Tina Fey: first female head writer at SNL
Tina Fey was the first female head writer in Saturday Night Live's history.
Snapshot · New Heights with Jason & Travis Kelce
Courtside in CLE, Tina Fey on Manspreading, Nate Bargatze on Nashville Super Bowl & More | EP 193
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May 27, 2026
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Tina Fey Interview: First SNL Episode, Sylvester Stallone, and Comedy Craft
At 51:56 · chapter starts 51:50
Tina Fey walks through her first SNL week: the host was Sylvester Stallone, whose Hollywood movie star presence was intimidating until she was tasked with telling him to articulate better — he took the note graciously. She describes her Chicago Second City competitive mindset: come in every week and get something on, not for the faint of heart. The brothers ask whether comedy can be learned and Tina is direct: if you don't have it, you can't get it — but those who have it can always sharpen it. She also reacts with delighted outrage to MILF Island (from 30 Rock) becoming a real reality show called MILF Manor. Jon Hamm's story rounds things out: he started as a normal love interest on 30 Rock before writers realized he wanted to be funny, at which point his character descended into glorious absurdity.
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