General Discussion

mahatmakanejeeves

(57,570 posts) Fri Oct 11, 2019, 09:47 AM Oct 2019

On this day, October 11, 1975, for the first time: "Live from New York, it's Saturday Night!"

Hat tip, Parade magazine, in a tidbit about Chevy Chase. I can't stand that guy.

Saturday Night Live

Saturday Night Live (known simply as SNL) is an American late-night live television variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Dick Ebersol. The show premiered 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 as 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.

The first host? George Carlin:

#SNL
Monologue: George Carlin on Football and Baseball - SNL
125,170 views•Oct 24, 2013

Saturday Night Live
8.88M subscribers

On the very first episode of SNL, host George Carlin comes down from the balcony and discusses the differences between football and baseball, using the language associated with each sport. Aired 10/11/75

22 replies

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Highlight:

On this day, October 11, 1975, for the first time: "Live from New York, it's Saturday Night!" (Original Post) mahatmakanejeeves Oct 2019 OP

Kick and rec Dennis Donovan Oct 2019 #1

Trivia question: When NBC began airing Saturday Night, what network was airing Saturday Night Live? PoliticAverse Oct 2019 #2

ABC, hosted by Howard Cosell Dennis Donovan Oct 2019 #5

You are correct sir... PoliticAverse Oct 2019 #7

I did not know that underpants Oct 2019 #11

Yep, SNL was "NBC's Saturday Night", initially Dennis Donovan Oct 2019 #12

Speaking of Howard Cosell, I have a CD...Frank Sanatra live at Madison Square Gardens... Hotler Oct 2019 #17

I always liked Howard - back in the day, I was in the minority with that opinion Dennis Donovan Oct 2019 #18

Opened with Michael O'Donoghue and John Belushi. blm Oct 2019 #3

"I would like... to feed your fingertips... to the wolverines." Dennis Donovan Oct 2019 #6

Wolverine was one of MO'Ds favorite words. blm Oct 2019 #8

I feel the same way about "wombat" Dennis Donovan Oct 2019 #9

Badgers underpants Oct 2019 #10

I'll never forget seeing the Nat Lampoon Radio Show at the New Palladium Theater in NY OAITW r.2.0 Oct 2019 #4

Speaking of National Lampoon, here's a timely album: mahatmakanejeeves Oct 2019 #13

Started watching with my brother and his wife.... Bayard Oct 2019 #14

I do remember the first year - Chevy Chase left the show right away FakeNoose Oct 2019 #15

You should look up the movie roles he didn't take underpants Oct 2019 #21

"First down in Ohio, Midwest to go." klook Oct 2019 #16

About a year ago, NBC re-broadcast this very first episode in its entirety! bullwinkle428 Oct 2019 #19

Billy Crystal got bounced underpants Oct 2019 #20

Tom Davis's autobiography has a lot of details on the early days underpants Oct 2019 #22

Dennis Donovan

(18,770 posts)

1. Kick and rec

Reply to mahatmakanejeeves (Original post)

Fri Oct 11, 2019, 09:50 AM

Oct 2019

I still recall my sister insisting we watch this new comedy show on Saturday nights that everyone was talking about. We tuned in for the ep hosted by Richard Pryor - that was my 1st NBC's Saturday Night.

PoliticAverse

(26,366 posts)

2. Trivia question: When NBC began airing Saturday Night, what network was airing Saturday Night Live?

Reply to mahatmakanejeeves (Original post)

Fri Oct 11, 2019, 09:55 AM

Oct 2019

And who was the host?

Dennis Donovan

(18,770 posts)

5. ABC, hosted by Howard Cosell

Reply to PoliticAverse (Reply #2)

Fri Oct 11, 2019, 10:05 AM

Oct 2019

Short-lived...

PoliticAverse

(26,366 posts)

7. You are correct sir...

Reply to Dennis Donovan (Reply #5)

Fri Oct 11, 2019, 10:07 AM

Oct 2019

underpants

(182,863 posts)

11. I did not know that

Reply to Dennis Donovan (Reply #5)

Fri Oct 11, 2019, 10:15 AM

Oct 2019

Dennis Donovan

(18,770 posts)

12. Yep, SNL was "NBC's Saturday Night", initially

Reply to underpants (Reply #11)

Fri Oct 11, 2019, 10:19 AM

Oct 2019

After Cosell's show folded, NBC renamed their program "Saturday Night Live".

Hotler

(11,441 posts)

17. Speaking of Howard Cosell, I have a CD...Frank Sanatra live at Madison Square Gardens...

Reply to Dennis Donovan (Reply #5)

Fri Oct 11, 2019, 10:41 AM

Oct 2019

Howard Cosell does the introduction. Really cool!

Dennis Donovan

(18,770 posts)

18. I always liked Howard - back in the day, I was in the minority with that opinion

Reply to Hotler (Reply #17)

Fri Oct 11, 2019, 10:45 AM

Oct 2019

Later on, I found out he was quite liberal!

blm

(113,082 posts)

3. Opened with Michael O'Donoghue and John Belushi.

Reply to mahatmakanejeeves (Original post)

Fri Oct 11, 2019, 10:02 AM

Oct 2019

Basically taking their National Lampoon Radio Hour to broadcast TV.

Dennis Donovan

(18,770 posts)

6. "I would like... to feed your fingertips... to the wolverines."

Reply to blm (Reply #3)

Fri Oct 11, 2019, 10:06 AM

Oct 2019

blm

(113,082 posts)

8. Wolverine was one of MO'Ds favorite words.

Reply to Dennis Donovan (Reply #6)

Fri Oct 11, 2019, 10:09 AM

Oct 2019

He loved the sound of it.

Dennis Donovan

(18,770 posts)

9. I feel the same way about "wombat"

Reply to blm (Reply #8)

Fri Oct 11, 2019, 10:13 AM

Oct 2019

"And when the wombat comes, he will find me gone..."

underpants

(182,863 posts)

10. Badgers

Reply to blm (Reply #3)

Fri Oct 11, 2019, 10:14 AM

Oct 2019

OAITW r.2.0

(24,556 posts)

4. I'll never forget seeing the Nat Lampoon Radio Show at the New Palladium Theater in NY

Reply to mahatmakanejeeves (Original post)

Fri Oct 11, 2019, 10:02 AM

Oct 2019

It was the summer of 75 and they were developing the SNL format that was such a huge, must-see TV event during the early years. Belushi, Acroyd, Murray, Radner, and all of the other great performers were in the show. It was one of the best entertainment experiencesI've ever had.

mahatmakanejeeves

(57,570 posts)

13. Speaking of National Lampoon, here's a timely album:

Reply to mahatmakanejeeves (Original post)

Fri Oct 11, 2019, 10:20 AM

Oct 2019

National Lampoon - Missing White House Tapes
21,930 views•Aug 12, 2013

fedge
347 subscribers

Featuring John Belushi and Chevy Chase. ℗ 1974 Blue Thumb Records, Inc. ℗ 1974 National Lampoon, Inc.

I just adore this. I can't stop laughing:

Missing White House Tapes (14) Swearing Out Ceremony - Impeachment Day Parade Wrap-Up
1,959 views•Feb 22, 2017

Tom Ersin
967 subscribers

National Lampoon (1974)

Missing White House Tapes (07) Senate Hearings
495 views•Feb 22, 2017

Tom Ersin
967 subscribers

National Lampoon (1974)

Bayard

(22,123 posts)

14. Started watching with my brother and his wife....

Reply to mahatmakanejeeves (Original post)

Fri Oct 11, 2019, 10:28 AM

Oct 2019

"Candy Shark!"
"Two Wild and Crazy Guys!"
"Jane, you ignorant slut!"
"General Franciso Franco is still dead".

Gawd, we loved it! Laughed our asses off. I had just graduated from high school, and was living with them. Happy Times!

FakeNoose

(32,706 posts)

15. I do remember the first year - Chevy Chase left the show right away

Reply to mahatmakanejeeves (Original post)

Fri Oct 11, 2019, 10:31 AM

Oct 2019

Chevy Chase quit the show after the first year, am I right? He immediately got a movie deal, and it looked like the show wasn't going to last much longer. Now 44 years later the show is still going strong, and Chase's career has tanked.

underpants

(182,863 posts)

21. You should look up the movie roles he didn't take

Reply to FakeNoose (Reply #15)

Fri Oct 11, 2019, 11:53 AM

Oct 2019

I know that Terms of Endearment was one of them. Hollywood really wanted him to be a straight leading man but he kept skipping over prime roles.

klook

(12,162 posts)

16. "First down in Ohio, Midwest to go."

Reply to mahatmakanejeeves (Original post)

Fri Oct 11, 2019, 10:31 AM

Oct 2019

I can’t believe this line didn’t get a big laugh!

But that’s part of the genius of Carlin. He was an essayist on stage. He’s an example of what Chris Rock talked about on Al Franken’s podcast recently: The best comics can go for long stretches without a laugh, because their audience is with them, enjoying the ride and waiting for the payoff.

I remember watching the first SNL the night it aired, alone in my parents’ den after everybody else had gone to bed. So much fun — I’d been a Carlin fan since I first saw him in the ’60s on Away We Go, the Jackie Gleason summer replacement show.

Thanks for posting this!

bullwinkle428

(20,629 posts)

19. About a year ago, NBC re-broadcast this very first episode in its entirety!

Reply to mahatmakanejeeves (Original post)

Fri Oct 11, 2019, 11:15 AM

Oct 2019

Carlin actually performed around 4 different stand-up sets over the course of the 90-minute show...very different format from today.

underpants

(182,863 posts)

20. Billy Crystal got bounced

Reply to bullwinkle428 (Reply #19)

Fri Oct 11, 2019, 11:50 AM

Oct 2019

I’m guessing because Lorn wanted Carlin to do a 4th set.

underpants

(182,863 posts)

22. Tom Davis's autobiography has a lot of details on the early days

Reply to mahatmakanejeeves (Original post)

Fri Oct 11, 2019, 11:56 AM

Oct 2019

and some hilarious Franken and Ayroyd stories.
Tom got The Dead on the show.
No one could afford apartments so they moved their desks out into the hallways of 30 Rock and basically lived in their offices. The suits at NBC weren’t crazy about it.

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