Here’s how fresh and compelling “Saturday Night Live” was when it first hit the air on Oct. 11, 1975: For me and my college dorm pals, Saturday nights regularly spent partying were interrupted for 90 minutes each week to watch this show that was unlike any other on television. The original Not Ready For Prime Time Players became idols and almost like friends: Chevy Chase, Gilda Radner, John Belushi, Jane Curtin, Laraine Newman, Garrett Morris and Dan Aykroyd.

This was hip, contemporary sketch comedy that my parents didn’t “get.” The host on opening night of what was then called just “Saturday Night” was the anti-establishment comic George Carlin. The musical guests were Billy Preston an Janis Ian. The energy and youth and subversiveness of the show spoke to a generation of viewers wary and perhaps contemptuous of sitcoms and traditional variety shows.

The roster of talent nurtured by producer Lorne Michaels over the decades since is staggering: Will Farrell, Tina Fey, Bill Murray, Eddie Murphy, Billy Crystal, Dana Carvey, Mike Myers, Adam Sandler, John Candy, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Amy Poehler, Kate McKinnon, Jimmy Fallon, Robert Downey Jr., Maya Rudolph. I know I’m leaving out some major names and perhaps one of your favorites, so apologies to them and to you.

On Saturday night, “SNL” begins its 50th anniversary season. Jean Smart hosts, with musical guest Jelly Roll. I’ll be watching then, even if I don’t watch every week like I used to. Fact is, “Saturday Night” is no longer what it was and hasn’t been for some time. But if for nothing other than Colin Jost and Michael Che’s “Weekend Update” and occasional hot musical guests it’s still relevant and still a reason to interrupt your partying now and then.

If you’re still feeling nostalgic, on Oct. 11, Sony Pictures is set to release in movie theaters a new feature film inspired by the show’s first episode five decades ago.

Dance

Every modern city has its annual signature events. One of San Diego’s “Trolley Dances,” is produced each fall by San Diego Dance Theater. If you’ve never experienced “Trolley Dances,” happening on Saturday and Sunday, here’s how it works: SDDT artists perform dances by innovative choreographers at various trolley stops, making this a site-specific arts event.

This year the anchor is the Green Line trolley, with “Trolley Dances” tours beginning at the Old Town stop and moving through Seaport Village, the Convention Center area and the Gaslamp. Choreographers include Monica Bill Barnes, transcenDANCE Youth Arts Project and former longtime SDDT artistic director Jean Isaacs.

Tickets are $25-$40, more than a trolley pass, but you get so much more than a trip from here to there.

Film festival

I have a sentimental attachment to the San Diego Italian Film Festival. It was there, at a screening at the Museum of Photographic Arts’ theater, that I had one of the first dates with my spouse. It seems apropos to attach something romantic to Italian film, which can be romantic as well as innovative, socio-politically illuminating, fiercely topical and artsy in a good way.

The 18th annual fest returns on Tuesday with screenings through Oct. 12 at both MOPA at the San Diego Museum of Art in Balboa Park and the Digital Gym Cinema at UC San Diego’s Park & Market. Films can also be viewed virtually.

Here’s a rundown of the festival’s films: https://sandiegoitalianfilmfestival2024.eventive.org/schedule.

Take a date. It worked for me.

Music festival

Waterfront Park downtown becomes Electronica Land this weekend with the return of the CRSSD Festival.

I’ve heard some electronic-music purists say that the fest has become too mainstream, but if the number of people who go every year is any indication, that may not matter.

This year’s artists include Disclosure (pictured), Gesaffelstein, Boris Brejcha and Four Tet. The festival music makers come from all over the world, which gives CRSSD a truly international feel.

The vibrations from this festival will be felt up and down adjacent Pacific Highway.

More dance

Circling back to dance, Ballet Collective San Diego brings a program titled “Resonance” to the Baker-Baum Concert Hall in La Jolla on Saturday night.

The collective’s Tylor Bradshaw, Reka Gyulai, Whitney Edwards, Emily Miller and Holly Meacham will be joined by guest choreographer Holly Curran who among other achievements has danced at the Metropolitan Opera.

Live musical accompaniment on Saturday will include the San Diego-based Hausmann Quartet whose members are also faculty artists-in-residence at San Diego State. For tickets, visit balletcollectivesd.com.

UCTV

University of California Television invites you to enjoy this special selection of programs from throughout the University of California. Descriptions courtesy of and text written by UCTV staff:

“Black Hollywood: ‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse’”

Director Kemp Powers sits down with Mireille Miller-Young (feminist studies, UC Santa Barbara) to explore the making of “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.” They delve into the film’s development, highlighting the origins of fan-favorite characters like Spider-Punk, and the unique artistic influences that shaped the animation. Powers reflects on working with a diverse animation team and the challenges of addressing representation and authenticity in the storytelling process. The discussion also covers the expressive possibilities of animation, offering insight into how the film pushes creative boundaries while maintaining emotional depth and cultural relevance in the Spider-Verse.

“Building Fast and Reliable Machine Learning Systems”

Yian Ma, assistant professor at UC San Diego’s Halıcıoğlu Data Science Institute, shares his research on improving the reliability of machine learning. He focuses on developing methods to better understand and measure uncertainty in the predictions made by complex models, which helps ensure more trustworthy outcomes. Ma also examines how to make these methods faster and more efficient, allowing them to handle large amounts of data and improve decision-making in real-time. His work is particularly useful for analyzing patterns over time, such as in financial markets or weather forecasting, where making informed decisions is crucial. By advancing these techniques, Ma is helping machine learning become more reliable and practical for everyday use.

“Building Better Brain Models for Research”

Giorgia Quadrato, Ph.D., studies how cerebral organoids can help us understand brain development and diseases. Using live calcium imaging, she finds that inhibitory neurons enhance neuronal coordination, confirming this through genetic and pharmacological methods. Her team’s organoid generation method stands out by using complex patterning, long-term cultures and co-culturing with mouse brain cells for more accurate physiological results. They also use microfluidics to improve oxygenation and simulate natural conditions. Future research will focus on incorporating microglial cells to study synaptic pruning and addressing challenges in cryopreservation. This work aims to improve the accuracy of organoids for brain research and biomedical applications.

And finally, top weekend events

The best things to do this weekend in San Diego, Sept. 27-29.