SNL 50th Anniversary Celebrates Iconic ‘Celebrity Jeopardy!’ Sketch

As NBC‘s Saturday Night Live (SNL) prepares for its 50th anniversary special on February 16, 2025, the show is revisiting its most iconic sketches, including the fan-favorite “Celebrity Jeopardy!” from its 40th anniversary special in 2015. The sketch, featuring Will Ferrell as a beleaguered Alex Trebek, brought together a star-studded cast, including Jim Carrey, Darrell Hammond, and the late Norm MacDonald as Turd Ferguson.

The “Celebrity Jeopardy!” sketch, originally written by longtime SNL writer Steve Higgins and Adam McKay, became a recurring favorite during Ferrell’s tenure on the show from 1995 to 2002. The 40th anniversary edition featured Hammond reprising his role as Sean Connery, Kate McKinnon as Justin Bieber, Alec Baldwin as Tony Bennett, and MacDonald as Burt Reynolds. Jim Carrey also made a memorable appearance as Matthew McConaughey.

Higgins revealed that the sketch’s concept came from his wife, Ellen Niedert-Higgins, who suggested parodying celebrities’ lack of trivia knowledge. The real Alex Trebek, who passed away in 2020, reportedly loved the sketches, telling SNL creator Lorne Michaels that he found them hilarious. “You really can’t parody something if you don’t love it, or else it’s just mean,” Higgins told Variety in a 2020 interview.

The 50th anniversary special will air on NBC and Peacock, featuring a three-hour celebration of SNL’s legacy. Leading up to the event, Peacock will release a four-part docuseries, SNL50: Beyond Saturday Night, on January 16, 2025, offering an unprecedented look at the show’s history, including its audition process, writers’ room, and iconic sketches like “More Cowbell.”

SNL’s 50th anniversary will also include a documentary on the show’s musical guests, co-directed by Questlove and Oz Rodriguez, airing on NBC on January 27, 2025. With over 60 contributors, including SNL alumni, the anniversary programming promises to be a star-studded tribute to one of television’s most enduring institutions.