Critics at Large | The New Yorker

The Staying Power of the “S.N.L.” Machine


Listen Later

The first episode of “Saturday Night Live,” which aired in October of 1975, was a loose, scrappy affair. The sketches were experimental, almost absurdist, and the program was peppered with standup from the host, George Carlin, who freely addressed the hot-button issues of the day. “S.N.L.” turns fifty this year, and its anniversary has been marked by a slew of festivities, culminating in a three-hour special that aired this past weekend. On this episode of Critics at Large, Vinson Cunningham, Naomi Fry, and Alexandra Schwartz discuss the show’s origins, the recurring bits and cast members who’ve defined it over time, and whether, half a century on, it’s still essential viewing. The anniversary special, which featured a star-studded guest list, celebrated an institution that, despite its countercultural roots, has become a finely tuned, star-making machine that plays to all fifty states. “This is what the show is about: getting famous people or soon-to-be famous people to play together in this sandbox,” Cunningham says. “The self-congratulation didn't play to me as a betrayal of the thing. No, this is a distillation of the thing.” 

Read, watch, and listen with the critics:

“Saturday Night Live” (1975–)
Sabrina Carpenter and Paul Simon’s cover of “Homeward Bound
“SNL50: Beyond Saturday Night” (2025)
Fifty Weird Years of ‘Saturday Night Live,’ ” by Vinson Cunningham (The New Yorker)
Lorne: The Man Who Invented Saturday Night Live,” by Susan Morrison
How ‘Saturday Night Live’ Breaks the Mold,” by Michael J. Arlen (The New Yorker)

New episodes drop every Thursday. Follow Critics at Large wherever you get your podcasts.

Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices
...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

Critics at Large | The New YorkerBy The New Yorker

  • 4.4
  • 4.4
  • 4.4
  • 4.4
  • 4.4

4.4

452 ratings


More shows like Critics at Large | The New Yorker

View all
The Book Review by The New York Times

The Book Review

3,872 Listeners

Fresh Air by NPR

Fresh Air

37,904 Listeners

The New Yorker: Fiction by WNYC Studios and The New Yorker

The New Yorker: Fiction

3,322 Listeners

The Political Scene | The New Yorker by WNYC Studios and The New Yorker

The Political Scene | The New Yorker

3,849 Listeners

Pop Culture Happy Hour by NPR

Pop Culture Happy Hour

10,870 Listeners

The LRB Podcast by The London Review of Books

The LRB Podcast

283 Listeners

The New Yorker: Poetry by WNYC Studios and The New Yorker

The New Yorker: Poetry

515 Listeners

The New Yorker Radio Hour by WNYC Studios and The New Yorker

The New Yorker Radio Hour

6,657 Listeners

The New Yorker: The Writer's Voice - New Fiction from The New Yorker by WNYC Studios and The New Yorker

The New Yorker: The Writer's Voice - New Fiction from The New Yorker

2,065 Listeners

Talk Easy with Sam Fragoso by Lemonada Media

Talk Easy with Sam Fragoso

1,195 Listeners

In The Dark by The New Yorker

In The Dark

27,201 Listeners

The Daily by The New York Times

The Daily

112,599 Listeners

The Paris Review by The Paris Review

The Paris Review

781 Listeners

Matter of Opinion by New York Times Opinion

Matter of Opinion

7,577 Listeners

Culture Gabfest by Slate Podcasts

Culture Gabfest

414 Listeners

The Ezra Klein Show by New York Times Opinion

The Ezra Klein Show

14,670 Listeners

The Interview by The New York Times

The Interview

1,396 Listeners