February 11, 2025

FILMHOUNDS Magazine

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50 Years of Saturday Night Live: A Legacy of Hilarity

In 1974, Lorne Michaels set out to create a live comedy sketch show unlike anything else. One year later, after many teething issues, was born. In the 50 years since the show first aired, SNL has given us tonnes of iconic characters, hilarious moments and comedy legends that have all defined the landscape of US late night TV in one way or another. With both the UK release of Jason Reitman's Saturday Night and the show's 50th anniversary special right around the corner, there is no better time to look at SNL's origins and the immense impact it has had in television history and beyond.

Chaotic Beginnings

Things haven't always been smooth sailing for the now legendary comedy show. As the film Saturday Night shows us, the moments leading up to SNL's first broadcast were far from straightforward and became riddled with endless issues along with growing tensions between the cast and network executives.

Despite the original line-up featuring incredibly talented individuals such as Chevy Chase, Dan Aykroyd, Gilda Radner and Garrett Morris, the higher ups at NBC lacked faith in the potential these newcomers had, something that Lorne clearly saw in each of them. The fact that the show made it to air in the first place is nothing short of a miracle and this undoubting resilience persisted as it continually proved the naysayers wrong with one successful season after the other.

From the mid-70s into the early-80s, the show evolved its style and structure into a format that has remained even in its current state. The combination of musical acts, skits and opening monologues from the week's celebrity host are now staples of the show even when they try to mix things up from time to time. Before SNL, most late night shows committed to one specific element whether it be , comedy or news and any variety style shows that did exist at the time tended to be more aimed at a family audience. Saturday Night Live seemed to have fun at breaking these norms by delivering all of these things whilst injecting risqué humour and, at times, pure chaos into the proceedings, catering to maturer viewers that wanted a variety show that was made just for them.

The Talent

The sheer amount of cast members that Saturday Night Live has had over the years is too many to count. Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, Adam Sandler, Bill Murray, Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, Will Ferrell, Kristen Wiig…the list goes on. A lot of performers throughout SNLs lifetime, came from acting colleges or improv comedy groups such as The Groundlings and The Comedy Store Players, but it was their contributions to this show that really put them on the map.

Notable cast members such as Martin Short, Kate McKinnon and Bill Hader would see their success rise during their time on the show as their comedic presence and hilarious characters won over audiences with every single episode. These performers would further prosper outside of SNL with projects such as Only Murders in the Building, Ghostbusters and Barry respectively, but most fans would agree that their work on Saturday Night Live is what they are most fondly remember for to this day.

Current performers are also progressively proving themselves both in and outside of the show. Kenan Thompson, who has been a cast member since 2003, pops up on SNL from time to time and delivers consistent laughs no matter what sketch he is in. Some will probably remember his Nickelodeon work like Kenan & Ken or Good Burger, but his contributions to Saturday Night Live have allowed him to express his comedic talents in many ways. Other members such as Bowen Yang are starting to show their comedic potential as they balance their commitments on SNL with larger projects such as, Wicked. When a performer transitions from the show to film, many fans start to contemplate that individuals' future in the line-up, but Kenan and Bowen are great examples of doing both at the same time to a high standard.

There have even been some prior cast members who despite their short-lived time on the show, have gone on to bigger and better things in their careers. Ben Stiller for instance, who was only part of the core line-up for a handful of episodes in 1989, went on to make a name for himself with films such as Dodgeball, Meet The Parents and the Night at the Museum franchise. Even the likes of Robert Downey Jr., who most people forget was a cast member from 1985 to 1986, is better known now for his performances in Oppenheimer, Tropic Thunder and of course the MCU, than for any of his contributions to the show. Though they have become more famous since appearing on SNL, there's no denying that it helped them put their foot in the door no matter how long their run on the show lasted.

Plus, not to mention SNL writers like John Mulaney, Conan O'Brien, Sarah Silverman and Bob Odenkirk who have had fruitful careers in their own right since working on the show as well.

SNL's Legacy

Saturday Night Live has not just been the proving grounds for comedians to spread their wings but it has also become the birthplace of many films and sketches that have all, in their own way, surpassed the SNL bubble and forged their own paths in the cultural zeitgeist. Two of the most noteworthy films to come from the world of SNL are The Blues Brothers and Wayne's World, both of which started off as popular sketches on the show. Now regarded as classics, these films helped catapult their stars further into the limelight but also proved that these fairly simple sketches could be adapted and expanded upon in other formats.

However, with the creation of SNL Digital Shorts in 2005, as well as older skits being rediscovered by newer generations, it seems as if the sketches themselves have taken on a new form of popularity after being reposted online and turned into memes. Whether it's Ryan Gosling going insane over the Papyrus font or Will Ferrell putting everything into his cowbell playing, the way in which these skits have been embraced by people across the world, thanks to the internet, has given them a new lease of life beyond the show itself. Originally, SNL skits would have to rely on word of mouth or potential film spin-offs to maintain their legacy but now online culture allows them to be seen by more people and stay in audiences minds for longer.

A lot of this newfound success was thanks to Grammy nominated comedy trio The Lonely Island who spearheaded a lot of the Digital Shorts, creating many hilarious music videos for the show that would be continuously quoted for years due to the millions of views they received on YouTube.

What Lorne Michaels created back in the mid-70s has blossomed into a titan of comedic creativity that has been rarely matched in the 50 years since it first went to broadcast. Over the years, the show has found new ways to stay relevant and constantly deliver memorable comedy that always ushers in new waves of talented performers and continues to make audiences old and new laugh.

Saturday Night is in UK cinemas from 31st January and SNL's 50th Anniversary Special airs in America on 16th February.