This milestone episode of Saturday Night Live (SNL) is so big that it will be airing on a Sunday! SNL is celebrating their 50th anniversary on February 16, from 8-11 p.m. EST on NBC and Peacock. It will pay tribute to the show and its creator Lorne Michaels.
Famous alumni, such as Tina Fey and Adam Sandler, will be returning to look back at all the late-night sketches from over the years. The 3-hour show will consist of a concert, a special, and a re-broadcast of the show’s first episode.
The concert will be hosted by late night talk show host Jimmy Fallon, and according to an article published by Elizabeth Blair, will include the following performers: Lady Gaga, Miley Cyrus, Post Malone, Bad Bunny and more.
SNL began on October 10, 1975, under the network NBC. This occurred because Johnny Carson asked NBC for more time away from his talk show and suggested they use reruns in the meantime. Instead, they added SNL to the network. Michaels was only 29 when he pitched it to them, describing it as a “comedy show: frank and intelligent, for young, urban adults.” After ironing out some concerns, NBC picked it up.
Originally the name was not going to be SNL, because it had already belonged to another show. However, this show soon got cancelled due to poor ratings, opening the name to whoever wanted it. Flash forward 50 years, and the show is still extremely successful, thanks to the great writers.
Tune in on Sunday to see just how many jokes this long running TV program has left.