Fascinating Facts Behind The Scenes Of Saturday Night Live
Since it’s debut on October 11, 1975, Saturday Night Live has been a staple of late night television. It’s been the home to some of the most hilarious people in the world, and Lorne Michaels had a hand in forming the comic sensibilities of every aspiring actor who was on the show.
Big name actors like Bill Murray, Eddie Murphy, Adam Sandler, and Tina Fey, they made names for themselves on the small screen before conquering the world of comedy. However, things weren’t always smooth sailing behind-the-scenes. Throughout the show’s iconic run, there have been odd missteps, firings, backstage shenanigans and bright moments. In honor of the show’s satirical contributions, here are some intriguing stories from Studio 8H.
More Vacation Days, Please
Saturday Night Live grew out of a dream of legendary television host, Johnny Carson. In 1974, He wanted to take more vacation from The Tonight Show and increase the value of his own reruns by instructing NBC that he wasn’t good with affiliate stations being allowed to air them on weekend late nights.
That opened the door for two guys who formed an uneasy bond. Comedian-turned producer and Canadian Lorne Michaels, along with NBC executive D. Ebersol, developed a satirical comedy. One year later, their dream of having their own show finally appeared on NBC, with the help of some improv actors.
NBC’S Saturday Night
Once the show aired on TV, it was originally called NBC’s Saturday Night. However, there was already a show called Saturday Night Live with Howard Cosell on NBC. As soon as Cosell’s show ended, Michaels changed his show’s title to Saturday Night Live.
With the first season featuring Gilda Radner, Dan Akroyd, and Chevy Chase, longtime announcer, Don Pardo, mixed up a few words. He was supposed to say “Not Ready for Prime-Time Players”. Instead, he called them the “Not for Ready Prime-Time Players”. Thankfully, that never stuck.
The Warm-Up Comic
Most people know him as Sergeant John Munch from the Law & Order series, but Richard Belzer got his start as a stand-up comedian. That led to a couple of appearances on the show, including a brief stint on Weekend Update after Chevy Chase suffered a groin injury.
Belzer contended that Michaels promised him a place on the show, but that never happened. Basically, he warmed up the crowd during the first season and was Chevy’s replacement. But hey, at least he found his way into something different, right?
Long Before Smelly Cat
There was only one spot left for the 1990-91 season of SNL that came down to Julia Sweeney and Lisa Kudrow. Michaels flew out to L.A. to watch a showcase starring both actresses at the Groundling improv club. Sweeny emerged victoriously and remained on the show until 1994.
Kudrow thought she wasn’t cut for show business, but, after landing a recurring role on Bob and Frasier, Kudrow won the role of Phoebe Buffay on Friends. Smelly cat throttled her into the spotlight and she won an Emmy Award in 1998 for playing Buffay.
The Voice Of SNL
Meet Don Pardo, the voice of Saturday Night Live, a job he held since the show’s debut and up until his death in 2014. Pardo remained as the program’s announcer except for one season, when Mel Brandt and Bill Hanrahan would announce the show in 1981-82.
Pardo suggested that his last episode would be at the end of the 34th season, but he returned for the next season. Before the 36th season, he began pre-recording his parts from his home in Arizona instead of recording them live. Since his death, Darrell Hammond has taken over the reigns.
A Reunion That Never Happened
Six years after The Beatles disbanded, they were offered $230 million by promoter Sid Bernstein to reunite — an offer they rejected. Shortly after, Michaels made a live plea to the Fab Four to reunite as musical guests on SNL. He stated that NBC had authorized him to offer them a “certified check for $3000”.
Interestingly enough, John Lennon actually considered it. He and Paul McCartney were together watching the show the moment it happened. However, John and Paul almost went down to the studio as a gag, but they were “too tired” to hop into a cab.
Foreign Man And Mighty Mouse Get The Axe
Andy Kaufman’s appearance on SNL put him into the spotlight and was ahead of the show’s time. Beginning with the show’s very first episode, Kaufman did his Mighty Mouse routine as well as his Foreign Man impersonation. Eventually, it was his stint in wrestling to pin down women and other incidents that drew the ire of then-producer D. Ebersol.
As a response, Kaufman proposed that the audience should vote to let him stay or force him off the show. The finally tall of views calling came down to 169,186 votes to stay and 195,544 to dump Kaufman. It might have been another one of his stunts, but Kaufman never appeared on the show again.
Kel & Kenan
From All That to Good Burger, Kel Williams and Kenan Thompson were a younger, funny version of Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele. It’s hard to deny that the both of them had a talent for daffy characters. After they went their separate ways, both auditioned for SNL.
The ending of the story is obvious. Kenan got the job, and has been on the show since 2003, whereas Kel’s audition didn’t go so hot. Neither of them seems to have any hard feelings about how things played out. Some comedians thrive while others don’t, but it’s interesting to see how it all comes together.
You’re Fired!
Quitting for a day like Larry David is nothing compared to Chris Parnell. He was actually fired from the show twice during his time. Parnell was fired in 2001, then again five years later. The reason behind the double firing is rather interesting from Parnell’s take.
His first time he was fired had to do with his lack of confidence. When he was asked to return the following season, he accepted it. However, the second time he got canned, the show was operating on a $10 million budget. He was cut along with Horatio Sanz and Rachel Dratch.
No Love For Chevy
Chevy Chase was a breakout star during SNL’s inaugural season. His snarky Weekend Update hosting and his Gerald Ford “impression” set himself apart from the rest of the not Ready for Primetime Players. Chase left the show just six episodes into the second season.
When he came back to host in season three, the cast was still bitter from Chase leaving and his actions on the set. Bill Murray, who was hired as Chase’s replacement, confronted him about his rudeness just an hour before the episode was about to air. Things got so heated that Brian Doyle-Murray, Bill’s brothers, had to break the two-up.
From Rejection To Oscar Winner
Long before he directed Anchorman and Step Brothers, Adam McKay was another SNL reject. He auditioned in 1995, but it was probably for the best anyways. He was offered a writing gig instead and eventually worked his way up to head writer.
His success continued long after leaving the show. He partnered up with fellow alum Will Ferrell and two haven’t looked back from the satirical comedy since. McKay has gone on to win two Oscars for Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Director for The Big Short.
Worst Season Ever
Season 11 was a total annihilation of SNL. Michaels returned to the show after years in Hollywood, making the failed series The New Show and Three Amigos. Michaels attempted to boost ratings by stocking the cast with Anthony Michael Hall, Joan Cusack, and newbie Jon Lovitz.
Lovitz, along with Dennis Miller and Nora Dunn, were standouts, but the rest of the cast failed to gel, and the show backfired with lackluster sketches. Season 12 kicked off the following September with Madonna reading a statement from NBC that the previous season was a horrible dream. Lovitz, Miller, and Dunn were the only cast members to return.
Colbert Didn’t Make The Cut
The Dana Carvey Show boasted some serious talent both behind and in front of the camera, such as Steve Carell and Stephen Colbert. Robert Smigel had seen Colbert perform at Second City and was invited to an audition. Unfortunately, he was never cast.
It wasn’t until 1996 when Carvey’s show got off the ground. Colbert auditioned for SNL back in 1992, four years before he broke through in the entertainment business. His political satire would have made for an excellent Weeknd Update host.
Not A Fan Of Wayne
Wayne’s World was truly an epic sketch. When Mike Myers was just starting out, he approached Conan O’Brien, one of the show’s writers, to ask what he thought about Wayne Campbell, the character he was developing for a potential sketch.
The writers informed Myers that he could do better, but the Canadian wrote the sketch anyways. O’Brien even thought that Myers was going to learn the hard way if the sketch backfired. The sketch made it to air, and obviously, it became an instant hit for the show.
First Female Head Writer
It might be hard for some to imagine Tina Fey prior to stardom and her trademark cute librarian image, but SNL writers went to Second City in Chicago to look for talent and they were encouraged by Fey’s aptitude. She would eventually be hired as a writer in 1997.
After several years in the business, Fey became the first female head writer in SNL history. However, when critics were critical of her casting because she didn’t have the looks, Fey realized she needed a diet and makeover. She was able to transform her image and establish a fan base during her years on the show.
Double Rejection
Hollywood’s original $20 million man was rejected not once, but twice by SNL. The first was in 1980, the same time Michaels stepped down from the show. Jim Carrey auditioned, but Jean Doumanian, who replaced Michaels, hired Charlie Rocket instead.
Carrey tried again, but again, he was rejected. Michaels isn’t taking the blame since the Canadian never auditioned in front of him. If he did, well, Carrey’s career would have been significantly different. Despite hosting the show more than once, Carrey went on to do wonderful films like Ace Ventura, and play the role of his idol, Andy Kaufman, in Man On The Moon.
A Long Time Coming
Alongside hosting Weekend Update with Colin Jost, both Michael Che and Jost were named the co-head writers for SNL, along with Kent Sublette and Bryan Tucker. This was the second time in less than five years that Jost had been promoted to head writer.
Throughout the show’s run, not once has a person of color occupied the top spot. Che became the first black head writer and he became the first black person to host Weekend Update. He joined Jost as the pair who deliver the news since 2014.
Political Satire Is Comedic Gold
For as long as SNL has been on, political sketches have been the hallmark of the show. Politics are used so much that a majority of people have gone on to impersonate the President of the United States or any other political figure.
Chevy Chase had his Gerald Ford impression, Norm MacDonald aced playing Bill Clinton, and Will Ferell’s parody of George W. Bush was dead on.
Mindy Kaling Wasn’t The Best Writer
Mindy Kaling is a well-known feminist and often regarded as one of the best female comedians out there today. She is the creator and star of the hit Hulu show The Mindy Project. Even though she is a great writer on her own show, she wasn’t such a hit on Saturday Night Live.
Mindy Kaling details in her book, Is Everyone Else Hanging Out Without Me, that she wasn’t welcomed or even considered a great writer on SNL. The star states that the only script she wrote was for a sketch where Bill Hader was dressed as a cat. It wasn’t filmed.
Jay Pharoah Isn’t Always Funny
Jay Pharoah was one of the best impressionists on Saturday Night Live. Even though he is very talented, Pharoah has been very vocal about the problems that exist behind the scenes. He is a one-man snitch when it comes to letting people in on everything he thinks is wrong with the show.
During an interview, Jay Pharoah told reporters that he believed the casting of the show was incomplete. Pharoah stated that Saturday Night Live lacked diversity in its cast and that the show needed more African American women. Pharoah actually didn’t know that he was talking to a reporter.
Adam Sandler Got The Boot
Adam Sandler is considered one of the greatest American comedians, even though he may be an acquired taste. Sandler’s comedy is incredibly unique and was just too eccentric for the people over at SNL. The producers just couldn’t handle his fart jokes and kid-like humor.
Adam Sandler was fired from Saturday Night Live, even though he has gone on the record to say that he actually quit the show. The star was fired for writing sketches that were seen as being “too out there” and too uncomfortable to watch. Although it’s not unbelievable, Adam Sandler is still appreciated by many for what he’s done for comedy.
Marc Maron Almost Made It Onto The Show
Marc Maron is an internationally-recognized comedian who has been featured on Late Night With Conan O’Brien. Maron also has his own show on IFC called Maron. The show focuses on his life and coming to terms with failed fame. He desperately wanted his shot on SNL and almost had his chance.
The “Weekend Update” is considered by many to be one of the best skits of Saturday Night Live. Marc Maron approached Lorne Michaels about the role and was almost given the part. Unfortunately for him, Michaels fell in love with Tina Fey and Seth Meyers, instead. The two have gone on to make the “Weekend Update” a classic.poor Marc Maron.
Andy Samberg Left For Mental Health Reasons
Andy Samberg was an SNL icon during the late 2000s. Samberg created the “In a Box” skit and was a part of the comedy band The Lonely Island. Samberg left in 2012, and not for the reasons that you might think. The beloved star is very open about his own inner struggles and demons.
Samberg told the press that the reason that he left Saturday Night Live was for his physical and mental health. The comedian and actor stated, “What it came down to is I just couldn’t physically and emotionally do it anymore.” Some people don’t understand just how hard being a comedian can really be.
Steven Seagal Wasn’t Cut Out For SNL
Steven Seagal is a former action star who is known for being a little rough around the edges. Seagal is famous for his over-the-top acting and for being dramatic behind the scenes. The action actor is now a household name in both Russia and Serbia.
Steven Seagal is hated by both fans of Saturday Night Live and the writers of the show. The writers thought that he was a horror, stating that the one character he wanted to play was a counselor who tried to sleep with his patients. Disgusting! We guess we could have all see this one coming considering his history behind the camera.
No Respect For Longevity
Darrell Hammond was first a member of the sketch comedy show The Not Ready For Prime Time Players Company before he made the big move to Saturday Night Live. But, the day he left the show, he didn’t get much love. This lack of love really set the actor off, big time.
Darrell Hammond spent fourteen years on the show, which was the longest time that anyone had been featured on the show. Even though he was on for such a long time, the comedian didn’t receive a proper send-off, or really any send-off at all.
Nick Nolte Enjoyed A Few Drinks Here and There
Nick Nolte is an American actor who is best known not for his acting, but for the drama that he creates backstage. His appearance on Saturday Night Live was no different, and he had to find someone else to host. The show turned into Saturday Night Live With Eddie Murphy.
During his hosting gig, Nick Nolte got so drunk that Lorne Michaels decided he was way too drunk to host the show live. Instead, Eddie Murphy, who was a cast member at the time, had to host the show instead. It’s okay, he’s not the first actor that’s liked the bottle a little too much.
Donald Glover Was Almost Barack Obama
Donald Glover has been taking over the world with his rap as Childish Gambino and his cult classic show Atlanta. The writer and performer also had a close shot at becoming a Saturday Night Live cast member. We can’t help but be grateful that he chose a different path instead.
Glover first auditioned to play the role of Obama in many of the skits on Saturday Night Live, but the part actually went to Fred Armisen. Glover then went on to work with Tina Fey on the show 30 Rock as a writer.
Horatio Sanz Was Let Go
Horatio Sanz is a Chilean-born American comedian whose career peaked during his stint on Saturday Night Live. The star was on the show for a total of eight long years, but that ended up crashing down. It wasn’t his lack of talent, but the producers’ lack of money that ended his run on the show.
Even though to this day Horatio Sanz avows that he quit, the actor actually was fired from the show. SNL let the comedian go due to budget issues that had nothing to do with his performance at all. He stated, “It felt a little bad. I just wish someone could have told me beforehand, so I could have left on my own terms.”
The Show Was Almost Cancelled
Saturday Night Live has been an ongoing show since 1975 and has always seemed to be extremely popular. But, during the ’90s the show took a spiral in viewership when many cast members left. It seemed that Generation X wasn’t so into sketch comedy.
Saturday Night Live was almost canceled during its 10th season and 20th season. During the 10th season, the show was saved by the return of Lorne Michaels. The 20th season was almost the last season because more than 10 cast members left, forcing the show to rebrand itself. Clearly, the rebranding ended up working out!
The Male Writers had Interesting Jars…
Men can be absolutely disgusting, and the male writers for Saturday Night Live are no different. In Tina Fey’s autobiography Bossypants, the actress, writer, and comedian revealed that the male writers had something nasty in their office. Guys can be gross, but this is just simply horrendous.
The male writers behind the show Saturday Night Live didn’t use a toilet when it came to relieving themselves. The writers’ room was complete with its own jar for going number one into. The room was said to smell like pee for weeks on end. Hey, when you gotta go you gotta go.
Cypress Hill Blazed Up On Stage
Cypress Hill made some people’s heads turn in the ’90s for being angry and loud. The band appeared on Saturday Night Live and decided to amp things up during their live performance. They made some people mad since Saturday Night Live is supposed to be somewhat of a family show.
Cypress Hill was only allowed to sing one song due to the fact that one of the band members decided to smoke marijuana during the set. The band is now banned from the show for life and is not allowed to sing or to host. Tough luck, guys!
Bill Buckner Cancelled SNL For The First Time Ever and Lost the World Series
If you say the words “Bill Buckner” to a Red Sox fan, they are sure to cringe and to get exceptionally mad at you. This player lost the World Series for the Sox, against the Mets, by letting a line drive go through his legs. Even though Buckner is one of the best players of all time, this is the only thing people really remember about his career.
The show’s first cancellation was due to the 1986 World Series, mainly because everyone was watching the footage of the line drive go through Buckner’s legs. Buckner ruined Saturday night as well as the World Series. Guy just can’t catch a break, huh?
Nicki Suffers A Wardrobe Slip
Quick wardrobe changes are the norm on comedy sketch shows like SNL, so wardrobe slips are bound to happen at times. When singer Nicki Minaj appeared on the show in 2015 though, viewers got more than they bargained for.
As the show was ending and the credits began rolling, Nicki’s strategically placed pasty decided it wanted some time in the spotlight as well. Of course, considering that this is an adult program, nobody had any real issues with it. It’s also not like we’ve never seen Nicki Minaj’s body on television before. It was nothing new to anybody.
Not Much Money At The Start
As you can imagine, in the beginning, the show wasn’t very lucrative and the actors and comedians weren’t rolling in the money. In the first season of the show, the cast members only earned $750 per week which isn’t that much considering that it’s on television and all of the work they put into it.
However, as time passed, their wages continued to rise. By season two they were making $2000 a week and by season 4, $4,000. Now, it’s no surprise that working on Saturday Night Lives has its perks and definitely helps to fill the wallet.
