The 12 Most Astonishing Moments in the History of Saturday Night Live

      Let’s explore the most shocking moments from Saturday Night Live as it approaches the conclusion of its 50th season.

      **Richard Pryor as Host**

      NBC – Credit: NBC

      Lorne Michaels, the creator of Saturday Night Live, campaigned vigorously with NBC's executives to have the provocative Richard Pryor host the show's seventh episode on December 13, 1975. Fearing that Pryor was too unpredictable and profane, the network requested a five-second delay to censor any inappropriate language.

      While Pryor managed to refrain from using any four-letter words, he did utter a three-letter word starting with "A." In *Saturday Night: A Backstage History of Saturday Night Live* by Doug Hill and Jeff Weingrad, it was noted that the censor operating the delay let both instances slip through, but they were subsequently removed from the broadcast version that aired on the West Coast.

      For contemporary viewers, the most shocking sketch is likely “Word Association,” starring Chevy Chase as an employer who puts Pryor through a word-association test during a janitorial interview, which eventually devolves into racist slurs.

      Indeed, 1975 was a period where using the N-word in a comedy routine was deemed less shocking than using the A-word.

      **Paul Shaffer Drops the F-Word**

      NBC – Credit: C/O

      Numerous F-words have been casually injected into Saturday Night Live, but Paul Shaffer (above left) holds the record for being the first to deliver one, albeit unintentionally. This occurred on March 15, 1980, during Season 5, Episode 14.

      Shaffer, a well-regarded musician who rose alongside talents like Gilda Radner, had a speaking role in a 1980 sketch that contained many mentions of the word “flogging.” At one point, he misspoke.

      Shaffer recounted in his memoir how Lorne Michaels approached him afterward, stating, “You broke down the last barrier.”

      Of course, Shaffer bounced back: he later spent several years as the band leader and comic foil on David Letterman’s Late Night.

      **Charles Rocket's F-Word Incident**

      NBC – Credit: NBC

      Charles Rocket was part of the cast during a tumultuous season that followed the departure of the original Not Ready for Prime Time Players, as well as Lorne Michaels, who thankfully returned in the mid-'80s. During a February 21, 1981 sketch inspired by the famous Dallas storyline “Who Shot J.R.?” Rocket exclaimed, “It’s the first time I’ve ever been shot in my life. I’d like to know who the f— did it.”

      Observe the aftermath of his words in the reactions above.

      According to *Saturday Night: A Backstage History of Saturday Night Live* by Doug Hill and Jeff Weingrad, the SNL director remarked, “Well, that’s the end of live television.” (Fortunately, it was not the end.)

      The book also mentions that producer Jean Doumanian, who replaced Michaels, supported Rocket and told NBC executives that if they dismissed Rocket, they would also need to dismiss her.

      Ultimately, both were let go, not solely due to the F-word — the show was struggling financially as it tried to rebuild.

      **Side Note**

      NBC – Credit: C/O

      Rocket's use of the F-word overshadowed the fact that during the same episode, Prince had also used an F-word while performing his song “Party Up.”

      “Fightin’ war is such a f—ing bore,” he sang.

      His Royal Badness evaded censorship by delivering the word rapidly.

      **Sam Kinison Faces Censorship**

      NBC – Credit: C/O

      During a stand-up routine, Sam Kinison prompted the West Coast feed to censor two jokes — one involving Jesus and the other about crack cocaine.

      At the time, UPI reported that it was only the second instance in the show's twelve-year history that material had been removed for later broadcasts (the first instance being the Richard Pryor episode).

      “Sam broke the rules, and that’s why the censor reacted the way they did,” said SNL producer Lorne Michaels.

      The show later invited Kinison back to host, during which he joked, “NBC censors, I don’t know, I guess they’re on vacation.”

      **The Beach Sketch**

      NBC – Credit: C/O

      The October 15, 1988 episode, featuring Matthew Broderick as host, included a sketch showcasing men at a clothing-optional beach who spent several minutes commenting on each other’s anatomy.

      Conan O’Brien later revealed that Robert Smigel was the lead writer of the sketch, which took advantage of new, relaxed broadcast standards that allowed SNL to use the word “penis.”

      The NBC phone lines were inundated with complaints. A few weeks later, family-friendly host Mary Tyler Moore humorously squirmed through a monologue explaining that a family