A look back at 'Saturday Night Live'
Live from New York, it’s Saturday Night!
Premiering this month more than 35 years ago, "Saturday Night Live" has continually provided a reliable weekend escape year in and year out.
Created by Lorne Michaels to help provide relief from "The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson," SNL has become a staple in comedy and fall television.
1975-1980
The first five years of "SNL" ultimately proved to be a colossal success, introducing the world to then little-known comedians such as Bill Murray, Chevy Chase, Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi. The initial success of the show catapulted these comedians into the world of all-time greats and provided many of the greatest seasons of the show.
The initial popularity also drew appearances from already well-known celebrities such as Steve Martin, Andy Kauffman and George Carlin and musical guests such as Paul Simon. The tradition of celebrity hosts became a crucial ingredient to the success, a recipe still used today.
1980s
Michaels left the show in 1980, as well as many of the favorite cast members, which led to an incredible drought in the show's popularity. The 1980s were almost entirely carried by a single, groundbreaking comedian: Eddie Murphy.
Though it was clearly a huge boost for Murphy’s career, the 1980s marked the beginning of the constant criticism that still falls on "SNL" today.
1990s
Creator Lorne Michaels returned to the show in the mid 1980s and brought "SNL" back to life.
The 1990s saw the cast of "SNL" grow to a record high of 18 members, many going on to become superstars. The show introduced the world to the likes of Chris Farley, Adam Sandler, David Spade, Phil Hartman, Mike Myers and Kevin Nealon in the '90s.
As popular as the show was, many cast members still filtered out. The end of the '90s left the show in an inconsistent balance.
2000s
After a few seasons of increasingly lower numbers, "SNL" was finally brought back to life (again) with spark-plug comedians such as Will Ferrell, Tina Fey, Jimmy Fallon and Amy Poehler.
The early 2000s saw the show soar to a popularity not seen since its beginning, and "SNL" was again launching comedians into super stardom.
With a changing political climate, these cast members had come to be known for their political satire, most notably Ferrell as President George W. Bush and Fey as Sarah Palin.
Today:
The hype of "SNL" is down since its rise in the early 2000s, but it is certainly not out. Big names come and go every year, but veteran favorites including Seth Myers and Kenan Thompson remain, waiting to pass the torch to the next generation.
Though it might not be as popular as it was in the early 2000s or the late '70s, "SNL" can still hold its own.
The show has proven time and again that it is a reliable veteran source for fall programming, helping to ease the pain of changing seasons. The fall premiere of "SNL" is something viewers can and should count on every year.
