The program was ABC's attempt to duplicate the success of NBC's "Saturday Night Live", which, at the time, was in its fifth and final season featuring the original "Not Ready for Primetime" cast, along with several writers (and "SNL" band leader at the time, Paul Shaffer) who had been promoted to feature player status, as well as newcomer Harry Shearer. Like "SNL", "Fridays" featured popular musical guests and, beginning in the second season, celebrity guest hosts, some of whom had appeared on "SNL" before and after "Fridays" aired, such as Andy Kaufman, Billy Crystal, William Shatner, Mark Hamill, and George Carlin. (Carlin, who had hosted the very first "SNL" in 1975, was also "Fridays" first official "guest host" in 1981.)