“SNL” alums recall 'surreal and bizarre' 'More Cowbell' sketch in exclusive documentary clip: 'The room kinda got hot'

I got a fever — and the only prescription is Saturday Night Live documentary footage.

SNL alums reflect on Will Ferrell's comedic electricity in the iconic "More Cowbell" sketch in an exclusive clip from the third episode of Peacock docuseries SNL50: Beyond Saturday Night.

The iconic sketch saw Ferrell play fictional cowbell specialist Gene Frenkle, who descends on Blue Öyster Cult's "Don't Fear the Reaper" recording session at the insistence of fictional music producer Bruce Dickinson (Christopher Walken).

The clip opens with Chris Kattan, who appeared in the sketch and performed on SNL from 1996 to 2003, discussing Ferrell's exposed belly. "It's hard to be serious when you see that stomach," he says. "It's different than most stomachs. You know, it's got a lotta fun hair."

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Ferrell's unpredictable performance saw him violently sway throughout the studio as he hammered on the superfluous percussion instrument. "You know what he's doing? He's exploring the space," remarks Queens of the Stone Age frontman Josh Homme, quoting Walken's absurd character from the sketch.

Jimmy Fallon, who appeared in the sketch as Blue Öyster Cult drummer Bobby Rondinelli, adds, "It was the funniest thing I've ever seen in my entire life" — an unsurprising opinion, considering he visibly laughed throughout most of the sketch. The Tonight Show host, who was an SNL cast member from 1998 to 2004, says it was immediately clear that the sketch would be a hit. "It was so surreal and bizarre, but you could feel in the air that it was working. And the room kinda got hot."

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Fallon continues, "When the sketch is going, it's cooking, the room almost shakes a little bit. And it was shaking that night."

Darrell Hammond, who did not appear in the sketch but was a member of the SNL cast from 1995 to 2009 and currently serves as the show's announcer, remarks, "I can remember looking at the crowd above my head, going, 'Holy moly, this is what we do this for."

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SNL50: Beyond Saturday Night, executive-produced by Oscar-winning filmmaker Morgan Neville (20 Feet From Stardom), consists of four 60-minute episodes. Episode 3 dives deep on the history and impact of "More Cowbell," featuring appearances from Ferrell, Chris Parnell, Rachel Dratch, Fred Armisen, Dana Carvey, Dave Grohl, members of the real Blue Öyster Cult, and other SNL alums.

All four eps premiere on Peacock on Thursday, Jan. 16. Watch the exclusive clip above.

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