Peacock Announces New Original Docuseries “SNL50: Beyond Saturday Night” in Celebration of SNL’s 50th Season

The Saturday Night Live Four-Part Series, From Academy® and Emmy Award® Winner Morgan Neville, Will Premiere Exclusively on Peacock on January 16, 2025

Featuring more than 60 contributors, including SNL alumni, and covering decades of SNL history, SNL50: Beyond Saturday Night offers a behind-the-scenes look at some of the most iconic hallmarks of the American late night comedy institution. Executive produced by Academy® and Emmy Award® winner Morgan Neville, each episode reveals new insights into the show’s rich history, pulling back the curtain on everything from the writers’ room to the famed audition process.

All four episodes of SNL50: Beyond Saturday Night will premiere on Peacock on January 16.

The four-part docuseries spotlights different elements of the show’s history and legacy, exploring the intricacies of the legendary sketch comedy series:

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 unprecedented access to the show’s archives and talent, each episode brings a distinct lens to their dynamic subjects, 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).

Quote from Morgan Neville, Executive Producer:

“I’ve been obsessed with Saturday Night Live as long as I can remember. 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.”

Along with SNL50: Beyond Saturday Night, stream every season of SNL, exclusively on Peacock. New SNL episodes also stream live on Peacock, in addition to the broadcast on NBC (11:30PM ET/8:30PM PT).

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.

ABOUT THE DOCUSERIES:

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 on the audition process, the writers’ room, the fan favorite “More Cowbell” sketch, and the pivotal season 11.

ABOUT SNL50: BEYOND SATURDAY NIGHT:

Premiere Date: January 16, 2025 (Binge)

Executive Producers: Morgan Neville, Caitrin Rogers

Executive Producer / Showrunner: Juaquin Cambron

Produced by: Jonathan Formica (Ep 101, “Five Minutes” & Ep 104, “Season 11: The Weird Year”), Allison Klein (Ep 102, “Written By: A Week Inside the SNL Writers Room” & Ep 103, “More Cowbell”)

Directed by: Robert Alexander (Ep 101, “Five Minutes”), Marshall Curry (Ep 102, “Written By: A Week Inside the SNL Writers Room”), Neil Berkeley (Ep 103, “More Cowbell”), Jason Zeldes (Ep 104, “Season 11: The Weird Year”)

Format: Docuseries, 4 ep x 60 min

	SNL50: Beyond Saturday Night
	Network: PeacockGenre: DocumentarySeasons: 1Episodes: 4
	Overview This docuseries explores the iconic Saturday Night Live, showcasing the audition process, writing, infamous sketches, and the pivotal 11th season that cemented the show's DNA under Lorne Michaels' leadership.