Turns out SNL was nearly canceled early in its run but these stars helped save it

Saturday Night Live Cast With Producer
Saturday Night Live Cast With Producer | Lynn Goldsmith/GettyImages

Earlier this year, Saturday Night Live celebrated 50 years on the air. But there was a time early in the show's history when things weren't working, and getting cancelled was a real possibility. Thankfully, Lorne Michaels found the right mix of cast members to save SNL.

SNL is responsible for some of the biggest names in comedy, going all the way back to the original cast of Not Ready for Prime Time Players like Chevy Chase, Gilda Radner, and Dan Aykroyd. Finding the right performers to keep the cast fresh, innovative, and above all else funny is its own art form. And while SNL usually hits the mark, one year in particular stands out for its infamous cast that almost got the show cancelled.

Season 11, which aired from 1985 to 1986, is now often remembered as one of the show’s weakest years. Morgan Neville, executive producer of the SNL50: Beyond Saturday Night documentary, told Deadline that the issue wasn’t a lack of talent but rather a disconnect between the ensemble of young dramatic actors and the comedy writers behind the sketches. “One of the problems that year was that there were a bunch of actors and there were a bunch of comedy writers, and they didn’t really know how to talk to each other,” Neville said.

The experimental cast included Robert Downey, Jr., Anthony Michael Hall, Randy Quaid, and Joan Cusack. Those names aren't exactly Saturday Night Live royalty, nor are they thought of as all-time comedians.

The results were uneven at best, and NBC executives were ready to pull the plug. Lorne Michaels, who had returned to SNL after briefly stepping away, pleaded with the network to give him one more chance.

“The following year the network was about to cancel the show, and Lorne said, ‘Wait, I think I know what we’re doing now. Just give me another chance.’ And from what I’ve heard, the network only gave [the show] until Christmas of the next year of what was season 12,” Neville revealed.

Michaels went back to Saturday Night Live's roots and focused on improvisers. The result was a wave of talent that went on to become some of the show's greatest performers. Dana Carvey, Phil Hartman, Jan Hooks, Victoria Jackson, and Kevin Nealon all debuted in season 12, while Downey, Hall, and most of the previous cast were shown the door.

Carvey’s impressions, Hartman’s versatility, Hooks’ comedic timing, and Nealon’s dry delivery anchored the show through the late ’80s and set the stage for another generation of stars to follow. What was once nearly the end of SNL instead became the beginning of a new golden era.


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