SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE FILMING LOCATIONS
On the NYC TV & Movie Tour, tour-goers will catch a glimpse of the famed Rockefeller Center, home of the classic New York late night sketch comedy showSaturday Night Live.
Saturday Night Live, also referred to as SNL, has been filming at 30 Rockefeller Plaza’s studio 8H since 1975. The 90-minute sketch and variety show features a regular cast, a weekly guest celebrity host, and a weekly guest musical act. SNL airs live on Saturday nights in the Eastern and Central time zones, and is aired on a delay on the West Coast.
SNL is one of the longest-running and highest-rated television shows in American history! Created by Canadian Lorne Michaels, the show has launched the careers of numerous actors, including (but certainly not limited to) Dan Aykroyd, Jim Belushi, Chevy Chase, Jane Curtin, Gilda Radner, Al Franken, Bill Murray, Gilbert Gottfried, Eddie Murphy, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Jim Belushi, Billy Crystal, Christopher Guest, Martin Short, Joan Cusack, Robert Downey, Jr., Anthony Michael Hall, Randy Quaid, Damon Wayans, Dennis Miller, Dana Carvey, Phil Hartman, Ben Stiller, Mike Myers, Chris Rock, Rob Schneider, Chris Farley, Adam Sandler, David Spade, Tim Meadows, Sarah Silverman, Michael McKean, Norm McDonald, Chris Elliott, Janeane Garofalo, Molly Shannon, Will Ferrell, Chris Kattan, Tracy Morgan, Jimmy Fallon, Tina Fey, and Amy Poehler!
Over the years, SNL has created hundreds of memorable characters, and several of these characters have even been given their own Hollywood film. Movies that have been directly based on characters from Saturday Night Live include The Blues Brothers (which starred John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd), Wayne’s World and Wayne’s World 2 (both of which starred Mike Myers and Dana Carvey), Coneheads (Dan Aykroyd and Jane Curtin), It’s Pat! (Julia Sweeney), Stuart Saves His Family (which starred the recently-elected senator from the state of Minnesota, Al Franken), A Night at the Roxbury (Will Ferrell, Chris Kattan, and Molly Shannon), Blues Brothers 2000 (Dan Aykroyd and John Goodman), Superstar (Molly Shannon and Will Ferrell), and The Ladies Man (Tim Meadows).
Saturday Night Live has been guest hosted by numerous major celebrities, including actors, musicians, and athletes. Many of these celebrities have said that hosting SNL was one of the highlights of their career and a “dream come true.”
* In an effort to stay current, we are constantly updating our tours with new locations and cannot guarantee the presence of locations mentioned on our site. If you have a particular interest in locations from a specific TV show or movie, please let your tour guide know and we will do our best to accommodate your request.