Saturday Night Live (SNL) is a ninety-minute comedy and music television series that has been broadcast live from New York City on NBC since 11 October 1975. It employs an ensemble of versatile comic actors in topical sketches and parodies punctuated by musical performances by guest artists. Because it airs late at night (11:30 P.M. EST), it has been free to present content and language that may not have been acceptable in prime time. The original group of actors consisted of Chevy Chase, John Belushi, Dan Aykroyd, Gilda Radner, Garrett Morris, Jane Curtin, and Laraine Newman. All of that cast were gone after 1980, and since then over seventy people have spent some time in the SNL troupe. Many of those went on to significant careers in film and television, including Bill Murray, Eddie Murphy, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Chris Rock, and Adam Sandler. Several recurring sketches introduced on SNL were developed into motion pictures, most notably Wayne's World (1992). The eclectic list of weekly guest hosts has included comics, actors, and political leaders.

Saturday Night Live achieved a large and loyal following, especially among young viewers. It became a national forum for political satire, with presidential politics a particular specialty. Chevy Chase's impersonations of a stumbling Gerald Ford in the earliest seasons provided some of the most memorable moments from the show. Lorne Michaels was the show's producer, guiding force, and occasional on-screen presence. He left temporarily in 1980, but returned in 1985.

Bibliography

Hill, Doug, and Jeff Weingrad. Saturday Night: A Backstage History of Saturday Night Live. New York: William Morrow, 1986.

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