Live from New York? Not so much.

Despite the fast pace, “Saturday Night” falls flat and doesn’t give you goosebumps. Reitman and Gil Kenan's script is a haphazard, one-dimensional love letter to series creator Lorne Michaels (“The Fablemans' Gabriel LaBelle”) that ignores almost every other character. It juggles several poorly written subplots, such as the question of whether Michaels' wife, Rosie Shuster (Rachel Sennott), will go by her maiden or married name.

At least Shuster is somewhat fleshed out as a character. All of the female SNL cast members are treated like extras, and we're talking comedy legends like Gilda Radner, Jane Curtin and Laraine Newman. It's strange that a film that's supposed to be nothing but blatant fan service is so callous towards so many fan favorites.

Examples of this abound: John Belushi (Matt Wood) is reduced to a petulant man-child who doesn't sign his contract before the show goes live. George Carlin (Matthew Rhys) just complains while Andy Kaufman (Nicholas Braun) wanders around like he's a child in desperate need of supervision.

Dan Aykroyd (Dylan O'Brien) hangs around doing variations on the “Ask President Carter” sketch, in which the former president is surprisingly adept at talking down novice drug users. It's anachronistic — this skit didn't appear until the Bill Murray era in 1977 — but this film will do everything it can to wink at die-hard “SNL” fans craving nostalgia.

The film's most offensive performances are reserved for the only actors who deliver memorable performances. As Garrett Morris, Lamorne Morris walks aimlessly around the set and is in an existential crisis because he is the only black actor on the show. It's played for laughs, but considering the show's long cast of mostly white comedians, Reitman's treatment of Morris leaves an unpleasant aftertaste.

Things are even worse for Jim Henson (Braun again), who is reduced here to a wimp who lacks creativity and insight. It's true that the Muppets were a bad fit for “SNL,” but “Saturday Night” blames the mild-mannered Henson. Any film that tackles this man's legacy deserves every ounce of contempt I can muster.

For some reason, Milton Berle (JK Simmons) shows up to attack the show before it airs. Berle was notoriously one of the show's worst hosts, and he was actually upset that these young whippersnappers were violating the territory that once belonged to him. But rather than delve into the dynamic between old and new, Reitman instead opts for a scene in which the notoriously wealthy Uncle Miltie sticks out his penis as a punchline.

Let's face it: If you don't know anything about these names, “Saturday Night” isn't going to help you. Only a few details are presented in advance, and the explanations hardly seem all that precise. Admittedly, you shouldn't expect a biopic to be a documentary based on facts, but this film doesn't just reprint the legends; it rewrites the truth.

“Saturday Night” becomes irredeemably shameless when NBC execs demand that the “Not Ready for Prime-Time Players” perform their skits in front of an audience of sponsors and bigwigs. Reitman directed Kaufman's brilliant “Mighty Mouse” sketch and Morris' infamous prison talent show song – which he actually performed later in the season. This final scene is intended to convey that the token black actor has earned his place in the series; an implication that irritated me to no end.

Perhaps the only good moment in “Saturday Night” is the musical performance by Billy Preston, played here by musician Jon Batiste. Looking like a Baptist preacher (a close approximation of Preston's appearance), Batiste sings a rousing version of “Nothing From Nothing” in its entirety. It's the only time “Saturday Night” feels alive, let alone live.

★

SATURDAY NIGHT

Director: Jason Reitman. Written by Reitman and Gil Kenan. Starring Gabriel LaBelle, Rachel Sennott, Lamorne Morris, Matt Wood, Willem Dafoe, Nicholas Braun, Dylan O'Brien, Matthew Rhys and JK Simmons. At AMC Boston Common, Landmark Kendall Square, Alamo Drafthouse Seaport, AMC Causeway, Suburbs. 109 minutes. R (profanity, drug use)

Odie Henderson is the film critic for the Boston Globe.