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SNL alums Martin Short and Maya Rudolph’s COVID-19 diagnosis led Steve Martin to refer to a “curse” on the cast of the anniversary special.
On Thursday night (Feb. 20), veteran comedic actor Steve Martin shared on social media that fellow comic Martin Short had come down with COVID-19 after the 50th anniversary special of Saturday Night Live last Sunday (Feb. 16), potentially catching it from Maya Rudolph. Martin shared a photo from the night on Instagram, which shows Short and Rudolph sharing a kiss.
“Maya had Covid. Marty has Covid. I wonder why? The SNL 50th Covid curse is real,” Martin wrote in the caption of the post, adding: “Unfortunately, we have to reschedule this weekend’s sold-out Durham and Knoxville dates to 10/17 Knoxville and 10/18 Durham. So sorry for the inconvenience. I think we’ll be funnier then, anyway.”
The Only Murders In The Building star might’ve been referencing a joke from current SNL star Colin Jost during the Weekend Update segment of the show. “Health experts are facing increased pressure this winter in the face of outbreaks of COVID, the flu, RSV, and norovirus, which they’re calling a quad-demic,” Jost said. “So we did the smart thing and packed every beloved entertainer over 60 into one tiny space.”
Rudolph and Short aren’t the only two dealing with illness after the special. EGOT winner and co-host of The View, Whoopi Goldberg, missed several tapings of the show this week after attending the special. “Whoopi is still out with the flu. It’s going around, be careful,” co-host Joy Behar told the audience on Thursday. “We hope you’re feeling better, Whoopi. Come back soon!”
The timing of the special did lead to a couple of notable absences. Dana Carvey, one of the show’s best-known figures who made a partial return to the show this season, shared that he had to miss the special due to recovering from the flu under doctor’s orders. Another beloved alum, Dan Akroyd, didn’t appear due to “prior commitments” and Bill Hader wasn’t present citing a “longstanding scheduling conflict.”
Chloe Fineman isn’t proud of her Harry Styles impression.
The Saturday Night Live cast member chatted with Chicken Shop Date host Amelia Dimoldenberg on the SNL 50th anniversary special red carpet on Sunday night (Feb. 16), where she revealed that her impression of the One Direction superstar is “really bad,” adding, “I did it and he was at the table and was so devastated by how bad it was.”
The comedian also did a quick rendition of Styles per the New York Post, saying in a British accent, “Anyway, I’m Harry Styles, anyway.”
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Styles has only hosted SNL one time, in 2019, but has appeared a number of times as a musical guest. With One Direction, he performed on the iconic sketch comedy show in 2012, 2013 and 2014. As a solo artist, he performed in 2017 and on the same day as his hosting gig in 2019. However, he and Fineman have never acted in a sketch together.
While Styles wasn’t one of the musical guests at the SNL50 celebration, the show featured a star-studded lineup with collaborations between Sabrina Carpenter and Paul Simon, Miley Cyrus and Brittany Howard, and Lil Wayne and The Roots. The show wrapped with a performance from Sir Paul McCartney, who delivered an Abbey Road medley of “Golden Slumbers” / “Carry That Weight” / “The End.”
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Meanwhile, at the Homecoming Concert at Radio City two days prior, the stars who took the stage to perform included Bad Bunny, Lady Gaga, Miley Cyrus, Post Malone, Jelly Roll, Backstreet Boys, Arcade Fire, Bonnie Raitt, Brandi Carlile, Brittany Howard, Chris Martin, David Byrne, DEVO, Eddie Vedder, Jack White, Mumford & Sons, Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Robyn, The B-52s and The Roots.
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Hit dogs are hollering on social media after Tom Hanks put on a MAGA hat to portray a racist Donald Trump supporter during a skit on SNL 50.
Tom Hanks is feeling the wrath of MAGA Republicans for what they are saying is a “racist and disgusting” portrayal of Trump supporters on Saturday Night Live’s (SNL) 50th-anniversary special.
For the special, NBC spun the block on some of the more popular sketches, including “Black Jeopardy,” featuring Kenan Thompson, Leslie Jones, Eddie Murphy, and Tom Hanks.
For the hilarious skit, Hanks brought back his character Doug, an accurate depiction of Donald Trump’s core base of supporters who have no clue about what is going on in America outside of the right-wing echo chamber.
The Forrest Gump star first portrayed Doug in 2016 during Felon 47’s first failed presidency. In that original skit, he pointed out the differences and similarities between those who proudly support Orange Mussolini and those who give him the middle finger every chance they get.
In this new skit, Doug is the only white contestant on Black Jeopardy and refuses to shake hands with Kenan Thompson’s character, Darnell Hayes, before reluctantly agreeing to complete the gesture.
MAGA world took it as an insult, basically crying that it’s wrong to label the group of people who are proudly rallying behind immigrants being rounded up and deported and an administration on a mission to remove all DEI policies geared towards evening the playing field for Black and Brown people to “make America great again.”
Social media has been sipping on MAGA rage tears over the skit because Tom Hanks nailed the performance.
Welp.
You can see more reactions in the gallery below.
3. Nailed it.
5. We’ll wait
6. Never forget
7. So delicious
10. He sure does
If you need someone to put the perfect words into song, just call Adam Sandler. The movie star, who got his start as a Saturday Night Live castmember from 1991 to 1995, returned to his 30 Rock stomping grounds on Sunday night (Feb. 16) for SNL50: The Anniversary Special, pulling out his trusty acoustic guitar […]
Miley Cyrus teamed up with Brittany Howard to cover “Nothing Compares 2 U,” the Prince-written hit made famous by Sinéad O’Connor, on Sunday night’s (Feb. 16) SNL50: The Anniversary Special. Cyrus and Howard belted the song, with the Alabama Shakes frontwoman offering some extra soulfulness on the guitar for the powerful cover. O’Connor famously brought […]
Sabrina Carpenter not only opened SNL50, but was a guest star in the newest SNL sketch to feature Domingo, a recurring character that cast member Marcello Hernandez has become known for on the comedy show.
After singing “Homeward Bound” beautifully in a duet with Paul Simon at the start of Sunday night’s (Feb. 16) special, Carpenter sang … not as beautifully at her friend Kelsey’s (Chloe Fineman) less-than-one-year vow renewal celebration with Matt (Andrew Dismukes).
Martin Short and Molly Shannon started the bit with a speech from the bride’s parents, welcoming all to their $70,000 party with an open bar at the Best Western.
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“Kelsey and Matt, may you have a marriage as loving and passionate as Daddy and me,” Shannon drunkenly said before making out with Short.
Carpenter, whose “Espresso” was actually featured in the very first sketch that introduced Domingo (on the Oct. 12, 2024 episode) then cut in: “For those of you who don’t know me, I’m Sophie, the bride’s childhood bestie. I couldn’t make it to the wedding because I was unfortunately in prison.”
Then she invited up the rest of the bride’s squad to sing, instead of doing a speech, as these ladies do.
Apparently Kelsey and her friends went to New York, got blackout drunk and saw Wicked, so of course their first song was to the tune of “Defying Gravity,” just with replacement lyrics about finally learning to try monogamy.
The next parody to make their set was to the tune of Taylor Swift’s “You Belong With Me,” except with lyrics all about the beloved Domingo, who suddenly showed up and joined in.
“What she’s looking for/ Is the hung Latin guy,” he sang, even getting a shoutout from Kelsey’s mom and dad.
Matt’s groomsmen took the floor next, and bringing the tune of Carpenter’s “Espresso” back to the sketch series, they sang about a local staycation in Scottsdale and a secret new flame in Matt’s life: Ronaldo (Pedro Pascal), who turns out to be Domingo’s brother. And Bad Bunny is also their brother — the “hot” one, Santiago!
The three-hour SNL anniversary special aired live from New York City on NBC and Peacock beginning at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT on Sunday. Watch the latest Domingo sketch below.
Sabrina Carpenter and Paul Simon performed a duet of “Homeward Bound” to kick off SNL50: The Anniversary Special on Sunday night (Feb. 16). The song reached No. 5 on the Hot 100 in 1966, when it was originally recorded by Simon & Garfunkel and released on the duo’s Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme album — but Simon once sang it with George Harrison on an episode of Saturday Night Live.
“Ladies and gentlemen, this is Sabrina,” Simon said, introducing the Short n’ Sweet pop star to the live audience in Studio 8H.
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“This is the one and only Paul Simon,” Carpenter said.
“I sang this song with George Harrison on Saturday night live in 1976,” recalled Simon.
“I was not born then, and neither were my parents,” Carpenter, who would later appear in a sketch, quipped. (The 25-year-old singer was born in May 1999.)
Simon started the song, with Carpenter coming in at the end of verse one, harmonizing at the lyric “My suitcase and guitar in hand/ And every stop is neatly planned/ For a poet and a one-man band.” They continued to sing together through the chorus. Carpenter took lead on verse two, but swapped the line “cigarettes and magazines” for a rewrite: “airport lounges and magazines.”
Steve Martin, following their performance with a short opening monologue that Martin Short popped in to join, joked that SNL50 had front-loaded the show — featuring cast members past and present, a long list of famous past hosts and unannounced cameos — with all the night’s big talent.
The three-hour special with SNL alumni celebrating 50 years of sketch comedy aired live from New York City on NBC and Peacock beginning at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT.
Ahead of the SNL50 television program was Friday night’s SNL50: The Homecoming Concert at Radio City Music Hall, hosted by Jimmy Fallon. Cher, Lady Gaga, Bad Bunny, Miley Cyrus, Robyn, Ms. Lauryn Hill, Jack White, Backstreet Boys, Jelly Roll, Bonnie Raitt and more were on the lineup, with Questlove and The Roots backing up multiple acts.
Watch a clip of the “Simon & Carpenter” version of “Homeward Bound” below, courtesy of SNL’s Instagram.
You know how it is when you’re lost in the riff, head banging so hard that you unleash a torrent of embarrassing white flakes. No, not that kind. That’s the dilemma facing Saturday Night Live cast mates Bowen Yang and Sarah Sherman in a new CeraVe shampoo ad in which they portray the lead singers […]
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Saturday Night Live premiered on Oct. 11, 1975, with host George Carlin, and ever since, the variety show has become a comedy and cultural TV institution over the past 50 years. In fact, the very first episode will re-air on Saturday (Feb. 15) at 11:30 p.m. ET/PT on NBC and Peacock.
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To celebrate its 50th anniversary, NBC has two events for SNL this weekend. The first is SNL50: The Homecoming Concert, a concert special that features the show’s legacy of musical performances on Friday (Feb. 14). It’s hosted by Jimmy Fallon. The second is SNL50: The Anniversary Special, a TV special that pays tribute to the show and its creator Lorne Michaels on Sunday (Feb. 16).
Old and new cast members, along with a number of celebrities, athletes, politicians, comedians and recording artists, come to Studio 8H in NBC Studios at 30 Rockefeller Plaza in New York City for SNL50: The Anniversary Special.
When Does ‘SNL50: The Homecoming Concert’ Start?
SNL50: The Homecoming Concert airs Friday, Feb. 14, at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT. It’s available on NBC and Peacock live.
When Does ‘SNL50: The Anniversary Special’ Start?
SNL50: The Anniversary Special broadcasts live on Sunday, Feb. 16, at 8 p.m. ET/PT. The TV special airs on NBC, while it’s also available to stream on Peacock at the same time.
Who Is Performing During ‘SNL50: The Homecoming Concert’?
The concert special SNL50: The Homecoming Concert features a number of recording artists performing throughout the evening. Here’s a complete of performers, below:
Arcade Fire
Backstreet Boys
Bad Bunny
Bonnie Raitt
Brandi Carlile
Brittany Howard
Cher
Chris Martin
Dave Grohl
David Byrne
DEVO
Eddie Vedder
Jack White
Jelly Roll
Lady Gaga
Lauryn Hill
Miley Cyrus
Mumford & Sons
Post Malone
Preservation Hall Jazz Band
Robyn
Snoop Dogg
St. Vincent
The B-52s
The Roots
Wyclef Jean
Who Appears on ‘SNL50: The Anniversary Special’?
Since SNL has been a pop-culture touchpoint over the last 50 years, and SNL50: The Anniversary Special will be a star-studded event with the biggest stars in attendance. Below, you’ll find a list of just a few of the celebrities who will be in appearance.
Adam Driver
Ayo Edebiri
Bad Bunny
Dave Chappelle
John Mulaney
Kim Kardashian
Martin Short
Miley Cyrus
Paul McCartney
Paul Simon
Pedro Pascal
Peyton Manning
Quinta Brunson
Robert De Niro
Sabrina Carpenter
Scarlett Johansson
Steve Martin
Tom Hanks
Woody Harrelson
Where to Watch ‘SNL50: The Homecoming Concert’ & ‘SNL50: The Anniversary Special’ for Free
If you’re a cord-cutter, you have a few ways to watch both SNL50: The Homecoming Concert and SNL50: The Anniversary Special online — especially if you want to watch for free. DirecTV Stream has a five-day free trial, while other streaming services — such as Hulu + Live TV — also offer a free trial so you can watch NBC for free.
Keep reading for more details on how to watch the TV special with Peacock, DirecTV Stream and Hulu + Live TV.
How to Watch ‘SNL50: The Homecoming Concert’ & ‘SNL50: The Anniversary Special’ With Peacock
Both TV specials broadcast on NBC and livestream on Peacock for Premium or Premium Plus subscribers only. If you don’t subscribe to the streaming service, you can get access with a Peacock monthly subscription, which starts at $7.99 per month for the ad-supported plan, or $13.99 per month for the ad-free plan.
And right now, every episode from every season of Saturday Night Live from that past 50 years is streaming on Peacock.
Along with SNL50: The Homecoming Concert and SNL50: The Anniversary Special, you can also watch the backlog of SNL starting with season 1 and going all the way through season 50 — that’s a whopping 50 seasons of TV with a subscription to Peacock. In addition, you’ll get access to original programming, such as Love Island USA, Laid, Bel-Air, The Traitors, Poker Face and others; hit movies, including The Wild Robot, Monkey Man, Abigail, The Holdovers, Oppenheimer and others; live sports from NBC Sports; live news from NBC News; and more than 50 streaming channels.
How to Watch ‘SNL50: The Homecoming Concert’ & ‘SNL50: The Anniversary Special’ With DirecTV Stream
A subscription to DirecTV Stream — which comes with NBC for SNL50: The Homecoming Concert and SNL50: The Anniversary Special — gets you access to live TV, local and cable channels, starting at $74.99 per month. The service even offers a five-day free trial to watch for free if you sign up now.
You can watch local networks such as CBS, ABC, Fox, and PBS, while you can also watch many cable networks, including FS1, Lifetime, FX, AMC, A&E, Bravo, BET, MTV, Paramount Network, Cartoon Network, VH1, Fuse, CNN, Food Network, CNBC and many others.
How to Watch ‘SNL50: The Homecoming Concert’ & ‘SNL50: The Anniversary Special’ with Fubo
To watch SNL50: The Homecoming Concert and SNL50: The Anniversary Special on NBC, Fubo starts at $59.99 for the first month, $84.99 per month afterwards (the streamer’s current deal) with more than 210 channels — including local and cable — that are streamable on smart TVs, smartphones, tablets and on web browsers.
The service even gets you live access to local broadcast networks including Fox, CBS and ABC, while it also has dozens of cable networks, such as ESPN, Bravo, CMT, ID, TV Land, VH1, TLC, E!, FS1, MTV, FX, Ion, OWN, Paramount Network and much more.
How to Watch ‘SNL50: The Homecoming Concert’ & ‘SNL50: The Anniversary Special’ With Hulu + Live TV
SNL50: The Homecoming Concert and SNL50: The Anniversary Special on NBC are available to watch with Hulu + Live TV too. Prices for the cable alternative start at $82.99 per month, while each plan comes with Hulu, Disney+ and ESPN+ at no additional cost.
Hulu + Live TV might be best for those who want all of these streaming services together in one bundle. It also features many other networks, including ABC, Hallmark Channel, BET, CMT, Disney Channel, NBC, Fox Sports and more.
Where to Buy SNL50 Funko Pop! Figures Online
For SNL’s 50th anniversary, Funko has dropped limited-edition SNL Pop! figures of some of the most popular characters from the variety show’s 50 years, including Matt Foley (Chris Farley), Gilly (Kristen Wiig), Direct from Domingo (Marcello Hernandez), Debbie Downer (Rachel Dratch) and much more. Figures start at $12 and can be found at Funko.com.
Funko
SNL Pop! Matt Foley
Funko
SNL Pop! Gilly
Funko
SNL Pop! Direct from Domingo
Funko
SNL Pop! GuapLord
SNL50: The Homecoming Concert and SNL50: The Anniversary Special are both available to watch on NBC via DirecTV Stream or Hulu + Live TV, to stream on Peacock on Friday, Feb. 14 and Sunday, Feb. 16, respectively.
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With the highly anticipated SNL 50: The Homecoming Concert just a day away, NBC has added a string of A-list performers to the lineup. Cher, Dave Grohl, Ms. Lauryn Hill, Snoop Dogg, St. Vincent and Wyclef Jean will all be joining the fun at New York City’s Radio City Music Hall on Friday night (Feb. 14).
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The Jimmy Fallon-hosted live homecoming concert will also feature performances by Arcade Fire, Backstreet Boys, Bad Bunny, Bonnie Raitt, Brandi Carlile, Brittany Howard, Chris Martin, David Byrne, DEVO, Eddie Vedder, Jack White, Jelly Roll, Lady Gaga, Miley Cyrus, Mumford & Sons, Post Malone, Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Robyn, The B-52s, and The Roots.
Additionally, the event celebrating 50 years of Saturday Night Live will include special appearances by Ana Gasteyer, Andy Samberg, Maya Rudolph, Paul Shaffer, Tracy Morgan, Will Ferrell and more. SNL 50: The Homecoming Concert is executive produced by Lorne Michaels and Mark Ronson.
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The show will take place at 8 p.m. ET, and will also stream live on Peacock for viewers at home, with fan screening events scheduled for several Regal Cinemas theaters.
Two days later, on Feb. 16, a three-hour telecast will air from Studio 8H in Rockefeller Center. The SNL50: The Anniversary Special will feature appearances by Sabrina Carpenter, Paul McCartney, Adam Driver, Ayo Edebiri, Bad Bunny, Dave Chappelle, John Mulaney, Kim Kardashian, Martin Short, Miley Cyrus, Paul Simon, Pedro Pascal, Peyton Manning, Quinta Brunson, Robert De Niro, Scarlett Johansson, Steve Martin, Tom Hanks and Woody Harrelson, with additional names to be announced.
The special will air on Sunday (Feb. 16) at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT on NBC and simulcast on Peacock.