Questlove To Direct '50 Years of SNL Music' Documentary
A three-hour special for NBC.
Oscar-winner Questlove has been tasked to direct a new documentary focusing on 50 Years of SNL Music for the NBC. The three-hour special is set to be titled, Ladies & Gentlemen … 50 Years of SNL Music and will be celebrating the past five decades at Saturday Night Live.
As per the project logline, the film will “feature untold stories behind the culture-defining, groundbreaking and newsmaking musical performances, sketches and cameos of the past 50 years.” It will also include over 50 interviews featuring some of the industry’s biggest stars and performers including Bad Bunny, DJ Breakout, Elvis Costello, Miley Cyrus, Billie Eilish and Finneas, Dave Grohl, Debbie Harry & Chris Stein, Mick Jagger, Dua Lipa, Darryl DMC McDaniels, Tom Morello, Kacey Musgraves, Olivia Rodrigo, MC Sha-Rack, Paul Simon, Chris Stapleton, Justin Timberlake, Lee Ving and Jack White. Alongside these artists, interviews with SNL creator Lorne Michaels as well as its cast and creatives from the present and past including, Fred Armisen, Conan O’Brien, Eli Brueggemann, Jane Curtin, Jimmy Fallon, Al Franken, Josiah Gluck, Bill Hader, Steve Higgins, Marci Klein, Melanie Malone, Tom Malone, Mary Ellen Matthews, Eddie Murphy, Ego Nwodim, Liz Patrick, Leon Pendarvis, Lenny Pickett, Joe Piscopo, Andy Samberg, Brian Siedlecki, Akiva Schaffer, Paul Shaffer, Sarah Sherman, Howard Shore, Robert Smigel, Jorma Taccone, Kenan Thompson, Maya Rudolph, Hal Willner and Bowen Yang will also be interviewed.
In a statement, Questlove said of the project, “Everyone knows the most famous SNL appearances, whether it’s Elvis Costello, Prince or the Beastie Boys, but they’re the tip of a huge iceberg. The process of going back through the incredible archival footage was like being in a time machine, DeLorean or other. I’m so happy I went on the trip and now get to share it with everyone.” The three-hour special will be premiering on the network on January 27 at 8 p.m. EST and streaming the following day on Peacock.
