📺 SNL: The Snickers Bar of Saturday Night | 50

Summary

Podcast Summary: "📺 SNL: The Snickers Bar of Saturday Night"

Podcast: The Best Idea Yet (Wondery)
Hosts: Nick Martell & Jack Crivici Kramer
Episode: 50 – September 23, 2025
Theme: The untold origin story, cultural impact, and business genius behind Saturday Night Live (SNL) and its creator Lorne Michaels—exploring how a late-night sketch show became a launchpad for generations of comedy, a multi-media empire, and even helped put YouTube on the map.

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Episode Overview

This episode dives into the birth, near-death, and continued reinvention of SNL, tracing its lineage from a risky late-night experiment to one of the most prolific and culturally relevant TV shows in history. Nick and Jack explore SNL’s unique business model (likened by Lorne Michaels to a Snickers bar), its ever-changing (and star-making) cast, the high-wire act of producing a live show every week, and both the creative and institutional crises the show survived. They celebrate SNL’s resilience, Lorne Michaels’ showrunner genius, and the show’s surprising tech legacy as a digital video powerhouse.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. SNL’s Late-Night Origin Story ([05:08]–[13:32])

• TV's "Slime Time" and SNL's Unique Slot:
  SNL occupies the unwanted 11:30pm slot (“slime time”), after the prime-time viewership drop-off. "It's pajama programming. Viewership drops like 50% after 11pm."
  — Nick Martell ([00:30])
• The Birth of SNL:
  NBC needed to fill this slot after Johnny Carson demanded fewer reruns. A young Canadian comedy writer, Lorne Michaels, pitched a subversive, youth-oriented, live sketch variety show—untested and different from anything on TV.
• Lorne’s Vision:
  SNL would blend the edginess of underground comedy groups with a format he described as “a cross between Monty Python and 60 Minutes.” He insisted on using “unknown” comedic talents rather than celebrities ([08:28]).

2. Assembling the First Cast & Chaos of Early Production ([08:55]–[15:14])

• Casting the Not-Ready-for-Primetime Players:
  • Chevy Chase was hired as a writer, but his physical antics got him cast on screen ([09:24]).
  • Gilda Radner was the first official cast member; she encouraged Lorne to bring John Belushi aboard.
  • The ensemble developed through “network and telephone pre LinkedIn” ([09:20]).
• Studio 8H’s Challenges:
  Lorne insisted on costly renovations of a decrepit radio studio, demanding creative and budgetary control, even as ABC unveiled their own “Saturday Night Live” in primetime, forcing NBC’s version to start as "NBC’s Saturday Night" ([13:25]).
• Rocky Rehearsals:
  Pre-show run-throughs were “a total disaster”—unfinished sets, unresolved cast egos, heavy drug use, and nervous network executives.

3. The First Live Show and Inventing TV Tradition ([17:51]–[21:15])

• Debut Episode Cold Open:
  The “cold open” and the iconic phrase “Live from New York, it’s Saturday Night” debut ([19:17]).

  “The first episode of Saturday Night live…George Carlin is the first ever host which has the network kind of sweating. You see, they're afraid he's gonna say one of those seven words you can't say on television.” — Nick Martell ([19:22])

• Show Structure Emerges:
  Early episodes are overstuffed, but a winning formula emerges: one host, one musical guest, a few pre-tapes, and a steady run of live sketches.

4. The Six-Day Sprint – How SNL is Made ([21:46]–[26:08])

• The Weekly Workflow:
  • Monday: Pitch meeting at 6pm in Lorne’s night-owl office ([21:49]).
  • Tuesday: Writing overnight while Lorne wines and dines the host.
  • Wednesday: Table read—most sketches doomed to be cut ([22:53]).
  • Thursday: Build day, set construction, props, blocking ([23:09]).
  • Friday: Lorne despairs ("We have nothing" [24:46]), show seems doomed.
  • Saturday: Dress rehearsal and frantic last-minute cuts; “the script isn’t safe until the on air light flicks on at 11:30pm” ([26:08]).
• Ownership Culture:
  Each writer runs their own sketch, a “mini showrunner”—a lesson in accountability and empowerment ([24:11]).

5. Avoided Disaster, Sudden Fame, and the “Snickers Bar” Formula ([26:26]–[30:24])

• Instant Ratings & Fame:
  SNL rapidly attracts a massive, young audience and critical acclaim, launching the careers of Chase, Belushi, Aykroyd, and Radner.

  “Each week, SNL is getting around 7 million viewers…Slime time. These are super bowl level Numbers.” — Jack Crivici Kramer ([27:03])

• Fame’s Fallout:
  Fame leads to backstage drama, cast departures (Chevy refers to himself in the third person—“Chevy thinks that Chevy deserves a raise” [28:11]).
• SNL as Star Factory – but with Turbulence:
  Aykroyd and Belushi leave after four seasons, but SNL soldiers on—even as Lorne and the original cast quit after Season 5 due to network interference and burnout ([31:15]).

6. SNL's Awkward 'Puberty' and Revival ([33:48]–[36:57])

• Post-Lorne Woes (Gene & Ebersol Years):
  The show stumbles creatively and loses ratings. But a new star emerges: Eddie Murphy, whose talents keep SNL alive through its roughest patch.
• Lorne’s Triumphant Return (SNL 2.0):
  By 1985, Lorne is back, launching an era defined by Dana Carvey, Phil Hartman, Mike Myers, and a rebirth of iconic characters ([35:49]–[36:14]).
• Business Model Innovation:
  The Wayne’s World sketch turns into a movie blockbuster. Lorne’s foray into producing film spinoffs (e.g. Wayne’s World, Blues Brothers) cements SNL as more than TV—a launchpad and IP generator ([36:14]).

7. SNL’s Unexpected Impact on the Internet ([37:51]–[40:07])

• The YouTube Era:
  Andy Samberg and The Lonely Island’s “Lazy Sunday” sketch ([38:09]) goes viral on a fledgling YouTube, massively boosting the platform’s audience. NBC at first resists, threatening lawsuits, but by 2013 SNL’s official channel becomes a digital juggernaut ([39:43]).

  “Turns out SNL and YouTube go together like bread and butter. The channel now has 16 million subscribers…” — Jack Crivici Kramer ([40:07])

• SNL’s Cross-Platform Dominance:
  7 million broadcast viewers, but 25–50 million weekly YouTube hits.

8. Lorne Michaels’ Legacy and the SNL Formula ([40:22]–[43:45])

• Lorne as Kingmaker:
  At 80, Lorne is still at the helm. He’s made stars, moguls, and an enduring brand—and the question of his successor is open (Tina Fey, Seth Meyers, Colin Jost?) ([41:34]).

• “Snickers Bar” Model:
  Lorne’s metaphor for SNL’s success:

  “The Snickers bar is the model for SNL success. Because the Snickers has variety and consistency.... A balanced variety of ingredients assembled in a consistent, consistent format that puts customers at ease." — Jack Crivici Kramer ([42:11])

  • No two Snickers are exactly alike—just like no two SNL episodes ([42:37]).

• Efficient Inefficiency:
  Lorne respects inefficiency—waiting to cut sketches until he can assess them in front of a live audience:

  “Inefficiency can actually be very efficient.” — Nick Martell ([42:49])

9. Best Facts Yet: SNL’s Enduring Traditions ([43:50]–[45:28])

• Handwritten Cue Cards:
  SNL still refuses teleprompters—Lorne’s superstition prevails ([44:14]).
• Legendary Sketches:
  The “More Cowbell” sketch starring Christopher Walken was almost a “woodblock” sketch and nearly cut several times ([44:57]).

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "For all the iconic names associated with this show, there is one name that looms above all the others. The Canadian king of SNL himself...Lorne Michaels."
  — Nick Martell ([02:12])
• “Lauren cracks up…Chevy is in the cast.”
  — Nick Martell ([09:52]) (Chevy’s pratfall gets him hired)
• “NBC Saturday night is over budget by $50,000 per episode.”
  — Nick Martell ([14:35])
• "You just have to keep on moving. And afterwards, everyone, including Lorne Michaels, breathes a huge sigh of relief."
  — Nick Martell ([20:41])
• "...Each product needs an owner, someone responsible to take it to the finish line. The buck stops with them."
  — Jack Crivici Kramer ([24:11])
• "The script isn’t safe until the on air light flicks on at 11:30pm Eastern."
  — Nick Martell ([26:08])
• “Wayne’s World is the first SNL spinoff produced by Lorne himself. And it makes over 183 million bucks worldwide kickstarting Mike Myers film career...”
  — Nick Martell ([36:20])
• “Lazy Sunday” increases YouTube’s traffic by 83% in a week."
  — Jack Crivici Kramer ([38:43])
• "SNL and YouTube go together like bread and butter."
  — Jack Crivici Kramer ([40:07])
• "The Snickers bar is the model for SNL success…"
  — Jack Crivici Kramer ([42:11])
• "Inefficiency can actually be very efficient."
  — Nick Martell ([42:49])
• “More cowbell. Almost didn’t have Walken in it. And it almost didn’t have a cowbell.”
  — Nick Martell ([44:28])

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Timeline of Important Segments

| Timestamp | Segment | |-----------|-------------------------------------------------------------| | 00:15 | Prime Time, "Slime Time", Introduction to SNL | | 05:08 | Power breakfast pitch—Lorne Michaels meets NBC | | 08:28 | The original show format: Monty Python meets 60 Minutes | | 09:24 | Chevy Chase's pratfall & hiring; assembling the cast | | 13:25 | SNL's rival on ABC, the "Saturday Night Live" name issue | | 17:51 | First live SNL show, debut of the "cold open" | | 21:46 | Six-day production sprint explained in granular detail | | 24:11 | Writer-as-showrunner and “ownership” lesson | | 26:26 | SNL’s early ratings, the fame effect, and growing pains | | 31:15 | Lorne and nearly all cast leave after on-air insult | | 33:48 | Decline in Lorne-less era, Eddie Murphy's arrival | | 35:49 | Lorne's return and ‘SNL 2.0’ creative rebirth | | 36:14 | SNL's movie franchise business model | | 38:09 | “Lazy Sunday” and the rise of YouTube | | 40:07 | SNL’s digital audience, YouTube stats | | 41:34 | Lorne’s succession and legacy | | 42:11 | Snickers bar model, inefficiency, and creative lessons | | 43:50 | Enduring traditions and fun sketches ("Best Facts Yet") |

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Closing Thoughts & Takeaways

Lorne’s Recipe for Enduring, Varied, Yet Consistent Success:
The show’s remarkable adaptability—no two episodes are alike, but the formula always is—has made SNL much more than a variety show. It’s become a launching pad, a cultural mirror, and now, a digital brand.

Organizational Lessons:

• Embrace creative risk—even "inefficient" processes can be best if they allow for last-minute, audience-driven excellence.
• Create ownership structures (writers as showrunners) for innovation.

Business Model Insight:
SNL is more than show; it’s an institution: star-maker, franchise engine, YouTube viral hit generator—thanks to one man’s consistent creative vision.

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Next Week: The origins of L.L. Bean.

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This summary was crafted to capture the episode’s original tone: upbeat, witty, and full of “hero pro stats.” It highlights the entrepreneurial creativity and wild perseverance behind one of America’s most influential pop culture institutions.

Transcript

[Nick Martell]

Wondery subscribers can listen to the best idea yet, early and ad free right now.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

Join Wondery plus in the Wondery app or on Apple Podcasts.

[Nick Martell]

Jack, do you know what the official timing is for prime time?

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

I think it's 9 to 10 Eastern.

[Nick Martell]

Time, 7 to 10 weekdays, 8 to 11 weekends, but after that, do you know what they call the time after prime time?

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

Late night.

[Nick Martell]

They call it slime time. Love that. It's pajama programming. Viewership drops like 50% after 11pm I.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

Remember the first time I was allowed to watch TV after 11. It was actually Y2K. I was 12 years old waiting to.

[Nick Martell]

See if the world fell apart.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

Yeah, we were on the edge of our seat, like wondering what the hell was about to happen. And I got to watch the ball drop in Times Square. It was very exciting being able to watch late.

[Nick Martell]

But Jack, that's what's so funny about that slime time timeslot is that it's the most unwanted of time slots on tv. And yet there's one program that is the most culturally relevant entertainment show in our country, and it occupies that moment.

[Sketch Performer/Character]

Live from New York, it's Saturday Night.

[Nick Martell]

It's Saturday Night Live, the classic late night sketch comedy show on NBC. And the reason we all know Chevy Chase as a person, not just A.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

Suburb of D.C. with 1,000 episodes, it's one of the longest running shows in TV history.

[Nick Martell]

And one key feature is the constantly changing cast.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

Except for Kenan Thompson.

[Nick Martell]

Good point, Jack. SNL has employed over 160 different cast members and counting.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

SNL brought to life hundreds of unforgettable characters. The Blues Brothers got the band back together on snl, and Domingo broke up a wedding twice.

[Nick Martell]

But SNL didn't just create iconic characters and sketches. It launched dozens of wildly successful, successful careers. Your favorite comedy movie, there's a good chance it stars a former SNL cast member. From Eddie Murphy and Adam Sandler to Amy Poehler and Tina Fey, we would.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

Argue that SNL is the greatest platform for launching talent in the history of entertainment.

[Nick Martell]

But Jack, for all the iconic names associated with this show, there is one name that looms above all the others. The Canadian king of SNL himself.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

We're talking about the show's executive producer and chief architect, Lorne Michaels.

[Nick Martell]

Tonight, we will share with you the incredible story of how Lorne Michaels developed one of late night's most enduring sources of laughs, from the Coneheads to the Californians.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

And we'll look at how that has translated into pure profit power for NBC.

[Nick Martell]

Not just in the 80 million bucks a year in ad revenue. But in all the spinoff shows and films created by SNL alums, many produced by Lorne himself.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

But like in every great comedy sketch, Nick, there's a complicating twist here because SNL almost fell apart before it even reached full orbit. Not just once, but twice.

[Nick Martell]

We'll hear why inefficiency can really be.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

Efficient and how the key to success can be found inside a Snickers bar.

[Nick Martell]

Plus, we'll walk you through how SNL puts together a show in only six days, just in time for Saturday night.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

And how SNL put YouTube on the map.

[Nick Martell]

We've got a great show for you tonight. Sabrina Carpenter is here. So stick around.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

We got. We got Sabrina Carpenter on the show.

[Nick Martell]

No, I'm just saying that's what they say, you know, like. But Sabrina, hey, you're welcome to come on this show anytime. Just bring more cowbell. Here is why Saturday Night Live is the best idea yet. From Wondery and T Boy. I'm Nick Martell.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

And I'm Jack Crevici Kramer.

[Nick Martell]

And this is the best idea yet. The untold origin stories of the products you're obsessed with and the bold risk.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

Takers who made them go viral.

[Pacific Life Narrator]

What can 160 years of experience teach you about the future?

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

A lot.

[Pacific Life Narrator]

Especially when it comes to protecting what matters. At Pacific Life, we've helped people and businesses confidently embrace the future with life insurance, retirement income and employee benefits. With strategies built on strength and trust and a promise to be here for you today and tomorrow. Ask a financial professional how Pacific Life can help you today. Pacific Life Insurance Company, Omaha, Nebraska. And in New York, Pacific Life and Annuity, Phoenix, Arizona.

[Nick Cannon]

It's your man, Nick Cannon. And I'm here to bring you my new podcast, Nick Cannon at Night. Every week, I'm bringing out some of my celebrity friends and the best experts in the business to answer your most intimate relationship questions. So don't be shy, join the conversation and head over to YouTube to watch Nick Cannon at Night or subscribe on the Wondery app or wherever you get your podcast.

[Nick Martell]

In lovely Los Angeles, the most important meetings happen at breakfast. Clean white tablecloths, coffee and silver crafts next to plates of fresh fruit and and overpriced eggs Benedict. It's 8am we're at the Polo Lounge of the historic Beverly Hills Hotel, early 1975. Three NBC executives are sitting across from a slightly rumpled 30 year old Canadian writer, producer Lorne Michaels.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

Lorne should be thrilled. Sitting at a power breakfast with network brass. But he's having trouble soaking it all in because for Lorne Michaels, 8am is way too, way too early.

[Nick Martell]

Yeah, Lauren's a lifelong night owl. Here he's an eggs at noon, dinner at 10pm kind of a guy. So he narrows his eyes at the man across from him, a Sandy Haired, 27 year old executive named Dick Ebersole.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

Now, as NBC's new head of weekend late night programming, Dick has one job right now. Close a gap in NBC's late night lineup.

[Nick Martell]

You see, Saturday nights at 11:30pm used to be for reruns of Johnny Carson's Tonight Show. But Johnny wants more time off to play golf, so his reruns are moving to a weekday. So for the past five months, Dick has been searching for comedy producers to create a live variety show to fill the time slot.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

Live variety shows can be a real cost saver in the TV business because you shoot it once and you're done. There's no retakes, no post production, and often not much of a script either. Just some jokey monologues in between music, musical numbers.

[Nick Martell]

Dick needs a showrunner though, for this new live variety show. And this is exactly what has led him to Lorne.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

Born Lauren Lipowicz of Toronto, Lorne's resume includes writing for the variety show Laugh in, which helped launch the careers of Lily Tomlin and Goldie Hawn.

[Nick Martell]

And he even had his own variety show back up in Canada called the Hart and Lauren Terrific Hour.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

And now it's time once again to.

[Nick Martell]

Talk to our old friend, the Canadian Beaver.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

How are you feeling, Beef? Pretty chipper, pretty chipper.

[Nick Martell]

But Lauren's greatest talent isn't performing, it's vision. And he has a revolutionary idea for what comedy on television might look like.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

At the time, network television is mostly playing it safe with their late night programming. The biggest comedy variety acts are getting kind of old.

[Nick Martell]

But Lauren, on the other hand, he thinks sketch comedy on TV actually has a chance to speak the language of young people. It can be subversive, sharp and silly.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

And it can reflect the vibrant underground comedy scene of the time. The 70s was all about sketch troupes like the Groundlings in LA and Second City in Chicago and Toronto.

[Nick Martell]

This is exactly what Lorne is pitching to the NBC brass at that meeting. A sketch comedy show with a sense of danger.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

But what he's painting is really a grand vision. Here's what Lorne says. We're going to make TV for young people, the generation that's grown up on tv.

[Nick Martell]

Now, interestingly, Lawrence Pitch doesn't get specific There are a lot of details to still figure out down the road, and NBC hasn't given him the green light yet. For 10 days, Dick and Lauren hole up at the Chateau Marmont hotel to work out a format for their variety show. Lauren describes this as a cross between Monty Python and 60 Minutes.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

It'll have a core group of cast members, a house band, visiting musical acts, and a guest host that varies every week.

[Nick Martell]

The rotating guest host will add legitimacy and novelty to the show. Novelty because the host changes every week. If you didn't like last week's show, hey, stick around for what this week's host is going to do.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

And adds legitimacy because the guest host will be famous. Which allows the repertory players to be actors nobody's ever heard of.

[Nick Martell]

Now this no name cast of players is what Lauren considers his secret weapon. Unburdened by the network's opinion of who's hot, he can just trust his own comedic gut and focus on finding the funniest newcomers in comedy.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

So as spring turns to summer of 1975, Lauren pours through both live and taped auditions. And the way the cast develops is like a game of network and telephone pre LinkedIn.

[Nick Martell]

All right, Jack. You know who the first comic Lauren considers is?

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

Who is it?

[Nick Martell]

It's Chevy Chase. But here's the deal. They don't cast him right away. Instead, Chevy Chase gets a job as a writer until, as legend has it, Lorne runs into Chevy on the street a few weeks later. They start talking, and as Chevy leaves, he immediately trips and tumbles head over heels right into a puddle, full somersault. Then he stands up, brushes himself off like nothing happened. And Lauren cracks up.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

It's a gag.

[Nick Martell]

Totally jacked. And you know what? It works just like that. Chevy is in the cast.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

But the first person Lauren actually casts on SNL is the delightful Gilda Radner.

[Sketch Performer/Character]

More violins on television. It's terrible the way things work.

[Nick Martell]

Mr. Tella, that was violence on television, not violins.

[Sketch Performer/Character]

Oh, well, that's different.

[Nick Martell]

Yes.

[Nick Cannon]

Never mind.

[Nick Martell]

Gilda is playful. She's sweet, with a face to face that can't help scrunching up in a smile. She grew up in Detroit, but she started her career in Canada, so she is part of a comedy circle that Lauren trusts from north of the border.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

And it's Gilda who persuades Lauren to take a chance on a wild, unconventional writer and performer who has started to build a name for himself. John Belushi. Basically, everyone in Lorne's orbit either knows or has worked with John, and they all say he's a genius.

[Nick Martell]

But Lorne isn't so sure.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

Basically, John is a sketch guy, a comics comic, if you will. He thinks TV is a cheap form of comedy.

[Nick Martell]

But after a while, even John starts feeling a little bit of fomo, especially because his friends are getting hired. Gilda, Chevy, Dan Aykroyd. John starts to worry. Maybe he does actually want to be on tv. The show is going to be different from anything else on television. So they work it out. Belushi gets hired, and Lorne moves on to the next big task, making the dang show. The next few months are a whirlwind of meetings, deal memos and fights.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

Not actual fist fights.

[Nick Martell]

Well, not yet, Jack, but fights between Lauren and the network. Because Lauren has been asking for a lot, including a $300,000 renovation of the studio NBC has designated for the project. Studio 8H. Studio 8H was built as a radio studio in the 1930s and used to broadcast live performances of NBC's Symphony Orchestra.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

But after the 1950s, the studio fell out of use.

[Nick Martell]

So by the time Lauren gets a look at it, it's kind of a dump. It's small, the equipment's old. The speakers sound like the one at a McDonald's drive through. So Lauren has to remind NBC that he's book some big name musical guests. We need this renovation. Lauren insists.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

A $300,000 renovation, by the way, is like $1.8 million today. And keep in mind that Lauren is not even an official NBC employee. Technically, he's a contractor and he's making all these expensive demands.

[Nick Martell]

But Lauren does have one major piece of leverage with NBC. Lauren handpicked the talent, he set the vision. He's embedded in every aspect and detail of the production and.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

And despite how it feels to learn sometimes, NBC is genuinely invested in the show's success. Because surprise, NBC, America's number two network, has got competition from the third place network, abc.

[Nick Martell]

Their longtime sports broadcaster, Howard Cassell is trying his hand at comedy these days. You know this guy, 61, curly cult, these Kansas City chiefs, 81. Doesn't look real sharp either. We are less than a month before Lauren's show is going to debut on NBC. Meanwhile, Howard debuts a live primetime comedy hour on ABC called Saturday Night Live.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

This is insane. Before SNL launched, there was another show called Saturday Night Live.

[Nick Martell]

There was. And honestly, the ABC version seems like the horse to bet on at the time. First, it's in a primetime slot, 9pm so it's expected to get much better ratings than the 11:30pm slime time slot. And second, they've got major star power booked as guests like Frank Sinatra, Siegfried and Roy and the Broadway cast of the Wiz. So basically, besties. If you were a venture capitalist, yeah, this is the startup you'd be writing. The check to ABC's Saturday Night Live.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

And Cosell's repertory cast is known as the Primetime Players. Feeling snarky? Someone in Lauren shop calls their cast the Not Ready for Primetime Players.

[Nick Martell]

And because the name SNL is already taken, Lauren calls his show NBC's Saturday Night.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

NBCSN. That sounds like a channel to watch minor league baseball games.

[Nick Martell]

But with the two networks locked in a sketch comedy arms race, NBC doesn't have much of a choice. Eventually, whatever Lauren wants, NBA Lauren gets those studio renovations. They happen.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

The set and costume budgets, you get them. By the time Lauren and his crew get to their Friday run through one day before the premiere, NBC Saturday night is over budget by $50,000 per episode.

[Nick Martell]

Yeti's the Friday run through is a total disaster. The stage isn't done, meaning there are literally piles of bricks in the corner still waiting to be laid.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

Also, the performers egos are clashing. Belushi hasn't signed his contract yet. And oh Nick, the reason those Hollywood types kept on booking those LA hotels. The drugs.

[Nick Martell]

That's why.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

That's another issue Lauren's got to deal with.

[Nick Martell]

Nagging feeling starts creeping up on the cast and the crew in Studio 8H. What if this crazy, hugely expensive show just doesn't work?

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

But there's one person who has zero doubt. Or at least that's what he'll tell you. No one will truly know whether there's fear in his heart. But Lorne Michaels knows this much.

[Nick Martell]

The show will go on, even if Lorne has to personally will it into existence.

[Charlie Brent]

On Boxing Day 2018, 20 year old Joy Morgan was last seen at her church, Israel United Incorporated. Christ or iuic. I just went on my Snapchat and I just see her face plastered everywhere. This is the missing sister. The true story of a woman betrayed by those she trusted most.

[Denise Chan]

IUIC is my family and like the.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

Best family that I've ever had.

[Charlie Brent]

But IUIC isn't like most churches.

[Nick Martell]

This is a devilish cult. You know when you get that feeling like you just, I don't want to be here and I want to get out. It's like that feeling of like, I want to go hang out.

[Charlie Brent]

I'm Charlie Brent, Coast Cuff. And after years of investigating Joy's case, I need to know what really happened to Joy. Binge all episodes of the Missing Sister exclusively and ad free right now on Wondery. Start your free trial of Wondery on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or in the Wondery app.

[Denise Chan]

Hi, I'm Denise Chan, host of Scam Factory. You might remember hearing about our investigative series that exposed what's really happening behind those suspicious texts you get inside heavily guarded compounds across Asia, thousands are trapped and forced to scam others or risk torture. One of our most powerful stories was Jela's a young woman who thought she'd found her dream job only to end up imprisoned in a scam compound. Her escape story caught the attention of criminal's Phoebe Judge and am honored to share more details of Jella's journey with their audience. But Jella's story is just one piece of this investigation. In Scam Factory, we reveal how a billion dollar criminal empire turns job seekers into prisoners and how the only way out is to scam your way out. Ready to uncover the full story? Binge all episodes of Scam Factory now. Listen to Scam Factory on the Wondery app or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Nick Martell]

Saturday night, October 11, 1975. Studio 8H is so packed, you're schwitzing in your seats. Rows of audience members on three sides extend from the floor to the ceiling. Two armchairs sit on stage. One is empty, the other occupied by a man in a brown suit reading the newspaper.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

A second man, played by John Belushi, waddles on in, and then he sits down in the second armchair.

[Nick Martell]

A language lesson begins. Repeat after me. I would like. I would like.

[Nick Cannon]

To feed your fingertips.

[Nick Martell]

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

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

Now, this is called a cold open. A scene that starts with absolutely no context. You just have to jump right in.

[Nick Martell]

And today, the cold open is part of basic storytelling structure. Actually, we have a cold open on our show every week. Like, that's how we open, with a little bit of improv right there. But Lorne Michaels is the first to call it a cold open.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

The entire Wolverine sketch is less than two minutes long. And it ends when the language teacher has a massive heart attack. He clutches his chest as he tumbles to the floor. So his student Volushi thinks it's part of the lesson. And he clutches his chest and falls down on the floor next to him.

[Nick Martell]

And then Chevy Chase comes on stage.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

And he looks at the two men and then flashes a thousand watt smile and says these magic words.

[Sketch Performer/Character]

Live from New York, it's Saturday night.

[Nick Martell]

There we go. We got a catch. Phrase. The first episode of Saturday Night live. I'm sorry, NBC's Saturday Night is up and running. George Carlin is the first ever host which has the network kind of sweating. You see, they're afraid he's gonna say one of those seven words you can't say on television.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

Although in the end, shockingly, he behaves himself.

[Nick Martell]

During the show, Carlin performs three comedic monologues, but zero sketches.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

Compared to the SNL of today, the show feels kind of overstuffed. Two different musical guests perform two songs apiece. Then there's a second comedian, a couple of pre taped shorts, and a sketch featuring brand new Muppets designed by none other than Jim Henson himself.

[Nick Martell]

It's a do less situation, Jack. You see, at this early stage, SNL is over indexing on the whole variety angle. But if the show seems as crowded as a circus, that's because this entire show is is a high wire act. Remember, this baby is alive. Sets go up and come down in mere minutes during the opening credits and the commercial breaks.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

When you're watching at home, it's easy to forget that most other shows on television aren't live. They're pre recorded. Even sitcoms that perform live in front of a studio audience get to pause for lighting setups and costume changes. And if someone flubs a line, they just retake the shoot.

[Nick Martell]

Not on Saturday night. You just have to keep on moving. And afterwards, everyone, including Lorne Michaels, breathes a huge.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

Sigh of relief when the reviews come in. The press reaction is marvelous, or at least it's pretty good. The reviews say that while the show is uneven, they applaud NBC for trying something different.

[Nick Martell]

Okay, so maybe that whole Muppets for grownups bit didn't really work with the show. It is daring, it is exciting, and it is young. Exactly what Lauren had been going for all along.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

Remember his vision for the generation that grew up on tv? That's what this is. By week four, Loren and his team have hammered out a show formula that is still in place today. One host, one live musical guest, a couple pre tape segments like fake commercials or music performances, and the rest live sketches where the host mixes it up with the repertory cast.

[Nick Martell]

Lauren develops a weekly methodology. This too is the same process that they use today. And it's related to a candy bar. More on that in a bit.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

Okay, so what does this process actually look like?

[Nick Martell]

Jack, I'm so glad you asked. Here is how an episode of SNL comes together. Just in time. Monday kicks off with the writers meeting. It starts at 6pm because remember Lorne, he's a night owl. Everyone jams into his 17th floor office at 30 Rock, with its view of the famous skating rink.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

The guest host squeezes in there, too, meeting the cast and the writers for the first time, sitting shoulder to shoulder as everyone pitches their sketch ideas.

[Nick Martell]

And then, sometime after midnight, the first round of sketch ideas are signed off.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

On Tuesday is writing night. Lauren and a few of the more famous cast members wine and dine the host at Lattanzi, an Italian restaurant in Midtown that's Lauren's personal favorite. And while Lauren is wining and dining, the writers hunker down in their tiny offices, putting ideas to page over Midtown Chinese takeout. Wednesday, finished sketches start materializing, and there's a table read where actors read out every script they're given. It takes up to four hours because most of these sketches will never see.

[Nick Martell]

The light of day. That's right, only a few lucky scripts are actually greenlit. The rest get stashed in the writer's personal vaults to be revised and tried again a little bit later.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

Thursday is build day. Performers block and rehearse as sets and costumes start coming together.

[Nick Martell]

And, Jack, these can get really elaborate. For example, the famous Olympia diner sketch.

[Sketch Performer/Character]

Cheeseburger. Cheeseburger. Cheeseburger. Cheese.

[Nick Martell]

What do you.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

Cheese.

[Nick Martell]

What do you get?

[Sketch Performer/Character]

Cheese. What do you. 3. Cheese.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

Now, for that sketch, the set includes a working grill. The actors flip actual burgers on stage.

[Nick Martell]

Now, interestingly, the person in charge of producing each sketch, overseeing the props, the costumes, the lighting, the whole works, isn't Lauren. It's the sketch writer.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

See, in addition to the cast members, most of whom also write sketches, there are writers who don't appear on screen. Before John Mulaney got famous, before he ever guest hosted snl, he worked on the writing staff.

[Nick Martell]

Larry David was a staff writer, too, before he was doing Seinfeld. So was Conan o'. Brien. These writers, they might never appear on stage, but when it's time for their sketch to rehearse, they become all powerful. For five minutes of runtime, they transform from lowly writer to showrunner, taking the reins of their sketch.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

It's actually a great business lesson that was critical for a comedy show that had to basically launch a new product each week. Each product needs an owner, someone responsible to take it to the finish line. The buck stops with them. They will rise to the occasion and get more capable as they go. Or they won't, and they won't be around long.

[Nick Martell]

Exactly, Jack. But I'm checking the calendar here, man. And in SNL World. Get ready. It's Friday, the day Lauren frowns at the show's lineup, which is written on index cards and tacked to his bulletin board. And every week, Lauren says the same thing.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

We have nothing.

[Nick Martell]

At this moment, it feels like the show will just never come together. What were they doing all week? Total waste of time. I can't believe it. It's over. The whole thing's finished.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

And finally, Saturday, the moment of truth. The afternoon run through always goes too long. Sketches get axed, which, remember, have had entire sets built for them. Props and costumes. No matter, Lauren says they're out.

[Nick Martell]

All right, Jack, I don't want to cut you off, but it is 8pm man. We got dress rehearsal in front of a live audience.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

A different audience than the one that.

[Nick Martell]

Watches the final show.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

By the way, if you want SNL tickets, you actually have two chances, the dress rehearsal and the real deal. Lauren watches dress from under the audience bleachers. He hears the crowd's laughter thundering over his head. And he notices when the laughs don't come too.

[Nick Martell]

All right, now, dress rehearsal. It's still 20 minutes too long, so we gotta cut more out of the show. And when the rehearsal ends, There are exactly 90 minutes until we air.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

It is in these 90 minutes that Lorne displays his showrunner superpowers.

[Nick Martell]

Having just absorbed the show and the audience's critical reactions, Lorne has a clear view of what he needs to be changed.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

He adjusts the running order better. Go tell the crew.

[Nick Martell]

And he makes notes on the script. So new cue cards. Yeah, they gotta be ridden to.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

And yes, we're just 90 minutes from showtime. And Lorne cuts more sketches, besties your script.

[Nick Martell]

It isn't safe until the on air light flicks on at 11:30pm Eastern. And the show at long, long last, goes live.

[Sketch Performer/Character]

Live from New York, it's Saturday. At Live from New York, it's Saturday night.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

This is the process. It remains constant from episode number four to episode 939, 50 years later. Lauren in conductor mode, leading the orchestra.

[Nick Martell]

Intensive? Yes. Sustainable? Barely. It is a six day a week job. And each season lasts about 20 episodes. The only prescription to this marathon isn't more cowbell. It's a six month summer break. But by the end of season one, everyone's hard work has paid off. Saturday night wins. Get this, two Emmy Awards, including an outstanding performance award for Chevy chase.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

Each week, SNL is getting around 7 million viewers, which would be pretty good for primetime. But this show is on just before midnight on a weekend for their Funky time slot. Slime time. These are super bowl level Numbers.

[Nick Martell]

It is NBC's biggest hit with its sponsors since the early 1950s. Lauren has pulled it off. Actually, they all have.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

But something terrible is about to happen to the not ready for primetime players success.

[Nick Martell]

Lauren realizes something is wrong when Dan Aykroyd bursts into his office fuming. Chappie's giving me notes and he's doing it in a Scottish accent.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

Chevy isn't just a cast member, of course, he's also one of the head writers. So the fact that Chevy is giving Dan notes, that's not the problem.

[Nick Martell]

Yeah. From the perspective of the cast, Chevy's ego has just gotten way out of hand. It's not just the Emmys. He's getting stopped on the street. He's getting movie offers and renegotiating his contract with snl.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

And all of that has resulted in this most annoying part of Chevy. He's referring to himself in the third person.

[Nick Martell]

Chevy thinks that Chevy deserves a raise. Jack Lauren is getting an immersive education right now in the effects of sudden fame. So Chevy Chase leaves the show halfway into season two to pursue his film career. He's replaced by someone Lauren tried to get for season one, except he got.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

Poached by ABC show.

[Nick Martell]

First we're talking about Bill Murray.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

Now, audiences are slow to warm up to Bill, surprisingly. But he finds his groove with characters like a nerd named Todd and Nick the lounge singer.

[Sketch Performer/Character]

Give me the Star Wars.

[Nick Martell]

Don't let them end. By the way, if you are curious about what happened to ABC's competing version of Saturday Night Live, it actually went off the air after just season.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

That's why Bill Murray became available to go over to Lauren's show.

[Nick Martell]

So I know what you're thinking, Jack. With ABC show out of the way, Lorne and his team can finally call itself Saturday Night Live. But SNL keeps becoming the victim of its own success. Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi leave the show after season four to pursue their own film careers. By the time season five rolls around, Caddyshack, Animal House and Blues Brothers, they're all hit movies. And those SNL cast members have gone off from New York City to Hollywood.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

But it doesn't matter. By 1980, SNL is a full blown institution. The show and Lorne are king makers now, creating the next generation of A list entertainers.

[Nick Martell]

But Jack, backstage things are a little bit out of control. The fight among the writers and the performers for airtime is savage because they can see the stakes are really high. Getting your sketch on air is the difference between a Hollywood career and total obscurity. All those last minute adjustments Lauren makes have life altering effects.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

The better the show does, the more weight Lorne's decisions have. His office on the 17th floor starts seeming more and more like the office of Oz. And a meeting with the wizard has consequences.

[Nick Martell]

As season five draws to a close in the spring of 1980, Lauren is renegotiating his own contract. He wants more weeks off between seasons, some time to regroup and mix up the show structure. It's a haggle, but it feels like Lauren and NBC are going to work it out.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

But then one of his veteran writers, future U.S. senator Al Franken, makes a strategic editorial error. He decides to mock the network president on the air during Weekend Update. Fred Silverman.

[Nick Martell]

The guy's been here two years and.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

He hasn't done diddly Squad. You heard all that shock laughter from the audience? Fred isn't laughing.

[Nick Martell]

No, he's not.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

A huge behind the scenes fight ensues where Fred probably demands that Lorne fire Al Franken, which ends with the inevitable but still somehow unthinkable conclusion.

[Nick Martell]

Lauren and nearly all the cast leave the show.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

No contract extension, no time to regroup. Lauren walks. Suddenly, NBC's unlikeliest success has a very uncertain future. The talent and the leadership are already out the door.

[Nick Martell]

So Jack, what's Saturday Night Live without Lorne and the cast that made it famous? How will this ship sail without its captain?

[Nick Cannon]

It's your man, Nick Cannon and I'm here to bring you my new podcast, Nick Cannon at Night. I've heard y' all been needing some advice in the love department, so who better to help than yours truly? Nah, I'm serious. Every week I'm bringing out some of my celebrity friends and the best experts in the business to answer your most intimate relationship questions. Having problems with your man? We got you catching feelings for your sneaky link. Let's make sure it's the real deal first. Ready to bring toys into the bedroom? Let's talk about it. Consider this a non judgment zone to ask your questions when it comes to sex in modern day dating, in relationships, friendships, situationships and everything in between. It's gonna be sexy, freaky, messy. And you know what? You'll just have to watch the show. So don't be shy, join the conversation and head over to YouTube to watch Nick Cannon at night or subscribe on the Wondery app or wherever you get your podcast. Wanna watch episodes early and ad free? Join Wondery right now.

[British Scandal Narrator]

In November 1974 IRA bombs ripped through two Birmingham pubs, killing 21 innocent people. Hundreds more were injured. It was the worst attack on British soil since the Second World War.

[Alice Levine]

When a crime this appalling and shocking happens, you want the police to act quickly. And boy did they. The very next day they had six men in custody. Confessions followed, and the men were sent down for life.

[British Scandal Narrator]

Good riddance, you might think. Except those men were innocent.

[Alice Levine]

Join me, Matt Ford, and me, Alice.

[British Scandal Narrator]

Levine, for the latest series of British scandal All about the Birmingham Six.

[Alice Levine]

It's the story of how a terrible tragedy morphed into a travesty of justice and how one man couldn't rest until he'd exposed the truth.

[British Scandal Narrator]

Follow British scandal now wherever you listen to podcasts and binge entire series early and ad free on Wondery Plus.

[Nick Martell]

Call it corporate puberty because SNL is about to go through its awkward years. First, NBC hires a producer, Jean Demanian, to replace Lauren. She's tasked with hiring a completely new cast and writing staff since most of the others left with their old boss. But at the same time, the network slashes the show's production budget by 2/3. And when the money's out, so is the quality.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

Not only does viewer interest decline, but interest from a listers to host the show declines as well. Gene's replaced after just 12 episodes with Dick Ebersol, the guy who recruited Lauren in the first place.

[Nick Martell]

But before she goes, Gene does make one casting decision that changes entertainment history. She hires a 19 year old up and comer named Eddie Murphy.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

Do we need to explain how brilliant Eddie is? I don't think we need to explain.

[Nick Martell]

Totally, but Eddie plays Gumby as a jaded showbiz hack. He plays Stevie Wonder perfectly duetting with Frank Sinatra. He channels James Brown getting into a hot tub.

[Sketch Performer/Character]

Get into hot tub Too hot in the hot pen fam.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

But even with Eddie and the cast, the show feels like a shell of its former self. Ratings had steadily risen during Lorne's tenure from a 19% audience share in year one to 39% share in year five. But after he goes, the numbers backslide sharply in the Lauren Less era.

[Nick Martell]

For Lauren, it is painful to watch his babies decline. Instead, Lorne co writes and co produces a movie during his exile, the Three Amigos. And he also tries his hand at a primetime variety show. But that fizzles out.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

So in 1985, both Lorne and the NBC network swallow their pride and lorne returns to SNL.

[Nick Martell]

With Lorne back at the helm, SNL 2.0 goes on one of the longest creative runs in TV history.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

The 80s gives us Dana Carvey's Church Lady, Phil Hartman and Nora Dunn, Hans.

[Nick Martell]

And Franz Colenblow, Stuart Smalley.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

But then Lorne makes a move that will totally transform the business model of snl. He adds a rubbery faced Canadian Mike Myers to the cast. Soon the world meets a pair of teenage public access TV hosts.

[Sketch Performer/Character]

What is that? And.

[Nick Martell]

Now, the reason Jack mentioned SNL's business model is because not only does Wayne's World become a regular set piece of snl, it spins off into a blockbuster movie franchise. Now, Wayne's World is not the first sketch to jump to the big screen. That would be the Blues brothers back in 1980. But Wayne's World is the first SNL spinoff produced by by Lauren himself. And it makes over 183 million bucks worldwide kickstarting Mike Myers film career, which.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

Generates more than $1 billion.

[Nick Martell]

Now, Austin Powers and its sequels, Shrek and its sequels. None of these would have happened without Wayne's World.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

Lauren is back at snl, back to picking the next great comedy stars.

[Nick Martell]

Tons of alums have gone on to this exact template of success, often with Lauren producing. Tina Fey, who wrote and co starred in Mean Girls and then created 30 Rock, a sitcom about making an SNL type show.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

Or Adam Sandler, whose Happy Madison Productions has made more than 50 films and counting, including a new $275 million deal with Netflix, which means we probably have 50 more films coming.

[Nick Martell]

Lauren personally oversees the jump to late night talk shows for Seth Meyers, Conan o' Brien and Jimmy Fallon, who eventually takes over the Tonight Show.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

This SNL machine, it's not just a show, it's a launch pad to future stardom and success.

[Nick Martell]

Lorne hasn't just created stars with SNL, he's created moguls. But another surprise beneficiary, YouTube. And all because of a joke video shot on a borrowed digital camera with almost no crew. About two guys on a lazy Sunday.

[Sketch Performer/Character]

Lazy Sunday wake up in the late afternoon. Call Parnell just to see how he's doing. Hello? What up pawn? Yo Sandberg, what's rocking you? Thinking what I'm thinking.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

This low rent but high octane video is the product of cast member Andy Samberg and his group, the Lonely Island. It airs on SNL in December 2005, not long after these guys were hired by Lawrence.

[Nick Martell]

Now at first it just seemed like a regular pre tape segment. You know, SNL has been doing them from the beginning, but fate intervenes when a random viewer tapes the song rips it and uploads it to YouTube.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

At the time, YouTube's been around for less than a year. No one knows if YouTube is going to stick around. But as soon as lazy Sunday hits YouTube, it becomes one of the platform's first viral hits. This one video increases YouTube's traffic by 83% in the first week alone. One video YouTube blows up and less than a year later, Google acquires them for $1.6 billion.

[Nick Martell]

Another SNL success story. This time, SNL influencing big tech. But ironically, it takes NBC a long time to embrace YouTube as a vehicle for their content. In fact, the network's reaction to Lazy Sunday's millions of views, they actually threatened to sue YouTube for copyright violation and they forced YouTube to take down that viral video. For years, NBC tries to keep their web content gated on NBC.com where nobody is really watching it.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

But eventually, like every other network going through the same situation, NBC realizes YouTube is here to stay. So in 2013, they stop resisting and finally embrace it by launching SNL's official YouTube channel. Turns out SNL and YouTube go together like bread and butter. The channel now has 16 million subscribers, more than last week, tonight, more than the Daily Show.

[Nick Martell]

And here's the thing. SNL's digital strategy, it is key to their continued relevance. Back in the 70s, SNL earned its cred with young people through its daring comedy and its late night time slot. Back when we all watched the same thing on TV.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

But today, young people don't watch network TV. They grew up watching YouTube. And the proof is in the numbers.

[Nick Martell]

For its 50th anniversary season, SNL's episodes averaged 7 million viewers for the original broadcast. And that is among their best ratings yet.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

But SNL on YouTube, between 25 and 50 million views per week.

[Nick Martell]

That papyrus skit Ryan Gosling starred in, Boom. That racked up 24 million views and counting. I forgot about it for years. But then I remembered that Avatar, a giant international blockbuster, used the papyrus font as its logo. Saturday Night Live is still going strong, even if most of you don't watch it live and don't watch it on Saturday night like you did when Lorne Michaels first unleashed this show on Studio 8H 50 years ago.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

Speaking of Lorne, at 80, he's still captaining the ship of SNL. He's had to say goodbye, though, to some beloved cast members along the way.

[Nick Martell]

Gilda Radner, John Belushi, Andy Kaufman, Phil Hartman, Chris Farley, jan hooks, Norm MacDonald, and many more in front of the camera and behind the scenes.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

A few names have been whispered as possible successors to Lorne Michaels. Tina Fett. Okay, Seth Meyers.

[Nick Martell]

I see it.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

Colin jost.

[Nick Martell]

I bet ScarJo would like that, too.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

But everyone agrees the job is Lauren's to give away.

[Nick Martell]

And as long as Lauren's running it, the show will go on maybe even for another 50 years and beyond. So, Jack, now that you've heard the story of Saturday Night Live. Yeah, I got a disease, and the only prescription is more takeaway. What's your takeaway on snl?

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

According to Lorne Michaels, the Snickers bar is the model for SNL success. Because the Snickers has variety and consistency. People expect a certain amount of peanuts, a certain amount of caramel, and a certain amount of chocolate. A balanced variety of ingredients assembled in a consistent, consistent format that puts customers at ease.

[Nick Martell]

But, Jack, no two Snickers bars are alike, Right?

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

Just like no two episodes of SNL are alike, Right?

[Nick Martell]

But the key formula underneath it remains.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

The same consistency and variety. It's the Snickers bar model of creative success. What about you, Nick? What's your takeaway, Jack?

[Nick Martell]

Mine's a Lorn takeaway as well. Inefficiency can actually be very efficient. Here's how Lorne Michaels explains why he waits until Friday or even Saturday to cut sketches. He says snap decisions get you into trouble. So I tend to do rolling decisions. It is really inefficient to build sets and props and wigs for a sketch that's just going to get cut from the show.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

Right. It would save so much time and money to lock in the sketches on Wednesday instead of waiting for, like, Saturday night right before the show.

[Nick Martell]

But then that would be making a decision without a key piece of information, how it performs in front of a live audience. That's why Lawrence sits under those audience bleachers, vibing with the crowd. It lets him see the whole show as one piece, and then at the last minute, he can make the right decision. That inefficiency can be very efficient.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

All right, Nick, before we go, it's time for our favorite part of the show, the best facts yet.

[Nick Martell]

Yetis. These are the hero pro stats, the facts and the surprises we discovered in our research. But we just couldn't fit into the story.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

We've said how Lauren has kept certain traditions and methods in place from 1975 on. Well, this includes the fact that SNL still uses giant handwritten cue cards. They don't use teleprompters.

[Nick Martell]

All right, why is this, Jack? Because I. I bet it's A really weird reason.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

Rumor has it Lauren is superstitious. He feels like the second they move to the teleprompter, the TV gods will cause all power to go out or all the hard drives to get fried or something. So, analog handcrafted cue cards it is.

[Nick Martell]

I'm Ron Burgundy and finally, here's one for you, Jack. It's about one of the most memorable sketches the show has ever produced in our lifetimes. It stars Christopher Walken and honestly, that's probably all we really need to say. I got a fever and the only prescription is more cowbell. Forget this, Jack. More cowbell. Almost didn't have walking in it. And it almost didn't have a cowbell.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

It's true. This sketch originally was pitched for an earlier episode Hosted by Norm MacDonald and Will Ferrell's character, the one showing off that midriff and banging the cowbell, he was actually written to play a wood block instead. But it turned out to be one of those sketches that got cut and reworked and resurfaced months later. Rewritten for Christopher Walken's voice.

[Nick Martell]

And we are all the better for it.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

Except maybe Christopher Walken, who still hears people yell more cowbell to this day.

[Nick Martell]

Bruce Dickinson. Cock of the walk, baby.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

All right, Nick, I'm checking my watch. And as Dave in Spain would say, bye.

[Nick Martell]

Bye. And that, Yetis, is why Saturday Night Live is the best Idea Yet.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

Coming up on the next episode of the Best Idea yet, we're heading up to the self proclaimed vacation land usa.

[Nick Martell]

Lace up those duck boots because we're wading into the origins of L.L. bean.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

You're welcome, Mainers.

[Nick Martell]

You're welcome.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

And don't forget to rate and review the show. Five stars is the best way to help us grow.

[Nick Martell]

And then tap to follow the show and auto download the episodes so we can hang with you every single week.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

Follow the Best Idea yet on the Wondery app, Amazon Music, or wherever you get your podcasts. You can listen to every episode of the Best Idea yet early and ad free right now by joining Wondery plus and the Wondery app or on Apple Podcasts.

[Nick Martell]

Before you go, tell us about yourself by filling out a short [e-mail] survey. The best idea yet is a production of Wondery hosted by me, Nick Martell.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

And me, Jack Revici Kramer. Our senior producers are Matt Beagle and Chris Gautier.

[Nick Martell]

Peter Arconi is our additional senior producer.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

Our senior managing producer is Callum Plews. And Jake Kleinberg is our managing producer.

[Nick Martell]

Our producer is H. Conley, research by Brent Courson.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

This episode was written and produced by Katie Clark Gray.

[Nick Martell]

We use many sources in our research, including the classic oral history of the first 10 years of SNL live from New York by Tom Shales and James.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

Andrew Miller and Lorne Michaels is the real star of Saturday Night Live by Susan Morrison for the New Yorker Sound design and mixing by CJ Drummler fact.

[Nick Martell]

Checking by Brian Pognett music supervision by.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

Scott Velazquez and Jolina Garcia for Frisson Sync.

[Nick Martell]

Our theme song is Got that Feeling Again by Blackalac. Executive producers for Nick and Jack Studios.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

Are me, Nick Martell and me, Jack Crevici Kramer.

[Nick Martell]

Executive producers for Wondery are Jenny Lauer, Beckman, Aaron o' Flaherty and Marshall Louie.