Contents
1. “A Major Show in Television That People Will Talk About”: The Birth of an American Institution
2. “A Show That I Would Watch”: Lorne Michaels and SNL’s Creative Team
3. “No Television Experience Required”: The Not Ready for Prime Time Players
4. “Live from New York—NBC’s Saturday Night”: October 11, 1975, 11:30 p.m. (EDT)
5. Breaking New Ground: SNL’s Television Comedy Roots
6. One Samurai, Three Coneheads, and a Pair of Douchebags: SNL in the 1970s (1975–1980), Seasons 1–5
7. Season 6—The Worst Season (So Far): The 1980s, Part 1 (1980–81)
8. Starting Over (and Over): The 1980s, Part II (1981–1985), Seasons 7–10
9. Getting into Character: The 1980s, Part III (1985–1990), Seasons 11–15
10. Saturday Night Alive (and Dead): The 1990s, Part I (1990–1995), Seasons 16–20
11. Resuscitating SNL: The 1990s, Part II (1995–2000), Seasons 21–25
12. Hail to the Impressionists: SNL Goes to Washington (2000–2013), Seasons 26–38
13. Laughing Matters: Memorable Characters, Sketches, and Moments (2000–2013), Seasons 26–38
14. Regular and Featured Players: An SNL Cast Directory (1980–2013), Seasons 6–38
15. “No Comedy Experience Required”: Hosting SNL
16. Keeping Live Music Alive: SNL’s Musical Guests
17. An Unexpected Surprise: SNL’s Late-Night Cameos
18. “A Nonexistent Problem with an Inadequate Solution”: SNL’s Commercial Parodies
19. “And Here’s a Short Film By . . .”: SNL’s Original Shorts
20. Weekend Update: “Our Top Story Tonight . . .”
21. “Yeah, That’s the Ticket!”: SNL’s Catchphrases
22. “Well, Isn’t That Special?”: SNL’s Objectionable, Offensive, and Controversial Moments
23. From the Small Screen to the Big Screen: SNL Goes to Hollywood