Saturday Night Live celebrated its 40th anniversary by featuring the best skits, songs, audition tapes and performances in a star-studded special that aired on Sunday night.
And there wasn't a dull moment. SNL cast members past and present came together to recreate some of its most famous sketches, with a little help from Hollywood A-listers. They also paid tribute to those who were lost throughout the years, while also honoring creator and producer Lorne Michaels. And of course, there were musical performances which included Paul McCartney, Paul Simon, Kanye West and Miley Cyrus.
Even though the special was three and a half hours, time seemed the fly by. SNL redefined sketch comedy and has featured some of the most iconic moments in pop culture. Here are the best moments from the SNL 40th anniversary.
Jimmy Fallon And Justin Timberlake Opened
The special started off on the perfect note, with pals Jimmy Fallon and Justin Timberlake serenading us with the history of SNL rap. They rapped, danced, and highlighted some epic moments. There were appearances by Molly Shannon as Mary Katherine Gallagher and Rachel Dratch as Debbie Downer; however, the only thing depressing about Justin and former cast member Fallon on stage is that no *NSYNC reunion performance occurred.
Steve Martin Sets The Stage With Lots Of Hosts
Steve Martin set the stage with the first monologue, of course being an argument of who has hosted the most. Tom Hanks, Alec Baldwin, Melissa McCarthy, Chris Rock, Miley Cyrus, Billy Crystal, Paul Simon and Paul McCartney all joined him on stage.
Bradley Cooper And Betty White Kiss
We got to see a live reprise of the soap opera parody "The Californians," which featured Bill Hader, Kristen Wiig, Fred Armisen and Vanessa Bayer. As the cast famously gave directions in their California accents, Bradley Cooper made an appearance as a pool boy and Taylor Swift showed off her crazy eyes. But it was Betty White who stole the skit, and the Internet just about broke when she and Cooper share a passionate make-out session.
Weekend Update
Amy Poehler and Tina Fey joined forces to reprise their places at the "Weekend Update" desk. Jane Curtin also joined the ladies, but it was the guest appearances that made this update the best yet. Emma Stone did her impression of her favorite character, Roseanne Roseannadanna who was famously played by Gilda Radner; Edward Norton impersonated Stefon, only to be joined by the real Stefon, played by Bill Hader. However, it was Melissa McCarthy who had the best tribute to a character, playing Chris Farley's motivational speaker character Matt Foley. She even dove into the desk for the big finish.
The Jerry Seinfeld and Larry David Exchange
Jerry Seinfeld entered the stage for some standup, highlighting the things about SNL that people don't know, while taking a jab at Brian Williams. He took questions from the audience with appearances by Michael Douglas, John Goodman and James Franco. But the best part of the skit was Seinfeld's exchange with Larry David. Watch Larry David in all his Larry David glory below.
Blues Brothers Return For Musical Act Skit
Martin Short and Maya Rudolph as Beyoncé honored the SNL musical acts, which included Steve Martin as King Tut and Bill Murray singing the Jaws theme, but most-notably Dan Aykroyd and Jim Belushi made a cameo as the Blues Brothers.
Turd Ferguson Returned In Celebrity Jeopardy
Will Ferrell reprised his Alex Trebek impersonation in the "Celebrity Jeopardy" skit which included Kate McKinnon as Justin Bieber, Darrell Hammond as Sean Connery, Alec Baldwin as Tony Bennett, and Jim Carrey as Matthew McConaughey. The best character that showed up, however, goes to Norm MacDonald as Burt Reyonds/Turd Ferguson.
Wayne's World Parties On
Mike Myers and Dana Carvey reprised their roles as Wayne Campbell and Garth Algar for a "Wayne's World" skit that featured an SNL top 10 list. The skit included jabs at Kanye West, who was a good sport and played along, and the pair also payed tribute to Lorne Michaels. Myers impersonated Michaels as Dr. Evil, followed by Carvey impersonating Myers as Michaels as Dr. Evil.
Audition Reel
There was a lot to jam-packed into the special, but using clips helped keep our attention throughout the night. We got to see clips from audition reels that included some of the legends like Dana Carvey, as well as cast members that could've been like Stephen Colbert, Kevin Hart and Zach Galifianakis.
[PHOTO CREDIT: Saturday Night Live/ YouTube]
