Emma Judy – Special to the Southern News
“Live from New York, it’s Saturday night!”
Those words scream late night television, as they are said in every episode of Saturday Night Live! Along with David Letterman’s famous Top 10 list, that list crazy things from why Sochi wasn’t ready to host this year Winter Olympics to terms that have never been searched on the internet which include, number 10, how to turn on a computer or number nine, Amish online dating. These list are mindless but funny to help make your day a little bit better.
Although shows like Letterman or Late Night with Jimmy Fallon are not shows that everyone is going to be talking about the next morning. No popular character will die making you cry and their will not be any crazy plot twist that makes your head spin.
Expect these shows are some of the longest running shows in television history. Saturday Night Live has been on the air for 38 seasons and David Letterman has been on the air for as long as many college students have been alive, having premiered in 1993. Why is that?
It might be because it’s the perfect thing to fall asleep to. All you have to do is listen as Jimmy Fallon asks the big name celebrity about their most recent movie or pushing the envelope when they talk about their personal lives.
A lot of these shows also have an aspect of comedy that uplift people when they have a bad day or can do something as simple help you unwind after a long day.
Sometimes during the summer and over winter break I will being getting home right around the time that late night TV would be on. And when I turn on the TV a show will be on and will just sit and watch. I’m not really listening, normally I’m half asleep or playing Candy Crush on my phone but the show is comforting.
For comedians a show like Saturday Night Live is a stepping stone to become a famous comedian and have a future in Hollywood. Even today we enjoy the comedic talents like Will Ferrell, Tina Fey, Julia Louis Dreyfus, Seth Meyers and Eddie Murphy all did a stint on Saturday Night Live. If you dream of being a comedian, you probably also dream of working on a show like Saturday Night Live.
The cast then knew they made it when after leaving the show they were asked back to host the show. It means that they have finally made something of themselves. All because they started on a late night TV show.
But Saturday Night Live also has a big draw to fans. I know personally I started to watch Saturday Night Live the first time Miley Cyrus was the host. I still remember some of the skits she did during that episode, including one where she played Justin Bieber, making fun of his infamous hair flip and purple sweatshirt he use to wear constantly.
So whether it’s late night TV as a way to unwind after a hectic day or a lullaby to lull you to sleep into a dream world of happiness and light feelings. It even serves as a stepping tool for someone to follow their dreams. Late night TV to some is just a show that comes on after the 11 o’clock news but it also has its own place in our country’s pop culture.
