'SNL' 40Th Anniversary

Home , Akiva Schaffer, Hans and Franz, Matt Foley

#TBT: 'SNL' 40th Anniversary

02.12.2015

On Sunday, Feb. 15, NBC will air the 40th anniversary for the hit TV show and cultural touch point, Saturday Night Live.

The current SNL cast will be joined by past cast members and hosts including Will Ferrell, Paul McCartney, Bradley Cooper, Jimmy Fallon and Billy Crystal - not to mention the many more big names promoted in the NBC spot below:

NBC has been promoting the anniversary special plenty on its own air as well as with an emoji-filled app, a planned museum exhibit in New York this spring and a marathon of episodes on VH1 leading up to the big day.

Sunday's anniversary special will also kick off with a red carpet event at Rockefeller Center hosted by the Today crew: Matt Lauer, Savannah Guthrie, Carson Daly and Al Roker.

There are way too many moments from SNL to include them all, so Brief has chosen a few favorites:

Weekend Update:

Jane Curtin took the news segment in her own hands when people responded to her hosting, leaving her only option to prove that she can be just as sexy as her colleague Chevy Chase.

Franchises:

SNL has certainly been a star nursery in its own right, but it also launched characters and movie franchises that lasted years, many of which still hold up. Just one of these many brands is Mike Myers and Dana Carvey's "Wayne's World," which spawned two feature films and countless Halloween costume ideas for years to come.

Remembering Stars We Lost:

SNL greats Phil Hartman and Chris Farley were behind one of the most well-known sketches of the show's history: Matt Foley, motivational speaker.

The Recurring Sketches:

"Pumping up With Hans and Franz" is just one of several recurring characters on the show, who are so prolific they are at it even now, appearing in ads for State Farm.

Musical Sketches:

Steve Martin sings "King Tut" in honor of the museum exhibits traveling around the country, and continued the tradition of brief songs and performances that later made waves online as well.

Special Appearances:

Notable stars stop by the show often to show their lighthearted side, and nothing was better than when Nicolas Cage "got in the cage" with Nicolas Cage (aka Andy Samberg) during this Weekend Update in 2012.

Notable Hosts:

George Carlin was only one of many legendary comedians to take the stage as host of SNL over the years, but only Carlin has the honor of being the first host ever. Below is the show's first-ever monologue, which aired on Oct. 11, 1975.

Lonely Island:

Andy Samberg, Akiva Schaffer and Jorma Taccone make up the now-famous Lonely Island, but their digital shorts and music videos were very new when "Lazy Sunday" was released in 2005. &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;am p;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;a mp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp; amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp; amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp ;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;am p;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;a mp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;a mp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp; amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp ;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp ;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;am p;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;a mp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;a mp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp; amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp; amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp ;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp; amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp ;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp ;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;am p;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;am p;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&am p;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;a mp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;a mp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;a mp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;a mp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&a mp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;gt;