A rerun of the show's first-ever episode will air in its usual time slot Saturday night, with the main event following Sunday, when SNL50: The Anniversary Special airs live at 8 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock. You can get the nostalgia-thon started early by reliving some of the show's best moments, from legendary performances to classic skits and surprise cameos. Here, in order of air dates, are our personal favorites.
Paul Simon and Connie Hawkins (1975)
Paul Simon, who hosted this episode, goes one-on-one with basketball great Connie Hawkins in a 7-minute (!) prerecorded segment narrated by Marv Albert. The episode was atypical for SNL — if the second episode of a series with a 50-season run can be said to be atypical — in that it consisted almost entirely of Simon performing (with a guitar, not a basketball), plus appearances by Phoebe Snow and Randy Newman. But the "mismatch" between the 6'8" soon-to-be NBA Hall of Famer Hawkins and the 5'3" soon-to-be-Rock-&-Roll-Hall-of-Famer Simon — he of "Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard" — was and remains deadpan comedy gold. – Tom Finkel, Editor-in-Chief@huggyattack replying to: @Jesse Markham480 s1e2 10/18/75 Host Paul Simon #snlclassic #saturdaynightlive #snl ♬ original sound - Huggy
Nude Beach (1988)
This 1988 sketch featured (nude!) appearances by megastars of the day — Matthew Broderick, Dana Carvey, Dennis Miller, Kevin Nealon, Jon Lovitz — but that's not why it made waves. The sketch is best known for featuring the word "penis" a whopping 43 times. After the dissolution of the NBC standards department, writers Robert Smigel and Conan O'Brien wanted to test the waters, with the network pushing back several times before the piece saw the light of day. "We were arguing that it's part of the anatomy," O'Brien recalled last year on an episode of his podcast. "You should be able to say 'penis.' Of course, now it seems like the most tame thing in the world." My favorite line: "Hey, you've really got your dad's penis!" – Celia Almeida, Culture EditorMatt Foley: Van Down By The River (1993)
"First off, I am 35 years old, I am divorced, and I live in a van down by the river." Oh, Chris Farley, you are missed. Not to mention Christina Applegate, who hosted the episode, and cast members David Spade, Julia Sweeney, and the incomparable Phil Hartman. Foley became a recurring character, and not only because of Farley's brilliance. It was Bob Odenkirk who dreamed up the concept. You kids might know him from Breaking Bad and its prequel, Better Call Saul. Two decades prior to that, he was writing for SNL. (As for Farley, one might just as aptly tip the ol' cap to occasional Weekend Update commentator Bennett Brauer.) – Tom Finkel, Editor-in-ChiefNPR's Delicious Dish: Schweddy Balls (1998)
Cast members Ana Gasteyer and Molly Shannon reprise their National Public Radio show parody "Delicious Dish" with the week's host, Alec Baldwin, who appears as Pete Schweddy, owner of holiday-themed bakery Season's Eatings, to share his famed Christmas treat, Schweddy Balls. "There are lots of great treats this time of year: zucchini bread, fruitcake. But the thing I most like to bring out this time of year are my balls." From there on out, it's four minutes of straight-faced scrotal double entendres. SNL cast members are notorious for "breaking" and laughing during particularly funny sketches, but the trio does an admirable job of holding it together. – Tom Finkel, Editor-in-Chief3-Way (The Golden Rule) (2011)
Two years before her first film role (no, not Ally in A Star Is Born; La Chameleón in 2013's Machete Kills), Lady Gaga showcased her acting chops in "3-Way (The Golden Rule)," an SNL digital short. Gaga plays the guest star in a threesome between "Dick In a Box" duo Andy Samberg and Justin Timberlake, who reassure themselves that, "It's not gay when it's in a threeway/With a honey in the middle, there's some leeway." But as the sketch goes on, it becomes clear the two homies are more interested in each other than a Guidette Gaga. The best part: Gaga's reaction to their "helicopter dick" moves. – Celia Almeida, Culture EditorThe Californians (2012)
Although exaggerated, The Californians is a hilarious portrayal of people from Southern California. The freeways you have to take to try to avoid traffic — they can be dizzying! – Natasha Yee, News EditorWells for Boys (2016)
If you know Salvadoran-American writer and actor Julio Torres (now known just as well for SNL as his HBO series Los Espookys and feature film Problemista), it should come as no surprise that he's behind this sketch. Emma Stone adds gravitas that only serves to amplify the humor — something she also did in another Torres-penned sketch, "The Actress." – Jose D. Duran, Senior Music EditorPapyrus (2017)
Also penned by Torres, this sketch took something that bothered its writer to no end — Avatar using the Papyrus font for its logo — and turned the idea into a viral hit. I always lose it when Ryan says, "Hookah bars, Shakira merch, off-brand teas." – Jose D. Duran, Senior Music EditorTotino's (2017)
Vanessa Bayer is absolutely in her element here as a dead-eyed housewife whose mere existence is to serve Totino's to her "hungry guys." There were several iterations of this sketch, but the best one features a cameo by Kristen Stewart, who transforms the ordinary commercial into Portrait of a Lady on Fire. – Jose D. Duran, Senior Music EditorMusical Guest Jack White (2020)
Jack White's 2020 musical performances were pretty life-altering for me. On the October 10, 2020, episode, Jack played "Ball and Biscuit/Don’t Hurt Yourself/Jesus Is Coming Soon" and "Lazaretto." During this time, seven months into the pandemic, I feel like we were all especially craving not just live music, but live rock music. He stepped in last minute after Morgan Wallen broke COVID protocols and tore that stage apart. These performances also led to me buying a Fender Stratocaster and an Orange amp on the Facebook marketplace for like $100. I don't practice or play as much as I should, but I'm still as obsessed with Jack and these performances. He. Fucking. Shreds. – Chelsey Dequaine-Jerabek, Editorial DirectorClose Encounter Cold Open (2024)
While Ryan Gosling and Sarah Sherman speak about their enlightening experience with aliens, Kate McKinnon's encounter does not go so well. Her story becomes increasingly unhinged as she puffs on her cigarette and recalls how it was "a little different for me." – Natasha Yee, News EditorSNL 50: The Anniversary Special. 8 p.m. Sunday, February 16. Streaming live on NBC and Peacock.
