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The History of Saturday Night Live

  • Lorne makes NBC's Saturday Night

    Lorne makes NBC's Saturday Night
    In 1975, Lorne Michaels created the TV show NBC's Saturday Night,
  • First Episode

    First Episode
    http://www.museum.tv/eotvsection.php?entrycode=saturdaynighSaturday Night Live first aired on 11 October 1975 on NBC
  • Racist Wor d Association

    Racist Wor d Association
    http://www.pastemagazine.com/blogs/lists/2011/10/10-most-shocking-moments-on-saturday-night-live.htmlOne of Saturday Night Live’s first—and best—examples of groundbreaking comedy came in its seventh episode, when Chevy Chase interviewed Richard Pryor for a job. The skit, written by Paul Mooney, has Chase playing a word association game with Pryor, which became increasingly offensive. When Chase said “Negro”, Pryor responded with “Whitey,” and tensions increased as the words grew more terrible. The skit was a great early example of the lengths that SNL will go to both get a laugh and bring up ho
  • Name Change

    Name Change
    In 1977 changed its name to Saturday Night Live.
  • Chevy and Other stars leave the Cast

    Chevy and Other stars leave the Cast
    SNL's first "star," Chevy Chase, leaves the show in the second season for Hollywood. Aykroyd and Belushi followed in 1979.
  • Lorne Leaves

    Lorne Leaves
    Producer Lorne Michaels leaves the show after the 79-80 season. He was replaced by Jean Doumanian
  • Eddie Murphy returns to the cast

    Eddie Murphy returns to the cast
    http://youtu.be/MgFDv_4oKswWith the addition of Eddie Murphy, the show began to regain some of its strength
  • Lorne Returns

    Lorne Returns
    Michaels rejoined the show as producer in 1985 and oversaw a second classic period of Saturday Night Live.
  • Celebrity Casting

    Celebrity Casting
    Similar to his decision in the mid-1980s to bring in established actors Randy Quaid, Joan Cusack and Robert Downey, Jr., Michaels added Michael McKean, and later Chris Elliott, to the cast.
  • McKean and Elliot leave

    McKean and Elliot leave
    Michael McKean and Chris Elliot both leave at the end of the 1994–1995 season.
  • Chris Farley Dies

    Chris Farley Dies
    http://youtu.be/rLA3cdUt5toFormer beloved cast member, Cris Farley dies from drug overdose on December 18, 1997, aged 33.
  • First Female Writer

    First Female Writer
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Saturday_Night_Live_(2000%E2%80%932005)In 1999, Tina Fey became the show's first female head writer.