The chaotic 90 minutes before television changed forever, captured in a new film
In short: On October 11, 1975, a novice producer named Lorne Michaels faced a crumbling set, a rebellious cast, and skeptical executives. Saturday Night dramatizes the frantic, high-stakes countdown to the debut of a show that almost never aired. It is a portrait of creative desperation and the birth of a legend.
Directed by Jason Reitman, Saturday Night chronicles the final ninety minutes leading up to the inaugural broadcast of NBC’s Saturday Night. To build the screenplay, Reitman and co-writer Gil Kenan spoke directly with surviving members of the original production team and cast. The film depicts a production environment defined by internal friction: John Belushi threatens to quit, Jim Henson clashes with writers over his Muppets, and NBC executives stand ready to replace the entire broadcast with a rerun of The Tonight Show if the premiere falters.
The film’s narrative hinges on Michaels’ struggle to unify a volatile ensemble, including Chevy Chase, Gilda Radner, and Dan Aykroyd. The tension peaks when network executive David Tebet demands a demonstration of the show's potential. A successful performance by Andy Kaufman and an impromptu Weekend Update sketch featuring Chase eventually convince the network to let the show proceed. The film culminates in the iconic opening line, "Live from New York, it's Saturday Night!", marking the start of a cultural institution.
Critical reception has been polarized. While some reviewers praised the ensemble's energy and Gabriel LaBelle’s portrayal of Michaels, others dismissed the film as a frantic, unfocused mess. The reaction from the original cast was similarly split; Dan Aykroyd lauded the film as a masterpiece, while Chevy Chase reportedly told Reitman he should be embarrassed. Despite positive reviews from 77% of critics on Rotten Tomatoes, the film struggled at the box office, grossing $10 million against a budget of up to $30 million.
The production itself mirrored the show's scrappy origins. Filmed under the working title Wolverines—a nod to the first sketch ever performed on the series—the project utilized locations in Atlanta and Fayetteville. Although it failed to find broad commercial traction, the film remains a deliberate homage to the lunacy and creative risk that defined the premiere season of what would become Saturday Night Live.
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- Summary by Intellect · source: Saturday Night (2024 film)
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