Saturday Night Live: "The Golden Age"

I'm reading a book about the history of SNL, called Live from New York. Although it is the book I'm reading for my AP Lang. class, it's also very interesting and fun to read.  I'm learning so much about the historic start and journey that Saturday Night Live has traveled. Many people have different opinions about when the show died or if the show ever died, but I'm not going to get into that. We all have a right to an opinion, and because we all grew up with different casts and different view of comedy, we're all going to have different opinions.  I just wanted to start a small segment of my blog each week to dedicate to each generation of casts. I think it's important to look back and see how these talent actors, writers, and producers were able to bring the show to where it is today.

This week I begin with the first five years which is referred to by many as the "Golden Age" of SNL. Cast members included the unforgettable John Belushi, Gilda Radner, Chevy Chase, and many more.  These were the pioneers of SNL, and really gave it the popularity and "coolness" factor it received in the beginning. They brought such memorable skits such as "Land Shark", "Samurai __" (Hotel, Deli, etc.), and the reoccurring news bit "Weekend Update" that is still used today. It's hard to find a clip these days because of copyright, but here's one of the famed samurai sketches (sorry the sound is kind of off).

Watch John Belushi - Samurai Delicatessen in Comedy  |  View More Free Videos Online at Veoh.com