fight the real enemy!" From the booth, Director Dave Wilson immediately turned off the "applause" cue. NBC received many complaints about this within a matter of minutes. At the end of the show, Robbins refused to even thank O'Connor—as is custom—for being the musical guest. O'Connor was given a verbal beating by many other celebrities and public figures. To this day, NBC refuses to lend out the footage of the performance to any media outlet. They have also edited out the incident from the syndicated version of the episode (although, curiously, an unedited version has been screened on the Foxtel cable network in Australia). However, it was finally released in 2003, with an explanation from Lorne Michaels, on Disc 4 of the "Saturday Night Live - 25 Years of Music" DVD set. *Comedian Martin Lawrence has also been banned from the show. His opening monologue on the February 19, 1994 episode included comments about female genitalia. The monologue has been completely edited out in the syndicated version, with just a graphic describing in general what Lawrence had said. The graphic also told viewers that it was a lively monologue and it almost cost many ''SNL'' employees their jobs. [http://snltranscripts.jt.org/93/93nmono.phtml] *After hosting eight times, former SNL regular Chevy Chase was banned from ever hosting the show again after the February 15, 1997, episode due to his verbal abuse of the cast and crew during the week. Chase became notorious for his treatment of certain cast members when hosting past episodes, particularly his remarks to openly gay cast member Terry Sweeney in 1985 when he suggested that a perfect skit for Sweeney would be one in which Sweeney plays an AIDS victim who gets weighed every week. Chase's abusive behavior during the 1985 episode and others are detailed in the ''Live From New York: An Uncensored History of Saturday Night Live'' book. *The latest victim came on May 10, 2003, when host Adrien Brody came out to introduce the musical guest, reggae musician Sean Paul, dressed in Rastafarian attire. Without any prior notice, he began speaking in a Jamaican accent and went on a tirade of sorts for close to 45 seconds before finally introducing the act incorrectly, misannouncing Sean Paul as "Sean John." Lorne Michaels is notorious for his dislike of improvization and unannounced performances (as was also the case in Elvis Costello's incident), and therefore was furious with Brody for not obtaining clearance before performing this "monologue." ==Frequent hosts== The following performers have hosted SNL at least five times: *Steve Martin (13) *John Goodman (12) *Alec Baldwin (11) *Buck Henry (10) *Chevy Chase (8) *Tom Hanks (7) *Danny DeVito (6) *Elliott Gould (6) *Christopher Walken (6) *Candice Bergen (5) *Bill Murray (5) Several special episodes of ''SNL'' have been compiled and aired that were "best of" episodes of several of these hosts, including Christopher Walken, Tom Hanks, and Alec Baldwin. ==Recurring characters and sketches== Below is a short list of some of SNLs most popular recurring sketches. A COMPLETE listing can be found on Recurring Saturday Night Live characters and sketches.
*Weekend Update
*Coneheads (Dan Aykroyd, Jane Curtin, Laraine Newman)
*Saturday Night Live Samurai (John Belushi)
*Leonard Pinth-Garnell (Dan Aykroyd)
*Mister Robinson's Neighborhood (Eddie Murphy)
*Ed Grimley (Martin Short)
*Wayne's World (Mike Myers, Dana Carvey)
*Hans and Franz (Kevin Nealon, Dana Carvey)
*Church Lady (Dana Carvey)
*Matt Foley, Motivational Speaker (Chris Farley)
*Jack Handey
*Stuart Smalley (Al Franken)
*Mary Katherine Gallagher (Molly Shannon)
*Mango (Saturday Night Live) (Chris Kattan)
*Celebrity Jeopardy! (SNL) (Will Ferrell)
*The Falconer (Will Forte)
*Bear City (T. Sean Shannon)
==Movies based on SNL skits== The early days of SNL spawned a few movies and low-budget films. However, it wasn't until the huge success of ''Wayne's World'' that Broadway Video (Lorne Michaels' production company) became encouraged to feature more film spinoffs, with several popular 1990s sketch characters (and a few unlikely ones) becoming adapted into movies. Producers tried their luck with a revival of '70s characters The Coneheads, followed by movies based around Pat, Stuart Smalley, The Ladies Man, The Butabi Brothers and Mary-Catherine Gallagher. Some did moderate business but others bombed disastrously — notably ''It's Pat'' and ''Stuart Saves His Family'', with the latter losing US$15 million despite good reviews.
*''Mr. Mike's Mondo Video'' (1979)
*''All You Need Is Cash'' (aka ''The Rutles'') (1979)
*''The Blues Brothers'' (1980)
*''Gilda Live'' (1981)
*''Mr. Bill's Real Life Adventures'' (1986)
*''Mr. Saturday Night'' (1992)
*''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 (movie)'' (1999)
*''The Ladies Man'' (2000)
==Trivia== *Steve Martin was a frequent guest host of the program and even had popular recurring characters. However, contrary to popular belief, Martin was never a regular member of the cast. *Although Darrell Hammond holds the record for longest tenure of a Contract Player with 10 consecutive seasons (about 200 episodes), Al Franken has been credited for 12 seasons (1977-80) & (1985-94), although appearing only in a total of about 140 episodes as a Featured Player. *Morwenna Banks holds the record for the shortest tenure of a Contract Player with only four episodes (April 1995 - May 1995). The record for shortest tenure of a Featured Player goes to both Laurie Metcalf and Emily Prager, both appearing in only one episode (April 11, 1981). *Eddie Murphy is the only person to have hosted the show while still a Saturday Night Live cast#Started 1979-1985; this occurred during List of Saturday Night Live hosts and musical guests#Season 8 (December 11, 1982), when Murphy filled in for a sick Nick Nolte. *The cold opening occasionally varies from the traditional "Live From New York...", either to commemorate the season number (usually during season premieres) or to follow the consistency of a certain sketch. In 1981, the traditional cold opening was done away with entirely (returning the next season). *Michael McKean and Dan Aykroyd are the only performers to appear as cast members, hosts, and as musical guests (McKean as David St. Hubbins from "This Is Spinal Tap" and Aykroyd as Elwood Blues from "The Blues Brothers.") *Michael McKean and Billy Crystal are the only two people to join the cast after having hosted the show. *18 former cast members have later come back to host the show. Curiously, none of them female (Gilda Radner was scheduled to host in 1988, but was called off due to a writers strike, and died the following year). *Harry Shearer and Brian Doyle-Murray are the only two cast members to work under both Lorne Michaels and Dick Ebersol. Shearer in 1979 and 1984, and Doyle-Murray in 1979 and 1981. In addition, Doyle-Murray also worked under one-season Producer Jean Doumanian as a writer. *The eldest host was Ruth Gordon, at age 80, in the episode aired on January 22, 1977. *The youngest host was Drew Barrymore, at age 7, in the episode aired on November 20, 1982. *The eldest cast member was Michael McKean at age 47 (1994-1995). *The youngest cast member was Anthony Michael Hall at age 17 (1985-1986). *Kenan Thompson is the only cast member to date born after SNL's premiere in 1975. *The highest rating audience (according to Nielsen) was for the episode aired on October 13, 1979 (Steve Martin/Blondie (band)). *Guest hosts who had previously auditioned for the show earlier in their careers only to be turned down include: Paul Reubens, John Goodman and Jim Carrey (1980); and Lisa Kudrow (1990). *During the early years, the format of the show was not completely set in stone. For example, one early broadcast, hosted by Paul Simon, included a reunion with his former musical partner, Art Garfunkel. Only a few comedy sketches were featured during the episode, with others dropped in order to allow Simon and Garfunkel to perfom an extended musical set. On another occasion, Beat Generation author William S. Burroughs appeared on the program and read passages from his books, to mixed response. ==See also== *List of Saturday Night Live hosts and musical guests *Kids in the Hall, which was also produced by Lorne Michaels *Saturday Night Live commercial, a series of parody advertisements *List of Saturday Night Live episodes :*[http://www.io.com/~serpas/SNL/epguide.html A better episode list: simple, comprehensive, to-the-point.] *MADtv, a similar series appearing on Fox Broadcasting Company and Comedy Central ==External links== *[http://www.nbc.com/Saturday_Night_Live/ Official NBC website] *[http://www.museum.tv/archives/etv/S/htmlS/saturdaynigh/saturdaynigh.htm Summary of the series] from the Museum of Broadcast Communications *[http://dir.yahoo.com/Entertainment/Television_Shows/Comedies/Sketch_Comedy/Saturday_Night_Live/ Directory > Entertainment > Television Shows > Comedies > Sketch Comedy > Saturday Night Live], from Yahoo! *[http://groups.google.com/groups?q=alt.tv.snl&hl=en alt.tv.snl], Google's interface to a long-lived SNL fan's Usenet group *[http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0072562/ SNL infos on IMDB] ===Fansites=== *[http://www.geocities.com/snlra/ SNLRA], an extensive GeoCities-hosted ad-supported fansite *[http://snl.jt.org/ SNL Archives] and [http://snltranscripts.jt.org/ SNL Transcripts], extensive SNL fansites hosted by a Glendale, Arizona-based company *[http://www.saturday-night-live.com/ Saturday-Night-Live.com], yet another extensive ad-supported fansite, maintained by a college student NBC network shows Saturday Night Live Sketch comedy shows Variety television series Films based on television series Saturday
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SB | SC | SD | SE | SF | SG | SH | SI | SJ | SK | SL | SM | SN | SO | SP | SR | SS | ST | SU | SW | SX | SY | SZ |Words begining with Saturday_Night_Live:
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Saturday_Night_Live_commercial
Saturday_Night_Live_Number_364
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