This Fresh Air episode commemorates Saturday Night Live's 50th anniversary by revisiting interviews with key figures from the show's early years. The episode features interviews with Dan Aykroyd (discussing his musical influences and the creation of the Blues Brothers), Alan Zweibel (co-creator of Gilda Radner's characters), Al Franken (on navigating censorship at SNL and his later career), and Jon Lovitz (on his character creations). Specific examples include Aykroyd's anecdote about jamming with Muddy Waters and Zweibel's description of collaborating with Radner on the Roseanne Rosannadana character. Listeners gain insight into the creative process, challenges, and personalities behind one of television's most iconic shows.
