NBC is rolling out the crimson carpet to rejoice Saturday Night time Stay’s fiftieth anniversary.
Forward of its upfront presentation subsequent week to Madison Avenue advert consumers, the community on Friday introduced that it has scheduled a three-hour primetime particular to honor the anniversary. The particular, which can even be dwell, is ready to air Sunday, Feb. 16, from 8-11 p.m. ET.
That may cap what NBC says will likely be a “celebratory weekend” honoring the Lorne Michaels-created sketch present.
Extra particulars haven’t but been introduced as Michaels and firm are within the house stretch of closing out SNL’s forty ninth season with alum Maya Rudolph set to host this weekend and Jake Gyllenhaal on deck for the Might 18 season finale.
Information that NBC would formally rejoice SNL’s fiftieth anniversary comes as no shock as Michaels stated final January that he was already planning for the February occasion.
“We’re doing the fiftieth anniversary present in February of ’25, so I’ll undoubtedly be there for that, and undoubtedly be there till that, and someday earlier than that we’ll work out what we’re gonna do,” he stated on the time.
What occurs after the fiftieth celebration, that continues to be to be seen.
Michaels has been closely concerned with the sequence since its creation in 1975, save for a five-year hiatus within the Nineteen Eighties. The prolific producer and comedy kingpin has not introduced any plans to retire or step away from SNL. That stated, hypothesis has been rampant for years that Michaels, who turns 80 this November, will see the present by means of its fiftieth season earlier than hanging it up.
With that in thoughts, former SNL star Tina Fey has been speculated for a while because the inheritor obvious to Michaels with regards to taking on the sketch present.
“It may simply be Tina Fey, however you realize, there are lots of people who’re there now who’re additionally, you realize [could be good],” Michaels stated earlier this yr. “Tina’s sensible and nice at all the pieces. She’s a vital individual in my life.”
Michaels, as he’s vulnerable to do with SNL alums, has reteamed with Fey a number of occasions since she departed the sketch present and has exec produced options together with the unique and musical incarnations of Imply Ladies and Whiskey Tango Foxtrot in addition to former NBC comedy 30 Rock, amongst others. Fey’s Little Stranger banner — like Michaels’ Broadway Video — is housed at Common Tv, which produces SNL.
With Michaels at its helm, SNL has been a star-maker over time and helped to launch the careers of oldsters together with Fey, Amy Poehler, Andy Samberg, Adam Sandler and Kate McKinnon in addition to Jimmy Fallon and Seth Meyers, with the latter two late night time hosts additionally thought-about sturdy candidates to take over for Michaels.
SNL continues to be an important present for NBC, although its linear rankings have tumbled — like all the pieces else on broadcast — and the sequence can be a No. 1 present have been it to air in primetime. What’s extra, SNL has earned a whopping 314 Emmy nominations and gained a document 84. (HBO’s Recreation of Thrones is a distant second with 59.) With its solid turnover, SNL can also be inexpensive to make than a scripted comedy sequence for broadcast.