I’ve been a big “SNL” fan for a long time, and with a show that’s been on as long as it has, I’m not alone; it’s become an institution.
I’ve heard it said that over its 50-year run, most people (not unlike favorite bands) are preferential to the cast and sketches of the era they grew up with, meaning the baby boomers insist the original “Not Ready For Prime Time Players” cannot be topped, others citing the Eddie Murphy era or perhaps younger folks citing John Mulaney and Bill Hader’s Stefan character.
I became nearly as hooked on television as I have been on radio when I was about eight years old and rescued a 12’ black and white television my mother was going to throw into the trash.
I snuck the set with its broken aluminum antenna up to my room and hid it under the bed, bringing it out at night to discover the late-night delights of Johnny Carson and David Letterman and, yes, “Saturday Night Live” with the likes of Phil Hartman, Dennis Miller, Jon Lovitz, and Jan Hooks at the time. I was hooked and have rarely missed an episode since.
As the show celebrates its 50th anniversary season, NBC is putting on a big splashy prime-time retrospective next month and has also launched a retrospective series on their Peacock app, “SNL 50:Beyond Saturday Night”.
There is a lot to absorb here as a fan of the show, a student of comedy, but also as broadcasters and performers. It starts with the audition process; seeing many familiar SNL faces sit and watch back the in-person audition tape that got them their shot is quite remarkable.
Not surprisingly, most of them cringe and insist to the camera their routine was “rough,” but anyone familiar with their later work can see the glimmer of what they’d become known for and the work taken to hone the act.
Most fascinating to me, watching the comedic stars today peering at the old clip of themselves, several twitched and or subtly mouthed the words; they were transported back to the performance, their brain still maintaining the routine somewhere in their mind, a kinetic reaction to one’s own work.
That is a sign of preparation, concentration, drive, and focus, something every talent that wants to compete today should bring to every live break. Next, watching the time and work spent preparing each show, from production to writing to direction from producers, directors, and, of course, the Godfather of TV himself, Lorne Michaels, is eye-opening.
All of this for a weekly 90-minute live show that airs 25 shows a year. As radio performers and talents, we crank out four to five live hours of content five days a week and with much less staff and resources.
That said, the care should be the same: the pride it brings to work and to stand out in the ever-crowded content marketplace. Last, SNL (like the Fallon show) has demonstrated how “old media” or, more politely, “traditional, linear media” can remain vibrant on the good old-fashioned airwaves live BUT supplement with digital content beyond the main program, whether it is on-demand, clips or extras all with additional ad revenue opportunities.
Hell, people pay to tour the studio and buy merch at NBC in New York; that’s how much they love “SNL.” Fallon has his own theme park attraction as a brand supplement.
Locally, radio and radio talent ought to bring the same level of game to drive the kind of passion it takes to build a legacy like that and content that matters to consumers (and advertisers) in that way.
I’m Robby Bridges, and you’re not; now go be YOU and kick ass!
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Robby Bridges works for Press Communications where he serves as the VP of Programming for 99.7 and 107.1 The Boss. He also hosts the morning show ‘Robby and Rochelle’ alongside his wife, Rochelle. He’s been with the company/stations since September, 2021.
Prior to arriving in New Jersey, Robby spent decades working across the country in many top markets for many highly successful brands. Among them include Z100, WPLJ and Q102. He has also worked in Detroit, Boston, Providence, Portsmouth, NH, and served as an exclusive guest host for Scott Shannon on the True Oldies Channel.
To get in touch, reach Robby by email at RobbyBridges@hotmail.com.
