SNL50: The Anniversary Special

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.

It is Saturday Night Live at 50. The names don't get much bigger and that's just the audience. This opens with Sabrina Carpenter joining Paul Simon as he reprises his first performance. Paul isn't doing so well. Sabrina's age joke hits hard. Steve Martin's opening monologue also hits when he says that people can be dead by natural causes now. Eddie Murphy playing Tracy Morgan is probably the best. He actually got the others to break. Tom Hanks comes in and brings that skit to a halt. In a way, that is the quintessential SNL experience. Some of it is genius and the next is comedy death. This is better than most episodes by its sheer comedy power.

This has just about everything you could possibly want in an SNL homage. I watched it with my teens who had recently gotten into watching Weekend Updates every week, and it was a blast from the past, blending past and present beautifully. Just watching the crowd, it's fun to look out (and point out) who was there. Right from the get go it was evident everybody channeled real love into this special, and everybody was enjoying their time, well aware of the fact that they were taking part in a historical event. I can't even say exactly what my favorite moment was, but even the nostalgic, emotional beats hit just as hard as the humor.

If you've ever enjoyed SNL, this is well worth your time!

Honestly I know the current cast were backed up by some nostalgia and some superb celebrity cameos but why can't they be this good week, in week out.

They were more ambitious in their ideas and alot more adult orientated in their entertainment. The show has missed the hellraisers of the past and it shows.

You need to have both sides of Americas coin creating content to creating chaos. Left and right divide smashed against itself to create proper comedy.

Standout moments are Adam sandlers 50 years song, the crowd Frequently asked questions and the three time Oscar winner Meryl Streep in the UFO sketch.

SNL 50: The Anniversary Special was a highly anticipated event, bringing together past and present cast members, legendary hosts, and iconic sketches to celebrate five decades of Saturday Night Live. While the nostalgia factor was strong and there were definitely some standout moments, the special ultimately felt like a mixed bag, earning a solid 6 out of 10 from me.

The best parts of the show were the well-executed callbacks to classic sketches and the surprise guest appearances. Seeing former cast members reprise their roles brought back great memories, and there were a few genuinely funny new bits that reminded us why SNL has lasted so long. The tribute segments honoring late cast members and behind-the-scenes legends were also touching and well done.

However, the pacing was inconsistent, and some segments felt like filler rather than a true celebration of SNL's legacy. While nostalgia is great, certain sketches dragged on too long or felt more like a rehash than a fresh take. Additionally, the balance between old and new cast members felt a bit off-while longtime fans may have enjoyed the throwbacks, newer audiences might have felt a little left out.

Overall, SNL 50 was a fun but flawed tribute. It had some great highs but also some lows that kept it from being truly great. A solid watch for longtime fans, but not quite the perfect anniversary special it could have been.