From groundbreaking presidential appearances to cultural milestones, we're diving into the most iconic moments that defined "Saturday Night Live" over five decades. Join us as we explore how this legendary show transformed comedy, pop culture, and television history!
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00:00Live from New York, it's Saturday Night."
00:02Welcome to Ms. Mojo, and today, we're counting down our picks for the most groundbreaking
00:07or defining moments on Saturday Night Live over the last 50 years.
00:11"'Cause I'm Narnia!
00:13Pass that chronic, love!
00:14Cause I'm Narnia!"
00:17Number 10.
00:18Betty White's landmark hosting gig.
00:20Who's your dream SNL host?
00:22Would you launch a Facebook campaign to get them on the show?
00:25When I first heard about the campaign to get me to host Saturday Night Live,
00:29I didn't know what Facebook was.
00:33And now that I do know what it is, I have to say, it sounds like a huge waste of time."
00:40In 2010, Dave & Matthews did just that for Betty White.
00:43While it's often said her iconic Snickers Super Bowl commercial inspired his campaign,
00:47Matthews' dream of hearing White deliver the
00:50iconic intro reportedly goes back to her Golden Girls days.
00:53"'Now lean in close.
00:55This is very important.
00:59Live from New York, it's Saturday Night!'
01:02Fans rallied behind the idea, with the campaign reportedly reaching 640,000 likes.
01:07White, a national treasure, was already on Lorne Michaels' wish list,
01:11but the stars hadn't aligned until then.
01:14She essentially became the first host chosen by the fans via social media.
01:18"'I just want to say I feel so loved.
01:22If I could, I would take you all on a big hayride.'"
01:27At 88, she became the oldest SNL host.
01:30Meanwhile, Drew Barrymore remains the youngest, hosting at just 7.
01:349.
01:35SNL goes big at the box office
01:38Beyond Studio 8H, SNL made its mark on the silver screen,
01:41turning fan-favorite sketches into full-length feature films.
01:46"'Tomorrow we gotta get the band back together.'"
01:48It started in 1980 with Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi's The Blues Brothers,
01:52which reportedly hauled in over $115 million at the box office.
01:57Then came Wayne's World in 1992,
01:59a mega-hit that convinced Michaels to turn more sketches into movies — and yes, sequels, too.
02:04"'We're not worthy! We're not worthy! We're not worthy! We're stuck!'
02:12Sure, not all of them were box office smashes,
02:14but they gave us more time with characters we loved.
02:17Apparently, the Coneheads even inspired the plot of Third Rock from the Sun.
02:20Michaels really knows how to leave his fingerprints all over pop culture, huh?
02:24"'We've got 10 fingers and 11 toes.
02:29Good. I guess we're in.'"
02:308.
02:31Eddie Murphy to the rescue
02:32Eddie Murphy is widely credited with saving SNL during the show's rocky early 80s era.
02:37After Michaels left in 1980,
02:39the show faced declining ratings and forgettable sketches under new management.
02:44"'O'Donoghue fired everybody, and he came in and he said,
02:46and the only reason Murphy didn't get fired is because he ate that dog food.
02:50And I was like, that wasn't dog food, that was hash. And he looked at me like,
02:53what the f----? But it was too late, and that's what kept the show.'"
02:56When Murphy joined as a featured player that same year,
02:59SNL was on the brink of cancellation. But his unmatched charisma and comedic genius
03:04changed everything. Characters like Buckwheat, Gumby, and Mr. Robinson weren't just hilarious,
03:09they became cultural icons.
03:12"'You're a nobody, okay? And you never was a somebody. You're not even a has-been,
03:15you're a never was.'"
03:16Fans tuned in just to see Murphy, who quickly became the heart of the show.
03:20His breakout success didn't just save SNL,
03:22it proved how one star performer could revive and redefine the series for a whole new era.
03:28"'So much has changed since we last spent some time together.'"
03:317.
03:32Dave Chappelle's post-election monologue
03:35Chappelle's 17-minute monologue ahead of the 2025 inauguration broke a record that
03:40he himself set in 2020. But we're giving this spot to the monologue that followed the 2016
03:45U.S. election, which is the most viewed on the SNL YouTube channel.
03:49"'The whites are furious. We've never seen anything like it. I haven't seen white people
03:53this mad since the O.J. birth. There's a split screen with white people on both sides. AHHHHH!'
03:59With much of the world shaken by the election results, Chappelle had his work cut out for him.
04:03Known for his social commentary, he tackled many people's concerns.
04:07"'All my black friends who have money said the same thing when Trump got elected. That's it,
04:12bro. I'm out. I'm leaving the country. You coming with us? Nah, I'm good, dog. I'm gonna stay here
04:18and get this tax break to see how it works out.'" It felt more like a mini-stand-up set,
04:22but the views say it all. It was exactly what a lot of folks needed at that moment.
04:26"'And I'm gonna give him a chance. And we, the historically disenfranchised,
04:33demand that he give us one too. Thank you very much.'"
04:38Number six. Richard Pryor hosts. For proof that SNL is truly live,
04:43just look at the accidental F-bombs dropped over the years.
04:45"'Man, f**k! Hey! Also! Come on, fam!'
04:52Back in 1975, Lorne Michaels was eager for comedian Richard Pryor to host,
04:56but NBC was concerned his edgy comedy might be too risky for their brand. Initially,
05:01they refused, but when Michaels threatened to leave in protest,
05:05they agreed to air the episode with a five-second delay.
05:07"'The bed must be on the floor! The bed is on my foot! The bed is on my foot!'
05:18Pryor, the first Black comedian to host, was understandably offended,
05:22pointing out the double standard compared to the all-white hosts before him. You could say that,
05:27in the end, Pryor had the last laugh. His episode, including the now-controversial
05:31Word Association sketch, is still considered one of the show's best.
05:35"'I think you're qualified for this job. Uh, how about a starting salary of $5,000?'
05:40"'Your mama!'
05:43"'Uh, $7,500 a year.'
05:45"'Your grandma!'
05:47Number five. Live from New York for the very first time. On October 11, 1975,
05:53people tuned in to check out a brand-new late-night sketch show called NBC's
05:57Saturday Night. The first episode was hosted by the legendary comedian George Carlin,
06:02and introduced some rising comedic talents, dubbed the not-ready-for-prime-time players.
06:07"'Say a criminal entered your kitchen with the intent of preparing an illicit piece of toast.
06:12Toast. Only we offer the Crispo Crust Self-Detonating Fragmentation Toaster,
06:18or this handy 357 Magnum Mixmaster.'"
06:22This first episode had a different look to what we know today, mixing up sketches,
06:26monologues, and musical acts like a variety show,
06:29but it still had that famous opening line and the weekend update segment.
06:33"'Yesterday in Washington, President Ford bumped his head three times getting into his helicopter.
06:38The CIA immediately denied reports that it had deliberately lowered the top of the doorway.'"
06:43Plus, they showcased comedians Valerie Bromfield and Andy Kaufman,
06:46and even had cameos from The Muppets. The story behind this iconic episode
06:50has been reimagined in the 2024 movie Saturday Night.
06:54"'Live from New York, it's Saturday Night!''
07:024. Launching weekend update
07:05Come on, admit it. Sometimes weekend update is your main news source, right?
07:08"'A wild 2024 that saw Diddy go to jail, Donald Trump get re-elected president,
07:15and Elon Musk appoint himself co-president.'"
07:18Especially when times are tough, it's nice to get the news with a side of humor.
07:22Weekend update has been around since the very first episode with Chevy Chase at the helm.
07:26Since then, we've seen legends like Norm MacDonald, Jane Curtin, Kevin Nealon,
07:31Seth Meyers, and now Michael Che and Colin Jost taking the reins.
07:34In 2004, Tina Fey and Amy Poehler made history as the first
07:38all-female anchor team, quickly becoming fan favorites.
07:42"'Carrie scored many points with voters and pundits by finally putting to rest
07:46criticism that he's a flip-flopper, saying,
07:49"'I have one position on Iraq. I'm for against it.'"
07:56"'Senator Carrie, that was my first joke.'"
07:59"'Your first joke! Yay!''
08:02Over the years, weekend update has introduced tons of hilarious characters,
08:06covering everything from current events to the latest New York club trends.
08:09This place really has everything.
08:12"'This place has everything. Skunks, K-Fobs, Cookie Crisp, Dan Cortez.'"
08:193. The rise of digital shorts
08:22With YouTube launching in 2005, SNL had to go digital to stay relevant.
08:26In the mid-2000s, it honed in on these pre-recorded, quick-production sketches
08:30that let them experiment with new formats, humor, and styles
08:34that didn't always fit the live-sketch format.
08:37"'Yeah, never thought I'd be on a boat. It's a big blue watery road.
08:44Poseidon, look at me.'"
08:50These digital shorts often featured music, viral humor,
08:53and fast editing that connected with younger audiences.
08:56One of their earliest shorts, Lazy Sunday,
08:59went viral and apparently even played a pivotal role in YouTube's rise.
09:13The Lonely Island, who spearheaded the format,
09:15had a strong streak during their time on the show.
09:18Even after they left, SNL continued to evolve the format,
09:21finding fresh ways to connect with fans beyond TV.
09:272. The first post-9-11 episode
09:37After the 9-11 attacks, SNL faced a tough question.
09:40"'Can we be funny? Why start now?'
09:45For Michaels, the answer was clear. The show had to go on. He reached out to then-New York
09:50Mayor Rudy Giuliani for approval to air the show on September 29, just 18 days after the tragedy.
09:56Hosted by Reese Witherspoon, the writers struggled to find the right tone,
09:59ultimately deciding to focus on escapism while keeping any mention
10:03of the events to an absolute minimum.
10:05"'What's it like being unbelievably awesome and perfect?'
10:09"'Dios mio, I am not perfect. Yo tengo problemas just like everybody else.
10:14I mean, my hair is so naturally blonde that I can only wear pink or purple.'"
10:18Of course, they couldn't ignore it completely. Giuliani, who was praised for his leadership
10:23after the attacks, was invited to address audiences during the cold open. Today,
10:27this episode is remembered for bringing audiences a slither of a silver lining in such dark times.
10:32"'As we grieve for our loved ones, it's up to us to face the future with renewed determination.
10:39Our hearts are broken, but they are beating, and they are beating stronger than ever.'"
10:44Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.
10:48More Cowbell, one of modern SNL's most iconic sketches. Apparently,
10:52it continued to haunt Christopher Walken long after it aired.
10:56"'Guess what? I got a fever, and the only prescription is more cowbell.'"
11:02Haunted Elevator, featuring David S. Pumpkins. So simple,
11:06so random, yet it became a cultural phenomenon. Any questions?
11:19Debbie Downer, often credited for pushing the term into our lexicon.
11:23"'Speaking of heat, if this greenhouse effect keeps up, we'll all be living underwater.'"
11:35John Mulaney's musical sketches. Ever since the iconic Diner Lobster sketch,
11:40we can't help but get excited whenever he's slated to host.
11:42"'And why would someone on a whim choose from all to order him? Who's this guy?'
11:48"'I thought that there was an unspoken rule, that lobster in a diner's never cool.'"
11:54All the Emmys. As of 2023, SNL has racked up an impressive 314 nominations.
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12:191. The inaugural cameo from a presidential candidate
12:23Today, it's pretty normal to see politicians on SNL, but that wasn't always the case.
12:28Back in 1976, President Gerald Ford was dealing with a lot of negative press.
12:33"'I do have, I think, a good relationship with the president,
12:36and I usually know what he means even before he says it. It's after he says it that I get in
12:42trouble.'" Seeing how powerful entertainment could be, he leaned into it, hoping it would
12:47help show his more human side to the public. In Season 1, Episode 17, hosted by his press
12:52secretary Ron Nesson, Ford made a surprise cameo during the cold open, delivering SNL's iconic line.
12:59"'Live from New York, it's Saturday night.'"
13:01Nesson also joined in on the fun with Chevy Chase, who often poked fun at the president.
13:06While it didn't help Ford win re-election,
13:08it marked a turning point in how politicians used entertainment to connect with voters.
13:13"'Sometimes they poke a little fun at you on the show. It's all in good fun,
13:17and I think it'd be a good idea to show that you can take a joke.
13:23That's very funny, Ron.'"
13:24What do you think has been SNL's biggest landmark moment over the last 50 years?
13:28Let us know in the comments.
13:30"'Well, isn't that special?''
13:33Do you agree with our picks? Check out this other recent clip from Ms. Mojo.
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