Tag: Saturday Night Live (1-10 of 523)

May 17 2013 03:29 PM ET

'Saturday Night Live': A full directory of Stefon's favorite clubs. (This post has EVERYTHING.)

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Image Credit: NBC

Here’s what we know about tweaky club kid Stefon Zolesky, by far Bill Hader’s most popular SNL character: He used to write for Smash. His dad is David Bowie. His brother is Ben Affleck (a.k.a. “David”). He lives in a trash can near the Radio Shack on 23rd St. and 7th Ave. He’s in love with Seth Meyers. And he’s got an encyclopedic knowledge of New York’s hottest clubs, from Scampi (“illegally parked behind the Statue of Liberty”) to SPICY (“the creation of club owner/rabbi Jew Diamond Phillips”) to Selfieee! (“based on the novel Push by Sapphire”).

But just like Booooooooof’s round-the-clock puke party, all good things must come to an end. And since this Saturday marks Hader’s last show as an SNL cast member, it may also be the last time we see Stefon horrify and amuse Seth — and himself — by rattling off facts about his favorite city hot spots.

So before he goes, let’s celebrate Stefon’s legacy by remembering all 31 of the crazy, improbable, disgusting, hilarious clubs he’s described over the past four seasons. And don’t worry — if the list makes you feel a bit misty, just reach down and grab yourself a human tissue. (It’s that thing of where a jacked midget wears a white shirt, and you blow your nose on it.)

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May 17 2013 09:58 AM ET

Kanye West is super psyched to be on 'SNL' this week -- VIDEO

Kanye West, certified Good Sport, has a notoriously robust sense of humor — so it’s no surprise to see how giddily excited he is about his upcoming stint on Saturday Night Live. (He’s the season finale’s musical guest; Ben Affleck is its host.) Just look at the goofy grin on ‘Ye’s face, or his amiable, up-for-anything body language!

READ FULL STORY »

May 15 2013 01:26 PM ET

'Saturday Night Live' best-host contest: Who deserves a second chance?

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After 20 episodes, the 38th season of Saturday Night Live comes to a close this weekend, with Ben Affleck as the finale’s guest host. The Oscar-winner will join the show’s Five-Timer’s Club, and even if the show doesn’t make a big deal out of it, like it recently did for Justin Timberlake, the episode has real promise. Affleck might not yet be on the level of Alec Baldwin or Jon Hamm, but he’s delivered some good yuks over the years, like when he responded to Matt Damon’s criticism and did a totally committed impression of Keith Olbermann whose co-op’s no-pet policy sent him into a rage.

Affleck enjoys a distinct advantage in our year-long contest to select Saturday Night Live‘s best host. By simply appearing last, he advances to our final vote. His performance will certainly be fresher in everyone’s minds on Monday, when the poll opens, but his competition is formidable, with Timberlake, Kristen Wiig, Melissa McCarthy, and Martin Short all advancing. Facing that quartet, Affleck will have to earn the right to succeed Mr. Saturday Night 2012 Jimmy Fallon.

But Affleck won’t only have to top the other four SNL survivors from a season’s worth of voting. There will be a sixth finalist, determined by you. Democracy can be a fickle beast, and online democracy… well, forget about it. During our weekly series of votes, many voters have expressed their dismay in the Comments that their favorite SNL host was no longer an option because they’d previously been eliminated. Last year, for example, there were screams that Maya Rudolph was not a finalist after she hosted one of the season’s best episodes. (Yes, those screams came from my office.)

This year, we’re giving you a mulligan — a second chance to correct an oversight or to restore a contender who simply had the misfortune of hosting in October. How is Louis CK not still in the mix, you might ask. Seth MacFarlane and Anne Hathaway were by far the best hosts of the year, you doofuses, insist others! Well, now is your time to be heard, to right a wrong. Vote below for the best SNL host who didn’t make the cut — but should’ve.

This shouldn’t be a popularity contest, and bless you, you’ve proven during the course of the contest to appreciate that. We all revere the institution of Saturday Night Live, so give new life to the host that did the show the most proud. READ FULL STORY »

May 15 2013 10:31 AM ET

'Saturday Night Live': This week's Ben Affleck-hosted finale will be 'Argo'-rific -- VIDEO

Hey — you still like Argo jokes, right? Because if these promos are any indication, they’ll make up about 80 percent of the material on this week’s Saturday Night Live — or at least host Ben Affleck’s monologue.

Honestly, though, I’m totally fine with that — so long as the bulk of them are delivered by departing cast member/national treasure Bill Hader, who gets a rare co-starring role in Affleck’s promos. Think the Oscar-winner resents that he’s essentially billed second for Saturday’s show?

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May 14 2013 03:51 PM ET

Which of Bill Hader's 'Saturday Night Live' characters will you miss most? POLL

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Image Credit: Dana Edelson/NBC

First comes denial: “Wait, what? Bill Hader can’t leave SNL — he’s in, like, every sketch! There must be a mistake.” Next is anger: “This is crap. How could you do this to us, Hader? How could you deprive us of Stefon, and James Carville, and a screen presence that single-handedly elevates every dumb game show parody? We’ll never forgive you. Never.”

That’s followed, of course, by bargaining: “Listen — if you stay, we’ll stop complaining that the show hasn’t been funny since [insert year here]. We’ll laugh at all the musical monologues, and sympathize when you’re forced to fill a hole with a commercial parody rerun. We’ll even stop harping about how lame The Californians is. Just… just please don’t go.”

And then comes depression… the stage in which many of us find ourselves now.

We may never truly accept the fact that Hader is exiting SNL after eight rubber-faced, wonderfully goofy years. Perhaps, though, the road to acceptance is paved with Hulu videos — and if nothing else, we’ll take any excuse to watch and rewatch Hader’s greatest Saturday Night Live creations. Which of them will you miss most when the comedian takes his final bow this Saturday? Click through our unscientifically compiled list of his 10 best recurring characters — both impressions and originals, all of which have appeared at least three times on the show — and vote for your favorite at the end of the post.

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May 13 2013 01:13 PM ET

'SNL': Who should replace Seth Meyers on 'Weekend Update'?

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Image Credit: Lloyd Bishop/NBC/Getty Images

The news that Seth Meyers has been tapped as the next Late Night host begs an obvious question: Who will take over the Saturday Night Live anchor job?

My first pick: Saturday Night Live writer John Mulaney. Mulaney has been a with the show for a few years, and since his pilot, Mulaney, wasn’t picked up, he could be looking for a bigger role on the late-night program. Mulaney has appeared in a few sketches before — check out his rant against Girl Scouts on Weekend Update — as well as garnered raves for his stand-up special, New In Town – so he would be a perfect fit. (A rep for Mulaney didn’t respond to EW’s request for comment.)

I don’t really see a current Saturday Night Live performer rising to “Update.” While I’d watch Bill Hader do just about anything on television, it’s unlikely that the character-driven performer would choose to give up a larger role in sketches to anchor the faux broadcast. The same goes for buzzy newcomers Kate McKinnon and Cecily Strong. Perhaps Saturday Night Live should reach out to a former cast member — Maya Rudolph is searching for a new show after Up All Night was canceled, and her two brief cameos on this past week’s broadcast show she’s just as funny as ever. Besides Rudolph, SNL should consider some of these funny ladies who didn’t get the Late Night job, such as Samantha Bee or Amy Sedaris. READ FULL STORY »

May 13 2013 10:20 AM ET

'Saturday Night Live' host poll: How funny was Kristen Wiig's homecoming?

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Image Credit: Dana Edelson/NBC

You could be forgiven for thinking that NBC accidentally aired a “Best of Kristen Wiig” special instead of a new episode of SNL this past weekend. The show’s former star brought five old recurring characters with her when she returned to host for the first time, including Gilly, Karina the Californian, Kat (of “Garth and”), the Target Lady, and, of course, tiny-handed Dooneese — making for a show that felt, at times, more like a host-less installment from 2010 than 90 minutes of new material.

But even if the episode didn’t quite deserve to be labeled a capital-E Event, Wiig was clearly thrilled to return to her old stomping ground — and it was a pleasure to see how excited her old castmates were to perform with their friend once more.

Will that be enough to help Wiig win the title of this season’s best SNL host?  READ FULL STORY »

May 12 2013 10:00 AM ET

'Saturday Night Live' recap: Kristen Wiig makes her return

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Image Credit: NBC

In hindsight, fans were bound to be disappointed. With Kristen Wiig’s eagerly anticipated return to SNL– after just a year away – many viewers were torn between wanting to see the best of her old characters and wanting to watch her expand. Unfortunately, last night we got neither. An eager Wiig brought the energy, and, especially alongside her friend Maya Rudolph, seemed to be having a great time visiting her old stomping ground, but for much of the show that enthusiasm — even during the return of characters like Dooneese — didn’t transfer to viewers at home.

The episode started with a cold opener featuring CSPAN coverage of the Benghazi hearings, with the central premise that many felt these were a shameless ratings grab as opposed to an actual search for truth. The decision to have ratings-gold Jodi Arias (a spot-on Nasim Pedrad) and Ariel Castro (Bobby Moynihan) “testify” was a great way to bring the three newsworthy stories of the week together. The best part was that unlike many a decent SNL sketch, it didn’t go on too long, allowing viewers quick access to Wiig. Her monologue could have been many things: A retread of old characters, a joke-y round up of what she’s been up to this year. Instead, we got an “I’m So Excited” parody with lyrics like, “Even though I’ve been away awhile now/ I still know camera one from camera two,” as Wiig paraded around the studio and realized that maybe she didn’t remember things quite as well as she’d hoped. The highlight was special guest Maya Rudolph, who stole both moments she was in: First, Wiig busted her making out with Jonah Hill (also cameoing), and then at the end of the number, the visibly pregnant star got her dance moves on alongside Wiig. Someone Gif that, stat. (Unfortunately, the monologue –which also featured a Gilly sighting — isn’t yet available online.) READ FULL STORY »

May 11 2013 05:00 PM ET

Kristen Wiig hosts tonight's 'Saturday Night Live' -- talk about it here!

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Image Credit: Dana Edelson/NBC

Kristen Wiig makes her much-anticipated first return to Saturday Night Live tonight after leaving at the end of last season. After a week of weird last time with Zach Galifianakis, Wiig’s fans are likely hoping the show goes two-for-two on the zany front, allowing Wiig to bring back some of her favorites such as Penelope or Target Lady. (Sorry, but in my opinion the Gilly drink with Justin Timberlake was more than enough of that character this season.)

Much like Timberlake earlier this year, it’ll be interesting to see if the show plays like a DVD repeat of The Best of Kristen Wiig or if, together with the writers, Wiig creates some new crazy ladies to add to her diverse repertoire. Both the Jodi Arias trial and Charles Ramsey seem ready for the Saturday Night Live treatment. I can see her taking her standard silliness and battling against Nancy Grace (Kate McKinnon) for parking lot coverage of the trial or something like that.

Wiig will be joined by musical guest Vampire Weekend, who will be making their third trip to the late-night show promoting their upcoming album Modern Vampires of the City. Besides the band, will any famous faces appear alongside Wiig? In her send off, Mick Jagger dropped by to wish her well. She’s been a busy film lady since her last time in Studio 8H — perhaps new co-stars Darren Criss or Matt Dillon will drop by? Or maybe fellow one-year-out grad Andy Samberg will premiere a new Lonely Island video? They’ve got a new album out June 11, and this week kicked off their first video. Talk about the show in the comments below, and check back tomorrow morning for a full recap.

Read more:
Kristen Wiig returns to ‘Saturday Night Live,’ busts a move in new promos — VIDEO
‘Saturday Night Live’ host poll: Zach Galifianakis does it his way — VOTE
‘Saturday Night Live’ recap: Keep Zach Galifianakis weird

May 8 2013 10:04 AM ET

Kristen Wiig returns to 'Saturday Night Live,' busts a move in new promos -- VIDEO

Saturday Night Live Hall-of-Famer Kristen Wiig returns home to host the show this Saturday with musical guest Vampire Weekend. If the new promos are any indication, we’re all in for a treat. Wiig’s Garth & Kat partner Fred Armisen played along for her promos, which involve everything from reliving some of Wiig’s most famous characters (Jump-roping Rhonda!) to Armisen slapping her across the face for abandoning the show.

Other revelations: Wiig and Armisen have some wicked dance moves, and it wouldn’t be the craziest thing in the world for Olivia Newton-John to make a surprise appearance this Saturday. (Is it the Christmas show already?) But the moral of Wiig’s return is simple: You never know what you got till it’s gone. Now DANCE! (But, please… don’t make her sing.)

Watch Kristen Wiig’s SNL promos below! READ FULL STORY »

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