Few shows have ever done a better job of celebrating themselves than “Saturday Night Live,” which has made a point of duly toasting itself on every notable milestone birthday and has outdone itself as it’s prepared to turn 50. And if you are someone like me who joined the train early (for me, it was the second season, which is probably why I’ve always been partial to Bill Murray over Chevy Chase), it’s been like the best buffet table ever.
The four-episode documentary on Peacock is especially good, notably the episodes devoted to cast auditions, and the one that details the birth and ascent into legend of the “More Cowbell” skit. The documentary featuring so many of the musical guests was a must-watch, as was just about all of the Radio City SNL concert Friday (also available on Peacock).
(My personal top five moments of that one: 1. Post Nirvana, with Post Malone subbing for the late Kurt Cobain; 2. Cher, who is simply a unicorn; 3. The return of Murray’s Nick the Lounge Singer, backed up by Paul Shaffer on piano, and singers Cecily Strong, Ana Gasteyer and Maya Rudolph; 4. Bonnie Raitt, still kicking it at 75; 5. Will Ferrell and Gasteyer as Marty Culp and Bobbi Mohan-Culp)
The one missing thing is a special devoted to the sports stars who’ve appeared on SNL, starting with Fran Tarkenton (Jan. 29, 1977) through Travis Kelce (March 4, 2023). And that’s fine, because if we can’t fill that void in this space, then what are we doing here in the first place?
