Live from New York, it was a nostalgic three-and-a-half hour celebration of “Saturday Night Live.” Here’s a look at some of the night’s biggest moments:
— Familiar faces from the show’s early years opened the special. They included folk star Paul Simon (joined by pop star Sabrina Carpenter) and comedian Steve Martin, a member of the “SNL” Five-Timers Club (aka the group of people who have hosted the show at least five times).
— John Mulaney manned a hot dog and heroin cart, telling Pete Davidson and David Spade about the city’s transformation across decades. Maya Rudolph and Adam Driver, dressed as heroin and a hot dog, respectively, took the stage to sing. Lin-Manuel Miranda satirized former Mayor Rudy Giuliani in a song inspired by his “Hamilton” performance on Broadway, except this time Giuliani, in legal trouble for defaming a pair of election workers, is “throwing away” his shot.
— Tom Hanks introduced an in memoriam segment dedicated to “SNL” sketches and characters that have “aged horribly.”
— Jack Nicholson, whose public appearances have become rare in recent years, introduced Adam Sandler, who performed a song dedicated to all things “SNL.”
— Davidson’s clueless character Chad returned to share airtime with original cast member Laraine Newman.
— Bill Murray sat alongside “Weekend Update” co-host Colin Jost to list the segment’s top 10 hosts through history, none of whom was named Jost.
— Miley Cyrus, who once had beef with the late “Nothing Compares 2 U” singer Sinead O’Connor, performed the song with Brittany Howard. Lil Wayne and Sir Paul McCartney also performed.
— Cecily Strong reprised her “Weekend Update” role as “Girl You Wish You Hadn’t Started a Conversation With at a Party,” and Rachel Dratch brought back Debbie Downer.
— Former NFL quarterback Peyton Manning said he supports Lorne Michaels’ staying on board and producing the show, despite the 50-year landmark and his age, 80. “It’s brutal out here,” Manning said of retirement.
— The show celebrated its physical comedy throughout the years with a montage. Emma Stone joined former cast member Molly Shannon as her flexible character 50-year-old Sally O’Malley to introduce the segment.
— Eddie Murphy portrayed former cast member Tracy Morgan on the sketch “Black Jeopardy.” Fellow “SNL” alum Leslie Jones broke by laughing during the segment, the first “break” during the show. Murphy, a 1980s cast member, was previously famously estranged from “SNL” David Spade made an on-air joke in 1995 he didn’t appreciate. The two are reportedly fine today, and Murphy has returned a few times since his appearance for the 40th anniversary.
