‘SNL 50’ Highlights: Returning Characters, Adam Sandler Musical Tribute, Meryl Streep Debut & More

Saturday Night Live celebrated 50 years on Saturday, February 15, with a three-and-a-half-hour prime-time special that featured SNL stars of past and present, A-list guests, musical tributes, and iconic performances.

Legendary SNL alum Steve Martin kicked off the night with the opening monologue, jokingly describing himself as the show’s “newest diversity hire.”

“When I heard that SNL wanted to do an anniversary special, I literally wanted to leap into the air, and the only reason I didn’t is because, at the time, I was wearing a short skirt with no underwear,” he continued. “Now I can’t believe I even made it here in time. It was only a few days ago that Lorne [Michaels] told me I was doing the monologue, and I was actually vacationing on a friend’s boat down in the ‘Gulf of Steve Martin.'”

Martin’s monologue was just the start of a night of celebration, reunions, and heartfelt moments. Check out more below.

Iconic Characters Return

It wouldn’t have been right to mark 50 years of SNL without some of the show’s most memorable characters. Thankfully, many were on hand to celebrate, including Kristen Wiig’s Dooneese, Will Ferrell’s Robert Goulet, Molly Shannon’s Sally O’Malley, Pete Davidson’s Chad, Rachel Dratch’s Debbie Downer, Cecily Strong’s the Girl You Wish You Hadn’t Started a Conversation With at a Party, and Bobby Moynihan’s Drunk Uncle.

Other legendary SNL alum also appeared, including Amy Poehler and Tina Fey, Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, Bill Murray, and more. They joined current stars Kenan Thompson, Michael Che, Colin Jost, and Bowen Yang.

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Meryl Streep Makes SNL Debut

The night was packed full of A-list stars, including Pedro Pascal, Woody Harrelson, Blake Lively, Aubrey Plaza, Robert De Niro, Scarlett Johansson, and Jon Hamm. However, perhaps the biggest star of all was multi-time Oscar winner Meryl Streep, making her first-ever appearance on the long-running sketch show.

Streep joined Kate McKinnon’s fan-favorite character, the chain-smoking Colleen Rafferty, where she was revealed as Colleen’s raunchy mom.

Adam Sandler Performs Emotional Musical Tribute

There were musical performances throughout the night, including classic era stars Paul Simon and Paul McCartney, as well as modern favorites Bad Bunny and Sabrina Carpenter. But it was SNL alum Adam Sandler who had, surprisingly, the most touching musical moment of the evening.

Jack Nicholson made a rare TV appearance to introduce Sandler, who took to the stage with his guitar to perform a song honoring the show’s longtime crew members, sharing memories and jokes along the way.

Tom Hanks Remembers SNL‘s Bad Moments

Tom Hanks was on hand to introduce a video package highlighting some of SNL‘s less-remembered sketches, many of which had aged poorly.

Hanks acknowledged many of the sketches shown in the highlight reel “were unquestionably in poor taste,” noting, however, “You all laughed at them. So if anyone should be canceled, shouldn’t it be you, the audience?”

Eddie Murphy Impersonates Tracy Morgan on ‘Black Jeopardy!’

Kenan Thompson reprised his classic sketch ‘Black Jeopardy!’ featuring special guests Eddie Murphy, Tracy Morgan, and Leslie Jones. “Welcome to ‘Black Jeopardy,’ the only ‘Jeopardy’ where every single viewer fully understood Kendrick’s halftime performance,” Thompson said at the start of the sketch, referencing Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl appearance.

He then introduced the contestants, with Morgan playing a man named Darius, Jordan playing a woman named Shanice, and Murphy playing ‘Tracy Morgan,’ delivering a spot-on impression. “Big dog gonna make some big money!” Murphy said in an exaggerated Morgan-style voice.