Fridays was a late-night sketch comedy show that aired on ABC from 1980 to 1982. It was often compared to Saturday Night Live (SNL), which had already become popular by then, as both shows shared a similar format of live sketches, musical performances, and parodies. Fridays was ABC’s attempt to compete with NBC’s SNL, especially when SNL was struggling during its early 1980s transitional period.

The show featured a cast of comedians that included Larry David, Michael Richards (who would later gain fame on Seinfeld), and Melanie Chartoff. The humor was often edgy, politically charged, and sometimes controversial for its time. One of the most famous moments from Fridays occurred during a sketch with guest host Andy Kaufman, who broke character, leading to an on-air confrontation that many viewers initially thought was real (it was later revealed to have been staged).

While Fridays had a dedicated fan base, it never reached the same cultural impact or long-term success as SNL. However, its cast and writers went on to influence comedy in significant ways, especially through the later work of people like Larry David.