SNL50: The Anniversary Special

How can I be the first human to say something about the 50year anniversary episode of SNL. I'm honored! The cast (and audience) for this is incredible. This is the funnest thing I've seen on TV all year, and don't we all need it! But I'm not gonna get all Debbie Downer now because everyone here is clearly having the time of their lives. Seeing all the familiar faces makes anyone watching feel like they are a part of the family. There's a real feeling of intimacy here, I can only imagine no-one wanted to go home at the end. If there is a place in heaven SNL lovers go to, this is what it looks like! Thanks for 50 years everyone. Keep making America fun, we love you.

Found huge enjoyment... in the 40th Anniversary Special. With the Saturday Night film last year and all the specials running lately, I can't help remembering a show that used to push boundaries. A show willing to be controversial and bizarre. Not always hilarious, but a showcase of comedians being honest and creative.

This "special" felt contrived and safe and not particularly funny. The standouts were Martin's monologue, Sandler's song, Garret Morris introducing a classic Belishi clip, and the scared straight skit.

Everything else was run of the mill, been there done that, tame (ie lame) bits with a few mediocre music performances and lot of celebrities angling for screen time.

I appreciated the opening that paired Paul Simon (from the second ever SNL) with Sabrina Carpenter (from RIGHT NOW). I personally wish that they had picked a different right now "it" girl - but that's just me. Paul at the end was just magical. Those two numbers alone were done with more respect for the audience and the artists than the entire "music" special. I love both Miley Cyrus and Brittany Howard. The comic material was great. They found cool ways to remind us of how wide and deep the talent of the cast and the celebrities that have been on that stage over the years is. Overall, I enjoyed this a lot.

They brought an impressive array of celebrities and past cast members for this much anticipated special. Wondering who might pop up next did hold your attention. The novelty of seeing past and current cast members and the odd celebrity thrown together in skits was entertaining to some degree. There were also skits that mixed characters from different seasons, or were modern versions of old skits - all adding a novelty to the show.

BUT BUT BUT!! But novelty is not enough for a comedy show. Strip away the novelty and the skits simply weren't funny or clever or well fleshed out. The only skit that struck as funny at all was the UFO sketch with Kate McKinnon, Meryl Streep, Jon Hamm, Woody Harrelson, Pedro Pascal, and Aidy Bryant. The humor was mostly due to Kate's dialogue and delivery (and Harrelson and Pascal trying not to crack). Overall there's disappointingly little that sticks out at memorable, which is sad for a 50th anniversary show crammed with celebrities.

I have always loved SNL and yes, I started watching 50 years ago when it debuted. I wish they'd give had given more honor and respect to original cast members, done a real In Memory for the brilliance lost, and been a little braver in the face of what's happening politically right now. My biggest disappointment was the inclusion of the faux star Kim K. She was a disappointment as a host and with all the talent to showcase it leaves me dumbfounded as to why they would feature someone with none. There were other cringey moments, things that didn't quite land but still, overall not bad except with one notable exception.