"Saturday Night Live 25th Anniversary Special" (also billed as "Saturday Night Live 25") is a three-hour prime-time special that aired on September 26, 1999, on NBC, celebrating Saturday Night Live's 25th year on the air, having premiered on October 11, 1975, under the original title NBC's Saturday Night.
[1][2] The New York Times wrote of the special, "In defiance of both time and show business convention, SNL is still the most pervasive influence on the art of comedy in contemporary culture.
"[3] This special was preceded by the 15th Anniversary Special (1989) and preceded the 40th Anniversary Special (2015).
The 25th special received five Primetime Emmy Award nominations including a win for the Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy Special and a Writers Guild of America Award for Television: Best Comedy/Variety – Specials.
[4] The show included musical performances by: Throughout the show following were paid tribute to: All performers were credited as repertory:[5][6][7] Also in attendance included numerous actors, musicians, comedians, and celebrities such as:[8][9][10]