Episode 104: Saturday Night & Network

Cinema in Context

1970s television films. Sarah Watt, Jeremy Downing and William Chen discuss Saturday Night (2024) and Network (1976), films about television in 1975. We begin by discussing our connection and experience watching the television sketch-comedy show Saturday Night Live (1975-present). We discuss the actors' performances in the film, especially in their impersonations of the famous cast members of the original episode: Chevy Chase, John Belushi, Dan Aykroyd and Andy Kaufman. We shift our conversation to Network and how relevant the film still is today. We also praise the performances in Network, including Faye Dunaway, William Holden, Peter Finch, Robert Duvall, Beatrice Straight and Ned Beatty. We compare the two films, especially the costume and production design of both films being similar while being almost 50 years apart.