About
"Saturday Night Live," NBC's Emmy Award-winning late-night comedy showcase, enters its 35th season September 26, 2009 for another year of laughs, surprises and great performances.
Over the last three decades, "SNL" has launched the careers of many of the brightest comedy performers of a generation; and, as The New York Times noted on the occasion of the show's Emmy-winning 25th Anniversary special in 1999: "In defiance of both time and show business convention, "SNL" is still the most pervasive influence on the art of comedy in contemporary culture." At the close of the century, "Saturday Night Live" placed seventh on Entertainment Weekly's list of the Top 100 Entertainers of the past fifty years.
The program has won 21 Emmy Awards and been nominated for scores more. "SNL" has been honored twice, in 1990 and 2009, with the prestigious George Foster Peabody Award and cited as "truly a national institution." "Saturday Night Live" was inducted into the Broadcasting Hall of Fame by the National Association of Broadcasters, and the show continues to garner the highest ratings of any late-night television program, entertaining millions each week.
"SNL" sketches still bear repeating on Monday mornings. With live show surprises, especially those timed to the election - from Barack Obama's surprise walk-on, Hillary Clinton's performance opposite Amy Poehler, and Senator John McCain's "Weekend Update" appearance - "SNL" is making headlines and influencing the political dialogue while skewering it at the same time. Beyond politics, the show's cast of recurring characters and take on pop culture targets remains spot-on. The addition of the show's Emmy Award-winning SNL Digital Shorts continues to keep the show as current today as it was when it debuted.
The impressive lineup of "SNL" guest hosts last season featured some of the biggest stars of film, television, music and sports including: Michael Phelps, James Franco, Anne Hathaway, Jon Hamm, Ben Affleck, Paul Rudd, Neil Patrick Harris, Steve Martin, Bradley Cooper, Alec Baldwin, Zac Efron and Justin Timberlake.
The show continued its unparalleled tradition of featuring both blockbuster and breakout musical acts, hosting such performers as Kings of Leon, Duffy, The Killers, Adele, Coldplay, Beyonce, Kanye West, Taylor Swift, Jonas Brothers, Kelly Clarkson, Phoenix and Green Day
"Saturday Night Live," which premiered Oct. 11, 1975, is broadcast live from NBC's famed Studio 8H in New York City's Rockefeller Center. The program is a production of Broadway Video in association with SNL Studios. Lorne Michaels is the executive producer.
Credits
SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE
Saturdays on NBC (11:30 p.m. - 1 a.m. ET)
Starring the SNL 2009-2010 Repertory Company: Fred Armisen, Will Forte, Bill Hader, Abby Elliott, Darrell Hammond, Seth Meyers, Bobby Moynihan, Nasim Pedrad, Andy Samberg, Jason Sudeikis, Jenny Slate, Kenan Thompson, Kristen Wiig
Executive producer: Lorne Michaels
Produced by: Steve Higgins
Director: Don Roy King
Supervising producer: Ken Aymong
Producers: Marci Klein, Michael Shoemaker
Head Writer: Seth Meyers
Writers: Doug Abeles, James Anderson, Alex Baze, Jessica Conrad, James Downey, Steve Higgins, Colin Jost, Erik Kenward, Rob Klein, John Lutz, Seth Meyers, Lorne Michaels, John Mulaney, Paula Pell, Simon Rich, Marika Sawyer, Akiva Schaffer, John Solomon, Emily Spivey, Kent Sublette, Jorma Taccone, Bryan Tucker
Writing Supervised by: Paula Pell
Film producer: James Signorelli
Musical directors: Lenny Pickett, Leon Pendarvis, Katreese Barnes
Musicians: The Saturday Night Live Band
Production designers: Eugene Lee, Akira Yoshimura, Keith Ian Raywood
Costume designer: Tom Broecker
Announcer: Don Pardo
Production: Produced by SNL Studios in association with Broadway Video
Origination: NBC Studio 8H in Rockefeller Center
