Peacock Docuseries ‘SNL50: Beyond Saturday Night’ Adds Little to a Long-Established Legacy: TV Review

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To honor the 50th year of “Saturday Night Live,” creating 90 minutes of live TV in just six days is no small task, but NBC isn’t stopping there. They are also releasing various shows that showcase the program’s cultural influence. Following the release of Jason Reitman’s film “Saturday Night” and before the upcoming three-hour broadcast from Studio 8H, there will be a four-part docuseries titled “SNL50: Beyond Saturday Night.” The series is executive produced by Oscar-winner Morgan Neville (“20 Feet from Stardom,” “Roadrunner”). It’s one more way NBC is promoting the iconic comedy institution. However, with 50 years of stories about Lorne Michaels’ circus already celebrated numerous times, this latest celebration may feel somewhat repetitive (as was the case with Season 40’s star-studded anniversary event). “SNL50” doesn’t add significantly to these five decades of anecdotes and archival footage. Instead, it focuses on enhancing peripheral aspects, using novel formats and leveraging corporate PR access to give a fresh spin to familiar tales.

Each installment of “SNL50” functions independently as its own mini-documentary. While Juanquin Cambron is the overall series producer, each episode’s director manages their specific project. For instance, Robert Alexander’s segment titled “Five Minutes” delves into the audition process; Marshall Curry’s piece, “Written By: A Week Inside the ‘SNL’ Writers Room,” offers a glimpse into the inner workings of the writers room; Neil Berkeley’s contribution, “More Cowbell,” provides an in-depth analysis of a six-minute sketch that spans 49 minutes; and Jason Zeldes’ offering, “Season 11: The Weird Year,” summarizes a peculiar period in the show’s history that nearly led to its demise.

The constant factor across the board is a wealth of talented individuals accessible to the producers. Michaels himself declines interviews, but almost everyone else associated with him does, from talent scouts to set designers, right up to the famous stars themselves. A multitude of stars can be found here: nearly every cast member since the initial Not Ready for Primetime Players has turned up, ranging from the struggling ’80s (Joe Piscopo! Terry Sweeney!) to more nostalgic periods (Will Ferrell and Molly Shannon from the ’90s, Bill Hader and Andy Samberg from the 2000s) and current stars such as Ego Nwodim, Heidi Gardner, and Bowen Yang.

The “SNL50” episode significantly enriches the trove of 30 Rock history thanks to its extensive cast participation. “Five Minutes” is built on performers viewing and responding to their own audition tapes, which were stored securely but accessible to Alexander’s team. The recurring motif becomes repetitive when used excessively for more than an hour, yet it offers charming insights: Maya Rudolph’s childhood friend Gwyneth Paltrow vouched for her to the producers; Hader managed to make the usually unresponsive audience laugh with his Al Pacino impression; Jennifer Coolidge, Kevin Hart, and Jordan Peele didn’t make the cut initially, but we get a peek into an alternate reality where they did. Similarly, “Written By” caters to our harmless curiosity by offering a front-row view of Ayo Edebiri’s first hosting gig last year, revealing the raw pitches and last-minute adjustments leading up to the final product.

As a die-hard comedy enthusiast who’s always eager for insider insights about “Saturday Night Live” (SNL), you might already be familiar with some behind-the-scenes secrets. For instance, did you know that during tryouts, Lorne Michaels and his team rarely crack a smile? Or perhaps you’re aware that every Tuesday, the SNL crew pulls an all-nighter to craft sketches, while Wednesdays bring the table read that decides the show’s lineup? If you’ve delved into the world of SNL through the documentary “SNL50” or the extensive book “Live From New York” by Tom Shales and James Andrew Miller, then these details likely won’t surprise you. In fact, it seems as though James Andrew Miller himself has foreseen this, as he appears in a speaking role in the final episode, seemingly summoned by the ghost of his own influential work.

In “SNL50”, the series finds itself in a delicate balance between broad exploration and focused examination. The segments “Five Minutes” and “Written By” offer sweeping, timeless perspectives on the fundamental elements of the show, with “Written By” featuring recollections from past writers such as Alan Zweibel, Larry David, and John Mulaney to enhance its core content. Following these, “More Cowbell” and “The Weird Year” seem like a sudden, jarring shift towards hyper-specific topics. “More Cowbell”, resembling a quasi-documentary, takes a bold, yet unsuccessful, comedic approach by highlighting some of the funniest individuals globally. “The Weird Year”, on the other hand, selects an intriguing subject – an unusual season featuring a rookie cast including Robert Downey Jr. and Anthony Michael Hall with limited sketch experience. However, it removes significant chunks of context from its abridged history.

In my perspective, the narrative in question revolves around Michael’s comeback as executive producer, with NBC executive Dick Ebersol’s tenure sandwiched in between. Interestingly, throughout “SNL50,” there’s no explicit mention of Ebersol, and while we delve into Eddie Murphy’s time as a cast member that catapulted him to stardom, there’s no acknowledgment that Michael deserves credit for that specific triumph. At times, the controlled nature of “SNL50” is evident in what it chooses to include; at other moments, a discerning eye can spot how Michael’s approval subtly shapes what’s intentionally omitted. “SNL50” isn’t a comprehensive account or merely a collection of trivialities. Yet, it doesn’t have to be either to earn Michael’s seal of approval.

All four episodes of “SNL50: Beyond Saturday Night” are now streaming on Peacock.

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2025-01-16 17:18