When you think about sketch comedy on television, there aren't many shows to choose from, but there are two that have definitely made an impact. The beginning of sketch comedy as we know it comes from Your Show of Shows, and the modern sketch comedy that everyone knows now comes from Saturday Night Live. There have been a handful of other sketch comedy shows, but without these two, they wouldn't exist. Your Show of Shows aired from 1950 to 1954, during the first golden age of television. Saturday Night Live began in 1975 and has been going ever since. Your Show of Shows certainly has an influence on modern sketch comedy like Saturday Night Live, but both shows bring something different to American culture and both have had a huge impact on sketch comedy on television. Your Show of Shows (1950-1954) was a sketch comedy show filmed live in front of an audience. Sketches were longer back then, usually in the 5-10 minute range, and sometimes even longer. Sid Caesar was the star of the series, alongside Imogene Coca, Howard Morris and Carl Reiner who had his first gig with the series. There were many more hilarious comedians who performed and wrote for Your Show of Shows. Everything They Did Was An Original Comedy Written By Some Of The Greatest Talents In Television, Film And Other Entertainment. One big name that might surprise you is Mel Brooks, who worked with Sid Caesar and wrote for Your Show of Shows. The show aired on NBC every Saturday night. The duration of the show was 90 minutes. Long story short, Your Show of Shows is such a monumental show because it redefined television. Redefining television is no easy task. A show has to be extremely amazing and truly impactful to reach...... middle of paper ......istory.com. A&E Television Networks, and Web. March 19, 2014.[5] http://personal.stthomas.edu/JARN7996/SNL/history.htmlJarnes, Erika. “SNL.” SNL. University of St. Thomas, 2011. Web. March 19, 2014.[6] ^ "Saturday Night Live". Archives of American Television. Np, and Web. March 19, 2014.[7] http://www.entertainmentscene360.com/index.php/snl-and-its-effects-on-comedy-and-culture-2563/Zibas, Christine. “SNL and Its Effects on Comedy and Culture.” Entertainment Scene 360. Np, January 20, 2013. Web. March 18, 2014.[8] http://www.nndb.com/people/621/000024549/"Lorne Michaels." NNDB. Np, and Web. March 18, 2014.[9] Michele Hilmes – Only Connect (manual)Hilmes, Michele. Only Connect: A Cultural History of Broadcasting in the United States. 3rd ed. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth/Thomson Learning, 2002. Print.