When "Saturday Night Live" made its debut on NBC on Oct. 11, 1975, no one knew it would grow to become a comedy institution, according to producer Lorne Michaels.
"It was a little, dinky late-night show," Michaels said in this week's People magazine. "It wasn't going to change anything. It wasn't seminal."But the show took off, making stars of such unknowns as John Belushi, Gilda Radner, Chevy Chase, Bill Murray, Eddie Murphy, Joe Piscopo, Billy Crystal and Martin Short.
The show, which won an Emmy on Sunday for variety show writing, will celebrate the start of its 15th season with a live special on Sept. 24.