This Week in History:“Live from New York, it’s Saturday Night!”
October 8, 2021
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By Kaysey A. Richardson
On October 11, 1975 the first Saturday Night Live episode made its debut on NBC. This contemporary comedy sketch show featured Chevy Chase, John Belushi, Dan Aykroyd, Glida Radner, Garrett Morris, Jane Curtin, and Laraine Newman. The 90-minute program was created by comedy writer Lorne Michaels, and was originally known as NBC’s Saturday Night due to another show on ABC already being titled Saturday Night Live.
Known for its topical parodies and impersonations, Saturday Night Live has continuously pushed social boundaries and intertwined its sketches with political humor. The first impersonation of a president was performed by Chevy Chase as President Gerald Ford, portraying Ford as clumsy and ditzy. After Chase, others went on to impersonate presidents and other political figures such as Dana Carvey as President George H.W. Bush with his “read my lips line,” Amy Poehler as Senator Hillary Clinton, Tiny Fey as Sarah Palin, and most recently Alec Baldwin as President Donald Trump.
Each episode has featured the regular cast of comedic actors, a host, and a musical guest. SNL has also been a launching point for many famous actors and comedians including Andy Kaufman, Bill Murray, David Spade, Adam Sandler, Mike Myers, Sarah Silverman, Tina Fey, and many more. In 1982, Drew Barrymore hosted Saturday Night Live at the age of only seven, making her the youngest host of the show to this day. Other hosts have included Steve Martin, John Goodman, Miley Cyrus, and even Donald Trump!
While the show has had continued success throughout the decades, this has not been without missteps and controversy. (Read about some of the most notorious controversies here.) However, Saturday Night Live is, at its core, a comedy show, and its legacy has served as a reflection of American society at every moment. If you want to know what was happening in the world at any given point in time, watch an episode of SNL. For better or for worse, Saturday Night Live has served as an inside look at current events throughout the years.
