April’s fools: Catch 10 of SNL’s biggest stars on Showmax

Since 11 October 1975, each Saturday night for around 20 weeks running, the producers, writers, musicians, celebrity guest stars, cast, and crew of sketch series Saturday Night Live have put on a 90-minute performance in front of a live studio audience. Fifty years on, they have racked up 50 Emmy Awards.

The documentary mini-series SNL50: Beyond Saturday Night takes us behind the scenes for a glimpse at what it takes for all that to come together. The first episode details the streamlined audition process and shares unseen footage from the stars’ first-ever auditions, along with anecdotes from those who went through the process. The second episode uses the More Cowbell sketch to focus in on the making and pitching and sketches, highlighting how a series of small touches can turn an idea nobody loves, into a 25-year running joke. Episode 3 takes us along for a week inside the writer’s room to show how SNL goes from no material on a Sunday morning to production of a full, 90-minute live show the next Saturday night. And the final episode jumps in the time machine to take us back to what some consider to be SNL’s pivotal 11th Season, during a huge shakeup for the cast, management and production of the show.

While you might not know the show, since it generally hasn’t been broadcast outside of the US, you certainly know the stars. We’ve picked out ten of SNL’s biggest breakout comedians and writers, along with their funniest shows and movies you can enjoy on Showmax now. 

Binge SNL50: Beyond Saturday Night now

Ten SNL mega-stars

30 Rock: Tina Fey, Tracy Morgan and Alec Baldwin

In a parallel sitcom universe, SNL would be TGS (The Girly Show). Their studios even share a physical address: 30 Rockefeller Plaza in New York. Comedy series 30 Rock stars many comedians who made a name for themselves on SNL – including Tina Fey (a writer and performer from 1997-2006), Tracy Morgan (a performer from 1996-2003), and multiple-time SNL host and Donald Trump impersonator Alec Baldwin – and it was inspired by what they all experienced in the backstage chaos and corporate politics of making SNL at one the the big three broadcasters in the US, NBC. So yes, all that weird and gross writer’s room behaviour is grounded in reality. And so are the egos. 

PS: Alec’s character Jack has more than a touch of SNL’s executive producer Lorne Michaels about him …down to the layout of Jack’s office looking suspiciously like Lorne’s.

Binge 30 Rock Season 1-5 now

Parks and Recreation: Amy Poehler

Tina’s long-running partner in crime at SNL, and her co-host on SNL’s fake news desk show, Weekend Update, Amy Poehler (a cast member from 2001-2008), later left New York for rural Pawnee, Indiana, where she brought her can-do attitude, humour and ability to shine in an ensemble of eccentrics to the Parks and Recreation department. It’s really all about who you know in Hollywood, since SNL introduced Amy to Parks and Recreation’s co-writer-creator, Michael Schur (an SNL writer from 1998-2004). 

It wasn’t Amy’s first go at politics. Her gift for shameless impersonation saw her skewering then-Vice Presidential candidate Hilary Clinton during the 2008-9 US Presidential elections, opposite Tina Fey as Hilary’s laughably less qualified (but better at performative femininity) rival, Sarah Palin. Together, they delivered an Emmy-winning series of SNL sketches that spotlighted America’s double standards for women in politics. 

Binge Parks and Recreation Season 1-7 now

Brooklyn Nine-Nine: Andy Samberg

Charming smart alec cop Jake Peralta (Andy Samberg) lives for a shenanigan and is often the driving force behind the precinct’s competitions and capers. And he uses his massive success rate to justify skirting the rules. Perhaps there’s more than a touch of Jake’s reluctantly indulgent relationship with his boss Captain Holt (the late Andre Braugher) in Andy’s own relationship with SNL executive producer Lorne Michaels. Let’s put it down to the leeway you give to proven talent. 

In Andy’s case, it was his success with his own comedy crew The Lonely Island (with Akiva Schaffer, an SNL writer from 2005-2011 and Jorma Taccone, an SNL writer from 2005-2015) and their self-built website that caught Lorne’s eye. Andy and The Lonely Island created multiple musical sketches (including Dear Sister/The Shooting with Bill Hader, and Dick in a Box with Justin Timberlake) that went viral on YouTube thanks to piracy, finally proving to SNL that it was worth setting up their own channel.

Binge Brooklyn Nine-Nine Season 1-8 now

Fantasmas: Julio Torres

While he never appeared on screen for SNL, shy and dreamy-seeming surrealist Julio Torres (a writer on SNL from 2006-2019) was the mind behind some of SNL’s most delightfully unexpected sketches including My Little Stepchildren (an advertisement for dolls for kids with dark imaginations), Wells for Boys (another toy advertisement, this time for a plastic well into which small shy boys can whisper their secrets), and the Cheques sketch, in which Sandra Oh teaches the kids what a cheque is for (spoiler alert, paying hush money and rewarding toy boys). All are now thankfully preserved on YouTube.

Julio’s voice comes through in everything from his standup comedy set in My Favorite Shapes, to his fantasy-horror comedy series Los Espookys. But most distinctive is his series Fantasmas, in which his character, Julio, goes on an over-the-rainbow quest through a real and imaginary world in pursuit of getting his new “Proof of Existence” documentation to appease a relentless bureaucracy.

Binge Fantasmas now

Barry: Bill Hader

On SNL Bill Hader (a writer-performer from 2005-2013) was notorious for getting the giggles in the middle of sketches. He was also justifiably famous for his gleefully sinister game show hosts and, above all, for playing entertainment correspondent Stefon (co-written with John Mulaney). Stefon, a nervous, Seth Meyers-obsessed Club Kid, became our guide to New York City’s seamy and bizarre counterculture hotspots like Ounce, which is located in the middle of the East River and features highlights like an entire room of puppets doing karate.

After leaving SNL behind, thanks, in part, to the crushing anxiety of writing and performing live every week, Bill mined his experiences for comic-tragic gold. He turned his own story of someone who was brilliant at a job that felt like it was slowly killing him, into the Emmy Award-winning dark comedy series Barry. As well as co-writing and directing, Bill plays hitman Barry Berkman, who’s desperately trying to leave the life of contract killing behind to break into LA’s acting scene. There is, of course, a problem in that plan, in that Barry’s efforts to start over are thoroughly undermined by his solution to all life’s problems: killing people. 

Binge Barry Season 1-4 now

Bupkis: Pete Davidson

When real-life stand-up comedian Pete Davidson landed a job on Saturday Night Live (as a performer, 2014-2022), it was a dream come true. But it turns out the joke was on him. The spotlight spilled over into his private life, exposing family tragedies, addiction issues, his dating adventures and public discussion of his appearance. Oh, and it landed him in a vicious battle online with Kanye West after he dated Kim Kardashian.

Bupkis, written by Pete Davidson, Judah Miller and Dave Sirius, is a heightened (and frequently absurd) version of Pete’s life at work, at home, and in rehab. Much like Pete’s first film, The King of Staten Island, this is a tale inspired by life rather than a documentary. Along the way, it tries to answer questions like “Why does Pete Davidson get to do comedy?” (outraged), “Why is she dating Pete Davidson?” (horrified), “What’s wrong with Pete Davidson?” (accusatory), and “Why do people hate Pete Davidson” (explanatory). 

Binge Bupkis now

Veep: Julia Louis-Dreyfus

Long before she was Elaine Benes in Seinfeld (1990 to 1998), or wannabe President and foul-mouthed, scheming politician Selina Meyer in Veep (2011-2019, during which she won six Emmy Awards for the role), Julia cut her teeth as a performer on SNL (1982-1985). She joined the show at the age of 21, when it was still largely a boys’ club and cavemen all over the US were scratching their heads and grunting “Woman funny?” to each other. But while Julia had just a handful of memorable characters, including televangelist April May June and the superhero Weather Woman, her time on SNL put her in exactly the right place at the right time to meet Seinfeld co-creator Larry David. 

Seinfeld’s self-centred New Yorker Elaine Benes walked so that Selina could run. Just you try to talk about insane arrogance and incompetence in Washington DC’s halls of power without including US Vice President Selina Meyer! Most of her best quips and hot takes are, alas, unfit for innocent eyes, but it’s hard to beat the blunt: “With your face, when you attempt to come across as charming, it really does come off as evil.”

Binge Veep Season 1-7 now

Curb Your Enthusiasm: Larry David

If you’re a fan of his sitcom, you might expect Larry David to be a little … extra … in the workplace. And if you were at SNL in 1984, you’d be spot on. Larry once famously rage-quit one Saturday, only to walk right back into his office on Monday as if nothing had happened. During the entire year he worked on SNL, only one of Larry’s sketches made it to air, but he has since been back to host the show twice. Seinfeld (1989-1998) and Curb Your Enthusiasm (2000-2024) are his sweet revenge. 

As for the Larry in Curb, if our worst social impulses were stitched together and brought to life to stagger chaotically through Hollywood, that monster would be Larry David (playing a somewhat fictional version of himself). Larry is a black hole created by the entertainment industry’s narcissism and selfishness. He’s there to not only give voice to the worst things we think about one another, but to act on them and see them through to their disastrous consequences. He has a flair for expressing the unspeakable that’ll really stick with you.

Binge Curb Your Enthusiasm Season 1-12 now

Happy Gilmore: Adam Sandler

Adam Sandler started at SNL in 1990, and wrote and performed sketches and original songs – including his famous Thanksgiving and Hannakuh songs – until he was fired in 1995. The show was in a ratings slump and Adam was one of the cast who was rotated out so that the likes of Will Ferrell and Tracy Morgan could come in. But his feet had barely hit the road before he became world famous thanks to the comedy film Billy Madison in 1995, swiftly followed by Happy Gilmore in 1996.

Sports comedy Happy Gilmore follows a failed ice hockey player with an explosive temper, “Happy” Gilmore (Adam Sandler), who enters a golf tournament to raise money so he can save his grandma’s house. Happy’s rivalry with snobby golf pro Shooter McGavin (Christopher McDonald), delighted audiences who were sick of the sport’s polite clapping and ugly pants. From there, Adam became a comedy institution in Hollywood, even branching out successfully into dramatic roles. 

Stream Happy Gilmore, 50 First Dates, Anger Management, and more

You’re Welcome America: Will Ferrell

Will’s ability to turn from happy-go-lucky guy to raving maniac at the flip of a switch was a gift to SNL while he worked there as a writer and performer from 1995-2002. Even though it predated YouTube, one of his most famous sketches, More Cowbell, in which Will plays fictional Blue Öyster Cult member Gene Frenkle, has racked up over 29 million views on YouTube. And so much of that success has to do with Will’s total dedication to whacking that cowbell while his tight shirt slowly rides up over his stomach. Now dive into the drama behind the sketch in Episode 2 of SNL50: Beyond Saturday Night. 

Will was SNL’s go-to guy for political impressions, covering everyone from Janet Reno to Fidel Castro, to the US President himself. You’re Welcome America is the film of his Broadway play about the George W Bush Administration (the son, not the father), starting with the 2000 US Presidential Election. As George W, Will tells tall stories about his childhood, life in Texas, and work as a governor, he cements his reputation as the (then) most unqualified man ever to hold office as the President.

Stream You’re Welcome America, Step Brothers, Get Hard, Barbie and more

Also look out for

1. Fred Armisen (SNL performer 2002-2013): Los Espookys Season 1-2
2. Bill Murray (SNL writer-performer 1977-1980): Lost in Translation
3. Eddie Murphy (SNL writer-performer 1980-1984): The Nutty Professor
4. Dan Aykroyd (SNL writer-performer 1975-1979): Ghostbusters: The Frozen Empire
5. Kristen Wiig (SNL performer 2005-2012): Wonder Woman 1984
6. Damon Wayans (SNL performer 1985-1986): Bulletproof and Poppa’s House (coming 28 April)
7. Ben Stiller (SNL writer-performer 1989): Tower Heist
8. Billy Crystal (SNL writer-performer 1984-1985): 700 Sundays
9. Robert Downey Jr (SNL performer 1985-1986): US Marshals, Spider-Man: Homecoming
10. Seth Meyers: (SNL writer-performer 2001-2014): Journey to the Center of the Earth
11. Mike Myers (SNL writer-performer 1989-1995): The voice of Shrek
12. Chris Rock (SNL performer 1990-1993): Kill the Messenger and the voice of Shrek’s Donkey
13. Jason Sudeikis (SNL writer-performer 2005-2013): Hall Pass
14. Kate McKinnon (SNL performer 2012-2022): Rough Night
15. Bob Odenkirk (SNL writer-performer 1987-1991): Nobody