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BY OVERNIGHT COURIER February 27, 2019 NBC # Attn: Legal Department 30 Rockefeller Center New York, NY 100## RE: INFRINGING USE OF TEMPLE HORSES MATERIAL BY NBC &
SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE
Dear Sir/Madam: This firm represents writers Nick Ruggia and Ryan E. Hoffman, creators of the sketch comedy duo T
EMPLE HORSES (“Temple Horses”)
. The Temple Horses Sketch Comedy online channel is recognized by SAG_AFTRA and WGAEast, and contains sketch comedy going back nearly a decade. This season,
NBC Network’s
sketch comedy program SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE
(“SNL”)
has plagiarized entire sketches from Temple Horses. Nick and Ryan love comedy and revere SNL as an institution
—but unless they’re
paid writers on SNL, NBC has no right to broadcast or use their material on SNL by NBC. It saddened Nick and Ryan to learn that SNL has plagiarized Temple Horses at least twice this season.
2
1.
“Not Trying to F**k this Pumpkin”
becomes SNL’
s The Pumpkin Patch
On October 21, 2014, Temple Horses released the sketch NOT TRYING TO FUCK THIS PUMPKIN, which is set in a pumpkin patch. On October 6, 2019, episode 2 of this season (hosted by Awkwafina), SNL aired THE PUMPKIN PATCH. S
NL’s composition is near
-identical to Temple Horses earlier production. The protagonist is the
patch’s owner…
Introduction to TH sketch: The owner of the pumpkin patchs operates the business. Introduction to SNL sketch: The owner of the pumpkin patchs operates the business.
…
who interacts with a group of men (and, in each case, only
one woman)…
TH SNL
… and accuses them of
having sexual desire for pumpkins:
TH Dialogue: Did you just say you were going to fornicate that pumpkin? SNL Dialogue: Did you perform a lewd act on the pumpkins?
3
They all deny such a disgusting desire, and that conflict drives the sketch. Both owners play the straight man:
TH Dialogue: I’m not the kind of guy who
f**ks pumpkins. TH Dialogue: If I were the type of person who
f**ked pumpkins I wouldn’t be able to travel
for work due to strict agricultural laws SNL Dialogue: Noooo, sir
In each sketch, the owner scolds them for their disgusting behavior:
TH: [Owner sternly denies the customer requests to dress up and fetishize the pumpkin, one by one.] SNL Dialogue: Do you see how this could be a problem?