Adults Who Were Around When SNL Started Airing Just Shared Their Thoughts About The Show

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I’ve been a huge fan of *Saturday Night Live* ever since I was a kid – my mom used to let me stay up late to watch my favorite celebrities say the famous “live from New York” line. Now, *SNL* is announcing its lineup for Season 51, which is amazing because it’s been on television my whole life, even before I was born! It always makes me wonder what it was like to watch the show when it first started.

Luckily, *Saturday Night Live* isn’t so distant a memory that people have forgotten its early days. Many still have fond memories of the 1975 season, which launched the careers of comedic icons like Gilda Radner, Bill Murray, John Belushi, Danny Aykroyd, Jane Curtin, Garrett Morris, and Laraine Newman—some of whom still tune in today. That first year, the show was still developing its unique style while quickly becoming a major part of American culture, and viewers still remember many charming and entertaining moments from the initial season.

There Was A Lot Of Pot Involved When Fans Were Watching Those Early Episodes

Someone on Reddit who currently enjoys *Saturday Night Live* asked longtime fans what they remembered about watching the show when it first started. Surprisingly, many people said their strongest memory was watching the early episodes while under the influence of drugs.

  • Early in 1976 the buzz was spreading (in Canada). Just started college and it brought us together like nothing else. Fabulous Saturday nights, high AF (Thai weed had just hit) –literally rotf laughing. Best of times.
  • Omg SNL was so funny then. And yes we were stoned.
  • We loved it and we were stoned 😊
  • Very much so, and watching on a little black & white tv :). When the parody commercials came on, we’d look at each other and ask, was that a real commercial? Good times!

Many fans later realized that early audiences for *Saturday Night Live* were often college students. This is different from who watches now, and it likely explains the frequent references to partying on Saturday nights and then watching the show later on.

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There Were Also Some Thoughtful Answers From Fans Who Were Around At The Beginning

I have the first season of *Saturday Night Live* on DVD, so I’m familiar with classic sketches like the Samurai bit and Chevy Chase’s physical comedy. I also enjoyed the movie *Saturday Night*, directed by Jason Reitman, which received good reviews. But as someone who wasn’t around when these things first happened, my appreciation is different. People who lived through those times have a more personal and meaningful connection to them.

Someone offered a really insightful answer that explains why the show was considered groundbreaking for younger viewers.

Saturday Night Live was a breath of fresh air – rebellious, humorous, and challenging to the status quo. Much like National Lampoon, it fearlessly poked fun at powerful people and institutions. It was specifically designed for a smart, young audience and featured incredibly talented hosts and musical performers. The fact that it was broadcast live gave it a raw, exciting energy – it felt like a live event. To really appreciate how groundbreaking SNL was, you need to remember that television before it was generally very predictable and conventional.

One person pointed out that many of the jokes are still funny, but Saturday Night Live was much more deeply connected to everyday life at the time. Newer viewers might not get some references, like parodies of popular 60 Minutes segments, because those things aren’t as well-known today.

Saturday Night Live was famous for pushing boundaries with sketches like the one featuring Father Guido Sarducci, who constantly smoked and made jokes the Catholic Church didn’t like. Another example was Dan Aykroyd’s character calling Jane Curtin a hurtful name during a parody of the ‘Point Counterpoint’ segment from the show ’60 Minutes’. Newer viewers might not understand why these jokes were funny because they wouldn’t remember ‘Point Counterpoint’ – a short debate segment that aired at the end of each ’60 Minutes’ episode. Without knowing that background, some of the comedy doesn’t land as well.

These days, *Saturday Night Live* seems to aim for broad appeal, with something for everyone. I watch it, my mother (who used to watch early on) does too, and even my friends’ college-aged kids are fans. But back then, it was like the early days of Facebook – mostly just young adults tuned in, often gathering together to watch and enjoy it.

Honestly, it felt so new and current. What really struck me was how young everyone was – the actors were almost our age, and the band was fantastic. I grew up loving the older comics, but *Saturday Night Live* just felt different. It was comedy *for us*, not our parents. It was energetic, a bit like a rock concert mixed with a comedy show – something my parents definitely wouldn’t have gotten.

Even after all these years, *Saturday Night Live* remains relevant, often challenging norms and reflecting what’s happening in the world. Of course, not every sketch is a hit – things don’t always go as planned, and sometimes, as famously happened with Sarah Silverman, things get a little chaotic. We accept the ups and downs, but learning about how amazing that very first season was is really inspiring.

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2025-10-19 01:02