Saturday Night Livepremiered in the fall of 1975, meaning the sketch comedy variety TV show commemorates its 50th anniversary in 2025. However, the celebration won’t take place on a Saturday.Creator Lorne Michaels' late-night serieshas dominated Saturday night for half of a century and has kicked off many actors' careers, from Bill Murray to Tina Fey. So,NBC wants to acknowledge its accomplishments and history with a special episode in early 2025.
The first episode ofSaturday Night Liveaired on July 09, 2025, under the original titleNBC’s Saturday Night. The premiere’s cast included Dan Aykroyd, John Belushi, Chevy Chase, Jane Curtin, Garrett Morris, Laraine Newman, Gilda Radner, and George Coe, and was hosted by George Carlin.
This won’t be the first timeSaturday Night Livehas produced a birthday episode— in 2015, NBC airedthe “Saturday Night Live40th Anniversary Special,“aka “SNL40.” The three-and-a-half-hour prime-time special featured the return of former cast members, like Dan Aykroyd, Laraine Newman, Adam Sandler, and Amy Poehler. It contained new versions of iconic sketches, musical performances, digital shorts, and more. Now, 10 years later, NBC is circling back to this format withSaturday Night Live’s 50th anniversary special.
What Time SNL’s 50th Anniversary Special Airs & Where To Watch
The 3-Hour Episode Airs On Sunday, February 16
Saturday Night Live’s celebratory “SNL50: The Anniversary Special"airs on Sunday, February 16, on NBC and Peacock. The highly-anticipated event will run for three hours (from 8 pm ET to 11 pm ET), commemorating the late-night sketch comedy variety show’s 50 seasons. One hour beforehand, viewers can prep for the big show by watching coverage of “SNL50: The Red Carpet” on E!, which will feature the arrival of special guests and interviews with the stars. If one can’t catch all the fun live,“SNL50: The Anniversary Special” will be able to stream on Peacock the next day.
Sunday, February 16 at 5 pm
Sunday, February 16 at 6 pm
Sunday, February 16 at 7 pm
Sunday, February 16 at 8 pm
GMT
Monday, February 17 at 1 am
Additionally, perUSA Today,Peacock will stream “SNL 50: The Homecoming Concert” live from Radio City Music Hall on Friday, February 14, at 8 pm ET.Jimmy Fallon is hosting the event, which will feature performances from several artists. The concert’s lineup includes the Backstreet Boys, Bad Bunny, Bonnie Raitt, Eddie Vedder, Lady Gaga, Miley Cyrus, Post Malone, The Roots, and many more singers and bands.
SNL’s 50th Anniversary Special Being On A Sunday Is A Bigger Release Slot
The Event Isn’t On A Saturday Because Of Ratings
While airing “SNL50: The Anniversary Special” on a Sunday instead of a Saturday might be confusing, NBC has a good reason for choosing that date. Of course, it’s tradition forSaturday Night Liveto air on Saturday nights. It’s in its name, after all. However,Sundays from 8 pm to 11 PM ET is a primetime release.Most shows that debut during that timeslot (e.g.,Game of Thrones,Euphoria,Tracker, NFL games, and award ceremonies) achieve enormous success because of the release window’s demand. Even “SNL40” aired on a Sunday. Consequently, “SNL50: The Anniversary Special” premieres on a Sunday.
Saturday Night: How The Real Original SNL Cast Members Felt About The Movie
Saturday Night captured the spirit and emotion of the fateful night when SNL first went live, leading to the original cast weighing in on the movie.
What To Expect From Saturday Night Live’s 50th Anniversary Special
Many Former Cast Members Will Return
Like “SNL40,“Saturday Night Live’s"SNL50: The Anniversary Special” features the return of iconic cast membersfrom over the show’s 50 seasons.Among those confirmed for the three-hour episode are Chevy Chase, Garrett Morris, Jane Curtin, Laraine Newman,Tina Fey, Eddie Murphy, Adam Sandler, Chris Rock, Amy Poehler, Andy Samberg, Kate McKinnon, Maya Rudolph, Pete Davidson, and Will Ferrell. Meanwhile, memorable hosts such as Steve Martin, Tom Hanks, and Martin Short will appear. However, these are only a few of the famous stars who will pop in during sketches and tributes in the upcomingSaturday Night Livespecial.
