Saturday Night Live owes its Emmy wins to Adam Sandler

Adam Sandler’s decision to return to Saturday Night Live paid off once again as the show took home multiple Emmy Awards.

The Saturday Night Live family won two awards at the 71st Primetime Emmy Awards. Both of them are due in large part to the contributions of Adam Sandler, 23 years after he was a cast member.

The relationship between Adam Sandler and Saturday Night Live has been a mutually beneficial one even if Sandler’s tenure on the cast didn’t end on the best terms. The show helped make Sandler a star, introduced him to friends and collaborators like Chris Farley and David Spade, and helped launch his movie career.

For his part, Sandler delivered fan favorite characters, became part of one of the most beloved casts (albeit not in real time), and continued to cameo after leaving Saturday Night Live for special occasions.

But Adam Sandler really came through during season 44. Sandler finally agree to host an episode of Saturday Night Live, setting the record for longest gap between a cast member’s last. episode and his first turn hosting.

Sandler delivered what was one of the best episodes of the season. It was tied for the highest rated show of the season along with the premiere hosted by Adam Driver and the Christmas episode hosted by Matt Damon.

Lorne Michaels and the rest of the Saturday Night Live team clearly felt the same way about the episode. It was submitted to Emmy Award voters in two categories that SNL ultimately won: Outstanding Directing for a Variety Series (Don Roy King) and Outstanding Variety Sketch Series.

Perhaps Saturday Night Live‘s biggest competition in the Variety Sketch Series category was Documentary Now!. Michaels would have welcomed an upset by the IFC show, considering he is a producer on the show that was created by SNL alumni Seth Meyers, Fred Armisen, and Bill Hader.

But it was Saturday Night Live‘s night once again. In his acceptance speech, Michaels made it a point to mention it was Adam Sandler’s episode that earned the show its Emmy. He reflected on the relationships built among the cast and crew of the show, exemplified by Sandler’s touching tribute to the late Chris Farley during Sandler’s episode.

All it all, it was an excellent episode and likely convinced Adam Sandler that returning to Saturday Night Live was the right decision. Don Roy King and Lorne Michaels definitely have two reminders of why that was the case. Here’s hoping it’s not another 23 years before Sandler’s second time hosting.