Maya Rudolph as Harris and Dana Carvey as Biden open 50th season of ‘Saturday Night Live’

NEW YORK — “Saturday Night Live” began its 50th play with a parade of erstwhile co-stars, including Maya Rudolph arsenic Vice President Kamala Harris, Andy Samberg arsenic her hubby Doug Emhoff and Dana Carvey arsenic President Joe Biden.

“We’ve got to enactment focused,” Rudolph-as-Harris said astatine a mock rally successful the show’s acold open. “If we win, together, we tin extremity the drama-la and the trauma-la and spell unbend successful our pajama-las.”

After bringing retired moving mate Tim Walz, played by comedian and histrion Jim Gaffigan, she invited Samberg-as Emhoff to the signifier and then, astir arsenic an afterthought, Biden, played by the oldest of the group, the 69-year-old Carvey.

“A batch of radical hide I’m president, including me,” said Carvey, champion known connected the amusement for playing President George H.W. Bush successful the precocious 1980s.

Rudolph and Carvey jointly delivered the “Live from New York, it’s Saturday night” that launched play 50 of the sketch drama institution.

Rudolph’s instrumentality to play Harris — she won an Emmy for playing her antecedently — had been reported, but it was not definite erstwhile she would appear. The impermanent spots from Carvey, Samberg and Gaffigan were each surprises.

“Designing Women” prima Jean Smart, caller disconnected winning her sixth Emmy for her pb relation successful “Hacks,” was host, a relation the 73-year-old has someway ne'er played successful a four-decade career.

“I retrieve watching the archetypal occurrence of ‘SNL’ and thinking, ’someday I’m going to big that show,” Smart said successful her opening monologue. “And this is the archetypal Saturday that acceptable my schedule.”

That archetypal occurrence came connected Oct. 11, 1975, with Lorne Michaels astatine the helm, conscionable arsenic helium is now.

George Carlin hosted and the federation got its archetypal dose of the Not Ready for Prime Time Players: Chevy Chase, John Belushi, Gilda Radner, Dan Aykroyd, Jane Curtin, Laraine Newman and Garrett Morris.

There were 2 philharmonic guests — Billy Preston and Janis Ian — playing 2 songs apiece, the norm successful the aboriginal days.

The state vocalist and rapper Jelly Roll had the euphony relation to himself Saturday, singing his songs “Liar” and “Sober.” Like Smart, helium was a first-timer.

Smart introduced Jelly Roll with her “Hacks” co-star Hannah Einbinder, the girl of archetypal formed subordinate Newman.

That debut amusement is documented and reenacted successful the recently released Jason Reitman movie “Saturday Night,” portion of a question of reflection and solemnisation the amusement is getting connected the cusp of its 50th anniversary.

Despite the showy impermanent stars connected this Saturday night, regular formed members took connected the bulk of the show, which rapidly settled into its regular routine.

James Austin Johnson was backmost playing Donald Trump astatine his ain rally, saying helium wanted Biden arsenic an hostile alternatively of Harris.

“We miss Joe Biden, folks,” Johnson’s Trump said. “What we wouldn’t springiness to person him basal adjacent to maine and beryllium old.”

Colin Jost and Michael Che returned for different play of the mock-news “Weekend Update.”

“There were truthful galore insane governmental stories this summertime and everyone kept asking, ‘Are you are you truthful bummed you aren’t connected the aerial close now?” Jost said to unfastened the segment. “And I was like, ’I person a feeling there’s going to beryllium much that happens erstwhile we get back.’”

Rudolph, Carvey, Gaffigan and Samberg joined Smart, Jelly Roll and the formed connected signifier for the accepted sign-off.

Upcoming episodes are scheduled to diagnostic big Nate Bargatze with philharmonic impermanent Coldplay, Ariana Grande with Stevie Nicks, Michael Keaton with Billie Eilish and John Mulaney with Chappell Roan.

Those shows volition pb up to a three-hour primetime peculiar connected Feb. 16 that volition service arsenic the authoritative 50th play celebration. It’s definite to diagnostic a wide scope of the galore stars the amusement has spawned, including Bill Murray, Eddie Murphy, Billy Crystal, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Robert Downey Jr., Mike Myers, Adam Sandler, Chris Rock, Tina Fey, Amy Poehler and Will Ferrell.