Wasn't That Special: 50 Years of SNL Podcast

Apr 08 2025 54 ep. 45 mins 42

Wasn't That Special: 50 Years of SNL Podcast artwork

A podcast covering 50 years of Saturday Night Live. With hosts Christian Schneider and Scot Bertram.

www.wasntthatspecial.com

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Season 45 (2019-20): Eddie Murphy Returns, Shane Gillis Gets the Boot, and COVID-19 Halts the Show

Apr 08 2025 141 mins

Season 45 of Saturday Night Live was one of the most unusual and pivotal in the show’s long history, defined by both the disruption of the COVID-19 pandemic and lingering creative stagnation. In this episode, we each described the season with medically themed words—“viral” and “infected”—capturing its literal interruption by the coronavirus and the metaphorical sympto

Season 44 (2018-19): John Mulaney Saves the Season From the Mueller Report Doldrums

Mar 24 2025 23 mins

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.wasntthatspecial.comNever has any television show wanted anything more than Saturday Night Live wanted to see President Donald Trump imprisoned over his alleged collusion with Russia during the 2016 presidential election. In sketch after sketch this season, SNL writers pleaded with Special Investigator Robert Mueller

Season 43 (2017-18): The Trump Reality Sets In, Celebrity Cameos Reign, and John Mulaney Gets His Shot

Mar 10 2025 24 mins

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.wasntthatspecial.comAmong the many complaints you always hear about Saturday Night Live these days is that the show is saturated with celebrity cameos. The actual cast members don’t get their chance to shine because the show is overstuffed with big names showing up to play the week’s newsmakers.Season 42 certainl

Andy Hoglund Talks SNL's Legacy, What's Next For the Show

Feb 28 2025 59 mins

On this free episode, we talked with Entertainment Weekly writer Andy Hoglund about his recent Vulture article in which he interviewed 65 former Saturday Night Live cast members and writers in advance of the 50th Anniversary show. Hoglund also discusses how he got into SNL and tells some stories about he collected signatures for his SNL autograph book.You can find Hoglund’s SNL e

Season 42 (2016-17): Politics Shocks the Show Back to Life, Bayer and Moynihan Say Goodbye

Feb 24 2025 25 mins

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.wasntthatspecial.comWe have said it in prior seasons - sometimes, huge political and cultural shifts push Saturday Night Live to rise to the occasion. It happened with the Monica Lewinsky scandal in the late 1990s. It happened when Sarah Palin joined the Republican presidential ticket in 2008.And it happened again in

'Wasn't That Special' Joins WTMJ Radio to recap the SNL 50th Anniversary Special

Feb 18 2025 12 mins

On Monday night, Wasn’t That Special co-host Scot Bertram joined WTMJ Radio host Sandy Maxx to recap the big SNL 50th Anniversary Special on NBC. Did it live up to expectations? What moments stood out? Who was missing?You can find the appearance on the WTMJ page here or listen above. Christian and Scot shared some thoughts in the chat the night of the broadcast on NBC and also pl

'Wasn't That Special' Joins WTMJ Radio to preview the big SNL 50th Anniversary Special

Feb 15 2025 19 mins

On Friday night, Wasn’t That Special co-host Scot Bertram joined WTMJ Radio host Sandy Maxx to preview the big SNL 50th Anniversary Special on NBC. Who might attend, what might happen, and what’s the special sauce the powers Lorne Michaels’ success?You can find the appearance on the WTMJ page here or listen right here. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this w

Season 41 (2015-16): SNL Dives Into Politics and a Future President Crashes the Party

Feb 10 2025 24 mins

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.wasntthatspecial.comSince its inception, Saturday Night Live has been political. But rarely has the show delved into politics more deeply than in Season 41, when President Barack Obama had one foot out of the door, Hillary Clinton was taking a presumptive victory lap, and a group of Republicans was battling to see wh

The SNL 40th Anniversary Special and the Best Sketches from Seasons 26-40

Jan 28 2025 79 mins

In this free episode, we run through the SNL 40th Anniversary Special that aired in February 2015, and list our five favorite sketches between seasons 26 and 40. (We did the same thing when SNL ran anniversary specials after seasons 15 and 25.)Enjoy this free trip through fifteen years of SNL and please join us as a subscriber!Wasn't That Special: 50 Years of SNL is a reader-suppor

Season 40 (2014-15): Kate McKinnon, Cecily Strong, and Vanessa Bayer Battle for the Top Spot

Jan 27 2025 152 mins

Season 39 came as a shock to Saturday Night Live, with classic cast members Jason Sudeikis, Fred Armisen, and Bill Hader all exiting. Executive Producer Lorne Michaels brought in six new players to replace what the show had lost, but by Season 40, four of them had been scuttled.Season 40 saw some additions, such as new Weekend Update co-host Michael Che and previously uncredited wr