Mr. Bill is one of the most iconic characters in the history of Saturday Night Live.

This lovable, unlucky bundle of Play-Doh first appeared in the very first season of SNL as a viewer-submitted Super 8 film—and quickly rose to cult status. At the peak of his fame, Mr. Bill was ranked the third most beloved character on SNL, right behind John Belushi and Gilda Radner.

We talk to Walter Williams, the creator of Mr. Bill, who later became an SNL staff writer. Walter shares behind-the-scenes stories from the early days of SNL, what it was like working with Lorne Michaels, the time Andy Kaufman got his Christmas special bumped, and how Mr. Bill evolved from a $10 homemade short into a fan-favorite SNL sketch series.

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