Studio 8H
The longtime live home of Saturday Night Live.
Studio 8H is a television studio at 30 Rockefeller Plaza in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. It is part of NBC Studios and has been the home of the live broadcast of Saturday Night Live since the show began in 1975. The studio measures 6102 square feet.
Quick Facts
- Location
- 30 Rockefeller Plaza, Midtown Manhattan, New York City, United States
- Size
- 6102 sqft
- Year built
- 1933
- Original use
- Radio studio for orchestral performances and variety programs
- Conversion to television
- 1950
- Cost of snl renovation
- $250,000
- Notable for
- Live broadcast of Saturday Night Live since 1975
Facts from the source article.
Construction
Built in 1933 during Rockefeller Center's construction, Studio 8H was originally the world's largest radio studio at 132 by 78 feet with a three-story height. It was designed for orchestral performances and radio variety programs with large audiences. The NBC Symphony Orchestra under Arturo Toscanini began performing there in 1937, and the first performance of Samuel Barber's Adagio for Strings took place in the studio. It was converted for television use in 1950, primarily for Kraft Television Theatre.
History
Studio 8H was renovated for $250,000 just before Saturday Night Live premiered in 1975. The NBC sitcom 30 Rock broadcast two live episodes from the studio, titled "Live Show" and "Live from Studio 6H." Other programs that used the studio for single broadcasts include the first season finale of The Apprentice, the fifth anniversary specials of both Late Night with Conan O'Brien and Late Night with David Letterman, Later with Bob Costas, Love, Sidney, the 50th anniversary episode of Today in 1990, House Party with Steve Doocy, and the live parts of the season finale of The Celebrity Apprentice on March 27, 2008. Last Call with Carson Daly used the studio until 2005, when it moved to Studio 9 in Burbank, California. Your Hit Parade filmed in 8H, where Fred Rogers worked writing music; years later, Eddie Murphy performed a parody of Mr. Rogers' character called "Mr. Robinson" on SNL in the same studio. In January 1975, a special one-hour episode of The Doctors was taped in Studio 8H, though it was usually taped in Studio 3B. Today relocated its set from Studio 3B to Studio 8H in mid-1990 to allow construction of a new set that debuted in Studio 3B on September 10, 1990. NBC's 75th anniversary live broadcast in May 2002 was shot in 8H, executive produced by Lorne Michaels. MSNBC's Morning Joe celebrated its tenth anniversary with a live audience show at the studio on September 19, 2017, and also used it for post-election coverage on November 7, 2018, November 10, 2016, and November 7, 2012.
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