By Phil Byrd, Staff Writer
50 years ago, NBC approached a 30-year-old up-and-coming producer and tasked him with creating a show targeted to young adults. By October, Lorne Michaels had assembled a rag-time cast of actors deemed “Not Ready for Prime-Time Players” and was prepared to create a show for a new generation of audiences: Saturday Night.
Now, SNL has served as the launch point for dozens of decorated comedians careers. From the original cast of Chevy Chase and John Belushi, to Eddie Murphy, to Adam Sandler and Tina Fey, to Jimmy Fallon and Kenan Thompson, Lorne Michaels has shown his keen eye for talent, and in doing so has challenged the American people to alter their view of comedy.
In celebrating 50 years, SNL hosted a three hour special to commemorate the rich history that the show brings, full with old cast members, old sketches, and memorializing cast members who are no longer with us. From John Mulaney’s New York musical to the Lonely Island’s digital short on anxiety to Adam Sandler’s tribute to Chris Farley, the special featured many highs and few lows in honoring the tradition that 30 Rock has developed over the last five decades.
One of the many highlights of the night was Eddie Murphy, who came out with a bang in “Black Jeopardy,” acting as Tracy Morgan while Morgan played alongside him. Stepping it up again later in the night in “Scared Straight”, Murphy reminded audiences why he was a fan-favorite in the ‘80s and remains iconic to this day.
Starring alongside him in “Scared Straight”, Will Ferrell also brought a blast-from-the-past in his performances, making a legitimate claim for the MVP of the night. But the real star of the show was John Mulaney. From his opening monologue alongside Steve Martin to his “New York Musical”, Mulaney led the charge on some of the most memorable sketches of the night. The former writer who has grabbed headlines in recent years for his struggle with drug addiction grabbed headlines and demonstrated the dry, bizarre humor America has come to love.
Even the small cameos from celebrities had audiences laughing out loud. From Ryan Reynolds’ bit poking fun at the headlines surrounding him and his wife, to Tom Hanks’ ‘In Memoriam’ commemorating the off-color jokes and characters that wouldn’t survive in today’s climate, nearly every aspect of the special gave audiences exactly what they were looking for.
The show wasn’t perfect, though, as some sketches, while iconic, seemed much funnier 30 years ago than today. Some cues were missed, particularly Pedro Pascal’s voice cue in his sketch as ‘Domingo’s gay brother.’ Perhaps most disappointing, big names such as Bill Hader, Dana Carvey and Dan Akroyd.
All-in-all, the special can best be characterized by Adam Sandler’s song honoring his fellow cast members Chris Farley and Norm McDonald. While not perfect, SNL presented a show full of nostalgia, off-color humor, and artistic discomfort that has something for everyone, from fans of Saturday Night in the ‘70s, to die-hard fans of Saturday Night Live fifty years later.
