SNL

Maya Rudolph to Host SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE on February 18th

by Ethan Anderton    Posted: February 8th, 2012 at 3:16 pm

It’s always fun when Saturday Night Live alums return to host, so it’s great to hear from NBC that Maya Rudolph, who can currently be seen on the comedy series Up All Night, will return to Studio 8H on February 18th. That likely means we’ll see the Bridesmaids star reprise some of her characters from years past including her outrageous Whitney Huston and maybe even a new Bronx Beat if Amy Poehler can be coaxed to make a guest appearance. Rudolph will be joined by musical guest Sleigh Bells making their network television debut.

Jonah Hill and Justin Bieber to Host SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE; Paul Brittain Leaving Cast Immediately

by Ethan Anderton    Posted: January 31st, 2012 at 11:54 am

This season of Saturday Night Live has delivered some solid episodes with hosts like Daniel Radcliffe and hopefully a solid debut from Channing Tatum this coming weekend. Now a couple upcoming hosts have also been revealed with TV Line reporting that Jonah Hill will return for a second hosting stint on March 10th, just in time to promote 21 Jump Street. In addition, according to the Here’s the Thing podcast, Alec Baldwin, while speaking with SNL boss Lorne Michaels mentioned that Justin Bieber would make his debut as host at some point.

However, the real surprising news comes from EW as featured player Paul Brittain, best known for playing Ron Paul and the flamboyant and old time gay Lord Cecil Wyndemere, will be leaving the cast immediately. In fact, his departure will be so abrupt that he won’t even appear on this coming weekend’s episode. While no specific details are mentioned, a source said Brittain “had the opportunity to pursue other projects, and he and the show parted ways amicably.” He wasn’t the strongest presence in the line-up, but I wonder what this fantastic opportunity was that would have him leaving so abruptly.

Channing Tatum and Zooey Deschanel Hosting SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE in February

by Ethan Anderton    Posted: January 11th, 2012 at 9:17 am

Audiences currently have the chance to see Channing Tatum in a hard-hitting fight with Gina Carano in Haywire, but in March the buff actor will flex his comedy chops again alongside Jonah Hill in 21 Jump Street. But between that, NBC has just revealed that Tatum will make his debut as the host of Saturday Night Live on February 4th along with fantastic musical guest Bon Iver. Normally I’m not a fan of Tatum in the least, but glimpses of his comedic work in the trailer for 21 Jump Street and his supporting performance in The Dilemma shows comedy might be where he fits best, even if he does look like an action figure.

In addition, NBC has also revealed that the charming and lovely Zooey Deschanel will make her hosting debut the following week on February 11th along with musical guest Karmin. New Girl has become a surprise hit on Fox, and that’s mostly due to the charismatic and hilarious work done by Deschanel as the quirky titular character Jess. It’s amazing it’s taken this long for Deschanel to hit SNL, but I can’t wait to see how both of these episodes turn out next month.

Daniel Radcliffe and Charles Barkley Hosting SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE in 2012

by Ethan Anderton    Posted: December 19th, 2011 at 9:22 am

This past weekend brought the last episode of Saturday Night Live for the year 2011, but the late night sketch comedy series will return with a bang in the first two weeks of 2012. Kicking off the New Year, and maybe the end of the world, will be NBA All-Star Charles Barkley returning to host for his third time on January 7th along with musical guest Kelly Clarkson. Barkley is usually all over the TV as an analyst for professional and college basketball on TNT and CBS, but when he comes to studio 8H, all bets are off. If you’ve never caught Barkley making an appearance on SNL, we’ve included a couple of sketches from his appearance back in 2010 after the jump.

Last Night’s SNL Digital Short Spoofs Batman’s Stealth Abilities

by Brendan Bettinger    Posted: December 4th, 2011 at 7:07 am

Steve Buscemi proved to be a very capable host on last night’s very funny episode of Saturday Night Live.  As it turns out, the week when a major pedophilia case is in the news is a great week to have Buscemi in the troupe.  But given his range, Buscemi is also suited to play the ethical Commissioner Gordon when Andy Samberg and Co. needed the character for their SNL digital short.  Samberg plays Batman, paying particular attention to his ability to sneak up on on Gordon, and vanish into thin air with the same ease.  The stealth jokes escalate from the basic setup to the point where… well, hit the jump to see for yourself.

Katy Perry to Host SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE on December 10th

by Ethan Anderton    Posted: November 21st, 2011 at 2:55 pm

After appearing as a musical guest, and taking part in a sketch wearing quite a fantastic Elmo t-shirt, singer Katy Perry will following in her husband Russell Brand‘s footsteps and take the Saturday Night Live stage as host of the late night sketch comedy series. However, unlike hosts like Elton John and Justin Timberlake who have pulled double duty as host and musical guest, Perry will have Robyn as the episode’s musical guest. Perry’s music videos clearly show she has the right personality and talents for comedy, most particularly her alter ego Katy Beth Perry from videos like Last Friday Night which you can check out after the jump.

Check Out This Small Batch of Promos for Emma Stone Hosting SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE This Weekend

by Ethan Anderton    Posted: November 9th, 2011 at 2:11 pm

How soon can we get Fred Armisen and Emma Stone in a movie together? That’s my immediate thought after watching this small batch of short promos from NBC letting everyone know that the Easy A and The Help star is hosting Saturday Night Live for her second time this weekend with musical guest Coldplay. Their chemistry is flawless, and while these kinds of promos aren’t usually anything to write home about, they’re quirky and almost feel like they could easily be a part of Armisen’s sketch series Portlandia on IFC. Check out the SNL promos and my personal favorite sketch from Portlandia after the jump!

Charlie Day, Emma Stone, and Jason Segel Hosting SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE in November

by Ethan Anderton    Posted: October 17th, 2011 at 9:33 am

After starting strong in September, but fizzling out this past weekend with a mostly poor episode with host Anna Faris (musical guest Drake was actually funnier in the couple sketches he appeared in, like this fantastic SNL Digital Short), it looks like Saturday Night Live has the potential to turn things around next month. NBC has just announced the next round of hosts for three back-to-back episodes in the first three weeks of November.

On November 5th, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia star Charlie Day will host for his first time with musical guest Maroon 5 followed by Emma Stone taking the stage with musical guest Coldplay on November 12th, and finally Jason Segel makes a long awaited debut on the late night sketch series with musical guest Florence + the Machine. And considering The Muppets is the big reason for Segel showing up on SNL just in time for the film’s release, I’m betting that at least a few of our favorite Jim Henson characters will show up for some fun.

Zoolander Meets Stefon on Last Night’s SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE Hosted by Ben Stiller

by Brendan Bettinger    Posted: October 9th, 2011 at 8:26 am

Last time Ben Stiller host Saturday Night Live, it was 1998, aka the pre-Zoolander era.  By the time Stiller returned to host SNL last night, the show had created the perfect counterpart for Stiller’s male model character in flamboyant New York scenester Stefon (played by Bill Hader).  While all involved are trying to get Zoolander 2 going in features, Stiller revived the character for an appearance with Stefon on last night’s Weekend Update.  Get your Zoolander fix in the clip posted after the jump.

As a bonus, look for the show’s Moneyball parody, in which Billy Beane (Taran Killam doing a great Brad Pitt impression) turns to steroids instead of statistics.

Ben Stiller and Anna Faris to Host SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE in October

by Ethan Anderton    Posted: September 26th, 2011 at 11:46 am

The new season of Saturday Night Live kicked off this past weekend with host Alec Baldwin, and next weekend Bridesmaids star Melissa McCarthy takes the stage for her first time as host of the late night sketch comedy series, but now we have word on two more hosts for October. Today NBC announced that Ben Stiller will return for his second time as host on October 8th with musical guest Foster the People and Anna Faris will also make her second SNL appearance to host the show on October 15th with musical guest Drake.

You may not remember, but Stiller was a featured player and writer on SNL back in 1989, so his return to the stage is a bit of a homecoming. As for Faris, despite the fact that her comedies aren’t always of the best quality, she’s certainly dedicated to the genre, and I respect her continued efforts as a straight-up comedy actress. This season seems to be off to a strong start, so here’s hoping the momentum continues into October.

Ben & Jerry’s Introduces Schweddy Balls Ice Cream Based on the Alec Baldwin SNL Sketch

by Brendan Bettinger    Posted: September 7th, 2011 at 9:50 pm

Schweddy Balls: It’s not the cleverest bit Saturday Night Live came up with, but it’s among the most memorable.  For those unfamiliar with the sketch, Alec Baldwin is Pete Schweddy, the owner of Season’s Eatings.  He brings his specialty, the Schweddy Balls, to the NPR radio show Delicious Dish.  The next three minutes are filled with double entendres in hushed tones.

A decade later Ben & Jerry’s—the clowns of the dairy industry—have adopted the name for their newest flavor of ice cream, made up of “vanilla ice cream with a hint of rum and is loaded with fudge covered rum balls and milk chocolate malt balls.”  That sounds delicious, but how could I eat it with Baldwin’s sultry voice playing in my head, talking about his balls?  Do you eat around the balls?  According to NPR, Schweddy Balls ice cream will be available for a limited time in about 30% of stores that carry Ben & Jerry’s ice cream.  I’m not sure if I hope my store carries it.  The sketch is embedded after the jump.

Jimmy Fallon Set to Host SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE in December

by Ethan Anderton    Posted: August 22nd, 2011 at 1:40 pm

After launching his career on the late night sketch comedy series before venturing into late night talk show territory, The Wrap reports Jimmy Fallon will return to Saturday Night Live on December 17th to host an episode along with musical guest Michael Bublé. Sticking with his comedic style Fallon expressed his gratitude for returning to the series which made him a star, “I’ve never forgotten where I came from. That’s why I’m so incredibly honored to be hosting the Saturday Night Times program December 17th on HGTV.” While Fallon has never really been one of my favorite cast members in the long-running series’ history, I’m always excited to see a former cast member return to host, especially since that means some other special guests will usually show up too. At least as a host his monologue should give him plenty of time to look at the camera to maybe prevent him from doing it during sketches as he frequently did as a series cast member.

Check Out SNL’s Live-Action THE AMBIGUOUSLY GAY DUO Starring Jon Hamm and Jimmy Fallon

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: May 15th, 2011 at 9:18 pm

I’ve come to discover that every generation thinks their Saturday Night Live cast was the best.  I would argue that the cast of SNL may be great, but it’s the sketches that are problematic because the it’s simply the best that the writers can churn out in a week and that’s usually not enough to sustain a 90-minute TV show.  However, one of the most reliable sketches in the show’s history was TV Funhouse’s “The Ambiguously Gay Duo”.  For those unfamiliar with the sketch (and there hasn’t been a new one in years), it had superheroes Ace and Gary (voiced by Stephen Colbert and Steve Carell) whose acts of heroism were ambiguously homosexual. Yes, it was a one-note joke, but it was such a great parody of superhero cartoon shows that it just worked brilliantly.

But since every superhero is going live-action these days, it only stands to reason that Ace and Gary should be thrust into the real world.  Last night’s SNL cast Jon Hamm and Jimmy Fallon as the duo with Carell and Colbert playing two of the villains along with host and former Daily Show co-star Ed Helms.  Hit the jump to check out the great sketch.

Exclusive: Joseph Gordon-Levitt Talks HESHER, SNL, LOOPER, INCEPTION, G.I. JOE 2, Avoids Answering my DARK KNIGHT RISES Question

by Steve 'Frosty' Weintraub    Posted: May 2nd, 2011 at 4:32 pm

With writer/director Spencer Susser’s Hesher getting released next week, earlier today I got to sit down with the cast and Susserb to talk about the film.  Before going any further, if you haven’t seen the trailer, I suggest checking it out here.  While the summer is filled with huge explosions and movies that cost hundreds of millions of dollars, I promise you…none of them feature a main character as crazy as Hesher.  Playing the lead is Joseph Gordon-Levitt and he again demonstrates why many consider him to be one of the best actors in Hollywood.   Trust me, Hesher is worth seeing just to watch Gordon-Levitt’s performance.

During my interview with Gordon-Levitt earlier today, we discussed how he got involved in Hesher and how he prepared for the role, will he return as Cobra Commander in the sequel to G.I. Joe (he won’t), he talks about Rian Johnson’s Looper, how can he top his amazing monologue on Saturday Night Live, what’s his karaoke song, and he provides an interesting comparison/contrast between Christopher Nolan and Hesher‘s writer/director Spencer Susser.

And for all of you wondering why he didn’t talk about The Dark Knight Rises, as you watch the interview you’ll hear me ask him about it…but he turned the question around.  All the journalists I spoke with told me that he wouldn’t answer any Dark Knight questions.  Nolan has taught him well.

Tina Fey, Ed Helms and Justin Timberlake to Host SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE in May

by Ethan Anderton    Posted: April 25th, 2011 at 2:11 pm

With the season’s end getting nearer, NBC has just announced the final three hosts to conclude this season of Saturday Night Live, and it should be a great finish. First up will be SNL alum Tina Fey returning for her third time as host on May 7th with musical guest Ellie Goulding making her debut on the late night sketch series. Then the following week on May 14th, another NBC star will take the stage for his first time hosting with The Office regular Ed Helms. Just in time to promote The Hangover Part II, the comedian will be joined by musical guest Paul Simon for his eighth appearance on the show. Finally, going out with a bang, Justin Timberlake, who has made waves on SNL with Dick in a Box and more, will host on May 21st with Lady Gaga as musical guest. Should be a hell of a summer for Timberlake with Bad Teacher and Friends with Benefits and also hitting theaters. Do you like this final wave of SNL hosts?

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