Entertainment

NBC Sets Three-Hour ‘Saturday Night Live’ 50th Anniversary Special for February 16

NBC is putting on a huge three-hour celebration of "Saturday Night Live" on February 16 at 8 p.m. Eastern. The big event brings together more than 50 fan-favorite stars from throughout the show's history. The special TV event celebrates 50 years of laughter since the iconic comedy show first hit the airwaves in 1975. Fans can catch "SNL50: The Anniversary Celebration" live on NBC or watch it on Peacock. The lineup includes comedy powerhouses Eddie Murphy, Tina Fey, Adam Sandler, and Kate McKinnon. Adding to the excitement, four members of the original 1975 cast will join in: Chevy Chase, Garrett Morris, Jane Curtin, and Laraine Newman. The music lineup packs a punch - rock legend Paul McCartney will perform, alongside modern stars Sabrina Carpenter, Bad Bunny, and Miley Cyrus. The night gets even better with fan-favorite hosts Tom Hanks, Steve Martin, Dave Chappelle, and Scarlett Johansson. The party keeps going with Chris Rock, Jimmy Fallon, Maya Rudolph, and Will Ferrell. Modern favorites Pete Davidson, Fred Armisen, and Jason Sudeikis join the fun. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m6KQ-SUxKCQ The star power keeps coming as Robert De Niro, Woody Harrelson, John Mulaney, and Pedro Pascal return to Studio 8H. Up-and-coming TV stars Quinta Brunson and Ayo Edebiri complete the amazing lineup. NBC is going all out for the weekend. They're showing the original 1975 premiere with George Carlin on Saturday night. Sunday kicks off with red carpet coverage across NBC, E!, and Peacock before the main show. When it all began in '75, just seven performers - dubbed the "Not Ready for Prime Time Players" - started the show. They each earned just $750 per episode. Those early years introduced us to characters we'll never forget. The quirky Coneheads and Belushi's samurai helped pull in new viewers. After just four weeks, they changed things up to really show off what the cast could do. What began as "NBC's Saturday Night" eventually became the legendary "Saturday Night Live." Its fresh take on live comedy and music made it stand out from other variety shows of the 70s.

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