‘SNL’ Memorializes Luke Perry by Airing Classic Episode He Hosted

NBC is airing a special Saturday Night Live rerun this weekend in honor of the late Luke Perry.

SNL is still live this week with a new episode hosted by Idris Elba. Beforehand, however, the network is showing an episode from February 1993, when Perry hosted. The actor passed away on Monday following a sudden stroke, and fans, friends and family members have been commemorating him all week.

NBC will carry on that trend Saturday night. Perry’s episode comes from Season 18 and originally aired on Feb. 6, 1993. Mick Jagger was the musical guest, and Perry was likely there to promote his work on Beverly Hills, 90210. The episode is not among those available on Hulu, so this will be a rare chance for fans to tune in and see it.

The episode is not just notable for Perry’s appearance, either. It was the final episode featuring Dana Carvey as a member of the main cast. Carvey was one of the series’ biggest stars at the time, and the cast was undergoing some major shake-ups as it was. There was also a guest appearance by Jiorgio Armani in the cold open, and Jan Hooks played Hillary Clinton.

The episode also features the meeting of Jagger and Mike Myers’ impression of Jagger. The two appeared together on Weekend Update, with Jagger playing his Rolling Stones bandmate Keith Richards, for a round of “Point/Counterpoint.”

The re-run is just one of the way’s Perry’s impact and sudden loss has been felt throughout the realms of pop culture this week. The actor left the whole world in grieving, including fans from a wide range of genres and heartbroken colleagues.

Celebrities showered praise on Perry after he was gone. Many took to social media, remembering Perry as a kind of generous person over the course of many years. He was also memorialized by his children, who each spoke out in their own way following his death.

“A lot has happened in this past week for me,” wrote his daughter, Sophie on Instagram. “Everything is happening so fast. I made it back from Malawi just in time to be here with my family, And in the past 24 hours I have received an overwhelming amount of love and support.”

Perry’s episode of SNL will air on Saturday at 10 p.m. ET, ahead of the regular live broadcast. The new episode will follow at 11:30 p.m. ET on NBC.

Photo Credit: Getty Images