It’s probably better that this didn’t come out during the time of SNL50.<\/b>
\nLorne Michaels often gets most of the credit for the long-running success of Saturday Night Live, but as he explains in this hour-plus documentary, the true comedic voice of SNL that established the show that generations have come to know and love can be traced back to one of his on-again, off-again writers, Jim Downey. So why do most people outside of comedy nerds know who Downey is? That\u2019s exactly why Peacock is broadcasting this now.
Opening Shot: Over interstitial shots of New York City, we hear a phone recording of a woman putting Lorne Michaels on the line, where he says: \u201cIt\u2019s not like a conventional documentary. Your subject is ground zero in the world of comedy.\u201d And he\u2019s going to be \u201ccapital E\u201d elusive.
The Gist: Downey joined SNL as a writer in 1976 for Season 2, where he shared an office with fellow SNL newcomer Bill Murray.
Murray called Downey \u201cthe best writer I\u2019ve ever worked with,\u201d and the film also features quotes and testimonials from Fred Armisen, Andy Breckman, Dana Carvey, Greg Daniels, Will Forte, Al Franken, Bill Hader, Darrell Hammond, David Letterman, Jon Lovitz, Seth Meyers, Lorne Michaels, Garrett Morris, John Mulaney, Laraine Newman, Conan O\u2019Brien, Bob Odenkirk, Lawrence O\u2019Donnell, Maya Rudolph, Molly Shannon, Martin Short, Robert Smigel, David Spade, Emily Spivey, Ben Stiller, and Kenan Thompson.
Downey spent more than three decades inside 30 Rock. He worked at SNL for Seasons 2-5, left with most everyone else in the first exodus, became the second head writer for Late Night with David Letterman in 1982, then left Letterman to head up Michaels\u2019 short-lived 1984 sketch series, The New Show, and found refuge back at SNL afterward for another decade. NBC fired Downey alongside Norm Macdonald over the duo\u2019s ongoing O.J. Simpson jokes in 1998, but Michaels rehired him again in 2000 where he became the go-to political satirists for the show\u2019s cold opens for another dozen or so years.
So, yes, if there\u2019s a sketch you loved from SNL\u2018s past, it\u2019s quite possible that Downey wrote that.
What Documentaries Will It Remind You Of?: Both in terms of style and content, this feels like a bonus episode of the behind-the-scenes docs included last year on Peacock celebrating SNL50. Particularly the episode on Season 11, where they clearly stitched together footage from multiple previous attempts to examine the topic. The clips interviewing Downey likewise show him at various ages and looks over the years.
Our Take: So much of the hour could be taken up by simply playing a highlight reel of Downey\u2019s greatest hits from SNL, and you\u2019d be convinced of the impact he has had on both the show and pop culture.
But it\u2019s what he did outside of the show that\u2019s perhaps even more fascinating and worth remembering. Because he was making waves even earlier, as a Harvard undergrad working for the college\u2019s comedy mag, the Harvard Lampoon, where he parodied Cosmo magazine with a fictitious nude spread of Henry Kissinger; then followed that up with a 1973 letter challenging John Wayne to come to campus. When the legendary movie star showed up, Downey roasted him to his face.
Of course, comedy fans likely remember this monologue in Billy Madison, which Sandler claims that Downey essentially wrote for himself and is perhaps the most quotable part of Sandler\u2019s breakout movie.
And when you really take a look at Downey\u2019s body of work, a theme emerges. As Downey himself explains: \u201cI have a fondness for the comedy of someone very painstakingly laboriously explaining something that doesn\u2019t even need any explanation to begin with, and also, getting it wrong.\u201d
Sex and Skin: Nope. Although you will be reminded that Downey once made out with Jonah Hill in an SNL sketch.
Parting Shot: Downey himself gets the last word, in a voiceover recorded at the beginning of 2025, on the eve of SNL50.
Sleeper Star: In just over an hour, with so many famous people chiming in, it\u2019s tough to pick one. Although Letterman lands the best zinger of all: \u201cI think it\u2019s great that Lorne has found another way to make money by doing films about staff members.\u201d
Our Call: Zingers aside, perhaps it\u2019s for the best that NBC\/Peacock waited a year to debut this retrospective on Downey, because the timing allows even casual viewers more points of reference to think about him, perhaps having just seen him acting onscreen in small but memorable roles on the big screen in One Battle After Another or the new HBO series, The Chair Company. STREAM IT and you\u2019ll get a chance to see just how much of an impact Downey has made onscreen.
Peacock currently offers two subscription types: Premium with ads and Premium Plus ad-free. Peacock Premium costs $10.99\/month, while Premium Plus costs $16.99\/month.
You can save a bit by subscribing to one of Peacock\u2019s annual plans, which give you 12 months for the price of 10. These cost either $109.99 with ads or $169.99 without ads.
Peacock Premium Plus is also available to subscribe to via Prime Video with a seven-day free trial that you can\u2019t get by subscribing directly on Peacock.
Sean L. McCarthy works the comedy beat. He also podcasts half-hour episodes with comedians revealing origin stories: The Comic\u2019s Comic Presents Last Things First.
This story has been shared 7,499 times. 7,499
This story has been shared 4,071 times. 4,071
This story has been shared 1,062 times. 1,062
This story has been shared 1,054 times. 1,054
This story has been shared 778 times. 778
This story has been shared 768 times. 768
This story has been shared 517 times. 517
This story has been shared 514 times. 514
This story has been shared 449 times. 449
This story has been shared 410 times. 410
This story has been shared 398 times. 398
This story has been shared 326 times. 326
This story has been shared 279 times. 279
This story has been shared 267 times. 267
This story has been shared 228 times. 228<\/p>\n