Review of the film “Friday” | “Saturday Night”

The new program, called NBC Saturday Night, premiered on October 11, 1975, and it was not certain that the new show would last more than a few weeks or even whether it would even air its first broadcast.

The new film “Saturday Night” was directed and co-written by Jason Reitman. Essentially, in real time, it shows the chaos 90 minutes before the show went live at 11:30 ET.

But this is not a realistic image. It’s more like a much-hyped journey through the looking glass, the quintessential classic ’70s TV series.

The show’s mastermind, mischievous Canadian Lorne Michaels (played by Gabrielle LaBelle), faces every possible obstacle: falling stage lights; temperamental actors; writers who push the envelope, especially the acerbic Michael O’Donoghue; and a skeptical network executive (played by Willem Dafoe) who isn’t sure until the last second whether the show is ready for prime time.

Director Reitman displays relentless energy and some long-shots worthy of Scorsese. But it doesn’t give you programs to identify characters. It’s easy enough to spot the precocious Dan Aykroyd; Gloomy Ide, John Belushi; Garrett Morris, brooding and worried about what he’s doing here; and the beleaguered Jim Henson, whose Muppet segment in the first season was snubbed by the writers and actors.

On the other hand, it takes a while to identify Billy Crystal, whose appearance was indeed cut from the first airing.

The cast of unknown performers are effective doppelgängers and doppelgängers of the legendary stars, although it’s odd to see Andy Kaufman as 6-foot-7 actor Nicholas Braun looming over the action like a giraffe.

What the actors do least effectively is recreate some of the classic sketches that actually didn’t appear on the show until weeks or years later.

In addition to this, there are several episodes that are simply fictional. No, Milton Berle didn’t show up backstage causing trouble for himself. But J.K. Simmons made a memorable performance as Berle as a rancid, smug old man who brags about his legendary, um, abilities.

And in this bittersweet moment, the two actors wonder what the future will bring. These are Belushi and Gilda Rander, who will pass away within the next 15 years.

“Saturday Night” is uneven and undisciplined, just like the show itself. Those of you ready for prime time viewing will give it three and a half stars out of five.