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"Live from New York, it's Saturday Night!" is a famous phrase typically featured on the American sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live , which runs on the NBC broadcast network. It is generally used as a way to end a cold opening sketch and lead into the opening credit montage.
During the show's first season, the show was known simply as NBC's Saturday Night because ABC was broadcasting a program titled Saturday Night Live with Howard Cosell . Thus, the phrase for NBC was worded differently than ABC’s program. The phrase was kept intact even after ABC's SNL was canceled and NBC's Saturday Night adopted the SNL name for itself.
The phrase is typically spoken by one or more of: a host, cast member(s), and/or the musical guest. It has been exclaimed in every season except one (the 1981–1982 season, the first full season with Dick Ebersol as producer, except the October 31, 1981 episode). It was first said live on air by Chevy Chase, on SNL's first show on October 11, 1975. For all but two of the first season's 24 episodes (Garrett Morris when Richard Pryor hosted and Gerald Ford when Ron Nessen hosted), Chase delivered the phrase after a pratfall of some kind. Even when the show is not aired on a Saturday—such as the Saturday Night Live Weekend Update Thursday specials aired from 2008 to 2012, and again in 2017—the traditional line is used.
The person delivering the phrase usually breaks character and the fourth wall, in that the phrase is normally not spoken to other cast members as part of the regular dialogue in the opening sketch. Instead, the person suddenly turns (if not already facing downstage) and delivers the phrase directly to the audience and the camera with a full-throated shout. At the same time, the camera zooms in for a tight close-up shot of the person's face, followed by a dissolve or slam cut to the show's opening montage and titles. In other sketches, when the phrase is delivered by multiple cast members, the camera usually zooms out as they shout the line.
The line has occasionally been given to a non-host/non-cast member for cameo purposes. This could be for stars like Brad Pitt [1] and Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, [2] or for more unusual celebrities like Ron Darling, Monica Lewinsky, [3] Who Wants to Be a Millionaire winner John Carpenter, WWE chairman Vince McMahon (on March 18, 2000), Mayor of New York City Rudy Giuliani (on September 29, 2001, two weeks after the September 11 attacks), [4] Carolyn Kepcher (on April 3, 2004), [5] Al Sharpton (on November 2, 2013), [6] Jason Aldean (on October 7, 2017, after paying tribute to the lives lost in the 2017 Las Vegas shooting and to the late Tom Petty), [7] and Stormy Daniels (on May 5, 2018). Guest choristers said the line after singing on December 15, 2012, in the aftermath of the Sandy Hook elementary school shooting, but read it in a more restrained tone.
Gerald Ford opened the show with the phrase (in a pre-recorded segment) [8] on April 17, 1976, which came during his presidency, when press secretary Ron Nessen was host. A series of presidential and vice presidential hopefuls have also announced the phrase on their appearances on the show, beginning with Bob Dole on November 16, 1996 (coming after the 1996 election). It was announced by Barack Obama on November 3, 2007, by Hillary Clinton on March 1, 2008, by Sarah Palin on October 18, 2008, by John McCain on November 1, 2008, by Elizabeth Warren on March 7, 2020, [9] and by Nikki Haley on February 3, 2024.
Saturday Night Live is an American late-night live sketch comedy variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC and streams on Peacock. Michaels currently serves as the program's showrunner. The show's premiere was hosted by George Carlin on NBC on October 11, 1975, under the original title NBC's Saturday Night. The show's comedy sketches, which often parody contemporary American culture and politics, are performed by a large and varying cast of repertory and newer cast members. Each episode is hosted by a celebrity guest, who usually delivers the opening monologue and performs in sketches with the cast. Episodes also feature performances by a rotating musical guest. An episode normally begins with a cold open sketch, in which the host usually does not participate, that was usually based on the week’s political events and ends with someone breaking character and proclaiming, "Live from New York, it's Saturday Night!", properly beginning the show.
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Saturday Night Live (SNL) is a late-night sketch comedy and variety show created by Lorne Michaels. It premiered on the NBC Television Network on October 11, 1975, under the title NBC's Saturday Night. The show often satirizes contemporary American popular culture and politics. Saturday Night Live features a two-tiered cast: the repertory members, also known as the "Not Ready for Prime Time Players," and newer cast members, known as "Featured Players." Each week, the show features a host, often a well-known celebrity, who delivers an opening monologue and performs in sketches with the cast. A musical guest is also invited to perform several sets. Every so often a host or musical guest fills both roles. With the exception of season 7 and several other rare cases, the show begins with a cold open that ends with someone breaking character and proclaiming "Live from New York, it's Saturday Night!"
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