Five-Timers Club
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Saturday Night Live's Five Timer's Club is a status given to any performer who has either hosted or appeared as a musical guest on Saturday Night Live at least five times.
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[edit] Origins
The first public reference of the club came on December 8, 1990, when Tom Hanks made his fifth appearance as host on SNL. Hanks described the eligibility process in detail (and with humor) in his monologue:
| “ | Believe it or not, this is the fifth Saturday Night Live I have been lucky enough to host. Now, the first time you do the show, you can't believe you're here. You just can't believe it. Your head buzzes with excitement. The second time you do the show, it means you were funny enough to be asked back - and you're pushing a movie. The third time you do the show, the second time didn't go so well, and you have something to prove to yourself. The fourth time you do the show, you're just blatantly pushing a movie. But the fifth time you do the show is the most special time of all, because you get this.. [holds up a card] ..a membership card in the Five-Timers Club. Come with me.. [walks off the stage] I'm gonna give you a chance to look in on one of the most exclusive clubs in the world. | ” |
After Hanks gave his monologue, he participated in the now famous "Five Timer's Club" sketch. In addition to Hanks, the sketch starred five (or more) time hosts Steve Martin, Elliot Gould and five time musical guest Paul Simon with guest appearances by Ralph Nader trying to crash, Jon Lovitz as a waiter and a then-unknown Conan O'Brien as Sean the door man. Since the December 8, 1990 show, the Five Timer's Club has been a "running gag" on SNL. Danny DeVito referenced the club on his fifth show in 1993, as did Alec Baldwin (1994), John Goodman (1994), Christopher Walken (2001) and Drew Barrymore (2007).
A similar sketch was part of Alec Baldwin's November 11, 2006 show. The sketch, featuring Baldwin and Steve Martin, took place in the "Platinum Lounge", which allowed only 12-time hosts, and forbid working cast members. However, Martin tried to distract Baldwin several times by claiming to see hosts who had not hosted 12 times.
[edit] Cultural references in other media
The Five Timer's Club has been referenced in other media since its creation in 1990. The Entertainment Channel, E!, placed it #22 on its list of SNL top moments. [2] The club was also reference by Fox Sports as the basis behind the creation of the "Favre Backup Club" which seeks to be the "NFL's equivalent" to the Five Timer's Club. [3]
[edit] Current members
As of October 2007, there have been a total of 20 members of the Five-Timer's Club. From this number, nine have been celebrity hosts, two have been SNL alumni hosts, five have been musical guests, and two have served as musical guest and host. Some of these "Five-Timer" hosts (such as Steve Martin, Christopher Walken, Tom Hanks, and Alec Baldwin) have hosted so many times that special episodes of SNL have been compiled and aired as "Best of ..." episodes. Hosts who have been the subject of a Best of SNL videotape, DVD, or compilation special are marked with a (•) by their name on the list below (the following people are members of the Five-Timer's Club. This list comes from raw data compiled and listed from the following independently sources: http://snlmusic.parshaparts.com/snlmusic.php and http://snlarc.jt.org/)
- Foo Fighters included Dave Grohl and Nate Mendel in all of these appearances.
[edit] Notes/Trivia
- Club members do not shake hands normally. Instead, they do the 5 Timers Club shake, which consists of 2 members hitting elbows 5 times, counting out each time, and then, in sequence, pointing to each other and saying, "You're great!"
[edit] Five time hosts
- As of November 2006, Steve Martin currently holds the record for hosting SNL, with 14 episodes. He also hosted three times in one year in 1978 and he co-hosted with Chevy Chase and Martin Short on December 6, 1986 (•)
- John Goodman hosted once a season for 11 straight seasons. He also holds SNL record for most total guest appearances (21) partially due to his cameo appearances during the Clinton/Lewinsky scandal playing Linda Tripp.
- Drew Barrymore beat out Jodie Foster as the youngest host on SNL (Barrymore was seven when she first hosted; Foster was 14).
- Christopher Walken has a standing offer to host the show whenever his and SNL's schedules permit.
[edit] Five time SNL alumni
- Chevy Chase was the first former SNL cast member to host five or more times, the first SNL castmember to come back and host the show, and the only Five Timer to be banned from hosting SNL.
- Bill Murray is the second former SNL cast member to host five or more times (and is the only person to host episodes produced by all three executive producers: Lorne Michaels, Jean Doumanian, and Dick Ebersol).
[edit] Five time musical guest
- As of January 2008, Sting remains the only British member of the Five-Timers Club. He has hosted twice and appeared as the musical guest 4 times. In one of his hosting appearances he also served as the musical guest.
- Dave Grohl has appeared as a musical guest eight times, but with different bands. He was the drummer for Nirvana in their two performances, was a drummer for Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers on one performance, and performed with his most recent band, Foo Fighters five times.
- In addition to being a musical guest seven times, Paul Simon also hosted or co-hosted four shows. He hosted the second episode October 18, 1975 where he reunited with his old partner Art Garfunkel, and co-hosted with Catherine Oxenberg on May 10, 1986, during the 11th season. He also served as musical guest when he hosted the 11/20/76 meaning he has technically been the musical guest 8 times making him the most frequent musical guest to date in the shows history
- On October 13, 2007 The Foo Fighters became the first band to make the five timers club.
[edit] Potential members
The following is a list of potential members of the Five-Timer's Club. To be considered a potential member, the performer must have hosted or appeared as a musical guest on SNL at least three times.
[edit] Four timers
| Performer | Type of Guest | Number of Episodes | First Hosted/Musical Appearance | Last Hosting/Musical Appearance | Other Notes |
| Leon Redbone | Musical Guest | 4 | February 28, 1976 | March 12, 1983 | |
| Eric Idle | Host | 4 | October 2, 1976 | October 20, 1979 | |
| Bonnie Raitt | Musical Guest | 4 | January 28, 1978 | October 1, 1994 | |
| Billy Joel | Musical Guest | 4 | February 18, 1978 | October 23, 1993 | |
| Michael Palin | Host | 4 | April 8, 1978 | January 21, 1984 | He co-hosted the January 21, 1984 SNL show with his mother. |
| David Bowie | Musical Guest | 4 | December 15, 1979 | October 2, 1999 | |
| Natalie Merchant | Musical Guest | 4 | February 27, 1988 | May 2, 1998 | Her first two appearances was with her band the 10,000 Maniacs. |
| Neil Young | Musical Guest | 4 | September 30, 1989 | December 17, 2005 | |
| Aerosmith | Musical Guest | 4 | February 17, 1990 | March 17, 2001 | |
| Mariah Carey | Musical Guest | 4 | October 27, 1990 | March 15, 2008 | |
| Jon Bon Jovi | Host/Musical Guest | 4 (1 host/ 3 musical guest | January 9, 1993 | October 13, 2007 | Was a musical guest with his band Bon Jovi in all three of his musical guest appearances. Bon Jovi also performed on the show that John hosted but were not the musical guest (Foo Fighters were) |
| Snoop Dogg | Host/Musical Guest | 4 (1 host/ 3 musical guest) | March 19, 1994 | May 8, 2004 | |
| Gwen Stefani | Musical Guest | 4 | December 7, 1996 | December 9, 2006 | Though some people count her appearance with Eve as a stint as musical guest she was never credited as such on the show. This means her appearance on that show cannot be counted as official in the number of times as musical guest. |
| Eminem | Musical Guest | 4 | October 23, 1999 | October 30, 2004 | |
| Christina Aguilera | Host/Musical Guest | 4 (1 host / 3 musical guest) | April 8, 2000 | November 11, 2006 | |
| Jack Black | Host/Musical Guest | 4 (3 host/ 1 musical guest) | January 19, 2002 | December 2, 2006 | Was a musical guest as a member of Tenacious D (His musical partner, Kyle Gass, has also made two appearances with Black as a host) |
[edit] Three timers
| Performer | Type of Guest | Number of Episodes | First Hosted/Musical Appearance | Last Hosting/Musical Appearance | Other Notes |
| Phoebe Snow | Musical Guest | 3 | October 18, 1975 | May 19, 1979 | |
| Lily Tomlin | Host | 3 | November 22, 1975 | January 22, 1983 | |
| Al Jarreau | Musical Guest | 3 | February 14, 1976 | February 10, 1990 | |
| The Kinks | Musical Guest | 3 | February 26, 1977 | November 17, 1984 | |
| Willie Nelson | Host/Musical Guest | 3 (1 host & musical guest/ 2 musical guest) | December 10, 1977 | May 15, 1993 | |
| Elvis Costello | Musical Guest | 3 | December 17, 1977 | May 18, 1991 | |
| Mick Jagger | Host/Musical Guest | 3 (1 host & musical guest/ 2 musical guest) | October 7, 1978 | December 8, 2001 | On the show where he was both host and musical guest he hosted and musical guested with his band The Rolling Stones. |
| Rickie Lee Jones | Musical Guest | 3 | April 7, 1979 | October 7, 1989 | |
| Linda Ronstadt | Musical Guest | 3 | May 19, 1979 | December 9, 1989 | |
| Deborah Harry | Host/Musical Guest | 3 (1 host/ 2 musical guest) | October 13, 1979 | January 24, 1987 | Her first musical guest appearance was with her band Blondie. |
| Howard Hesseman | Host | 3 | December 8, 1979 | February 19, 1983 | Last person to host twice in one season (1982-83). |
| Teri Garr | Host | 3 | January 26, 1980 | December 21, 1985 | |
| Andrae Crouch | Musical Guest | 3 | May 24, 1980 | February 10, 1990 | |
| John Cougar Mellencamp | Musical Guest | 3 | April 10, 1982 | April 22, 1989 | In his first two appearances he was billed as John Cougar and in his third as John Mellencamp. |
| Ric Ocasek | Musical Guest | 3 | May 12, 1984 | October 31, 1987 | |
| Robin Williams | Host | 3 | February 11, 1984 | January 23, 1988 | |
| John Lithgow | Host | 3 | December 7, 1985 | November 19, 1988 | |
| Aaron Neville | Musical Guest | 3 | February 22, 1986 | December 15, 1990 | |
| Björk | Musical Guest | 3 | October 15, 1988 | April 21, 2007 | Her first appearance was with her band the Sugarcubes. |
| Edie Brickell | Musical Guest | 3 | November 5, 1988 | October 22, 1994 | |
| Annie Lennox | Musical Guest | 3 | November 11, 1989 | March 18, 1995 | Her first appearance was with her band the Eurythmics. |
| Rob Lowe | Host | 3 | March 17, 1990 | October 7, 2000 | |
| Roseanne Barr | Host | 3 | February 16, 1991 | December 3, 1994 | She co-hosted the February 22, 1992 SNL show with her husband (Tom Arnold). |
| R.E.M. | Musical Guest | 3 | April 13, 1991 | December 11, 1999 | |
| Tom Arnold | Host | 3 | February 22, 1992 | February 17, 1996 | He co-hosted the February 22, 1992 SNL show with his wife (Roseanne Barr). |
| Garth Brooks | Host/Musical Guest | 3 (1 host / 1 host & musical guest/ 1 musical guest) | March 14, 1992 | November 13, 1999 | On the 11/13/99 show the musical guest was his alter ego Chris Gaines. |
| Pearl Jam | Musical Guest | 3 | April 11, 1992 | April 15, 2006 | With exception of drummer Matt Cameron, each band member has been a musical guest on SNL 3 times |
| Bon Jovi | Musical Guest | 3 | January 9, 1993 | May 12, 2001 | |
| The Smashing Pumpkins | Musical Guest | 3 | October 30, 1993 | September 26, 1998 | |
| Dana Carvey | Host/SNL Alum | 3 | October 22, 1994 | October 21, 2000 | |
| Dave Matthews Band | Musical Guest | 3 | April 15, 1995 | February 24, 2001 | |
| Sheryl Crow | Musical Guest | 3 | October 5, 1996 | October 29, 2005 | |
| Sarah Michelle Gellar | Host | 3 | January 17, 1998 | October 12, 2002 | |
| Cameron Diaz | Host | 3 | September 26, 1998 | April 9, 2005 | |
| Ben Affleck | Host | 3 | February 19, 2000 | October 2, 2004 | |
| Justin Timberlake | Host/Musical Guest | 3 (2 host & musical guest/ 1 musical guest) | March 11, 2000 | December 16, 2006 | His first musical guest appearance was with his group N'Sync. |
| Britney Spears | Host/Musical Guest | 3 (2 host & musical guest/1 musical guest) | May 13, 2000 | October 18, 2003 | |
| Beyoncé | Musical Guest | 3 | May 5, 2001 | December 18, 2004 | Her first and third appearances were with her group Destiny's Child |
| Avril Lavigne | Musical Guest | 3 | January 11, 2003 | April 14, 2007 | |
| Ashton Kutcher | Host | 3 | May 3, 2003 | April 12, 2008 | |
| 50 Cent | Musical Guest | 3 | May 3, 2003 | February 19, 2005 | His second appearance was with his group G-Unit |
| Lindsay Lohan | Host | 3 | May 1, 2004 | April 15, 2006 |
[edit] References
- ^ Tom Hanks' Monologue
- ^ 101 Most Unforgettable SNL Moments [Archive] - LiveDaily Community
- ^ FOX Sports on MSN - NFL - Buffet: The men behind The Man
- ^ "Contrary to popular belief, Martin was never a cast member on "Saturday Night Live" (1975). However, he holds the records for guest appearances (25) on the show (followed closely by Buck Henry), hosting (at 13 times, he sets the standard for the SNL "Five Timers Club"), and hosting in a single season (3). He is also the only person to have hosted a season premiere, a season finale, and a Christmas show." http://www.starglimpse.com/celebs/pages/steve_martin/steve_martin.shtml
- ^ UPDATE!! SWEEPS DAY 10!! Tom Hanks Hosts His First SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE Since Sept. 28, 1996!! - Ain't It Cool News: The best in movie, TV, DVD, and comic book news
- ^ Young, Jamie Painter "His way: Christopher Walken has always danced to his own tune. He encourages his fellow actors to do the same.", Back Stage West, March 13, 2003. "Just a few weeks ago he did a rousing song-and-dance number during his opening monologue on Saturday Night Live, on which he has the distinction of being in the 'Five-Timers Club' of celebrities who have hosted the show five times or more. (He's hosted six.)"
