'SNL' Writers Break Down the 'Swirl' of Tackling a Landmark 50th Season, an Anniversary Special and an Election in One Year

It was a late Thursday morning in 30 Rock and "Saturday Night Live" head writers Kent Sublette, Streeter Seidell and Alison Gates were running on caffeine and willpower. As per "SNL" tradition, they stayed up all night Tuesday writing potential sketches for the week's show. Then, on Wednesday night, they picked the sketches that would move forward for the penultimate episode of the season with host Walton Goggins. This was on top of a star-studded 50th-season special in February with icons like Eddie Murphy, Steve Martin, Tina Fey, Amy Poehler and Will Ferrell gracing the 8H stage . . .