50th anniversary of SNL (SNL50) was executed remarkably smoothly considering the large number of celebrities involved and the veteran players revisiting roles they hadn’t played in years, or even decades. However, just because everything went well doesn’t mean there weren’t some absurd aspects of the production process that left the cast a bit bewildered.
From 2005 to 2012, Andy Samberg found himself particularly attached to the tagline for his show. Before the airing of a special anniversary episode, you may have encountered it: “A Special 50 Years In The Making.” I can understand why it’s appealing, but what intrigued Samberg was NBC’s promotional strategy surrounding this catchphrase.
Experiencing New York felt surreal, with almost every taxi and street covered in advertisements as I worked there. It was intriguing to note that the tagline read, ‘A special 50 years in the making’, given that most people had only just begun working on it a week or so prior. I found myself thinking, “We’re drawing from the past 50 years, but when it comes to creation itself… we’ve barely started.
During an episode of their podcast “The Lonely Island and Seth Meyers” (2001-2014), Samberg and Meyers discussed the special. The topic of how the episode was actually put together versus how NBC marketed it arose. While Samberg found the tagline entertaining, Meyers disagreed slightly. Interestingly, the longtime writer argued that the tagline’s slight exaggeration made it more truthful. In other words, he said the tagline accurately reflected the show’s usual last-minute assembly style.
Funny, Samberg elaborated on the behind-the-scenes of SNL50, and it seems a little disorganized, but for those who watched Jason Reitman’s Saturday Night, this is simply how Lorne Michaels’ enduring comedy series prefers it to be.
The current crew of the show has also been assigned to work on the 50th edition. For the past 18 months, we’ve been discussing it, but due to the unique structure of the show and Lorne’s methods, we haven’t been able to start working on it yet. It feels like there’s a growing tension without any means to alleviate it, as the only way to release that pressure was by getting close to the show’s airdate.
It’s not as if everyone had a full year to prepare each episode, correct? I suspect that some decisions about who and what would be featured were made months ahead, but it’s not like everything was decided until the very end, which is quite common for Saturday Night Live.
As a movie reviewer looking back on “SNL’s 50th Anniversary Special,” I must commend Andy Samberg for his astute observation. The production timeline wasn’t a half-century in the making due to a unique circumstance: many key players were busy with weekly “SNL” episodes. The main cast, writers, and behind-the-scenes crew had the challenging task of creating fresh content for Timothèe Chalamet just three weeks prior to our star-studded event. This was no easy feat, given their regular commitments.
During the episode, we couldn’t possibly name everyone who made an appearance, but it wasn’t just the regular cast. Let me give you a taste: Chris Rock, Mike Myers, Tracy Morgan, Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively (in a somewhat debated guest role), Jason Momoa, Jenna Ortega, a relatively clean-skinned Pete Davidson, Eddie Murphy, Adam Sandler (who had one of the most emotional moments of the night), Bill Murray (who ranked all the Weekend Update hosts), Scarlett Johansson, Kristin Wiig, Sabrina Carpenter, Maya Rudolph, Paul Rudd, John Mulaney, Chris Parnell, Kate McKinnon, Aidy Bryant, Bad Bunny, Tim Meadows, Kim Kardashian, and the list goes on. Needless to say, there were quite a few plates spinning at once.
It’s undeniable that the television event was spectacular, but I can’t help laughing at how Andy Samberg found the tagline too extravagant given the chaotic way it unfolded. Essentially, it’s a fitting tale about a show that, due to its live format, could never achieve perfection despite striving for it.
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2025-04-04 15:37