Saturday Night takes us back to October 1975 and the 90 frenetic minutes leading up to the first broadcast of the anarchic NBC comedy show, which became known as Saturday Night Live…
Director: Jason Reitman
Writers: Gil Kenan and Jason Reitman
Script source: Deadline
Now a TV staple, Saturday Night was a network disrupter that launched the careers of Chevy Chase, John Belushi, Gilda Radner, and Dan Akroyd, among many others. At the heart of it was visionary young producer Lorne Michaels, who rightly bet that this untested mix of zany talent would lead to TV comedy gold.
Unfolding in real time, the film shows us the narcotically enhanced chaos behind the scenes, as Michaels tries desperately to corral the undisciplined talent and troubleshoot the array of last-minute problems (not least the three-hour running time). It all takes place under the cynical eyes of the network bigwigs.
Meanwhile, the clock ticks down to 11.30 when the whole shebang is supposed to go live or face the axe in favour of a rerun of Johnny Carson’s Tonight Show.
The whirlwind narrative doesn’t leave much room for depth or for developing relationships. A side-trip into the “complicated” relationship between Michaels and show writer Rosie Shuster, who’s since taken up with Akroyd is a bit of a non-starter. Likewise, we don’t really get into any insights into the cast or their backstories, which is partly the point. At the time, these household names were unknowns; kids given the keys to the candy store in the form of 90 minutes of live TV on a major network.
Where the film succeeds is in the never-let-up energy, as we hurtle through the scattered rehearsals, clashing egos, fistfights, and obstinate union guys. Along the way, we meet oddball comic Andy Kaufman and a young Billy Crystal desperate to get a slot on the show.
Also present is Muppet originator Jim Henson, who was supposed to be on the first broadcast but got short shrift from “prince of darkness” head writer Michael O’Donoghue (not to mention X-rated horseplay with his beloved puppets). Of course, Henson’s belief that puppetry could have a place on prime-time TV came true with his own Muppet Show – a not unlike Saturday Night variety show.
As the countdown continues unabated, the challenges intensify, with the unpredictable Belushi going awol, acerbic host George Carlin storming off set, and Michaels learning his show was only greenlit as part of a game of chicken the network was playing with Carson.
The casting is also a success, especially Gabriel LaBelle as Michaels, Cory Michael Smith as Chase, and Dylan O’Brien as Akroyd. Welcome additions are Willem Dafoe as NBC Head of Talent Dave Tebet, and J.K. Simmons as “Mr Television” Milton “Uncle Milty” Berle, a lecherous (and famously well-endowed) icon who’s pissed at being replaced by this new generation.
It is this generational shift which could have used more emphasis to audiences unfamiliar with how Saturday Night shook up the network establishment, moving entertainment away from cosy shows produced in Burbank to the energy of New York City.
There is some indication of this in the contrast between the staid history of Rockefeller Center and the manic Studio 8H where Saturday Night is being produced and also in a few dismissive references to the Kraft Macaroni Hour, which is pretty self-explanatory.
But like many things that blew minds back in the day (such as Elvis), Saturday Night Live looks pretty tame by modern standards. Without firmly placing this show in its cultural context, as Baz Luhrmann managed in Elvis (2022), it’s reduced to just a whistlestop trip through the stress and confusion of live TV.
This is enjoyable enough – seeing the likes of Ackroyd and Chase in their nascent form, with their charisma, talent, and egos given free reign is a real highlight.
However, where it has a tendency to fall flat is – ironically – in the show’s content. The brief glimpses of the sketches are not exactly side-splitters, despite the reaction of the crew to “bits” like Kaufman attempting to lip-synch to the Mighty Mouse theme.
Of course, this stuff is subjective, but if you don’t find the output funny, it’s hard to really grasp how the show moved the needle and won over the network fuddy-duds.
Overall, this is an entertaining “where it all began” movie that shows us the messy and uncertain origins of an anarchic hit, which – 50 years later – is still going strong. However, while the point of Saturday Night is that it’s claustrophobic and told in real time, a bit more context setting might have helped a wider audience to understand the cultural shift which resulted from those 90 frantic minutes.
Writer takeaways
1. Writing “real time”
Writing a film which unfolds in real time means compressing the narrative into around 90 minutes. This is a great hook, which helps to strip away all the unimportant detail and focus on the story. The downside can be a lack of depth and character development.
However, the protagonist in Saturday Night still arcs, going from not knowing what the show’s about to being able to articulate it towards the end. Likewise, the cast and crew get it together before showtime. They all go on a journey. There’s even room for a subplot around Michaels and Rosie’s relationship, even if it’s not fully fleshed out.
A small but effective detail in Saturday Night is the clock. It doesn’t just show us the time, but the time clicking down. In several places in the script, Michaels also gives us a time check. Notice that this is usually a non-round number. Again, it’s all about heightening the tension and using the real time framing to the strongest effect.
2. Writing “chaos”
The key to this film is the chaotic nature of putting together not just a TV show but a live TV show.
In the film, some of the detail and lines are lost in the kerfuffle. However, take a look at the script to see the “ER-style” techniques the writers use to pull this off. From the device of following different characters, to the choice of descriptive words (peel off, doors fly open, everyone jumps to their feet, etc.), to the mix of overlapping dialogue and physical action. There are also the unexpected moments, with the appearance of a llama and – later – a fake blood machine.
Along the way, we meet all the main players and understand the challenges facing Michaels. Even though history tells us he pulled it off, there’s plenty going on to suggest he won’t, which keeps us hooked.
3. Importance of putting “disruptive” events into context
As our review notes, one of the weaker parts of Saturday Night is that it doesn’t make the significance of the show clear to audiences unaware of its cultural context. In order to get disruption, we have to get what is being disrupted.
The script for Saturday Night includes a scene in Act Three in which Michaels flees the studio and walks down the street. He “encounters” an array of characters which Saturday Night Live would introduce – including Wayne and Garth & The Blues Brothers. Later seasons of the show also showcased the talents of Steve Martin and Bill Murray. This small addition shows us what the future holds for this experimental show.
Another way could have been a short montage at the beginning of the existing TV landscape. For a great example of this, take a look at the opening to The Trial of the Chicago 7 (2020). The first 12 pages are devoted to a sprawling montage-history lesson which sets up the significance of what’s to come.
As a newer writer without a track record, trying to break in is hard but limiting your script’s appeal to those who already know the context of your story is risky.
Go further:
Watch the trailer…
Also watch…
Being the Ricardos (2021)
Aaron Sorkin takes us on a detailed, nostalgia-rich journey behind the scenes of The Lucy Show. It focuses on a period rife with conflict, not only between Lucille Ball and husband Desi Arnaz but the Communist witch-hunts, which threatened to derail TV’s most beloved star. Script source: Script Slug
September 5 (2024)
A TV sports broadcasting unit covering the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich must pivot when Israeli athletes are taken hostage by a terrorist group. Another example of a movie taking us on an “as it happens” journey, only this time in the thriller genre. Read our review. Script source: Deadline
Late Night with the Devil (2023)
Fortunately, not a fact-based film, this is still a great example of a film unfolding in real time, as a talk show goes live on Halloween and invites in a demonic spirit. It’s also notable for its authentic recreation of 1970s television.
A Futile and Stupid Gesture (2018)
Another tale of how an American comedy institution was born in this story of Doug Kenney – co-founder of the National Lampoon empire. Beginning life as a magazine in the 1970s, the brand extended into books, live comedy and, of course, movies (here, Joel McHale takes on the role of Chevy Chase).