Yesterday, on his Watching TV blog, Ken Tucker noted with surprise that he found the Taylor Swift-hosted Saturday Night Live the show’s best episode of the season. Commenters’ reactions were truly a mixed bag. Some, like lei, loved Swift’s performance (“[She's] the female Justin Timberlake of SNL – have her on often and it’s a must watch”), while just as many reacted with outrage (Jonathan Juarbe: “She was horrendous and utterly painful to watch, oh and her voice…how is she making money!”). I thought Swift did an okay job — her awkward Kate Gosselin impression was actually spot-on (though I hate that I know that), and her Shakira bit made me giggle.
One thing most people do seem to agree on is that SNL’s fall season in general has been pretty bad. So who do you want to see host the show, after January Jones and Joseph Gordon-Levitt have their turns this month? We’re thinking Mo’Nique, riding what’s sure to be a still-swelling buzz wave from Precious, would be a great choice. And Katey Sagal, who’s excellent on FX’s Sons of Anarchy, could be hilarious and a refreshing change from baby starlets like Swfit and Megan Fox. If NBC could stand the cross-promotional effect, I’d like to see Courteney Cox from Cougar Town or the very funny Julie Bowen or lesser-known Ty Burrell from Modern Family. Mark Harmon deserves another shot — he hosted once in 1987 (with Suzanne Vega!) and millions of people are obsessed with NCIS. Finally, Zach Galifianakis could offer the youth appeal I know SNL is going for, and has Up in the Air coming out on Christmas day… Leave your picks in the comments!
Photo credit: Albert L. Ortega/PR
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How about Jane Lynch? I mean dear god, Sue on Glee?
YES! This would be amazing! Jane Lynch is the best part of Glee.
Complete ditto this
Jane Lynch all the way!!! She is so amazing!
YES YES YES!!!
Jane Lynch would be amazing.. but she might be TOO good for SNL.
How’s bout giving Natalie Portman another chance? Or Jake Gyllenhaal?
You gotta get yourself some porcelain fountains…
that was ScarJO
Wasn’t she on SNL? Seems like she would’ve been.
Nope. How they missed that boat is a head scratcher, although it would explain the casting woes they’ve had for the last few, well, decades. Maybe they’re just not drawing from deep enough pools. Lorne Michaels does have a bad habit of thinking he knows what’s best and kind of sticking to a formula. Maybe his casting decisions are made the same way.
YESYESYES!!!
Yes! Yes! Yes! Can you imagine the brilliance she would contribute? Oh, wow, idea of the century!
Omg yes to Jane Lynch! She’s done stage work (and currently is) so she would be comfortable with live tv I’d assume
OMG, can’t believe I hadn’t thought of it first. Absolutely agree!
Jane Lynch is brilliant with improv stuff… just go watch “Best in Show” or “A Mighty Wind” to see what I mean! She is my #1 pick for hosting SNL!
OOooo, good one! I agree. I haven’t watched SNL in years, but I would watch if (I knew that) Jane Lynch was the host.
YES! Good idea!
you mean have a funny person on SNL? wow, this would be a drastic change.
Jane Lynch should join the cast. I know she’s got a great career and doesn’t need SNL, but just think how much better the show would be with her on it….
no question about it , an excellent eventuality…maybe once she nabs a best support. actress nom for
Julie & Julia… ya know these gigs are about the right timing….
frak missels!
WHAT?
You know… The explosive projectiles fired at enemy aircraft with the intention of puncturing the hull and thereby killing the pilot inside? Don’t you get the connection to Jane Lynch?
Nathan Fillion really needs to host. The dude has a huge cult following and can expertly ham up anything they throw at him. Plus, he has no problem making fun of himself.
This this this this.
Nathan Fillion would be an amazing host for SNL, anyone who is a fan of ANY of his work can tell you that. If you have doubt, watch the outtakes of Serenity and try not to laugh at it!
Nathan Fillion would be amazing also- really great comedic timing and good off the cuff.
I say Nathan one week, Jane Lynch the next. Perfect!
Plus he’s wicked cute.
yum
I was coming here to say Nathan Fillion myself. Glad I’m not the only one. But does SNL have hosts from popular shows on other networks? Just wondering.
I would love to see Captain Tightpants host an episode!
Neil Patrick Harris hosted and he’s on CBS.
OMG yes!
i’d love to see britney spears try to host again.
ellen degeneres
adam sandler
demi lovato
leighton meester or chase crawford
jennifer hudson
jane lynch
No to everybody you listed except for Ellen and Adam Sandler.
demi lovato?????????????? ru high!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
yea..with her bud Seena Gomez..they ccould have a “hook-up” scene…(cue the wayne’s world dream sequence)
No to everyone on your list – I am sick of Ellen and Adam Sandler hasn’t been funny since Happy Gilmore, all of your other choices seem to be geared to pre-teens (in other words pretty people with no real talent)
What about someone from FlashForward, like John Cho? Or Joseph Fiennes? I think they would both be good.
The problem is that neither of them have mass appeal for viewers that have no idea who they are, and then it would just be NBC promoting a show on a competing network.
OMG Monique would be GREAT! Also, has George Lopez ever hosted? Chelsey Handler? Stephen Colbert?
OMG Stephen Colbert! YES!
Yes, yes, YES to Colbert!!! He’d be awesome!
Colbert may be too good for SNL and due to his Comedy Network contractual obligations I would be surprised if he would be allowed to do it – let alone Choose to do it!!
I’m sure Colbert would be allowed to host if he were asked and wanted to do it. And don’t forget, he and Carell are the voices of the Ambiguously Gay Duo.
ANYONE from Gossip Girl – particularly Ed Westwick.
And how about Robert Pattinson!!!!!!! Maybe WITH Kristen Stewart – that would certainly get a LOT of watchers.
Anyone on Gossip Girl? What the hell is wrong with you?
hahahahahaha. Oh, Mary. You slay me.
lol…I will fire up another one to that! tho I do like S’s tommyknockers…
Ewwwww… Ed Westwick is so gross and one-dimensional and skeezy and not attractive at all! The only time I can stomach him is when Joel McHale is skewering him on The Soup. Ick.
kristin chenoweth, please. give the girl something to do now that ‘pushing daisies’ isn’t on and her ‘glee’ stint isn’t permanent. plus, we’d get more lovely kristin and her lovely voice and her lovely lovliness!
Oh my God, she’d be great. Everything she does is adorable.
Jane Lynch and Nathan Fillion are great ideas! How about Jim Parsons or Kristin Chenoweth?
YES YES YES to Jim Parsons! He’s awesome and it would be cool to see him play some other characters besides Sheldon!
KATHY GRIFFIN. She would be hilarious and smart.
She won Emmy’s the last 2 years for her show, and is now hosting a new dance show on ABC.. why not SNL?
Way to annoying
At least she knows the difference between “to” and “too”. See, she’s smart, which makes for a good host.
Obnoxious, annoying, and really creepy-looking from all of the plastic surgery.
Anybody from Glee—but I’m thinking Matthew Morrison more than anyone else.
I concur!
Yes! Matthew Morrison!
FOR FUNNY -
Ricky Gervais
Zach Galifianakis
Jimmy Kimmel
FOR GUILTY PLEASURES
Ryan Seacrest
Robert Pattinson
Ryan Seacrest would be very interesting, I admit…
That is because you are probably easily amused.
Ryan Seacrest should not be given any more jobs! He is taking 2 many people’s jobs as it is. He’s also not funny.
I don’t think Jimmy Kimmel would ever be accused of being funny, his reliance on Guillermo is ridiculous
Ricky Gervais, please! He did have a cameo on SNL once, I think when Steve Carrell hosted… he played himself and they had different versions of The Office from around the world. The Japanese one was hysterical. If you don’t listen to the Ricky Gervais podcast, download it and thank me later for introducing you to Karl Pilkington.
I love that podcast…and i totally agree karl pilkington is the kind of person you would think is comedic genius or just so stupid its funny
HA oh gosh. robert pattinson. that would be a complete failure.
Zach Galifinnn… would be pretty funny. He could do a “Between Two Ferns” skit!
Joel McHale would be good too I think. He used to be on this local sketch show in Seattle, so he has practice. I remember!
Ooooh! Joel McHale would be a treat!
Yeah! Joel would be perfect!
Joel would be GREAT, and it makes sense because he’s on an NBC show, but I’m not sure enough people know who he is.
YEAH! He would kill it on SNL!
Oh wow, you guys are giving me such good ideas.
Joel McHale would be perfect!!!
So now my tally is:
Jane Lynch
Nathan Fillion
Joel McHale
Oh yeah, Joel McHale would be awesome. They could even do a Soup sketch!
For my own selfish reasons, I’d love to see Kyle Chandler or Connie Britton take a stab at it.
IJUSTLOVEFNLSOMUCH
They were my first two thoughts! But I just don’t know how much pre-show buzz they could produce. How great would it be to have them as dual hosts?!
Great idea!!!
Mo’Nique, Jane Lynch or Kristen Chenoweth would be fab. Or Jim Parsons! But if they have to keep it in the NBC family, then I vote for Joel McHale, who has been fantastic on Community.
Cannot fathom why January Jones is hosting. Yes, I know she is on Mad Men but really? They couldn’t find anyone funnier/more well-known? Really?!
Agreed – how about John Slattery instead…he could be brilliant!
Agreed! Give Roger Sterling the show!
No host can save this show. I’ve been DVRing the show now two years and we fast forward all the bits that are too painful to watch and we can see the whole dang show in less than thirty minutes. Seth Meyers’ Weekend Update isn’t a bit funny and his smarmy look after what he thinks he’s just said was hilarious makes me hit the fast forward button pronto. No more. I’m through looking through 1.5 hours of junk for .25 minutes worth of smiles. It’s time to turn out the lights. The party’s over.