Saturday Night Live Season 25 Episode 12

Big Pun was originally scheduled to perform the rap bridge in "Feelin' So Good" with Fat Joe but failed to appear that night for unknown reasons. He died of a heart attack two days after the show's broadcast.

The syndicated version of this episode airs a dress rehearsal of the "Fried Chicken Fields Forever" sketch because the live broadcast version had several technical problems (which messed up the timing) and the stage manager can be heard yelling, "Alan, you can change" during one of the transitions.

The end of the cold opening seen in reruns comes from dress rehearsal. It switches from the live show to dress rehearsal footage after Will Ferrell's line "Oh, are you a veteran? I hadn't heard!" The live show version ends with Chris Parnell removing his hands from Will Ferrell's neck and saying "Live From New York, It's Saturday Night" with much more enthusiasm than in dress rehearsal.

Chris Parnell took over Don Pardo's announcing duties for the opening credits since Pardo was sick. It has been fixed for all reruns/syndicated versions.

This episode aired on both Tim Meadows and Chris Parnell's birthday. Parnell got to say "Live From New York, It's Saturday Night" as Senator John McCain.