It was late. October 11, 1975, to be exact. Television was, honestly, pretty boring back then. You had your variety shows and your late-night talk shows, but nothing felt dangerous. Then, at 11:30 PM on NBC, everything changed. People tuned in to see something called NBC’s Saturday Night, and they didn't get a polished, tuxedo-wearing host. They got a cold open featuring Michael O'Donoghue and John Belushi doing a bit about "feeding your fingertips to the wolverines."
The 1st episode of snl wasn't just a TV show. It was a cultural earthquake.
Most people today think they know the story. They think it was an instant hit that looked exactly like the show we see now. It wasn't. It was messy. It was cluttered. It had Muppets—yes, actual Jim Henson Muppets—that the writers absolutely hated. George Carlin was the host, but he didn't appear in any sketches because he was reportedly "too high" or just too focused on his stand-up sets. He performed three different monologues throughout the night, wearing a T-shirt and a vest, looking like he’d just wandered in from a protest.
The Chaos Behind the Scenes at Studio 8H
Lorne Michaels was only 30 years old. Think about that. He had this vision for a "New York" show that captured the energy of the city's comedy scene, particularly the vibe of The Second City and National Lampoon. He assembled a group of "Not Ready For Prime Time Players" who were basically unknown. Dan Aykroyd, John Belushi, Chevy Chase, Jane Curtin, Garrett Morris, Laraine Newman, and Gilda Radner.
The budget was tiny compared to today's standards. The tension was high.
NBC didn't really trust them. They wanted a backup because Johnny Carson had stopped doing weekend reruns of The Tonight Show. The network needed a "placeholder." What they got was a revolution. If you watch the 1st episode of snl today, the pacing feels bizarre. There are two musical guests: Janis Ian and Billy Preston. Usually, a show has one. This one had two. It had a film by Albert Brooks. It had a segment with those Muppets (the "Land of Gorch") that felt like it belonged on a totally different planet.
Why the First Sketch Changed Everything
"I would like... to feed... your fingertips... to the wolverines."
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That was the first line of the first sketch. It’s iconic now. Michael O'Donoghue, the head writer who had a reputation for being dark and difficult, played a linguist teaching an immigrant (Belushi) English. It was short. It ended with O'Donoghue clutching his heart and falling over dead, and Belushi following suit. Chevy Chase then walked onto the stage, ostensibly as a stagehand, and uttered the most famous words in comedy history: "Live from New York, it's Saturday Night!"
It was a middle finger to the polished variety shows of the 60s.
Chevy Chase was the breakout star that night. People forget that. He was the one who did "Weekend Update," which at the time was just a parody of the local news. He did the "fall" during the opening. He was the "leading man" type, but with a mean streak that audiences found hilarious. His delivery of "I’m Chevy Chase, and you’re not" became an instant catchphrase. It's weird to think about now, but the show was almost called The Chevy Chase Show in the eyes of the public after those first few weeks.
The Problem with the Muppets
Okay, let’s talk about the Muppets. It’s one of the weirdest footnotes in the 1st episode of snl. Jim Henson was already famous, and NBC insisted on having him involved. But the SNL writers, especially O'Donoghue, despised writing for them. They didn't want "kids' stuff" on their edgy late-night show. The Muppets in this episode weren't Kermit and Piggy; they were strange, ugly creatures from the Land of Gorch.
The sketches were uncomfortable. They didn't fit. Eventually, they were phased out, but seeing them in that first hour is a reminder that the show was still figuring out its identity. It was a literal lab experiment happening live in front of millions of people.
George Carlin: The Host Who Wasn't in the Sketches
George Carlin was the perfect choice for the first host in terms of counter-culture credibility. He was a god to the youth of 1975. However, if you're looking for Carlin to play a character or wear a wig, you won't find it in the 1st episode of snl. He strictly did stand-up.
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- He talked about football vs. baseball.
- He talked about the "Seven Dirty Words" (though he didn't say them all on air that night).
- He provided the "intellectual" spine of the show while the cast provided the slapstick and satire.
The musical performances were also legendary. Janis Ian sang "At Seventeen," a song that defined teenage angst for a generation. Billy Preston brought the soul with "Nothing from Nothing." The mix was eclectic. It was high-brow, low-brow, and everything in between.
The Commercials You Forgot
The show also featured fake commercials, which became a staple. In the first episode, there was a parody for "New Dad," a service that provided a new father if yours was a deadbeat. It was biting. It was cynical. It was exactly what 1970s America, reeling from Watergate and Vietnam, wanted to see.
A Legacy That Almost Didn't Happen
The reviews weren't all raves. Some critics didn't "get" it. They thought it was too frantic.
But the audience? They were hooked. By the time the show reached its sixth or seventh episode, it was a national phenomenon. But it all started with that messy, crowded, 90-minute block of television in October. If you go back and watch the 1st episode of snl now, you can see the DNA of everything that followed. You see the birth of political satire, the use of live music as a centerpiece, and the idea that a "troupe" could become more famous than the stars of Hollywood.
It’s easy to look at the show now and complain that it isn't as good as it used to be. People have been saying that since 1976. But that first night? It was pure, unadulterled lightning in a bottle. There was no safety net. No one knew if they’d be fired the next morning.
Actionable Insights for SNL Fans and Historians
If you want to truly appreciate the history of this show, don't just watch the highlights. Do the work.
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Watch the full episode on Peacock. Don't just look for the YouTube clips. You need to see the weird Albert Brooks films and the Janis Ian performances to understand the pacing of 1975 television. It’s much slower than you think.
Read 'Live From New York' by Tom Shales. This is the definitive oral history. It gives you the "real" story of the drug use, the fights, and the sheer terror of that first season. It’s a thick book, but it’s the bible for comedy nerds.
Pay attention to the background. In that first episode, look at the sets. Look at the audience. You can see the grime of 1970s New York City leaking into the studio. It wasn't the sanitized, tourist-friendly version of the city we see today.
Understand the "Weekend Update" evolution. Compare Chevy Chase’s original desk bits to what we have now. The format is almost identical 50 years later. That’s insane. Very few things in media stay that consistent.
The 1st episode of snl wasn't just a premiere; it was the start of a multi-generational conversation. Whether you love the current cast or think the show should have ended in 1980, you have to respect the foundation. It was built on chaos, caffeine, and a total lack of respect for the status quo.
Next time you hear someone say "SNL isn't funny anymore," remind them that even in the very first episode, half the bits didn't land. The Muppets were weird, the host didn't do sketches, and the show was over-stuffed. But that's the point. It's live. It’s risky. And it started with a man teaching a wolverine-feeding lesson to a guy who spoke no English.
Check out the original 1975 cast recordings if you can find them. They capture the raw energy better than the grainy video sometimes does. The writing was sharp, but the performances were what sold it to a skeptical public.