SNL 50: The 5 skits you need to see

SNL, Saturday Night Live, is turning 50. It was first broadcast in October 1975, and to commemorate the show’s truly aged status, we got SNL 50, an epic three-plus-hour version of the show.

In true SNL fashion, it was a real mixed bag. But we did get a galaxy of stars including icons from the (many) years of the show, musical acts, an actual musical, and the return of many of the classic skits from the past.

We’ve dug through the show to bring you five of the top skits we don’t think you should miss. But as this is SNL, we can’t start without the opening monologue, led by Steve Martin, Martin Short and John Mulaney.

Black Jeopardy

Eddie Murphy pulls out a spot-on Tracy Morgan impersonation in Black Jeopardy, while actual Tracy Morgan plays another of the game show’s contestants. This skit has appeared a bunch of times throughout SNL’s run, starting in 2014.

In Memoriam

Tom Hanks leads a recap of clips SNL could definitely not get away with anymore, including racial stereotypes, sexual harassment and sexism. Whether it’s a “yikes” moment, or one that still holds up, it’s a recap worth taking in.

New York 50th Musical

John Mulaney leads us through a strange mini musical about drugs and vice in New York. Lin Manuel Miranda even makes an appearance. It’s weird, and weirdly ambitious.

Anxiety

Andy Samburg leads a The Lonely Island-style song about the behind-the-scenes anxiety of former megastars of Saturday Night Live. And it kinda rings true now we’ve heard a lot more about the pressures of actually being on the show.

Close Encounter

Pedro Pascal, Meryl Streep and Woody Harrelson are people being interviewed, claiming to have been abducted by aliens. But Kate McKinnon steals this one. Close Encounter has been seen in SNL a handful of times, often featuring Ryan Gosling corpsing.

Also don’t miss this The Lonely Island medley from the SNL Homecoming Concert a few days earlier, featuring Lady Gaga, Eddie Vedder and Chris Parnell. And two members of the original The Lonely Island trio: Andy Samberg and Jorma Taccone.

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