Just over a week ago, acclaimed American late night TV show Saturday Night Live celebrated its 40th anniversary with surprise guest appearances and performances by famous A-listers. Unlike other episodes, all of the members of this audience were connected to the show in one way or another. Contemporary pop culture favorites and an assortment of veteran comedic greats were in New York City for this unforgettable evening.
The three-and-a-half-hour long show kicked off with a hilarious musical number by two SNL favorites: five time host Justin Timberlake and SNL alum Jimmy Fallon. They paid tribute to some of SNL’s most memorable sketches, including the negative Debbie Downer and the hyperactive Mary Katherine Gallagher.
Will Ferrell returned to the stage as Jeopardy host Alex Trebek with guests Alec Baldwin, Darrell Hammond, Jim Carrey, Kenan Thompson as Tony Bennett, Sean Connery, Matthew McConaughey, and Bill Cosby respectively. This skit was one of the greatest of the night, packed with hilarious responses to the categories. Another one of the best reprisals was Weekend Update with SNL alums Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, and Jane Curtin, reflecting SNL today compared to the 70s.
A later segment of the show included a special glimpse into many of its veteran actors’ audition tapes. Stars such as Amy Poehler, Gilda Radner, Phil Hartman, and Seth Myers appeared on screen showing off their candid comedic acts and raw talent that won over the SNL producers.
Some of the greatest skits on SNL are when they include elements of political satire. Jack Nicholson introduced a segment highlighting some of the funniest moments of political humor over the past forty years. Who can forget Will Ferrell as George Bush proclaiming “strategery” as the best argument for his candidacy, Jason Sudeikis as Joe Biden during the vice presidential debate, Darrell Hammond’s multiple impersonations of Bill Clinton, Al Gore, and John McCain, as well as Tina Fey’s hysterical Sarah Palin sketch?
Source: NBC
Eddie Murphy also made a cameo, which marked his first return to the SNL stage since his departure in 1984. Chris Rock introduced the SNL alum with a long tribute centering around how he convinced Chris that comedy could be a career. Even though Murphy walked out to a standing ovation, he only gave a quick thank you and left the audience wanting more.
As for music, the legendary Paul McCartney belted out a rendition of “Maybe I’m Amazed”, Kanye West sang a medley of some of his new songs including “Only One” and “Wolves” while lying on the floor, and Miley Cyrus crooned a soulful execution of Paul Simon’s “50 Ways to Leave Your Lover”.
Another prominent SNL favorite, Bill Hader’s character Stefon, made a surprise appearance for the occasion. Stefon is a crazy city correspondent who often appeared during the Weekend Update skits. Hader would frequently succumb to the hilarity of the skit by bursting out with laughter while delivering his lines, which only added to its popularity. A digital short shown on the 40th anniversary was devoted to breaking in a song performed by Andy Samberg and Adam Sandler, called “That’s When You Break”.
The anniversary episode also featured a famous sketch that was eventually adapted into two films starring Mike Myers as Wayne Campbell and Dana Carvey as Garth Algar. Wayne’s World is a sarcastic skit based on the guys broadcasting a TV show about pop culture and rock-and-roll out of their parent’s basement. The sketch was reenacted by Myers and Carvey at the tail end of the show, and sh’yeah! it was very well executed.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter
Over its 40 years on the air, SNL has crafted some amazingly talented comedic geniuses who will always give you a reason to stay up late watching cable TV every Saturday night.