After SNL’s Five-Timers Club Sketch returned this weekend, a former writer explained what inspired it and how it involved Tom Hanks

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Saturday Night Live‘s final episode of 2024 recorded its newest member of the elite Five-Timers Club, Martin Short. The popular sketch included a host of cameos and A-listers, all of whom have hosted the long-running variety sketch series at least five times, hence the club name. If you’ve ever wondered how this idea came about, SNL writer Robert Smigel previously explained what inspired the fan-favorite sketches and how Tom Hanks was involved.

Smigel, who served as writer and producer on Saturday Night Live from 1985 to 2013 and created various characters, adopted Instagram when earlier SNL cast member Kristen Wiig became a Five-Timers member. He shared a video of Hanks’ monologue for his fifth time as host in December 1990. In it, Hanks discussed the excitement of hosting SNLincluding how special it was to host five times. Then he joked that those who reached the milestone get a card to be in this club. Hanks and Conan O’Brien were apparently involved:

Holy crap did this Five Timer’s Club thing ever stick… saw Kristen Wiig GOATin’ it up (sic) on (NBC’s SNL) and there it was again. Had to look up the first such sketch which I wrote with lots of help from Conan ‘Sean’ O’Brien and others including Lorne Michaels. It was inspired by (Tom Hanks)’ funny/sweet impression of Lorne’s universal analysis of what it feels like ‘first time hosting the show’, 2nd time, 3rd time, etc. Funny to watch it now and see that idea in there without the Lorne impression. Plus it was parodying something about SNL that Conan and I always laughed at, the push-pull between being cool and being funny.

Five-Timers Club on SNL has gone on to become a beloved sketch, and every time a celebrity joins the club, you never know who will be involved. While Hanks inspired the sketch, he wasn’t actually the first person to achieve the milestone. Chevy Chase was the first to host the late-night sketch series five times, but Hanks was the first to mention it on the December 8, 1990 episode. Since then, over a dozen celebrities have officially “joined” the club, both seam SNL hosts and musical guests. (Yes, the club also includes members like Jack White.)

When someone signs up, you never know who else will be around to enroll the newest member. Martin Short’s induction included Tom Hanks, John Mulaney, Melissa McCarthy, Alec Baldwin, Emma Stone, Scarlett Johansson, Kristen Wiig, Paul Rudd and Tina Fey, some of whom also appeared in sketches throughout the episode. Who will be joining the Five-Timers Club next is unknown, but there are sure to be more fun cameos!

Some of them largest SNL hosts is part of the elite club, and that list will only grow the longer Saturday Night Live remains in the air. Fortunately, even with the show in its 50s^th season, there seems to be no end in sight. While it will be hard for most to match Baldwin and Steve Martin’s 17-time host, it’s always fun to see who’s next and which fan favorites return to Studio 8H.

Those with a Peacock subscription can watch all the Five-Timers sketches as all 50 seasons are streamed, and yes, that includes this latest episode. Saturday Night Live taking a little break during the holidays, but will return on TV program for 2025and it’s quite possible that the next Five-Timers inmate could be just around the corner.