The 13 Most Astonishing Moments in the History of Saturday Night Live

      Let's take a look at some of the most surprising moments from SNL as Saturday Night Live approaches the conclusion of its 50th season.

      Richard Pryor as Host

      NBC – Credit: NBC

      Lorne Michaels, the creator of Saturday Night Live, worked diligently with NBC executives to secure the controversial Richard Pryor as the host for the show’s seventh episode on December 13, 1975. Fearing that Pryor might be too explicit and unpredictable, NBC insisted on a five-second delay to allow for the censorship of any inappropriate language.

      While Pryor managed to avoid any explicit four-letter words, he did use a three-letter term starting with A. As noted in “Saturday Night: A Backstage History of Saturday Night Live” by Doug Hill and Jeff Weingrad, the censor operating the delay allowed both instances to air, but they were later edited out of the broadcast version shown on the West Coast.

      For contemporary audiences, the sketch most likely to shock is “Word Association,” where Chevy Chase interviews Pryor for a janitorial role using a word-association game that devolves into racial slurs.

      In 1975, using the N-word in a comedic context was considered less shocking than using the A-word.

      Paul Shaffer Says the F-Word

      NBC – Credit: C/O

      Numerous F-words have made their way into Saturday Night Live, but Paul Shaffer (shown above left) was the first to use one, albeit unintentionally. This occurred on March 15, 1980, in Season 5, Episode 14.

      Shaffer, a well-loved musician who rose alongside stars like Gilda Radner, had a speaking role in a sketch from 1980 that featured the term “flogging” repeatedly. At one point, he made an error.

      Additionally, in his memoir, Shaffer mentioned that Lorne Michaels approached him afterward, saying, “You broke down the last barrier.”

      Shaffer ultimately thrived, later serving as David Letterman’s band leader and comedic sidekick.

      Charles Rocket Says the F-Word

      NBC – Credit: NBC

      Charles Rocket joined the cast during a tumultuous season that succeeded the departure of the original Not Ready for Prime Time Players and Lorne Michaels, who returned midway through the ’80s. In a sketch aired on February 21, 1981, inspired by the popular Dallas plotline “Who Shot J.R.?,” Rocket remarked, “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 reactions right after he said it, seen above.

      According to “Saturday Night: A Backstage History of Saturday Night Live,” the SNL director quipped, “Well, that’s the end of live television.” Fortunately, that wasn’t the case.

      The book also mentions that Jean Doumanian, the producer who succeeded Michaels, supported Rocket and told NBC executives that if they fired him, they would have to dismiss her as well.

      Ultimately, they were both let go, but not solely due to the F-word; the show faced commercial struggles as it worked to rebuild.

      Side Note

      NBC – Credit: C/O

      Rocket’s utterance of the F-word drew attention away from the fact that Prince also used the F-word during the episode while performing his song “Party Up.”

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

      Because he articulated the word so swiftly, His Royal Badness evaded censors.

      Sam Kinison Gets Censored

      NBC – Credit: C/O

      During Sam Kinison's standup routine, the West Coast feed featured two jokes — one referencing Jesus and another about crack cocaine.

      At that time, UPI reported that it was only the second occasion in the show’s 12-season history that material had been omitted from the later airing (the first being the Richard Pryor episode).

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

      The show later invited Kinison back to host, where he humorously noted, “NBC censors, I don’t know, I guess they’re on vacation,” during his monologue.

      The Beach Sketch

      NBC – Credit: C/O

      On October 15, 1988, the episode hosted by Matthew Broderick (above) included a sketch featuring men at a clothing-optional beach who spent several minutes discussing each other’s genitalia.

      Conan O’Brien later revealed that Robert Smigel was the primary writer behind the sketch, which capitalized on newly relaxed broadcast standards that permitted the use of the word “penis.”

      The NBC switchboards became inundated with calls. A few weeks later, family-friendly host Mary Tyler Moore humorously navigated through a monologue where she mentioned a family group called for a boycott of the show due to the “