NBC Gears Up for SNL 40th Anniversary

NEW YORK: NBC is planning a three-hour live special to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the iconic sketch show Saturday Night Live next year.

The special tribute is slated for Sunday, February 15, 2015. It will feature past and present cast members, as well as special and musical guests from the show's history. The specific lineup will be determined in the coming months.

Saturday Night Live has won 40 Emmy Awards, the most for any show in TV history. It also holds the title for the most nominated TV show in Emmy history, with 171 nominations.

"Saturday Night Live is an institution unlike anything else in television history," said Robert Greenblatt, the chairman of NBC Entertainment. "The many brilliant 'Not Ready for Primetime Players' over the years is a who's who of film and television comedy for the last two generations. The roster includes everyone from the iconic first cast in 1975 to household names ranging from Eddie Murphy, Billy Crystal, Dana Carvey, Mike Myers, Will Ferrell and Adam Sandler, to Kristen Wiig, Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, Jimmy Fallon and Seth Meyers—to name only a few. This brand, which is still one of the highest-rated comedies on television, was the brainchild of Lorne Michaels, who still presides over the whole enterprise today. This special is just one of the many ways we plan to celebrate SNL's historic 40th season next year."