“SNL50: The Anniversary Special” could have been a clip-heavy retrospective featuring the most memorable moments from the show’s rich history. Instead, the three-hour-plus spectacular was fueled by fresh skits aimed directly at die-hard fans who know the difference between Chris Kattan and Chris Parnell.

The writers room, which included Tina Fey and Amy Poehler, cooked up bits that brought back favorites like Kristen Wiig’s Dooneese, the singing sister with tiny hands and a huge forehead; Bobby Moynihan’s Drunk Uncle, and — in a double whammy — “Bronx Beat” with Poehler and Maya Rudolph hosting Mike Myers’ Linda Richman. Did you get a little verklempt?

Returns were often spruced up by big-name cameos. Meryl Streep, who has never hosted the show, popped up as the mother of Kate McKinnon’s alien abductee, admitting that her space misadventures exposed her as the devil who wears nada.

Jack Nicholson made a rare public appearance to introduce Adam Sandler. Rachel Dratch’s Debbie Downer made Robert De Niro snap. In a new installment of “Black Jeopardy!” one of the contestants was Eddie Murphy, who provided a pitch-perfect impression of Tracy Morgan, who was standing right beside him.

The celebrities sometimes felt shoehorned in. Murphy was pulled out of his sketch without explanation so that Tom Hanks could toss in a few lines.

John Mulaney’s inspired musical tribute to New York City included Adam Driver as a hot dog and Paul Rudd in a role that could only be described as Random Dude on a Bike.

But seeing so many big stars in the studio audience was lots of the fun. Keith Richards rose from his chair to ask if anyone had seen his missing scarf. Al Sharpton was squeezed between Rob Schneider and Ray Romano. Kevin Costner sat next to Cher. Al Franken appeared to be sharing an armrest with Stephen Colbert.

The former senator wasn’t the only Minnesota connection. Miley Cyrus and Brittany Howard performed “Nothing Compares 2 U,” a simultaneous tribute to the late Sinead O’Connor and Prince, both of whom contributed significant chapters to the show’s story.

There were a lot of nods that probably went over the heads of viewers who are only casual comedy fans and routinely turn off the show after “Weekend Update.”

This weekend was primarily for fanatics who would rather laugh at new material than pore over old memories.