Comedy legend Catherine O'Hara, star of 'Schitt's Creek' and 'Home Alone,' quit 'Saturday Night Live' after just one week to return to her old job.

After five seasons, Lorne Michaels quit ‘Saturday Night Live‘

Lorne Michaels left the show in 1980, citing burnout and disagreements with network executives. He tried several gigs, including a sketch comedy show called “The New Show” that was strikingly similar to “SNL,” but nothing stuck. He returned to "SNL" in 1985.

'SNL' was originally called 'NBC's Saturday Night'

Another show already owned the title: the short-lived "Saturday Night Live with Howard Cosell." The variety show only lasted one season and was widely panned, despite featuring several talented comedians—like Bill Murray, Christopher Guest, and Billy Crystal—who'd later be stars on "SNL" ... after officially changing its name.

A guided tour of Studio 8H, the home of ‘SNL’

Fans of “Saturday Night Live” might be familiar with Studio 8H, which has only changed slightly over the show’s five decades. This video tour from Architectural Digest provides access you won’t find on the weekly broadcast, with cast members Heidi Gardner, Chloe Fineman, and Ego Nwodim walking you through makeup, dressing rooms, and more.

The disastrous meeting of the Muppets and ‘SNL’

The first season of "Saturday Night Live" featured some of the most cutting-edge comedy imaginable. Curiously, it also featured Jim Henson's Muppets. Henson and his singular brand of puppetry had found success with "Sesame Street," but Henson was concerned he was being pigeonholed as a children's entertainer and jumped at the opportunity to appear in a recurring segment on NBC's new program. The result was a bizarre train wreck that's detailed in this comprehensive retrospective.

The most controversial moments in ‘Saturday Night Live’ history

This list ranks the show’s biggest controversies over five decades, including Sinead O’Connor’s infamous shredding of the Pope, Elvis Costello’s abrupt set change, and Fear trashing Studio 8H.

'SNL' parodied Liza Minnelli's showbiz persona

Kristen Wiig plays Minnelli in the skit, poking fun at the Broadway star's extravagance and onstage presence. Minnelli is unable to perform regular tasks without whipping out Fosse's dance moves.

Tracey Ullman sued 'The Simpsons' after the cartoon left her show

The legendary and long-running animated show debuted as a series of shorts on "The Tracey Ullman Show" in 1987. Years later, after a standalone "The Simpsons" series became a breakout success, Ullman sued 20th Century Fox, the show's parent company, claiming she was owed royalties for merchandise based on the show.

Auditions for the US adaptation of 'The Office' included many now-famous actors

When NBC decided to adapt "The Office" for American audiences, they auditioned in several comic character actors, including Seth Rogen, Bob Odenkirk, Kathryn Hahn, and Adam Scott. Though those actors didn't land the parts, they did end up with major roles in other critically-acclaimed movies and TV shows, including "Knocked Up," "Abigail All Along," "Better Call Saul," and "Severance."

Jean Carroll was one of the first women to make a name in stand-up comedy

Carroll cut her teeth in vaudeville alongside Buddy Howe, her husband, who later became her manager. Despite operating in a male-dominated field, she became a popular headliner and was a mainstay as a stand-up on "The Ed Sullivan Show," which led to her own sitcom.

The greatest HBO performances, ranked

Carrie Bradshaw, Selina Meyer, Tony Soprano: The list of standout HBO characters is endless. The network is known for fantastic writing and even better acting from the likes of Michael K. Williams, Kieran Culkin, Edie Falco, and hundreds of other A-listers. (Some users may experience a paywall.)

The exile and return of Charlie Chaplin

In 1952, amid accusations of communist ties and a threatened reentry ban during the Red Scare, Charlie Chaplin left the US and chose exile in Switzerland. Two decades later, he returned to accept an honorary Oscar, receiving a 12-minute standing ovation—the longest in history.

Dolly Parton declined her nomination for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame

The country icon was nominated in 2022 but bowed out, saying, “I don’t feel I have earned that right” and that she didn’t want votes split because of her inclusion on the ballot, though the Hall of Fame inducted her anyway. Interestingly, she also mentioned that the nomination motivated her to release a rock ‘n’ roll record in the future. She released “Rockstar,” a double-album featuring several duets and covers of popular rock songs, in 2023.

The story of Marion Stokes, a woman who taped 30 years of TV

Marion Stokes was an activist archivist frustrated at the lack of a record or access to what was broadcast on TV. So in 1975, Stokes began taping the broadcasts, day and night, 24 hours a day, and continued to do so for 30 years, racking up over 70,000 tapes that span the Iran Contra crisis to the evolution of cable news. Read about her fascinating story here.

Watch the 'Star Wars Holiday Special,' a 1978 spin-off that became a cult classic

The CBS television special is a hokey variety show that was widely panned after it aired and, as a result, was never officially released on home video. George Lucas had little involvement, though it did feature the original cast alongside guest stars like Bea Arthur. Interestingly, it also features Boba Fett's first appearance.

After the death of his wife, Rick Moranis turned away from acting

His wife, Ann Belsky, died in 1991 from breast cancer. Moranis began turning down acting work, choosing instead to focus on raising his two children.

One '$64,000 Question' winner went from police officer to Shakespearean scholar overnight

Redmond O’Hanlon was a police officer living on Staten Island, New York, when he competed on “The $64,000 Question.” His knowledge of Shakespeare earned him $16,000, which was four times his annual salary. After appearing on the show, he became a minor celebrity, and created a Shakespeare-themed set of playing cards and established the O'Hanlon Shakespeare Service, a consultancy on the Bard, all while continuing to work for the NYPD.

O’Connor was shaped by her time with Sally and Robert Fitzgerald

After Iowa, O’Connor moved to Connecticut to stay in the garage apartment of Sally and Robert Fitzgerald—the legendary translator of Homer, Sophocles, and other classics—while working on her first novel, “Wise Blood.” Like O’Connor, the Fitzgeralds were devout Catholics, and the three attended mass every morning.

'Harold and Maude' became a cult classic thanks to a one-screen theater in Minnesota

The 1971 movie flopped when it was first released, due in no small part to its bleak comedy and taboo subject matter. It became a cult hit, though, after the Westgate Theater, outside Minneapolis, ran the film on its single screen for over two years.

Shirley Temple was rumored to be a potential Dorothy

The child star—who was a huge fan of Baum’s books—mentioned in a 1988 autobiography that she’d heard she was being discussed for the role before Judy Garland was officially cast. She said that Garland was, ultimately, the right pick. “Sometimes, the gods know best,” she wrote.

Watch the lessons Christa McAuliffe was supposed to teach aboard Challenger

After the Challenger disaster prevented McAuliffe from teaching in orbit, educators-turned-astronauts Joe Acaba and Ricky Arnold filmed her planned science demonstrations aboard the International Space Station during the 2017-18 school year.

Celebrities love Santa Barbara’s beauty, proximity to LA and the ocean

The city has been home to top actors, TV hosts, and more for decades, particularly in Montecito to the east of downtown Santa Barbara. Locals can see Oprah Winfrey walking on San Ysidro Road regularly (when she’s in town).

The real restaurant behind Netflix's ‘Nonnas’

The Netflix movie "Nonna's" tells the story of a restaurant whose kitchen is staffed by grandmothers. While that might sound like an outlandish premise, it's based on a true story. This Time story goes behind the scenes of Enoteca Maria, the 35-seat restaurant on Staten Island that inspired the film.

Disney animators went on strike in 1941, protesting unpaid overtime

Disney’s “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” was a notoriously messy production—exceeding the budget by 400 hours—though it was also a massive success, grossing $75M and establishing Disney as a major Hollywood player. Disney’s animators, though, alleged they weren’t compensated for their overtime.

'It takes a lot of courage to be happy, but I've got courage, so I think I will be happy again.'

- Actress Florence Henderson (1934–2016)

Sarah Bernhardt was the first actress to play Shakespeare's iconic Hamlet on film

Bernhardt was a popular 19th- and 20th-century actress with a knack for self-promotion. Case in point: When she took over the Théâtre de Ville in Paris, she renamed it Théâtre Sarah-Bernhardt. Her production of "Hamlet" at the theater starred her, naturally, as the titular character. A recording of the performance is believed to be the first woman to play Hamlet caught on film.

Dorothy's famous entrance into Oz in 'The Wizard of Oz' relied on analog tricks, including a body double and sepia-toned paint, as much as it did on technology

American dance legend Martha Graham, sometimes called 'the Picasso of dance,' refused to perform at the 1936 Olympics in Berlin and conceived the piece 'Chronicle' in response to the experience.

In preparation for this weekend's Eurovision finale, which is something like the World Cup of pop music, here's a young Céline Dion performing (for Switzerland?) at the 1988 competition.

American short story writer Flannery O'Connor raised 40 peacocks, which became potent symbols for her fiction's elegant violence

Brandi Chastain, the star of the 1999 US victory over China in the 1999 Women's World Cup, was a last-second choice to take the penalty kick that sealed the victory.

'Saturday Night Fever,' the 1977 film that introduced disco to the mainstream, was based on a fabricated magazine story.

Up to a million Girl Scouts sell about 200 million cookie boxes every spring, generating $800 million, largely because refusing a child is frowned upon

Netflix profits when you're not watching, and its movies are designed that way—read a detail-rich critical essay exposing lesser-known Netflix takes

A vending machine run with Anthropic's AI went out of business after it was convinced to give away items for free and sell a video game console.

After her fellow cult members tried to kill her with an LSD-infused hamburger, one member of the Manson Family, the murderous cult led by Charles Manson, decided to testify against the group's leader.

In 1939, baseball star Lou Gehrig delivered his inspirational 'Luckiest Man' speech after retiring due to the health condition that now bears his name.

The Mona Lisa's celebrity status and repeated restorations have obscured what made the painting so revolutionary for its time

20,000 letters to the advice columnist 'Dear Abby' provide insight into prevailing sex, religion, and LGBTQ fears, anxieties, and concerns from the 1950s onward.

Watch a 1934 short film starring jazz legend Cab Calloway, a major figure in the Harlem Renaissance's music scene

Hotels in Cannes, the glamorous city on the French Riviera, hire hawks to ward off seagulls during the city's famous film festival.

Mark Twain spent decades feuding with the US Postal Service, convinced its costs and regulations were bureaucratic overreach.

Fast-casual restaurant Chili's is experiencing a resurgence, with its parent company recently reporting a nearly 32% increase in sales, thanks to passionate Gen Z fans on TikTok.

SpongeBob exemplifies Aristotle's philosophy for living well because he understands that happiness doesn't come from external factors like money, recognition, or power.

The Beatles' US label rejected the band's first two singles, 'Please Please Me' and 'From Me to You,' with one executive calling the band 'dead in the water.'

For centuries, Niagara Falls has been a magnet for daredevils seeking to conquer one of nature's most powerful wonders, with its 200-foot drop and water rushing at 32 feet per second with 280 tons of force.

Apollo astronauts left items in the moon's 'toss zone,' including golf balls, family photos, and bags of human waste, to make room for lunar rocks.

See how Budweiser's famous Clydesdales spend their days at Warm Springs Ranch, where roughly 70 to 80 of the beer brand's giant horses can be found at any given time.

Watch contemporary footage covering the US-backed Shah of Iran fleeing the country in the face of the 1979 Iranian Revolution

After the Boston Tea Party, colonists switched to coffee, which became the main morning drink for revolutionaries.

Poison ivy's characteristic rash is caused by an allergic response to an oily compound in the plant called urushiol.