Monday, November 13, 2017

SNL Week- Monday: The Pitch


Since 1975, Saturday Night Live has been making people laugh on a previously dead night of television. The tried and true formula for making the show was created by Lorne Michaels and was even used during his five year absence. This week, we’ll walk you through the day to day process of making one of television’s longest running shows.


On a new show week, the host will arrive at 30 Rock and get personally greeted by Lorne. The host will be whisked into Lorne’s office for a private meeting; if the host is a newbie, Lorne will fill him or her in on what to expect over the next week and get a feel for their comfort level. If the host is an SNL veteran, the meeting might just be a quick exchange of pleasantries. 

Once the host meeting is over, the SNL cast and writers will descend upon Lorne’s office, filling every available seat and space. Lorne will introduce the host, mention any rules he or she might have, let him or her speak about their hopes for the week, then throw things open to the cast and writers who are then given the opportunity to pitch their ideas to Lorne, the room and more importantly, the host. Over the next few hours, Lorne and the host will filter the ideas down to a manageable level. By the end of the meeting, the writers will have their marching orders and begin fleshing out their sketch ideas.