Every night at 1130pm my wife forces me to watch Saturday Night Live before I start snoring. No doubt that the current SNL comics and skits are nowhere in the same realm of excellence as during the 70s and 80s starring Eddie Murphy, Dan Aykroyd, Chevy Chase, Gilda Radner, John Belushi, Bill Murray and with special multiple appearance guest host Steve Martin. Most memorable skits of all time were The Coneheads, Gumby and More Cowbell although the Black Jeopardy skit during the 2016 presidential election with host Tom Hanks was unforgettable. The SNL of today has a few skits that make me chuckle but they stretch the dumb ones too far to complete dumbness. SNL 50 years later, I really do miss the old time greats of SNL. YouTube has all the vintage SNL skits to binge watch. read more

Saturday Night Live - CONEHEADS SKIT 1978 - Studio Taping Near Me - New York, New York

Saturday Night Live is an iconic show that I grew up with that produced many great comedians we know and love today! When I think of SNL, I think of the likes of Eddie Murphy, Will Ferrel, Tina Fey, Jimmy Fallon, Andy Samberg, and so many more that I'm likely forgetting! My favorite band to come from SNL is Lonely Island. Though often probably Not Safe for Work (NSFW), I find a lot of their stuff comical. Example: I'm on a Boat. I definitely plan to play that while boarding my cruise. Don't worry, play through my headphones so no one can hear. If you've never watched, I'd encourage and watch some of the classic highlights. read more

Saturday Night Live (or "SNL" for short) used to be funny and was the "must watch" show of the week growing up. Not so much anymore. Back when the show first aired, the cast were absolute comic geniuses and the writing was really really hilarious! From the opening monologue to the last bow, each show was beyond hilarious! Yelper Fried Barrett O., aptly describes the first episode. As always, great job, Barrett! Favorite and beloved characters of mine included John Belushi's Samurai, the Coneheads (Dan Aykroyd, jane Curtin and Lorraine Newman) - remember "We are from France!"- Gilda Radner's Roseanna Roseannadanna. I loved Chris Farley's character, Matt Foley, who 'lived in a van down by the river!" Talk about a physical comedic genius! Spin-off shows/movies like "The Blues Brothers," and "Wayne's World" were always entertaining and funny! Steve Martin hosted so many times (15, I think) that it felt like he was part of the regular cast! Martin's banjo playing and King Tut stand out as highlights of his excellent performances! Mr. Bill was another favorite SNL character! I can still hear his "OH NO!" The whole SNL production had the look and feel of rogues taking over the studio for a live performance and it always felt like we were part of the "cool kids" who were invited to the takeover! The early, first "Not Ready for Prime Time Players" felt like cool Aunts and Uncles and were so beloved! It was devastating when Gilda Radner, John Belushi, and Chris Farley died!!!! Five easy stars for the earliest years of SNL, and two stars for today. I quit watching it years ago and yes, the ratings have tanked compared to the earliest years. I think SNL is currently on season 51. I wish them well! For me, I'll always cherish the memories, characters, and general FUN from the early days! Thanks, SNL! read more

It used to be a show I watched every Saturday night since 1976! The last 2or3 years the quality has disappeared. You need to get some knew writers or something! I will watch about the first 20 minutes or half hour the skits are just not what they used to be!!!!!! I hate to say it but it is not good show like it used to!!!!! Younger people middle aged people and older people all feel the same way!! read more

Some wins, some duds. Some skits that seem to go on long past the point where the joke was made, laughed at, laughed at again, and now we're just beating it to death. SNL was created by Lorne Michaels and began in 1975 with the first show hosted by the famous George Carlin. The show follows a consistent format with a series of comedy sketches that lampoon current events and politicians. The caricatures are generally relatable thanks to talented artists and actors, such as Dan Ackroyd's portrayal of the clumsy Gerald Ford, Tina Fey portrayed Sarah Palin (who hilariously appeared side by side briefly), Phil Hartman's hilarious Bill Clinton and Dana Carvey's spot-on impression of George H.W. Bush. The show features a host (usually a movie star flogging their latest movie) and a musical guest (as the years go by, I recognize fewer and fewer of them). It starts with the host's monologue, a few skits, a live song by the musical guest, a few more skits, a "Weekend Update" current events news segment, another live song, and a final skit or two. Usually the host appears in a self-deprecating bit and if we're lucky, the musical guest does as well. Sometimes they'll stay in character and sometimes you'll spot them obviously reading the cue cards. Several actors who appeared on SNL have spun off highly successful movie and television careers. Chevy Chase and Eddie Murphy are now a big stars, but weren't always. Steve Martin, Chris Farley and others. Andy Samberg has a successful television show, Brooklyn 99. Mike Myers made two full length Wayne's World movies out of his Wayne Campbell character with sidekick Garth Algar. Some bits transcend the time since they appeared live, including the Church Lady, MacGruber (Will Forte and Kristen Wiig), Jeopardy! with Will Ferrell (and occasionallyDarrell Hammond and Norm MacDonald). The wonderful Olympia Cafe (cheeseburger! cheeseburger! No Coke! Pepsi!). "More Cowbell" with the scene stealing Will Ferrell appearing with Christopher Walken as Blue Oyster Cult is working on their song "Don't Fear (the Reaper)." Yeah, it's good. Sometimes, it's unfunny. Sometimes, it's downright stupid. But LIVE FROM NEW YORK! IT'S SATURDAY NIGHT! [Review 15993 overall - 315 in New York - 1498 of 2021.] read more

Saturday Night Live - I've got a fever and the only prescription is more cowbell! - Studio Taping Near Me - New York, New York

Got selected to receive tickets for SNL dress rehearsal on 3/30 to see Ramy Youssef as host and Travis Scott as musical guest. I can't explain to you the excitement I felt to be selected for such a prestigious event.. I sent the email asking for tickets back in August never thinking I would get an opportunity! I'm not sure if it was an NBC page that sends the email but let me tell you they were amazing to communicate with and very personable, they totally didn't have to be given that the tickets are 100% free so I appreciated the kindness! The experience was a dream from entry into 30 rock until the end of the show.. you arrive to the Rockefeller and wait in line to enter the Peacock lounge by the time listed on your ticket. Peacock lounge was very cool! They had a photobooth you could snap pictures at (sent to you electronically) and had free drinks (alcoholic or various sodas) and they even gave us cookies as we exited (sweet treat) to head to the show. Moving on to the main event.. what can I say about the show? As a Muslim attendee seeing the show during the month of Ramadan, having a Muslim host was unreal to see! They catered skits so smoothly to be appropriate for the host and his audience, I was honestly pleasantly surprised to see such inclusivity at SNL, made me love it even more which I didn't think was possible! It was a joy to see the behind the scenes switches from stage to stage and the cast messing around with each other in between skits. I really felt that every skit was a hit and we saw some extras that didn't make the show which was a plus. I was in awe of the weekend update as I grew up watching Seth Meyers execute it so perfectly, but Colin and Michael really made it their own, I couldn't stop laughing! Overall a life changing experience, I would recommend every SNL fan try to get lottery tickets, heck I would even wait in a long line for a chance to experience it again Tip: They sell unique t shirts in the store with the host and musical guest on it that you can buy after the show, would totally recommend getting one to have a cool souvenir to commemorate the show with! read more

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Saturday Night Live (aka SNL) is an American late-night live television sketch comedy and variety show created by Lorne Michaels. The show premiered on NBC on October 11, 1975, the year my daughter was born. She naturally watched TV sitting up in bed with her Mom! It was our Saturday Night Fun! I love the show to this day. I admit it would not be the same as going to one of the classic shows but I'm still going to keep trying to get tickets to a live show. May 9, 2020 is their 3rd SNL Show Broadcast from their homes. It's also the final show of their 45th season. I'm still a huge fan and I will continue to watch the show every week. One way you can get your SNL fix between seasons is on video. My favorite that I own is a compilation of the Christmas Shows from the 1970's through the 1990's. You may either love it or hate it. I'm a huge huge fan. I especially need to keep my sense of humor and laugh as much as possible at this time. I think I'll watch my Xmas Video this weekend! read more

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First ever SNL live taping. I had this on my bucket list since forever. They have many rules that aren't really set in stone. They say to come around 9:10pm and you can either get there around that time or even afterward and closer to 10pm it seems. Just be prepared to do a lot of waiting and eat beforehand. They do have some refreshments for you, but no food or snacks are available. You can use your phone in the peacock lounge, but not at the studio. You may see some B list celebrities on the line with you, just like how I saw Jake from State Farm and this model who dated Leonardo Dicaprio. All in all, you'll be done around 1am, so get some rest beforehand or take a nap so you'll be up and ready for the entire night. It was so cool to see what goes on behind the scenes and watching jlo perform live. Of course, seeing Ayo was great, too. Hopefully. I can get to go again to another live taping in the future. read more

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I was a big fan from day one!! It was, in fact l, on today October 11th in 1975 that Saturday Night Live (SNL) premiered on NBC, with guest host comedian George Carlin and special guests Janis Ian, Andy Kaufman and Billy Preston. Holy cow bells has it really been 46 years!!!!!!!! Created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Dick Ebersol but did you know it was in 1974 that the development originated when "The Weekend Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson" come to an end? It's a long story but essentially to fill the gap, NBC brought in Dick Ebersol to develop a late-night variety show to air on Saturday nights. Ebersol's first order of business was to hire a young Canadian producer named Lorne Michaels as the person to run the show. SNL was born :-) The first cast members hired were Second City alumni Dan Aykroyd, John Belushi, Gilda Radner, National Lampoon alumnus Chevy Chase, Jane Curtin, Laraine Newman, Garrett Morris and George Coe. The original head writer was Michael O'Donoghue, a writer at National Lampoon. In every episode of SNL has a host who is a celebrity guest starring on the show, they also have musical guests but a host can also be both. Don't get me started on the HUGE list of celebs, musicians and even politicians, just HUGE. SNL's changing ensemble has been the launching pad for countless actors and performers who have become major TV and movie stars including Dan Aykroyd, John Belushi, Jane Curtin, Chevy Chase, Bill Murray, Gilda Radner, Paul Shaffer, Eddie Murphy, Joe Piscopo, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Martin Short, Mike Meyers, Damon Wayans, Joan Cusack, Robert Downey Jr., Dennis Miller, Phil Hartman, Jon Lovitz, Conan O'Brien, Mike Myers, Ben Stiller, David Spade, Chris Farley, Adam Sandler, Chris Rock, Rob Schneider, Dana Carvey, Norm MacDonald, Molly Shannon, Will Ferrell, Tina Fey and many more. If you curious about what's up with any if the cast from all these 46 years, check out " Where are they now: All 158 cast members in Saturday Night Live history at: https://www.insider.com/where-are-they-now-snl-cast-members-2019-7 For me SNL was always a source of laughter, and sure the music often was fantastic, but I was always glued to the tube for the comedy. Hey we're all social creatures and we bond over the mishaps we all encounter, using laughter to react, heal, and brave the challenges we face. We laugh along to show support and camaraderie. (George Carlin comes the mind) But in recent years much of the comedy has been tainted, in my opinion, with a darker side of politics and social commentary where malice rears its ugly head. It's my opinion and observation is that it's possible to keep comedy subversive and entertaining while simultaneously preventing it from being plain mean. Bottom line: The current version of SNL is that the show is, to a large extent, sacrificing brilliance for consistency and, in my opinion, is sadly a pale imitation of its old self. read more

Saturday Night Live - Holy cow bells has it been 46 years??!! It was today Oct 11, 1975 that Saturday Night Live premiered on NBC. (see review) - Studio Taping Near Me - New York, New York

SNL review of the Nov 2nd 2019 Season 45 Episode 5 broadcast show, Broadcast Live from Studio 8H located on floors 8 and 9 at NBC's headquarters in the Comcast Building at 30 Rockefeller Plaza, New York City. The host was Kristen Stewart (2nd time hosting) and Musical guest was ColdPlay, their sixth time since their debut performance in 2001. Promoting their upcoming album, Everyday Life, Coldplay played the title track live in its worldwide premiere of their new song, 'Everyday Life. They also played one of their latest singles, Orphans. There are a ton of great shows in NYC, but getting tickets to an SNL broadcast show can be a challenge if not impossible for most, and for good reason. There are not a lot of seats for audience members (250) and only 21 episodes each season. I won't go into detail on how to get the most desired show ticket in NYC, you can check the NBC website on how to go about getting tickets. If you do get tickets and want to preserve them, you will have to take a picture of them because they will be taken from you as part of processing entrance into the show. There are 2 shows each Saturday night during the running season. At 8PM they run through a full two hour dress rehearsal show. Material is reviewed on audience reaction and timing to ensure it fits into the shows 92 total air time with commercials. Sketches that get cut from the final show during dress rehearsal are made available on SNL's website. Like most live shows, keep your phones and cameras in your pocket and turned off or risk getting shown an early exit. It was a fantastic experience to be at a live broadcast SNL show and watch the behind the scenes magic that goes into putting on a live broadcast. Amazing how quickly they assemble and break down sets during the commercial breaks, organized chaos by a skilled team for sure. I was surprised how engaged and active Loren Michaels is during the broadcast, totally involved overseeing the activities on set. The SNL Live Broadcast show was definitely a Five + star experience and highly recommended if you get the opportunity and luck to score tickets. read more

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Travis Scott.....worst non performance EVER!!! Play anything like that again....won't see me viewing!

Saturday Night Live was a fav for Saturday till the screen went black i never got a converter.,actually watching rented movies on the TV screen. the news was just auto accidents, shootings & fires to doze off to;; sports for long naps; dramas, actions series, & comedies for quickies. SNL was dead to me until i discover it on You TUBE the opening night segment, was LIT..same as weeked session. the personalities are literally exposed.beyond freudian slips. inadvertant verbiage, it;'s all on SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE I can do without a sociopathical trump, the other impressionists are way funnier., read more

Lately since SNL has gone remote I truly enjoyed the episodes. A plus for Creativity via Technology very humorous. The zoom one was hilarious it truly made my hubby and I cracked up loll which we needed lock read more

I have watched SNL off and on for the vast majority of the program's 45 year history and I'll try to resist the natural urge to favor my era. The original cast of 75-80 vintage were indeed pioneers and boldly irreverent but even among the Mt. Rushmore of Chase, Ackroyd, Murray, Radner and Belushi there were, as today, plenty of lazy shows, weak guest stars and head scratching musical acts. For every Richard Pryor, George Carlin and Steve Martin there were more than enough Richard Roudtrees, George Segals and Steven Seagals to re-balance the scales towards mediocrity. It's probably fair to say that most installments throughout their almost half century run contained only thirty minutes or so of decent material. I refuse to look back through rose colored glasses since the unyielding eye of YouTube can be a harsh buzzkill against dreamy eyed nostalgia. What is true is the undeniable influence of SNL on popular culture, politics and celebrity star-making. I could tick off names such as Eddie Murphy, Tina Fey Will Ferrell, Kristen Wiig, Bill Murray, Adam Sandler and Chris Rock and I'd miss countless others that have made high profile careers after being launched by the show - Norm MacDonald, Mike Myers, the late, great Phil Hartman and Kate McKinnon are personal favorites that immediately come to mind. Fast forward to today and what I see is extremely forced, far too reliant on celebrity cameos and pre-recorded segments that drone on and fill time without the incisive upper cut to the culture that the show was famous for. Sure, Alec Baldwin as Trump is cool for about two minutes, but for five, he's redundant overkill. And do we really need Pete Davidson dragging his detached stoner slouch into every sketch. I yawn enough at midnight, I don't need any help. I grew up with SNL as a cultural touchstone every weekend. It gets five stars for longevity only exceeded by NBC's Sunday political talk-fest Meet The Press, clocking in at an astounding current run of 73 years. Whatever SNL has become, I now consider the program much milder and neutered - a politically correct cobble of game show parodies and cable talk satire that like a once formidable athlete can still bring it when it wants to. The only question is, how much longer will it want to? read more

I've watched SNL for years and Loran Michaels always give the people a Fantastic show. Having paid tribute to many people including NYC after 9/11, but last nights tribute to PRINCE was amazing. Words and comedy took a backseat to the them paying homage to the musical genius named PRINCE! Thank you Loran and the crew at SNL! PS hook Frank up with some tickets! read more

Saturday Night Live - Best Tribute from SNL ever ! RIP 4-21-2016 - Studio Taping Near Me - New York, New York

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As I believe this page is supposed to be reviews of the live taping experience and not of SNL itself, I am going to provide a review of my experience seeing an SNL dress rehearsal shortly before the pandemic began in early 2020. I received my tickets through the SNL lottery. For the entire month of August, you can email an SNL email address and asked to be considered for that season's lottery. While I wrote why I was a fan of a show, I didn't write more than a few sentences. As long as you provide your contact information, I believe the emails are chosen at random. I was emailed on Friday around noon offering me two tickets to the dress rehearsal the follow day and giving me 24 hours to accept them. It was my 6th year entering the lottery, so don't give up hope of winning! The email stated we needed to arrive by 6:45pm, but my friend and I arrived an hour before that. After being held in the 30 Rock lobby, they bring you up to the green room where you go through security. If you've ever seen Jimmy Fallon or Seth Meyers tape, it's the same green room and security process (ex. you can't bring in large bags or food). If you need to use the restroom, this is where to do it. There are no audience restrooms on floor 8, where the SNL studio is. After sitting around a bit, you then line up around the wall and wait to be brought upstairs to the SNL studio. This line is the important one because it will determine the order in which you are seated; the line you enter 30 Rock and go through security for doesn't matter. We were the third pair (so people 5 and 6) on this line. You will then have to wait for guests of NBC to go up into the studio to be seated. After that, you will be brought up in the order you were on line for. Even for the dress rehearsal, the studio was completely packed. There were four seats available in the final row of the center of the balcony, and then the rest of the lottery winners were going to be placed on the sides of the balcony, where you may only see a few of the sets/sketches. Lucky for me and my friend, two of the four people ahead of us decided as we got off the elevator on the 8th floor that they needed to use the restroom, and they were sent back downstairs to the end of the line, so we were able to sit in those center seats! Although they were the last row of the balcony, the view was excellent and we could see everything but 1 sketch/set perfectly. I loved the experience of not just seeing the cast members, the host, and the musical guest but also seeing how the crew quickly moved around sets/brought sets forward for each new sketch. They did show us the pre-taped sketches on monitors, and if you were in a location where you couldn't see a set, they also showed those sketches taping live on monitors. I liked the experience of being at the dress rehearsal because we saw sketches, parts of sketches, and specific lines that didn't air in the final show. It was interesting to see what they chose to change. The dress rehearsal began a little after 8pm and we had left 30 Rock by 9:50pm. It was an amazing experience, and I feel very lucky to have won the lottery. read more

I will keep it short and to the point , I never really considered snl a funny show and it puzzles and shocks me it's still on but I guess folks are watching cause it's still around . The musical guest are ok time to time and the guest host do a decent job especially when involved in skits .The original cast with Chevy chase , Bill Murray, John belushi,Garrett Morris, Gilda radner, Dan Aykroyd, Lorraine Newman Jan curtin, ETC, will always be the best in my opinion and it wasn't non stop president bashing during the shows early run like it is now but times are different now and so is the quality of snl now or lack of it . read more

Terrible humor. Very much a politically motivated skit show. Too much BS. Incorrigible. Hard to watch without cringe.

Kate's review of the live taping below is spot on. Once you make it up the red staircase and they check you in you'll be asked to show your ID and vaccination card and then they'll give you a wristband with a number. This number will be your seating group for the studio. You'll be offered drinks and sent into the lounge where there are leather benches throughout. A DJ will be playing all the best songs that you danced to from your beginning to present. That was fun! You'll be in the lounge mingling with other audience members for about two hours. There are restrooms in the lounge but once you head into the studio you won't be able to exit and come back in. What an experience! I loved every minute of it! read more

The only choices to get tickets are standby tickets from waiting early early on Saturday morning, emailing them in August only or if you know someone. I emailed them in August and got an email from them about two weeks before the show. I got tickets to see Chris Rock and Prince on Nov 1st at the Dress Rehearsal which starts at 8pm. It says to come pick up your ticket no later than 6:45. We got there a little after 6 and waited inside 30 Rock behind the red ropes called "Jenn's line." It's outside La maison du chocolat. About 6:15 you get your tickets by showing ID and the email confirmation. Then you wait on line some more. Jenn, this Isla Fischer look a like with a pink clipboard walks up and down the line and picks some people to go on a special line. My husband said he was making eye contact with her and she pulled us out of line. We didn't know if this was a good thing or bad thing at first. They definitely are looking at what you look like and what race. They were picking a lot of black people that day, because chris rock and prince were hosting. It turned out being pulled out means you'll sit in front of the stage and the other line goes to the mezzanine. Then when they let us up the escalators, we have to go through metal detectors. If you go to the 8th floor, you'll sit right in front of the stage, which only seats about 30 people. Once you get out of the elevators, you'll see walls lined with celebrity photos and a note from them to the SNL staff. So cool! Use the bathroom at this time or when you're waiting downstairs because you cannot leave your seat once you are seated! You also cannot take your phone out once you are upstairs. They will kick you out they said. Don't hang your jackets on the chairs. Place them on your lap or on the floor. Not sure if the 9th floor is as strict, which are the mezzanine seats. If you sit in the front, you get a great view of the host during the monologue, the band, musical guest and some of the skits, but most of the time, the cameras are obstructing your view. You get to watch on the many TVs around the set though. The crew is working hard putting up and down the sets and then the actors come out right before it starts and leaves fast to change clothes so you get to see them passing by a lot. It was one of the coolest experiences ever! Send out those emails in August and good luck! read more

Saturday Night Live - Studio Taping Near Me - New York, New York

I most admit I'm not a SNL junkie like my children, but I love their irreverence, their willingness to poke fun at everyone and everything, their willingness to poke fun at whatever is happening around the world and in politics. Let's be frank, I love them poking fun at Trump. read more

I'm going to describe how you get tickets to the show and the process while you're there, because it's a little bit of a mystery for most people... I'm here to tell you all the secrets, shhhhhhhhh! To say I'm obsessed with SNL is an understatement. I've been watching since I was young. I watch every single episode, no lie. Some are good, some are bad... But that's honestly the beauty of the show. Most times even if it's truly a terrible episode, there's one shining light in the mix... Whether it's an incredibly talented cast member or a host totally losing it to giggles (hello Ryan Gosling, I'm looking at you!). So there's two ways to get tickets. You can wait outside for standby tickets on Saturday before the show or enter a ticket lottery. I have never waited outside because it seems pretty miserable to be honest. I bet if I lived in NYC I would totally do it every week though! I've always applied for tickets through their ticket lottery system. You can only apply in the month of August. In years past, you sent an email to snltickets@nbcuni.com with your info. This year was the first year they changed it to be that you had to explain why you deserved tickets. Let me tell you, I wrote so many drafts during the first couple weeks of August. I wanted to get it just right. This would be my 17th year applying for tickets (true story!) and I wanted to make it a good one! Turns out, it was! I got an email on Sunday saying I had tickets for the SEASON PREMIERE THAT SATURDAY! WHATTTTTT?????!!!!! I DIED! Then I came back to life and scrambled to make the trip happen. The host was Ryan Gosling and musical guest Jay Z. Seriously A list. Who knows who could do a walk-on (turns out Emma Stone could!). Full disclosure. I've received tickets before for the dress rehearsal in 2010. It was incredible, with Robert DiNero and P Diddy. But this experience with the live show was totally different and equally as amazing! For the live show you arrive at 30 Rock by 10:15pm and they whisk you up to the Peacock Lounge. You receive a colored wristband, which I later found out meant you either had floor seats or balcony seats. Sadly, we didn't receive the floor seats. I was surprised to see that it seemed pretty random. I had always originally thought it was all the casts friends and family, along with the hosts posse. But it's just regular people. I then thought it would have to be only beautiful models, but it seemed like a really wide range of people. The seating upstairs is stadium style (literally it's old Yankee stadium seats). There are clearly better seats than others. The center is the best, then they have a handful of other sections to the left and right. The main stage is where the cold opening and weekend update happen. The musical guest always appears to the left in a special stage area. Then there are about 6 different sections of the stage where they perform the skits. Some skits we couldn't see at all because they were so far over on the other side of where we were sitting (left center, but last row). They have TV monitors everywhere that you can see what is going on. That's also where they show anything that's pre-taped (fake commercials, digital shorts, etc). They also repeatedly remind you no photos or video. Don't you know, people still tried! One girl took video of Jay Z performing and security kicked her out! Another dude took a pic of the cast goodbyes and security literally took his phone and deleted it. I would NEVER risk it! The pre-show is pretty cool. They sat everyone and Michael Che came out and did a really quick stand-up set. Then Kenan came out with Cecily, Kate and Michelle and they did a musical number. This happened during the time i saw dress rehearsal too. I love that they do this and think it's so special to see something the viewers at home don't get to see. Plus, it gets you pumped up to see the actual show! It's seriously one of the best experiences of my life. Everyone started whispering "there's Lorne" as he sauntered around the stage observing everything. I saw Alec Baldwin start to prep his Trump impersonation by slumping and pursing his lips before he went live. Kate McKinnon literally crawled on the floor to pop up in the cold opening. Leslie Jones came out before a skit and everyone cheered. Watching the crew run around like crazy, setting up the next set within a matter of minutes. Seeing the cue card guys furiously dropping each used card. Plus, we saw Aziz Ansariwas watching the show just five feet away from us. Every year we apply (my hubby is a superfan as well), we say "this is our year" and turned out, it was! I can't wait until the next time... Because now my mission is to be on the floor and then next stop, the after-party! read more

What can I say I'm honored to even step in this place. This iconic landmark is truly special. From the ultra famous folks walking around to the sets that bring this show to life. Always great vibes and good times. If you ever get a chance to get here in your lifetime you will not be disappointed. Cheers read more

Saturday Night Live - Rare pics - Studio Taping Near Me - New York, New York

The e-mail information told us to be there no later than 10:15. My boyfriend and I were there at 8. The lady usher told us that we were super early and that we should come back at 9:30 to line up. We got back at 9 and there were 15~ people ahead of us. I was upset. I wanted to be seated in the front row. I wanted to be so close to Bill Hader that I could see the sweat on his brow. Unfortunately, dumb lady usher steered me wrong. The NBC staff is just a mix of idiots in suits and Barbie bitches in business casual and neon high heels. Aside from the ushers, there was one NBC woman who was dressed in a bright neon green button down, ridiculous high heels for work, and extremely tight pants. I hated this Neon Barbie: her peppy spirit, the ridiculous need to over dress just to usher people into the SNL studio, and her bottle blonde hair. She was the one who was keeping the lines orderly, ensuring we all had our tickets, and also hand-picking the folks who would get to sit on the studio floor. Before I go any further, let me explain. There are three ways to get tickets: 1) Suck someone's dick or be related to said dick 2) win them through the ticket drawing in the Summer or 3)standby. I got my tickets through the drawing. Seating arrangement isn't guaranteed. I thought that the earlier you're there, the more likely you'll be to be in the front and have a good seat. NOPE. While the peasants had to come super early to get "good seats", Neon Barbie would randomly pluck people off the peasant line and put them on a separate, special line. We dubbed it the beautiful people line - because everyone on that line was good looking to Neon Barbies standards. In other words, they also looked like Barbies and Kens. I asked repeatedly what that special line was for - but Neon Barbie only said that the separate lines were for the different ways people obtained their ticket. LIES! I saw you upgrade other peasants to the beautiful people line! It really pissed me the fuck off that I was waiting since 9 o'clock to get primo seats, dead center, and then Neon Barbie comes out and fucks it all up. Eventually, she shuffles everyone towards the elevators where we go through security and up the the 9th floor. The beautiful people got to go to the 8th floor. 9th floor had mezzanine seating looking into Studio 8H. The lucky bastards that Neon Barbie sent to the 8th floor got to sit ON the studio level. After getting to the 9th floor, they put us on another line for about 30 minutes. We were waiting in the hallways in the pits of hell. It was SO hot. We were kept waiting while other folks went ahead of my group and were seated first. Again, this pissed me off. I didn't start waiting at 9 o'clock for these palm greasers to get better seats than me. I imagined seating would be something like a movie - where it's like first come, first serve. Or just file line seating, where they fill the seats row by row. NBC plucked randoms out for certain seats. You four, up in the front. You three, in the back over here. Did I mention they also had a line of OLD OLD OLD people, and that these poor, old bastards had to sit in the worst section? Aside from that Neon Barbie Bitch, and NBC's fucked up seating system, the actual SNL show was great. Jamie Foxx was the host and Neyo was the musical guest. Charlie Day, Dermot Mulroney, and 2 Chainz had special guest appearances. Before the show even started, Jason Sudeikis came out and covered all their legal crap and gave us a quick run through of SNL. Then, Fred Armisen, Kenan, and Taran came out and performed a song. The skits are 100x funnier in real life. I have a new found love for Jamie Foxx and the entire SNL cast. 5 stars for the show, 0 stars for Neon Barbie! Rant over! read more

You can't fully appreciate SNL until you've been to a taping at 30 Rock. I had the distinct privilege of attending this past Saturday night's show hosted by Jonah Hill with musical guest Future. It was fascinating. Seeing how furious the staff works behind the scenes to make sure every stage is set before America tunes in sheds light on the magic of the television making process. As a viewer you don't have a chance to appreciate how the show gets broadcast into your living room, but when you're sitting in the second row, witnessing the stage hands as they reset the very small studio in the span of a single commercial break in time for the next live shot, you'll want to give a standing ovation and donate to their union. Additionally, being able to read along with the actors as they recite their lines from cue cards that are visible to the audience gives you a feeling of inclusion as though you're a part of the various sketches yourself. I now view being in the audience at SNL as a bucket list item for anyone living in or visiting New York. If you have a chance to attend, you must drop everything to make it happen. read more

I just finished reading Tina Fey's book "Bossypants" and it made me realize that I've never written a review of Saturday Night Live! Great Scotts! I think everyone at one point in their life dreams of being on SNL. And if you never have, then maybe you're a little dead inside? (Cut to montage of a scene from 'The Walking Dead') Tickets to Saturday Night Live are supposedly the most difficult to get in the entertainment industry but I will tell you, I don't care who you've got to beg, bribe, sleep with or bully, get yourself a pair of tickets! Out of all the plays, concerts and performances I've seen in my lifetime, SNL was by far the most memorable. We had gotten tickets to the dress rehearsal via a well connected friend. Colin Firth was the host and Norah Jones was the musical guest. If you're not familiar with Colin Firth, he's the british guy from "Bridget Jones' Diary" who did not get caught having sex with a hooker. It was amazing to see how the sets are built and to know that everything has been put together in a week. Skits, sets, costumes, everything! It's crazy impressive to say the least. I laughed so hard that I almost peed my pants. Norah Jones came on twice during the show to perform and it her stage fright was very noticeable. Her hands shook with nervousness but she was still amazing! I've added being on "Saturday Night Live" to my bucket list along with becoming best friends with Tina Fey. "Live from New York...it's Saturday night!!!" Yelp 365 Challenge: #165/365 (The Best Ticket In Showbiz) read more

I had the time of my life!!! I never once thought in a million years that I would get to go see SNL in person, but it happened .. and it's completely possible to do! Depending on the guest host/musical band, tickets are very possible to wait for/get ahold of in time to see this for yourself. The whole experience was surreal. Once you get past the ticketers and go up the escalators, past security, up the elevators, and past the entrance security, you walk through this hallway filled with photos from all the most famous SNL sketches, with even a few costumes from famous sketches at the end of the hallway as well! Once inside, there's two levels of seating - but there are very few bad seats. One of the cast members will "warm you up" with a few jokes, explaining the process, ect. And then the rest is history! I don't want to ruin the experience by telling you step by step how it all happened ... but let's just say that I'm extremely impressed with the efficiency and go-go-go-ness of that show! It's non-stop!! Definitely worth checking out if you're in town, or if you live here. I plan on going again! read more

The scoop: it IS free. However, they start handing out standby tickets at 7 a.m. Saturday morning and people camp out over night. When I went, it was winter and not a very good host (Charles Barkley), but I still didn't get in for the dress rehearsal because I only arrived at 7 a.m. So...if you really want to get in, arrive really early, like 5 a.m. The tickets are numbered and when you come back at 7 pm (or 11 for the real taping), you automatically get your 7 a.m. spot back in line based on the number on your ticket. They let the regular ticket holders take their seats, then the standby ticket holders fill in the empties starting at #1 (some standbys will be missing, too, so if you are number 100 like I was, still show up. I was only about 20 away from getting a seat.) Mkay? Good luck! read more

My heart stopped for a second when I read that I got an email from NBC about SNL tickets. They told me 2 weeks in advance and so I made sure I pushed back anything on my schedule. When the day came I was nervous, even more nervous after reading Stephanie F.'s review on her process to get to the show. My advice is, don't worry if you show up on time, you'll get in.. you'll see that some people get into "special lines," maybe for their looks? The bottom line is of course you'll be upset if you compare, however I can see why there are a lot of nerves before the show, but once you get your ticket and wait in line where you sit is out of your control. It was nice to talk to the people waiting in line next to us; there was a CFO from Houston who came with his wife. The hallway before entering the stage has a photo montage of They were asking me if I knew about Conehead skit and some other skits.. I basically made them feel old. I was on the 2nd floor in the last row in the middle, there were some skits I couldn't see at all but I got to see the center stage really well. Before the show started the head writer came out to "warm up" the crowd and afterwards Keenan came out and sang for us! (just for the crowd). Between the skits the jazz band plays AMAZING music, one of the musicians were playing seashells, yes seashells. Overall, it was nice to see the magic of what happens during live t.v. - the cast sometimes talks to the audience before they air, the cue cards people are hustling and the stage crew is moving. I had a great experience and I would gladly do it again. read more

We got the email to go see SNL for the 2016 Christmas Show. Casey Affleck was host and Chance the Rapper was the musical guest. There were surprise visits from John Goodman and Fred Armisen. To dispel a few incorrect statements that some of the other reviewers have made. (1st) You don't have to be stuck trying to be a standby if you don't know someone. We entered the lottery in August and got the email eight days before the show. I read about the standby, here, and other articles...seems consistent, and something I couldn't be bothered with. Maybe that's why I've been entering for 15 years and waited to score in the lottery. We arrived at 9:30pm and were the 3nd in line. When we came to the check in desk we saw the stacks of bands. A small stack of purple and a huge stack of gray. We got gray. There were also numbers or symbols on the ticket envelope further ranking those in the gray group. We were 13. They called out purple bands, then S, then FE, then 1-5, 6-11, 12-20. Tip....when you check in, and they direct you to the waiting room, sit closest to the front. When they call your group you have an advantage to at least be at the head of the group...our group was about 60. We ended up first row in the right corner bend (based on just how we filed in). We had the best seats...better than purple bands and bumping. Except for the cold opening (which is on the main stage) all the skits are on the (audiences) right side. We were directly over four skits. Dispel (#2) I don't think there is any pretty people bump up conspiracy. While we were seated we saw a couple get bumped. Trust me, she was a fairly plain Jane and her boyfriend was not good looking. They probably know someone that works at NBC at some lower level. The woman who appeared to be in charge of upgrading looked us over (we are garden variety 50 year olds), then asked to see our ticket envelope #. I guess we didn't get bumped because we were so low in the pecking order....but she did check us out and didn't move on till she saw our marginal number. She only did this to three other couples before picking that one to bump. Dispel (#3) The pages aren't in charge of anything...they go off lists...computer screens, that are in place when you arrive. I can't speak to any standby chaos, but everyone was efficiently in their seats at 11:05. It was a fantastic event. Watching everyone scurry around building and breaking down sets, during commercial breaks, was fascinating. 90 minutes flies by. You are having so much fun that even the bad skits are OK. Getting to see the 30 Rock Tree and the Saks 5th ave holiday display added to a great night. I'm glad we weren't in the 40 floor seats...those folks have to pay strict attention and laugh at everything...we just got to chill in our front row balcony seats 10 feet away from four of the skits....and laugh when something was funny. There are some bad seats...folks all the way on the right side looked like sets were blocking their view of many things. Don't even think of pulling your phone out once they tell you to "NOT" I took mine out just to see if I had any messages from my sitter...AFTER the show stopped taping at 1:05 and I was immediately swarmed on. read more

Growing up Saturday night always meant several things. Pizza, abandonment, the next day was Sunday, and that my parents would return from date night screaming at each other. And oh yeah Saturday Night Live! The recent SNL 40th anniversary special got me thinking a lot. I love the show! It represents so much that I love. While most of my friends growing up liked Sandler and Farley the best, I loved Phil Hartman. He will always be my favorite cast member. Every few years you hear some curmudgeon say "SNL isn't as good as it used to be. I quit watching years ago." Then you'll hear the same moron say the same thing, despite they claimed to be done. The truth is SNL will always find great talent. When I was a kid, people said the 90's cast had nothing on the past. Then those guys became stars. People like Will Ferrel and Tina Fey came after. The cycle kept going, and more great cast members came along. Fred Armisen, Kristen Wig, Bill Hader. You still get idiots saying the same nonsense. Trust me, Taran Killam, Kate McKinnon, and Jay Pharoah bring it. And there's a whole bunch of really talented young people behind them. It's like how my grandma didn't like my dad's rock. And how my dad didn't like when I listened to hip-hop. People just need to understand younger generations have different tastes. While on the topic of music, have you heard this terrible garbage kids listen to today? It's awful! As I said though, this isn't a review of SNL. For if it was it would get five stars. Yelp is not for reviewing television. I am here to review the time I acquired tickets and went to a live taping. There are three ways to get tickets to SNL. First, you can know someone. I unfortunately don't know anyone. My mom and cat, Mr. Picklehead, do not count. I thought about creating a scenario in which I could potentially put myself in a situation to save a cast members life. I was totally game and came up with an awesome plan. However, I thought best not to try due to the bad things that could potentially happen. I did not want to be known as the guy who caused Jason Sudeikis' death. Second, you enter the lottery in August. Enter by email and you have a chance to score tickets. Chance could really mean anything. Like there is a chance I go back in time and stop myself from ever wearing a yellow suede jumpsuit. That however is never going to happen. I don't know anyone who knows anyone who won the SNL lottery. I don't think the lottery even exists. I imagine Lorne Michaels reading emails of people begging to see the show, while he laughs sipping a dry white wine. Your last option coincides with what many New Yorkers do...... sleeping on the street. You'll be rubbing elbows with New York's famous homeless population. You must wait all night, on line, till 7 a.m. for standby tickets for that night's show. I've slept on New York a sidewalk before, but that's while I was inebriated. I needed to pick the right night. I needed to pick a night where there wasn't a huge guest host, Charlize Theron, a good musical act, Black Keys, and good weather. We got there at 8:30. We had snacks, blankets and HBOGo. It was pretty easy. The rough part was when a roach came by, scaring half the people on line. I of course would have killed it, but was worried there was some animal rights activists around. You never know. Finally it was time to get our standby tickets. A couple came out of no where and back skipped us, meeting up with two guys. They then exchanged money and the two guys left. There's some serious money to be had in line spot holding. After we got our tickets, a girl started to have a panic attack behind us, which brought an ambulance to the scene. Lucky for me it blocked my car, keeping me there for another hour. Went back later that evening and was ready. Ready to wait on lines, to wait on lines, to wait on lines. Up to this point I was content. I was still as happy as a baby who has keys waved in front of them. From here the security ruins everything They don't keep you in order. They have no idea what's going on and don't properly place you. We got put into a corner section off to the side. Even though we had a great number, and some guy wanted to switch with us so he could be with his friends. They didn't move us. Complete jerks. The show as expected was fantastic, but the horrible angle was a bummer. After the show was over I really wanted to take a picture. The no phone police was on site though. A security guard came by and asked for my phone. I was so frustrated. I wanted to tell them "HEY, I DON'T DESERVE THIS! I SLEPT IN THE GUTTER LAST NIGHT!" After realizing how that would sound, I handed over my phone and they deleted the photo. In the end I'm glad I got to cross something off my bucket list, and I still love the show. I'll always watch it. I just wish the security didn't suck the fun out of it, and they were better organized. Maybe I'll go back if it's the right situation is right. Watch out Sudeikis! read more

Saturday Night Live - Studio Taping Near Me - New York, New York

It's really unfortunate because I happen to love Saturday Night Live as a show but the method for obtaining tickets is absurd. As mentioned in earlier reviews, the only way to get a definite seat is to know someone. For the rest of us without connections or fame, we must go the night before or the morning of and wait online for a standby ticket. Ticket distribution starts at 7am. Two people come out with clipboards, check your ID, add your name to a list, and tell you to show up at the time listed. The tickets do say on them that admission isn't guaranteed. My boyfriend and I showed up that night an hour and a half before the listed time in hopes of getting a good spot in line. Once there, the nbc workers in the shop told us to come back later because your arrival time doesn't change your assigned spot in line. Once the lining up began, it was an unorganized mess. Even the employees described the system as "archaic" and apologized for the lack of coherency. They explained that standby tickets give you priority and then started shouting out ticket numbers in hopes of corralling the crowd into a line. NBC seems to hand out hundreds of stand by tickets..however, the tickets are only in case the "important" people do not show up. The workers even explain that standby tickets are only for the unfilled seats. It depends who of the valued audience decides to show up. We waited for nearly two hours, were ushered through three different areas and a metal detector, and were ultimately denied entry because the studio was filled. We were in the second group of 30, maybe 40th on line, and were still denied. That means that despite handing out hundreds of tickets, they were only able to seat 35 of the people who had received them. I understand that standby tickets are free, but SNL is not some morning show summer concert that people should need to camp out for. It is a weekly, long-running, multi-million dollar show. The fact that there is no way for the general public to buy tickets in advance is disgraceful. Being ushered from room to room (in incredible heat due to the crowds) like animals, while watching other groups (friends & family of writers/producers/actors) casually walk through felt a little classist if anything. It would not be that difficult for NBC or SNL to revise its system, to have a reserved/VIP section as well as a section for general tickets. For a show that is considered such a part of New York history, it is anything but accommodating to New Yorkers. It is clear regular people are of no real value to NBC or SNL. We are apparently secondary. read more

Had an amazing time by getting standby tickets! We chose to go to the dress rehearsal instead of the live taping because we were more confident that we'd get in. The rehearsal felt just like the real thing with the timing of commercial breaks, etc. Watching a show taping is always fun, but SNL is particularly awesome because you get to see the sets being put up and broken down and all the crew working. Standby seats were (like the cast pointed out) the worst seats in the house, but hey, I still loved being there. The closest bathroom is at McDonalds on 46/6th. An awesome surprise was a breakfast van pulled up around 5ish with complimentary coffee, tea and hot chocolate. He also sold soup, donuts, hand warmers and blankets. Don't forget to bring your ID (this was the only time I was asked for it). Bring more blankets than you think you need because walking around in the cold is one thing, but sitting in it for hours is another. I don't know why but I couldn't find a trash can, and at 7am a guy came by to collect all the cardboard/coffee cups. So these are my numbers but like all the NBC pages will say, it depends on the guests and number of VIPs for that taping. We didn't know if we were in or not until we got in the elevator to go up to the studio. We got in line at 3am with around ~50 people in line ahead of us. Four hours later, we were offered dress rehearsal numbers 29 and 30, or live 40 and 41. We then got to go home, sleep, and get excited (but not too excited in case we didn't get it). They ask you to come back and line up inside the building 45 minutes before the show starts. Once we were seated, we counted that number 48 got in. Unlike the other "how to get standby tickets" blog post, the ticket guy said that the ratio of people getting into the rehearsal and live taping is about 1:1, but I didn't stay to count for the live show. All in all, if you're down to camp on the street for a night, it's definitely a worthwhile experience! read more

I've been sworn to secrecy about how I obtained a pair of tickets to SNL, but if it is possible in any which way, make a goal or priority to go see the show. Like others have posted, the short walk through the SNL studios hallway is pretty neat. There are lots of pictures from numerous shows broadcast throughout the years. The staff that greets you (I'm not sure what they are called) are on top of their game. They watch you like hawks to see if you are taking pictures of the studio (which is strictly forbidden). All phones have to remain off and boy are they not afraid to make you delete any photos you might have taken. It's amazing at what goes on during commercial breaks. The stage and on camera area is so teeny tiny! I couldn't believe how the actual broadcast looks like their in a large studio! I got chills and butterflies in my tummy when I saw Lorn Michaels walking around and observing the live recording. Whoa what an experience! Everything else was pretty much summed up by the other yelpers so I won't go into any more detail, but try to wait or email for tickets when the window is open! :) read more

I enjoyed my experience at the live taping. The special guests were Gerard Butler and Shakira. If you want tickets, you have to send an email in the month of August ONLY, and then they will contact you if you are picked. Otherwise have fun waiting in the standby line in the morning. You only get 2 tickets. I think Shakira was lipsynching b/c she sounded way too good with all the body contorsions she was doing. Gerard did a pretty good job for his first time hosting. Not all the skits were funny, but I'd say above average compared to the way the season has been going. P.S. Only VIP people get to sit on the ground floor, aka friends/family of NBC employees or the guest. read more

I can't think HOW this show is still on. In short: SNL = So Not Laughing I happened to catch 2 minutes this evening simply because the TV came on to NBC. Andy Samberg said in the airplane sketch something like "...this is not funny..." I agree. Kudos to the cast, many of whom really are talented. In particular: Kristin Wiig and Jason Sudeikis are absolutely brilliant and should have graduated to higher things...such as their own play, film or tv show. Jeepers what a horrible show. read more

Omg. The show is funny but damn the news segment is horrible not funny and insults any grain of intelligence any person might have. It's just dumb and lazy. Stop laughing at everything you say. It's not funny abd even if it was it would be so much funnier if you didn't laugh at your own stupid jokes. read more

Used to be better. Miss the short videos like "The jogger hotel, Funeral in a cab, the Winers, etc/ They could have had one last week with Alex in the back of a limo as Trump driving by Walter Reed and waving. Maybe say something like--"That was fun, and I didn't even need to do the voice. Where does Nancy Pelosi live--let's drive by her house next. read more

Used to be funny and then the politics came into every episode... Weekend update was hilarious now the "anchors" can't keep a straight face or read a line to save their life. Get some talent and change up your skits and maybe I'll watch again.. not that my views matter read more

3.5 stars... Yes SNL sucks now and will never be where it used to be but going to see it live is a fun (and free) experience and as long as you don't mind the waiting and the lack of sleeping it'll be worth it. You can attempt to request advance tickets for SNL online but if that doesn't pan out or you don't have the foresight to think of it then you can get standby tickets. The way you get standby tickets for either the dress rehearsal (which is exactly like the live performance but usually has a couple extra skits) or the live performance is that you wait in line outside of the NBC studios (in Rockefeller center), the people in the front are almost guaranteed to be let in to whatever performance they choose, the people in the middle can be pretty sure they won't have a problem getting in, and it's a crap shoot for people toward the back. People usually camp out overnight to be in the front of the line but if you wake up early enough and get there at like 4-5am Saturday morning you'll most likely be in the middle of the line and won't have a problem getting in for the show later that night. When you go back later in the evening there are a number of cattle like lines and security checkpoints that you go through until you get seated in the studio. Unlike shows like the Daily Show where there's a personable warm up guy, or Rachel Ray where you're immersed in the set, no one will chat with the audience and you're seated above and away from the skits. The studio is a lot smaller than you would ever imagine after having seen it on TV all these years, in fact they only have enough space for 3 or so small sets so while one skit is going they've got a lighting fast crew of people breaking down and setting up the next set. It wasn't the funnest or funniest experience I've had going to a taping or something comedy related in NYC but it was cool to see the famed SNL stage, overall I'm glad I did it, and it was definitely worth the price. read more