Cast and Crew Reflect on 50 Years of TV History in Trailer for Peacock’s ‘SNL50: Beyond Saturday Night’

As Saturday Night Live continues to celebrate its 50th anniversary, Peacock has shared the first look of its upcoming four-part docuseries, SNL50: Beyond Saturday Night. An immersive undertaking that honors the vast legacy of SNL, the new docuseries features over 60 contributors, including current and former SNL alumni, and covers decades of the iconic show’s history.

“Anybody could do comedy,” says former cast member Tracy Morgan in the new trailer. “I could teach all of y’all in here how to tell jokes and do comedy, but are you funny?”

Morgan is joined by some of the show’s most notable cast members, hosts, and writers – including Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Jimmy Fallon, Al Franken, Amy Poehler, Bobby Moynihan, Bowen Yang, Pete Davidson, Tom Hanks, Kevin Nealon, Andy Samberg, Dana Carvey, Bob Odenkirk, Seth Meyers, Jon Lovitz, Keenan Thompson, and more – as they reflect upon the history and impact that SNL has had over the decades.

“It’s an American institution,” adds former writer and host Larry David.

The first episode of the series, “Five Minutes”, goes deep into the SNL audition process, including previously unseen audition footage and firsthand accounts of the nerve-wracking affair from some of the show’s most notable names. The writing process, including the oft-overlooked writers of the historic sketches, is the focus of the second episode, fittingly titled “Written By: A Week Inside The SNL Writers Room.”

Episode three goes deep into the titular “More Cowbell” sketch and the lasting impact that the 2000 segment had upon comedy, while the fourth and final episode lifts the curtain on “Season 11: The Weird Year,” as it examines the pivotal year which helped to reset the show’s trajectory and cemented its place in television history with Lorne Michaels at the helm.

The broadcast is directed by Robert Alexander, Marshall Curry, Neil Berkeley, and Jason Zeldes, and produced by Tremolo Productions, Jonathan Formica, and Allison Klein. Academy and Emmy Award winner Morgan Neville also serves as executive producer alongside Caitrin Rogers.

“I’ve been obsessed with Saturday Night Live as long as I can remember,” said Neville in a statement. “For SNL50, I’ve been lucky to collaborate with some of my favorite independent filmmakers to tell some deeper stories of SNL. Taken together, these standalone episodes give a new perspective of SNL and what makes it work.”

SNL50: Beyond Saturday Night will premiere on Jan. 16 as a streaming exclusive on Peacock. The documentary is part of a collection of celebratory programming, including the Questlove-directed Ladies & Gentlemen… 50 Years of SNL Music NBC documentary on Jan. 27 and a live primetime special on Feb. 16 on NBC and Peacock.

Check out the trailer below.