“Saturday Night Live” celebrated its 50th anniversary with a three-and-a-half-hour Sunday night primetime special, because there were too many stars to fit into 90 minutes.
Lorne Michaels’ sketch comedy institution has been part of the fabric of American culture for so long that it can be easy to take for granted how unique its run has been. “SNL50: The Anniversary Special” served as a star-studded reminder of how singular the show is — how long it’s been relevant, how many stars it has produced and how many catchphrases it has embedded into the collective vocabulary. The special was a cavalcade of sketches, celebrity guests and “SNL” history that celebrated the past while keeping an eye on the present.