<P> Saturday Night Live (abbreviated as SNL) is a late - night sketch comedy and variety show created by Lorne Michaels . It premiered on NBC, a terrestrial television network, on October 11, 1975 under the title NBC's Saturday Night . The show often satirizes contemporary American popular culture and politics . Saturday Night Live features a two - tiered cast: the repertory members, also known as the "Not Ready for Prime - Time Players", and newer cast members, known as "Featured Players ." </P> <P> A typical episode of SNL will feature a single host, who delivers the opening monologue and performs in sketches with the cast . While the format also features a musical guest, and a number of episodes have featured celebrity cameos, the focus of this article is the guest host . </P>

Who was the guest on saturday night live