This post was originally published on Audible.com.
On October 11, 1975, NBC premiered a new late-night comedy sketch show called Saturday Night Live. Legendary comic George Carlin served as the host while Billy Preston and Janis Ian took to the stage as the episode’s musical guests. Yet, no one could quite anticipate how much of a success the show would be: On September 28, 2024, SNL will kick off its landmark 50th season. Over five decades, it has become not only one of the longest-running shows on American network television, but a beloved cultural institution. The show’s parodies of pop culture, politics, and celebrities—often performed by celebs themselves—have left an indelible mark on American comedy, entertainment, and media.
Just a few of the show’s most impactful sketches include the recurring send-up of current events in the nightly-news-inspired “Weekend Update,” a mainstay anchored by some of the show's greats, including Jane Curtin, Norm Macdonald, Jimmy Fallon, Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, and Seth Meyers; the hilarious skewering of America's favorite quiz show with “Celebrity Jeopardy!,” grounded by Will Ferrell's delightfully stoic Alex Trebek impression; the brilliant character work of “Wayne's World,” starring the inimitable Mike Myers and Dana Carvey; and later, the viral sensations of Lonely Island-helmed digital shorts like “Lazy Sunday.”
In addition to each week’s notable celebrity host and musical guest, the cast itself has always been full of superstar talent. To date, 164 people have been part of the show's repertory and featured cast, including such brilliant stand-up comedians and entertainers as Eddie Murphy, Adam Sandler, Chris Farley, Chris Rock, Gilda Radner, Bill Murray, Kristen Wiig, Molly Shannon, Kenan Thompson, Maya Rudolph, Jason Sudeikis, Bill Hader, Bowen Yang, Colin Jost, and Kate McKinnon. The cast members and writers of SNL often hail from established comedy improv troupes like Second City, and beyond SNL, many of them have established celebrated careers in entertainment.
Needless to say, SNL alums and current cast members alike often turn their wit and life experiences to writing and narrating exceptional books and podcasts. In celebration of the show’s historic 50th season, we’re highlighting some of the best audiobooks and podcasts written or performed by Saturday Night Live greats. While only a sample of what's out there, this collection exemplifies the sheer range of comedic talent that has graced the stage of Studio 8H.
When Leslie Jones joined the SNL cast at 47, she became the oldest person to do so. But with a sharp wit, she quickly made up for lost time. Jones worked as both a writer and cast member on the show from 2014 to 2019. In this brash, hilarious, and no-nonsense memoir, she shares the ups and downs of her eventful life, both within and outside of comedy and entertainment.
Comedian Molly Shannon's time on Saturday Night Live coincided with many comedy greats, including Will Ferrell and Jimmy Fallon, and her oddball characters were standouts. (Awkward high schooler Mary Katherine Gallagher was so iconic that the skit was spun off into the 1999 feature film Superstar.) In her candid, funny, and vulnerable memoir, she shares plenty of juicy SNL stories but also delves into grief, childhood trauma, and her lifelong journey to make peace with her past.
Before The Blues Brothers were a household name with a hit film and platinum record, they were merely an idea born from the creative endeavors of collaborating comedians Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi. The band got its start on Saturday Night Live in 1976, where Belushi and Aykroyd (then cast members of the show) performed in a silly bee-themed sketch that would go on to change their lives forever. In this blend of oral history and memoir, Elwood Blues himself takes listeners on a fascinating journey through the ups and downs of the band's rise to fame, including the tragic loss of John Belushi in 1982.
Kenan Thompson is SNL's longest-running cast member; he joined the show in 2003 and has remained with it ever since. He's starred in some of the show's most iconic and pioneering sketches, including “Black Jeopardy” and “What's Up With That?” While this warm and down-to-earth memoir touches on his long and storied career, its bigger focus is on fatherhood, which Thompson addresses with both grace and humor.
During Tina Fey's long tenure on SNL, she was both head writer and a cast member. Notably, she was the co-anchor of "Weekend Update," a role she held and made all her own until she left SNL in 2006. In this memoir-in-essays, Fey approaches her life, from her early days in comedy to motherhood to 30 Rock, with her typical biting humor.
Laraine Newman arrived in New York City in the 1970s after growing up in Los Angeles and spending time studying mime in Paris. She joined the original cast of Saturday Night Live and was a part of the show's sudden, unprecedented rise to success. In this poignant memoir, she shares stories from that heady and turbulent time, recounting her struggles with addiction, the trouble she got up to with fellow cast members, and more.
Before his celebrated career as a late night television host or his beloved run as a writer for The Simpsons, Conan O'Brien spent three years on the writing staff of SNL. His signature humor and offbeat style made O'Brien one of the most beloved comedians working today. But despite such a résumé, he jokes that he's never quite made a real or lasting friendship with any of the stars he's chatted with along the way. In this hilarious podcast series, O’Brien embarks upon a journey to change that, setting out to find friends in the most natural way possible—by starting a podcast series and inviting people on air.
By turns heartfelt and absurd, this memoir by SNL staff writer and current “Weekend Update” co-anchor Colin Jost is a pleasure from start to finish. Jost explains one of his cardinal rules of comedy—that in order to survive in the field, you have to be willing to take a punch—and proceeds to share some of the best, worst, and most confusing moments from his career. From growing up on Staten Island to hosting the Emmys, Jost approaches every accomplishment and setback with the same self-deprecating charm.
SNL cast member Bowen Yang heads an all-star, all-queer cast in this hilarious and irreverent Audible Original podcast about a sperm-bank heist. (Yes, you read that right.) Yang plays Jude “Judy” Fink, who's on a top-secret mission for a lesbian cult: to infiltrate a sperm bank in a bunker below the Space Needle in Seattle, where the government has stored the most valuable sperm around—from the likes of Barack Obama and Stephen Hawking. If you're craving something outrageously funny and totally over-the-top, this is the listen for you.
During her stint on Saturday Night Live in the early 1980s, Julia Louis-Dreyfus was the show's youngest female cast member. Needless to say, a storied career followed on hits like Seinfeld and Veep. In her Wiser Than Me podcast, Louis-Dreyfus leads far-ranging, intimate, and always funny conversations with older women who've seen enough of life to have plenty of wisdom to impart.
Gilda Radner was one of the original "Not Ready for Prime Time Players," the first cast of SNL's debut 1975 season. Many of her best-known and most well-loved recurring characters, like the madcap Roseanne Roseannadanna, were parodies of TV and entertainment archetypes. Radner sadly died in 1989 of ovarian cancer, but she left behind this remarkable autobiography, which she recorded herself in Los Angeles just months before her death. Her legacy lives on through her remarkable work, indomitable spirit, and the community organization Gilda's Club, founded in part by her widower, Gene Wilder.
A star-studded cast of SNL performers offers plenty of laughs in this irreverent sports comedy, written by SNL senior writer Bryan Tucker. Legends like Jane Curtin, Leslie Jones, and Heidi Gardner bring their top game to the podcast, which follows the entertaining and often misguided exploits of a college football player (portrayed with boundless enthusiasm by John Cena) who tries to make it to the NFL while working at a grocery store in his hometown of Columbus, Ohio.
Amy Poehler joined SNL in 2001, and when she became the co-host of "Weekend Update" alongside Tina Fey in 2004, it was the first time both anchors were female in SNL's history. With an incredible crew of guest stars, including fellow SNL alum Seth Meyers and comedy legend Carol Burnett, this audiobook feels like a live performance. With her typical flare, Poehler shares not only stories from her life, but lists, haikus, and sometimes rambling but always hilarious thoughts about many trivial (and not so trivial) subjects.
Rachel Dratch was a member of the SNL cast from 1999 to 2006—fans will likely remember her best for her Debbie Downer character. This joyful, hilarious memoir about finding love and becoming a mother at age 44 is anything but a downer, and as an added bonus, it's chock-full of behind-the-scenes stories from her time on SNL.
A longtime writer for SNL, JB Smoove is one of the funniest men on TV—which makes him the perfect host for this Audible Original series celebrating Black comedy icons who paved the way for today’s comedy superstars. Funny My Way tells the stories of six fearless Black comedians and activists: Paul Mooney, Flip Wilson, Moms Mabley, Dick Gregory, Rudy Ray Moore, and Redd Foxx. Interweaving archival clips with insights from contemporary comedians such as Cedric the Entertainer, D. L. Hughley, and Margaret Cho, episodes capture how these six trailblazers broke color barriers and battled racism while making people laugh.
Mike Myers's iconic work on SNL includes some of the show's most famous sketches, including "Coffee Talk" and "Sprockets." He might be known for his comedic genius, but he's also a Canadian to the core, and that's precisely what he addresses in this excellent audiobook. He delves into his own personal relationship with the country of his birth, with a sprinkling of Canadian history thrown in for good measure.
Everyone needs a best friend, right? Comedian Nicole Byer and SNL alum Sasheer Zamata know a little bit about best friendship, and they get into it in this warm and hilarious podcast celebrating the ups (and downs) of going through life with your ride-or-die.
Actor and SNL alum Will Forte stars in this extremely silly sci-fi comedy as Starship Captain George Cottonhammer, who, bored with his job, decides to simply quit. He parks himself in middle space, refuses to do anything—even answer urgent distress calls from across the galaxy—and instead devotes himself to fulfilling his lifelong dream of opening an intergalactic burger joint. Yes, it's as delightfully absurd and fun as it sounds.
While Steve Martin was technically never an SNL cast member, his iconic stints as host saw viewership skyrocket. Over the years, he's hosted and guest starred a number of times, each turn more outstanding than the last. In Born Standing Up, the legendary comic offers a candid look into the fantastical and sometimes lonely life of a traveling comedian. Martin's story of determination and daring, told in his familiar voice, will be one you don't want to pause until it’s finished.
Comedy fans looking for something off the beaten path will find it in this hilarious listen from stand-up comic and SNL legend Norm Macdonald. This feature-length stand-up feature from the iconic "Weekend Update" anchor serves up the blunt, acerbic humor Macdonald was known for.
This Audible Original scripted comedy podcast about the misadventures of George, a Florida pharmacist who quits his job to start a cannabis dispensary in Los Angeles, features a handful of voice actors who are also SNL alums, including Punkie Johnson, Heidi Gardner, Tim Meadows, Rachel Dratch, and Chris Parnell.
Another star who began his career in the SNL writers' room is none other than multi-Emmy nominated actor Bob Odenkirk, perhaps best known for roles on Breaking Bad and its spinoff, Better Call Saul. Odenkirk knows that these credits are a bit far-flung, and that his career so far has been all over the map. He explores both his work in sketch comedy (where he wrote the now legendary Chris Farley character Matt Foley, the brash, unexpected motivational speaker who lived in a van down by the river) and his Hollywood journey toward more dramatic roles working alongside film legends.
Though Billy Crystal's time on SNL lasted just one season, his all-star turn was the stuff of legend. Now, Crystal is getting older, and he's not happy about it. With his trademark wit and heart, he outlines the absurdities and challenges that come with growing old, from insomnia to memory loss to leaving dinners with half your meal on your shirt. He also looks back at the most powerful and memorable moments of his long and storied life, from entertaining his relatives as a kid on Long Island to making movie magic with When Harry Met Sally.
In this brash and raunchy audio satire only available from Audible, a queen and her minion set out to save their kingdom from a dreaded peasant uprising. SNL alum Kate McKinnon stars as Queen Mortuana, and her sister, Emily Lynne, stars as her clueless raven sidekick, JoJo. On their journey to find the “Shard of Acquiescence” that will save them from angry peasants, they encounter a cast of irreverent characters voiced by Meryl Streep, Queer Eye’s Fab Five, and many more.
The late Chris Farley had an impact on Saturday Night Live and comedy at large that's difficult to overstate. From 1990 to 1995, Farley ruled the stage at 30 Rock with over-the-top character performances, spot-on impersonations, and a reputation for backstage pranks. This oral history is a stirring tribute to the highs and lows of Farley's life and career, as told by family and friends.
Chris Kattan's long career on Saturday Night Live introduced some truly unforgettable characters and catchphrases, from Mr. Peepers to "The Roxbury Guys." In Baby, Don't Hurt Me, Kattan shares stories from his eight seasons on SNL, from rehearsals to live shows to afterparties to a life-changing injury caused by his physical comedy.
Saturday Night Live breakout star Pete Davidson and Nope's Keke Palmer lead Hit Job, a star-studded dark comedy podcast about KillCo., a company whose motto is "Do Bad Things for Good Reasons." (Basically, KillCo. is the Uber for hitmen.) When Brynn Morris takes on a job at KillCo. as an administrative assistant, she plans to stay as far away as possible from all the morally questionable stuff. But to her surprise, she gets swept up in a company-wide competition alongside tech nerd coworker, Geo—who might be more lethal than he looks.
David Spade brings the self-deprecating sarcasm he was known for on SNL to his Audible Original, in which he shares his opinions on everything from aging and fatherhood to very important topics like internet feuding. This listen is a wickedly funny memoir from a comedian at the top of his game.
In this cleverly scripted Audible Original comedy podcast, SNL alum Fred Armisen, who was a member of the show's cast for 11 years, plays Lem Bennings, an advice-giver ready to solve whatever problems his callers present him with—from dating fiascos and haunted houses to auto repair and vacation packing.
If you're going to pick up one nonfiction book about the history of Saturday Night Live, make it this one. First published in 2002 for SNL's 30th anniversary, and later updated in 2015, this 25+ hour audiobook includes the recollections of dozens of SNL writers and cast members in their own words, looking back on decades of comedy on and off camera.
