Please Don't Destroy
GenresSatire, surreal humour, off-color humor
Years active2017–present
MembersBen Marshall
John Higgins
Martin Herlihy
Websitepleasedontdestroy.com

Please Don't Destroy is an American comedy group in New York City consisting of Ben Marshall, John Higgins, and Martin Herlihy, who began collaborating as students at New York University. The group was originally founded in 2017 and based on an act titled Please Don't Destroy My Farm.[1] The troupe performed monthly comedy shows, appeared at the New York Comedy Festival and produced sketch videos posted to YouTube.[1][2][3] During the COVID-19 pandemic, they began creating shorter videos for TikTok and Twitter.[1][4]

In 2021, the trio was hired as writers on Saturday Night Live (SNL) to produce prerecorded digital videos for the show's 47th season.[5][6] Please Don't Destroy debuted on SNL on October 9, 2021.[4][7] They recorded the song "Three Sad Virgins" with Pete Davidson and Taylor Swift.[8] In 2023, they wrote and starred in Please Don't Destroy: The Treasure of Foggy Mountain, a comedy movie that follows three friends as they struggle through early adulthood and search for treasure.[9][10]

Members

Ben Marshall

Ben Marshall (born May 1, 1995) grew up in Savannah, Georgia, where he attended the Savannah Arts Academy.[11] He graduated from the NYU Tisch School of Arts in 2017.[12] At NYU, he was involved in the Hammerkatz sketch comedy and Astor Place Riots stand up comedy groups.[11] Prior to SNL, he worked as an after-school counselor at the YMCA while pursuing comedy.[13]

John Higgins

John Higgins (born November 14, 1995) grew up in Montclair, New Jersey.[14] Born into an entertainment family, he is one of four children of Steve Higgins, a producer and writer for SNL most widely known as the announcer of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.[15] He is the nephew of actor David Anthony Higgins and comedy writer Alan J. Higgins.[14] He attended Montclair Kimberley Academy,[16] and has cited Simon Rich as a major influence during this time.[1][17] Higgins attended New York University where he was part of the Hammerkatz sketch comedy troupe and graduated with an English degree from the College of Arts & Sciences in 2018.[12][11] Outside of his work with Please Don't Destroy, he has appeared in the films A Man Called Otto (2022) and in the indie comedy The Country Club (2023).[18] He is engaged to comedian Emily Wilson.[19]

Martin Herlihy

Martin Herlihy (born September 13, 1998) grew up in Ridgefield, Connecticut, the son of Tim Herlihy,[15] the longtime comedy partner of Adam Sandler and a writer/producer for SNL in the 1990s. Herlihy attended Ridgefield High School and graduated from the New York University Tisch School of the Arts in 2019.[12] At NYU, he was involved in Astor Place Riots stand up comedy.[11]

List of prerecorded sketches

Season 47 (2021–22)

Title Original airdate Description
Hard Seltzer October 9, 2021 Three SNL writers; Martin, Ben and John, discover a variety of hard seltzers.
Rami Wants a Treat October 16, 2021 Host Rami Malek explains why he deserves to be rewarded for being on his best behavior at Saturday Night Live. Recorded for Malek's episode but cut for time.
Calling Angie November 6, 2021 John tries to reconcile with his ex-girlfriend Angie (Sarah Sherman), but the call goes off the rails.
Three Sad Virgins November 13, 2021 Pete Davidson creates a music video about three sad virgins (Marshall, Higgins, Herlihy) and is joined by special guest Taylor Swift.
Touch Up November 20, 2021 Martin, Ben, and John discuss the work they've had done, including Ben's botox and John's longer fingers. Written for the Simu Liu episode but cut for time.
Future Selves December 11, 2021 Martin, Ben, and John are visited by their future selves who warn them of disasters, but they become distracted by how disappointing their future lives are. Written for the Billie Eilish episode, but was cut for time.
New Personalities January 22, 2022 The three writers try out some new personalities such as 'Dude whose years of research got rocked' and 'The Subway Guy'. Written for the Will Forte episode but cut for time.
Martin's Friend January 29, 2022 Martin introduces John and Ben to his new friend Connor, who is 10 years old. Initially John and Ben dislike Connor but the four end up becoming friends. Connor wants to pitch jokes to Colin Jost for Weekend Update, and Jost appears telling Connor he loves them.
Good Variant February 26, 2022 A celebration breaks out after news of a new COVID variant that is actually good. Host John Mulaney plays a news anchor reporting on the new variant. Paul Rudd tests positive for the variant and passes it to Martin, Ben and John. Al Roker and Sarah Sherman also join the celebrations.
We Got Her a Cat March 12, 2022 The three writers plan to surprise host Zoë Kravitz with a cat, but it does not go as expected. Paul Dano is found to be living in the writers' office as he is doing research for a movie about "three guys who suck".
Three Normal Goths April 2, 2022 A group of goths with conventional tastes live completely normal lives. Host Jerrod Carmichael appears and is judged by the goths for his fashion choices. Filmed for Carmichael's episode but cut for time.
Lizzo Has Writer's Block April 16, 2022 Lizzo needs help writing two new songs for her SNL performance. Andrew Dismukes appears as himself and threatens to kill Lizzo if her new songs are not good enough.

Season 48 (2022–23)

Title Original airdate Description
Tommy October 8, 2022 Martin, Ben, and John play high school versions of themselves, and find out that their best friend Tommy (played by host Brendan Gleeson) is a 67-year-old Irish man. This is the first PDD sketch to take place completely outside of their office.
Wellness October 15, 2022 The boys talk about things that they do to stay healthy.
Election Night November 12, 2022 New cast member Molly Kearney suddenly wins the election for Attorney General of Ohio thanks to a drunken Tweet, and the boys must mold them into a proper, TV-ready politician in time for their victory speech. Steve Kornacki cameos as himself, giving the election results.[20]
Chelsea December 10, 2022 Martin and Ben find themselves in a bad situation when John reunites with his ex-girlfriend (Sarah Sherman). Sherman's father, Andrew Sherman, cameos in this film.
Plirts December 17, 2022 The boys create a shirt made of plastic, pitching the idea to host Austin Butler. New cast members Devon Walker and Marcello Hernandez join in on the fun, as does musical guest Lizzo.
The Stakeout February 25, 2023 Ben holds a stakeout with host Woody Harrelson to find out what Martin and John are hiding from him. It turns out they have a secret family and are holding auditions to replace Ben.
Self-Defense March 4, 2023 After being insulted by the interns, the boys go to a self-defense class lead by Kirk Lightning (played by host Travis Kelce).
Road Trip March 11, 2023 The boys and host Jenna Ortega sing about going on a cross country road trip.
Street Eats April 1, 2023 Three guys film a show called Street Eats where they go around New York to try exotic foods and interact with people of different races.
Molly Shannon2k23 April 8, 2023 The boys show host Molly Shannon a video game where they simulate her life. Eventually, she gets into the game as well.
Hangxiety April 15, 2023 The boys and host Ana de Armas talk about having a hangover after the show's afterparty.

Season 49 (2023–24)

Title Original airdate Description
The Original Princes of Comedy October 14, 2023 The guys reflect on their early comedy careers with host Pete Davidson. It uses real early footage from Def Comedy Jam, where the trio got their start.
Bad Bunny is Shrek October 21, 2023 Bad Bunny (who was serving as the host and musical guest for this episode) writes his own version of Shrek, with each of the boys playing their own character (Ben as Puss in Boots, Martin as Donkey, and John as Michael Jackson).
Dawg Food October 28, 2023 Martin and John eat "Dawg" Food, while Ben is clearly disgusted.
Jumper November 11, 2023 Martin, Ben, and John find a guy (played by host Timothée Chalamet) about to jump off a building, and try to talk him out of it.
Ramen Order November 18, 2023 The boys attempt to order ramen as John finds out his girlfriend is breaking up with him.
AI December 2, 2023 Martin tries to confess his love for host Emma Stone, but due to a hard drive malfunction, the producers use AI technology in some shots to replace her with stunt double and cast member Punkie Johnson, with Ben and John also being replaced by AI.

Filmography

Please Don't Destroy film work
Title Release Description
The Treasure of Foggy Mountain[5][21] November 17, 2023 Three childhood friends who live and work together do not like where their lives are headed, and set off to find gold treasure rumored to be buried on a nearby mountain. Exclusive to Peacock.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Alter, Rebecca (July 19, 2021). "Boys, Interrupting". Vulture. Retrieved November 30, 2021.
  2. ↑ El Gafy, Fareid (November 7, 2018). "NYU Sketch Comedy Group Joins New York Comedy Festival". Washington Square News.
  3. ↑ Pearis, Bill (October 12, 2021). "Please Don't Destroy made their SNL debut (watch), playing NY Comedy Fest". BrooklynVegan.
  4. 1 2 Abramovitch, Seth (May 19, 2022). "How 'Saturday Night Live' Breakout Please Don't Destroy Became Show's Viral Weapon". The Hollywood Reporter.
  5. 1 2 Vlessing, Etan (July 20, 2022). "Universal Pictures Nabs Buddy Comedy From 'SNL' Please Don't Destroy Group". Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved July 21, 2022.
  6. ↑ Wright, Megh (September 28, 2021). "SNL Adds Ten New Writers for Season 47". Vulture.
  7. ↑ Gularte, Alejandra (October 10, 2021). "Please Don't Destroy Make Their Hilarious SNL Debut". Vulture.
  8. ↑ Truitt, Brian. "'SNL': Taylor Swift sings 'Three Sad Virgins' and 'All Too Well,' joined by famous friends". USA TODAY.
  9. ↑ Lowry, Brian (November 17, 2023). "Please Don't Destroy gets a bigger canvas for the same shtick in 'The Treasure of Foggy Mountain'". CNN. Retrieved November 18, 2023.
  10. ↑ "The Cast of Please Don't Destroy: The Treasure of Foggy Mountain Is a Comedy Nerd's Dream". NBC Insider Official Site. November 15, 2023. Retrieved November 18, 2023.
  11. 1 2 3 4 Alter, Rebecca (July 19, 2021). "Boys, Interrupting". Vulture. Retrieved November 8, 2023.
  12. 1 2 3 NYU Web Communications. "NYU Alumni 2023 Primetime Emmy Award Honorees". www.nyu.edu. Retrieved November 8, 2023.
  13. ↑ Abramovitch, Seth (May 19, 2022). "How 'Saturday Night Live' Breakout Please Don't Destroy Became Show's Viral Weapon". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved November 8, 2023.
  14. 1 2 Morain, Michael. "D.M. native Steve Higgins is the new voice of 'The Tonight Show'". The Des Moines Register. Retrieved November 8, 2023.
  15. 1 2 Jarvey, Natalie (September 8, 2023). "SNL's Please Don't Destroy Doesn't Want Your Bras". Vanity Fair. Retrieved November 8, 2023.
  16. ↑ "John Higgins '14". www.mka.org. Retrieved November 8, 2023.
  17. ↑ Rodgers, D. Patrick (July 17, 2023). "Talking Touring and 'SNL' With Please Don't Destroy". Nashville Scene. Retrieved November 8, 2023.
  18. ↑ Massoto, Erick (May 29, 2023). "'SNL' Fave John Higgins Delivers Deadpan Humor in 'The Country Club' Trailer". Collider. Retrieved November 8, 2023.
  19. ↑ https://www.instagram.com/p/CsWicTvAOAV/?hl=en&img_index=1
  20. ↑ Hoglund, Andy. "'SNL' recap: Dave Chappelle returns to host a third post-election episode". EW.com.
  21. ↑ Coggan, Devan Coggan. "Get an exclusive first look at the 'Please Don't Destroy' movie". EW.com. Retrieved August 16, 2023.
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