Saturday Night Live is an American late-night live television sketch comedy and variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Dick Ebersol. The show premiere was hosted by George Carlin on NBC on October 11, 1975, under the original title NBC's Saturday Night. The show's comedy sketches, which often parody contemporary culture and politics, are performed by a large and varying cast of repertory and newer cast members. Each episode is hosted by a celebrity guest, who usually delivers the opening monologue and performs in sketches with the cast, with featured performances by a musical guest. An episode normally begins with a cold open sketch that ends with someone breaking character and proclaiming, "Live from New York, it's Saturday Night! ", properly beginning the show. In 1980, Michaels left the series to explore other opportunities. He was replaced by Jean Doumanian, who was replaced by Ebersol after a season of bad reviews.
| Genre | Variety show, Sketch comedy |
| Created by | Lorne Michaels |
| Directed by | Don Roy King, (2006–present), Beth McCarthy-Miller, (1995–2006), Dave Wilson, (1975–1986, 1989–1995), Paul Miller, (1986–1989) |
| Narrated by | Don Pardo, (1975–1981, 1982–2014), Mel Brandt, (1981–1982), Bill Hanrahan, (1981), Darrell Hammond, (2014–present) |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language(s) | English |
| No. of seasons | 46 |
| No. of episodes | 909 |
| Executive producer(s) | Lorne Michaels, (1975–1980, 1985–present), Jean Doumanian (1980–1981), Dick Ebersol (1981–1985) |
| Location(s) | Studio 8H, NBC Studios, New York City |
| Running time | 93 minutes (with commercials) |
| Production company(s) | Broadway Video (1981–present) |
| Distributor | NBCUniversal Television Distribution |
| Original network | NBC |
| Picture format | 480i (4:3 SDTV) (1975–2005), 1080i (16:9 HDTV) (2005–present) |
| Audio format | Mono (1975–1985), Stereo (1985–1989), Stereo Surround (1989–1994), Dolby Surround (1994–1997), Dolby Digital (1997–present) |
| Related shows | TV Funhouse, Saturday Night Live Weekend Update Thursday |
About Saturday Night Live
This long-time running show sees famous guest hosts participate in comedy sketches with an ever-changing cast of comedians. The show was created by Lorne Michaels.
Achievement of Saturday Night Live
The show has spawned multiple films, including Wayne's World, The Blues Brothers, A Night at the Roxbury and MacGruber. The series won more than 60 Emmy Awards.
Top Facts You Did Not Know About Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live Category.. Television series by Broadway Video.. Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Variety Series winners.. Television franchises.. Peabody Award-winning television programs.
Latest information about Saturday Night Live updated on July 28 2021.
