Happy 50th Anniversary SNL

A Feature and a Series of Best Of lists

Hello Gimme fam,

I have to admit, I’ve been enjoying the SNL 50th season more than I thought I would. I started gearing up for the festivities over the summer, when I published this monster list of the 50 best sketches. SEO-friendly lists like this are bigger undertakings than they seem. You have to know your shit. Or else you’ll spend an unjustifiable amount of time trying to become an expert in something overnight. Anyway, the assignment gave me an excuse to revisit all my favorite sketches and brush up on a few SNL periods I didn’t know as well. Jan Hooks. My god. What a revelation. Also, Jon Lovitz, I’m sorry I didn’t “get” you before.

Part of what I’ve enjoyed about SNL’s 50th is its reach. Everyone I know is talking about it. My mom, my friends, my in-laws, my enemies. Babies on the street. My dog. Pizza rat. There are so few communal, cultural experiences these days, but SNL somehow manages to deliver one every week. And during the run-up to its 50th season celebration, when SN…