11th October 1975 saw the launch of Saturday Night Live a topical sketch show that proved hugely influential and introduced a number of comedians to a wider audience many of which became international stars with a load of hit films. The breakout star for the first series was Chevy Chase and that first show was hosted by George Carlin with musical guests Billy Preston and Janis Ian. Dan Aykroyd, John Belushi, Chevy Chase, Jane Curtin, Garrett Morris, Laraine Newman, Michael O’Donoghue and Gilda Radner all featured on the episode, as well as George Coe, who would not appear as a cast member again
But since then show has also featured Eddie Murphy, Bill Murray and Mike Myers but for us the best was always the late great and incomparable Norm MacDonald who truly did not care what he said however much controversy it prompted most notably laying into OJ Simpson being guilty even when the trial was still running and eventually got him fired.
But those early days were troublesome and now we’re to get Saturday Night Live the Movie…kind of…as the film is to be an account of what went on behind the scenes as the show was about to launch. That comedian Andy Kaufman also performed on the episode gives an inkling of potentially how chaotic this might have got for the showrunner Lorne Michaels who still runs the show to this day
Jason Reitman and his “Ghostbusters: Afterlife” co-writer Gil Kenan penned the original screenplay for the project having conducted a load of interviews with living cast, writers and crew members from the original production. The pair will also produce the film with Reitman directing also. Its believed that the film will count down the minutes in real time to the infamous words, “Live From New York, it’s Saturday Night.”
related feature; Gil Kenan chats to us about his seasonal film, ‘A Boy called Christmas’
related feature: Jason Reitman introduces the Ghostbusters Afterlife premiere
