It's 2019, so you might think all television shows operate with the help of high-tech devices like teleprompters. ... After more than 40 seasons, the show still stays true to its old school method of line-reading: cue cards. Yes, they use hand-written lines that take quite a bit of time and effort to prepare.

Why do SNL actors read cue cards?

Even if you manage to do it you might get banned from the show. So there are some safety nets the show offers like cue cards. You might have noticed some actors on the show looking off-camera because they are reading lines. ... This is why some cast members use cue cards and why some don't.

Who writes the cue cards on SNL?

For the past 30 years, Wally Feresten has been writing and holding the off-camera script cards for America's top performers on “Saturday Night Live” — and now, regular folks are engaging his services too.