It's Saturday Night!

Summary

HISTORY This Week: "It's Saturday Night!" – 50th Anniversary of Saturday Night Live

Podcast Information:

• Title: HISTORY This Week
• Host/Author: The HISTORY® Channel
• Episode: It's Saturday Night!
• Release Date: October 10, 2024
• Description: Celebrating the 50th anniversary of Saturday Night Live, this special episode delves into the groundbreaking first episode of the iconic show. Hosted by Dave Holmes and featuring author James Andrew Miller, the episode explores the inception, challenges, and enduring legacy of SNL through expert insights and historical anecdotes.

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1. Introduction

The episode kicks off with host Sally announcing a special edition celebrating the 50th anniversary of Saturday Night Live (SNL). To guide listeners through this historic journey, Sally introduces Dave Holmes as the guest host alongside James Andrew Miller, the author of Live from New York: An Uncensored History of Saturday Night Live.

Notable Quote:

Sally [00:49]: "We are bringing you an extra episode this week for the 50th anniversary of one of the longest-running TV shows in history, Saturday Night Live."

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2. The Genesis of Saturday Night Live

Dave Holmes [01:12]: Sets the stage by transporting listeners to October 11, 1975, the night of SNL's premiere. He describes the bustling atmosphere behind the scenes at Studio 8H, 30 Rockefeller Center, where George Carlin, a leading stand-up comedian of the time, prepares to host the show. Unlike his usual gigs, this live television emceeing carries significant weight, especially with showrunner Lorne Michaels at the helm.

Key Points:

• Lorne Michaels' Vision: A 30-year-old producer aiming to revolutionize late-night TV with a live comedy show.
• NBC Executives' Skepticism: Many doubted Michaels' capability to execute such an ambitious project.
• Unique Cast Dynamics: Michaels assembled a diverse group of young comedians, referred to as the "Not Ready for Primetime Players," who were fresh faces from the burgeoning comedy club scene of the 1970s.

Notable Quote:

Dave Holmes [01:12]: "...if this monologue doesn't go great for Carlin, he can just go back to the standup circuit. SNL is trying to produce a different kind of show and manage a different kind of cast."

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3. Interview with James Andrew Miller

Setting the Scene:

James Andrew Miller [05:35]: Begins by painting a picture of 1975 television, where Saturday nights typically featured reruns of Johnny Carson's shows. The concept of "late night" was vastly different, with most networks signing off after the national anthem and flag-waving until morning.

Dave Holmes [05:56]: Agrees, explaining that NBC was experimenting by sidelining Johnny Carson's reruns on Friday nights, opening up Saturday night for new content, which ultimately led to the creation of SNL.

Vision and Challenges:

James Andrew Miller [07:24]: Queries Lorne Michaels' background, to which Dave Holmes [07:36]: Responds that Michaels had a rich history in comedy both in Canada and the U.S., albeit not yet a household name.

Dave Holmes [08:28]: Elaborates on Michaels' innovative approach:

• Non-Pandering Ethos: Michaels committed to creating content that resonated with him and his team, rather than conforming to traditional audience expectations.
• Organic Development: Unlike today’s highly controlled production environments, the early SNL operated with a raw, embryonic process, allowing creative freedom.

Notable Quote:

Dave Holmes [08:36]: "He wasn't going to pander to the audience. They were going to do things they thought were funny and cool and appeal to them. If the audience didn't like it, tough luck."

Casting the "Not Ready for Primetime Players":

Dave Holmes [11:25]: Discusses the diverse backgrounds of the original cast members, emphasizing that Lorne Michaels selected individuals with unique talents to ensure a dynamic and unpredictable show.

James Andrew Miller [11:44]: Points out the nickname "Not Ready for Primetime Players," highlighting their fresh and unpolished presence, which became a badge of honor.

Notable Quote:

Dave Holmes [11:48]: "They weren't looking for approval. They weren't looking over their shoulder. And thank God the NBC executives figured out who they were dealing with, because they put the SNL offices on a totally different elevator bank."

The Writers' Room:

Dave Holmes [13:00]: Describes the SNL writers as sardonic, wry, and willing to challenge the establishment. Their offbeat creativity was pivotal in crafting sketches that were both irreverent and innovative.

Notable Example:

• Michael O'Donohue's Heart Attack Sketch: Demonstrates the writers' ability to blend absurdity with humor seamlessly.

Notable Quote:

Dave Holmes [13:02]: "They’re very sardonic. They’re very wry. They’re very willing to take on the establishment."

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4. The First Episode: High Stakes and Uncertainty

Leading Up to the Premiere:

James Andrew Miller [16:07]: Investigates the pressures leading up to the first show.

Dave Holmes [16:07]: Acknowledges that while theoretically, Lorne Michaels should have felt the most pressure, in reality, he remained composed, trusting his instincts despite the uncertainties.

Challenges Faced:

• NBC Executives' Doubts: Many within the network were skeptical, only two-thirds of affiliates aired the premiere.
• Lorne Michaels' Determination: Faced potential conflicts over creative decisions, such as lighting and budget, but remained steadfast.

Notable Quote:

Dave Holmes [18:26]: "He was willing to walk away or get fired if he couldn't do it the way he wanted. By not creating an ecosystem where you’re trying to predict what the audience wants, it was fundamentally different."

The Premiere Night:

Dave Holmes [19:02]: Recounts the chaotic and unconventional nature of the first show, highlighting Chevy Chase’s iconic line:

Chevy Chase: "Live from New York, it’s Saturday Night!" [03:31]

Audience Reaction:

Dave Holmes [24:13]: Shares insights from audience members who found the show exhilarating and unlike anything they had seen before, appreciating its irreverence and mix of music, comedy, and unexpected elements.

Notable Quote:

Dave Holmes [24:13]: "This is something we had not seen before. Just the mixture, the combination, this cocktail of music and comedy and a film and sketches and all this other stuff, you know, the irreverence of it all."

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5. Legacy and Enduring Impact

SNL's Evolution:

Dave Holmes [25:06]: Reflects on how SNL continued to thrive despite initial doubts, becoming a TV dynasty. The show's ability to innovate weekly, with a rotating cast and dynamic writing staff, secured its place in television history.

Notable Insights:

• Creative Freedom: Lorne Michaels' unwavering commitment to his vision fostered an environment where creativity could flourish.
• Cultural Influence: SNL not only entertained but also influenced American culture and comedy, remaining relevant across decades.

Closing Thoughts:

Dave Holmes [25:06]: Emphasizes that the legacy of SNL is a testament to its groundbreaking start, proving that audacious creativity can lead to enduring success.

Notable Quote:

Dave Holmes [25:06]: "Whether you're a fan of SNL or not, the fact that people still debate the show's merits today is a testament to its longevity."

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6. Conclusion

The episode wraps up with Sally thanking listeners and acknowledging James Andrew Miller for his contributions. She highlights the collaborative effort behind the production and encourages listeners to stay engaged with future stories from HISTORY This Week.

Notable Quote:

Sally [26:04]: "What started on October 11, 1975, is a little more exciting than hearing the national anthem and watching a flag wave."

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Key Takeaways:

• Innovative Beginnings: SNL's first episode broke conventional late-night TV norms, introducing a fresh, irreverent style of comedy.
• Lorne Michaels' Vision: His dedication to creative authenticity over network approval was pivotal in establishing SNL's unique identity.
• Cultural Milestone: Despite early skepticism, SNL became a lasting institution, continually influencing comedy and reflecting societal changes.
• Enduring Legacy: The show's ability to adapt and innovate has cemented its place in television history, celebrating five decades of impactful entertainment.

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For more insights and stories, stay tuned to HISTORY This Week and visit historythisweekpodcast.com.

Transcript

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[Sally]

This week, listeners, it's Sally here. We are bringing you an extra episode this week for the 50th anniversary of one of the longest running TV shows in history, Saturday Night Live. And to take you through this story, we are welcoming a special guest host, Dave Holmes. It is a great conversation that you will not want to miss.

[Dave Holmes]

History this week, October 11th, 1975. I'm Dave Holmes. Writers, prop masters and stagehands scramble behind the scenes as George Carlin, pretty much the preeminent standup comedian of the time, waits in the wings. He's preparing to deliver a monologue from Studio 8H at 30 Rockefeller center in New York City. Now, this is not his usual gig. Carlin is hosting a TV show, emceeing something brand new in the world of live television, NBC's Saturday Night. Now if this monologue doesn't go great for Carlin, he can just go back to the standup circuit. Saturday night's showrunner, Lorne Michaels has a lot more on the line. He's only 30 years old and many NBC executives don't think he has what it takes to pull off what he's proposed. Brand new concept for tv, a late night live comedy show that airs on the weekend. He's trying to produce a different kind of show and a big part of his job is managing a different kind of cast, a collection of young comedians who not exactly the most stable bunch. This is, after all, the 1970s. The concept of just say no hadn't been invented yet. But somehow at the stroke of 11:30 Eastern Time, the first sketch is underway.

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Good evening.

[Dave Holmes]

Good evening.

John Belushi plays an immigrant learning English from writer Michael O'Donohue. Phrases like I want to feed your fingertips to the Wolverines.

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I would like to feed your fingertips.

[Dave Holmes]

To feed your fingertips. To the Wolverines. To the Wolverines.

The sketch is pretty weird if you watch it now, but if you were watching it then, when comedy on television meant Bob Hope and Milton Berle, it must have looked like it came from another planet. O'Donohue's character collapses from a heart attack, Belushi's character mimics him, and then Chevy Chase walks onto the stage and starts a tradition that will last for 50 years.

Live from New York, it's Saturday Night.

Today. I'm talking with James Andrew Miller, the author of Live from New York, an uncensored history of Saturday Night Live, to find out. How did Lorne Michaels defy the old guard of executives and pull together a cast, crew and writing staff to execute his uncompromising vision for the next generation of American television viewers?

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[James Andrew Miller]

Andrew Miller thank you so much for joining us.

[Dave Holmes]

Thanks for having me.

[James Andrew Miller]

I wonder if you can set the scene for us. It's 1975. You turn the knob on your one enormous console television that Sits in the living room and after it's had three to ten minutes to warm up. What are you, what are you seeing on television in the months before Saturday Night Live?

[Dave Holmes]

Well, what you're seeing on Saturday nights is a repeat of Johnny Carson's show, right? Not a lot of people had their TVs on it 11:00 at night on a Saturday. You know, the idea of, quote, unquote, late night television was really not a late night like we know it now.

[James Andrew Miller]

A thing that happened when you and I were both human beings is that TV at a certain hour would just end.

[Dave Holmes]

You would.

[James Andrew Miller]

You would get to the end of the programming day, you'd see an American flag and hear Kate Smith singing the national anthem. And then. And then there was just no television until the next morning.

[Dave Holmes]

Exactly. Even HBO, which went on the air in 1972, they used to shut off at midnight with a homage to the flag and rendition.

But on NBC, you'd normally have Johnny.

[James Andrew Miller]

Carson reruns on Saturday nights until Johnny.

[Dave Holmes]

Decides to take Friday nights off. So now they're running the reruns on Fridays, which leaves Saturday nights open.

[James Andrew Miller]

Who were some of the people there who decided what to do with that real estate?

[Dave Holmes]

Well, Dick Eversol was assigned by NBC to develop something for that space at 11:30. And he reached out to a young Canadian named Lorne Michaels who had done work on the Smothers Brothers and Lily Tomlin, some other things in Canada before he came down south, and the two of them worked on the development of the show.

[James Andrew Miller]

What was Lorne Michaels background before television?

[Dave Holmes]

Well, I mean, he'd always been involved in comedy, both in Canada and then when he came to the United States, he'd been part of a comedy duo. He was always involved in television, but certainly hadn't, quote, unquote, made his mark yet.

[James Andrew Miller]

And what was comedy like on television in the. In the mid-70s? It seems like it was sort of. The tone of comedy was changing.

[Dave Holmes]

I think that comedy was straddling two errors. You still had a lot of the old world. Milton Burlap, Red Skelton, Red Buttons, Jerry Lewis, everybody from the past. And then you did have some highly inventive Monty python sketch players, sctv. Some of those things were going on in the 70s as well. But it was interesting because I think that for the, for the majority of the audience, they still were very, very familiar and comfortable with the quote, unquote, old world. And one of the things that Lauren does with Saturday Night live beginning in 1975, is to finally bring comedy to a whole new place.

[James Andrew Miller]

How did Lorne's vision for sort of a new guard inform the spirit of Saturday Night Live?

[Dave Holmes]

Well, I think the best way to answer that question is to first discuss what he wasn't going to do. And what he wasn't going to do was he wasn't going to pander to the audience. Now, that sounds like a rather banal statement and quite obvious one at that, but it's huge. It's so important and it's such a fundamental paradigm shift. And so what he decided was, and this is evidenced by the very, very first sketch, the very first night of snl, which is they are going to do things that they think are funny and cool and appeal to them. And if the audience doesn't like it, tough luck. So you see, your 1975-1976 is this incredibly embryonic, organic process that you really don't see nowadays because everybody has to be so plugged into. The buyers have to be so plugged into what they're getting. Well, what are we getting? Where's the show Bible? Where's the. I mean, now they would have asked for the first 20 sketches.

[James Andrew Miller]

Where did the casting take place? Where were kind of the feeder institutions into the first cast of Saturday Night Live?

[Dave Holmes]

Well, you know, there were, look, the growlings and sctv and there were all sorts of underground or, you know, off Broadway, so to speak, comedy clubs. But remember, the other thing is that, so HBO goes on in the air in 1972. One of the things that HBO figures that they can do very well is live comedy. And in fact, their value proposition to comedians is, listen, you're going to spend all your life trying to get on like Johnny Carson show, and you're going to get four minutes. And the first person you're going to meet is the network censor. Welcome to hbo. We're going to give you an hour special and you can say whatever the you want. And so all of a sudden, there's this amazing, amazing growth of standup comedy specials on H, which then translates into a burgeoning, I mean, just a blowout of comedy clubs across the country. You can see that the number of comedy clubs in 1970, 71, 72, is, you know, like a couple dozen or whatever, and there's hundreds within five years. It just is part of that explosion. And so SNL is also able to take advantage of that by scouting a lot of comedians in comedy clubs.

[James Andrew Miller]

So Lorraine Newman came from Ground Lengths, Gilda, Dan Aykroyd, John Belushi from Second City. Yep. Garrett Morris had a pretty decent television career before Saturday Night Live. What were the qualities that Lorne was looking for in a cast?

[Dave Holmes]

So I think that if you look at the seven of them, I think what Lorne has done is he's picked a bunch of talented people who don't replicate each other and can make sketches seem bigger than they are because it's a wider swath of performers and sensibilities.

[James Andrew Miller]

Yeah, they get this nickname, the Not Ready for Primetime Players.

[Dave Holmes]

I mean, look, it is one of the things that a producer called them because they're a little rough around the edges. They don't have the level of experience that a lot of people did who were appearing on network sitcoms. And so, in a way, it was kind of like a dig. But it also became this kind of badge of honor. Like, you know, we're not ready for prime time. And guess what? We don't want to be in prime time, because all the things that we're going to be doing now, we can't do in prime time. Lorne enabled them to develop this mindset where they weren't looking for approval, they weren't looking over their shoulder. And thank God the NBC executives figured out who they were dealing with, because they put the SNL offices on a totally different elevator bank. So you don't run into anybody from snl, and there's people who are smoking weed and doing lines and, you know, all this stuff. And so they just let them have their own world. It was like a biosphere. There's also. There's a collection of writers. You know, we pay a lot of attention to the cast, but, like, Allen Zweibel is, like, slicing deli meat and selling jokes for five to ten dollars to comedians.

So what about the writers?

[James Andrew Miller]

What kind of voice do you think.

[Dave Holmes]

He was going for?

They're very sardonic. They're very wry. They're very willing to take on the establishment. They don't want to just do set up, set up, punchline. They will come up with characters that are so offbeat that you can't help but wonder whether or not you're laughing at them or with them. These are people who think differently. That's when you know that sometimes you're onto something because you're dealing with the aisle of misfit toys. And these people are able to go to great lengths to come up with stuff that, you know, we hadn't seen before. Can I give you an example?

[James Andrew Miller]

Please do.

[Dave Holmes]

So they're all sitting around the office and someone walks in, like, hash in face and says, oh my God, Elvis just died. And Michael Adoni, without skipping a beat, goes, good career move. Which of course turned out to be true. But that's beside the point. Like that he had that off the top of his head that he was able to that sardonic, ry, irreverent, caustic, but still terribly funny take on it. I mean, he could have 100 people in that room and nobody would come up with that.

When we return, the first episode and all the backstage drama that played out on that fateful Saturday night.

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[James Andrew Miller]

What was the first of these Saturday nights between Dress and Live like, who was feeling the pressure the most, would you say?

[Dave Holmes]

Well, theoretically, it should have been Lorne, but he doesn't. He's a very unusual man. He's a very unusual man and you don't know whether he's being himself or whether he's decided to create the character of Lorne and he's playing that character, but he doesn't really panic. And I think that there is a lot of times when you can't help but make a decision between dress and show. And, you know, a cast member is going to be pissed off or a writer is going to be pissed off or whatever, but he holds it together and generally speaking, sticks with his instincts. Even though he gets a lot of input from other people. It's a lot harder than it sounds.

[James Andrew Miller]

Aside from Lorne, were there any other NBC executives who felt like their necks were on the line with this project?

[Dave Holmes]

You know, obviously a lot of people. A lot of people at NBC had a big stake in the success of this show. Even though it started in a very modest way. There was little marketing for this show. Even though it was a brand new show, little premiere. There wasn't. Let's just say that there wasn't a lot of attention being paid to it. In fact, only Two thirds of NBC's affiliates even ran the show. You know, it's hard for us to think about because it became such an institution, but there wasn't this sense of inevitability. In fact, it was. Wasn't even ordered for a full season. It was the old, like, you know, we'll trust you, but we want to see what you really come up with and see how long it lasts. And there were people within SNL that didn't think it was going to last long. There were certainly people on the corridors of NBC who didn't give it a wing and a prayer. You don't want to let go of that kind of real estate Saturday night. You know, given the fact that the audience was used to watching Johnny's reruns, you don't want to let it just evaporate. I mean, Dick Eversol, you know, the vice president for late night who's charged with development, I mean, he put his ass on the line to pick Lorne and he was the go between. And I think there were some tough times between Lorne and Dick, but they worked through it. I mean, Lauren almost quit a couple of times over things even once about lighting, you know, budgets, all this stuff. There was a lot to navigate through.

[James Andrew Miller]

Yeah, even. Even with this huge break on network television at the age of 30, he was not afraid to quit and say, I'm not coming in because, you know, I have to stick to my guns about this lighting director.

[Dave Holmes]

Yeah, he's like, I gotta do it my way. This is what I need to do. You gotta give Lorne a lot of credit because he was obviously willing to, you know, walk away from it or get fired if he couldn't do it the way he wanted. And as a result, by not creating an ecosystem where, you know, you're trying to predict what the audience wants or you're trying to go after the tried and true formulas that have worked in the past, it was fundamentally different, and I think that's part of what made SNL so cool.

So take me into the lead up right before Aehr.

[James Andrew Miller]

Things are still a little uneasy, to.

[Dave Holmes]

Say the least, right?

Yes, yes. Chevy Chase says to one of the producers, what do you think I should do next? Because it was clear in his mind that this thing was going to crash and burn. Like, 15 minutes before the show, Bernie Brillstein says to Lauren, hey, I'm looking at the band and they're not in their tuxedos yet. And, like, Lauren looks at him like, what do you mean, man? We're rejecting the old. This is new. And so when you start off with that sketch, it's almost like doubling down right from the beginning. It's as raw as raw can be. You got John Belushi using this crazy, crazy accent, talking about the Wolverines. You got Michael O'Donohue, who's a senior writer on the show, doing a fake heart attack. So you really don't even understand what's going on.

[James Andrew Miller]

I'm glad you brought up that first sketch, because even now, you turn it on and it's not quite clear what they're doing at first. And in fact, there's even laughter from the studio audience before anything really happens. It already, even for the people there, feels unfamiliar.

[Dave Holmes]

You know, I've always appreciated the fact that they decided to go balls to the walls right from the beginning and show their. Reveal their DNA, reveal their ethos, reveal their strategy, which was, we're going to do what we want. The other thing is, there isn't this grand plan. The DNA of SNL is not. It's. It's not woven tightly. There's almost like a grunge quality to it. And then, of course, Chevy pops out and says, fly from New York. It's Saturday night. None of this had ever been seen before.

[James Andrew Miller]

It's astonishing to me that the first few minutes of the first episode of the show are as strange and difficult to identify as they are. And NBC allowed that to happen. But a major sticking point was the idea of George Carlin as the host wearing a T shirt rather than a collared shirt.

[Dave Holmes]

It was funny because the paradox of them being able to start the show with a guy having a heart attack, a guy you can barely understand with a thick accent, yada, yada, yada. But then they're so worried about Carlin and whether or not he's wearing a jacket, of course they compromise. He's got a T shirt underneath the jacket, stoned out of his freaking mind while he's doing the show. But that's beside the point.

[James Andrew Miller]

In episode one, another thing that really jumps out is how little the not ready for primetime players have to do.

[Dave Holmes]

There's a lot going on and a lot of it doesn't involve the cast at all.

I mean, just think about this. The Muppets, a film by Albert Brooks, Janice, Ian, Billy Preston, and then Andy Kaufman. Of course, you mentioned the Muppets.

[James Andrew Miller]

And it's strange that they're there obviously in the first place, but it's also strange that for this project, Jim Henson gave the power to write for Muppets to the Saturday Night Live writing staff. I never thought of anyone other than Jim Henson's people writing for the Muppets. But in this instance, it's a laboratory, right?

[Dave Holmes]

You're throwing a lot at the wall. Why not? Let's try this, let's try that. And so when something doesn't work, you say, okay, it doesn't work. Something like the Muffets, you think, okay, it's hit. Diminishing marginal returns. It's really hard when you're doing a show like this to kind of keep a gauge on that, right? I mean, because it's not quantum mechanics. There isn't like a chalkboard with this definitive equation. I mean, nothing's for sure. But when you're trying to develop a show and you're really building the DNA of the show, you gotta be careful. And I think it's a pretty amazing track record.

[James Andrew Miller]

And, you know, the ratings were decent and the reviews were mixed, but Lorne said, I guess we're a hit. Which I can't decide whether that's great producing or whether that is an early use of the Secret or, you know, was he manifesting what would become.

[Dave Holmes]

It's the best. It's like ESPN who's like, in Bristol, Connecticut, right? And they're in the middle of nowhere. They're not anywhere close to what NBC, CBS and ABC Sports is like. And they decide, one year we're going to call ourselves the worldwide leader in sports. I mean, why not? You know, And Lauren decides, because people were so. Remember, there was no security. They didn't have like a two year order or a whole full season order. So Loren decides he's going to proffer the opinion or ahead. So I think it's an audacious, particularly outstanding move because it gives people, these youngsters on the show, both in front of the camera and behind the sense that, hey, you know what? We're going to make it. Yeah, I guess we're it. You know, we're it. It's like, it's like, why not own it before anything? And by the way, I'm so glad you brought this up, because when he, when he said that, it, like, permeates into, like the drywall in the building. You can't argue it, you know, has a real kinetic effect on the cast in the show. And by the way, the NBC executives, too.

[James Andrew Miller]

What was the audience reaction to the first show?

[Dave Holmes]

I've talked to people who are in the audience. They were there for the ride. This was a great ride. This was something we had not seen before. Just the mixture, the combination, this cocktail of music and comedy and a film and sketches and all this other stuff, you know, the irreverence of it all. We'd not seen anything like it. Now, of course, the other thing that happens after for a show is people, I think a couple people said to me, well, yeah, how are we going to ever do that again? You know, because there's a part of you that feels like it was such a mammoth undertaking and there were so many disparate parts to it. The idea of doing it again next week is like climbing Everest on a cold day in your shorts. I mean, it's like, wait a second, we're going to, like, how are we going to do that? But that's part of, you know, what Lauren instills, which is, okay, great, we'll see everybody Monday.

Of course, Lorne Michaels and the revolving door of immensely talented cast, crew and writers would put their shorts on and climb Everest week after week for another 49 years and counting. It's clear Michaels had a vision. But in these tense moments before they first went live, the arguments with NBC executives wrangling a cast of 20 somethings, finding writers behind Deli counters, it's hard to imagine that he ever would have expected that this was the start of a TV dynasty. And whether you're a fan of Saturday Night Live or not, the fact that people still debate the show's merits today is a testament to its longevity. And you have to admit, what started on October 11, 1975, is a little more exciting than hearing the national anthem and watching a flag wave.

[Sally]

Hey, it's Sally again. Thanks for listening to History this week, a Back Pocket Studios production in partnership with the History Channel. To stay updated on all things History this week, sign [e-mail] and if you have any thoughts or questions, send us an [e-mail] Special thanks. Today to our guest, James Andrew Miller, author of Live from New An Uncensored History of Saturday Night Live. This episode was hosted by Dave Holmes, Esquire's LA based Editor at large. His memoir, Party of One is out now. This episode was produced by David Weisbord and sound designed by Ben Dickstein for Back Pocket Studios. Our executive producers are Ben Dickstein and David Weisbord. From the History Channel. Our executive producers are Eli Lehrer and Liv Fiddler. Don't forget to follow, rate and review History this Week wherever you get your podcasts and we will see you next week. Hey listeners, we just want to let you know that as we head into the holidays, History this Week is not going anywhere. You'll have plenty of new stories to share with family and friends, so when you're showing off everything you learned, make sure to tell them you got it from History this Week.