Complicit or otherwise, SNL knew that the first post-election show needed a note of relief, moreso than reminders of Trump’s victory. Presidential portrayer Alec Baldwin even expressed uncertainty he’d ever don the wig for SNL again, but sources confirm the sketch series’ take on Trump will return Baldwin to the limelight with Kristen Wiig this weekend.
SNL fans are still reeling the loss of Taran Killam and Jay Pharoah (well, and Jon Rudnitsky), but little did we know, the pair already had backup plans. Showtime confirms that Killam will lead new comedy Mating, while Jay Pharoah lands the lead role in Jamie Foxx comedy White Famous.
Melissa McCarthy returned to Studio 8H for her fourth outing as SNL host, and while it may have made more sense for her to host closer to the April release date of her new comedy The Boss, it's difficult to complain. McCarthy teams up with her Ghostbusters co-stars Kate McKinnon and Leslie Jones for a mostly great episode that really leans into the weird stuff and makes excellent use of musical guest Kanye West in an early contender for best sketch of the year. Read on for our ranking of this week's sketches from best to worst.
Welp, with MadTV old enough to celebrate a 20-year anniversary (and otherwise off the air to boot), it was only a matter of time SNL found itself with a little Saturday night competition. Still - gasp! - former SNL dream team The Lonely Island will lead the charge of FOX’s new sketch comedy rival, Party Over Here.
Oh, what fortuitous timing be this. Just days before February, SNL has set its second host of the 2016 month behind Larry David, as Leslie Jones and Kate McKinnon’s fellow Ghostbuster Melissa McCarthy will return to take the stage, with none other than Kanye West bringing up the rear.
When the 2016 Oscar nominations were announced nearly two weeks ago, the response to the overwhelmingly white line-up of talent proved instantly controversial. Film fans and industry veterans alike gathered around the #OscarsSoWhite hashtag to make their voices heard, especially decrying how films starring black actors and directed by black filmmakers — like Creed and Straight Outta Compton — somehow managed to only receive nominations for the white people involved in making them. With material this ripe, of course SNL was going to take a swipe at the Academy Awards this week.