Behind The Scenes Feuds That Affected Storylines

After five years running Saturday Night Live, Lorne Michaels figured it was time for a hiatus, and the most logical choice to take over the series was Al Franken, one of the show's main writers. After all, it made perfect sense. He knew all the talent, had a ton of experience, and was respected backstage. Then he decided to go a bit crazy on "Weekend Update" with a segment since called "A Limo for a Lame-o." 

Franken started this segment by talking about which talent on NBC got limo service, noting that many stars did. However, Franken acted shocked that NBC head Fred Silverman was still getting limousines, considering the poor state of the network. Franken then took out a board showing the shows with the highest ratings in the country, and NBC wasn't on the list. At this point, he straight-up insulted Silverman directly, to the approval of the crowd.

After the segment, Franken was chewed out by NBC brass. He then lost any chance he had of taking over the show. Jean Doumanian was brought in as producer, and the entire cast was replaced for season six. It's often considered the single worst season in the show's history, and it saw Michaels coming back next season with yet another brand new cast.

Silverman was eventually kicked out of NBC anyway. He went on to produce Thicke of the Night, one of the most famous talk show bombs of all time. So yeah, maybe Franken was right.