Lianna NormanUSA TODAY NETWORK - Florida
- "Saturday Night Live!" celebrated its 50th anniversary with a homecoming concert and a three-hour live special this weekend.
- The anniversary special saw the return of retired sketches and characters, with appearances from alumni like Eddie Murphy, Will Ferrell, Amy Poehler, Kenan Thompson and Tina Fey.
- Meryl Streep made her "SNL" debut on the anniversary special, in a new edition of the "Close Encounters" sketch with Kate McKinnon.
If you haven’t been paying attention to any commercials or ads on live TV or streaming services all year, you might not know that the iconic late-night comedy sketch show “Saturday Night Live!” celebrated its 50th birthday this weekend.
On Friday night, there was a televised homecoming concert held at Radio City Music Hall, with a “who’s who” list of comedians, actors and musicians. The concert had both comedic musical performances – from comedians like Bill Murray and Andy Samberg – and performances from A-list artists who have been musical guests of the show in the past.
Sunday night’s three-hour live primetime special was the star of the show, though. “SNL” fans saw the revival of beloved sketches of the show’s past and star-studded takes on some of the show’s newer characters.
Meryl Streep even made her “SNL” debut, playing Kate McKinnon’s irreverent mother in a new version of McKinnon’s beloved “Close Encounter” sketch about alien abduction.
Here’s a quick recap of what you missed from the "SNL" 50th anniversary specials, how and where to stream them and some Florida ties to the show.
Who performed the ‘SNL 50’ concert?
The list of performers who graced the stage at Radio City Music Hall on Valentine’s Day for the “Saturday Night Live!” 50th anniversary homecoming concert is long.
The three-hour concert aired live from Radio City Music Hall in New York and featured performances from legends like Cher, Bonnie Raitt, Eddie Vedder, Nirvana and Post Malone, Lady Gaga, Brandy Carlile and much more. There were also comedic musical performances from “SNL” alumni, like Bill Murray and Will Ferrell.
Here’s a full list of all the performances from the “SNL” 50th anniversary homecoming concert on Friday, Feb. 14:
- “Soul Man” – Jimmy Fallon
- “Crazy Little Thing Called Love” – Miley Cyrus and Brittany Howard
- “Flowers” – Miley Cyrus
- “Baile Inolvidable,” “DTMF” – Bad Bunny
- “You’re All I Need to Get By” – Bill Murray (feat. Ana Gasteyer, Maya Rudolph and Cecily Strong)
- “The Waiting,” “Corduroy” – Eddie Vedder
- “Astronaut Jones Theme Song” – Tracy Morgan
- “Love Shack” – The B-52s (feat. Fred Armisen, Sarah Sherman and Bowen Yang)
- “I Want It That Way” – The Backstreet Boys
- “Uncontrollable Urge” – Devo
- Lonely Island Medley – Andy Samberg & Lady Gaga (feat. Bad Bunny, Chris Parnell, Eddie Vedder, Jorma Taccone and T-Pain)
- Lauryn Hill Medley – Lauryn Hill and Wyclef Jean
- The Culps Medley – Will Ferrell and Ana Gasteyer
- “I Walk the Line,” “Ring of Fire” – Jellyroll
- “The Joke” – Brandy Carlile
- “I Will Wait” – Mumford & Sons, “The Boxer” – Mumford & Sons and Jerry Douglas
- “Gin and Juice” – Snoop Dogg, “Last Dance With Mary Jane” – Snoop Dogg and Jelly Roll
- “Heroes,” “Wake Up” – Arcade Fire, David Byrne, St. Vincent & Preservation Hall Jazz Band
- “Thing Called Love” – Bonnie Raitt, “I Can’t Make You Love Me” – Bonnie Raitt and Chris Martin
- “Smells Like Teen Spirit” – Post Malone and Nirvana
- “Dancing On My Own,” “This Must Be the Place (Naïve Melody)” – Robyn and David Byrne
- “If I Could Turn Back Time” – Cher
- “Shallow” – Lady Gaga
- “Rockin’ in the Free World,” “Seven Nation Army” – Jack White
Review: 'SNL50' didn't do justice to the past 50 years of comedy
Where can I watch the ‘SNL 50’ homecoming concert?
“SNL” airs on NBC, which means that “SNL 50: The Homecoming Concert” is available to stream on NBC-owned streaming platform Peacock.
The Peacock app currently has a tab up on its main menu, titled “SNL 50,” which has a folder full of “Saturday Night Live” content, including this weekend’s celebrations and documentaries about the show.
Watch 'SNL 50' specials on Peacock
Can you watch the ‘SNL’ 50th anniversary on Hulu?
No, you can’t watch SNL or any of the SNL 50th anniversary specials with a regular Hulu subscription. Hulu plus Live TV is the only Hulu subscription that carries NBC.
Who came to 'SNL 50'? Meryl Streep, Eddie Murphy, John Mulaney, Miles Teller and much more
The list of stars that played a part (or even just sat in the studio audience) for SNL’s 50th anniversary show on Sunday, Feb. 16, is somehow even longer than the list of star-studded performances that kicked off the weekend.
The live audience was packed with alumni and former hosts and guests of the show, with many of them participating in bits and sketches. Eddie Murphy, Kenan Thompson and Tracy Morgan got some of the biggest laughs of the night, with their revival of the “Black Jeopardy” sketch.
Just to name a few of the night’s biggest sketches: Rachel Dratch returned as “Debbie Downer,” alongside Robert DeNiro, Jimmy Fallon, Ayo Edebiri and Drew Barrymore; Kate McKinnon returned for the ninth edition of her “Close Encounters” sketch, featuring Meryl Streep’s “SNL” debut; Jason Sudeikis’s “Scared Straight” sketch returned, with help from Kenan Thompson, Eddie Murphy and Will Ferrell; Kristin Wiig's iconic and strange "Dooneese" character from the beloved "Lawrence Welk Show" sketch returned with Will Ferrell, Scarlett Johansson, Kim Kardashian, Ana Gasteyer and Fred Armisen.
Another star-studded bit was helmed by “SNL” dynamic duo Amy Poehler and Tina Fey, who “randomly” called on stars sitting in the audience to answer their burning questions about the show. That segment featured questions from Zack Galafianakis, John Hamm, Quinta Brunson, Tim Meadows, Ryan Reynolds, Keith Richards, Cher, Seth Meyers, Reverend Al Sharpton, Ray Romano and more.
Here’s a non-exhaustive list of celebrities who played a part in the “SNL 50” anniversary special on Sunday, Feb. 16, from NBC:
- Adam Driver
- Alec Baldwin
- Ana Gasteyer
- Ayo Edebiri
- Bad Bunny
- Billy Crystal
- Cher
- Dave Chappelle
- John Mulaney
- Julia Louis-Dreyfus
- Kim Kardashian
- Leslie Jones
- Lin-Manuel Miranda
- Martin Short
- Mike Myers
- Miles Teller
- Miley Cyrus
- Paul McCartney
- Paul Simon
- Pedro Pascal
- Peyton Manning
- Quinta Brunson
- Rachel Dratch
- Rev. Al Sharpton
- Robert de Niro
- Sabrina Carpenter
- Scarlett Johansson
- Steve Martin
- Tom Hanks
- Woody Harrelson
- 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
- Molly Shannon
- Pete Davidson
- Seth Meyers
- Tina Fey
- Tracy Morgan
- Will Ferrell
- Will Forte
The only “SNL” icons noticeably missing from the crowd were Bill Hader, Dana Carvey and Dan Aykroyd, who was a part of the original cast.
Why wasn’t Bill Hader at 'SNL 50'?
“SNL” fans almost immediately noticed Bill Hader’s absence. But the reason for his not being there isn’t anything dramatic or scandalous. A representative for Hader told the TODAY show that the comedian and “SNL” alumna had a “long-standing schedule conflict.”
If you don’t know, Hader is one of the most well-known former “SNL” cast members from the mid-2000s and was known to give such hilarious performances that his fellow cast members would often break character with laughter. Some of his most well-known characters were “Weekend Update” guest “Stefon,” his Keith Morrison impression, and on-air reporter “Herb Welch.” Hader was a part of the SNL cast from 2005 through 2013.
Has Meryl Streep ever been on 'SNL'?
One of the biggest moments of the night on Sunday’s anniversary special came when Meryl Streep made her “SNL” debut in the "Close Encounters" sketch with Kate McKinnon.
Streep had (shockingly) never been on the show until the anniversary special on Sunday, Feb. 16.
Florida ties to 'SNL': What we know about 50th season, past Florida castmembers
Who was in the 'SNL 50' Domingo skit? Florida ties to 'Saturday Night Live'
Old fans of the show who have been watching the 50th season and newer fans of “SNL” got a special treat during the anniversary special: a new star-studded version of the “Domingo” sketch.
If you don’t know, the fan-favorite “Domingo” sketch stars cast member Marcello Hernandez (from Florida) as a ladies’ man character names “Domingo” who’s known for having affairs with coupled-up women.
This edition of the sketch was longer than it usually is and featured appearances from Martin Short, Pedro Pascal, Andy Samberg, Bad Bunny, Molly Shannon and Sabrina Carpenter.
Hernandez is only the fourth Floridian to join the show. Since its debut in 1975, there have been four Florida cast members (out of 164): Darrell Hammond, Victoria Jackson, Maya Rudolph and Marcello Hernandez.
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