NBC and ‘Saturday Night Live’ Give Fans the Chance to Play Host in Immersive 50th Anniversary Experience
“Live from New York, it’s SATURDAY NIGHT!”
Could you see yourself uttering this classic opening line? Have you ever imagined yourself under the lights of Studio 8H in Rockefeller Center, home to “Saturday Night Live” for the last 50 years? Well stop imagining because from Thursday, January 30 to Sunday, February 2, NBC is giving fans the chance to test their comedy chops with an immersive experience designed to place you in the shoes of an “SNL” host.
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Billed as “Live from New York: The SNL50 Experience,” attendees will get to feel what it’s like to burst through the curtain on the main-stage, roll up for a bit at the Weekend Update desk, and experience the chaos of backstage as 50 years of “SNL” history surround them at every moment. Celebrating all the sketches and surprises that have made “Saturday Night Live” a touchstone of our popular culture since 1975, “The SNL50 Experience” aims to bring the hit variety show to life for as many people as possible.
Tickets for “The SNL50 Experience” will be made available on a first-come, first-serve basis Tuesday, January 14 at 12 p.m. ET via 1iota. They are free to all those 16 years old and up with time slots being offered between 1 p.m. ET and 9 p.m. ET each day of the event. Also happening this week in celebration of the 50th anniversary of “Saturday Night Live” is the release of the four-part documentary “SNL 50: Beyond Saturday Night,” streaming on Peacock this Thursday, January 16.
Next weekend, Season 50 of “SNL” returns with host Dave Chappelle and musical guest GloRilla. This marks the fourth time Chappelle has hosted and the first time he hasn’t done so in November around an election. That being said, his stint this time does come a few days before President Trump’s second inauguration, so expect things to get a little political. The following week, on January 25, Timothée Chalamet also returns, not only to host, but also to serve as musical guest. Many believe he’ll be singing Bob Dylan songs in promotion of the awards-buzzy “A Complete Unknown,” but it’s also been posited that Dylan himself may join for a ditty or two.
Finally, on Monday, January 27, Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson’s three-hour documentary on the music of “SNL,” titled “Ladies & Gentlemen… 50 Years of SNL Music” will premiere on NBC, then stream on Peacock the following day. It features over 50 artists, including Bad Bunny, Elvis Costello, Billie Eilish, and more reminiscing on their own “SNL” experiences. This is all in lead up to Sunday, February 16 at 8 p.m. ET, when NBC airs and Peacock livestreams “SNL50: The Anniversary Show,” featuring cast members, musical guests, and hosts from across the last five decades.
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