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Before he was a Ghostbusterand an Oscar-nominee, Bill Murray was a cast member on Saturday Night Live, where he entertained late-night audiences from 1977 to 1980. Now, the Golden Globe-winning Lost in Translation star, who attended the 50th anniversary of SNL on Feb. 16, is reflecting on what the experience was like.

Per Entertainment Weekly, Murray appeared on SiriusXM’s Sway in the Morning with host Sway Calloway and talked about what the 50th anniversary of Saturday Night Live meant to him. “It was surprisingly emotional. I wept three times in the show. It really got to me,” Murray said.

When Calloway asked what he wept for, Murray started off by telling a joke, “Oh, there were sketches that were dying,” he said. “No, I’m kidding.”

Related'He Was a Tough Nut': Bill Murray Recalls Working With Gene Hackman on The Royal Tenenbaums

Bill Murray starred with Gene Hackman in the 2001 Wes Anderson...

Over four decades later, veteran actor and Ghostbusters star Bill Murray has addressed the literary treatment of his late friend and collaborator John Belushi by Bob Woodward, calling the latter's work "completely inaccurate." The legendary comedian, actor, and musician Belushi was one of the original Saturday Night Live cast members and died in 1982, aged 33, from an overdose of cocaine and heroin.

Murray aired his opinion of Woodward's 1984 biography Wired: The Short Life and Fast Times of John Belushi on The Joe Rogan Experience podcast. "If he did this to Belushi, what he did to Nixon is probably soiled for me too. I can't take it," he said. "You could have two sources and everything like that, but the two sources that he had, if he had them for the Wired book, were so far outside the inner circle that it was criminal, cruel."

RelatedErnie Hudson Reflects on Harold Ramis'...

Saturday Night Live actor Bowen Yang was accused by an extra who's worked on the NBC series of getting Shane Gillis fired back in 2019. However, Yang has spoken out on the allegation to note how that's not the case.

Six years ago, Yang and Gillis had both been hired to join SNL as new performers. Problematic jokes Gillis had made about Asians on his comedy podcast resurfaced soon after his casting was announced, boosting a social media movement for SNL to cut ties with the risqué comedian. The SNL team ultimately acquiesced by firing Gillis, though the bridges have been rebuilt, with Gillis having since appeared on the show as guest host. Ahead of his second guest-hosting stint on March 1, comic and SNL extra Michelle Best posted a comment on an Instagram video shared by NBC to "acknowledge" that Yang was allegedly responsible for Gillis' firing.

Related'Don't Negotiate With Terrorists':...

New York's hottest club is Saturday Night Live, but only if you've hosted it at least five times. That gets you entry to SNL's exclusive "Five-Timers Club". Now that Saturday Night Live has celebrated 50 years of laughs, we're taking a look at one of its most consistent yet difficult to attain inside jokes/accolades, The Five-Timers Club. Besides the obvious honor of being a late-night regular, what does this comedic membership entail? And what other entertainment icons have made the cut?

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Saturday Night LiveTV-14ComedyNewsMusicRelease DateOctober 11, 1975NetworkNBCShowrunnerLorne MichaelsCastSee All

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Directors  Dave Wilson, Don Roy King, Liz Patrick, Andy Warhol, Linda Lee Cadwell, Matthew Meshekoff,...

Pete Davidson became a regular fixture of Saturday Night Live with an eight-year long run on the show, becoming the series’ youngest cast member at the age of 20 and an instant hit thanks to his “Weekend Update” appearances, among other sketches. However, his return for the show’s 50th anniversary celebration had fans talking for a reason other than his comedic talents – the reducing number of his trademark collection of tattoos.

Davidson, who is currently starring as one of the many big-name voices in the animated hit movie Dog Man, has become well-known as a walking scrapbook of inked designs with around 200 tattoos adorning his body. Almost all the actor’s pieces of body art have some kind of personal significance to either his life or his career, but while appearing on SNL50 many fans noticed that he is not as tatted up as he used to be.

During a...

Saturday Night Live recently celebrated its 50th Anniversary, with (almost) every notable name in the show's history and Hollywood as a whole coming together for the event. The long-running show brought back many of its iconic sketches for the occasion, with Black Jeopardy being one of them. Eddie Murphy, Tracy Morgan, and Leslie Jones returned to the stage for the fake quiz show, but it was Oscar-winner Tom Hanks' appearance that became the most talked about – and perhaps not in the way he would have liked.

Hanks appeared as a contestant on the fictional Black version of Jeopardy, a sketch the series has made famous over the years. In the skit, he plays a satirical version of a Trump voter – a role he played in a previous episode. But a specific incident during the segment is drawing backlash on right-wing social media. The host, played by longtime star Kenan Thompson,...

Tom Hanks stepped back onto the Saturday Night Live stage just days after staging a “walk out” at the weekend’s Homecoming Concert. While the actor and his wife, Rita Wilson, appeared to be disgruntled at there being no awards getting handed out at the event, it was, of course, all part of the show. This meant that it was not a surprise to see Hanks back on the show for its 50th anniversary special, where he introduced a special montage of sketches that have aged as well as a Hollywood star without a good surgeon.

Hanks joined a segment dedicated to what SNL executives and cast members have termed “canceled characters.” The legendary actor, who is part of the show’s “five-timers” club, delivered a fitting monologue to introduce the rogue’s gallery of controversial, offensive, and generally just problematic faces to have graced screen as part of SNL’s line up.

The stars really did come out for the 50th anniversary special for Saturday Night Live. Introducing Adam Sandler, who performed an incredible SNL50 tribute song, was none other than the legendary Jack Nicholson.

When the camera cut to Nicholson, the applause rained down. The actor kept it simple, saying, "Ladies and gentlemen, Adam Sandler!" From there, Sandler gave a shout-out to Jack and began his song, singing, "Everyone in this room has something in common. All of our lives were changed by the show."

Sandler is known for his songs and mashups, and this one was perfect for the occasion. He sang about the cast, funny moments (including those behind the scenes), the crew, Lorne Michaels, and paid a very heartfelt tribute to fellow SNL vet and friend, the late Chris Farley, who passed away in 1997, and Norm Macdonald, who died in 2021. You can watch the entire performance, and Jack's introduction,...

Eddie Murphy's impression of Tracy Morgan on Saturday Night Live stole the show in a recent sketch celebrating the show's 50th anniversary. Murphy did his Morgan impression during the show's 'Black Jeopardy' sketch.

Murphy was joined for the SNL skit by fellow Black comedians, with Kenan Thompson playing host Darnell Hayes (aka Alex Treblack), and the other contestants being Leslie Jones and Tracy Morgan himself. During 'Black Jeopardy', Murphy did a hilarious impression of Morgan -- while Morgan stood right beside him and played a man named Darius. From his very introduction, Murphy was fully in-character as Tracy, calling out "Big Dog gonna make some big money!" in an over-the-top impression that had the rest of the cast struggling to keep a straight face.

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A deleted scene from the Cobra Kai finale reveals...

Quick LinksThe "Original" 'Saturday Night Live'One 'SNL's Failure and Another's Success

Live from New York, it's Saturday Night! Speaking of that iconic opening line, have you ever wondered why it's phrased that way? Why does it say just "Saturday Night" and not "Saturday Night Live?" Having two "lives" might be redundant, but isn't Saturday Night Live the name of the show? It is now, but that wasn't always the case.

Casual viewers may not know that the original name of the series was actually NBC's Saturday Night. That's why the opener is phrased that way. Even though it was always live, it didn't add that word to the title until Season 3. Believe it or not, this was because there was already a series titled Saturday Night Live on the air when the then-nbc's Saturday Night debuted in 1975. This "other" SNL was Saturday Night Live with Howard Cosell,...

Saturday Night Live's biggest stars are everywhere these days: from the hallowed halls of Studio 8H, all the way to the beachy shores of Malibu, California. And in honor of the historic 50th anniversary of the longstanding comedy sketch series, everyone is getting in on the action of celebrating and honoring its many iconic moments. Including Volkswagen, which reunited Bill Hader, Kristen Wiig, and Fred Armisen as "The Californians" in a commercial for their latest car.

The air-headed, valley girl-inflection-toting bottled blondes from the popular soap opera parody sketch star in the ad for the new Volkswagen ID Buzz, an electric take on their own California icon, the old Vw bus, which debuted on Thursday. And, frankly, it's giving nostalgia vibes in an extremely earth-conscious way, which is like, totally Californian of them. We can see why Karina (Wiig) and her lover Devin (Hader) are too impressed by her...

A star-studded crowd gathered to celebrate the legacy of the iconic comedy and musical series Saturday Night Live. As part of the 50th anniversary of the show, SNL50: The Homecoming Concert saw many familiar faces from the last 50 years of the series' history both watching and performing at the event, which was hosted by Jimmy Fallon. As the night kicked off, however, no one expected to see Oscar-winner Tom Hanks and his wife Rita Wilson storm out of the auditorium after Fallon explained that the night would not include any awards presentations. Fallon said:

“Apparently, there’s been some confusion. This is just a concert. We’re not giving out any awards tonight. So, I just want to make sure that everyone knows that.”

At that point, Hanks and his wife stood up out of their seats and stomped up the central aisle and out of the venue. Of course,...

Tina Fey, the former head writer and cast member of NBC's Saturday Night Live, has revealed that she's part of the writing team behind SNL50, the 50th anniversary special that will air this Sunday on NBC. Even though Fey's experience on the show speaks for itself, returning as a staff writer meant that she had to clean the rust off of her comedy writing skills. However, a visit from a very special SNL icon made everything better.

Fey was a guest on The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon alongside her former SNL co-star, dear friend and collaborator, Amy Poehler (via Entertainment Weekly). The conversation turned to what's brewing for SNL50, and Fey revealed that she's part of a team of staff writers for the special: "I know a little bit about what's taking shape because I am working on it as a staff writer, which I'm pretty excited about,...

Jesse Eisenberg is a one-time Saturday Night Live host, once serving in that role for a guest hosting gig in 2011. He has not hosted the sketch comedy series since, but that could be in part due to the experience not going so well for the actor.

During a new interview for Today with Jenna & Friends, Eisenberg discussed his SNL experience. He revealed that he's still haunted by how it went, despite how he was told that it was the "best episode they ever did." For the former Lex Luthor actor, he went into SNL extremely excited, as creating comedy for the legendary show was something he had dreamed about. He also presumed that it was up to him to write the sketches he'd appear in, and he started slipping written skits to cast members leading up to the show. Eisenberg said he was told by someone at SNL that this was encouraged,...

With the 50th Anniversary of Saturday Night Live looming on the horizon, many of the show's former stars and guest hosts have opened up about their experiences on the series. While stories from writers about letting polarizing figures like Donald Trump host have taken center stage, a new anecdote has emerged from a 2013 host. Jesse Eisenberg, known for roles like Lex Luthor and Mark Zuckerberg, opened up about hosting the long-running sketch comedy series, and sadly, he doesn't look back fondly on the experience.

During a recent appearance on the newly revamped fourth hour of Today, Jenna & Friends (via Variety), he expressed regret about his lifelong dream being far more sour than sweet:

"I only have bad memories because I did such a dumb thing. My dream when I was 17 was to write for ‘SNL.’ I made a packet and everything and I got an agent. And then, when I got asked to host,...

Saturday Night Live is celebrating its 50th year on television this year, and with this milestone comes a plethora of new insights and anecdotes regarding the show's storied history – some of which are collected in a new book, which reveals that former SNL writer and star Tim Robinson had a pretty strong reaction when Lorne Michaels invited Donald Trump to host an episode during his first presidential election campaign.

Before becoming President of the United States, Donald Trump was a mainstay on NBC, with his competition series The Apprentice serving as a pivotal part of the primetime lineup. Shortly after announcing his run for president, the network dumped Trump as host of the series due to derogatory comments he made about Mexican immigrants, but that didn't squash his involvement with NBC. Instead, to the shock and awe of many, Lorne Michaels invited Trump to host an episode of the long-running sketch series.

It's hard to believe, but this year, Saturday Night Live turns 50 years old. Created by Lorne Michaels, the show premiered on Oct. 11, 1975 and while it didn't go quite as smoothly, it certainly became a cultural phenomenon. Dan Aykroyd, John Belushi, Chevy Chase, George Coe, Jane Curtin, Garrett Morris, Laraine Newman, Michael O'Donoghue, Gilda Radner, and host George Carlin were the first to appear on the legendary show. And now, as its 50th anniversary special approaches, NBC has released a partial list of major A-list actors, musicians, and celebrities who will appear.

SNL50: The Anniversary Special will feature a who's who of major celebrities, per Variety. They include Sir Paul McCartney, Tom Hanks, Kim Kardashian, Steve Martin, Martin Short, Scarlett Johansson, Dave Chappelle, Miley Cyrus, Paul Simon, Robert De Niro, Sabrina Carpenter, Pedro Pascal, Bad Bunny, Quinta Brunson, Peyton Manning, Woody Harrelson, Adam Driver, Ayo Edebiri, and John Mulaney. More stars will be announced soon.

For the last several decades, Saturday Night Live has been faced with questions of its future. While so many people claim not to watch or call it unfunny, everyone still talks about it and sketches still go viral. Some feel the show has run its course, the sketches need work, or members of the cast need to go. Nothing ever comes of it because Saturday Night Live is engrained as part of the fabric of late-night television that no one really ever expects to end. But there’s one point in time when Saturday Night Live almost did get canceled, and arguably should have been. The show was hanging by a thread, and instead of a complete cast shake-up saving the show, it led to a year that has become known as the “weird season.”

This was in 1985 during season 11, a bizarre season that the new Peacock docuseries SNL50: Beyond Saturday Night...

“Scrubs” creator and “Ted Lasso” writer Bill Lawrence is set to receive the Writers Guild of America East’s Herb Sargent Award for Comedy Excellence at the 77th annual WGA Awards next month.

Named in honor of legendary “Saturday Night Live” writer and television producer Herb Sargent, who served as Wgae president for 14 years, the WGA East’s Sargent Award is given to a writer who “embodies the spirit, commitment and comic genius of Mr. Sargent, as well as his dedication to mentoring new writers,” per the writers’ union.

Previous recipients of the Sargent Award include writers Paul Simms, Judd Apatow, Tina Fey and Robert Carlock, Steve O’Donnell, Norman Stiles, Lorne Michaels, Paula Pell and James L. Brooks.

The prize will be bestowed upon Lawrence at the 2025 Writers Guild Awards’ New York ceremony for WGA East members on Feb. 15, which is held concurrently with the WGA West’s Los Angeles event.

2024 was a packed year for several actors working in Hollywood, whether they are continuously rising stars or already well-established names in the industry. The year had plenty of noteworthy character-driven dramas, animated features, chaotic comedies, and big-budget blockbusters to keep audiences entertained. More importantly, these actors proved their capability of playing two different types of characters.

For example, multiple actors from the enthralling and visually stunning Dune: Part Two, like Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, and Austin Butler, also appeared in acclaimed and award-worthy dramas in the same year. They are just a few of many actors who stole the show in 2024 with their commanding screen presence and shockingly good versatility. From newcomers like Cailee Spaeny to big-name stars like Chris Hemsworth, 2024 was a spectacular year for these particular performers.

Gabriel Labelle Ran a Food Stand & Portrayed The Iconic Lorne Michaels Snack Shack & Saturday Night

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Character

Snack Shack

Moose

Saturday Night...

Kathy McGee will be the recipient of the WGA East’s Richard B. Jablow Award for Devoted Service to the Guild at the 77th annual Writers Guild Awards ceremony in March.

McGee, a member of the WGA East since 1997, is an award-winning news writer and producer for Wcbs-tv. She has served as the shop leader at Wcbs-tv since 2006 and is a member of the bargaining committee for CBS contracts.

She is currently as a member of the guild’s Committee for Inclusion and Equity. Additionally, Wgae Activities Committee, the Wgae Black Writers Salon and is a longtime member of the National Association of Black Journalists.

Previously, McGee was the WGA East’s vice president from 2019 to 2021 and the vice president of the broadcast/cable/streaming news sector between 2022 and 2024. She also served as a Council member from 2014 to 2019.

“I am filled with gratitude and joy and thank the committee for this honor.

Saturday Night's digital release date has been revealed.

Saturday Night will be available to buy or rent on digital platforms on November 12, followed by Blu-ray and DVD on January 7.

More to come...

Source: Sony Pictures

Saturday Night 4/10

Saturday Night (2024) is a forthcoming film with an undisclosed director. The movie centers on the vibrant nightlife of a bustling city, capturing the intertwining lives and stories of a diverse ensemble cast navigating personal and social challenges over the course of a single evening.

Director Jason ReitmanRelease Date October 11, 2024Writers Jason Reitman, Gil KenanCast Presley Coley, Abraham Hsu, Justin Matthew Smith, Ellen Boscov, Naomi McPherson, Kirsty Woodward, Mcabe Gregg, Leander Suleiman, Corinne Britti, Rowan Joseph, James Logan, Drew Scheid, Parker Wierling, Jon Batiste, Matt Wood, Emily Fairn, Kim Matula, Brian Welch, Kaia Gerber, Andrew Barth Feldman, Nicholas Podany, Billy Bryk, Gabriel Labelle, Rachel Sennott, Catherine Curtin, Robert Wuhl, Tracy Letts, Brad Garrett, Cory Michael Smith,...

The early 1980s were a tough time for Saturday Night Live. After Lorne Michaels and the remaining members of the original Not Ready for Prime Time Players left at the end of Season Five, an all-new cast starred in a truncated Season Six before they were all fired — save for two breakout stars: Eddie Murphy and Joe Piscopo.

With the departing cast members went new showrunner Jean Doumanian, who was replaced by Dick Ebersol for Seasons Seven through 10 (Michaels returned in Season 11). Ebersol was a controversial figure at SNL, as the show struggled to regain its cultural relevance during his reign and suffered from frequent cast turnover.

Smack-dab in the middle of Ebersol’s run came Brad Hall, who was a cast member for all of Seasons Eight and Nine. While he was in some sketches, he mostly helmed the Weekend Update desk for a season and a half before...

2024 has been a year packed with great cinema from all different genres. Some of the years biggest hits have also been the most financially successful, like Dune: Part Two, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice and Deadpool & Wolverine. However, unfortunately, many other great films have fallen by the popularity wayside.

Every year brings a number of films that dont live up to financial or critical expectations, but there are also a lot of films that simply dont spark huge love from audiences. These films are absolutely not failures; they are completely underrated and deserve a second look.

Watch the Chaotic Origin Story of Saturday Night Live

Saturday Night Live is one of the longest-running TV shows of all time, but its premiere episode was filled with production problems that should have doomed the series from the start. And this year, Jason Reitman tells the story of that tumultuous and chaotic night with Saturday Night.

Michael Che and Colin Jost have been manning Saturday Night Lives Weekend Update desk together since 2014, and in that time theyve cracked their fair share of jokes towards each other. Recently, Che let it be known that in all that time working together, there was one joke that Jost made that he could not stand.

During a recent appearance on the Fly on the Wall podcast hosted by longtime friends and comedians David Spade and Dana Carvey Che and Jost discussed their career and friendship. Though the two Saturday Night Live cast members take jabs at each other on a regular basis, Che did reveal the quip that went too far. "Yeah, I think jalapeo business, I was pretty furious about that one," said Che.

Related SNL Season 50 Gains Three New Additions as Another Cast Member Exits

SNLs 50th season welcomes new additions as another cast member exits.

"I remember...

Weekend Update is a sketch and parody newscast presented on Saturday Night Live. It is the brainchild of popular SNL cast member Chevy Chase and SNL writers Herb Sargent and Al Franken, which parodies current events.

The sketch is SNL's longest-running, premiering during the first broadcast of SNL on October 11, 1975. During Chase's run as a news anchor, he often began his bits talking exclusively on the phone to a mystery person, unaware that he was live on air. He used the catchphrase "I'm Chevy Chase...and you're not" and concluded his segment with "That's the news...good night, and have a pleasant tomorrow."

Over the years, many other notable names served as newscasters, including Jane Curtain, Dennis Miller, Kevin Nealon, Norm MacDonald, and Colin Quinn. Personally, I believe MacDonald, with his dry delivery, is the cream of the crop when it comes to Weekend Update anchors.

It is well...

Next year, ‘Saturday Night Live' will be celebrating its 50th anniversary, after making its premiere on October 11, 1975. The famed late-night comedy’s beginnings are also in the process of being captured in a new film, aptly titled ‘SNL 1975’. While little details have been released about the plot or script, casting information, behind-the-scenes pictures, as well as history can give us information on this anticipated origin story.

Things to do:

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Live From New York, It’S 1975 Though it may seem that the plot of ‘SNL 1975...

Coinciding with the 50th anniversary of Saturday Night Live, filmmaker Jason Reitman is bringing it back to the night when it all began. With his new film Saturday Night, Reitman chronicles the events leading up the events of SNL’s very first episode on October 11th, 1975. Watch the newly revealed trailer below.

The film’s star-studded ensemble cast features Gabriel Labelle as SNL creator Lorne Michaels; Dylan O’Brien as Dan Aykroyd; Lamorne Morris as Garrett Morris; Cory Michael Smith as Chevy Chase; Ella Hunt as Gilda Radner; Emily Fairn as Laraine Newman; Kim Matula as Jane Curtin; Matt Wood as John Belushi; and Nicholas Braun as Andy Kaufman and Jim Henson.

Other cast members include Cooper Hoffman as NBC head Dick Ebersol; Rachel Sennott as SNL writer and Michael’s wife Rosie Shuster; Matthew Rhys as George Carlin; Jon Batiste as Billy Preston; Finn Wolfhard as an NBC page; J.K Simmons...

Gloria Stroock, who played Rock Hudson’s secretary on McMillan & Wife and appeared in films including Fun With Dick and Jane, The Competition and The Day of the Locust, has died. She was 99.

Stroock died May 5 of natural causes in Tucson, Arizona, her daughter, Kate Stern, told The Hollywood Reporter.

Stroock was married to Emmy-winning writer-producer Leonard B. Stern (Abbott and Costello in the Foreign Legion, The Phil Silvers Show, The Honeymooners, Get Smart and much more) from 1956 until his death in 2011 at age 87.

Her late younger sister was Geraldine Brooks, a Tony nominee and Warner Bros. contract player (Cry Wolf, Embraceable You).

Stroock recurred as Maggie, the secretary of Hudson’s San Francisco police commissioner Stewart McMillan, on the final three seasons (1974-77) of McMillan & Wife, the NBC series created by her husband.

She portrayed the wife of Richard Dysart’s art director in John Schlesinger’s The Day of the Locust...

J.K. Simmons has joined the cast of Jason Reitman’s SNL 1975, and not only will the Oscar winner be playing Hollywood legend Milton Berle, but he’ll have the notable distinction of becoming the first actual SNL host to join the cast of the Sony movie.

Simmons hosted the Jan. 31, 2015 episode of Saturday Night Live, which featured D’Angelo as the musical guest. At the time, Simmons was riding high off an Oscar nomination for Whiplash, and he would go on to win the Academy Award following his SNL hosting stint.

Meanwhile, Berle hosted SNL on April 14, 1979, and Ornette Coleman was his musical guest. It’s unclear where Berle fits into Reitman’s movie at this moment in time.

SNL 1975 is a behind-the-scenes account of the very first episode of Saturday Night Live. The film will reportedly unfold in real-time.

On the heels of playing Steven Spielberg in The Fabelmans,...

J.K. Simmons has rounded out the cast for Jason Reitman’s delve into behind-the-scenes happenings of the opening night of ‘SNL’ in ‘SNL 1975’.

Billy Bryk (Friendship), Joe Chrest (Stranger Things), Taylor Gray (Star Wars: Rebels) and Mcabe Gregg (Teenage Badass) have also joined the cast.

Simmons is set to take on the role of comedian Milton Berle, with Chrest as Weekend Update co-creator Herb Sargent. Gray and Gregg portray Al Franken and Tom Davis, the SNL writer-performers of duo Franken & Davis. Details as to Bryk’s role haven’t been disclosed.

Also in news – Benedict Cumberbatch stars in first look images for ‘Eric’

The latest group of actors join the already cast Gabriel Labelle who leads the ensemble as Lorne Michaels, with Cooper Hoffman, Rachel Sennott, Ella Hunt, Lamorne Morris, Dylan O’Brien, Nicholas Braun, Finn Wolfhard and Kaia Gerber.

The script for the project is penned by Reitman and Gil Kenan.

Exclusive: Academy Award winner J.K. Simmons (The Accountant 2) is among the final additions to the cast of Sony Pictures’ film SNL 1975 (working title), based on real-life behind-the-scenes accounts of the opening night of Saturday Night Live. Other new cast members for the Jason Reitman pic include Billy Bryk (Friendship), Joe Chrest (Stranger Things), Taylor Gray (Star Wars: Rebels) and Mcabe Gregg (Teenage Badass).

Simmons plays comedian Milton Berle, with Chrest as Weekend Update co-creator Herb Sargent. Gray and Gregg portray Al Franken and Tom Davis, the SNL writer-performers of duo Franken & Davis. Details as to Bryk’s role haven’t been disclosed.

As previously announced, The Fabelmans breakout Gabriel Labelle leads the ensemble as Lorne Michaels, with Cooper Hoffman, Rachel Sennott, Ella Hunt, Lamorne Morris, Dylan O’Brien, Nicholas Braun, Finn Wolfhard and Kaia Gerber also to star.

It was on October 11th, 1975 that a ferocious troupe of young...

When "Saturday Night Live" hit NBC's airwaves on October 11, 1975, expectations were tempered. With its 11:30 Pm time slot and cast of fringe comedy talents, the show was a hedged bet. If the Nielsen ratings were poor, it'd be exceedingly easy for the network to pull the plug after a few episodes.

Everyone from creator Lorne Michaels on down were confident that they'd pulled together something special, if not revolutionary, but they were also concerned that their target audience might not show up. There was also the matter of executing a live television show with a bunch of boob-tube neophytes. There were so many moving pieces that had to click into place, and zero leeway for mistakes. One slip-up could set off a domino effect of snafus, resulting in a live TV debacle for the ages.

As the premiere approached, the cast members mulled their uncertain future. They believed in their work,...

Donald Glover took the stage at the Writers Guild of America Awards and called out his Community co-star Chevy Chase. Created by Dan Harmon, the NBC sitcom centered on an eclectic group of students enrolled at the fictional Greendale Community College. Glover starred as Troy Barnes a former high school athletic star who embraces his nerdy side with best friend Abed Nadir (Danny Pudi).

During the production of Community, Chase reportedly did not get along well with much of the cast and crew. In one instance, it was alleged that he called Glover a racial slur.

While presenting Atlanta executive producer, Paul Simms, with the Sargent Award for Comedy Excellence at the 75th Annual Writers Guild of America Awards, Glover took a jab at Chase's past comments. Read what Glover said below:

This award was named after Herb Sargent, a writer who worked on [Saturday Night Live] and came up...

Donald Glover made a rare appearance at the 2023 Writers Guild Awards in New York on Sunday night where he used some of his time onstage, presenting Atlanta executive producer Paul Simms with an honorary award, to joke about Community co-star Chevy Chase using the N-word.

The Atlanta writer-actor, whose upcoming series Swarm hits Amazon’s Prime Video later this month, recalled how the award Simms is receiving was named after former Saturday Night Live writer Herb Sargent, who came up with the Chevy Chase-hosted “Weekend Update.”

“Chevy Chase once called Herb one of the funniest writers working in television,” Glover said onstage at the WGA Awards. “Chevy Chase once called me. You know what? This is about Paul.”

Later, when Glover recalled hearing about Simms after working on Girls, he was more explicit about what happened with Chase.

“I was on the set of Girls after filming a sex scene for like eight hours,...

When Donald Glover stopped by the WGA Awards in New York to present “NewsRadio” creator and “Atlanta” executive producer Paul Simms with the Herb Sargent Award for Comedy Excellence on Sunday night, he found time to get a few jabs in at his famously unpleasant “Community” co-star Chevy Chase. For years, Glover has been open about Chase’s racist behavior towards him on the set of the NBC show, which he alluded to during his speech honoring Simms.

“This award was named after Herb Sargent, a writer who worked on ‘Saturday Night Live’ and came up with the ‘Weekend Update’ with Chevy Chase,'” Glover said at the beginning of his remarks. “Chevy Chase once called Herb one of the funniest writers working in television. And Chevy Chase once called me… you know, this is about Paul.”

His long comedic pause led many to believe he was referring to Chase calling him the N-word.

Penelope Koechl will be this year’s recipient of the WGA East’s Richard B. Jablow Award for Devoted Service to the Guild. The honorary award will be presented at the 75th annual Writers Guild Awards ceremony at New York’s Edison Ballroom on March 5.

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Koechl, who served five terms on the guild’s Council, is currently a member of the Trustee Review and Appointment Committee and chairperson of the Election Committee. After joining the guild in 1986, she served as a member of the 1988 Strike Committee, the 2001 Negotiating Committee and an alternate on the 2007 Negotiating Committee. A longtime writer for the...

Paul Simms, the writer behind ”Late Night With David Letterman” and the first three seasons of HBO’s “The Larry Sanders Show,” will receive the Herb Sargent Award for Comedy Excellence in recognition of his decades-long commitment to creating transformative content and mentoring budding screenwriters.

“Atlanta” creator Donald Glover is presenting the award to Simms at the 75th Annual Writers Guild Awards on March 5. The ceremony will be held at New York City’s Edison Ballroom.

“I’m deeply honored to receive the Herb Sargent Award and truly grateful to the writers I’ve worked with over the years,” Simms said. “Without their input, I’m not even capable of coming up with a funny quote, and I look forward to their assessments of all the various ways this quote you’re reading right now missed the mark and could have been better.”

The award is annually presented to a...

As tonight’s episode of Saturday Night Live wound down, the show paid tribute to its former writer John Bowman, who died suddenly at home in California on New Year’s Eve, aged 64.

Bowman wrote on the series from1988-1989 and won an Emmy for his efforts across 20 episodes, sharing the honor with Mike Myers, Al Franken, Conan O’Brien, Bob Odenkirk, Lorne Michaels, Phil Hartman, James Downey, A. Whitney Brown, Greg Daniels, Tom Davis, Shannon Gaughan, Jack Handey, Herbert Sargent, Tom Schiller, Robert Smigel, Bonnie Turner, Terry Turner, Christine Zander and George Meyer.

Bowman also made uncredited appearances in a pair of 1988 episodes hosted by actors Danny DeVito and John Lithgow.

He was otherwise best known for co-creating and producing the ’90s sitcom Martin, writing on series including In Living Color, and leading the WGA’s negotiating committee during the 2007-08 strike.

SNL‘s photo tribute to Bowman from tonight’s show,...

Tina Fey and Robert Carlock, the team behind “30 Rock” and “The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt,” will receive a top honor from the Writers Guild of America, East in February. The writing and producing duo will claim the Herb Sargent Award for Comedy Excellence next year at an award ceremony at New York’s Edison Ballroom, the guild announced on Thursday. The award has some emotional ties for Fey and Carlock, as Sargent was the creator of the “Saturday Night Live” news parody segment “Weekend Update.” Also Read: Tina Fey Blasts Trump, Neo-Nazis and Paul Ryan While Eating Cake (Video) “This is particularly meaningful for us.

Prolific TV comedy writer Steve O’Donnell will receive a top honor from the Writer’s Guild of America East at its annual awards gala this year. O’Donnell, a longtime former staffer of “Late Night with David Letterman,” will receive the Herb Sargent Award for Comedy Excellence at a Feb. 19 gala hosted by Lewis Black, the guild said Tuesday. “The Sargent Award is awarded to a writer who embodies the spirit, commitment and comic genius of Mr. Sargent, as well as his dedication to mentoring new writers,” a statement read of the awards namesake, who served as president of the Wgae for 14 years.

Late-night TV writer Steve O'Donnell will be this year's recipient of the WGA East's Herb Sargent Award for Comedy Excellence. Nominated for 20 Primetime Emmys and the winner of four, O’Donnell spent 10 years as head writer on NBC's Late Night with David Letterman and another five years as head writer on ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live. The award, which will be presented February 19 at the WGA Awards ceremony in New York, is given to a writer "who embodies the spirit, commitment…...

-Aly Semigran; additional research by Jim Miller (@jimmiller)

Of all the positions on Saturday Night Live, sitting behind the iconic Weekend Update desk is, perhaps, the most prestigious and sought-after. Whether working solo or partnered up with an equally funny SNL co-star, the Weekend Update anchors have kept viewers informed on current events, with the added bonus of a hilarious punchline, over the past 40 years. As we celebrate the series’ anniversary, which VH1 Classic is currently honoring with its “SNL Rewind: 2015-1975 Mega Marathon,” we picked the top five Weekend Update hosts and hosting duos.

5. Seth Meyers

Seth Meyers was behind the Weekend Update desk from 2006 to 2014, both alone and with co-hosts (including Amy Poehler and Cecily Strong) making him the longest-running host on the show to date. While other memorable hosts went for snarky or biting (see: Dennis Miller), Meyers used his nice-guy charm to cut to the core...

-Aly Semigran; additional research by Jim Miller (@jimmiller)

Of all the positions on Saturday Night Live, sitting behind the iconic Weekend Update desk is, perhaps, the most prestigious and sought-after. Whether working solo or partnered up with an equally funny SNL co-star, the Weekend Update anchors have kept viewers informed on current events, with the added bonus of a hilarious punchline, over the past 40 years. As we celebrate the series’ anniversary, which VH1 Classic is currently honoring with its “SNL Rewind: 2015-1975 Mega Marathon,” we picked the top five Weekend Update hosts and hosting duos.

5. Seth Meyers

Seth Meyers was behind the Weekend Update desk from 2006 to 2014, both alone and with co-hosts (including Amy Poehler and Cecily Strong) making him the longest-running host on the show to date. While other memorable hosts went for snarky or biting (see: Dennis Miller), Meyers used his nice-guy charm to cut to the core...

Saturday Night Live, “George Carlin/Billy Preston, Janis Ian”

Written by Lorne Michaels, Michael O’Donoghue, Anne Beatts, Tom Davis, Al Franken, Marilyn Suzanne Miller, Herb Sargent, Tom Schiller, Rosie Schuster, Alan Zweibel

Directed by Dave Wilson

Aired on October 11, 1975 on NBC

Possibly (and very arguably) the most influential television show of all time, Saturday Night Live (SNL for short) is American comedy (albeit with a bit of Canadian help) exemplified: irreverent, absurdist, made for short attention spans, and continually being both panned and lauded by critics. Whether you still lock your door in fear of Land Shark, turned the show off in 1980 and never looked back, or are in need more cowbell, you know the magic that is SNL. Like a boy band or Santa Claus, we each have our favorites and picture a certain cast as the “real” SNL. For example, there are people who swear by the...

The Sopranos was named the best-written show in television history by the Writers Guild of America, edging out an eclectic collection of some of the most beloved and admired series. Members of the Writers Guild of America, West (Wgaw) and the Writers Guild of America, East (Wgae) voted online for the 101 Best Written TV Series, with David Chase’s iconic “family” drama topping Seinfeld, The Twilight Zone, All in the Family, and M*A*S*H*.

“At their core, all of these wonderful series began with the words of the writers who created them and were sustained by the writers...

The Descendants and Midnight in Paris have been honoured with awards from the Writers Guild of America. Midnight in Paris screenwriter Woody Allen triumphed over films including Bridesmaids and Young Adult to take the 'Original Screenplay' award, while The Descendants won the accolade for 'Adapted Screenplay' at Sunday night's ceremonies, held simultaneously in New York and Los Angeles. Both movies are also nominated for screenwriting prizes at next week's Academy Awards. The Help screenwriter and director Tate Taylor was given the Paul Selvin Award for special achievement, while Eric Roth (Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, Forrest Gump) was honoured with the Laurel Award for Screen, a lifetime achievement award. Judd Apatow was presented with the Herb Sargent (more)...

Kristen Wiig is to give her Bridesmaids producer Judd Apatow an honorary prize at the Writers Guild of America's East Coast Awards. Apatow will receive the Herb Sargent Award for Comedy Excellence in recognition of his career achievements at the WGA East's February 19 gala. His film Bridesmaids has been nominated in the 'Original Film' category against 50/50, Midnight in Paris, Win Win and Young Adult. Ryan's Hope creator Claire Labin will also be honored at the Writers Guild of America's East Coast Awards when she receives the Ian McLellan Hunter Award. The Writers Guild of America's East Coast Awards will be hosted by former Saturday Night Live star Rachel Dratch at Bb King (more)...

Filmmaker Judd Apatow is to be honoured for his comedy work by the Writers Guild of America (WGA).

The Knocked Up screenwriter and director will receive the Herb Sargent Award for Comedy Excellence from Bridesmaids star Kristen Wiig at the WGA's East Coast Awards in New York on 19 February.

Apatow served as producer on Bridesmaids.

His writing credits include Seth Rogen's Pineapple Express and Adam Sandler's You Don't Mess with the Zohan.

TV writer Clair Labine, who has worked on U.S. soaps General Hospital, Ryan's Hope and One Life to Live, will be handed the McLellan Hunter Award, while The Simpsons and The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson writer Patric M. Verrone will be presented with the 2012 Morgan Cox Award.

Kristen Wiig will honor her Bridesmaids producer Judd Apatow with the Herb Sargent Award for Comedy at the Writers Guild of America awards in New York City, the east coast wing of the WGA announced today. The award is named after the veteran TV writer (The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, Saturday Night Live, The Dennis Miller Show) who was president of the WGA, East for 14 years.

Daytime TV writer Claire Labine (General Hospital, One Life to Live, Guiding Light) will receive the Ian McLellan Hunter Award, given to a writer for their body of work.

The WGA Awards will be held on Feb.