The Not Ready for Prime Time Project: An SNL Retrospective

This week in 1979, Gilda Radner premiered her live show "Gilda Radner: Live From New York" on Broadway. The show would eventually be captured on film for release as a major motion picture, with a live album also released, completing a three-pronged attempt at capitalizing on Gilda's popularity and pushing her (and Saturday Night Live) even further into the public spotlight.

The show, which ran for over 50 performances...

One of our favorite aspects of revisiting The Early Years of SNL has been examining the so-called "trainwrecks" and legendary "banned" guests that have become part of the show's mythology. We got our first real taste of this at the end of Season 1 with the infamous summer episode hosted by Louise Lasser, featuring The Preservation Hall Jazz Band as musical guest.

History has branded Lasser as one of the wors...

Throughout the 50-year history of Saturday Night Live, there have been a few things you could always count on: "Live From New York, It's Saturday Night!", Weekend Update, Paul Simon showing up whenever he pleases... and of course, the legendary talk show sketch!

From celebrity chat shows gone wrong to morning programs spiraling into chaos, SNL has perfected the art of skewering television's most beloved format. W...

Another VINTAGE episode of The Early Years of SNL this week as we take a look back at Eric Idle's first time hosting Saturday Night Live early in Season 2. With the help of musical guest Joe Cocker (and Stuff), the Monty Python legend's outing delivers one of the best shows of the original era.

Top to bottom, this is a great episode. While it leans heavily on Idle and feels very reminiscent of all things Python, there are ...

It's one of the most illustrious groups in entertainment. Highly selective, only 26 SNL hosts have gained admittance to the show's legendary 5-Timers Club in its 50-year history. But what about those who haven't been able to find their way into Saturday Night Live's most exclusive fraternity? Just because they haven't hosted five times doesn't mean they're not among the best, does it?

Bill Swerski ...

This week we have a VINTAGE episode of The Early Years of SNL, looking back at one of the most pivotal moments in the show's original era - Season 2, Episode 11.

Ralph Nader takes the hosting reins while George Benson provides the musical entertainment, and the legendary Andy Kaufman appears as special guest. But the real headline? Nearly three months after Chevy Chase's departure, viewers finally meet the newest Not Ready...

Are you ready for the summer?

We kick off our off-season coverage with a look back at Meatballs, the scrappy Canadian comedy that surprisingly became one of 1979's biggest successes. Released just a month after SNL's fourth season wrapped, this summer camp romp marked Bill Murray's first starring role and set the stage for what would become one of cinema's most beloved comedy careers.

From the muddy fields of Camp...

And just like that, another season of SNL is in the books. What a journey Season Four has been—filled with soaring highs and crushing lows that has gone on to help define an era of television comedy. While it was the most popular season of Saturday Night Live to date, it's also tinged with melancholy, foreshadowing the end of a golden age and some massive changes that would reshape the show when it returned for Season Five. 

In...

Another season of The Early Years of SNL comes to a close, which can only mean one thing… Buck is Back! Buck Henry returns for his 8th time hosting and this time he gets a proper season finale musical guest with the one and only Bette Midler.

Saturday Night Live brings its highest-rated season yet to a close and while things are mostly upbeat, there is still a sense that this is somewhat of a goodbye. In what will end up being the f...

On the surface, veteran stage and screen actress Maureen Stapleton may seem like an odd choice to host Saturday Night Live. After watching this episode, that assessment might hold true.

Season 4's penultimate episode stands as one of the more peculiar outings from SNL's original era. The accomplished host finds herself surprisingly underutilized, appearing in only a couple of sketches that truly showcase her talents. The s...

Over SNL's legendary 50-year run, only a select few bits have managed to stand the test of time. One that has… the commercial parody. From fake products that feel disturbingly real to outrageous pitches that somehow make perfect sense, these sketches have become a staple of the show since day one.

For this edition of Tournament Talk, Bill Swerkski assembles an expert panel to dive deep into Saturday Night Live's comedy vau...

Blink and you might miss it, but Michael Palin returns to SNL for the third time. He is joined by James Taylor, making his second appearance as musical guest.

This episode serves up a mixed bag – a couple of VERY long sketches combined with three songs from JT results in one of the fewest comedy bits of any Saturday Night Live episode. Add to that the Monty Python veteran's surprisingly sparse on-camera presence, and you'v...

The ladies of Saturday Night Live team up with the two comedy legends for the last SNL “off week” special. Jane, Laraine, & Gilda join Bob & Ray for a show filmed in 8H, produced and shot by the SNL crew, and (except for a Weekend Update) could easily be seen as a decent episode hosted by the duo.

Relying mostly on seasoned bits by the two comic icons the special does tend to, at times, feel bogged down. But there are some d...

It's the end of an era! After seven seasons and nearly 200 episodes, The SNL Hall of Fame—one of the cornerstones of the Saturday Night Live fan community—is closing its doors. This beloved podcast has hosted incredible conversations about the most influential cast members, writers, hosts, and musical guests in SNL's storied history.

Throughout their run, they've worked with listeners to enshrine over 35 SNL luminarie...

Comedy legend Milton Berle's SNL hosting gig has gone down as one of the most infamous - and disastrous - events in late-night television history. In this episode of Saturday Night Live - widely considered one of the worst of all time (not just of the original era) - “Mr. Television” brings his 1950s showmanship, sensibility, and bravado to the comedy landscape of the late 1970s. And the results are… A-mazing!

From the opening ...

Its only been a few weeks since the first ever nuclear meltdown in United States history but that doesn’t stop SNL from using it as inspiration for one of the most epic & outstanding sketches of the original era. Richard Benjamin, giving off strong Buck Henry vibes, takes the reins for a Saturday Night Live outing that is – while short on quantity – quite high on quality.

We may not get many bits this episode, but almost all the...

We revisit the “Dick Ebersol era” of SNL once again with our guest, Kevin Kelton. He is an Emmy-nominated writer for his work on Saturday Night Live, writing on the show for Seasons 9 & 10, before moving on to a very successful career writing and producing sitcoms.

Fun Fact: Kevin is also part of a very exclusive group of only four people who wrote for both SNL AND Friday’s. 

Kevin joins us to talk about his journey working for t...

SNL continues its late season run of really fun episodes as Margot Kidder, fresh off her star-making role in the blockbuster "Superman, " hosts this memorable outing. Originally airing on St. Patrick’s Day, it leans heavily into all things Irish - including with the musical guests, The Chieftans.

This episode is FULL of classic bits that would go on to stand the test of time and appear in Saturday Night Live highlight reel...

In what could possibly be the most underrated outings of the original era, this episode of Saturday Night Live is a stand out showing! Hosted by the one and only Gary Busey, accompanied by the exceptional talents of Eubie Blake and Gregory Hines as musical guests, this one maintains an "on the edge" quality throughout that is desperately needed at this point in the show’s run.

SNL lives up to its hype as it featuring a raw...