Do You Remember ‘Fridays,’ The ‘SNL’ Competitor That Gave Us Larry David?

As we continue to celebrate Saturday Night Live‘s 50th anniversary season, it seems equally appropriate to remember the other shows that have challenged SNL for the sketch comedy throne. From In Living Color to Mad TV, plenty of attempts have been made to put a new spin on the genre — but perhaps none aimed closer to the original concept than Fridays, the sketch show that jump-started the career of Larry David.

Fridays premiered on April 11th, 1980, unleashing a new cast of cutting-edge comedians onto the network TV landscape. Airing live on (you guessed it) Friday night — though instead of being live from New York, the show was “live from the Los Angeles basin” — Fridays only survived two years before being canceled for good. But its edgy humor and memorable moments helped it make its mark on those who gave it a chance during that time. In honor of the series premiere’s 45th anniversary, here are seven little-known facts about Fridays!