Here’s why this episode remains a masterclass in sketch comedy history. A Host Who Needed No Introduction

This episode proved that SNL could be more than just a collection of disconnected skits; it could be a cohesive playground for a genius performer. Tomlin’s ability to weave her own established characters into the brand-new world of the "Not Ready for Prime Time Players" set the gold standard for what a great SNL host could do. Season 1, Episode 6 Host:Lily Tomlin - Classic SNL Reviews

Surprisingly, this episode had . Instead, Tomlin filled the gap herself:

SNL Rewind: When Lily Tomlin Took Over the Show (S1E6) If you’re digging through the early archives of Saturday Night Live , you’ll quickly find that Season 1, Episode 6—originally aired on —is a complete outlier. While the first few episodes were still figuring out what "SNL" actually was, Lily Tomlin arrived and basically turned the Studio 8H stage into her own one-woman variety special.