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Peacock's Beyond Saturday Night Docuseries Explores 50 Years of SNL
Featuring rare behind-the-scenes footage and interviews, all four episodes premiere January 16.
NBC is exploring the rich history of Saturday Night Live in an all-access four-part docuseries, SNL50: Beyond Saturday Night. All four episodes debut on January 16, only on Peacock.
Executive-produced by Morgan Neville, the Academy and Emmy Award-winning filmmaker behind documentaries Piece by Piece and 20 Feet From Stardom, SNL50: Beyond Saturday Night features rare behind-the-scenes footage of the iconic late night series, celebrity interviews, and more than 60 contributors — including former cast members and writers — reflecting on working on the show.
Each episode is a deep dive into a different aspect of SNL. One episode highlights what goes on in the SNL writers' room during a show week, while another shares unseen audition footage. The third installment takes you deep inside the making of Will Ferrell's "More Cowbell" sketch, while the fourth highlights Season 11, which effectively changed the course of the series.
"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," Neville said in Peacock's docuseries announcement. "Taken together, these standalone episodes give a new perspective of SNL and what makes it work."
RELATED: Dana Carvey's Church Lady Is Back in SNL's December 7 Cold Open with David Spade
When does SNL50: Beyond Saturday Night premiere?
All four installments of SNL50: Beyond Saturday Night premiere January 16 on Peacock. Learn more about each of the docuseries' four episodes below.
Episode 101: “Five Minutes” showcases SNL auditions
Helmed by Emmy-winning director Robert Alexander, "Five Minutes" illuminates the SNL audition process, pulling back the curtain to share never-before-seen audition footage and firsthand stories from some of the show’s most iconic cast and writers as they reflect on how they prepared, and what happened in those potentially life-changing minute onstage.
RELATED: John Mulaney Tells the Story of His SNL Audition and "the Call" from Seth Meyers
Episode 102 - “Written By: A Week Inside The SNL Writers Room”
Take a look at a week in the life of Saturday Night Live's writers, as this episode shows how the writing process moves from a first draft and table read to your TV screen. To quote Peacock's release, it captures "the creativity and chaos of a week inside the writers’ room at SNL." The ep is directed by Marshall Curry.
Episode 103 - “More Cowbell”
What inspired SNL's iconic "More Cowbell" sketch? Was Gene Frenkel a real person? Find out all of this and more in an episode that reveals how the premise turned into a wildly popular moment from the show and an enduring cultural reference.
"More Cowbell" is directed by Neil Berkeley.
Episode 104 - “Season 11: The Weird Year”
Peacock describes the final doc as "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." It's directed by Jason Zeldes.
RELATED: Saturday Night Live Is Celebrating 50 Years with a Three-Hour Primetime Special
The SNL Season 50 celebration peaks in February with a celebratory weekend culminating in a live primetime special on Sunday, February 16 on NBC and Peacock. In addition to SNL50: Beyond Saturday Night, you can stream every season of SNL exclusively on Peacock anytime.
