Seasons — Saturday Night Live
Season 1
The 1975–76 television season marked the debut of Saturday Night Live, NBC’s groundbreaking weekly sketch comedy and variety show. Premiering on October 11, 1975, the first season delivered a vibrant mix of performances across 24 episodes, concluding on July 31, 1976. The show…
Season 2
The 1976-1977 television season marked a pivotal second year for *Saturday Night Live* on NBC, running from September 18th, 1976 to May 21st, 1977. This period brought significant shifts both on and off stage. As Chevy Chase’s burgeoning film career pulled him away from the show,…
Season 3
The third season of Saturday Night Live, airing across the 1977-1978 television year on NBC, proved to be another memorable chapter in the show’s history. Kicking off September 24th, 1977, and wrapping up May 20th, 1978, this season – now available on DVD since its release in 200…
Season 4
Saturday Night Live roared back for its fourth season in 1978, captivating NBC audiences from October through May. Marking a bittersweet chapter for the show, this era—released on DVD in 2008—saw the beloved cast reunite for another round of iconic sketches and unforgettable mome…
Season 5
The 1979–1980 television season marked a pivotal moment for Saturday Night Live – its fifth year on NBC, and poignantly, the last with the iconic original cast. Premiering October 13, 1979, and wrapping up May 24, 1980, this season arrived after the departure of beloved stars Joh…
Season 6
The sixth season of Saturday Night Live arrived during the 1980-81 television year on NBC, marking a distinct chapter in the show’s history – often remembered simply as *Saturday Night Live ‘80*. Running from November 15, 1980, to April 11, 1981, this shorter season comprised jus…
Season 7
The 1981-82 television season saw *Saturday Night Live* embark on its seventh year, airing from October 3, 1981, to May 22, 1982, across a total of twenty episodes. The season began amidst significant upheaval: after producer Jean Doumanian and much of her cast departed, the show…
Season 8
The eighth season of Saturday Night Live, airing throughout the 1982–83 television year on NBC, marked another chapter in the show’s evolving history. Kicking off on September 25, 1982, and wrapping up May 14, 1983, it followed Lorne Michaels' departure from his initial role as e…
Season 9
Saturday Night Live’s ninth season, airing on NBC throughout 1983 and 1984, proved to be a pivotal moment in the show’s history. Kicking off on October 8th, 1983, and concluding May 12th, 1984, the season initially saw the entire cast return for another run, with Jim Belushi join…
Season 10
The 1984-1985 television season saw *Saturday Night Live* embark on its tenth year, delivering eighteen episodes before a frustratingly early end thanks to a writer's strike and budget limitations. The season arrived under a cloud of change; following Eddie Murphy’s departure the…
Season 11
The 1985-1986 television season saw *Saturday Night Live* embark on its eleventh year, airing on NBC from November 1985 through May 1986 across 18 episodes. Following a tumultuous period—one where network executives nearly pulled the plug and former producer Dick Ebersol departed…
Season 12
Facing cancellation after a lackluster previous year, *Saturday Night Live* returned for its twelfth season in 1986–87 thanks to Lorne Michaels’ persuasive pitch to NBC executive Brandon Tartikoff. The network gave the show one last shot, but with a mandate: a fresh cast was esse…
Season 13
The 1987-88 television season saw Saturday Night Live embark on its thirteenth run, airing on NBC between October 1987 and February 1988. A couple of familiar faces joined the ranks: Kevin Nealon officially became a repertory player, and Al Franken made his return to the cast. …
Season 14
The fourteenth season of Saturday Night Live arrived on NBC during the 1988-89 television year, kicking off on October 8, 1988, and wrapping up May 20, 1989, with a total of twenty episodes. The cast remained unchanged at the start, but show creator Lorne Michaels brought in fres…
Season 15
Saturday Night Live’s fifteenth season arrived on NBC during the 1989-1990 television year, kicking off with a celebratory 15th-anniversary special on September 24, 1989, and wrapping up May 19, 1990. A total of 21 episodes – including that milestone anniversary show – made up th…
Season 16
The 1990-1991 television season saw Saturday Night Live embark on its sixteenth year, delivering twenty episodes of live comedy to NBC viewers. Premiering September 29, 1990, and wrapping up May 18, 1991, this season marked a significant shift for the show. As some familiar faces…
Season 17
The 1991-1992 television season saw Saturday Night Live embark on its seventeenth run, a period marked by significant shifts both behind and in front of the camera. Premiering September 28th, 1991, and wrapping up May 16th, 1992, the twenty episodes that followed were shaped by c…
Season 18
The 1992-1993 television season saw *Saturday Night Live* embark on its eighteenth year, launching September 26th and wrapping up May 15th on NBC. The season arrived amidst significant shifts behind the scenes. Veteran Victoria Jackson concluded her six-season run, while newer ca…
Season 19
The 1993-1994 television season marked Saturday Night Live’s nineteenth year on NBC, kicking off September 25th and wrapping up May 14th. The season arrived amidst significant shifts behind and in front of the cameras. Following departures mid-season and at the end of the previou…
Season 20
The 1994-95 television season marked Saturday Night Live’s twentieth year on NBC, running from September 1994 to May 1995. Unfortunately, this season proved a challenging one for the show, drawing sharp criticism and prompting serious concerns about its future – echoing similar s…
Season 21
After a rocky run, *Saturday Night Live* returned for its twenty-first season in September 1995, desperately hoping to shake off persistent rumors of cancellation following the previous year’s struggles. Twenty episodes later, on May 18, 1996, the curtain fell – marking a signifi…
Season 22
The 22nd season of *Saturday Night Live* kicked off on September 28, 1996, and wrapped up May 17, 1997, delivering a full slate of 20 episodes. The year began with some significant shifts behind the scenes; both David Koechner and Nancy Walls departed after their first season, wh…
Season 23
The twenty-third season of *Saturday Night Live* kicked off September 27, 1997, and wrapped up May 9, 1998, delivering 20 episodes of sketch comedy. The lineup saw a few shifts behind the scenes: Colin Quinn officially joined the repertory cast, while Mark McKinney departed after…
Season 24
The 24th season of *Saturday Night Live* kicked off on September 26, 1998, and wrapped up May 15, 1999, delivering a total of 19 episodes. The season marked a period of transition for the show; Jim Breuer had departed prior to its launch, while Norm Macdonald’s time with *SNL* en…
Season 25
The 25th season kicked off on September 25, 1999, and wrapped up May 20, 2000, delivering a full slate of regular episodes plus a very special retrospective: a celebratory look back at the show’s incredible first 25 years. The familiar faces from the previous year were all back f…
Season 26
The 2000-2001 television season saw *Saturday Night Live* celebrate its twenty-sixth year, delivering a lively run of 20 episodes between October 7, 2000, and May 19, 2001. The season marked a period of transition for the show, as beloved cast members Cheri Oteri, Colin Quinn, an…
Season 27
The 2001-2002 television season marked Saturday Night Live’s twenty-seventh year on NBC, running from September 29, 2001, to May 18, 2002, and delivering a total of 20 episodes. The season began under an unprecedented cloud; just eighteen days prior, the devastating attacks of Se…
Season 28
Saturday Night Live’s twenty-eighth season arrived on NBC during the 2002-2003 television year, kicking off October 5th, 2002, and wrapping up May 17th, 2003 – a full run of twenty episodes. The season marked a bittersweet transition for the show. Beloved cast members Will Fer…
Season 29
The 2003-04 television season brought Saturday Night Live’s twenty-ninth run to NBC, kicking off October 4th, 2003 and wrapping up May 15th, 2004 – a total of 20 episodes. The season marked some significant changes behind the scenes; Chris Kattan and Tracy Morgan moved on from th…
Season 30
Saturday Night Live celebrated its thirtieth season during the 2004-2005 television year on NBC, delivering twenty episodes from October 2004 through May 2005. The season marked a significant shift with Jimmy Fallon’s departure, paving the way for Fred Armisen to join the core ca…
