Jason Reitman’s newSaturday Nightmovie convinced me to watch the first episode ofSaturday Night Livefor the first time, and the experience was quite unexpected. The new movie depicts the 90 minutes before the first episode ofSNLback in 1975, revealing what it took to get such an iconic show to air. As such, I felt as though it would be good to watch the actual episode itself before heading to the theater.
NBC’s solution to an ongoing dispute with Johnny Carsonabout weekend programming,NBC’s Saturday Night(as it was then called) was certainly unique as a rare variety show featuring new weekly guests, musical performances, and a regular cast of young comedians who at the time were relative unknowns. On the whole, it’s not so surprising that the debut episode isn’t perfect, as the show was clearly still finding its feet.However, Iwasquite surprised that more than a few elements of the show’s core DNA began with this first episode ofSaturday Night Live, especially given its 50-year legacy.
The First SNL Episode Isn’t Great, But It’s Still Important
The Cornerstone For An Entire Legacy of Comedy
Having viewed this first episode ofSaturday Night Livefor the first time, I admittedly found myself a tad underwhelmed by the episode as a whole. No sketch is longer than two minutes, host George Carlin had three separate monologues, andJim Henson’sLand of Gorchsequence with Muppetsis fairly aimless and far too long at over 6 minutes (with fewer solid jokes than one would expect). Likewise, the first episode ofSNLhad two different musical guests with Billy Preston and Janis Ian, both of whom had two acts each, thus eating up a lot of the 90-minute runtime.
That said, I was quite surprised that this first episode had so many staples seen onSaturday NightLivein the modern era. The classic"Live from New York, it’s Saturday Night!“is yelled at the end of the cold open.There’s a Weekend Update sequence with Chevy Chase providing some of theSNLepisode’s best jokes, Andy Kaufman’s Mighty Mouse gag shows the show’s ongoing willingness to be unconventional for the sake of unique comedy. Likewise, one could argue that the episode’s short film by Albert Brooks is the predecessor of SNL’s future digital shorts like those from The Lonely Island, or Please Don’t Destroy.
I Have A Greater Respect For SNL’s 50 Years After Seeing Where They Started
Incredibly Bold, Kickstarting A New Era of Late Night Television
While I didn’t enjoy the first episode ofSaturday Night Livein its entirety, I did have some genuine laughs. Many of these came from the segments that would go on to stand the test of time,persisting acrossSNL’s50-year legacy.More importantly, I also gained a greater respect for the show as a whole, having finally taken the time to see where the series began back in 1975.
While it might not be perfect, the first episode has a significant place in the history of both television and comedy. Ultimately, I’m glad I took that time to sit down and watch it not only for what it was but also for what it represents: the true foundation for the 50 years still to come. Likewise,I’m especially glad that I watched the first episode ofSaturday Night Livebefore I went to the theater to watch Reitman’sSaturday Night.
Watching The First SNL Episode Before Watching Saturday Night Made The Movie So Much Better
Knowing what the final result was going to be, I had a very fun time watching the alleged chaos that was the hour and a half beforeSaturday Night Liveaired for the first time. I found that I also had a greater appreciation for the movie’s impressive accuracy, such as the costumes, props, and even the show’s original stage (regardless of whether the final brick was actually laid right before the show went live). Furthermore, I also had some fun confusion as well, such as the llama that was brought in ora young Billy Crystal preparing his act forSNL(both of whom were cut from the first episode).
To that end, my appreciation for Reitman’sSaturday Nightwas certainly enhanced by watching the first episode ofSNLbeforehand. Even though the first episode only had a few shining moments, it proved to be a worthwhile endeavor all the same. For fans ofSNL,I’d strongly recommend watching them together (in either order).
Saturday Night
Cast
Saturday Night (2024) is a forthcoming film with an undisclosed director. The movie centers on the vibrant nightlife of a bustling city, capturing the intertwining lives and stories of a diverse ensemble cast navigating personal and social challenges over the course of a single evening.
