Saturday Night Live
Late-night comedy institution
Saturday Night Live is a long-running American sketch comedy and variety show that airs late on Saturday nights.
Known informally as SNL, it features a rotating cast performing satirical sketches, celebrity hosts, musical guests, and topical political humor.
The show has launched numerous comedy careers and remains a cultural institution: Did you see the SNL cold open last night?
American television network
- live broadcastTransmission happening right now
- variety showProgram mixing different performances
- primetimeTelevision's highest-viewership period
- ratingsEvaluative scores assigned
season premiere · episode · musical guest · host · Emmy Awards · cold open · affiliate · censorship
Brief comic performance
- cold openPre-title sequence segment
- monologueUninterrupted solo address
- Weekend UpdateComedy news parody segment
- recurring charactersFigures appearing across episodes
improv · ensemble · cast · live · performance · costumes · rehearsal · script
Amusing quality
- jokesHumorous remarks or stories
- punchlineHumor's final delivery
- comedianProfessional humor performer
- funnyProvoking laughter or suspicion
laugh · wit · gag · breaking character · corpsing · catchphrase · one-liner · physical comedy
Pretending to be another
- political satireMockery of government
- spoofComic exaggerated imitation
- caricatureExaggerated comic depiction
- lampoonHarsh public mockery
mockery · send-up · exaggeration · celebrity impression · news parody · commercial parody · fake ad · takeoff
Notable secondary performer
- alumniFormer school members
- breakout starNewly prominent performer
- writerCreator of texts
- house bandVenue's regular performing group
NBC
American television network
- live broadcastTransmission happening right now
- variety showProgram mixing different performances
- primetimeTelevision's highest-viewership period
ratings · season premiere · episode · musical guest · host · Emmy Awards · cold open · affiliate · censorship · network
skit
Brief comic performance
- cold openPre-title sequence segment
- monologueUninterrupted solo address
- Weekend UpdateComedy news parody segment
recurring characters · improv · ensemble · cast · live · performance · costumes · rehearsal · script · routine
humor
Amusing quality
funny · laugh · wit · gag · breaking character · corpsing · catchphrase · one-liner · physical comedy · absurdist
impersonation
Pretending to be another
- political satireMockery of government
- spoofComic exaggerated imitation
- caricatureExaggerated comic depiction
lampoon · mockery · send-up · exaggeration · celebrity impression · news parody · commercial parody · fake ad · takeoff · roast
featured player
Notable secondary performer
- alumniFormer school members
- breakout starNewly prominent performer
- writerCreator of texts
house band · announcer · ensemble · audition · promotion · departure
- Television Historygolden age, broadcast networks, network television, color TV, live broadcasts
- NBCUniversalNBC, NBCUniversal, Peacock, Universal Studios, Today Show
- SNLWeekend Update, cold open, sketch comedy, cue cards, musical guest
- 1975SNL, Born to Run, Bohemian Rhapsody, Apollo-Soyuz, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
- American SatireThe Onion, SNL, The Daily Show, The Colbert Report, Colbert Report
- 70sdisco, bell-bottoms, pet rock, leisure suits, platform shoes