60 Fun Facts About SNL

SNL airs live on NBC and, since the 2021–22 season, simultaneously on which streaming service?

Before that, seasons bounced between Netflix, Seeso, Hulu and even Yahoo! Screen; the show has streamed live on Peacock every episode since.

SNL is broadcast from which room on the eighth and ninth floors of 30 Rockefeller Plaza?

Built in 1933 as the world's largest radio studio, it once housed Toscanini's NBC Symphony Orchestra.

How does the cold open of a typical SNL episode end?

The very first one, in 1975, was delivered by Chevy Chase after a sketch with Michael O'Donoghue and John Belushi.

Which comedian hosted the very first episode on October 11, 1975?

The premiere also featured two musical guests, Billy Preston and Janis Ian, plus Andy Kaufman's Mighty Mouse routine.

What was the original cast of 1975 nicknamed?

Writer Herb Sargent coined the name; the group was initially paid $750 an episode and practically lived at the office.

Who is the longest-serving cast member in SNL history?

He joined in 2003 after growing up on Nickelodeon's All That and Kenan & Kel.

Which Chicago improv troupe produced Aykroyd, Belushi, Chris Farley, Tina Fey and Tim Meadows before SNL?

The Groundlings in Los Angeles supplied Laraine Newman, Phil Hartman, Will Ferrell, Jon Lovitz and Kristen Wiig.

Which two SNL cast members created the Blues Brothers?

The act debuted as a musical guest in April 1978 on an episode hosted by Steve Martin, and Elwood carried his harmonica in a briefcase handcuffed to his wrist.

Wayne and Garth host their public-access show Wayne's World from a basement in which Illinois town?

Mike Myers first played Wayne on Canadian TV in 1987; Dana Carvey's Garth is loosely based on Carvey's brother Brad.

In the More Cowbell sketch, Christopher Walken's producer oversees which band's session?

The cowbell player Gene Frenkle came out of years of hearing the faint cowbell on the record and wondering what that guy's life was like.

Which flamboyant SNL nightclub guide told Update about clubs that had "everything"?

Bill Hader and John Mulaney based him partly on a club promoter's email and a Chelsea barista; Mulaney rewrote the cue cards to make Hader break.

Which actor holds the record for hosting SNL the most times?

He took the record from Steve Martin, and later won an Emmy for his recurring Donald Trump.

Tina Fey returned to SNL in 2008 to play which real politician?

The much-quoted line "I can see Russia from my house" was Fey's, not the candidate's.

Which clay children's-TV character did Eddie Murphy reinvent as a morose, cigar-chomping cynic?

Art Clokey's son said both he and his father thought Eddie Murphy was a genius in the role; 'I'm Gumby, dammit!' became a catchphrase.

Which host's December 1990 SNL episode introduced the Five-Timers Club sketch?

The club sketch featured Steve Martin, Elliott Gould and Paul Simon, who at that point had actually hosted only four times.

Which Rachel Dratch SNL character ruined a Disney World breakfast with grim news and a trombone 'wah-wah'?

The May 2004 debut with Lindsay Lohan became famous because the whole cast broke; the character was created by Dratch and Paula Pell.

Which future Better Call Saul star conceived Chris Farley's van-dwelling motivational speaker Matt Foley?

Farley first performed it in Chicago improv before SNL and named the character after a rugby teammate who became a priest.

The Church Lady, host of Church Chat, was a signature character of which cast member?

Enid Strict came out of his stand-up act; his mother said the voice reminded her of women who tracked church attendance.

Under what title did the show premiere in 1975, since ABC already had a Howard Cosell show with the later name?

ABC's version was Saturday Night Live with Howard Cosell; NBC's show officially adopted the name at the start of the 1977–78 season.

In which year did Colin Jost and Michael Che become co-anchors of the Update desk?

Che replaced Cecily Strong in September 2014, becoming the segment's first African-American co-anchor; the pair now hold the longest Update tenures ever.

Which 2005 SNL Digital Short about smuggling cupcakes into a Narnia matinee helped put YouTube on the map?

Andy Samberg and Chris Parnell wrote it in one night with the rest of the Lonely Island; bootleg uploads spread it overnight.

In 1992 Sinéad O'Connor tore up a photo of Pope John Paul II while performing which Bob Marley song?

She said 'fight the real enemy' and threw the pieces to the floor; Joe Pesci and Madonna both mocked her on the show later that season.

Before Ashlee Simpson's 2004 lip-sync fiasco, which group had been the only act to lip-sync on SNL?

Lorne Michaels refuses lip-synching on principle; the Swedish quartet's 1975 spot was the lone exception for nearly thirty years.

Who was the first woman to host SNL, on the fourth episode in 1975?

She was also the first host to return, and that same episode introduced the Land Shark.

Which musician is SNL's most frequent musical guest, with more than a dozen appearances since 1992?

He counts appearances with Nirvana, Foo Fighters and as a guest player with other acts.

Which SNL announcer voiced the opening credits from 1975 until his death in 2014?

He had also announced the original Jeopardy! and The Price Is Right; Darrell Hammond took over the job the month after he died.

In 1999 who became the first woman to serve as SNL's head writer?

She joined the cast a year later as Weekend Update co-anchor and eventually spun her SNL experiences into 30 Rock.

Which SNL veteran replaced Chevy Chase in the cast in 1977 after Chase left mid-season for the movies?

Michaels had wanted him for the original cast; he had instead been on ABC's rival Saturday Night Live with Howard Cosell.

The Coneheads first appeared in a 1977 episode hosted by which consumer advocate?

Beldar (Aykroyd), Prymaat (Curtin) and Connie (Newman) claimed to be from France; the 1993 film brought them back.

Which producer ran SNL for the disastrous 1980–81 season after the original cast left?

She had to hire a full cast and writing staff in under three months, and was dismissed after ten months when Charles Rocket swore on air.

Norm Macdonald was removed from the Update desk in 1997 allegedly over jokes about which friend of Don Ohlmeyer?

Ohlmeyer's stated reason was that Macdonald was not funny; Macdonald responded by making the film Dirty Work.

In Celebrity Jeopardy!, Darrell Hammond tormented the Alex Trebek parody as which actor?

Norm Macdonald's Burt Reynolds ("Turd Ferguson") appeared in six sketches; the Connery insults were aimed at Trebek's mother.

In 1996 Rage Against the Machine hung inverted US flags on their amps to protest which guest host?

The host was a Republican presidential candidate; the band got through 'Bulls on Parade' before being pulled.

Which then-unreleased track did Elvis Costello switch to mid-song on Saturday Night Live in December 1977?

His label had asked for 'Less Than Zero'; the switch got him a long ban from the show.

How old was Anthony Michael Hall when he joined the cast in 1985, the youngest cast member ever?

He was fresh from Sixteen Candles, The Breakfast Club and Weird Science, and remains the record holder.

Which 1979 SNL host was banned after upstaging the cast and staging his own standing ovation for 'September Song'?

Lorne Michaels had never sanctioned the ovation; the episode is often cited as one of the worst-hosted in the show's history.

Nora Dunn and Sinéad O'Connor boycotted a 1990 SNL episode over which host?

Dunn was not invited back after the cast took a vote; the host had just sold out Madison Square Garden two nights running.

Which 80-year-old grandmother won SNL's 'Anyone Can Host' contest and hosted in December 1977?

Her 25-word entry began 'I'm 80 years old'; she held the oldest-host record until 88-year-old Betty White in 2010.

Which Justin Timberlake SNL Digital Short won the 2007 Emmy for Original Music and Lyrics?

Lorne Michaels asked Samberg for a musical sketch for the 2006 Christmas show; two sequels followed in 2009 and 2011.

Which future Lord of the Rings composer was SNL's first musical director, from 1975 to 1980?

He appeared on air leading Howard Shore and His All-Nurse Band and, in bee costume, backing Belushi and Aykroyd on 'I'm a King Bee'.

Who is the only person to host SNL while still a cast member, filling in for a sick Nick Nolte in 1982?

Nick Nolte fell ill before the December 1982 Christmas episode, so the show's biggest star simply took over.

Which anchor had the longest solo run at the Update desk, six years ending in 1991?

He opened with 'Good evening, and what can I tell ya?' and signed off 'That's the news, and I am outta here!' before scribbling on his script.

In which year did Amy Poehler join Tina Fey to make SNL's Weekend Update a two-woman anchor team?

Jimmy Fallon had just left for films; he stuck around as the voice of the Update intro for a few seasons.

What was the name of the monkey that Mike Myers's Dieter kept mentioning in the Sprockets sketches?

Myers named him after musician Klaus Nomi and based Dieter on a waiter at a Toronto restaurant; each sketch ended with 'Now's the time on Sprockets when we dance!'

Which novelty song did Steve Martin perform on the April 1978 SNL that debuted the Blues Brothers?

The song became a top-20 hit; the Blues Brothers later opened for Martin at the Universal Amphitheatre and recorded Briefcase Full of Blues there.

In 2001, who became SNL's highest-paid cast member at $350,000 a season?

That worked out to roughly $17,500 an episode; the original 1975 cast had earned $750.

Which head writer's 1985-95 tenure is the longest in the show's history?

Michaels had suggested him as a possible replacement back in 1980; he later co-wrote the SNL50 special.

Who played Lorne Michaels in the 2024 film Saturday Night?

Jason Reitman's film opened wide on October 11, 2024, the show's 49th anniversary, and earned its lead a Golden Globe nomination.

Which act is the only group to be both host and musical guest of the same SNL episode?

That October 1978 episode is a one-off; Paul Simon was the first solo performer to do both, in the show's second episode.

Which Dallas star hosted the February 1981 episode where Charles Rocket said the F-word on air?

The episode parodied 'Who shot J.R.?'; Rocket said he was trying to kill time before the close and had not meant to say it.

Approximately how many viewers watched the three-hour SNL50 anniversary special on February 16, 2025?

It opened with a musical cold open by Paul Simon and Sabrina Carpenter and a monologue by Steve Martin.

In the Land Shark sketches, what did the shark claim to be delivering when it knocked on apartment doors?

The sketch first aired in November 1975 as a response to Jaws hysteria, with Chevy Chase voicing the shark.

Toonces, the cat who could drive, always ended his sketches how?

The punch line was always 'See, I told you he could drive! Just not very well!', followed by stock footage of the car going over the edge.

In which year did Kate McKinnon win her first Emmy for SNL, only the fourth cast member to win an individual Emmy?

She won again in 2017; the earlier individual winners were in 1976, 1978 and 1993.

Which late-night host's 1974 request to pull weekend reruns opened the slot that SNL filled?

He wanted the weekend Tonight Show repeats saved for weeknights so he could take time off, so NBC asked Dick Ebersol to build a new Saturday show.

Which 1998 SNL sketch inspired a fast-selling 2011 Ben & Jerry's limited-edition ice cream?

The flavor drew boycotts from One Million Moms over its name, but Ben & Jerry's said it became their fastest-selling limited edition.

In which year did NBC first air SNL live in all mainland US time zones?

The final four episodes of season 42 went out coast-to-coast as an experiment, and NBC made it permanent that September.

Whose musical performance on the December 2021 Paul Rudd episode was cancelled because of Omicron?

It was only the third episode in the show's history with no musical guest, performed with a limited cast and no studio audience.

Which Mets pitcher opened the delayed October 1986 episode with an 'apology' after the World Series bumped SNL?

Game 6 against Boston ran into extra innings and ended after 12:30 a.m., so the Rosanna Arquette show was taped at 1:30 a.m. and aired two weeks later.

Who was SNL's original photographer, whose black-and-white host portraits began the bumper tradition?

Lorne Michaels hired her after seeing her Las Vegas photographs; she also shot New York at night for the opening titles.