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‘SNL’ recap: Best moments from Season 50 premiere of ‘Saturday Night Live’
"SNL" kicked off its 50th season on Sept. 28 with host Jean Smart and musical guest Jelly Roll.
“SNL” returned to the air for its 50th season on September 28 with actress Jean Smart (“Hacks”) serving as host and country music sensation Jelly Roll as musical guest.
As was to be expected with the season premiere, Smart wasn’t the only celebrity who joined the “SNL” cast for an evening. The cold open featured guest appearances from a quartet of comedians: Maya Rudolph reprised her role as Vice President Kamala Harris, Andy Samberg played Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff, Dana Carvey played President Joe Biden, and Jim Gaffigan played Harris’ running mate, Tim Walz.
Smart’s hosting duties came fresh on the heels of her Emmy win for Lead Actress in a Comedy Series on the HBO show “Hacks,” which took home three major awards at the Sept. 15 ceremony. On the dark comedy, Smart plays legendary standup comedian Deborah Vance, which likely made stepping onto the stage at Studio 8H for her “SNL” opening monologue a little bit easier.
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Leading up to Season 50 of “Saturday Night Live,” the level of anticipation around the variety show has felt higher than usual. Interest in “SNL” tends to rise during election years, and rumors about whether creator Lorne Michaels will retire after 50 years at the helm has further fueled speculation. (Michaels mostly shut those rumors down, telling the New York Times he will continue to serve as “SNL” showrunner for “as long as I feel I can do it” in a June interview.)
Check out the videos below to see highlights from the return of “SNL,” including the cameo-filled cold open, a monologue from Smart, and the return of Colin Jost and Michael Che to the “Weekend Update” desk.
“Saturday Night Live” Cold Open
Jean Smart Monologue
“SNL Weekend Update” clips
Some of the best sketches
Jelly Roll musical performances
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