Saturday Night Live (1975)
Saturday Night Live is a 1975 comedy series created by Dick Ebersol and Lorne Michaels. It stars Kenan Thompson, Darrell Hammond and Seth Meyers.
Live from New York every Saturday since 1975, Lorne Michaels' sketch institution hands the stage to a rotating troupe of comedians and a celebrity host who opens with a monologue and then plays along. The material chases whatever the week served up, political scandal, pop culture, tabloid nonsense, usually kicking off with a cold-open sketch and a shouted call to start the show. A musical guest performs between the bits. Careers are made and unmade here, broadcast live and without a net, which is much of the thrill and much of the danger.
Quick answers
What is Saturday Night Live about?
Live from New York every Saturday since 1975, Lorne Michaels' sketch institution hands the stage to a rotating troupe of comedians and a celebrity host who opens with a monologue and then plays along. The material chases whatever the week served up, political scandal, pop culture, tabloid nonsense, usually kicking off with a cold-open sketch and a shouted call to start the show. A musical guest performs between the bits. Careers are made and unmade here, broadcast live and without a net, which is much of the thrill and much of the danger.
When was Saturday Night Live released?
Saturday Night Live was released on 11 October 1975.
How many episodes does Saturday Night Live have?
Saturday Night Live has 1009 episodes across 51 seasons.
Who made Saturday Night Live?
Saturday Night Live was created by Dick Ebersol and Lorne Michaels.
Where can I watch Saturday Night Live?
Saturday Night Live is available on DirecTV On Demand, NBC, Peacock, Peacock Premium, Prime Video and YouTube TV.
Where to watch Saturday Night Live
Stream: DirecTV On Demand, NBC, Peacock, Peacock Premium, Prime Video, YouTube TV
Watch free: NBC, Spectrum On Demand
Buy: Amazon, AppleTV, Fandango at Home
Official site
Cast
- Kenan Thompson as Self - Various Characters
- Darrell Hammond as Self - Various Characters
- Seth Meyers as Self - Various Characters
- Colin Jost as Self - Various Characters
- Fred Armisen as Self - Various Characters
- Michael Che as Self - Various Characters
- Al Franken as Self - Various Characters
- Cecily Strong as Self - Various Characters
- Kate McKinnon as Self - Various Characters
- Aidy Bryant as Self - Various Characters
- Mikey Day as Self - Various Characters
- Tim Meadows as Self - Various Characters
Similar series
Explore Saturday Night Live guides
A few thoughts on Saturday Night Live
Try Trevor Noah's Born a Crime for stand-up-adjacent storytelling with bite; Tenacious D's debut for comedy that doubles as real music, much like the show's musical parodies; and South Park: The Stick of Truth for irreverent political satire you play. Lily Tomlin's Search for Signs of Intelligent Life fits the sketch-to-character tradition.
Sketch shows built on recurring characters and impressions
Saturday Night Live made its name on repeatable characters and dead-on impressions, week after week. These sketch shows work the same way: a small troupe returning to signature roles, catchphrases the audience waits for, and celebrity send-ups. They deliver the character-driven comedy that keeps SNL fans quoting bits long after the broadcast.
Surreal and absurdist comedy that breaks the format
Between the topical bits, Saturday Night Live has always had room for the weird and the wildly experimental. These shows live there full time: dream logic, fake educational films, characters who make no sense and delight anyway. They scratch the same itch as SNL's strangest late-in-the-night sketches, where the comedy stops explaining itself.
Live variety, improv and topical laughs on stage
Live from New York, without a net, is much of SNL's thrill and its danger. These shows chase the same buzz: improvised games, topical send-ups of the week's news, and a rotating stage of comics and guests. They capture the risk of comedy performed in the moment, where anything can go sideways.
Comic voices worth reading between the sketches
Saturday Night Live has always been a launchpad for comedians, and these books catch that same wit on the page. A memoir of growing up under apartheid, a study of what makes things funny, a sly Restoration satire, and stage comedies full of sharp talk. They suit fans who want the jokes slowed down enough to read.