(New York City) – The night before the live three-hour “SNL50: The Anniversary Special” on Sunday, February 16th, NBC will air the very first Saturday Night Live episode in the show’s regular Saturday night time slot. George Carlin was the host for the debut episode, which was originally called “NBC’s Saturday Night” due to ABC’s already existing show “Saturday Night Live with Howard Cosell.”
Carlin did not appear in any sketches, but did perform three stand-up routines. The show featured two musical guests, Billy Preston and Janis Ian. Chevy Chase hosted “Weekend Update” and Jim Henson’s Muppets were featured. Andy Kaufman had a guest performance, but a scheduled Billy Crystal appearance was cut due to time.
Viewers were also introduced to the Not Ready for Prime Time Players: Dan Aykroyd, John Belushi, Chevy Chase, Jane Curtin, Garrett Morris, Laraine Newman and Gilda Radner.
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