The chaos of that first night is loosely chronicled in the 2024 film,Saturday Night.
From what is shown, its a feat that they managed to launch - but they did.
This, in part, inspired other satirical news shows likeLast Week TonightandThe Daily Show.
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Weekend Update has become a legitimate source of news for the last fifty years in pop culture and politics.
Who knows what the fate of the show would have been if that first season failed?
Now,SNLis finding its way with a new generation of viewers.
Most SNL cast members start as featured players - they must earn their spot on the Studio 8H stage.
Other times, characters exist for a certain amount of time (as related to changing current events).
Some characters achieved so much popularity that theyreceived their own feature films-Coneheads,Waynes World,(etc.)
- which have become cultural sensations in their own right.
These characters breed nostalgia for fans of every generation, and thelist of iconicSNLcharactersonly continues to grow.
While the content varies, this consistency provides comfort for viewers each week.
This is important, because,as Michaels toldPEOPLE, Structure is important to creative people.
This concept has helped the show succeed for fifty years.
Then theres Debbie Downer, who revitalized the term thanks to its popularity.
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The influences are endless.
Hence, the Night in Saturday Night Live.
Thank goodness for that, because these looser regulations have led to some of themost iconicSNLsketches.
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Keep Reading:The 10 Funniest ‘SNL’ Sketches
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Image via NBC