Half a century after a troupe of 'Not Ready for Prime Time Players' first went live from 30 Rockefeller Plaza in October 1975, NBC's 'Saturday Night Live' officially launched its historic 50th anniversary season on Saturday night. Hosted by freshly crowned Emmy-winning 'Hacks' star Jean Smart with musical guest Jelly Roll, the Season 50 premiere blended sharp campaign-trail political parody with nostalgic tributes to the late-night institution created by Lorne Michaels.
The broadcast opened with a sprawling twelve-minute political cold open that brought the Studio 8H audience to its feet. Beloved alumna Maya Rudolph reprised her acclaimed portrayal of Vice President Kamala Harris alongside stand-up comedian Jim Gaffigan debuting as Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, Andy Samberg appearing as Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff, and veteran cast legend Dana Carvey delivering a spot-on impression of President Joe Biden, while current cast standout James Austin Johnson returned as former President Donald Trump.
Election Satire Cold Open Reunites Beloved Studio 8H Alumni
Making her first-ever appearance as an SNL host at age 73, Smart charmed viewers during her opening monologue by celebrating classic Broadway standards and poking fun at the physical demands of live sketch comedy. Throughout the evening, she showcased the razor-sharp comedic timing that has earned her three Emmy Awards for 'Hacks,' playing everything from an overly dramatic romance novelist to a chaotic reality-show contestant.
Nashville breakout star Jelly Roll made his Studio 8H debut as musical guest, performing stirring live arrangements of 'Liar' and 'Winning Streak' from his upcoming album 'Beautifully Broken.' Meanwhile, 'Weekend Update' anchors Colin Jost and Michael Che returned to the news desk to lampoon national headlines, viral internet oddities, and New York City political scandals.
“Reaching fifty seasons of live sketch television is a testament to the generations of writers, performers, and crew who walk into Studio 8H every week to capture the cultural moment.”
Jean Smart's Monologue and Five Decades of Live Sketch Comedy
Season 50 also introduced three new featured players—Ashley Padilla, Emil Wakim, and Jane Wickline—while promoting Marcello Hernández, Michael Longfellow, and Devon Walker to the main repertory cast following the offseason departures of Punkie Johnson, Molly Kearney, and Chloe Troast.
NBCUniversal has planned a season-long celebration leading up to the 'SNL50: The Anniversary Special,' a three-hour live primetime telecast scheduled for Sunday, February 16, 2025, alongside a four-part Peacock documentary series directed by Morgan Neville and a music retrospective produced by Questlove.
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