NBC’s Saturday Night has had no shortage of bickering backstage over the years
Although its format has remained unchanged for decades, the comedy program which originated as NBC’s Saturday Night in the fall of 1975 has in some ways been several different shows over the years. Following political, social, and cultural trends, as well as numerous changes to casts and writers ensured it would undergo dramatic changes. At times the show was near cancellation. At other times it has been a cutting-edge presentation of satire and national discourse. Many times over the course of its existence there have been tensions on the set, resulting from differences between cast members, guest hosts, musical guests, producers, critics, and performers no longer with the show. Its longevity is remarkable, being that it began with a cast of unknowns, to considerable controversy, at a formerly unenviable time slot. It didn’t just attract viewers already watching at 11.30 PM Eastern time, it drew in a new audience.
It did so with controversy, irreverence, and an open contempt for NBC’s censors. To say the original cast had a chip on its shoulder is an understatement. That same arrogance led to innumerable conflicts on set. On of the earliest was a disagreement which degenerated into a full-blown fist fight between Chevy Chase, an original member of the cast, and Bill Murray. Chase had been the breakout star of the show during the first season (1975) and left for what he hoped would be greener pastures in 1977. Murray joined the main cast in 1976, after being an occasional performer during the first year. By 1978 he was one of the cast’s leading lights. That year Chase returned as a guest host for one episode, and personal tensions between Murray and Chase were soon apparent to the other members of the cast, who obviously knew both performers well.