Nick looks back at Season 44 of Saturday Night Live, a year that found the show in strong form and introduced Ego Nwodim as a standout new cast member. The regular lineup was stacked with reliable heavy hitters, including Heidi Gardner, Kate McKinnon, Alex Moffat, Mikey Day, Pete Davidson, and more, giving the season a solid mix of energy and consistency.

The host list was just as impressive, with turns from John Mulaney, Sandra Oh, Idris Elba, Don Cheadle, and a deep bench of memorable appearances. Highlights from episodes hosted by Emma Stone, Awkwafina, Claire Foy, Paul Rudd, Adam Sandler, Adam Driver, Emma Thompson, and James McAvoy get their due, along with context around the musical guests and what was happening behind the scenes.

It’s a thoughtful, entertaining walkthrough of a season that delivered laughs, strong performances, and plenty of moments worth revisiting. [Ep 157]

Nick revisits one of Saturday Night Live’s most unforgettable creations: Gene, the Anal-Retentive Chef. Phil Hartman brought Gene to life as a painfully tidy, hyper-organized PBS host who could never finish a recipe because he kept disappearing down rabbit holes of wiping, sorting, and perfecting. The obsession didn’t stop at cooking. Gene tried carpentry and even fishing, and each attempt collapsed under the weight of his need for absolute order.

All five Gene sketches are featured, along with the stories behind them. Hartman’s precision is a masterclass, but his scene partners elevate the chaos even further. John Goodman turns up as a gloriously messy Cajun chef, Wayne Gretzky shows surprising comedic timing, and Jan Hooks delivers a standout turn as Gene’s mother in one of the sharpest sketches of the run.

It’s a tribute to impeccable writing, pitch-perfect performances, and a character who still defines what made SNL’s classic era so special. [Ep 156]

Nick revisits the one and only time Jerry Lewis took over as host of Saturday Night Live, a moment that landed in the fall of 1983 just after Lewis recovered from open-heart surgery. The night delivered a mix of wild sketches built around his trademark slapstick and full-volume absurdity, balanced with sharp jabs at his more serious public persona. Joe Piscopo, Tim Kazurinsky, and especially Eddie Murphy openly adored him, and all three have called this show a career highlight.

The look back includes several of the night’s funniest moments, along with stories from behind the curtain, including how Lewis managed to keep going even after getting injured mid-show. There is also a conversation with Loverboy’s Mike Reno, who remembers how the band’s second musical number got cut when the episode ran long. A classic entertainer stepped onto the SNL stage with his own brand of chaos, and the result was as strange as it was unforgettable. [Ep 155]

Nick digs into one of the most reliably funny corners of Saturday Night Live with a look at ESPN commentators Pete Twinkle and Greg Stink, the brilliantly odd duo played by Jason Sudeikis and Will Forte. Their mock coverage of women’s sporting events from the 80s and 90s gave the show some of its sharpest absurdity, especially once the two started weaving in wildly inappropriate sponsor plugs for every imaginable personal product.

The sketches came from the minds of Forte, John Lutz, and John Solomon, and Nick revisits several of them with guest appearances from Sigourney Weaver, Blake Lively, Will Ferrell, and a delightfully unhinged Tom Hanks. Along with the full scenes, he shares some behind the curtain stories that shed light on how these characters took shape and why they remain fan favorites. Pete Twinkle and Greg Stink get the celebration they deserve, and the laughs still land perfectly. [Ep 154]

Nick takes a deep dive into one of the most chaotic stretches in Saturday Night Live history as he revisits the odd, uneven, and often baffling ninth season. The show spent that year juggling strange host selections, shaky writing, and a rotating cast of Weekend Update anchors while drama swirled behind the scenes. Eddie Murphy was technically still part of the cast, yet he appeared live in fewer than half the shows, with the rest of his material coming from pre-taped sketches recorded before he left to make movies.

With Eddie mostly absent, the show scrambled to fill the gaps and made some truly head-scratching choices. Hosts ranged from NBC President Brandon Tartikoff to newsman Edwin Newman and even former senator George McGovern. The season also brought in old-school television favorites like Jerry Lewis, The Smothers Brothers, Flip Wilson, and the legendary Don Rickles, mixed in with performers who were popular at the time.

The result was a season packed with misfires, surprises, and unforgettable production chaos. Nick walks through the wild highlights and the stories behind them, capturing what made Season 9 such a strange and fascinating chapter in SNL’s legacy. [Ep 153]

Nick sits down with author, longtime radio producer, and publisher Rick Kaempfer for a fast, funny dive into the world of classic Saturday Night Live. Rick walks through his all-time favorite sketches, including staples like “Schweddy Balls,” “The Chris Farley Show” with Paul McCartney, and the ever-quotable “Wild and Crazy Guys.” Along the way, he shares radio stories from the days of Steve and Garry and John Records Landecker, pulling back the curtain on a few moments fans rarely hear about.

The conversation opens up into his personal encounters with some of Chicago’s and SNL’s most recognizable names. Bill Murray appears in a tale involving an inspired use of a limo, Jim Belushi crosses paths with a surprisingly relevant Michael Dukakis, and Dennis Miller and Paul McCartney make memorable cameos of their own. Rick also reflects on his teenage years in Germany during the earliest, most defining days of SNL. The result is a funny, thoughtful tour through comedy history told by someone who lived close to the spark. [Ep 152]

Nick celebrates one of the most delightfully chaotic recurring sketches in Saturday Night Live history — the fully improvised musical mayhem of Garth and Kat. Played by Fred Armisen and Kristen Wiig, the offbeat duo would appear on Weekend Update wearing mismatched vests and identical blonde wigs, pretending to have rehearsed their songs, only to make them up live on the spot.

Every appearance was completely unscripted, and the result was a mix of awkward harmonies, accidental rhymes, and uncontrollable laughter — even from the usually composed Seth Meyers. Nick explores how the sketches came together, why they became Wiig’s personal favorite moments on the show, and plays several of their funniest performances.

You’ll also hear about a few surprise celebrity drop-ins who joined the improvised madness. A celebration of spontaneity, chemistry, and pure silliness, “Garth and Kat” remains one of SNL’s most joyfully unpredictable acts. [Ep 151]

Nick spotlights one of the funniest and most brilliantly observed Saturday Night Live characters ever created — Angel, Every Boxer’s Girlfriend From Every Movie About Boxing Ever. Played to perfection by Heidi Gardner, Angel is a whirlwind of tears, tough love, and hair spray, delivering her iconic line, “I’m taking my kids to my sister’s,” with soap-opera sincerity every time she appeared on Weekend Update.

Nick explores the origins of the character, the tropes it skewers, and Gardner’s gift for walking the line between parody and pathos. You’ll hear all of Angel’s unforgettable Update moments, including her scenes with Matt Damon and Michael B. Jordan, plus clips from classic boxing films like Rocky, The Fighter, and Cinderella Man that inspired her.

It’s a hilarious deep dive into one of SNL’s most quotable and fully realized characters — and a well-earned tribute to one of the show’s sharpest performers, Heidi Gardner. [Ep 150]