SNL 50th Anniversary Full Guest List Has Some Real Hollywood Heavy Hitters
- Saturday Night Live is going to celebrate fifty years of it being on air.
- Lorne Michaels believe Tina Fey could take over SNL once he 'plans t retire'
- The three-hour special SNL 50: The Anniversary Special episode will premiere on February 16, 2025
Created by Lorne Michaels, the late-night live sketch comedy variety show Saturday Night Live (SNL) is regarded as one of the best TV shows of all time. Throughout its five decades of being on air, the late-night show has received appreciation from critics as well as the audience. The show’s comedy sketches often include a parody of culture and politics, with the show being hosted by a new celebrity guest.
SNL’s first episode premiered in 1975, and now it’s going to celebrate its 50th anniversary with a special three-hour episode. The list of the guests joining the cast of SNL to celebrate the fifty years of its being on air has been revealed.
SNL 50: The Anniversary Special features a star-studded guest list
Saturday Night Live is one of the most popular and successful late-night live sketch comedy variety shows as it successfully managed to transform television comedy. The show has made a space for itself in the five decades of its being on air and achieved legendary status.
Now, in its fiftieth season, the comedy sketch show is going grand to celebrate a show that has significantly changed the way comedy was perceived on television, especially during TV’s golden era. A lot of celebrities who have previously appeared on the late-night show are invited to celebrate fifty glorious years of it making people laugh with its comedy sketches.
The live sketch comedy show’s special episode is going to see some cast members and celebrities returning. Among them are Tom Hanks, Adam Sandler, Chevy Chase, Eddie Murphy, Will Ferrell, Chris Rock, Miley Cyrus, Martin Short, Jimmy Fallon, Pedro Pascal, Tracy Morgan, and more.
Other celebrities returning for the celebration include Pete Davidson, Andy Samberg, Robert De Niro, Dave Chappelle, Kim Kardashian, Woody Harrelson, Sabrina Carpenter, Jane Curtis, and more. The list of guests joining the cast of SNL for the celebration looks star-studded, however, it’s not clear what exactly they’d be doing on the show.
Variety reported that two nights before the anniversary episode’s premiere, Peacock is going to livestream SNL 50: The Homecoming Concert hosted by Jimmy Fallon at the Radio City Music Hall. Artists including Lady Gaga, Miley Cyrus, Bad Bunny, Post Malone, and more will be performing. The streaming platform will also be streaming a four-part documentary series SNL50: Beyond Saturday Night along with Ladies & Gentlemen…50 Years of SNL Music.
THR mentioned that ahead of the celebrations, NBC will head back to its roots, and it’s going to broadcast the inaugural episode which was aired back on October 11, 1975, on Feb 15, 2025. The episode was hosted by George Carlin, and featured musical performances from Billy Preston and Janice Ian.
Recently, Jason Reitman’s Saturday Night showcased the chaotic moments leading to the premiere of the first-ever episode of SNL. Before the show was premiered back in 1975, Saturday nights at home would consist of old movies, re-runs or local programming. The live-comedy sketch show had helped to not only bring profit to the network but also bring in the youthful audience.
Pete Davidson looks forward to returning to Saturday Night Live for celebrations
At the pre-Super Bowl party, former SNL star Pete Davidson spoke to E! News and was asked about the upcoming anniversary celebration. To which he said, he was feeling fantastic. He further added,
I’m excited to hang out with John Mulaney. I love Lorne Michaels. It’s an honor to celebrate him and all that he’s done and all of his accomplishments. And I’m just going to be happy to be there. But it’s going to be fun, so make sure to tune in.
Some rumors circled the sketch comedy show concerning that the showrunner might be ready to retire. But not so soon as at the red carpet interview with ET at the 2023 Emmys, Lorne Michaels was asked who he could see succeeding him when he’s ready to retire.
He said that they are going to celebrate the 50th anniversary show, so he’s definitely going to be there for that. The show-runner further mentioned about who can take over his legacy,
It could easily be Tina Fey, but you know there are a lot of people who are there now who are also an option. Tina’s brilliant and great in everything. She’s a very important person in my life.
A promo for SNL 50: The Anniversary Special has been released. More details from a very special episode will follow.
The three-hour special episode will premiere on February 16, 2025 on NBC.
