24 Years Later, 'SNL' Docuseries Will Reveal the Secrets of 'More Cowbell'
There are perhaps too many iconic Saturday Night Live sketches to name. But, as the show celebrates its 50th Anniversary, one sketch will get very, very special attention. If you want to know more about the famous "More Cowbell" sketch, you're in luck. Twenty-four years later, the new SNL docuseries is going very deep on that particular sketch.
On April 8, 2000, the sketch "More Cowbell" featured Will Ferrell and Christopher Walken creating a fictional recorded version of Blue Oyster Cult's "Don't Fear the Reaper." The joke in the sketch was simply that a character named Gene Frenkle (Ferrell) is obsessed with playing cowbell, and the producer Bruce Dickinson (Walken) is obsessed with hearing as much cowbell as possible, too. Of the four installments in the new docuseries SNL 50: Beyond Saturday Night, one entire episode will devoted to the making of "More Cowbell."
This might make the documentary series a bit lopsided, but, in fairness, it's also impossible to do an entirely comprehensive history of SNL. And, it also might not be all that entertaining if SNL 50 was just focused on every single detail that led to the creation of the show. Putting the spotlight on "More Cowbell" is deeply weird and random, but those qualities also explain why SNL has survived for five decades.
Here's a breakdown of the four episodes in SNL 50: Beyond Saturday Night.
- Episode 101, “Five Minutes” - A showcase of the SNL audition process, with never-before-seen audition footage and firsthand accounts from some of the show’s most iconic names as they reflect on their preparation and journey to the SNL stage.
- Episode 102, “Written By: A Week Inside The SNL Writers Room” - A behind-the-scenes look at the SNL writing process from script to screen, capturing the creativity and chaos of a week inside the writers’ room at SNL.
- Episode 103, “More Cowbell” - A deep dive into the making of SNL's iconic "More Cowbell" sketch, exploring how a simple idea became a cultural phenomenon and offering a tribute to the lasting impact of sketch comedy.
- Episode 104, “Season 11: The Weird Year” - An exploration into SNL’s 11th season, examining the pivotal year that reset the show’s direction and cemented its enduring DNA with Lorne Michaels at the helm.
The docuseries begins streaming on Peacock on January 16. However, this docuseries is not the only anniversary special for SNL. In addition to these four mini-documentaries, there will also be a separate documentary on the history of musical guests on SNL. This documentary is called Ladies & Gentleman… 50 years of SNL Music, and will debut on NBC on January 27, and will stream on Peacock on January 28.
As of this writing, beyond these specials airing in January, SNL has yet to reveal its next batch of hosts and musical guests for the rest of the regular 2024-2025 season.