While we might not see it live as regularly in Europe and beyond, I’d be surprised if there was anyone who didn’t have some idea of what Saturday Night Live is outside of North America. For me, there’s no doubt the show has made a lasting impression on modern comedy and entertainment culture, and it has also launched an almost inexhaustible list of top talents over the decades of its existence.

This new film, Directed by Jason Reitman, and written by Gil Kenan and Reitman, takes us back to 11 October 1975, where an unruly troupe of young comedians and writers changed television forever – and this was very much in the days before streaming or any of that was even a slight light in the internet ether.

The spiel for Saturday Night is that it’s based on the true story of what happened behind-the-scenes in the 90 minutes that led to the first broadcast of Saturday Night Live at 11:30pm on 11 October, 1975. As you’ll see in the trailer, it’s full of dark humour, true chaos, and the pure magic of a revolution that almost wasn’t, as we count down the minutes in real time until we hear those famous words…

It’s also got a huge cast, with newcomers in true SNL essence, but I’m sure ones to watch out for, and it includes Gabriel LaBelle, Rachel Sennott, Cory Michael Smith, Ella Hunt, Dylan O’Brien, Emily Fairn, Matt Wood, Lamorne Morris, Kim Matula, Finn Wolfhard, Nicholas Braun, Cooper Hoffman, Andrew Barth Feldman, Kaia Gerber, Tommy Dewey, Willem Dafoe, Matthew Rhys, and J.K. Simmons – plus Jon Batiste and Naomi McPherson:

Saturday Night comes to North America in October, and in the UK soon