Wasn't That Special: 50 Years of SNL Podcast
Episodes
The 20 Greatest Saturday Night Live Sketches of All Time
20 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We know, picking the greatest Saturday Night Live sketches of all time is generally a fool’s errand. After watching nearly 10,000 sketches over the ...
The SNL Cast Sees Big Changes, and Season 51 Debuts
07 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Season 51 of Saturday Night Live is upon us, so in this episode, Christian and Scot discuss all the cast changes made over the summer and what they th...
The Best (And a Few of the Worst) SNL Episodes of All Time
22 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
You’ve heard us discuss the best cast members in Saturday Night Live history. You’ve read our list of the best seasons. But what are the best sing...
The Top 25 SNL Cast Members of All Time
01 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Presumably you have popped your champagne and donned your finest tuxedo or evening gown and you’re ready to listen to us count down the best 25 SNL ...
SNL Cast Members Ranked, Part Two (From 75 to 26)
18 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome to the second installment of our Saturday Night Live cast member countdown. This time, we tackle the next 50 cast members on our list, from nu...
SNL Cast Members Ranked, Part One (From 128 to 76)
04 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Of all the reasons to start a podcast, spite seems to be near the top of the list. For too many years, we have seen ridiculous “best of” lists ran...
The WTS Hot Takes Special!
21 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We hope you are wearing oven mitts when holding your phone as you listen to this episode, because we dish up our hot takes covering the first 50 years...
The SNL 50th Anniversary Special
07 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode, Christian and Scot discuss the Saturday Night Live 50th Anniversary show that aired in February of 2025. This is a public episode. If...
Season 50 (2024-25): Is Saturday Night Live Funny Again?
16 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
They say it couldn’t be done. (And maybe some say it shouldn’t be done.) But we got to the 50th season.Season 50 debuted with high expectations, g...
Season 49 (2023-24): Shane Gillis Returns, Nate Bargatze Shines, and Old Faces Give SNL New Life
02 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.wasntthatspecial.comAfter the prior handful of seasons that felt like a slog, Saturd...
Season 48 (2022-23): James Austin Johnson and Sarah Sherman Take Over as Cecily Strong Bolts
19 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.wasntthatspecial.comSeason 48 of Saturday Night Live represented a subtle but notabl...
Season 47 (2021-22): SNL Gets a New Trump, the Cast Swells, and Kate McKinnon Says Goodbye
06 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.wasntthatspecial.comSeason 47 of Saturday Night Live was defined by overpopulation, ...
Season 46 (2020-21): Jim Carrey Flops as Joe Biden, Ego Nwodim Takes the Wheel as the Show Sags
21 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.wasntthatspecial.comIf you like your comedy sleepy, inconsistent, and oddly celebrit...
Season 45 (2019-20): Eddie Murphy Returns, Shane Gillis Gets the Boot, and COVID-19 Halts the Show
08 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
Season 44 (2018-19): John Mulaney Saves the Season From the Mueller Report Doldrums
24 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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...
Season 43 (2017-18): The Trump Reality Sets In, Celebrity Cameos Reign, and John Mulaney Gets His Shot
10 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 L...
Andy Hoglund Talks SNL's Legacy, What's Next For the Show
28 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
On this free episode, we talked with Entertainment Weekly writer Andy Hoglund about his recent Vulture article in which he interviewed 65 former Satur...
Season 42 (2016-17): Politics Shocks the Show Back to Life, Bayer and Moynihan Say Goodbye
24 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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...
'Wasn't That Special' Joins WTMJ Radio to recap the SNL 50th Anniversary Special
18 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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. Di...
'Wasn't That Special' Joins WTMJ Radio to preview the big SNL 50th Anniversary Special
15 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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. ...
Season 41 (2015-16): SNL Dives Into Politics and a Future President Crashes the Party
10 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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...
The SNL 40th Anniversary Special and the Best Sketches from Seasons 26-40
28 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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...
Season 40 (2014-15): Kate McKinnon, Cecily Strong, and Vanessa Bayer Battle for the Top Spot
27 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Season 39 came as a shock to Saturday Night Live, with classic cast members Jason Sudeikis, Fred Armisen, and Bill Hader all exiting. Executive Produc...
Season 39 (2013-14): Cast Expansion and the Search For a Center
10 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.wasntthatspecial.comWe spent a good portion of the Season 38 show explaining to you ...
Season 38 (2012-13): Filling a Kristen Wiig-Sized Hole in the Cast
23 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.wasntthatspecial.comIt doesn’t make any sense that Saturday Night Live would actua...
Season 37 (2011-12): Kristen Wiig's Swan Song, and Hello Kate McKinnon
09 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.wasntthatspecial.comIt hasn’t been that often that Lorne Michaels brings back an i...
Season 36 (2010-11): Digital Shorts Dominate, Stefon Takes Off, and Vanessa Bayer Joins the Cast
25 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.wasntthatspecial.comOne a show called Saturday Night Live, one would expect the live...
Season 35 (2009-10): 'What Up With That' is Born, Betty White Reigns Supreme, and Goodbye, Will Forte
11 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this free episode, we discuss Season 35 of SNL, including the f-bomb being dropped in the season’s first episode, the rise of Kenan Thompson as t...
Season 34 (2008-09): Sarah Palin Enters, Amy Poehler Exits, and an All-Star Host List Dominates
29 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.wasntthatspecial.comSarah Palin, Sarah Palin, Sarah Palin.Season 34 will likely be k...
Movie Review: Is 'Saturday Night' Ready for Prime Time?
21 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The Wasn’t That Special Season 34 episode will be a day late next week, so as a peace offering, we recorded a review of the new movie Saturday Night...
Season 33 (2007-08): Kristen Wiig Dominates, Hillary and Barack Take Center Stage, and the Writers Strike
14 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.wasntthatspecial.comEvery season of Saturday Night Live has its classic episodes and...
Season 32 (2006-07): Budget Cuts, a New Director, a New Bush, and Things in Boxes
30 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.wasntthatspecial.comReal-world Saturday Night Live events are dotting the calendar a...
Season 31 (2005-06): Is This SNL's Greatest Cast?
16 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.wasntthatspecial.comEvery now and then in Saturday Night Live history, you have thes...
Season 30 (2004-05): Jimmy Fallon Bolts, Ashlee Simpson Lip-Syncs, and a Cast Member Enters the Stratosphere
02 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Please enjoy this complimentary edition of Wasn’t That Special - every few episodes we will release for free so you can hear what you’re missing o...
Season 29 (2003-04): SNL Struggles to Find its Breakout Star
19 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.wasntthatspecial.comAfter Will Ferrell left following Season 27, Saturday Night Live...
Season 28 (2002-03): With Will Ferrell Gone, SNL Starts Over
05 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.wasntthatspecial.comIn Season 27, Saturday Night Live viewers occasionally got a gli...
Season 27 (2001-2002): Will Ferrell Says Goodbye, Amy Poehler Says Hello, and Chris Parnell Gets a Reprieve
15 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.wasntthatspecial.comWhen Will Ferrell joined Saturday Night Live in 1995, the show w...
Season 26 (2000-2001): SNL Kicks Off the Willennium, Tina Fey Has News for You, and Molly Shannon Bolts
01 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.wasntthatspecial.comAny viewer of Season 26 of Saturday Night Live may alternate bet...
We Recap the SNL 25th Anniversary Special and Pick Our Favorite Sketches from 1990-2000
20 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
When Saturday Night Live celebrated its 15th anniversary in 1989, it was the first time the show could stop, take a breath, and brag about its accompl...
Season 25 (1999-2000): Will Ferrell Surges, Chris Kattan and Molly Shannon Fade, and the Rise of Dratchmentum
17 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.wasntthatspecial.comWho we choose as the greatest Saturday Night Live cast member is...
Season Twenty Four (1998-99): Newcomers Fallon and Parnell Provide a Spark, and...Is That Really Monica Lewinsky?
03 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.wasntthatspecial.comThere are celebrity cameos on Saturday Night Live, and then ther...
Season Twenty-Three (1997-98): A Presidential Shot of Adrenaline and Will Ferrell is Unleashed
20 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.wasntthatspecial.comSaturday Night Live has always been dependent in some ways on th...
Season Twenty-Two (1996-97): Safe On-Screen but Turmoil Behind the Scenes
06 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.wasntthatspecial.comDo you like recurring characters on Saturday Night Live? Do you ...
Season Twenty-One (1995-96): Sandler and Farley Exit, Will Ferrell Joins, and Order is Restored
22 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.wasntthatspecial.comAfter the disastrous Season 20, there is no way Saturday Night L...
Season Twenty (1994-95): The Cast Splinters, the Show Bottoms Out, and Sandler and Farley Get Thrown Into the Bear Pit
08 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Remember Saturday Night Live in the early 1990s? Chris Farley! Adam Sandler! David Spade! How could it miss?Well, Season 20 is how it could miss.Beset...
Season Nineteen (1993-94): The Writers' Room Struggles to Find Its Footing
25 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.wasntthatspecial.comFor the intro to the Season Nineteen episode of Wasn’t That Sp...
Season Eighteen (1992-93): Dana Carvey Bolts, Sinéad Takes on the Pope, and Storm Clouds Lie Ahead
11 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.wasntthatspecial.comDuring Season 18 of Saturday Night Live, it is clear the classic...
Victoria Jackson Joins Us to Talk Backstage SNL Drama, Singing with Willie Nelson, and Why Alec Baldwin is Mean to Her
01 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this surprise free edition of Wasn’t That Special, we interview six-year cast member Victoria Jackson, who has plenty to say about the behind-the...
Season Seventeen (1991-92): Saturday Night Live Gets Political
26 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.wasntthatspecial.comIf, as is commonly believed, five years is the expiration date f...
Season Sixteen (1990-91): Farley, Spade, Rock, Schneider, and Sandler: Here Come the Kids
12 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.wasntthatspecial.comBy the fall of 1990, the core cast of Saturday Night Live had sp...
Recapping the SNL 15th Anniversary Special
07 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Just before the 15th season of Saturday Night Live began, the show decided to pay tribute to itself with a special looking back at the 14 years it had...
Season Fifteen (1989-1990): The Diceman Cometh
29 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.wasntthatspecial.comThere was only one question coming in to Season Fifteen of Satur...
Season Fourteen (1988-1989): SNL Hits New Heights (And Who is this Mike Myers Kid?)
15 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.wasntthatspecial.comIf the strike-shortened thirteenth season of Saturday Night Live...
Season Thirteen (1987-88): Phil Hartman Levels Up, While the Ladies Struggle for Roles
26 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.wasntthatspecial.comIn previous seasons of Saturday Night Live, the female cast memb...
Season Twelve (1986-87): Carvey and Hartman Usher in a New Golden Age
11 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.wasntthatspecial.comIn Season Eleven, Lorne Michaels tried something new with Saturd...
Season Eleven (1985-86): Lorne Returns, Builds an Entirely New Cast, Then Burns it All Down
29 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
NOTE: You likely are seeing this email a second time. We are having Substack issues which necessitated a second post of this episode. Our apologies fo...
Season Ten (1984-85): Billy Crystal and Martin Short Join the 'All-Star' Cast
13 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, available for free to all listeners, we discuss Season Ten, the season of Saturday Night Live in which Executive Producer Dick Eberso...
Season Nine (1983-84): Eddie Gets the Star Treatment and SNL Snags a Backup Belushi
30 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.wasntthatspecial.comReplacing Eddie Murphy is no enviable task, but in Season Nine o...
Season Eight (1982-83): 'Live From New York, It's the Eddie Murphy Show!'
16 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.wasntthatspecial.comIn many ways, Season Eight (1982-83) is the natural progression ...
Season Seven: Eddie Murphy Brings Saturday Night Live Back to Life
02 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.wasntthatspecial.comSpecial Announcement: We are currently offering 25% off of annua...
Season Six: SNL Collapses, Charles Rocket Mugs, and Eddie Murphy Takes Off
18 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.wasntthatspecial.comWhile an atrocious season of SNL makes for painful viewing, it a...
Season Five: Bill Murray Dominates, Paul Shaffer Drops the 'F' Bomb, and the Original Cast Says Goodbye
04 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.wasntthatspecial.comSeason Five was a watershed moment for SNL; at the beginning of ...
Former SNL Cast Member Siobhan Fallon Hogan on Spotting Kieran Culkin's Talent at Age Nine, Chris Farley's Secret Life, and the Sketch She Refused to Do
28 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this free episode with Season 17 SNL cast member Siobhan Fallon Hogan, we discuss her time as a cast member, including the prank she played on Mich...
Season Four: Belushi Hits the Big Time, Bill Murray Takes Control, and John and Danny Say Goodbye
21 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.wasntthatspecial.comTo the regular SNL viewer, it appears everything is humming alon...
Season Three: So You Think You Can Host SNL?
07 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.wasntthatspecial.comHave you ever wondered if you could host Saturday Night Live? We...
Season Two: Chevy Bolts, Murray Gets His Shot, and Belushi Vanishes
24 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.wasntthatspecial.comOn the Season Two episode of Wasn’t That Special, the first on...
Season One: Building the Plane While Flying It
11 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In our first season recap episode, we cover the legendary season one, which many believe to be Saturday Night Live’s finest year. During the season,...
'Wasn't That Special' Introductory Episode
11 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this inaugural Wasn't That Special episode, we answer all your questions: What is this show? Who are we? Why is this podcast necessary? How did Sat...