"Saturday Night Live 15th Anniversary Special" (also billed as "Saturday Night Live 15") is a 2½ hour prime-time special that aired on September 24, 1989, on NBC, celebrating Saturday Night Live's 15th year on the air, having premiered on October 11, 1975, under the original title NBC's Saturday Night. SNL has since had three more specials celebrating its 25th Anniversary in 1999, its 40th Anniversary in 2015, and its 50th Anniversary in 2025.
The 15th Anniversary Special featured montage clips, tributes and performances from Dan Aykroyd, Jim Belushi, Chevy Chase, Billy Crystal, Jane Curtin, Tom Hanks, Buck Henry, Steve Martin, Laraine Newman, Mary Tyler Moore, Martin Short, O.J. Simpson and Robin Williams with musical performances from Prince and Paul Simon.
Synopsis
Summary
Musical performers
- Prince, introduced by Jerry Hall performed "Electric Chair"
- Paul Simon performed "Still Crazy After All These Years"
Tributes
- John Belushi, introduced by Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi
- Gilda Radner, introduced by Jane Curtin and Laraine Newman
Participants
All performers were credited as repertory:
Audience Members
Also in attendance included numerous actors, musicians, comedians, and celebrities such as:
Production
The special was SNL's first anniversary celebration; it featured original cast members Chevy Chase, Dan Aykroyd, Jane Curtin, Garrett Morris, and Laraine Newman, with tributes to the late John Belushi and Gilda Radner. Notably absent were former cast members Bill Murray and Eddie Murphy. It was followed by the 25th Anniversary in 1999 and the 40th Anniversary in 2014.
Executive Producer Lorne Michaels stated the reasoning behind the anniversary special: "I think he [NBC Entertainment President Brandon Tartikoff] felt it was time we brought the old and new groups together. I think, perhaps, it also was a little bit the death of Gilda Radner [earlier in 1989] .... I would have resisted the idea before this, but I think this group we've had for the last three years has been well enough praised and good enough to compare with the old group. I think we've reached a sort of peak. I wouldn't have gone along with it if I weren't just as proud of the new group as the old."
Awards and nominations
References
External links
- "Saturday Night Live 15th Anniversary Special" at IMDb
