Live from New York, it’s … Sunday night? On Sunday, Feb. 16, classic sketch comedy show “Saturday Night Live” celebrated its 50th anniversary with a star-studded three-hour special that was an absolute blast to watch. The “Avengers: Endgame” for “SNL” fans, the night was a homecoming for cast members and former hosts as they returned to Studio 8H and bridged the generational gap, sharing the stage.
Before giving my thoughts on the special, I thought I would provide some background on “SNL.” Under the supervision of producer Lorne Michaels, every episode follows the same format: a celebrity guest host delivers an opening monologue followed by many sketches, digital shorts, “Weekend Update” and a guest musical act. The structure has remained mainly unchanged since the first episode premiered on Oct. 11, 1975 (hosted by George Carlin).
Over the years, cast members have come and gone, giving “SNL” various “eras,” each with its own distinct feel and style of comedy. People have different ideas of which is the best, but part of the joy of the 50th special was seeing the generations of casts come together, including members of the first season (Chevy Chase, Garrett Morris, Jane Curtin and Laraine Newman), and the return of fan-favorite bits. Kristen Wiig reprised her role of Dooneese in a “Lawrence Welk” sketch where she finally finds a match (played by Will Ferrell), despite her eccentricities. Pete Davidson appeared as Chad in a sketch with Laraine Newman where she reminisces of her past at “SNL.” Kate McKinnon returned as Colleen Rafferty in a new “Close Encounter” installment, this time with her mother, Colleen, played by Meryl Streep in her “SNL” debut. Rachel Dratch reprised Debbie Downer, and frequent host Steve Martin gave the opening monologue. Even recent characters made comebacks, such as Marcello Hernández returning as Season 50’s Domingo for the third time in “Domingo: Vow Renewal.”
Personally, four sketches stood out. The first was a new Andy Samberg digital short: “Anxiety.” Samberg pioneered the digital short when he released “Lazy Sunday” (a rap about “Narnia”) in 2005 with Chris Parnell. “Anxiety” parodies being an “SNL” cast member, positing that “every single person who ever worked at ‘SNL’ had anxiety.” The song pays homage to the show’s history, referencing Dan Aykroyd, Eddie Murphy and Billy Crystal. Ana Gasteyer and Molly Shannon reprise their “Delicious Dish” roles, and Parnell, à la “Lazy Sunday,” raps a few bars.
Another highlight was "Adam Sandler's Song.” While he was a cast member, Adam Sandler sang many iconic tunes, but his song for the 50th (introduced by Jack Nicholson) was surprisingly touching. At times self-parodying, Sandler sang about the show’s history, quirks and what makes it special. Arguably, the most heartfelt moment was when he paid respect to the late Chris Farley and Norm Macdonald. Tina Fey and Amy Poehler hosted an audience Q&A session that featured many celebrity cameos (including Nate Bargatze, Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Ryan Reynolds) and lots of clever writing. My top sketch of the night was the new John Mulaney musical (it has become tradition to write a musical whenever he hosts) which parodied a wide variety of shows, including “Fame,” “Les Mis,” “Little Shop of Horrors,” “Hamilton” and “The Lion King” (Lin Manuel-Miranda appeared as Hamilton and Nathan Lane sang a parody of “Hakuna Matata”). This is one of the cleverest musical sketches, both mocking and paying tribute to New York City and pop culture over the past 50 years.
For decades, “SNL” has been a staple of American pop culture. Some have argued that “SNL” hasn’t been funny in recent years, but I think the 50th special proves this wrong. Overall, the energy of the cast and audience was infectious, and I excitedly watched familiar faces and characters return. The episode, in tone, felt like the “SNL” golden age returned, and I hope it is indicative of the future. Regardless, the series’ impact cannot be understated. Here’s to 50 years of making us laugh, “SNL,” and 50 more!
