Saturday Night Live season 1

Saturday Night Live aired its first season during the 1975-76 television season on NBC. At the time, NBC aired reruns of The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson on Saturday night, but Johnny Carson wanted to have new programming on, in order to save reruns to air during his holidays.

NBC hired Lorne Michaels to be the executive producer of a late-night comedy/variety television series. Michaels wanted to call his show "Saturday Night Live," but ABC was already airing a similar series called Saturday Night Live with Howard Cosell. To mimic Cosell's "Prime-Time Players," Michaels called his cast "The Not Ready For Prime Time Players".

Certain elements exclusive to Season One included Jim Henson's Muppets in the Land of Gorch, short films by Albert Brooks, and live commercials for Polaroid played by the SNL cast.

The first season began on October 11, 1975 and ended on July 31, 1976.

Cast

Repertory cast members

• Dan Aykroyd
• John Belushi
• Chevy Chase
• Jane Curtin
• Garrett Morris
• Laraine Newman
• Gilda Radner

Featured cast members

• George Coe
• Jim Henson
• Michael O'Donoghue

Episodes

Episode #	Air Date	Host(s)	Musical Guest(s)
1 (1.1)	October 11, 1975	George Carlin	Janis Ian Billy Preston
2 (1.2)	October 18, 1975	Paul Simon	Randy Newman Phoebe Snow
3 (1.3)	October 25, 1975	Rob Reiner	The Lockers
4 (1.4)	November 8, 1975	Candice Bergen	Esther Phillips
5 (1.5)	November 15, 1975	Robert Klein	ABBA Loudon Wainwright III
6 (1.6)	November 22, 1975	Lily Tomlin
7 (1.7)	December 13, 1975	Richard Pryor	Gil Scott-Heron
8 (1.8)	December 20, 1975	Candice Bergen	Martha Reeves The Stylistics
9 (1.9)	January 10, 1976	Elliott Gould	Anne Murray
10 (1.10)	January 17, 1976	Buck Henry	Bill Withers Toni Basil
11 (1.11)	January 24, 1976	Peter Cook Dudley Moore	Neil Sedaka
12 (1.12)	January 31, 1976	Dick Cavett	Jimmy Cliff
13 (1.13)	February 14, 1976	Peter Boyle	Al Jarreau
14 (1.14)	February 21, 1976	Desi Arnaz
15 (1.15)	February 28, 1976	Jill Clayburgh	Leon Redbone
16 (1.16)	March 13, 1976	Anthony Perkins	Betty Carter
17 (1.17)	April 17, 1976	Ron Nessen	Patti Smith Group
18 (1.18)	April 24, 1976	Raquel Welch	Phoebe Snow John Sebastian
19 (1.19)	May 8, 1976	Madeline Kahn	Carly Simon
20 (1.20)	May 15, 1976	Dyan Cannon	Leon Russell Mary Russell
21 (1.21)	May 22, 1976	Buck Henry	Gordon Lightfoot
22 (1.22)	May 29, 1976	Elliott Gould	Leon Redbone Harlan Collins Joyce Everson
23 (1.23)	July 24, 1976	Louise Lasser	The Preservation Hall Jazz Band
24 (1.24)	July 31, 1976	Kris Kristofferson	Rita Coolidge