Saturday Night Live

A closer look at the story

Saturday Night Live is an entertainment show broadcast live late at night that combines sketch comedy with music. At its heart are comedy sketches that send up current culture and politics. These are performed by a big, ever-changing ensemble that mixes seasoned regulars with newly added players. Every episode has a famous guest as host; the guest host usually kicks things off with an opening monologue and then joins the ensemble in the sketches. Each episode also brings a musical guest to the stage to perform. The excitement and unpredictability that come with live broadcasting are among the show's most striking features. Created by Lorne Michaels and Dick Ebersol and broadcast on NBC since 1975, the show has featured performers such as Kenan Thompson, Darrell Hammond, Seth Meyers, Colin Jost and Michael Che over the years.