Radner left SNL in 1980 and died tragically only nine years later, at age 42, of ovarian cancer. Though her post-SNL work didn’t quite reach the highs that her iconic run on the

NEW YORK (AP) — “Saturday Night Live” was built with a cast of young no-names performing countercultural comedy. Fifty years later, it is firmly part of the culture, dictating mainstream comedy instead of throwing spitballs from the margins.

NBC is celebrating the legacy of “Saturday Night Live” on Feb. 15 with the first-ever “SNL” telecast airing at 11:30 p.m. ET/PT as well as an encore of presentation of the critically acclaimed documentary “Ladies & Gentlemen … 50 Years of SNL Music” to start the night at 8 p.m. ET/PT.