‘SNL50: Beyond Saturday Night’ Reveals Hidden Details About a Comedy Institution

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To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the influential American institution, Saturday Night Live, a variety of tributes have been rolled out. These include a prime-time special, a critically acclaimed full-length film about its debut broadcast, a temporary interactive experience, an upcoming SNL50 special and music documentary, and now, this week, a multi-part documentary series is being released on Peacock, delving into the show’s half-century journey at the heart of comedy.

Peacock’s SNL50: Unveiling the Legacy Beyond Saturday Night, Exploring the Beloved yet Controversial Show

Description: In this new docuseries on Peacock, we embark on an ambitious journey to encapsulate a show that has been cherished, criticized, and holds immense sentimental value for its fans. This show has consistently touched upon or been at the heart of cultural zeitgeist, boasting an impressive cast list including comedy giants like Steve Martin, Will Ferrell, Tina Fey, and countless more over five decades. Our mission is to uncover the untold history and weave a narrative that respects the colossal legacy of SNL.

I’m thrilled to say that I’ve found myself immersed in this incredible journey. Instead of sticking to traditional methods, this series masterfully fulfills the challenging demands set before it. It offers a behind-the-scenes peek at how this television marvel is brought to life week after week, all while keeping the laughter flowing. Featuring interviews with an impressive 60 contributors who have shaped the show’s legacy, this docuseries spans four distinctive episodes: a glimpse into the cast through their auditions, an exploration of the writers room that powers the engine, a comprehensive look at the show’s most iconic sketches, and an intriguing perspective on the mid-1980s season when SNL was teetering on the brink of extinction. This walk through the show’s colorful history is filled with humorous, surprising, and enlightening revelations at every turn. Here are a few fascinating tidbits I uncovered along the way.

Auditions Are 5 Minutes

In a heartfelt segment honoring the numerous casts and performers who have graced Saturday Night Live, viewers get their first peek at the comedians who helped the show soar. As they watch, many current cast members find themselves squirming with hands over their eyes, while others shine brightly (“every character Kristen Wiig tried out for was gold”). Interestingly, it was Will Ferrell’s iconic “Get Off the Shed” sketch that secured him the role. What all SNL cast members share is a tight five-minute window to convince the casting team they were the right fit. Impressively, Heidi Gardner managed to deliver twelve impressions within this limited timeframe; Pete Davidson explains that the stage is blacked out so they can’t see anyone (he also disclosed here that he once asked Lorne Michaels to let him go). Several cast members recount that they rarely receive laughs during auditions. Ayala Cohen, a former SNL talent executive and producer, summed it up neatly, saying, “If they can’t handle five minutes on stage in front of everyone, live, then it’s a waste of time.

The Writers Room Is a Cutthroat Nightmare

In the first installment of the TV series “30 Rock“, the character Liz Lemon, played by Tina Fey and a high-ranking writer in a television show reminiscent of SNL, is praised as having “the best job in New York” by her lead producer. For any aspiring writer, comedian, or dreamer, working as an SNL Writer truly embodies the ultimate professional goal. The second episode of “SNL50: Beyond Saturday Night” offers a raw and unfiltered look at the writers’ room, revealing its intense, draining, high-pressure, competitive nature.

For a week, the creators of the show collaborated with several budding writers during their brainstorming sessions, refining concepts, revising scripts, discussing ideas in workshops, editing, and finally submitting their sketches. However, only if Lorne Michaels, the executive producer, approves their work do they ascend to the role of a producer, thereby bringing their sketch to fruition. The process begins with a table read involving all writers, following the mid-week sleepless nights, ego-inflated assumptions, anxiety about colleagues laughing in another room, and other common features of a competitive environment. As one writer puts it, “We write on Tuesday, we rewrite it on Thursday, Friday; it’s rewritten again and on Saturday, it’s rewritten again.

During the meeting at the table, writers gather and bring out their cutting yet passive-aggressive remarks – some humorously referred to as “sympathetic chuckles,” “overly supportive laughter,” and “refusing to laugh at something.” The prayer that encapsulates this atmosphere, penned by Andy Breckman of the “White Like Me” sketch fame, is recited here: “Dear God, may my sketch outshine everyone else’s. But do let me be seen as a team player too.

At some stage, comedian Al Franken, who was also a U.S. Senator and an alumnus of SNL, shared the unvarnished truth about writing comedy to the producers: “Comedy writing is either effortless or it’s unattainable. If it’s easy, it’s enjoyable. And if it’s impossible, it’s frustrating because you can’t come up with any ideas – and that’s your responsibility.

“Needs More… Wood Block?”                                             

In a brilliant move, the creators of the show decided to dedicate the third episode to dissecting their most popular current sketch, which has almost sparked a phenomenon. The iconic “More Cowbell” (2000), penned by none other than Will Ferrell, who gets to showcase his physical comedy prowess as Gene Frenkle, the fictional cowbell player, and featuring the deadpan humor of guest host Christopher Walken as Bruce Dickinson, a fictional music producer, this is the sketch that has left a lasting impact on viewers.

The setting: The famous Blue Oyster Cult track “Don’t Fear the Reaper.” It wasn’t until the April 2000 sketch that many listeners might have realized there’s a recurring metallic sound – clank-clank-clank-clank – throughout the song. In the sketch, Ferrell plays this part enthusiastically while Walken, portraying Dickinson, keeps insisting on adding more cowbell to the mix, much to the band’s growing embarrassment; the humor peaks when Walken as the producer exclaims, “I have a feeling… and the only cure is more cowbell.

Initially, it’s worth mentioning that this particular episode aired in 2000, marking the halfway point of the show’s 50-year run thus far. The reason it resonates is that it blends the hilarity of Ferrell’s eccentric physical acts and absurdity; a recurring joke that works, then doesn’t, only to work again; lastly, an incredibly fitting tagline, which quickly found its way onto t-shirts and was echoed at sporting events as Ferrell, Walken, and the cast appeared on jumbotrons. The tagline became a sort of ghost to Walken, who eventually came to dislike the sketch as he signed yet another cowbell for another fan.

Discover a wealth of insights in this compact 45-minute documentary about an intriguing sketch and its ensuing phenomenon. Initially, Will Ferrell was intended to host Norm MacDonald (the late humorist known for his dry wit who rivals Walken in deadpan delivery), but the rehearsal flopped, and it almost didn’t make the cut. However, a stunning revelation is unveiled in this piece that might leave you astonished: BlueOyster Cult may have used a wood block instead of a cowbell for “Don’t Fear the Reaper”, and this theory is substantiated in the film documentary.

In such cases, as any skilled comedian understands, it’s essential to include the caption or legend. And indeed, this exceptional Saturday Night Live (SNL) instant is finally receiving the recognition it deserves.

SNL Was Nearly Canceled After Its Weird Season

You might not have been aware that Madonna was the musical guest and even hosted an episode during her peak “True Blue” era on Saturday Night Live (SNL). Similarly, Francis Ford Coppola directed an episode featuring George Wendt, with live meta-commentary thrown in for good measure. This was all part of SNL’s 11th season, which aired in 1985-1986 and saw the return of creator-producer Lorne Michaels after a five-year absence. The cast during this time consisted of well-known or soon-to-be famous comedians. However, no enduring characters were created in what could arguably be considered some of the strangest episodes in SNL’s long history. In fact, the season concludes with a dark joke involving the cast and studio set being set on fire – a gag that was written exclusively for a small audience of NBC executives. This fascinating detail is highlighted in a documentary about the show.

The remarkable aspect of this less-known fact is that “Saturday Night Live” has become such a significant part of our society, with its long history and consistent presence, it might soon be analyzed academically as a reflection of the very history it satirized. Each episode in this documentary series highlights a specific aspect so vividly, it seems NBC should commission a full season to bring attention to any other interesting, unusual, or humorous details that were overlooked. Achieving 10, 12, or even 22 episodes as captivating and entertaining as these four would be quite an accomplishment, as Larry David remarks early on from his restaurant vantage point: “It’s an institution. It’s simply an American institution. It could last for another 200 years.

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2025-01-16 23:56