When Saturday Night Live (SNL) first aired, I was in the Navy working in Italy.
I didn't catch the show until September 1977, by which time it was truly established, popular and going gangbusters.
I was living in a Barracks at Fort Myer, in Arlington, Virgnia just across the way from the Navy Annex, also in Arlington. I worked in the Annex.
While I eventually got an apartment, the barracks time included Saturday night SNL viewing in the "day room" where the TV was.
I really enjoyed the cast at that time: Gilda Radner, first and foremost, but also Dan Aykroyd, Chevy Chase, Garret Morris, John Belushi, Jane Curtin and Laraine Newman.
Once in my apartment, I don't remember watching it at all. But, over the years, I'd hear about a cast member doing a takeoff on something...like Dana Carvey's "Church lady". I would enjoy that a lot, along with Mike Myers and Carvey doing "Wayne's World". The biggest hoot for me was Myers' Jewish lady Linda Richman and her obsession with Barbra Streisand. Richman always got "verklempt" and encouraged her audience to "talk amongst yourselves." I also enjoyed Carvey and Kevin Nealon as Hans and Franz.
I would sometimes hear about a performer doing someone, like Tina Fey's "Sarah Palin", and catch a show. All of that is on youtube now. I couldn't name anyone who has been on SNL in the past decade or so (except for Alec Baldwin).
