“Saturday Night Live,” once the brash upstart whose cast billed themselves as the “Not Ready for Prime Time Players” is now an established institution. Performers like John Belushi, Dan Aykroyd, Gilda Radner, Chevy Chase, Bill Murray, Al Franken, Eddie Murphy, Martin Short, Billy Crystal, Dana Carvey, Phil Hartman, Chris Farley, Mike Myers, Adam Sandler, Conan O’Brien, Chris Rock, Will Ferrell, Tracy Morgan, Jimmy Fallon, Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, Kristin Wiig, Seth Meyers, Fred Armisen, Bill Hader, Andy Samberg, and many more all had breakthrough performances as writers or members of the cast. Dozens of memes, characters, and catchphrases originating on the show have become a part of our culture. Copyright NBC
SNL is celebrating its 40th anniversary with a book and a prime time TV special hosted by Eddie Murphy February 15, 2015, with many of the cast members and special guests including Sarah Palin, Kanye West, and Justin Timberlake.
Saturday Night Live: The Book includes over 2,300 images from SNL’s archives, many previously unpublished, an illustrated breakdown of the 6-day week at SNL through the years, with an expanded section for the live show, a seasons reference guide with complete cast, host, and musical guest lists, and an exclusive interview with founder and executive producer Lorne Michaels.
On October 11, 1975 at 11:30 p.m., NBC viewers who tuned in to the network’s new late night show saw a sketch featuring John Belushi repeating, in a thick foreign accent, nonsensical phrases about wolverines being read to him by head writer Michael O’Donohue. Abruptly, O’Donohue clutched his heart and collapsed onto the floor. Belushi paused, raised his eyebrow, and then did the same. Posing as the stage manager, Chevy Chase entered the set and feigned confusion before breaking character and announcing to the camera: “Live from New York, it’s Saturday Night!”
Copyright NBC
In that instant, television, which had long been out of touch with the young and hip, experienced the first seismic tremors of a major paradigm shift. TV comedy as we know it today owes it all to Saturday Night Live, the show that dared to take risks (not least the fact that it’s broadcast live), challenge the censors, and celebrate the work of offbeat writer-performers. Hundreds of gifted and dedicated people have contributed to Saturday Night Live over the years, and this book pays homage to their groundbreaking work. The list of esteemed alumni, most of whom were complete unknowns when they debuted on SNL, reads like a Who’s Who of the past 4 decades in comedy: John Belushi, Dan Aykroyd, Gilda Radner, Chevy Chase, Bill Murray, Al Franken, Eddie Murphy, Martin Short, Billy Crystal, Dana Carvey, Phil Hartman, Chris Farley, Mike Myers, Adam Sandler, Conan O’Brien, Chris Rock, Will Ferrell, Tracy Morgan, Jimmy Fallon, Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, Kristin Wiig, Seth Meyers, Fred Armisen, and Bill Hader—to name just a few.
Now, as SNL celebrates its 40th anniversary, Tashcen brings you the ultimate tribute to the show. To research this book, editor and author Alison Castle was given not only full access to SNL’s archives, but also the rare opportunity to watch the cast and crew at work. She spent the better part of season 39 in the trenches, learning how everything comes together in just six days for the live performance. Part encyclopedia and part behind-the-scenes tour, Saturday Night Live: The Book covers both the making of the show and its remarkable history.
Premier On 5th, at 417 5th Avenue between 37th & 38th Streets has announced the first in a series of blockbuster exhibitions, in partnership with Broadway Video Enterprises.
“Saturday Night Live: The Exhibition,” celebrates the NBC program’s 40-year history. In the Exhibition, SNL fans will be able to experience the excitement of the live show, which was the brainchild of writer/producer Lorne Michaels and became a cultural phenomenon within weeks of its debut on October 11, 1975.
“In addition to connecting visitors with the backstory of the show and affording an opportunity to relive the show’s most laughable moments and sketches, “Saturday Night Live: The Exhibition” goes even further to give people a sense of what it’s like to be part of the creative team, and the frenetic schedule and pace that is involved with each weekly episode,” said Mark Lach, Creative Director of Premier Exhibitions. “It can look so effortless on TV, but this exhibition illustrates that a lot of hard work and preparation undoubtedly goes into each and every laugh.”
Beginning with the scripts that start to take shape on Mondays and culminating with the live broadcast on Saturday, the exhibition illustrates a week in the life of SNL. Original scripts, set pieces, props, costumes, masks and interactive elements reconnect visitors with iconic moments from their favorite sketches as performed by some of the finest comedic artists of their generation. Etched in our psyches, “Cheeburger, Cheeburger,” “This place has EVERYTHING!” “Living in a VAN down by the river,” “I’m Gumby, Dammit!” and more have become touchstones of American culture. Order tickets now as it is sure to be packed.
Nell Scovell Pays Tribute to the Under-Used Women Alumnae of SNL
Posted on October 28, 2014 at 3:37 pm
The wonderful Nell Scovell, who helped Facebook’s Sheryl Sandberg write Lean In and is now working on a screenplay based on the book, has an excellent essay in Time about the talented women who appeared on “Saturday Night Live” but never transitioned to the kind of high-profile careers that some of their male peers did. Her list includes Nora Dunn, Ana Gasteyer, Julia Sweeney, Molly Shannon, and Maya Rudolph. “Very few women from SNL have gone on to “a big movie career.” Of course, Fey did, along with Amy Poehler and Kristen Wiig. And in TV, Julia Louis-Dreyfus is in a class all her own, with 18 Emmy nominations and five wins for three different roles. Still, their success stories are the exceptions to Hooks’s rule.” She documents the difference in the numbers of male and female performers over the years. I think one additional reason also has to do with numbers — the way Hollywood treats men and women differently as they get older.
“That’s what I love about these high school girls, man. I get older, they stay the same age.”
That line from Richard Linklater’s classic 1993 comedy “Dazed and Confused” came back with an ironic vengeance this week, and die-hard fans of the film will know why: It’s spoken by a 20-something stoner named David Wooderson after a cute-looking teenager walks by. Wooderson is played by Matthew McConaughey, and the girl is a young actress named Renee Zellweger.
Don Pardo’s face was not familiar. But his voice was instantly recognizable. We mourn the loss of one of the great announcers in broadcast history, who died on Monday at age 96.
The cast of “Saturday Night Live,” where he served as announcer from the beginning, celebrated his 90th birthday.
The New York Times obituary includes many great stories and appreciative comments from his co-workers over seven decades. “Saturday Night Live” producer Lorne Michaels said, “It was always exciting. Whatever montage we did to open the show, whatever pictures we used it didn’t really come alive till you heard him say it.” He promises a tribute to Pardo in the new season of the show.
