Saturday Night Live in the context of Monologue

Variety show, also known as variety arts or variety entertainment, is entertainment made up of a variety of acts including musical performances, sketch comedy, magic, acrobatics, juggling, and ventriloquism. It is normally introduced by a compère (master of ceremonies) or host. The variety format made its way from the Victorian era stage in Britain and America to radio and then television. Variety shows were a staple of English language television from the late 1940s into the 1980s.

While the format is still widespread in some parts of the world, such as in the United Kingdom with the Royal Variety Performance, the Philippines with Eat Bulaga! and It's Showtime, and South Korea with Running Man, the proliferation of multichannel television and evolving viewer tastes have affected the popularity of variety shows in the United States. Despite this, their influence has still had a major effect on late night television whose late-night talk shows and NBC's variety series Saturday Night Live (which originally premiered in 1975) have remained popular fixtures of American television.

Adam Richard Sandler (born September 9, 1966) is an American actor, comedian, filmmaker, and singer-songwriter. Primarily a comedic leading actor in films, his accolades include an Independent Spirit Award, alongside nominations for three Grammy Awards, seven Primetime Emmy Awards, two Golden Globe Awards, and a Screen Actors Guild Award. In 2023, Sandler was awarded the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor.

Sandler was a cast member on the NBC sketch comedy series Saturday Night Live from 1990 to 1995. He returned to Saturday Night Live as a host in 2019 earning a Primetime Emmy Award nomination. Sandler gained further stardom starring in a string of successful Hollywood studio comedy films that have cumulatively grossed over $2 billion worldwide. These films include Billy Madison (1995), Happy Gilmore (1996), The Waterboy (1998), The Wedding Singer (1998), Big Daddy (1999), Mr. Deeds (2002), Anger Management (2003), 50 First Dates (2004), The Longest Yard (2005), Click (2006), Grown Ups (2010), Just Go with It (2011), Jack and Jill (2011), Grown Ups 2 (2013) and Blended (2014).

A shtick is a comic theme or gimmick. The word is borrowed from Yiddish: שטיק, romanized: shtik, related to German: Stück, Polish: sztuka, Russian: штука, romanized: štúka, all ultimately from Proto-Germanic: *stukkiją, all meaning 'piece', 'thing' or 'theatre play'; Theaterstück is the German word for 'play' (and is a synonym of Schauspiel, lit. 'viewing play', in contrast to Singspiel).‍

The English word piece is sometimes used in a similar context: for example, "a musical piece". In a stand-up comedy context, a near-equivalent term is a "bit". Another variant is "bits of business" or just "bits". Shtick may refer to an adopted persona, usually for comedy performances, that is maintained consistently (though not necessarily exclusively) across the performer's career. In this usage, the recurring personalities adopted by Laurel and Hardy through all of their many comedy films—although they often played characters with different names and occupations—would qualify as their shtick. A comedian might maintain several different shticks of this sort, particularly if appearing in a variety show encouraging development of multiple characters, such as Saturday Night Live.

Christopher Julius Rock (born February 7, 1965) is an American comedian, actor, and filmmaker. He first gained prominence for his stand-up routines in the 1980s in which he tackled subjects including race relations, human sexuality, and observational comedy. His success branched off into productions in film, television, and on-stage, having received multiple accolades including three Grammy Awards for Best Comedy Album, four Primetime Emmy Awards, and a Golden Globe Award nomination. Rock was ranked No. 5 on Comedy Central's list of the 100 Greatest Stand-ups of All Time. He also ranked No. 5 on Rolling Stone's list of the 50 Best Stand-Up Comics of All Time.

After years working as a stand-up comedian and appearing in minor film roles including Beverly Hills Cop II (1987), Rock gained prominence as a cast member on the NBC sketch comedy series Saturday Night Live from 1990 to 1993. While at SNL, he appeared in the films New Jack City (1991) and Boomerang (1992). In 1993, he appeared in CB4, which he also wrote and produced. He reached mainstream stardom with Bring the Pain in 1996. Rock continued making specials which include Bigger & Blacker (1999), Never Scared (2004), Kill the Messenger (2008), Tamborine (2018), and Selective Outrage (2023). He developed, wrote, produced and narrated the sitcom Everybody Hates Chris (2005–2009), which was based on his early life. From 1997 to 2000 HBO aired his talk show The Chris Rock Show.

Monty Python, also known as the Pythons, were a British comedy troupe formed in 1969 consisting of Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Terry Jones and Michael Palin. The group initially came to prominence in the UK for the sketch comedy television series Monty Python's Flying Circus, which aired on the BBC from 1969 to 1974. Their work then developed into a larger collection that included live shows, films, albums, books, and musicals; their influence on comedy has been compared to the Beatles' influence on music. Their sketch show has been called "an important moment in the evolution of television comedy".

Monty Python's Flying Circus was loosely structured as a sketch show, but its innovative stream of consciousness approach and Gilliam's animation skills pushed the boundaries of what was acceptable in style and content. A self-contained comedy unit, the Pythons had creative control that allowed them to experiment with form and content, discarding rules of television comedy. They followed their television work by making the films Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975), Life of Brian (1979), and The Meaning of Life (1983). Their influence on British comedy has been apparent for years, while it has coloured the work of the early editions of Saturday Night Live through to absurdist trends in television comedy.

Adam Sandler is an actor, comedian, and musician. He is known for his work as a cast member on the NBC sketch comedy series Saturday Night Live and as a leading man in numerous comedy films. He has received a Critics' Choice Movie Award, an Independent Spirit Award, as well as nominations for seven Primetime Emmy Awards, two Golden Globe Awards, three Grammy Awards and a Screen Actors Guild Award. Sandler was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2011 and the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor in 2023.

Sandler started his career working as a cast member and writer on the NBC sketch comedy series Saturday Night Live from 1990 to 1995. There he gained stardom and acclaim earning three nominations for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Variety Series. In 2018, he returned to the show as a host and was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series. For his second Netflix comedy special Adam Sandler: 100% Fresh (2018) he was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Variety Special. For his third Netflix comedy special Adam Sandler: Love You (2024) he was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Variety Special (Pre-Recorded) and the Golden Globe Award for Best Performance in Stand-Up Comedy on Television.

Timothy Patrick Herlihy (born October 9, 1966) is an American actor, comedian, screenwriter, producer, and playwright.

Films written or produced by Herlihy have grossed over $3 billion at the worldwide box office. He frequently collaborates with Adam Sandler, who played a Saturday Night Live character, "The Herlihy Boy," in honor of him.

Michael John McKean (/məˈkiːən/; born October 17, 1947) is an American actor, comedian, screenwriter, composer, and musician.

McKean started his career as Lenny Kosnowski in the ABC sitcom Laverne & Shirley from 1976 to 1983. He was briefly a cast member on the NBC sketch comedy series Saturday Night Live for its 19th and 20th seasons from 1994 to 1995, and played Gibby Fiske in HBO series Dream On (1990–1996). He has acted in films such as Used Cars (1980), Clue (1985), and The Big Picture (1989), the latter of which he also co-wrote.

"A Death in the Family" is a 1988 storyline in the American comic book Batman, published by DC Comics. It was written by Jim Starlin and penciled by Jim Aparo, with cover art by Mike Mignola. Serialized in Batman #426–429 from August to November 1988, "A Death in the Family" is considered one of the most important Batman stories for featuring the death of his sidekick Robin at the hands of his archenemy, the Joker.

Jason Todd, the second character to assume the Robin persona, was introduced in 1983 to replace Dick Grayson, who was unavailable for use at the time. Jason became unpopular among readers after 1986, as writers began to characterize him as rebellious and impulsive, and Starlin advocated killing him off. Editor Dennis O'Neil was considering having Jason revamped or written out of Batman when he recalled a 1982 Saturday Night Live sketch in which Eddie Murphy encouraged viewers to call the show if they wanted him to boil a lobster on air. Inspired to orchestrate a similar stunt, DC set up a 900 number voting system to allow fans to decide Jason's fate.

Rachel Karen Green is a fictional character, one of the six main characters who appeared in the American sitcom Friends. Portrayed by Jennifer Aniston, the character was created by David Crane and Marta Kauffman, and appeared in all of the show's 236 episodes during its decade-long run, from its premiere on September 22, 1994, to its finale on May 6, 2004. Introduced in the show's pilot as a naïve runaway bride who reunites with her childhood best friend Monica Geller and relocates to New York City, Rachel gradually evolves from a spoiled, inexperienced "daddy's girl" into a successful businesswoman. During the show's second season, the character becomes romantically involved with Monica's brother, Ross, with whom she maintains a complicated on-off relationship throughout the series. Together, Ross and Rachel have a daughter, Emma.

The role of Rachel was originally offered to Téa Leoni, the producer's first choice, and Courteney Cox, both of whom declined, Leoni in favor of starring in the sitcom The Naked Truth, and Cox in favor of playing Rachel's best friend Monica in Friends. A virtually unknown actress at the time, who had previously starred in five short-lived sitcoms, Aniston auditioned for the role of Rachel after turning down an offer as a cast member on the sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live. After acquiring the role and before Friends aired, Aniston was temporarily at risk of being recast because she had also been involved with another sitcom, Muddling Through, at the time, which was ultimately cancelled and allowed Aniston to remain on Friends.

Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip is an American comedy-drama television series created for NBC and primarily written by Aaron Sorkin. The series was about the production of a live comedy series similar to Saturday Night Live. Produced by Warner Bros. Television, Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip ran from September 18, 2006, to June 28, 2007. On May 14, 2007, NBC canceled the series after one season (becoming Sorkin's only series not to air for more than one season). Twenty-two episodes were produced.

Paul Frederic Simon (born October 13, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist, known for his solo work and his collaborations with Art Garfunkel. He and Garfunkel, whom he met in elementary school in 1953, came to prominence in the 1960s as Simon & Garfunkel. Their blend of folk and rock, including hits such as "The Sound of Silence" (1965), "Mrs. Robinson" (1968), "America" (1968), and "The Boxer" (1969), served as a soundtrack to the 1960s counterculture. Their final album, Bridge over Troubled Water (1970), is among the best-selling of all time.

As a solo artist, Simon has explored genres including gospel, reggae, and soul. His albums Paul Simon (1972), There Goes Rhymin' Simon (1973), and Still Crazy After All These Years (1975) kept him in the public eye and drew acclaim, producing the hits "Mother and Child Reunion" (1972), "Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard" (1972), and "50 Ways to Leave Your Lover" (1975). Simon reunited with Garfunkel for several tours and the 1981 Concert in Central Park. Simon hosted Saturday Night Live four times from 1975 to 1987 and has served as the musical guest various times on the show. He made his acting debut in Woody Allen's romantic comedy Annie Hall (1977).

Malcolm Stevenson Forbes Jr. (/fɔːrbz/; born July 18, 1947) is an American publisher, businessman, and politician who is the chairman and editor-in-chief of Forbes, the business magazine. The son of longtime Forbes publisher Malcolm Forbes and the grandson of that publication's founder B.C. Forbes, he is an adviser at the Forbes School of Business & Technology.

Forbes has served as head of the Board of International Broadcasting (BIB), and was a candidate in the 1996 and 2000 Republican presidential primaries and is known for his flat-tax plan which supported a flat tax of 17% on all personal and corporate earned income and keeping the first $33,000 of income exempt. Forbes hosted an episode of Saturday Night Live that aired on April 13, 1996, shortly after dropping out of the race that year. A Princeton graduate like his father, he holds honorary degrees from several universities, including the New York Institute of Technology and Lehigh University. Forbes is a member of Alpha Kappa Psi and Tau Kappa Epsilon.

The Lonely Island is an American comedy trio formed by Andy Samberg, Jorma Taccone, and Akiva Schaffer in Berkeley, California in 2001. They have written for and starred in the American TV program Saturday Night Live (SNL).

The three first met in junior high. After graduating from college, they regrouped and moved to Los Angeles, where they struggled to find work and began making short films, combining absurdist comedy and occasionally music. Among the first performers to post their material on the Internet, they involved themselves with Channel 101, a non-profit monthly short film festival. Their popularity at the screenings led to unsuccessful pilot deals with Fox and Comedy Central and a writing job for the 2005 MTV Movie Awards. Subsequently, that show's host, Jimmy Fallon, recommended them to Lorne Michaels, the creator of Saturday Night Live.

Filmways, Inc. (also known as Filmways Pictures and Filmways Television) was a television and film production company founded by American film executive Martin Ransohoff and Edwin Kasper in 1952. It is probably best remembered as the production company of CBS' "rural comedies" of the 1960s, including Mister Ed, The Beverly Hillbillies, Petticoat Junction, and Green Acres, as well as the comedy-drama The Trials of O'Brien, the western Dundee and the Culhane, the adventure show Bearcats!, the police drama Cagney & Lacey, and The Addams Family. The company also briefly distributed SCTV in the United States and also distributed a syndicated half-hour edition of reruns of Saturday Night Live in the late 1970s. Notable films the company produced include The Sandpiper, The Cincinnati Kid, The Fearless Vampire Killers, Ice Station Zebra, Summer Lovers, The Burning, King, Brian De Palma's Dressed to Kill and Blow Out, as well as Death Wish II.

Filmways acquired several companies over the years, such as Heatter-Quigley Productions, Ruby-Spears Productions, and American International Pictures. It was also the owner of the film distributor Sigma III Corporation (Closely Watched Trains, Hi, Mom!), and Wally Heider Recording in Hollywood.

Lorne Michaels (born Lorne David Lipowitz; November 17, 1944) is a Canadian and American television and film producer, comedian, screenwriter and director. He created and produced Saturday Night Live (1975–1980, since 1985) and produced the Late Night series (since 1993), The Kids in the Hall (from 1989 to 1995), and The Tonight Show (since 2014).

He has received 24 Primetime Emmy Awards from 112 nominations, holding the record as the most nominated individual in the award show's history.

George Denis Patrick Carlin (May 12, 1937 – June 22, 2008) was an American stand-up comedian, social critic, actor and author. He was known for his dark comedy and reflections on politics, English, psychology, religion, and taboo subjects.

Carlin was a frequent performer and guest host on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson and hosted the first episode of Saturday Night Live in 1975. The first of his 14 stand-up comedy specials for HBO was filmed in 1977, broadcast as George Carlin at USC. From the late 1980s onward, Carlin's routines focused on sociocultural criticism of American society. He often commented on political issues and satirized American culture. His "seven dirty words" routine was central to the 1978 United States Supreme Court case FCC v. Pacifica Foundation, in which a 5–4 decision affirmed the government's power to censor indecent material on public airwaves.

As of September 2025, the late-night live variety series Saturday Night Live (SNL) has featured 172 cast members. The ensemble was originally referred to as the Not Ready for Prime Time Players.

"Live from New York, it's Saturday Night!" is a famous catchphrase typically featured on the American sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live, which runs on the NBC broadcast network. It is generally used as a way to end a cold opening sketch and lead into the opening credit montage.
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