As the show gears up to celebrate its milestone, here are 12 moments over the past five decades when the show didn't just reflect pop culture — it drove it.

How featuring the rushed and imperfect work of brilliant, stressed-out comics made SNL a comedy bastion.

Mary Ellen Matthews has photographed every host and musical guest for the show, broke building codes with Sarah Silverman and foisted hair spray on Donald Trump. She just wrote a book about it.

Tiny Fey and Amy Poehler stopped by The Tonight Show to talk about Bill Murray and the upcoming SNL 50th anniversary.

Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, and Seth Meyers appeared on 'The Tonight Show' alongside host Jimmy Fallon ahead of the 'SNL50' anniversary special.

Amy Poehler hilariously shared why she believes she is Tina Fey's "second wife" during an appearance on 'The Tonight Show ...

Tina Fey and Amy Poehler are friendship goals in N.Y.C., plus Miles and Keleigh Teller, Zoe Saldaña and more. From Vancouver ...

To get inside the SNL 50 marketing juggernaut, I spoke with NBCU’s Chief Marketing Officer for Advertising and Partnerships ...

Live' veterans participated in a "Tonight Show Joke Off," a riff on SNL's "Weekend Update" segment during which they battled it out for the best punchlines.

Ahead of this weekend's 50th anniversary "Saturday Night Live" special, Poehler and Fey stopped by "The Tonight Show" to reminisce with Fallon.