Saturday Night Live 15th Anniversary Special

"Saturday Night Live 15th Anniversary Special" (also billed as "Saturday Night Live 15") is a 2 1/2 hour prime-time special that aired on September 24, 1989,  on NBC, celebrating Saturday Night Live's 15th year on the air, having premiered on October 11, 1975, under the original title NBC's Saturday Night. SNL has since had two more specials celebrating its 25th Anniversary in 1998 and 40th Anniversary in 2014.

The 15th Anniversary Special featured montage clips, tributes and performances from Dan Aykroyd, Jim Belushi, Chevy Chase, Billy Crystal, Jane Curtin, Tom Hanks, Buck Henry, Steve Martin, Lorraine Newman, Mary Tyler Moore, Martin Short, O.J. Simpson and Robin Williams with musical performances from Prince and Paul Simon.

Musical performers

 * Prince, introduced by Jerry Hall performed “Electric Chair”
 * Paul Simon performed “Still Crazy After All These Years”

Tributes

 * John Belushi, introduced by Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi
 * Gilda Radner, introduced by Jane Curtin and Laraine Newman

Participants
All performers were credited as repertory:


 * Dan Aykroyd
 * Jim Belushi
 * Chevy Chase
 * Billy Crystal
 * Jane Curtin
 * Christopher Guest
 * Tom Hanks
 * Buck Henry
 * Charlton Heston
 * Sam Kinison
 * Steve Martin
 * Dennis Miller
 * Mary Tyler Moore
 * Garrett Morris
 * Eddie Murphy’s entourage
 * Laraine Newman
 * Don Novello as Father Guido Sarducci
 * Joe Piscopo
 * Susan Saint James
 * Martin Short
 * O.J. Simpson
 * Robin Williams

Audience Members
Also in attendance included numerous actors, musicians, comedians, and celebrities such as:


 * Gary Busey
 * Dana Carvey
 * Glenn Close
 * Joan Cusack
 * Jim Downey
 * Nora Dunn
 * Dick Ebersol
 * Eric Idle
 * Art Garfunkel
 * Elliott Gould
 * Gilbert Gottfried
 * Kathy Griffin
 * Jerry Hall
 * Phil Hartman
 * Robert Klein
 * Eugene Levy
 * Lorne Michaels
 * Edwin Newman
 * Catherine O’Hara
 * Mike Myers
 * Kurt Russell
 * Diane Sawyer
 * Paul Shaffer
 * Garry Shandling
 * Harry Shearer
 * G.E. Smith
 * Donald Trump
 * Bruce Willis

Production
The special was the first Anniversary celebration which featured SNL original cast members Chevy Chase, Dan Aykroyd, Jane Curtin, Garrett Morris and Laraine Newman with tributes to John Belushi and Gilda Radner. Notably absent were former cast members Bill Murray and Eddie Murphy. It was followed by the 25th Anniversary in 1998 and 40th Anniversary in 2014.

Executive Producer Lorne Michaels stated the reason behind the reason for the special saying, "'I think he felt it was time we brought the old and new groups together. I think, perhaps, it also was a little bit the death of Gilda Radner...I would have resisted the idea before this, but I think this group we've had for the last three years has been well enough praised and good enough to compare with the old group. I think we've reached a sort of peak. I wouldn't have gone along with it if I weren't just as proud of the new group as the old."