SNL: The First Five Years

To mark its 30th anniversary, and mercifully remind us of a time before Jimmy Fallon, NBC has selflessly assembled a behind-the-scenes retrospective on the birth of Saturday Night Live. Through previously unseen footage and new interviews with the producers, writers, hosts, and cast members who lived it (albeit, most in a chemically-altered haze), The First Five Years recalls a time when the show was edgy, culturally relevant, and—get this—funny. Though SNL's early history of drugs, sex, and over-inflated egos is no secret, this documentary manages to shed only a sliver of new light on the formidable first years of the sketch show and the moments that made comedic rock stars of Jim Belushi, Chevy Chase, and Bill Murray. Gems like Murray's screen test (he didn't make the original cut) and classic Gilda Radner bits make this a chronicle worth watching for hardcore fans. But like the current season, casual viewers will find it hard to wait patiently for any leftover laughs after the first commercial break.