If you’ve been watching as long as I have, you remember the hype surrounding the premier of Saturday Night, which became known as Saturday Night Live in 1977. The host that night was George Carlin, whose “Seven Words You Can Never Say on Television” three years earlier altered the course of his career. Having him host a live show came with substantial risk.
Saturday Night counts down the ninety minutes before air time of the first episode. By the end of that gut-wrenching circus on the set at 30 Rockefeller Plaza, you’re ready to sit back and watch the resulting show. It's not really a spoiler alert to reveal that the movie ends where the show begins. To see it, you’ll need to rent the episode on Amazon or purchase the first season on DVD.
A thirty-year-old Lorne Michaels spent two years searching the country for comedic talent, many of whom came from Chicago’s Second City improvisational theater. He still produces the show, with a five-year break from 1980-85. The first season cast included John Belushi, Dan Aykroyd, Chevy Chase, Gilda Radner, Laraine Newman, Jane Curtin, George Coe, and Garrett Morris., collectively known as the “Not Ready for Prime Time Players.” Billy Preston and Janis Ian were the first musical guests.
SNL, as it is now known, has a history of “good” and “bad” casts, as well as episodes that either hit or missed the mark. But if you’ve been a faithful viewer for all of those years, you’ve seen numerous stars launch solo film and television careers. John Belushi, Bill Murray, Chevy Chase, Amy Poehler, Tina Fey, Will Ferrell, Adam Sandler, Maya Rudolph, Fred Armisen, Seth Meyers, Jimmy Fallon, Dana Carvey, Mike Meyers, Martin Short, and so many others.
The show was a reflection of comedic and musical trends through the decades. As the casts changed so did our lives. As world events played out, SNL continued to entertain, even in the shadow of 911 and other tragedies. The show’s time slot on Saturday night became a refuge for those in need of a laugh, an escape from the headlines, and a comfortable place deep into the weekend.
I won’t reveal the many surprises woven into the fabric of episode one. How Michaels survived the event without a nervous breakdown is a testament to his strength of character. Despite a cast full of powerful creative egos, drug use, accidents, fires, fights, too many acts to possibly fit into ninety minutes, and a demanding NBC executive (Dave Tebets, played by Willem Dafoe) lurking around and looking for a reason to roll tape on a Tonight Show rerun rather than go live, the show debuted and has been playing ever since.
Director Jason Reitman effectively captured the insanity of a set under construction and the personnel mayhem that somehow came together when Chevy Chase announced, “Live, from New York, it’s Saturday Night!”
Saturday Night may not be for everyone, especially younger audiences. If you’ve been along for the ride since the beginning, this is a terrific nostalgic piece, and an intriguing view behind the scenes of what we took for granted so long ago.
Saturday Night (2024) runs 1 hour, 49 minutes and is rated R.
