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In 1975, Lorne Michaels created the TV show NBC's Saturday Night,
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http://www.museum.tv/eotvsection.php?entrycode=saturdaynighSaturday Night Live first aired on 11 October 1975 on NBC
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http://www.pastemagazine.com/blogs/lists/2011/10/10-most-shocking-moments-on-saturday-night-live.htmlOne of Saturday Night Live’s first—and best—examples of groundbreaking comedy came in its seventh episode, when Chevy Chase interviewed Richard Pryor for a job. The skit, written by Paul Mooney, has Chase playing a word association game with Pryor, which became increasingly offensive. When Chase said “Negro”, Pryor responded with “Whitey,” and tensions increased as the words grew more terrible. The skit was a great early example of the lengths that SNL will go to both get a laugh and bring up ho
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In 1977 changed its name to Saturday Night Live.
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SNL's first "star," Chevy Chase, leaves the show in the second season for Hollywood. Aykroyd and Belushi followed in 1979.
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Producer Lorne Michaels leaves the show after the 79-80 season. He was replaced by Jean Doumanian
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http://youtu.be/MgFDv_4oKswWith the addition of Eddie Murphy, the show began to regain some of its strength
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Michaels rejoined the show as producer in 1985 and oversaw a second classic period of Saturday Night Live.
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Similar to his decision in the mid-1980s to bring in established actors Randy Quaid, Joan Cusack and Robert Downey, Jr., Michaels added Michael McKean, and later Chris Elliott, to the cast.
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Michael McKean and Chris Elliot both leave at the end of the 1994–1995 season.
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http://youtu.be/rLA3cdUt5toFormer beloved cast member, Cris Farley dies from drug overdose on December 18, 1997, aged 33.
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Saturday_Night_Live_(2000%E2%80%932005)In 1999, Tina Fey became the show's first female head writer.
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