History of Saturday Night Live in Timeline
Saturday Night Live (SNL) is a late-night live sketch comedy show that premiered on NBC in 1975. Created by Lorne Michaels, the show features a repertory cast performing comedy sketches that often parody American culture and politics. Each episode is hosted by a celebrity guest who delivers the opening monologue and participates in sketches. A musical guest also performs. The show typically opens with a cold open sketch, frequently based on political events, and concludes with the iconic phrase, "Live from New York, it's Saturday Night!"
1975: SNL's Cold Open Tradition Begins
In 1975, with Michael O'Donoghue, Chevy Chase, and John Belushi, Saturday Night Live established the tradition of beginning with a cold open sketch, ending with the "Live from New York, it's Saturday Night!" proclamation.
October 25, 1986: SNL Episode Delayed Due to World Series Game
The Saturday Night Live episode scheduled for October 25, 1986, hosted by Rosanna Arquette, was not aired until November 8 due to NBC broadcasting game 6 of the 1986 World Series between the New York Mets and Boston Red Sox.
1988: The Best of Saturday Night Live Aired on Nick at Nite
In 1988, abbreviated versions of the first five seasons of Saturday Night Live aired as "The Best of Saturday Night Live" on Nick at Nite.
1990: Comedy Central Airs SNL Reruns
From 1990 until 2004, Comedy Central and its predecessor Ha! aired reruns of Saturday Night Live.
1992: SNL Ratings Peak in 1992-93 Season
By the early 1990s, Saturday Night Live's ratings had rebounded enough to make the 1992–93 season the fifth-highest rated in the show's history.
1993: RTL Samstag Nacht German Version of SNL Airs
In 1993, a German version of Saturday Night Live named RTL Samstag Nacht aired on RTL Television, hosted mostly by German celebrities.
1998: Reruns of SNL Episodes Made From 1998 Onward Started Airing on VH1
In 1998, reruns of most Saturday Night Live episodes made from 1998 onward began airing on VH1 in September 2010.
1998: "Schweddy Balls" Sketch
In 1998, the "Schweddy Balls" sketch starring Alec Baldwin, Ana Gasteyer, and Molly Shannon first aired on SNL.
1998: RTL Samstag Nacht Ends
The German version of Saturday Night Live named RTL Samstag Nacht that aired between 1993 and 1998 on RTL Television.
1999: Mary Ellen Matthews Becomes Official SNL Photographer
In 1999, Mary Ellen Matthews became the official photographer of Saturday Night Live, responsible for creating distinctive photo layouts for the show's still imagery, including host and musical guest portraits.
February 10, 2001: SNL Episode Airs Late Due to XFL Game
The Saturday Night Live episode scheduled for February 10, 2001, hosted by Jennifer Lopez, aired 45 minutes late due to an XFL game, upsetting Lorne Michaels so much that the episode was rerun three weeks later.
2002: SNL Ranked Tenth on TV Guide's 50 Greatest TV Shows of All Time
In 2002, Saturday Night Live was ranked tenth on TV Guide's 50 Greatest TV Shows of All Time.
2002: Am Israel Hai Israeli SNL-Based Show Canceled
In 2002, a local Saturday Night Live-based show named Am Israel Hai (People of Israel Live) was created in Israel but was canceled after one season.
2002: TV Tales Episode on SNL
In 2002, an episode of TV Tales on E! covered the production process of Saturday Night Live.
2003: Eretz Nehederet Israeli SNL-esque Show Debuts
In 2003, another Saturday Night Live-esque Israeli show, Eretz Nehederet (A Wonderful Country), debuted and continues to garner high ratings.
October 2004: 60 Minutes Report on SNL
In October 2004, a 60 Minutes report highlighted the intense writing process during the week leading up to an SNL show, noting the involvement of the guest host(s).
2004: Comedy Central Ends Airing SNL Reruns
From 1990 until 2004, Comedy Central and its predecessor Ha! aired reruns of Saturday Night Live.
2006: VH1 and Logo Begin Airing Reruns of SNL 2006-Onward Episodes
Starting in February 2016, VH1 and Comedy Central's sister channel Logo began airing reruns of Saturday Night Live 2006-onward episodes on Sunday nights.
2007: Primetime Emmy Award for "Dick in a Box"
In 2007, "Dick in a Box" by The Lonely Island won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics.
2007: SNL Honored on Time Magazine's List of 100 Best TV Shows of All-TIME
In 2007, Saturday Night Live was honored with inclusion on Time magazine's list of "100 Best TV Shows of All-TIME".
December 6, 2008: John Malkovich Hosts SNL Episode
On December 6, 2008, John Malkovich hosted an episode of SNL, which was documented by James Franco for a film.
2009: The Lonely Island Release Incredibad
In 2009, The Lonely Island released their album Incredibad, which featured SNL-developed songs and original works.
2010: Saturday Night Documentary Release
In 2010, the documentary Saturday Night by James Franco, following the production of the December 6, 2008 episode, was released.
2010: Reruns of SNL Episodes Made From 1998 Onward Started Airing on VH1
In September 2010, reruns of most Saturday Night Live episodes made from 1998 onward began airing on VH1.
2010: Mary Ellen Matthews Directs Videos, Including Show Title Sequence
Starting in 2010, Mary Ellen Matthews became involved in directing videos for Saturday Night Live, including the show's title sequence.
September 2011: Ben & Jerry's "Schweddy Balls" Ice Cream Release
In September 2011, Ben & Jerry's released a limited-edition ice cream called "Schweddy Balls", inspired by the 1998 sketch, which became their fastest-selling limited-edition flavor. It faced criticism and boycotts.
December 3, 2011: SNL Korea Premieres
On December 3, 2011, South Korea's Saturday Night Live Korea premiered on cable channel tvN.
2011: The Lonely Island Release Turtleneck & Chain
In 2011, The Lonely Island released their album Turtleneck & Chain, containing SNL-developed songs and original works.
2011: Saturday Night Live JPN Airs
In 2011, the Japanese version of Saturday Night Live, Saturday Night Live JPN, which ran for six months, was created in part with sponsor Coca-Cola and Lorne Michaels's production company, Broadway Video, and broadcast on Fuji TV networks.
February 2013: NBC Begins Airing Shortened SNL Repeats
In February 2013, NBC started airing shortened hour-long repeats of Saturday Night Live on select Saturday evenings.
June 2013: SNL Placed on List of Best Written Shows
In June 2013, Saturday Night Live was placed at number 25 on the list of the 101 best written shows of all time by the Writers Guild of America.
December 2013: SNL Ranked on TV Guide's List of Greatest Shows
In December 2013, TV Guide ranked Saturday Night Live #18 on their list of the 60 Greatest Shows of All Time.
2013: SNL Season 39 Budget
In 2013, Saturday Night Live's 39th season had a budget exceeding $70 million, receiving a $12.3 million subsidy from New York State.
2013: Russian SNL Adaptation Airs
In 2013, the Russian channel NTV aired the Saturday Night Live adaptation entitled Суббота. Вечер. Шоу (Saturday. Evening. Show).
January 2014: Remaining Episodes of Russian SNL Adaptation Air Under Different Title
In January 2014, the remaining six episodes of the Russian adaptation were eventually aired, but without any announcements and under a different title: Сегодня. Вечер. Шоу (Today. Evening. Show).
March 22, 2014: Second SNL Quebec Special Broadcast
On March 22, 2014, the second of two ninety-minute Saturday Night Live specials were broadcast in French on Télé-Québec in the Canadian province of Quebec under the title SNL Québec.
May 13, 2014: SNL Quebec Renewed for Another Eight Episodes
On May 13, 2014, Saturday Night Live Quebec was renewed for another eight episodes to be broadcast monthly over the 2014–15 season, ending with a "Best of" compilation.
June 2014: Ben & Jerry's Releases "Lazy Sunday" and "Gilly's Catastrophic Crunch" Flavors
In June 2014, Ben & Jerry's introduced two new ice cream flavors inspired by SNL sketches: Lazy Sunday and Gilly's Catastrophic Crunch.
August 18, 2014: Death of Don Pardo
On August 18, 2014, Don Pardo, the long-time announcer for SNL, passed away at the age of 96, following the show's 39th season. He had been considering retirement since 2010 but continued to serve as announcer.
September 2014: Ben & Jerry's Introduces Two Wild and Crazy Pies
In September 2014, Ben & Jerry's introduced Two Wild and Crazy Pies, based on the catchphrase of the recurring Festrunk Brothers.
2014: SNL Uses Grass Valley Switchers and Chyron Lyric Pro for Visuals
As of 2014, Saturday Night Live used a Grass Valley GVG 4000-3 digital component production switcher and GVG 7000 digital component routing switcher to manage visual feeds. Graphics were generated using a Chyron Lyric Pro character generator.
2014: Prime Time Rebroadcasts Become SNL Vintage
Beginning with the 2014-15 season, Saturday Night Live's prime time rebroadcasts became a selection of episodes from throughout the show's run, titled "SNL Vintage".
February 15, 2015: Saturday Night Live's 40th Anniversary Special
On February 15, 2015, NBC aired a 3+1⁄2-hour special celebrating Saturday Night Live's 40th anniversary, featuring clips, performances, and guest appearances.
February 2015: Ben & Jerry's Introduces Wayne'Swirled
In February 2015, Ben & Jerry's introduced Wayne'Swirled, which was inspired by the eponymous Wayne's World.
May 2015: SNL Quebec Not Renewed Due to Funding Cutbacks
In May 2015, Télé-Québec announced that Saturday Night Live Quebec would not be renewed due to funding cutbacks.
2015: SNL Named Favorite Show in Hollywood Reporter Survey
In 2015, a The Hollywood Reporter survey of 2,800 industry people named Saturday Night Live as their #7 favorite show.
2015: Reruns of the Russian SNL Adaptation Aired at Night on NTV
In 2015, reruns of the Russian adaptation were aired at night on NTV throughout the first half of 2015.
2015: Comedy Central Airs SNL Reruns Again
Since 2015, Comedy Central aired reruns of Saturday Night Live.
February 2016: VH1 and Logo Begin Airing Reruns of SNL 2006-Onward Episodes
Starting in February 2016, VH1 and Comedy Central's sister channel Logo began airing reruns of Saturday Night Live 2006-onward episodes on Sunday nights, launching its broadcast as counterprogramming for Super Bowl 50 and branding it the "Live From New York, It's Satur-Gay Night!" marathon.
January 2017: Le Saturday Night Live Pilot Episode Launched in France
In January 2017, the French channel M6 launched the pilot episode of its Saturday Night Live adaptation, Le Saturday Night Live.
February 11, 2017: Alec Baldwin's Hosting Record
As of February 11, 2017, Alec Baldwin holds the record for hosting SNL the most times, with seventeen appearances since 1990.
March 16, 2017: NBC Announces Live Broadcasts of SNL in All U.S. Time Zones
On March 16, 2017, NBC announced that the final four episodes of the 42nd season of Saturday Night Live would be broadcast live in all mainland U.S. time zones for the first time.
September 19, 2017: NBC Announces All Subsequent SNL Episodes to Air Live Coast-to-Coast
On September 19, 2017, NBC announced that all subsequent episodes of Saturday Night Live would air live coast-to-coast in the U.S.
November 11, 2017: SNL Korea Completes Nine Seasons
As of November 11, 2017, Saturday Night Live Korea completed nine seasons with 205 episodes.
December 2, 2017: SNL Polska Premieres
On December 2, 2017, the Polish division of Showmax video-on-demand streaming service launched the first season of its Saturday Night Live adaptation, SNL Polska.
2017: SNL Broadcast Live Across the Contiguous United States
Since 2017, Saturday Night Live has been broadcast live across the contiguous United States, requiring a brief delay outside of Eastern and Central Time to comply with FCC regulations.
December 2018: SNL Polska Canceled
In December 2018, Showmax announced the closure of its Polish branch, effectively canceling Saturday Night Live Polska.
2018: Thirteen of SNL's Lowest-Rated Seasons Occurred in the 2000s
As of 2018, thirteen of Saturday Night Live's lowest-rated seasons occurred in the 2000s.
November 7, 2020: SNL Episode Begins Late Due to Football Game
The Saturday Night Live episode on November 7, 2020, hosted by Dave Chappelle, began at 12:10 a.m. Eastern after a Clemson-Notre Dame college football game went into double overtime.
2020: SNL Streams on Peacock
In 2020, a majority of the show's "best of" specials would still run on the E! network in that span and Saturday Night Live began streaming on Peacock upon its launch.
September 4, 2021: SNL Korea Rebooted
On September 4, 2021, Saturday Night Live Korea was rebooted and broadcast through Coupang Play, a South Korean OTT service.
December 10, 2021: Sky One Working on British Version of SNL
On December 10, 2021, Deadline reported that Sky One was working on a British version of Saturday Night Live.
2021: SNL Broadcast Simultaneously on Peacock and YouTube Experimentation Begins
Beginning in the 2021-2022 season, Saturday Night Live has been simultaneously broadcast live on the Peacock streaming service, and the show has also experimented with live broadcasts on YouTube, beginning with a 2021 Elon Musk-hosted episode.
2022: SNL Broadcast Simultaneously on Peacock
Beginning in the 2021-2022 season, Saturday Night Live has been simultaneously broadcast live on the Peacock streaming service.
2023: SNL Rebroadcasts Shift to Recent Episodes
Beginning in the 2023-2024 season, Saturday Night Live rebroadcasts shifted from "SNL Vintage" to very recent episodes.
September 2024: SNL Returns to Syndication on TBD
In September 2024, Saturday Night Live would return to syndication on free-to-air network TBD as part of a refocus of the network towards comedy programming.
October 12, 2024: SNL Episode Begins Late Due to Football Game
The Saturday Night Live episode on October 12, 2024, hosted by Ariana Grande, began at 11:35 p.m. Eastern due to a primetime college football overrun.
2024: SNL Rebroadcasts Shift to Recent Episodes
Beginning in the 2023-2024 season, Saturday Night Live rebroadcasts shifted from "SNL Vintage" to very recent episodes in 2024.
January 16, 2025: SNL50: Beyond Saturday Night Documentary Streaming Release
On January 16, 2025, the documentary series SNL50: Beyond Saturday Night became available to stream on Peacock, featuring rare footage and interviews with SNL contributors.
January 27, 2025: Ladies & Gentlemen... 50 Years of SNL Music Documentary Streaming Release
On January 27, 2025, Ladies & Gentlemen... 50 Years of SNL Music became available to stream on Peacock, discussing SNL's music performances and musical-comedy sketches.
February 16, 2025: SNL 50th Anniversary Broadcast
On February 16, 2025, a three-hour live prime-time broadcast celebrated Saturday Night Live's fiftieth anniversary. The writing team included former cast members like Tina Fey and John Mulaney. Steve Martin delivered the monologue, and Sabrina Carpenter and Paul Simon performed the musical opening.
