SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE Page 11

"Saturday Night Live," NBC's Emmy Award-winning late-night comedy showcase, enters its 38th season in September for another year of laughs, surprises and great performances. Over the last three decades, "SNL" has launched the careers of many of the brightest comedy performers of a generation; and, as The New York Times noted on the occasion of the show's Emmy-winning 25th Anniversary special in 1999: "In defiance of both time and show business convention, "SNL" is still the most pervasive influence on the art of comedy in contemporary culture." At the close of the century, "Saturday Night Live" placed seventh on Entertainment Weekly's list of the Top 100 Entertainers of the Past 50 Years. The program has won 36 Emmy Awards and now holds the title for the most nominated television show in Emmy history with 156 nominations. "SNL" has been honored twice, in 1990 and 2009, with the prestigious George Foster Peabody Award and cited as "truly a national institution." "Saturday Night Live" was inducted into the Broadcasting Hall of Fame by the National Association of Broadcasters, and the show continues to garner the highest ratings of any late-night television program, entertaining millions each week. "SNL" sketches still bear repeating on Monday mornings. With live show surprises, especially those timed to the election - from Barack Obama's surprise walk-on, Hillary Clinton's performance opposite Amy Poehler, and Senator John McCain's "Weekend Update" appearance - "SNL" is making headlines and influencing the political dialogue while skewering it at the same time. Beyond politics, the show's cast of recurring characters and take on pop culture targets remain spot-on. The addition of the show's Emmy Award-winning SNL Digital Shorts continues to keep the show as current today as it was when it debuted. The impressive lineup of "SNL" guest hosts for Season 37 featured some of the biggest stars of film, television, music and sports, including Alec Baldwin, Melissa McCarthy, Ben Stiller, Anna Faris, Charlie Day, Emma Stone, Jason Segel, Steve Buscemi, Katy Perry, Jimmy Fallon, Charles Barkley, Daniel Radcliffe, Channing Tatum, Zooey Deschanel, Maya Rudolph, Lindsay Lohan, Jonah Hill, Sofia Vergara, Josh Brolin, Eli Manning, Will Ferrell and Mick Jagger. Last season, the show continued its unparalleled tradition of featuring both blockbuster and breakout musical acts, hosting such performers as Radiohead, Lady Antebellum, Foster The People, Drake, Maroon 5, Coldplay, Florence and the Machine, The Black Keys, Robyn, Michael Bubl