History of Saturday Night Live (1995–2000)
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Saturday Night Live is an American sketch comedy series created and produced by Lorne Michaels for most of the show's run. The show has aired on NBC since 1975.
After a disastrous 1994–95 season featuring a mix of old and new characters, Michaels decided to once again revamp the cast, keeping only five cast members and hiring six. The 1995–96 season once again saved the show from cancellation, introducing a new era of Saturday Night Live that included cast members Will Ferrell, Darrell Hammond, Cheri Oteri, and Chris Kattan. Ana Gasteyer and Tracy Morgan joined the following year. This cast stayed mostly stable until the 1998–99 season, which added cast members such as Jimmy Fallon and Horatio Sanz.
Adam McKay would serve as the head writer from 1996 to 1999, after which he would be succeeded by Tina Fey, the show's first female head writer.