The Not Ready for Prime Time Project: An SNL Retrospective
An in-depth journey into the legacy of one of television's most iconic and influential shows - Saturday Night Live. Through deep dives into its most memorable eras, behind-the-scenes stories, and analysis of its evolution, we celebrate and debate the show that has become an institution, defining comedy for the last 50 years.
Episodes
84 episodes
The Early Years of SNL: S04E02 Fred Willard/Devo (10/14/78)
How does Saturday Night Live follow up The Rolling Stones as host? With Muhammad Ali, of course. And when that doesn't pan out and they go with... Fred Willard! Fresh from his acclaimed run on Fernwood 2 Night and A...
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1:15:29
The Early Years of SNL: S04E01 The Rolling Stones (10/7/78)
Saturday Night Live is BACK w/ The Rolling Stones pulling double duty on the season four premiere. An episode that may have been more concerned with the spectacle than the content, we basically get a “best of” collection o...
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59:15
Season 4 Preview (And Announcement)
And…we’re BACK!But, before diving into Season 4, we've got some exciting news: The Not Ready for Prime Time Podcast is becoming The Not Ready for Prime Time Project! Don't panic – there is nothing you need to do (ex...
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Season 4
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17:47
Bonus Episode: The REAL Mission From God
John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd were at the forefront of American comedy in the late 1970s and early '80s. Emerging from The Second City, they both joined the original cast of the Not Ready for Prime Time Players as Saturday Nigh...
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1:14:36
Bonus Episode: The Creation of Saturday Night (w/ Doug Hill and Jeff Weingrad)
On October 11, 1975, Lorne Michaels and a diverse group of writers and performers—most of whom had little to no television experience—forever altered the landscape of American comedy. The launching of Saturday Night (later to be known ...
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51:54
Bonus Episode: How Michael O'Donoghue Helped Build SNL (...Then Tried to Burn It Down)
Michael O'Donoghue is one of the most polarizing figures in the history of Saturday Night Live, yet his impact on the show’s early success is undeniable. As the original head writer when the show premiered in 1975, O'Donoghue le...
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1:15:34
Season 3 Recap
Well, well, well...the infamous Season Three of SNL has come to end. What a ride it has been. Brad and Gary revisit this landmark season of Saturday Night Live to highlight what they love, what they learned, and what surprised...
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Season 3
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Episode 22
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39:52
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Bonus Episode: Saturday Night (The Movie)
Saturday Night offers fans a glimpse into the behind-the-scenes efforts of Saturday Night Live's premiere episode. Brad and Gary caught a matinee of the film, which delves into the 90 minutes before the iconic show went on air...
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50:59
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S03E20 Buck Henry/Sun Ra (May 20, 1978)
Another season of Saturday Night Live comes to a close and that can only mean one thing....the return of Buck Henry! Buck is back for his 6th time hosting to close out Season Three with what most people agree is one of the most ...
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Season 3
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Episode 21
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1:06:36
S03E19 Richard Dreyfuss/Jimmy Buffett, Gary Tigerman (May 13, 1978)
Sometimes you need to make concessions to get what you want. That seems to be the case with this episode of Saturday Night Live. How else does one explain Gary Tigerman as the musical guest? "You'd like Richard Dreyfuss...
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Season 3
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Episode 20
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53:49
S03E18 Steve Martin/The Blues Brothers (April 22, 1978) - Part 2
We're back for Part 2 of this legendary episode of Saturday Night Live. The hits just keep on coming as we get the memorable "Dancing in the Dark" w/ Steve & Gilda, a classic "Nerds" sketch, and The Blues Brothers return for one mo...
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Season 3
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Episode 19
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1:18:47
S03E18 Steve Martin/The Blues Brothers (April 22, 1978) - Part 1
This is it! The episode many people put up as the greatest in Saturday Night Live history. Steve Martin returns for his THIRD time hosting this season. The Blues Brothers are introduced to the world as the musical guest. ...
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Season 3
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Episode 18
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55:44
S03E17 Michael Sarrazin/Keith Jarrett, Gravity (April 15, 1978)
Michael Sarrazin was a Canadian. He was an actor. And, near the end of the Season Three, he hosted Saturday Night Live. A jazz pianist (Keith Jarrett) and an all-tuba band (Howard Shore's Gravity) are the musical g...
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Season 3
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Episode 17
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53:26
S03E16 Michael Palin/Eugene Record (April 8, 1978)
Saturday Night Live welcomes its second member of Monty Python to the show as Michael Palin covers the hosting duties this week. We can confirm that Palin is, in fact, British and thus we are joined once again by The S...
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Season 3
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Episode 16
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1:04:10
S03E15 Christopher Lee/Meat Loaf (March 25, 1978)
Horror film icon Christopher Lee does "the single most important thing" (his words, not ours) in his career as he hosts this week's episode of Saturday Night Live. The veteran British actor is game for anything and is surp...
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Season 3
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Episode 15
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1:03:39
S03E14 Jill Clayburgh/Eddie Money (March 18, 1978)
Get excited! Jill Clayburgh returns to Saturday Night Live for her 2nd time hosting. This time, she brings Eddie Money (who in turn brings the hits) to help as the musical guest. Is it enough? Can ...
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Season 3
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Episode 14
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50:24
S03E13 Art Garfunkel/Stephen Bishop (March 11, 1978)
Art Garfunkel makes his third appearance on Saturday Night Live, this time as HOST! That is not to say he does not provide A LOT of musical performances. And yet...there actually is a musical guest as Stephen Bishop is thrown a bone...
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Season 3
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Episode 13
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1:14:11
S03E12 O.J. Simpson/Ashford & Simpson (February 25, 1978)
SNL gets its second athlete-as-host as (soon-to-be-former) Buffalo Bills' running back, O.J. Simpson achieves a dream of his (his words, not ours) by hosting the show. A surprisingly decent episode finds an iconic cold open, a spot on com...
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Season 3
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Episode 12
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1:04:30
S03E11 Chevy Chase/Billy Joel (February 18, 1978)
The Prodigal Son returns as Chevy Chase is back at Saturday Night Live...as HOST! An event So BIG...that Billy Joel skipped his high school reunion to be the musical guest. Not surprisingly, this is one of the most ...
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Season 3
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Episode 11
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1:24:41
S03E10 Robert Klein/Bonnie Raitt (January 28, 1978)
Robert Klein returns to SNL to host one of the most unique and memorable episodes in the show's history.There is A LOT going on in this one...recurring characters (a lot of 'em), classic sketches, iconic characters introduced, a runner that...
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Season 3
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Episode 10
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1:05:19
S03E09 Steve Martin/The Dirt Band; Randy Newman (January 21, 1978)
SNL kicks off 1978 with Steve Martin returning for his second (but not last) episode of Season 3 along with not one but two musical guests.Four musical numbers, and a film by Gary Weis, do not leave much time for sketches but Steve and The ...
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Season 3
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Episode 9
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55:10
S03E08 Miskel Spillman/Elvis Costello (December 17, 1977)
Miskel Spillman, the 80 yr. old winner of the "Anyone Can Host" contest, take the reins of Season 3's Christmas show. Not to worry, friend of show Buck Henry is also on hand to keep things on track.Al...
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Season 3
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Episode 8
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1:21:37
S03E07 Mary Kay Place/Willie Nelson (Dec. 10, 1977)
Fresh off her Emmy win (and Grammy nomination), Mary Kay Place brings the "pep" as she hosts SNL w/ musical guest, Willie Nelson. Does the pedigree and hype live up to the performance? For either?Even A...
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Season 3
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Episode 7
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54:49
