A First for Second City

by Olivia Oran

For over forty years, Second City has been a revolutionary force in our society as a comedic powerhouse, whose impact is obvious in our popular everyday culture, as well as being a nurturer for young, growing talent. It has spawned countless celebrities with names like Bill Murray, Joan Rivers, John Candy, Dan Akroyd, Gilda Radner, John Belushi, Martin Short, Mike Myers, Eugene Levy and Chris Farley; actors who have illuminated both the big and small screen with their glowing presence and have contorted our faces with endless laughter. Much of its humor is reflected in the movies Animal House, Blues Brothers, The Graduate, Ghostbusters, M*A*S*H, Young Frankenstein, and television series Hill Street Blues, Cheers, and, of course, Saturday Night Live, where dozens of its graduates have joined the cast, including current members Rachel Dratch, Jerry Minor, Horatio Sanz, Tina Fey and Tim Meadows.

Though known as a distinguished theater company in Chicago, Second City was not the national phenomenon it is today until the premiere of Saturday Night Live on October 11, 1975. The cast featured Second City alumni Akryod, Radner, John Belushi, and by the next year, Bill Murray. Lauded by critics for their groundbreaking and often controversial skits, SNL quickly captured the attention of the media who wanted to know where these talented performers had come from. The public eye immediately turned to Second City, as devoted SNL watchers flocked to the Windy City to understand where their favorite celebrities had gotten their start. The movies, "Animal House" (starring Belushi) and "Meatballs" (with Murray) were released soon after, which not only helped to add to the theater’s popularity, but confirmed them as a bonafide success story.

The success of Second City allowed producers Andrew Alexander and Bernie Sahlins to bring their ideas to a more mainstream audience. So, in 1976, SCTV (Second City Television) was launched on Canada’s Global TV Network, featuring many members of the Second City Chicago and Toronto casts as actors and writers. The show was built around an imaginary town called Melonville and consisted of what one might see on a day’s programming, including parodies of movies, TV shows, news and commercials. SCTV was an immediate hit and was quickly snapped up by the American station NBC. Now in syndication, SCTV ran for six seasons and obtained thirteen Emmy nominations.

Famous comedienne Gilda Radner