From Stage to Screen for “SNL50”: How Production Designers & the Editing Team Shaped 5 Decades of Comedy

As the longest-running sketch comedy show in US television history, Saturday Night Live has not only shaped generations of comedians and cultural commentary, but it’s also become an institution for live performance. Some of its most iconic moments are when cast members can’t help but laugh themselves. But behind the humor is a bustling backdrop of production design, costumes, hair, makeup, lighting,

80 Wigs & Zero Dress Rehearsal: Inside the Hair and Makeup Magic That Made “SNL50” Possible

When Saturday Night Live first aired in October 1975, no one could have predicted it would become a cornerstone of American culture. Now, five decades later, Lorne Michaels and company have celebrated another milestone with SNL50: The Anniversary Special, a three-hour telecast directed by Liz Patrick, which brought together Studio 8H legends onto one stage.

With a star-studded cast that included current performers, alumni,

Inside SNL’s Most Challenging Episode Ever: Director Liz Patrick on the 50th Anniversary Special

On a night filled with laughter, legacy, and magic, Saturday Night Live marked its 50th anniversary with an unforgettable celebration. The milestone episode infused nostalgia that paid tribute to its past with new memorable moments. But what audiences saw on screen is only a fraction of the story. Behind the scenes in the iconic Studio 8H, an enormous production effort had been unfolding for months. From production design, hair, makeup, editing,

Dream Team Reunite: Tina Fey & Tracy Morgan to Collaborate Again on NBC Comedy

“Here’s some advice I wish I would’ve got when I was your age. Live every week like it’s Shark Week.”

This was one of the immortal lessons delivered by Tracy Jordan (Tracy Morgan) on Tina Fey and Robert Carlock’s 30 Rock, a show now firmly situated in the firmament of great comedy series. Do you have a friend—or friends—who still regularly quote from 30 Rock? Re-watching Fey and Carlock’s consistently hilarious NBC comedy is shocking for two reasons: 1) How absolutely chock-a-block each and every episode is with jokes that land,

How “SNL” Costume Designer Tom Broecker Recreated Barbenheimer for Ryan Gosling’s Sensational Monologue

It’s the week of April 13th and on the call sheet to host the 17th episode of SNL’s 49th season is Ryan Gosling, an actor who’s been capturing the hearts of hopeless romantics since The Notebook. The Canadian’s filmography is a treasure trove of unforgettable performances, from Blue Valentine, Drive, The Big Short, La La Land,

Dreams Come True: Ryan Gosling Delivers “Papyrus 2” Sequel Sketch on “Saturday Night Live”

Ryan Gosling returned in triumphant fashion this past weekend to host Saturday Night Live, the first time he’s been back to Studio 8H since way back in 2017. Gosling was once again on point, delivering a pitch-perfect cold open that revisited a beloved alien abduction sketch he first did back in 2017, then using his opening monologue to do a big song and dance number devoted to his last role,

Ryan Gosling is Returning to “Saturday Night Live” 7 Years After Iconic “Papyrus” Sketch

Ryan Gosling is returning to host Saturday Night Live this weekend, the first time he’s been back to Studio 8H since way back in 2017, which is significant considering he delivered one of the all-time great SNL moments courtesy of a digital short. In fact, if we absolutely had to pick our favorite Saturday Night Live digital short of the last ten years, the choice would be the Gosling-led Papyrus. 

Family, Friends, and Fellow Stars Remember Matthew Perry

As you likely heard, Matthew Perry passed away this weekend at 54. Perry, who played numerous roles across his career, became a huge star playing Chandler Bing on NBC’s Friends, utilizing his peerless comedic timing and razor-sharp wit to immortalize a lovable, anxious character who helped make the series one of the biggest hits in TV history. Perry died this past Saturday night in his Los Angeles home, law enforcement sources told the Los Angeles Times. 

“Saturday Night Live” Thrives in Bad Bunny “The Age of Discovery” Spanish Sketch

Bad Bunny brought his multifaceted talents to Saturday Night Live this past weekend as host and musical guest in a buoyant episode that made excellent use of not only his Spanish but Spanish-speaking SNL cast members, too. One sketch in particular, “The Age of Discovery,” finds Bad Bunny playing the King of Spain in the 16th century alongside his son, the prince (Marcello Hernández). They’re seated in the throne room,

Hilarious “Saturday Night Live” Sketch Forces Pete Davidson to Revisit a Humiliating Moment

Saturday Night Live gave Pete Davidson the Wired treatment last night. Davidson returned to the program to host the season 49 premiere, and one of the funniest sketches of the night had the Staten Island-born funny man play a sweet-natured TV star forced to revisit some of his, um, less stellar moments in his personal history. The sketch is a spoof on Wired‘s autocomplete interview series,

How “Quantum Leap” DP Ana M. Amortegui Keeps the Show Dynamic Across the Centuries

The past is prologue, but on Quantum Leap, the past is also the present and the future as Dr. Ben Song (Raymond Lee) and his team embark on dangerous lifesaving excursions through history. The time travel epic is back with more mysteries that continue to escalate and may even threaten the project itself.

Director of photography Ana M. Amortegui kicked off the style of the series last season working on the pilot and several other episodes.

“SNL” Returning With Pete Davidson Hosting the Season 49 Premiere

With the writer’s strike officially over and negotiations to end the actor’s strike in full swing, hopes are high that things are returning to normal in the entertainment industry. And nothing can make things feel back on track like a fresh season of Saturday Night Live beginning in the fall. This makes the news that SNL has lined up beloved former cast member Pete Davidson as host for the season 49 premiere feel extra promising.

Pedro Pascal Kills It in “Saturday Night Live” Trailer for a Gritty Mario Kart Series

Pedro Pascal already knows what it’s like to star in the greatest video game adaptation of all time. That’s currently what he’s doing in HBO’s The Last Of Us, which is a brilliant adaptation of Naughty Dog’s hugely popular and critically acclaimed game of the same now. Luckily, the folks at Saturday Night Live saw the perfect opportunity to pitch Pascal taking on another iconic role derived from a video game.

“The Last Of Us” Star Pedro Pascal Hosting “Saturday Night Live” This Weekend

It’s Pedro Pascal’s world, and we’re just living in it. And you know what? We’re okay with that!

The longtime stellar performer, the guy who stole Game of Thrones season four as Oberyn Martell, the fella who was tremendous as DEA agent Javier Peña in Narcos, the gent who plays the bounty hunter Din Djarin and takes care of The Child in The Mandalorian, and finally, the man who currently stars as rugged survivor Joel in the best new series on TV,

Aubrey Plaza & Michael B. Jordan to Host “SNL” in January

The holidays might be over, folks, but it’s still apparently a time of gifts.

Saturday Night Live has revealed that Aubrey Plaza and Michael B. Jordan will be hosting episodes this January. Plaza, fresh off starring in season 2 of HBO’s white-hot The White Lotus, will appear first on SNL‘s return on January 21, making her hosting debut. (Perhaps Chloe Fineman will revisit her portrayal of Plaza’s The White Lotus co-star,

Keke Palmer Was Born to Host “SNL”

The mega-talented Keke Palmer is making her Saturday Night Live debut this weekend, and we can all but guarantee she is going to crush it. The hilarious, hard-working, multi-talented Palmer broke out this summer in Jordan Peele’s sci-fi thriller Nope, but she’s been on her way for a while now. She’s been acting since she was a kid, from Barbershop 2: Back in Business in 2004 (she was 11) to starring in Akeelah and the Bee in 2006 and portraying the title character in Nickelodeon’s True Jackson,

Watch Taylor Swift’s Epic “Saturday Night Live” Performance

If you missed this weekend’s excellent Saturday Night Live, then you missed not only a bravura performance by host Jonathan Majors but also one of the most compelling live musical performances of the year. Taylor Swift delivered the 10-minute version of “All Too Well,” coming off the heels of her big album release for “Red (Taylor’s Version)” this past Friday, a re-recorded album—Swift had released the original “Red” in 2012. The song is about a breakup,

A Few of Norm Macdonald’s Funniest “SNL” Moments

By now you’ve likely heard that Norm Macdonald has passed away at the age of 61 after a private battle with cancer for the past nine years. Macdonald was arguably the king of the deadpan delivery, an iconic comedian who always went his own way, even when that way alienated some audience members or involved making another late night show guest squirm. As has been said a lot since the news broke of his passing,

The Best Skits From John Krasinski’s Debut on “SNL”

Saturday Night Live returned this past weekend with John Krasinski making his debut as host, nearly a year after Krasinski was supposed to have made his first appearance in Studio 8H. Krasinski’s original debut was slated for March of 2020, pegged to the release of his highly anticipated A Quiet Place Part II. Of course, none of that happened—SNL stopped production, and A Quiet Place Part II‘s release date was pushed due to the pandemic.

Dave Chappelle Returning to “SNL” Four Years Later

You might recall the last time Dave Chappelle hosted Saturday Night Live. Perhaps you watched the show in a daze of bewilderment and dread. The date was November 12, 2016. Chappelle was the first SNL host of the Trump era, taking to studio 8H just a couple of days after Trump bested Hillary Clinton in the presidential election on November 8. The country was still in collective shock,