George Carlin, the first person to host Saturday Night Live

Saturday Night Live (SNL) is a late-night sketch comedy and variety show created by Lorne Michaels. It premiered on NBC on October 11, 1975, under the title NBC's Saturday Night. The show usually satirizes contemporary American popular culture and politics. SNL features a two-tiered cast: the repertory members, also known as the "Not Ready for Prime-Time Players", and newer cast members, known as "Featured Players." A typical episode of SNL will feature a single host, who delivers the opening monologue and performs in sketches with the cast. While the format also features a musical guest, and a number of episodes have featured celebrity cameos, the focus of the show is the guest host.

George Carlin was the first to host the show, while Candice Bergen was the first woman to do so. Guests that host five times (or more) are considered "members" of the Five-Timers Club, introduced on the December 8, 1990 episode, when Tom Hanks became the seventh person to host their fifth episode.[1] There have been 45 episodes on which the show's host also served as the musical guest; the first was Paul Simon on October 18, 1975.[2] The most recent to pull double duty was Bad Bunny on October 21, 2023.[3] The Rolling Stones are the only band to ever serve as both host and musical guest during the same episode, which aired October 7, 1978.[4]

List of Saturday Night Live hosts

Saturday Night Live has featured a wide array of hosts and musical guests. George Carlin served as the show's first host in October 1975;[5] three episodes later, Candice Bergen became the first female host[6] and the first to host more than once.[7] Actor Alec Baldwin holds the record for most times hosting, having done so seventeen times since 1990; Baldwin took the record from actor Steve Martin who has hosted sixteen times since 1976.[8]

Several former cast members have returned to take on hosting duties. Original cast member Chevy Chase has hosted the most times, eight in total. Tina Fey follows behind, having hosted six times, while Bill Murray and Will Ferrell have hosted five times. On December 11, 1982, Eddie Murphy became the only person to host while still a member of the cast, filling the role at the last minute when the scheduled host (his 48 Hours co-star Nick Nolte) became ill.[9][10]

Multiple former writers have also returned to host: Conan O'Brien (one in 2001), Louis C.K. (four since 2012), Larry David (twice since 2016) and John Mulaney (five since 2018).

Musical guests can be solo acts or bands, who perform two to three musical numbers. Occasionally, the musical guest has also simultaneously served as the host. Paul Simon was the first example, hosting and performing on the second episode on October 18, 1975. As of October 28, 2023, Dave Grohl is the most frequent musical guest, performing on sixteen shows since 1992.[11][12]

In 1982, at age 7, Drew Barrymore became the youngest person to host the show. Betty White is the oldest person to host, having done so at 88 years of age in 2010.[13] Due to White's advanced age, Tina Fey, Molly Shannon, Maya Rudolph, Rachel Dratch and Amy Poehler were on standby to replace her as host or in sketches if she became fatigued, though White ultimately appeared through the whole show as planned.[14] In 2000, singer Britney Spears became the youngest person to both host and simultaneously serve as the show's musical guest, at 18 years and 161 days old.[15]

In addition to making cameo appearances, political figures have also hosted the show. Donald Trump, who hosted in 2004 (promoting the reality TV show The Apprentice) and again in 2015 as a presidential hopeful, is the only host who eventually became President of the United States. Al Gore hosted in 2002, the only former vice president to do so. Presidential candidates, either former, current, or future, have served as hosts: in addition to Trump and Gore, there was Ralph Nader (1977), Jesse Jackson and George McGovern (both 1984), Steve Forbes (1996), Rudy Giuliani (1997), John McCain (2002), and Al Sharpton (2003). Although not a host, Sarah Palin appeared on SNL in 2008 after weeks of Tina Fey doing impressions of her on the show. In more recent years, Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren have both appeared on the show during their presidential campaigns, in 2016 and 2020, respectively.

Five-Timers Club

Actor Alec Baldwin is the show's most prolific host, fulfilling the role 17 times between 1990 and 2017.

The Five-Timers Club is the group of performers who have hosted SNL at least five times.[16][17][18][19] SNL's first mention of the Club occurred on December 8, 1990, when Tom Hanks mentioned that it was his fifth appearance as host in his monologue:

Believe it or not, this is the fifth Saturday Night Live I have been lucky enough to host. Now, the first time you do the show, you can't believe you're here. You just can't believe it. Your head buzzes with excitement. The second time you do the show, it means you were funny enough to be asked back – and you're pushing a movie. The third time you do the show, the second time didn't go so well, and you have something to prove to yourself. The fourth time you do the show, you're just blatantly pushing a movie. But the fifth time you do the show is the most special time of all, because you get this [holds up a card] ...a membership card in the Five-Timers Club. Come with me... [walks off the stage] I'm gonna give you a chance to look in on one of the most exclusive clubs in the world.[20]

After Hanks delivered his monologue, the show segued to a sketch set in a richly appointed private club, featuring Hanks and Five-Timers Steve Martin, Elliott Gould, and Paul Simon, who had actually only served as host four times. Then-writer Conan O'Brien appeared in a cameo as a doorman.[21]

The second time the Five-Timers Club was mentioned was when Danny DeVito was inducted in 1993. The club was mentioned again after the mark was reached by hosts John Goodman (1994), Alec Baldwin (1994), Christopher Walken (2001), Drew Barrymore (2007), Justin Timberlake (2013), Ben Affleck (2013), Scarlett Johansson (2017), Melissa McCarthy (2017), Dwayne Johnson (2017), Jonah Hill (2018), Paul Rudd (2021), John Mulaney (2022), Woody Harrelson (2023), and Emma Stone (2023).

In 2006, a sketch featuring Martin and Baldwin introduced the Platinum Lounge, featuring only hosts that have hosted the show at least twelve times, on the occasion of Baldwin's 13th time hosting the show (Martin had hosted 14 times at the time).[22] Martin Short appeared as a waiter, as he would during many subsequent Five-Timers Club sketches. Since then, John Goodman has become the third person to host more than twelve times.

Timberlake's fifth appearance as host on March 9, 2013, featured the reappearance of the richly appointed club. The sketch featured Paul Simon, Steve Martin, Chevy Chase, Alec Baldwin, Tom Hanks, and Candice Bergen. There were portraits of John Goodman and Drew Barrymore in the Five-Timers Club's Hall of Portraits. When Melissa McCarthy hosted the show for the fifth time, Five-Timers Club member Steve Martin appeared in the goodnights to welcome her to the club and presented her very own five-timers jacket. When Dwayne Johnson hosted the show for the fifth time, fellow five-timers Baldwin and Tom Hanks appeared in the monologue to welcome him to the club.

On November 3, 2018, the fourth episode of season 44, the club is seen again as part of the monologue of actor/director Jonah Hill.[23] He is taken there by Five-Timer Tina Fey. Once in, he is greeted by Candice Bergen, and Drew Barrymore. Seeing no men in the club, Hill wonders if it's "Ladies Night". He is told by Fey that the other men "are not allowed in right now" because of presumed harassment problems.

The club has been spoofed by SNL itself. During her fourth appearance as host in April 2019, Emma Stone anticipated "Four-Timers Club" honors in her monologue.[24]

The club was seen again on February 26, 2022, the thirteenth episode of season 47, when John Mulaney hosted for the fifth time. In the sketch, Mulaney is greeted by Steve Martin, Candice Bergen, and Tina Fey. Paul Rudd was the last person to host for the fifth time, although his show was affected due to the rise of Omicron cases, which resulted in a reduced cast and no audience. The sketch also featured an appearance by Elliott Gould, which was his first appearance in 15 years on the show, along with a surprise appearance from Conan O'Brien, who appeared in the first Five Timers club sketch as a doorman back in season 16.

On February 25, 2023, the thirteenth episode of season 48, when Woody Harrelson hosted SNL for the fifth time and Jack White performed for his 5th musical guest stint, as well as his 4th solo musical guest appearance. During the goodnights, Kenan Thompson and Scarlett Johansson welcome both Woody Harrelson and Jack White to the Five-Timers Club and presenting their very own five-timers jackets.

On December 2, 2023, the sixth episode of season 49, the next person to be inducted into the Five-Timers Club was Emma Stone, who was given a five-timer jacket by fellow-Five Timers Tina Fey and Candice Bergen in her monologue.

Chevy Chase was the first former SNL cast member to both host the show and join the Five-Timers Club. This was subsequently done by Bill Murray, Tina Fey, and Will Ferrell. Mulaney is the only former writer to join the Five-Timers Club.[25]

The club was referenced by Fox Sports writer Peter Schrager as his basis for the "Favre Backup Club", a rundown of notable names who have held the spot behind NFL quarterback Brett Favre on the depth chart.[26]

Overview of Five-Timers Club members
Name Total appearances
as host		 First appearance Fifth appearance Time to reach club Most recent hosting appearance
Buck Henry[1] 10January 17, 1976November 19, 19771 year, 306 daysMay 24, 1980
Steve Martin[27][1] 16October 23, 1976April 22, 19781 year, 181 daysDecember 10, 2022
Elliott Gould[1] 6January 10, 1976February 16, 19804 years, 37 daysNovember 15, 1980
Paul Simon 4[a]October 18, 1975May 10, 198610 years, 204 daysDecember 19, 1987
Chevy Chase[1] 8February 18, 1978December 6, 19868 years, 291 daysFebruary 15, 1997
Candice Bergen[1] 5November 8, 1975May 19, 199014 years, 192 daysMay 19, 1990
Tom Hanks[28][1] 10December 14, 1985December 8, 19904 years, 359 daysApril 11, 2020
Danny DeVito[1] 6May 15, 1982January 9, 199310 years, 239 daysDecember 11, 1999
John Goodman[29][1] 13December 2, 1989May 7, 19944 years, 156 daysDecember 14, 2013
Alec Baldwin[1] 17April 21, 1990December 10, 19944 years, 233 daysFebruary 11, 2017
Bill Murray[1] 5March 7, 1981February 20, 199917 years, 350 daysFebruary 20, 1999
Christopher Walken[30][1] 7January 20, 1990May 19, 200111 years, 119 daysApril 5, 2008
Drew Barrymore[1] 6November 20, 1982February 3, 200724 years, 75 daysOctober 10, 2009
Justin Timberlake[1] 5October 11, 2003March 9, 20139 years, 149 daysMarch 9, 2013
Ben Affleck[1] 5February 19, 2000May 18, 201313 years, 88 daysMay 18, 2013
Tina Fey[1] 6February 23, 2008December 19, 20157 years, 299 daysMay 19, 2018
Scarlett Johansson[1] 6January 14, 2006March 11, 201711 years, 56 daysDecember 14, 2019
Melissa McCarthy[1] 5October 1, 2011May 13, 20175 years, 224 daysMay 13, 2017
Dwayne Johnson[1] 5March 18, 2000May 20, 201717 years, 63 daysMay 20, 2017
Jonah Hill[1] 5March 15, 2008November 3, 201810 years, 233 daysNovember 3, 2018
Will Ferrell[1] 5May 14, 2005November 23, 201914 years, 193 daysNovember 23, 2019
Paul Rudd[1] 5November 15, 2008December 18, 202113 years, 33 daysDecember 18, 2021
John Mulaney[31][1] 5April 14, 2018February 26, 20223 years, 318 daysFebruary 26, 2022
Woody Harrelson[32] 5November 18, 1989February 25, 202333 years, 99 daysFebruary 25, 2023
Emma Stone 5 October 23, 2010 December 2, 2023 13 years, 54 days December 2, 2023

a Simon has hosted only four times but has been included in multiple Five-Timers Club sketches because of his many other appearances as either a musical or special guest.[33][34][35]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 Fuster, Jeremy; Owen, Phil (December 18, 2021). "'SNL' 5-Timers Club: Most Frequent Hosts, From Alec Baldwin to Paul Rudd (Photos)". The Wrap. Retrieved February 27, 2022.
  2. ↑ Sederholm, Jillian; Yang, Rachel; Brathwaite, Lester Fabian (December 13, 2021). "All the Saturday Night Live hosts who've doubled as musical guests". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved February 27, 2022.
  3. ↑ Hoglund, Andy (October 22, 2023). "Saturday Night Live recap: Mick Jagger makes surprise return to Studio 8H, but can't save Bad Bunny's episode". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved October 29, 2023.
  4. ↑ Lambert, Harper (December 10, 2021). "All the 'SNL' Hosts Who Doubled as Musical Guests (Photos)". The Wrap. Retrieved February 27, 2022.
  5. ↑ Sklar, Rachel (February 7, 2008). "George Carlin's SNL Monologue". The Huffington Post. Archived from the original on November 8, 2013. Retrieved January 14, 2012.
  6. ↑ Shales & Miller 2002, p. 44.
  7. ↑ Shales & Miller 2002, p. 48.
  8. ↑ Semigran, Aly (September 25, 2011). "'Saturday Night Live' recap: The return of the king (a.k.a. Alec Baldwin)". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on January 5, 2012. Retrieved January 8, 2012.
  9. ↑ Ryan, Mike (February 4, 2011). "Power Rankings: How Have 24 Former SNL Stars Performed as Host?". Movieline. Retrieved September 8, 2013.
  10. ↑ Ryan, Mike (February 4, 2011). "Power Rankings: How Have 24 Former SNL Stars Performed as Host? (Page 2)". Movieline. Retrieved September 8, 2013.
  11. ↑ "Dave Grohl Makes His 11th Appearance on 'Saturday Night Live' Tonight". Rolling Stone. May 19, 2011. Archived from the original on May 20, 2012. Retrieved May 19, 2012.
  12. ↑ Dresdale, Andrea (November 28, 2017). "Dave Grohl will make it a lucky 13 total appearances on "Saturday Night Live" next month". ABC News Radio. NY. Retrieved October 24, 2019.
  13. ↑ "Betty White becomes oldest Saturday Night Live host". History. May 8, 2010. Retrieved September 8, 2013.
  14. ↑ Ryan, Mike (April 7, 2011). "Where Does Helen Mirren Rank Among Saturday Night Live's Oldest Hosts?". Movieline. Retrieved September 8, 2013.
  15. ↑ "Justin Bieber to Host 'Saturday Night Live'". ABC News. The Walt Disney Company. January 8, 2013. Retrieved September 8, 2013.
  16. ↑ Lyons, Margaret (March 7, 2013). "Ranking the Hosts in Saturday Night Live's Five-Timers Club". Vulture.
  17. ↑ Fuster, Jeremy (March 11, 2017). "'SNL' Five-Timers Club: Most Frequent Hosts, From Alec Baldwin to Justin Timberlake (Photos)". TheWrap.
  18. ↑ Wilson Hunt, Stacey (February 11, 2015). "'SNL' Five-Timers Club: Justin Timberlake, Alec Baldwin, Tom Hanks Share Wild and Crazy Tales of TV's Toughest Gig". The Hollywood Reporter.
  19. ↑ "The Rock to host Saturday Night Live season finale, set to join Five-Timers Club". Sports Illustrated.
  20. ↑ "Monologue: Tom Hanks Joins the Five-Timers Club". Saturday Night Live. NBC. Retrieved March 18, 2017.
  21. ↑ "SNL: Steve Martin, Candice Bergen, Paul Rudd and Others Welcome Mulaney to 5-Timers Club — Watch". Yahoo News. February 27, 2022. Retrieved October 1, 2023.
  22. ↑ Platinum Lounge - Saturday Night Live, retrieved October 18, 2023
  23. ↑ Seemayer, Zach. "Jonah Hill Joins 'SNL' Five-Timers Club With Help From Tina Fey, Candice Bergen & Drew Barrymore". etonline. Retrieved November 4, 2018.
  24. ↑ Perkins, Dennis (April 14, 2019). "Emma Stone is a fourth-time winner on an otherwise serviceable Saturday Night Live". The A.V. Club. Retrieved December 2, 2023.
  25. ↑ White, Peter (January 30, 2022). "'SNL': John Mulaney To Join Five-Timers Club In February; Host To Be Joined By LCD Soundsystem". Deadline. Retrieved October 1, 2023.
  26. ↑ Schrager, Peter (April 2007). "Buffet: The men behind The Man". Fox Sports. MSN. Archived from the original on November 23, 2007.
  27. ↑ Martin holds the records for guest appearances (26) and hosting in a single season (3)
  28. ↑ "UPDATE!! SWEEPS DAY 10!! Tom Hanks Hosts His First SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE Since Sept. 28, 1996!!". Ain't It Cool News. May 6, 2006.
  29. ↑ Yamato, Jen (December 15, 2013). "Host John Goodman Makes 13th Trip To 'SNL,' Stallone & De Niro Cameo For Christmas Pic: Video". Deadline Hollywood. PMC. Archived from the original on December 15, 2013. Retrieved December 15, 2013.
  30. ↑ Young, Jamie Painter (March 13, 2003). "His way". nBack Stage West. Just a few weeks ago he did a rousing song-and-dance number during his opening monologue on Saturday Night Live, on which he has the distinction of being in the 'Five-Timers Club' of celebrities who have hosted the show five times or more. (He's hosted six.)
  31. ↑ Kaplan, Ilana (February 27, 2022). "'SNL': Paul Rudd, Tina Fey, Steve Martin and More Welcome John Mulaney to Five-Timers Club". Rolling Stone. Retrieved February 27, 2022.
  32. ↑ "Woody Harrelson and Jack White!!!". Twitter. February 4, 2023. Retrieved February 4, 2023.
  33. ↑ Garrett, Amber (February 25, 2022). "John Mulaney Will Join the 'SNL' Five-Timers Club This Saturday". Distractify. Retrieved January 22, 2023.
  34. ↑ Wurzburger, Andrea (February 26, 2022). "Ahead of John Mulaney's 5th Time Hosting 'SNL' , See Which Other Celebs Are in the Show's Five-Timers Club". People. Retrieved January 22, 2023.
  35. ↑ Gutoskey, Ellen (May 30, 2022). "All 23 Members of the 'Saturday Night Live' Five-Timers Club". Mental Floss. Retrieved January 22, 2023.

Bibliography

  • Shales, Tom; Miller, James Andrew (2002). Live From New York: An Uncensored History of Saturday Night Live. United States: Hachette Book Group USA. ISBN 0-316-73565-5.
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