I am really looking forward to the big special coming this weekend for SNL's 40th anniversary. They are dedicating four hours to it on Sunday night, with a red-carpet special at 7:00 (EST) and the live show at 8:00 (EST, tape delay as usual in the west and other places, I guess).
First, I know that they are doing it on Sunday for better ratings, and at first it did seem odd not to do it on Saturday night; but I did notice what they are doing in its normal time slot this week (11:30 on Saturday night): They are showing the very FIRST Saturday Night show, from 1975 with George Carlin as the host. That was a cool idea.
(From my understanding, "Live" was not technically in its name in the beginning. It was more like the "Today" or the "Tonight" show, as the other NBC shows were done at the time -- only this one was "Saturday Night" and done live. That would connect why they open with "It's SATURDAY NIGHT!" each week, instead of "It's SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE!")
But for the anniversary show on Sunday night this weekend, they have a big line-up, and a three-hour live show. They had been mum about whether who will actually show up, as a opposed to clips, and whether or not they will be doing new material. But they started revealing some names in a Super Bowl commercial, and have added some since. Here is everyone known so far (according to Entertainment Weekly, and in the order they appear on the current commercial):
Justin Timberlake
Emma Stone
Derek Jeter
Jimmy Fallon
Paul McCartney
Chevy Chase
Kanye West
Adam Sandler
Melissa McCarthy
Will Ferrell
Robert De Niro
Tina Fey
Paul Simon
Jerry Seinfeld
Molly Shannon
Steve Martin
Mike Myers
Eddie Murphy
Jack Nicholson
Amy Poehler
Jim Carrey
Peyton Manning
Dana Carvey
Kristen Wiig
Dan Aykroyd
Chris Rock
Alec Baldwin
Taylor Swift
Garrett Morris
Andy Samberg
Christopher Walken
Maya Rudolph
Tom Hanks
Martin Short
Betty White
Bill Murray
Bill Hader
Jane Curtin
Jon Hamm
Laraine Newman
Zach Galifianakis
Seth Meyers
Jason Sudeikis
Paul Rudd
David Spade
Kerry Washington
Fred Armisen
James Franco
Norm MacDonald
I am looking forward to it, though I am not sure if it will be mostly clips and "looking back" or new skits from old favorites. I would love to see:
First, I know that they are doing it on Sunday for better ratings, and at first it did seem odd not to do it on Saturday night; but I did notice what they are doing in its normal time slot this week (11:30 on Saturday night): They are showing the very FIRST Saturday Night show, from 1975 with George Carlin as the host. That was a cool idea.
(From my understanding, "Live" was not technically in its name in the beginning. It was more like the "Today" or the "Tonight" show, as the other NBC shows were done at the time -- only this one was "Saturday Night" and done live. That would connect why they open with "It's SATURDAY NIGHT!" each week, instead of "It's SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE!")
But for the anniversary show on Sunday night this weekend, they have a big line-up, and a three-hour live show. They had been mum about whether who will actually show up, as a opposed to clips, and whether or not they will be doing new material. But they started revealing some names in a Super Bowl commercial, and have added some since. Here is everyone known so far (according to Entertainment Weekly, and in the order they appear on the current commercial):
Justin Timberlake
Emma Stone
Derek Jeter
Jimmy Fallon
Paul McCartney
Chevy Chase
Kanye West
Adam Sandler
Melissa McCarthy
Will Ferrell
Robert De Niro
Tina Fey
Paul Simon
Jerry Seinfeld
Molly Shannon
Steve Martin
Mike Myers
Eddie Murphy
Jack Nicholson
Amy Poehler
Jim Carrey
Peyton Manning
Dana Carvey
Kristen Wiig
Dan Aykroyd
Chris Rock
Alec Baldwin
Taylor Swift
Garrett Morris
Andy Samberg
Christopher Walken
Maya Rudolph
Tom Hanks
Martin Short
Betty White
Bill Murray
Bill Hader
Jane Curtin
Jon Hamm
Laraine Newman
Zach Galifianakis
Seth Meyers
Jason Sudeikis
Paul Rudd
David Spade
Kerry Washington
Fred Armisen
James Franco
Norm MacDonald
I am looking forward to it, though I am not sure if it will be mostly clips and "looking back" or new skits from old favorites. I would love to see:
- Dana Carvey do the Church Lady again, or
- a new edition of "Wayne's World," or
- Eddie Murphy in "Mister Robinson's Neighborhood," or
- Gumby, or
- The copier boy ("making copies...."), or
- Steve Martin as the "wild and crazy guy," or
- any number of other favorites.