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The legendary sketch show Saturday Night Live hits a huge milestone this year as it celebrates 50 years. Continue reading to check out the official trailer of the documentary that offers a behind-the-scenes look at some of the American late-night comedy institution’s most iconic elements and rich history.

SNL50: Beyond Saturday Night is a four-part docuseries honoring the legacy of SNL, with over 60 contributors, including SNL alumni, and covering decades of SNL history. Spotlighting some of the show’s most iconic elements, each episode delves into the rich history of SNL and pulls back the curtain like never before. The episode breakdown is as follows:

  • Episode 101, “Five Minutes” – A showcase of the SNL audition process, with never-before-seen audition footage and firsthand accounts from some of the show’s most iconic names as they reflect on their preparation and journey to the SNL stage.
  • Episode 102, “Written By: A Week Inside The SNL Writers Room” – A behind-the-scenes look at the SNL writing process from script to screen, capturing the creativity and chaos of a week inside the writers’ room at SNL.
  • Episode 103, “More Cowbell” – A deep dive into the making of SNL’s iconic “More Cowbell” sketch, exploring how a simple idea became a cultural phenomenon and offering a tribute to the lasting impact of sketch comedy.
  • Episode 104, “Season 11: The Weird Year” – An exploration into SNL’s 11th season, examining the pivotal year that reset the show’s direction and cemented its enduring DNA with Lorne Michaels at the helm.

With never-before-seen footage across five decades of SNL history, the docuseries features insights from more than 60 contributors, including Larry David, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Kenan Thompson, Will Ferrell, Pete Davidson, Stephen Colbert, Seth Meyers, Tina Fey, Tracy Morgan, and so many more. The docuseries is executive produced by Academy and Emmy Award winner Morgan Neville, with each episode taking a different creative approach to the tapestry of SNL and embracing the unique vision of their award-winning directors: Emmy Award winner Robert Alexander (Ep 101), Academy Award winner Marshall Curry (Ep 102), Emmy nominee Neil Berkeley (Ep 103) and Emmy nominee Jason Zeldes (Ep 104). Caitrin Rogers co-executive produces the doc with Neville and Juaquin Cambron, who serves as showrunner. Jonathan Formica and Allison Klein produced the doucuseries.

SNL50: Beyond Saturday Night streams exclusively on Peacock beginning January 16th. In addition to SNL50: Beyond Saturday Night, as part of the collection of original programming celebrating the 50th anniversary of Saturday Night Live, Ladies & Gentleman… 50 years of SNL Music will premiere Jan 27 at 8 p.m. ET/PT on NBC and stream the next day on Peacock. SNL will also mark its 50th anniversary with a celebratory weekend, culminating in a live primetime special on Sunday, February 16 on NBC and Peacock. 

Check out the official trailer and some first look images from the highly-anticipated documentary below!