INFO VINE * 50 Amazing Facts About Saturday Night Live *

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50 Amazing Facts About Saturday Night Live
The History of Saturday Night Live
Details about Saturday Night Live you've Never Heard
Jaw-Dropping Facts about Saturday Night Live
Behind the Scenes of Saturday Night Live
What Producers of Saturday Night Live Don't want you to Know
Rare Details about Saturday Night Live
50 Interesting Facts about Saturday Night Live
50 Shocking Stories about Saturday Night Live
Every Saturday Night Live Fan Should Know These Facts


Saturday Night Live is one of the most popular shows on television. It has now been on the air for 50 years and has seen its share of star-studded guest appearances. The success of the show can be attributed to having multiple skits per episode and having lots of famous guests, so there is always something for everyone. However, the show we see today is very different from how it all started. Scroll through this gallery to read through the history of Saturday Night Live and find out how it came to be the show it is today. 

It all started in the 1970s

The legendary late-night sketch-comedy series began in the year 1975, after an ambitious project in which the main goal was simply to innovate in the comedy sector through television. 



[Photo Courtesy: HistoryPod / YouTube]


While many thought there weren’t too many elements to believe that the show would succeed, considering some previous attempts of this kind that failed, the truth is that Saturday Night Live became so incredibly entertaining that it still exists. In fact, it remains one of the most famous TV shows in history. 

Saturday Night Live was one of the most Famous Shows in a Delicate Era

The importance of Saturday Night Live relies not only on the way it managed to show something fresh and new to the American public but also the way it became one of the most famous shows in a very delicate era. 



[Photo Courtesy: Vietnam War / wikimediacommons.com ]


After all, the United States was experiencing a cultural change that evolved in a very polarizing period of time. In addition, the country recently got out of some of the most serious political crises with the Watergate scandal and the Vietnam War.

The Show Began Because of Johnny Carson’s Unusual Request

Johnny Carson was one of the main stars in American television thanks to “The Tonight Show” on NBC. In fact, the network was airing reruns of the show every weekend, which stopped when Carson made a very unusual request: to save these reruns for his vacation days.



[Photo Courtesy: Johnny Carson / wikimediacommons.com ]


The TV network accepted his request, and then the director of the weekend late-night, Dick Ebersol, decided to fill the weekend slot with something new. He then teamed up with producer and TV writer Lorne Michaels and created what the world now knows as Saturday Night Live.

The Show Had a Different Name at the Beginning 

It is always weird to know that some of the most famous shows in TV history weren’t originally named the way most people currently know them. And, believe it or not, this was the case of Saturday Night Live, which had a very different name during its first two seasons.



[Photo Courtesy: Saturday Night Live / YouTube]


While Ebersol and Michaels wanted to name it that way, it was impossible at that time because the name was already taken by the ABC’s show "Saturday Night Live with Howard Cosell."
They then decided to name it "NBC’s Saturday Night."

The Original Saturday Night Live Failed Miserably

Ironically, while Ebersol and Michaels wanted the name of “Saturday Night Live” for their new show, they couldn’t do it because it was already taken, so they had to wait about two seasons to fulfill their wishes.



[Photo Courtesy: ABC Logo / wikimediacommons.com ]


The reason? Because ABC’s show "Saturday Night Live with Howard Cosell" was an absolute failure. In fact, TV Guide called that show “an absolute dead on arrival,” and ABC’s show was canceled in 1976.
One year later, NBC purchased the naming rights for the show title.

Jim Carrey was rejected to be a cast member twice

One of the most mind-blowing facts about Saturday Night Live’s history is that Jim Carrey had two failed attempts at becoming one of its cast members.



[Photo Courtesy: Jim Carrey / wikimediacommons.com ]


During an interview with Vanity Fair five years ago, Michaels explained Carrey’s situation. "I wasn't at the Jim Carrey audition, but somebody who was there said, 'I don't think Lorne would like it,' and they were probably wrong, but it doesn't matter. Or maybe they were right — who knows? No one gets it all right," he explained. They had just, unknowingly, rejected one of the biggest stars of the decade. 

Chevy Chase was the first one to say Saturday Night Live’s Most Famous Phrase

There’s no doubt that the most famous phrase of Saturday Night Live is definitely “…live from New York, it’s Saturday Night.” In fact, this line has become so famous that many articles have pointed out that it is one of the most iconic in TV history.



[Photo Courtesy: Chevy Chase / wikimediacommons.com ]


The first person to say it was Chevy Chase. He had the honor of saying the legendary intro line during the show’s first episode. And since that moment, every single host has said it at the opening.

Darrel Hammond is the one who has said the Famous Phrase the Most

While Chevy Chase has the honor of being the first host who said the famous line, the truth is that the person who said it the most was actually Darrel Hammond, to the point of having the show’s record in this particular aspect.



[Photo Courtesy: Darrel Hammond / wikimediacommons.com ]


Naturally, the reason behind this situation is the fact that he’s one of the celebrities who hosted Saturday Night Live the most. Believe it or not, Hammond said the iconic opening line nearly 70 times during his 14 years on the TV show.

Tina Frey was the First Woman to become a Head Writer on Saturday Night Live

While Tina Frey’s career is simply astonishing, one of her greatest moments was to become the first woman head writer on Saturday Night Live. After all, we’re talking about one of the most important shows in TV history.



[Photo Courtesy: I Am Your Target Demographic / Youtube]


This situation took place in the year 1999, after three seasons in which Fey was already a writer and a performer on the show. And while her period in this position was extraordinary, she decided to leave the post a couple of years later to develop NBC’s “30 Rock.”

Its Longest-Running Cast Member is Kenan Thompson

Famous comedian and actor Kenan Thompson is the most famous in the show’s history. The reason? Because he has been on the show for more then 15 seasons, which turns him into the longest-running cast member of Saturday Night Live.



[Photo Courtesy: I Am Your Target Demographic / YouTube]


Being born in 1978, Thompson was the first Saturday Night Live cast member who was born after the show premiered. He still has a leading role on the show and officially became the longest-running member in 2018.

Many Sketches Don’t Air

Since its first episodes, Saturday Night Live has been airing around eight sketches each show. However, Different reports have revealed that the series’ writers actually prepare between 40 and 50 every single week.



[Photo Courtesy: Saturday Night Live / YouTube]


According to the New York Times, while they eventually pick only eight for each of the episodes, the selection is not exactly easy. Apparently, picking the eight sketches represents a tricky task in which writers prioritize not only quality but also the content that would go well with ratings and world events during that time. 

Aubrey Plaza was an Intern

While Aubrey Plaza is a very famous comedian, what many don’t know is that she was actually an intern for Saturday Night Live in 2005, when she was 21 years old. However, things didn’t go well for Plaza considering that she landed an audition for the show in 2008 but failed to make the cut.



[Photo Courtesy: Aubrey Plaza / wikimediacommons.com ]


Despite this situation, Plaza told the Guardian in 2012 that her experience on Saturday Night Live helped her get cast in different films, including “Funny People” and “'Scott Pilgrim vs. the World.”

Mindy Kaling Refused to be part of Saturday Night Live

The reason why this is an unexpected fact is that Mindy Kaling is known for being a long-time fan of the show, to the point of saying in different interviews that one of her main dreams has always been to be part of it.



[Photo Courtesy: Mindy Kaling / wikimediacommons.com ]


Incredibly, the show actually offered her a job as a writer, just a couple of months after she started to work for NBC’s “The Office.” However, she wasn’t able to break her contract and had to turn the Saturday Night Live’s position down.

John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd had Bunk Beds in a Shared Office

The reason why John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd are two of Saturday Night Live’s most historic members is not only because they were part of it from the beginning, but because of their “Blues Brothers” sketch and their crazy anecdotes.



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According to a People’s article celebrating the 15th anniversary of the show in 1989, manager Bernie Brillstein told the magazine that Belushi and Aykroyd shared an office at NBC, pointing out they kept a set of bunk beds where “they would sleep and talk about sketches." That is some serious commitment. 

The Women of the Original Cast Shared a Dressing Room for Years

In the same People’s article, writer Susan Schindehette revealed that the women of the original cast, Jane Curtin, Gilda Radner, and Laraine Newman, had to share the same dressing room for three long years.



[Photo Courtesy: Saturday Night Live / YouTube]


"It was tiny, but there were times when that was the only place to go to get any sort of peace. Gilda was doing a lot of interviews, and the only place she could go was in our dressing room. Laraine and I would sit there in that very, very small room and act nonchalant," Curtin told Schindehette.

Amy Poehler and Tina Fey Were the First Women Team to Host the “Weekend Update”

While Amy Poehler and Tina Fey are known for their time on Saturday Night Live, the reason why they made history in the show was that they became the first all-women team to host the segment “Weekend Update” in the year 2004.



[Photo Courtesy: Saturday Night Live / YouTube]


Although Curtin was actually the first woman to co-anchor the long-running segment, the Poehler-Fey team represented the first time that it was hosted by only women. In fact, this situation never took place on the show again.

Drew Barrymore is the youngest person to ever Host the Show

Despite the fact Drew Barrymore has hosted Saturday Night Live on several occasions, one of these represented one of the most historic moments for the show.



[Photo Courtesy: Drew Barrymore / wikimediacommons.com ]


It happened in November 1989, when Barrymore was only 17 years old, becoming the youngest person to ever host Saturday Night Live. In addition, it also represented the first time that the show picked an underage person to host it.

Referring to that moment, Barrymore said in different interviews that it was one of the “scariest” moments of her career.

Betty White is the oldest person to ever Host Saturday Night Live

If Drew Barrymore is in the history of Saturday Night Live for becoming the youngest person to ever host it, actress Betty White is also a legend on the show for the opposite reason. After all, she became the oldest person to ever host Saturday Night Live in May 2010, when she was 88 years old.



[Photo Courtesy: Betty White / wikimediacommons.com ]


Before White, the people who hosted the show with the oldest age were Miskel Spillman in 1977 and Ruth Gordon in 1985. They were both 80 years old when they hosted Saturday Night Live.

Donald Trump is the only US President to ever Host the Show

Believe it or not, Donald Trump is also another significant figure for Saturday Night Live, as he represents the only time in history when someone who eventually became a US President hosted the show.



[Photo Courtesy: Saturday Night Live / YouTube]


This situation took place two different times. The first one was in the year 2004 when the first season of “The Apprentice” was getting a lot of attention.
The second time happened in the year 2015, in the midst of Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign.

Tina Fey Revealed that Men who worked at the Show Would Pee in Jars and Cups

In 2011, Tina Fey wrote a controversial article for The New Yorker in which she revealed some uncomfortable moments during her time at Saturday Night Live. One of the revelations that gained the most attention was that men would pee in jars or cups instead of going to the bathroom.



[Photo Courtesy: Saturday Night Live / YouTube]


"When I reached to move a paper cup that was in front of it, Steve [Higgins] jumped up. 'Don't touch that,' he said. 'Hang on.' He grabbed the cup, and a couple of others like it around the office and took them out of the room to dump them," she wrote.

The Cast Made only $750 per Show when it first Aired

In the People’s 1989 article, Saturday Night Live’s executive producer and creator Michaels revealed that they were far from making a decent amount of money, the show’s original cast received compensation of only $750 per show. However, he claimed that the so-called "Not Ready for Prime-Time Players" had a better life than most of their co-workers at the time.



[Photo Courtesy: Saturday Night Live / YouTube]


"The performers all got paid $750 a show. Everybody lived at the offices at Rockefeller Center, and they were generally much nicer than the places people were living in," he told Schindehette.

Many Famous Couples have met through Saturday Night Live

Some of the most famous Hollywood couples actually met for the first time on Saturday Night Live.
A well-known case is the one of Scarlett Johansson and Colin Jost, who first met on the late-night comedy show in the year 2010 and were later set up on a date by Saturday Night Live’s star Kate McKinnon. This was way before showing some public displays of affection at a 2017 cast party.



[Photo Courtesy: E! News / Youtube ]


Two other famous cases are the ones of Emma Stone and her now-husband Dave McCary, and Olivia Wilde and Jason Sudeikis.

The Show Wasn’t Always Filmed in New York

The Rockefeller Plaza in New York City has always been the place where Saturday Night Live films its shows. However, there was one exception in addition to the current season, which has been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. It happened in the year 1977 when the show did an episode in New Orleans.



[Photo Courtesy: Bill Murray / NBC ]


This situation took place as Michaels decided to take the show on the road and film a two-hour live special in the city known for Mardi Gras.

Michaels Helped John Mulaney get his own Show after Leaving Saturday Night Live

While comedian John Mulaney launched his career by writing for Saturday Night Live, it was getting difficult for him to get his own show after deciding to fly solo. However, Michaels played a major role in changing this situation, to the point where Mulaney now has his own Netflix comedy special.



[Photo Courtesy: John Mulaney / wikimediacommons.com ]


The way Michaels helped Mulaney was by being part of an ambitious project in which the main goal was to get his own sitcom on Fox. That sitcom was called “Mulaney,” and it ran for thirteen episodes.

Some Iconic Films were based on Saturday Night Live Sketches

Saturday Night Live became such a major cultural reference in the United States that many iconic movies were based on some of its most popular sketches.
A prominent case is the one of Mike Myers’ “Wayne’s World,” which was originally a recurring sketch from the NBC television series. In fact, the movie was produced by Saturday Night Live’s Lorne Michaels.



[Photo Courtesy: Wayne's World / Amazon]


Of course, other famous cases include “Office Space” and especially “The Blue Brothers,” which skyrocketed Aykroyd and Belushi’s careers in Hollywood.

Richard Belzer Warmed up the Audience During the First Season

While he is currently known for his role as Sergeant John Munch on “Law & Order,” the truth is that actor Richard Belzer also started his career as a stand-up comedian. In fact, he was part of Saturday Night Live during the first season as a warm-up comic.



[Photo Courtesy: Richard Belzer / wikimediacommons.com ]


Despite the fact that he had a couple of appearances on the show, including some stints at the “Weekend Update” segment, his presence at Saturday Night Live wasn’t that relevant. He eventually decided to leave comedy.

Michaels had a Bad Relationship with Belzer

During an interview with People Magazine in 1993, Belzer talked about his short period at Saturday Night Live, in which he confessed he never thought the show could eventually turn into what is now.



[Photo Courtesy: Lorne Michaels / wikimediacommons.com ]


Another surprising confession he made was about his relationship with Michaels, pointing out that he “betrayed” him after failing to fulfill the promise of making Belzer part of the show’s cast.
“Lorne betrayed me and lied to me, but I give you my word he said, ‘I'll work you into the show,’” Belzer told People Magazine.

Don Pardo Made a Serious Mistake during the Show’s First Episode

It is known that even the most experienced can make mistakes. Naturally, this was the case of Saturday Night Live’s longtime-announcer Don Pardo, who in the first episode of the show said a phrase he wasn’t supposed to.



[Photo Courtesy: Most Actor & Actress Hollywood / YouTube]


During the first minute of the show’s premiere, Pardo was supposed to say, “Not ready for prime-time players.” Instead, the longtime announcer mixed up some words to say “Not for ready prime-time players."
Of course, the only good news about this situation was that the phrase didn’t stick.

Will Ferrell was the Show’s Highest-Paid Cast Member

Actor and comedian Will Ferrell joined the show in the year 1995 and left in 2002 after a successful seven-year tenure in which he became one of the most memorable Saturday Night Live cast members. In fact, he hosted the show on five different occasions, becoming a member of the so-called “SNL’s Five-Timers Club.”



[Photo Courtesy: Saturday Night Live / YouTube]


However, what many people don’t know is that Ferrell also became Saturday Night Live’s highest-paid member in the year 2001, after signing a contract for $350,000 per season. 

Adam McKay Auditioned to be part of the Show

Adam McKay (Step Brothers and Anchorman) unsuccessfully auditioned to be part of Saturday Night Live as a cast member in the year 1995.
Instead of offering him a position as a cast member, the show offered McKay a writing gig. Eventually, he managed to work his way up to become Saturday Night Live’s head writer for six years. 



[Photo Courtesy: Adam McKay / wikimediacommons.com ]


In fact, different articles point out he has been one of the greatest head writers the show ever had. He has won some major awards for the projects he has been apart of. 

Robert Smigel has written numerous of unproduced Movies about the Show

In an interview with the AV Club, Robert Smigel revealed that he has written a handful of unproduced movies about Saturday Night Live, including a version of the show’s longest-sketches Bill Sweski’s Superfan and Da Bears. He said he wrote these unproduced movies with Bob Odenkirk and even left his job as Conan’s head writer to work on the script.



[Photo Courtesy: Robert Smigel / wikimediacommons.com ]


 “I’m guilty of writing probably as many SNL movies as anybody, but mine have never been made,” Smigel told the AV Club.

A New York Magazine Article Prevented the Show’s Movies to be Produced

In the same interview, Smigel explained that the reason why the movies he was writing never came to light was that the producers of Saturday Night Live didn’t feel attracted to the idea.



[Photo Courtesy: Saturday Night Live / YouTube]


However, he said that what influenced the producers was a New York Magazine article that criticized the show.
“There was an awful article written in New York Magazine about the show and the network wanted to lay down the law,” Smigel told the AV Club, pointing out this meant no SNL movies.

The Movie’s Script was Read at a Festival

Considering that Smigel and Odenkirk spent a lot of time and effort in writing the script, to the point where they resigned from Conan’s show, both comedians had refused to release it and never wanted to reveal what they wrote.



[Photo Courtesy: Smigel and Odenkirk / wikimediacommons.com ]


However, Smigel and Odenkirk decided in the year 2010 to stage a live reading of their script at Chicago’s Just for Laughs festival. In addition to both comedians, Georg Wendt, Richard Roeper, Mike Ditka, and Mantagna also staged the reading. In fact, Roeper was the narrator.

The Festrunk Brothers were Originally Developed as Separate Characters

Two of the most famous Saturday Night Live characters are definitely the Festrunk Brothers, also known as “Two Wild and Crazy Guys.” In addition to “Kitty Cat on The Mars Mission” and “Mister Robinson's Neighborhood,” this was one of the most famous skits on the show.



[Photo Courtesy: Saturday Night Live / YouTube]


However, Michaels revealed that “Two Wild and Crazy Guys” was originally based on two separate characters that Aykroyd and Steve Martin developed individually.
Both comedians morphed their characters into a set of brothers when Martin hosted the show in 1977.

Eddie Murphy was Desperate to be a Saturday Night Live’s Cast Member

Comedian Eddie Murphy was a huge fan of Saturday Night Live. In fact, he later revealed that at the beginning of his career, his main obsession was to be part of the show as a cast member.



[Photo Courtesy: Saturday Night Live / YouTube]


In order to make this happen, Murphy called Saturday Night Live’s talent coordinator Neil Levy every single day, telling him that he desperately needed the job and that he had the talent to make it right.

Fortunately, they decided to give him a chance, and Murphy’s audition went so well that he was given a contract immediately.

Chris Parnell was Fired Twice

Actor and comedian Chris Parnell was fired from Saturday Night Live on two different occasions.
The first time he got fired from the show was in 2001. He said this was a “devastating situation” that had a lot to do with what he described as “a lack of confidence.”



[Photo Courtesy: Chris Parnell / wikimediacommons.com ]


Even when producers gave him another chance on the next season, he was kicked out again in 2006. The reason was that the show was making a $10 million cut, so it decided to fire him along with Rachel Dratch.

Nora Dunn Refused to Share the Stage with Andrew Dice Clay

Actress and comedian Nora Dunn, who already had several appearances at Saturday Night Live, refused to be part of an episode in 1990. The reason? Because comedian Andrew Dice Clay was going to host it. In fact, she even declared that she couldn’t stand his misogynistic and discriminatory stand-up.



[Photo Courtesy: Saturday Night Live / YouTube]


The situation represented the beginning of the end of Dunn’s era at the show. “Saturday Night Live is why I have a name, but it also has its own baggage,” she recently said.

Sinead O’Connor Ripped a Picture of Pope John Paul II Live on Air

One of the most famous moments in the history of Saturday Night Live took place in 1992 when Irish singer Sinead O’Connor was singing Bob Marley’s song “War” at her show’s musical performance.



[Photo Courtesy: Sinead O’Connor / wikimediacommons.com ]


It was a surprising moment not only because she was supposed to sing a song from her newest album, but also because she sang “War” acapella. She also changed some of the lyrics in order to mention child abuse instead of racism.

At the end of the song, she held a photo of then, Pope John Paul II to the camera and tore it to pieces. She then said, “Fight the real enemy.”

Michaels Thought O’Connor Showed Bravery

Far from receiving a widespread acclamation, Saturday Night Live’s public actually booed O’Connor for doing what she did. In fact, she never appeared on the show again, raising speculations that Michaels banned her for life.



[Photo Courtesy: Sinead O’Connor / wikimediacommons.com ]


Far from it, Michaels told Tom Shales in an interview that he gave her a lot of credit for what she did, pointing out it represented an act of bravery.
“I think it was the bravest thing she could do. She’d been a nun. To her, the church symbolized everything that was bad about growing up in Ireland the way she grew up in Ireland, and so she was making a strong political statement,” he said.

Saturday Night Live’s Stars Mocked O’Connor’s Incident

O’Connor’s controversy gained a lot of notoriety for a couple of months, with some media outlets praising her act, and others condemning it. And despite the fact she wasn’t invited to Saturday Night Live again, some famous actors mocked her in different appearances in the show.

This was the case of Joe Pesci, who literally ripped up a photo of the Irish singer on camera during a monologue, ridiculing her act against the Pope. 



[Photo Courtesy: Joe Pesci / wikimediacommons.com ]


Another case was the one of Alec Baldwin, who said during a monologue that “she ripped up a picture of (Adam Sandler’s much-maligned SNL character) Canteen Boy to deafening cheers at London’s Wembley Stadium.”

The Beatles Almost Reunited on the Show

Six years after The Beatles decided to break up, Michaels made a live plea to the so-called Fab Four to reunite as musical guests on Saturday Night Live, pointing out that NBC already authorized him to offer a million-dollar deal.



[Photo Courtesy: The Beatles / wikimediacommons.com ]


Eventually, John Lennon told David Sheff that they actually considered the offer. “Paul and I were together watching that show. He was visiting us at our place in Dakota. We were watching it and almost went down to the studio, just as a gag. We nearly got into a cab, but we were actually too tired,” he said.

Rage Against the Machine was Kicked out During their Music Performance

Rock band Rage Against the Machine played on the show in 1996, during an episode where the host was billionaire and publishing executive Steve Forbes.
Considering their political differences, the band decided to hang two upside-down flags from the stage, in a move that Saturday Night Live’s staff previously asked them not to do.



[Photo Courtesy: Rage Against the Machine / wikimediacommons.com ]


In the minutes between the end of the first song and the beginning of the second, the band had a violent confrontation with the show’s stagehands, which eventually led to authorities kicking the band off the stage.  

The Show Failed to Censor Richard Pryor

When Saturday Night Live decided to pick comedian Richard Pryor as the person to host an episode in 1975, NBC strongly disagreed with the producers’ decision, ordering them to run a censorship strategy that consisted of a 5-second delay. The reason was that the network thought Pryor was a risk for the show because of his well-known controversies at the time. 



[Photo Courtesy: Richard Pryor / wikimediacommons.com ]


Far from complying with the order, Pryor ran the show without any delay. The show’s engineers eventually said they didn’t do it because they simply didn’t know how to.

Frank Zappa was Quite Unpopular Among Many of the Show’s Cast

When Frank Zappa hosted Saturday Night Live in 1978, he was quite unpopular with most of the show’s cast because of his anti-hippie stance. In fact, some of the cast members threatened to quit the show if he attended, but eventually decided not to do it.



[Photo Courtesy: Frank Zappa / wikimediacommons.com ]


During the live performance, Zappa would regularly mug for the camera and tell the audience he was simply reading from cue cards. Apparently, this was something that really annoyed Michaels since he was never a fan of improvisation when live on air.

Adrian Brody was Permanently Banned from the Show

As previously mentioned, the thing that Michaels hated the most was artist improvizing because he thought that no one was talented enough to succeed without a script, and mainly because he thought that not reading it was an offense to the writer’s work. Because of this, he decided to permanently ban Adrian Brody from Saturday Night Live.



[Photo Courtesy: Adrian Brody / wikimediacommons.com ]


After all, when Brody hosted the show in 2003, he decided to do an unscripted performance in which he said a joke that was racially offensive.

The Show’s Audience Voted to Ban Andy Kaufman

Andy Kaufman’s main characteristic was his unpredictability, which led him to impersonate Elvis Presley or even lip-synching to the “Mighty Mouse” theme. However, things got out of control when he wrestled a woman during a skit, representing an act that drew the attention of Ebersol.



[Photo Courtesy: Saturday Night Live / YouTube]


Given this situation, he proposed a vote in which the audience would vote for “Keep Andy” or “Dump Andy.” The second option won with nearly 200,000 votes, and Kaufman never appeared on Saturday Night Live again.

Cast Members Had a Bet About Paris Hilton

When Paris Hilton was hosting Saturday Night Live in 2005, some of the show’s cast members took bets as to whether or not she would ask anyone in the crew a personal question. After all, it was known at that time that she used to do that occasionally, even when some of these questions could end up being offensive.



[Photo Courtesy: Saturday Night Live / YouTube]


Comedian Seth Myers bet that she would ask a question, which led him to win after Hilton asked him in front of everybody if Maya Rudolph was Italian.

The Entire Cast was Replaced in Season 6

One of the most controversial moments of Saturday Night Live took place in the year 1980 at the beginning of Season 6, after the show’s producers decided to fire the cast and all but one writer in order to replace them with other actors and comedians.



[Photo Courtesy: Saturday Night Live Cast / wikimediacommons.com ]


The reason behind this situation was one of the latest episodes of Season 5 in which Charles Rocket was caught swearing live on air.
One of the only few people that maintained their position at Saturday Night Live was Eddie Murphy.

Sets are always Destroyed After the Show

Even building a set is a delicate piece of work that represents a decent amount of time, they are always destroyed after every single show. This way, almost every single set that Saturday Night Live shows in each of its episodes are new. The only exception is the Oval Office set.



[Photo Courtesy: SNL Set / wikimediacommons.com ]


According to Michaels, the reason behind this practice is to “always have some work to do for more people,” but also to maintain “the creativity level on the top.”

Chevy Chase got into a fistfight with Bill Murray

Chevy Chase is simply one of the most legendary members of the show, considering he was part of the original cast and played some of the most memorable roles. It represented such a controversy when he left the show that producers had to hire him back a year later.



[Photo Courtesy: Bill Murray / wikimediacommons.com ]


However, once he returned to Saturday Night Live in 1978, he literally got into a fistfight with actor and comedian Bill Murray, after he started to mock him because of his marital issues and called him “a medium talent.” The fight between both comedians took place in John Belushi’s dressing room, a couple of minutes before Chase delivered his opening monologue for the audience.