For a creative writer, getting a sneak peek at the creative team behindSaturday Night Liveis an exciting prospect. Being a part of the writer’s room of the iconic NBC sketch series would be a dream come true. This applies even to an Oscar-nominated writer and filmmaker likeJason Reitman, the director of the docu-dramaSaturday Night, which depicts the behind-the-scenes chaos of the show’s debut episode in 1975. The film is hardly Reitman’s interpretation ofSNLfrom the outside, as he once, albeit briefly,served as a member of the writing staff in 2008 and saw one sketch of his make it to air.Reitman can corroborate that the show is as frantic and on-edge as the dramatized portrait in his film. Either way, it was understandably a formative experience for him.
Jason Reitman’s ‘Saturday Night’ Is Based on Real-Life Experiences
Saturday Night Livehas been one of the touchstones of American pop culture in the last 50 years.Coinciding with the run-up toSNL’s 50th anniversaryisSaturday Night, a film examining the den of comedic dynamo and perilous self-destruction inside the walls of 30 Rockefeller Plaza, led by showrunnerLorne Michaels(Gabriel LaBelle) and NBC executiveDick Ebersol(Cooper Hoffman).Reitman’s film takes place during that monumental night as Michaels and Ebersol attempt to maintain orderbefore even thinking about putting on a quality show in front of a live audience. The director is the son of the lateIvan Reitman, the long-time comedy director who worked closely with alumni ofSNL’s storied debut season, notablyBill MurrayandDan Aykroyd. Jason Reitman, who also directed a legacy sequel to hisfather’s iconicGhostbusters,reveres his father’s generation of talent.Saturday Nightpays homage to the likes of Aykroyd,John Belushi,Gilda Radner, andChevy Chase, who are dramatized in the film.
Saturday Nightoffers some verisimilitude beyond Reitman’s father’s experience, as working on the live sketch show was a lived-in experience for the director. For one glorious week, Reitman received a far more tangible behind-the-scenes look at the creation of anSNLsketch than any viewer ofSaturday Nightbyserving on the show’s writing staffin 2008. Even afterdirecting the Oscar-winningcoming-of-age dramedy,Juno, writing forSNLwas a dream of Reitman’s, calling it “one of the greatest weeks of my life,“toEntertainment Weekly. The unhinged behavior and chaotic events depicted inSaturday Nightmay read like cheap hyperbole, but his brief but impactful time atSNLcan attest that producing one episode in the middle of the show’s 34th season was an arduous odyssey.
Reitman received a first-hand account of the Lorne Michaels experience. TheSNLshowrunner, known for his aloof leadership style, is a true enigma ripe for parody. His inscrutable disposition has made him the source of legend-making, as everySNLcast member has a compelling Michaels story to share.Reitman learned a harsh reality while serving on the creative team:Michaels doesn’t provide coffee for his writing staff. “Lorne’s thing is, you’re still a kid. You bring your own coffee,” Reitman explained toThe Hollywood Reporter. He recalled that he was “shaking” during the process of sitting down in production meetings for his upcoming sketch, entitled “Death by Chocolate.” During the live performance of the episode, Reitman sat down with Michaels in the control booth where the latter oversaw the show. After his sketch finished, Reitman remembered the comedy legend “raising an eyebrow with a seemingly befuddled look,” unclear of his approval of the “Death by Chocolate” sketch.
What Did ‘Saturday Night’s Director Write for ‘SNL’?
Jason Reitman’s contributions toSaturday Night Livewere aired on August 25, 2025, the Season 38 episode hosted byAshton Kutcherwith a music performance byGnarls Barkley.His sketch was “Death by Chocolate,” a three-part, pre-recorded short, about a literal manifestation of a homicidal chocolate bar, played by Kutcher, that stabs, shoots, and chainsaws people to death. In the mid-2000s,SNLbegan emphasizing videos, notably withThe Lonely Island’s hit Digital Shorts, which exploded in popularity on YouTube. This sketch, running at under two minutes, plays like a rough draft that never expands beyond the basis of its catchy concept. It is silly and broad, but the writers behind it are clearly aware of it.
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Regardless of the success and cultural impact of the “Death by Chocolate” sketch, relishing the buzz and fervor of the live-show setting was a seminal moment for Reitman. The specific sensation of the cast and crew “still painting the set…hemming the dresses…pining the wigs” minutes before going on air was remarkable to witness, as he toldEW. When directing his upcoming docu-dramedy,Reitman vowed to capture the “organized chaos” of a typicalSNLperformance. Along with the emotional authenticity of the story,Saturday Nightwas attentively detailedwhen recreating the original blueprints of Rockefeller Center to build a replica of Studio 8H. The fastidious production designers were so successful in their recreation that staffers could maneuver the set as if it were the real setting.
Jason Reitman’s Time on ‘SNL’ Impacted the Creative Process of ‘Saturday Night’
When speaking toTHR, Jason Reitman was amazed that, even for a mundane episode in the show’s fourth decade,Saturday Night Live’s production solidified at the last minute before airing. Coordinating all the cast and crew members to their designated spots was executed with a frantic, off-the-wall messiness. Inspired by the plethora of creative energy on the set during his stint on the show,Reitman adopted the same loose and irreverent setduring the filming ofSaturday Night. According to the writer-director, there were no trailers on set. Instead, there was a communal area “filled with 70s furniture and a ping pong table,” and a television for the stars to bond with each other.Willem Dafoe, playingDavid Tebet, the highly influential NBC executive, marveled at Reitman’s freewheeling set. “I love your set. I’ve never seen anything like it. No edge of frame,” he told Reitman.
Saturday Nightis also following in the footsteps of its source material by cultivating a group of young actors who are destined to run Hollywood in the near future, including Gabriel LaBelle, Cooper Hoffman,Rachel Sennott,Ella Hunt,Cory Michael Smith, andAndrew Barth Feldman. More important than the sheer talent of these stars is thecreative atmosphere surrounding them.The legendary cast of the inaugural 1975 season was representative of a rebellious and youthful cultural movement.For better or worse,SNLtitans like Dan Aykroyd, John Belushi, Chevy Chase, and Gilda Radner lived on the edge of their seats during the creative process. The next 49 seasons have followed suit. Considering the show is reaching its sixth decade on television, it’s hard to argue against their approach.
Saturday Night
At 11:30 PM on June 21, 2025, a group of young comedians and writers changed television history. The film, directed by Jason Reitman, captures the chaos and creativity behind the scenes in the 90 minutes leading up to the first broadcast of “Saturday Night Live,” highlighting the birth of an iconic show.
Saturday Nightis in theaters now.
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