As the 50th anniversary of Saturday Night Live continues, the first trailer for Ladies & Gentlemen… 50 Years of SNL Music has arrived. The documentary, directed by Questlove, will be released on January 27th, and the newly unveiled trailer promises interviews, behind-the-scenes footage, and breakdowns of some of the show’s most iconic musical moments. Watch it below.
Questlove, who earned an Oscar for his direction on the Summer of Soul documentary, has assembled an impressive list of talent to comment on the half-century of musical history. This includes Jack White, Dave Grohl, Mick Jagger, Miley Cyrus, Dua Lipa, and a number of SNL cast members both past and present who appear in the footage to share memories of their time on the iconic set.
“They want to see you dangle, they don’t want to see you fall,” Cyrus says of the notoriously chaotic structure of the show.
“You have to run from the music sketch, and you’re covered in sweat, and change,” Jagger recalls.
The trailer also promises a closer look at many of the most memorable and controversial moments in the show’s history, including Sinéad O’Connor’s act of protest, Ashley Simpson’s lip syncing flub, and spontaneous choices from Elvis Costello and Rage Against the Machine.
“They can go one way if all goes well, or the complete opposite if it doesn’t,” cast member Bowen Yang confirms over footage of Kanye West’s appearance on the show wearing a MAGA hat.
50 Years of SNL Music is set to air on NBC on January 27th and will become available on Peacock the following day. Those looking for more of a deep dive into the long-running program can tune into the four-part docuseries, SNL50: Beyond Saturday Night, which premiered January 16th.
2025 Oscar nominee Timothée Chalamet is set for this weekend’s episode of SNL, pulling double duty as host and musical guest.