New York’s hottest club is Saturday Night Live’s 50th anniversary celebration. Longtime producer Lorne Michaels has gone all out, planning a weekend of once-in-a-decade events for a guest list of some of the biggest names in the last half-century of entertainment. Tonight, NBC will air SNL 50: The Anniversary Celebration, a special featuring stars from the show’s history, more live musical performances, and famous sketches from the series’ five decades on air. Follow along as we track all the punch lines, surprises, and, hopefully, breaks. —Jesse David Fox
If anyone watching tries to read the tea leaves for who’s taking over for Lorne, almost every sketch was from Seth Meyers’s time as head writer or was done by someone Meyers hired (save Debbie Downer and Domingo)
At good nights, director Liz Patrick kept cutting from camera to camera, trying to catch Lorne as he turned away to talk to people and give hugs
Head writers from the last 25 years missing from the credits: Chris Kelly and Sarah Schneider, Rob Klein, Anna Drezen, Adam McKay, Harper Steele
James Anderson
Dan Bulla
Megan Callahan-Shah
Michael Che
Mikey Day
Jim Downey
Tina Fey
Jimmy Fowlie
Alison Gates
Sudi Green
Jack Handey
Steve Higgins
Colin Jost
Erik Kenward
Dennis McNicholas
Seth Meyers
Lorne Michaels
John Mulaney
Jake Nordwind
Ceara O’Sullivan
Josh Patten
Paula Pell
Simon Rich
Pete Schultz
Streeter Seidell
Emily Spivey
Kent Sublette
Emily Spivey
Bryan Tucker
Auguste White
Bringing it all home.
Yeah, I was at the first Bowery Ballroom concert, deal with it.
“Schiller’s Reel” was a series of short films Tom Schiller contributed to SNL during its first few seasons. Most were artier than the sketches they ran among, and they added a little class and heft to the show in its early days. “Don’t Look Back in Anger” is one of John Belushi’s most moving moments on the show, and of course, his death barely five years after it aired gives it extra resonance and power now. If you watch it again, keep an eye on Belushi as he delivers the final line, “Because I’m a dancer.” His body language shifts at that moment, and he goes from playing a persuasively hobbling old man back to the agile young physical comedian he was.
Of all the compilation packages SNL50 could have put together, who would’ve guessed they’d dedicate multiple minutes of screen time to the show’s history of stereotypical jokes, gay panic, ethnic caricatures, and yes, blackface. Way to own it, I guess!
And then no Fred Armisen Joy Behar?!?!?!?!?!
Which I guess is understandable, because the 40th covered a lot.
How is it that Lorne doesn’t watch this musical sketch and say ‘This doesn’t play to all 50 states"?
Former longtime SNL bandleader G.E. Smith (who was briefly married to OG cast member Gilda Radner) showed up alongside Paul Shaffer!
Jack Nicholson makes a rare public appearance to introduce Adam Sandler, eliciting several whoas from Vulture Slack
Kristen Wiig, a Digital Short, Black Jeopardy, Fred Armisen, Cecily, Bobby, Kate, Vanessa … this show has really focused on what I’d consider “Seth Meyers’s time as head writer.”
The Laundromat?
I know you can serve cunt live, c’mon now.
There are many, many famous people here. Earn your keep.
Perfect tribute.
Andy Hoglund reminisced with Bobby Moynihan about his most recognizable character last month.
Miley Cyrus and Brittany Howard’s “Nothing Compares 2 U” knits together two memorable SNL moments of decades past
The song is by Prince, whose performance at the 40th-anniversary episode’s afterparty has entered into legend. And it’s also a gesture to Sinéad O’Connor, who used her 1992 moment as musical guest as a protest against the abuse she and others experienced growing up Catholic. As she performed Bob Marley’s “War,” she held up a picture of Pope John Paul II to the camera and tore it to pieces in the song’s final lines, saying “Fight the real enemy.” The dissolve to a commercial break a moment later was silent, with no applause; the discourse the following week was predictably berserk. The next week’s host, Joe Pesci, made light of it, saying in full Tommy DeSimone mode that he “would have gave her such a smack.” A few weeks later, when Madonna hosted, she held up a picture of the tabloid schmuck Joey Buttafuoco and tore it up, repeating the “fight the real enemy” to laughter. Since then, we’ve learned much about the widespread sexual abuse in the church and the coverups that let it keep happening, and public opinion of O’Connor’s stunt is far more sympathetic today. Was tonight’s choice of song an apology to her? Perhaps. But it’s mostly a memorial: Prince has been gone since 2016, O’Connor since 2023.
She introduced Miley Cyrus and Brittany Howard’s SNL50 performance. That’s nice!
Andy Samberg and Bowen Yang sing about SNL cast members’ history of having anxiety, with a great Sarah Sherman bar and a bit of Gasteyer and Shannon in there. An aside about whether it’s better to work in a coal mine or on SNL is the most joke-dense bit of the tune, and the short has great production and an awesome sound, not unlike SNL40’s “That’s When You Break” — but neither were all that funny.
Get it, Donna!
The American Girl Store cutaway was pre-recorded!
Martin Short, Molly Shannon, Chloe Fineman, Andrew Dismukes, Sabrina Carpenter, Heidi Gardner, Ego Nwodim, Sarah Sherman, Marcello Hernandez, Andy Samberg, Beck Bennett, Kyle Mooney, Bowen Yang, Pedro Pascal — I think I got ’em all?
Leslie Jones cracked up during “Black Jeopardy.”
While standing right next to Morgan.
The SNL subreddit was up in arms over Kim Kardashian’s presence at SNL50 earlier in the week, but she’s mostly just standing and saying her lines non-offensively. At one point Wiig uses her butt as a percussive device, which seems appropriate. Not much to get mad at here!
Mikey Day and Devon Walker played the ICE agents.
Martin Short appeared after Mulaney’s cameo (“the only Canadian who wasn’t in Schitt’s Creek“) thinking he and Steve were gonna do the monologue together. Alas, Martin didn’t bring his passport, and Steve calls in ICE agents to drag him off the stage. On his way out, Martin names names: “Mike Myers, Jim Carrey, Catherine O’Hara!!”
Steve Martin honors the SNL writers … who are forced to stand outside in the rain instead of inside Studio 8H
But he is part of the Five-Timers’ Club.
And then Mulaney appeared.
Classy.
It’s because all the alums are HOMEWARD BOUND to STUDIO 8H.
Terry Sweeney and Bowen Yang may have been cast about 35 years apart, but that meeting of the minds is exactly what SNL50 is for. Yang shared our interview with Sweeney a few days ago, and now they’re together. Next stop? Hopefully starring in an Off Broadway play at the Lucille Lortel.
Will Ferrell says he and Ana Gasteyer barely had a day to rehearse their sublime Culps reunion at the SNL50 concert
And, unlike Kendrick at the Super Bowl, they were allowed to sing “pedophile.”
Cast members, writers, returning guests: They’re all being asked to offer their best guesses about what is going to happen on a show they worked on painstakingly all week. Matt Rogers asked cast members Kenan Thompson and Marcello Hernandez; Willie Geist asked John Mulaney immediately after Mulaney described his experience of coming back to write for the episode. These are not people who are going to be sitting at the afterparty with an empty Bingo card.
It’s Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds’ first public event since Lively filed a lawsuit against her It Ends With Us director and co-star Justin Baldoni at the end of last year. They look happy to be out of the house!
She’s getting like 30 seconds with each person.
New York’s biggest disappointment is … this. Seeing “The Californians” core trio (Hader, Kristen Wiig, and Fred Armisen) hawking a Volkswagen in a pre-taped commercial is all you’re getting of Hader tonight. Puck reported over the weekend that he “politely declined” attending any SNL50 celebrations. Don’t talk to me, I’m going through the five stages of grief.
I knew it wasnt gonna be a total fashion show but no men are wearing anything even remotely interesting
Bad Bunny’s the only one not in a plain black suit.
The woman from Ted Lasso singing The Love Boat theme song on a cruise ship followed by Drew Barrymore and Orlando Bloom in another cruise commercial … lotta high-concept, high-budget commercials getting reused tonight.
And she’s also doing a sly tribute to Lorne Michaels’ obsession with popcorn. I’d smuggle in sooooo many snacks into AMC Discount Tuesdays with this.
Amelia Dimoldenberg has been near-ubiquitous on major red carpets lately (she’s back at the Oscars in a couple weeks) and wow, the experience is really paying off. She’s professional, smooth, and makes it all look natural. She just kicked Chloe Fineman and Sarah Sherman out of her little red carpet station so YouTube could go to a bad T-Mobile ad featuring Kenan and Marcello without any awkwardness. Book her!
Friday night, the SNL 50: Homecoming Concert aired live from Radio City Musical Hall on Peacock. (You can stream it there now, or maybe after this special ends.) It was a giant party featuring unexpected collaborations, heartfelt covers of songs from SNL’s history, and Lady Gaga wearing a Christmas gift over her crotch. Performers included Cher; Ms. Lauryn Hill and Wyclef Jean; a reunited Nirvana (with Post-Malone on vocals); Robyn and David Byrne; and Miley Cyrus. Chris Martin was there but only to perform piano accompaniment to Bonnie Raitt. And this was just the welcome home gathering!
Besides the current cast, past cast members attending tonight include Adam Sandler, Amy Poehler, Andy Samberg, Chevy Chase, Chris Rock, Eddie Murphy, Fred Armisen, Garrett Morris, Jane Curtin, Jason Sudeikis, Jimmy Fallon, Kate McKinnon, Kenan Thompson, Kristen Wiig, Laraine Newman, Maya Rudolph, Martin Short, Molly Shannon, Pete Davidson, Seth Meyers, Tina Fey, Tracy Morgan, Will Ferrell, and Will Forte. Surely there will be more surprises and cameos, including star of SNL 40’s in memoriam, Jon Lovitz.
The show will also feature a number of past hosts and celebrity guest stars, like Adam Driver, Ayo Edebiri, Bad Bunny, Dave Chappelle, John Mulaney, Kim Kardashian, Miley Cyrus, Paul McCartney, Paul Simon, Pedro Pascal, Peyton Manning, Quinta Brunson, Robert De Niro, Sabrina Carpenter, Scarlett Johansson, Steve Martin, Tom Hanks, and Woody Harrelson.
The three-hour-long event will air live on NBC and Peacock starting at 8 p.m. ET, with a red carpet hosted by Willie Geist and Leslie Jones and correspondent Matt Rogers airing at 7 p.m. on NBC, E! and Peacock. Chicken Shop Date’s Amelia Dimoldenberg will host an additional online red carpet on SNL’s YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, X, and TikTok.
More SNL 50
- Saturday Night Live Recap: Lady Gaga Returns
- Saturday Night Live Recap: Shane Gillis Humors the Base
- SNL50’s ‘COVID Curse’ Got Martin Short and Maya Rudolph