The 12 Most Astonishing SNL Moments in 50 Years of Saturday Night Live

      Let’s explore the most astonishing moments from the 51-year history of Saturday Night Live.

      From edgy sketches to unexpected incidents and planned protests, these are the most outrageous moments that occurred live from New York on Saturday nights.

      Here we go.

      Richard Pryor as Host

      NBC – Credit: NBC

      Lorne Michaels, the creator of Saturday Night Live, fought diligently with NBC executives to secure the provocative Richard Pryor as the host for the show’s seventh episode on December 13, 1975. Fearing that Pryor might be too vulgar and unpredictable, NBC insisted on a five-second delay to censor any profanity.

      While Pryor managed to avoid using four-letter words, he did use a three-letter word starting with the letter A. According to "Saturday Night: A Backstage History of Saturday Night Live" by Doug Hill and Jeff Weingrad, the censor responsible for the delay missed both instances, but they were removed from the version aired on the West Coast.

      For contemporary audiences, the most shocking sketch is probably "Word Association," where Chevy Chase interviews Pryor for a janitorial position, leading to racial slurs.

      Yes, in 1975, using the N-word in a comedy sketch was considered less shocking than using the A-word—it's a sketch SNL would never attempt in today’s climate.

      Paul Shaffer's F-Word Slip

      NBC – Credit: C/O

      Numerous F-words have made their way onto Saturday Night Live, but Paul Shaffer (above left) holds the distinction of being the first to let one slip unintentionally. This occurred on March 15, 1980, during Season 5, Episode 14.

      Shaffer, the beloved musician who rose to fame alongside icons like Gilda Radner, had a speaking role in a sketch that featured numerous mentions of the word “flogging.” At one point, he accidentally misspoke.

      In his memoir, Shaffer recalled that SNL creator Lorne Michaels approached him afterward, saying, "You broke down the last barrier."

      Shaffer eventually found his footing, going on to spend years as David Letterman’s Late Night bandleader and comedic counterpart.

      Charles Rocket's F-Word

      NBC – Credit: NBC

      Charles Rocket was part of the cast during a tumultuous season following the departure of the original Not Ready for Prime Time Players and Lorne Michaels (who returned in the mid-’80s). In a February 21, 1981 sketch based on the renowned "Who Shot J.R.?" storyline from Dallas, 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.”

      Take note of the reactions immediately after he said it, as shown 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” in response to the curse. Fortunately, it wasn’t the end.

      The book also states that producer Jean Doumanian, who succeeded Michaels, supported Rocket, even telling NBC executives that if they dismissed Rocket, they would have to dismiss her as well.

      Eventually, both were let go—not solely due to the F-word, as the show was struggling commercially during its rebuild.

      Side Note

      NBC – Credit: C/O

      Rocket’s F-word overshadowed the fact that Prince also dropped the F-word during his performance of "Party Up" in the same episode.

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

      His Royal Badness managed to evade censors because he delivered the word rapidly.

      Sam Kinison Faces Censorship

      NBC – Credit: C/O

      During Sam Kinison’s standup, the West Coast feed delivered two jokes—one about Jesus and another regarding crack cocaine.

      UPI noted that this was only the second instance in the show's 12-season run where material was removed for later broadcasts (the first was the Richard Pryor episode).

      “Sam broke the rules, and that’s why the censor reacted as he did,” stated SNL producer Lorne Michaels.

      The show later invited Kinison back to host, where he quipped about the NBC censors being “on vacation” during his monologue.

      The Beach Sketch

      NBC – Credit: C/O

      The October 15, 1988 episode hosted by Matthew Broderick (above) included a sketch featuring 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 principal writer for the sketch, which took advantage of recently relaxed broadcasting standards that allowed SNL to say the word “penis.”

      NBC's switchboards lit up with complaints. Weeks later, family-friendly host Mary Tyler Moore humorously navigated a monologue where she explained that a family organization had called