Saturday Night Live (SNL) is a popular American television program. It has been broadcast on Saturday nights since October 11, 1975. It is one of the longest-running television programs in American television. It is broadcast from NBC studios in New York City. The name comes from the fact that the program is aired live on Saturday nights at 11:30 PM EST. This is a rarity in the age of filming and videotape.  SNL is shown in re-runs in the summer and on cable TV. The program usually consists of the following:

Comedy sketches
A celebrity host, usually an actor or comedian
A popular band/musician performing a recent song
Weekend Update, a satirical newscast usually featuring celebrity impressions
Parody commercials
Various short movies, animated segments and the like.

Saturday Night Live was created and executive-produced by Lorne Michaels and started in 1975 as NBC's Saturday Night. Many famous comic actors got their starts being cast members on the program.  The show has led to several movies, books, DVDs, and has been the inspiration for a couple of other TV shows. It has been nominated for 183 Emmy Awards and won 42.

"Live from New York, it's Saturday night!" is said near the beginning of every episode.

Actors on SNL
Many cast members have come and gone in the history of Saturday Night Live. Here is a list of some of those cast members and how long they lasted on the show.

Chevy Chase (1975 to 1976)
Dan Aykroyd (1975 to 1979)
Eddie Murphy (1980 to 1984)
Billy Crystal (1984 to 1985)
Robert Downey, Jr. (1985 to 1986)
Mike Myers (1988 to 1995)
Chris Rock (1990 to 1993)
Adam Sandler (1990 to 1995)
Chris Farley (1990 to 1995)
Janeane Garofalo (1994 to 1995)
Will Ferrell (1995 to 2002)
Tina Fey (2000 to 2006)
Amy Poehler (2001 to 2008)
Jimmy Fallon (1998 to 2004)
Seth Meyers (2001 to 2014)

Memorable Impressions
Many cast members have impressions of celebrities on Saturday Night Live. Here is a list of some of those actors having impressions of celebrities.

Chevy Chase as Gerald R. Ford
Phil Hartman as Ronald Reagan
Will Ferrell as George W. Bush
Tina Fey as Sarah Palin
Amy Poehler as Hillary Clinton
Kate McKinnon as Hillary Clinton
Kate McKinnon as Kellyanne Conway
Darrell Hammond as Bill Clinton
Darrell Hammond as Donald Trump
Alec Baldwin as Donald Trump
Darrell Hammond as Sean Connery
Will Ferrell as Alex Trebek
Larry David as Bernie Sanders
Melissa McCarthy as Sean Spicer

Memorable sketches
Weekend Update
The Californians
Celebrity Jeopardy
Wayne's World

Seasons and cast members 
 The cast members for season one were Dan Aykroyd, John Belushi, Chevy Chase, George Coe, Jane Curtin, Garrett Morris, Laraine Newman, Michael O'Donoghue, and Gilda Radner.
 The cast members for season two were Dan Aykroyd, John Belushi, Chevy Chase, Jane Curtin, Garrett Morris, Bill Murray, Laraine Newman, and Gilda Radner.
 The cast members for season three were Dan Aykroyd, John Belushi, Jane Curtin, Garrett Morris, Bill Murray, Laraine Newman, and Gilda Radner. The featured players were Tom Davis and Al Franken.
 The cast members for season four were Dan Aykroyd, John Belushi, Jane Curtin, Garrett Morris, Bill Murray, Laraine Newman, and Gilda Radner. The featured players were Tom Davis and Al Franken.
 The cast members for season five were Jane Curtin, Garrett Morris, Bill Murray, Laraine Newman, Gilda Radner, and Harry Shearer. The featured players were Peter Aykroyd, Tom Davis, Jim Downey, Brian Doyle-Murray, Al Franken, Don Novello, Tom Schiller, Paul Shaffer, and Alan Zweibel.
 The cast members for season six were Denny Dillon, Gilbert Gottfried, Gail Matthius, Eddie Murphy, Joe Piscopo, Ann Risley, and Charles Rocket. The featured players were Yvonne Hudson, Matthew Laurance, and Patrick Weathers.
 The cast members for season seven were Robin Duke, Christine Ebersole, Mary Gross, Tim Kazurinsky, Eddie Murphy, Joe Piscopo, and Tony Rosato. The featured player was Brian Doyle-Murray.
 The cast members for season eight were Robin Duke, Mary Gross, Brad Hall, Tim Kazurinsky, Gary Kroeger, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Eddie Murphy, and Joe Piscopo.
 The cast members for season nine were Jim Belushi, Robin Duke, Mary Gross, Brad Hall, Tim Kazurinsky, Gary Kroeger, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Eddie Murphy, and Joe Piscopo.
 The cast members for season ten were Jim Belushi, Billy Crystal, Mary Gross, Christopher Guest, Rich Hall, Gary Kroeger, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Harry Shearer, Martin Short, and Pamela Stephenson.
 The cast members for season eleven were Joan Cusack. Robert Downey, Nora Dunn, Anthony Michael Hall, Jon Lovitz, Dennis Miller, Randy Quaid, Terry Sweeney, and Danitra Vance. The featured players were A. Whitney Brown, Al Franken, Don Novello, Dan Vitale, and Damon Wayans.
 The cast members for season twelve were Dana Carvey, Nora Dunn, Phil Hartman, Jan Hooks, Victoria Jackson, Jon Lovitz, and Dennis Miller. The featured players were A. Whitney Brown, and Kevin Nealon.
 The cast members for season thirteen were Dana Carvey, Nora Dunn, Phil Hartman, Jan Hooks, Victoria Jackson, Jon Lovitz, Dennis Miller, and Kevin Nealon. The featured player was A. Whitney Brown.
 The cast members for season fourteen were Dana Carvey, Nora Dunn, Phil Hartman, Jan Hooks, Victoria Jackson, Jon Lovitz, Dennis Miller, and Kevin Nealon. The featured players were A. Whitney Brown, Al Franken, Mike Myers, and Ben Stiller.
 The cast members for season fifteen were Dana Carvey, Nora Dunn, Phil Hartman, Jan Hooks, Victoria Jackson, Jon Lovitz, Dennis Miller, Mike Myers, and Kevin Nealon. The featured players were A. Whitney Brown and Al Franken.
 The cast members for season sixteen were Dana Carvey, Phil Hartman, Jan Hooks, Victoria Jackson, Dennis Miller, Mike Myers, and Kevin Nealon. This season also starred Chris Farley, Tim Meadows, Chris Rock, and Julia Sweeney. The featured players were A. Whitney Brown, Al Franken, Adam Sandler, Rob Schneider, and David Spade
 The cast members for season seventeen were Dana Carvey, Chris Farley, Phil Hartman, Victoria Jackson, Mike Myers, Kevin Nealon, Chris Rock, and Julia Sweeney. This season also starred Ellen Cleghorne, Siobhan Fallon, Tim Meadows, Adam Sandler, Rob Schneider, and David Spade. The featured players were Beth Cahill, Al Franken, Melanie Hutsell, and Robert Smigel
 The cast members for season eighteen were Dana Carvey, Chris Farley, Phil Hartman, Mike Myers, Kevin Nealon, Chris Rock, Rob Schneider, and Julia Sweeney. This season also starred Ellen Cleghorne, Melanie Hutsell, Tim Meadows, Adam Sandler, and David Spade. The featured players were Al Franken, and Robert Smigel.

References

Other websites 

1975 American television series debuts
1970s American comedy television series
1980s American comedy television series
1990s American comedy television series
2000s American comedy television series
2010s American comedy television series
Entertainment in New York City
NBC network shows
Emmy Award winning programs
English-language television programs