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SNL 40th Anniversary Highlights: Celeb Jeopardy, Wayne’s World, and More Top 10 Moments!

Jimmy Fallon and Justin Timberlake
Check out some of the best moments from SNL's 40th Anniversary Special, from "Celebrity Jeopardy" to "Wayne's World" to Maya Rudolph's Beyonce impression

What a show! Saturday Night Live's 40th Anniversary Special on Sunday, Feb. 15, flew by in a flash, despite the three-and-a-half-hour running time. Combining new takes on old sketches with nostalgia-filled montages of episodes gone by, the star-studded television event brought laughs, surprises, and more than a few happy reunions. Check out the top 10 moments (in no particular order) below (plus a few honorable mentions)!

Related: PHOTOS: The most memorable SNL hosts

1. Celebrity Jeopardy Makes a Triumphant Return

This one's a classic for a reason! Will Ferrell revived one of his most beloved SNL impressions — an annoyed and impatient Alex Trebek — in this new version of an old favorite. Joining him were Kate McKinnon as Justin Bieber, Darrell Hammond as Sean Connery, Alec Baldwin as Tony Bennett, Norm MacDonald as Burt Reynolds, Taran Killam as Christoph Waltz, Jim Carrey as Matthew McConaughey, and Kenan Thompson as Bill Cosby. Eight minutes of this wasn't nearly enough.

 

2. Betty White and Bradley Cooper Make Out

Of all the stars in SNL 40's "The Californians" sketchTaylor Swift, Kerry Washington, Kristen Wiig, Fred Armisen, Vanessa Bayer, and Laraine Newman, to name a few — Betty White and Bradley Cooper got the biggest reaction from the crowd. Their makeout was easily one of the best, most GIF-worthy moments of the night.

Related: PHOTOS: Stars' funniest SNL moments

3. Maya Rudolph Channels Beyonce

Maya Rudolph is a national treasure — and this musical interlude proved why. The SNL alum resurrected her flawless Beyonce impression for the anniversary special, singing 40th anniversary versions of "Halo" and "Drunk in Love." Nobody does Bey better — except Bey herself, of course.

 

4. Ana Gasteyer and Will Ferrell Flip the Funk Bird 

Ana Gasteyer and Will Ferrell brought back their fabulously awkward music teachers Marty Culp and Bobbi Mohan-Culp to sing an operatic medley of hits including "Uptown Funk," "All About That Bass," and "Turn Down for What." Just think what they could do with J.Lo's "Booty" or Bey's "Drunk in Love." 

5. Women Rule Weekend Update

Weekend Update got a major dose of girl power from former anchors Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, and Jane Curtin, who took turns trading witty barbs about SNL's storied history. The segment also included a cameo from Emma Stone as the late Gilda Radner's character Roseanne Roseannadanna, and Ed Norton and Bill Hader doing competing Stefon impressions.

 

6. Mike Myers and Dana Carvey Poke Fun at Kanye West in Wayne's World Sketch

Wayne's World had a little fun at Kanye West's expense when they brought up the show's impressive list of musical guests, which includes — among others — Beck and Beyonce. "I think Beck was one of the best, even better than Beyonce," Dana Carvey joked, alluding to West's Grammys interruption. Anticipating a protest from the rapper, Mike Myers added, "Kanye, sit down."

7. Melissa McCarthy Pays Homage to Chris Farley

Melissa McCarthy threw herself (literally) into this Weekend Update bit featuring the late Chris Farley's character Matt Foley. Paying homage to Farley's gift for physical comedy, the Tammy actress dove onto the news desk in a fit of gusto, collapsing on top of the splintered pieces. Farley would have been proud.

Related: PHOTOS: SNL's most successful cast members ever

8. Justin Timberlake and Jimmy Fallon Are All About That Cowbell

Five-time host Justin Timberlake and former cast member Jimmy Fallon opened the show with a lively song-and-dance number highlighting some of SNL's most famous sketches, characters, and catchphrases, from "The Blues Brothers" to "More Cowbell" to "Debbie Downer." The cherry on top? A cameo from Molly Shannon as the armpit-sniffing Mary Katherine Gallagher. 

 

9. Jerry Seinfeld Fields Questions From Larry David, Sarah Palin

Jerry Seinfeld hosted a little mock Q&A from the SNL stage, interacting with stars including Dakota Johnson, Michael Douglas, and James Franco. The highlight was an interaction with former SNL writer and Seinfeld co-creator Larry David — though his bits with Sarah Palin and Ellen Cleghorne were also fun to watch. 

 

10. Andy Samberg Debuts a New Digital Short

Andy Samberg teamed up with Adam Sandler for a new digital short, "That's When You Break," which poked fun at cast members' tendency to crack up during sketches. (The most frequent offenders? Jimmy Fallon and Horatio Sanz.) Not as instant a classic as "Dick in a Box" or "Lazy Sunday," but replay-worthy nonetheless.

 

Other noteworthy moments: Eddie Murphy's long-awaited return to Studio 8H, the touching In Memoriam segment (with a funny Jon Lovitz joke at the end!), and Tina Fey and Alec Baldwin's shout-out to their 30 Rock costar Tracy Morgan, who's still recovering from a June 2014 car accident.

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