Tina and Amy (and Maya)! Amy and Tina (and Maya)! When was the last time anSNLsketch made you laughandwince? Credit: Dana Edelson/NBC And Dope Squad was both funny and (perhaps)a poke at Taylor Swift. We can easily order an extra Ms. Saturday Night trophy if voters decide that theSistersstars will go the distance. It doesnt take much inside info to predict that the duo will dominate the polls this week....
Saturday Night Livegot a late start to usher in its 2016. Fortunately, Adam Driver proved to be worth the wait. For one, hes an ex-Marine. Credit: NBC Not bad at all, for a first-timer. Unfortunately, hes got some seriously formidable competition. HisStar Warsfilm may have squashedSistersat the box office, but the tables are turned in the bestSNLhost poll. Tina Fey and Amy Poehler, who hosted the Christmas show, are the ones to beat....
A lot has changed since Matthew McConaughey last hostedSaturday Night Livein 2003. This time around, he had … absolutely nothing to promote. But he’s got an Oscar and credibility and … dare we say … gravitas. Credit: Dana Edelson/NBC The sketches may have been a tad uneven, but he was committed and seemed to have fun. He now enters a wide-open Mr. Saturday Night contest that’s still in its early stages....
Is 2016 the year of the woman, when a female finally gets elected? Im referring toSaturday Night Live, of course, and our fifth annual Mr. Saturday Night contest. A woman has never won; hence our sexist title. Credit: NBC But this year, the current frontrunner and the sentimental favorite all happen to be women. Thats not to say its a cinch. (No offense.) Of that group, only Fey & Poehler hosted in the first half of the season....
On Wednesday,Saturday Night Livetweeted a call for host suggestions for the upcoming season. Some nominated their peers; some reacted to being nominated in their own special ways. Sadly, she never posted the video. Credit: Mike Windle/Getty Images; Vincent Sandoval/Getty Images Simone Bilespetitioned NBCto let the Final Five host, while Tony winner Cynthia Erivo nominatedSupergirlstar Laura Benanti. Laverne Cox and singer Sara Bareilles thanked the fans who mentioned their names along with the SNLhost hashtag....
And Grande delivered again and again during a night that was never incredible but enjoyably consistent. No outright bombs were in sight, and Grande often saved the sketches that almost became near misses. Having Darrell Hammonds Donald Trumptell the crowdWhat did I say? Credit: Dana Edelson/NBC Nothing new, but still decidedly fun. A Scandalous Monologue Grande predictably pulls out a musical number for her monologue. (Both of those, by the way, Dangerous Woman and Be Alright are quite good....
Well… maybeSaturday Night Liveis saving all its best material for the season finale? Take theAmerican Ninja Warriorparody, for example. But, Bobby Moynihan attempting to run across water while wearing a cape is simply beautiful. Credit: Dana Edelson/NBC Still, Drake, the writers, and the cast offered up some memorable sketches, like… Weekend Update Lets start off on a different note this week by focusing on Weekend Update. Its personally a joy to look forward to Update again....
Jonah Hill is a more than capableSaturday Night Livehost. Which is why this Saturdays episode, Hills fourth time hosting, felt like such a letdown. (Actually, two overly long bits about him crapping his pants: the pre-tapedThe Champand theClue-style murder mystery. Credit: NBC (More on Futures multiple appearances later.) When it comes to ranking Hills fourSNLepisodes, the 2016 installment definitely places fourth. Here are some of the standout moments from an otherwise forgettable episode....
Melissa McCarthy knows how to host. (Raises hand.) And, perhaps most significantly, she can disappear into hilariously absurd characters with ease and skill. Credit: NBC Thats exactly what she did in Saturdays episode, her fourth time hosting the show. Read more about that performance and McCarthys best moments below. Its relevant and sharp and successful in pointing out just how ridiculous the anti-Formation crowds are. Some people shriek when something scary happens; she pees herself and punches people nearby....
And the night felt like a step above the rest from the cold open on. Then the monologue started. But at the top of the nostalgia heap is Brian Fellows Safari Planet. Credit: NBC But seriously, how did they get a camel onto the 8th floor of 30 Rock? Democratic Presidential Debate Alec Baldwin as a time-demanding future president Jim Webb. Larry David as Bernie Sanders, making real the internets collective meme dream....
What makes a greatSaturday Night Livehost? As Justice Potter Stewart famously once said about pornography, I know it when I see it. Thats not to say thatSNLis like pornography though bothareviewed late at night by millions of teenage boys. Credit: NBC There really is no predicting whos going to thrive onSaturday Night Live. (And dont overlook being the Republican frontrunner for president.) People sometimes scoff at the opening monologue, but that introduction often sets the tone....
[Note: This post has been updated with Sam Rockwell’s 2018 F-bomb. Read on for more.] Of course, Stewart is in pretty good company when it comes to putting NBC’s censors to work. Credit: Will Heath/NBC Below, we’ve rounded upSNL’s F-word slip-ups in all their @#$*ing glory. So well that I added extra ‘flogging’s until there was finally just a total slip. I’d like to know who the f did it."...
Wasnt there aRoomsketch in there somewhere? But Crowes fans responded, and rather than plummet, his numbers held steady for another second-place finish. More specifically, who do you hope gets invited back next year? Credit: Dana Edelson/NBC Whose show had your boss, your mom, and your roommate still giggling on Monday morning? Its subjective, of course, but lets reward the guest hosts who brought something special to the table. Youre not voting on this one sketch alone; be sure to consider the entire episode....
