SNL News

If you want to read some SNL gossip that has not yet been confirmed, visit the Rumors section.

Big thanks to Nick Mayhew for helping me maintain this section!!

June 9, 2002

            ~Kattan to stay?~
    Chris Kattan said to TV Guide in September 2001 that the 27th season of SNL (last season) would be his last. However, we now have reason to believe he may stay on for another year. When he was asked after the Kirsten Dunst episode whether or not he'd stay, he claimed he "wasn't sure". Also, on a recent appearance on Last Call with Carson Daly, Carson made a comment that he'd see him (Kattan) on SNL next year, and Chris Kattan didn't object. His status is currently "unconfirmed" but it looks as though he'll be around.

            ~Rudolph confirmed~
    It is now officially confirmed that Maya Rudolph will be returning next year for her third full season at SNL.

May 18, 2002

            ~Cheri Oteri to host SNL~
    Ex SNLer Cheri Oteri will return to Studio 8H to host SNL during one of next season's first few episodes. The exact date is yet to be determined. This was confirmed exclusively by NBC last weekend. Apparently Cheri was planned to host a few weeks back, but couldn't due to scheduling difficulties. It will be her first time back on the show since she left at the end of Season 25.

May 14, 2002

            ~Cast news : Gasteyer to stay; Fallon & Fey remain for at least two more years~
    This news is exclusive to SNLHQ! We have learned that Ana Gasteyer, despite her pregnancy and long run on the show, will remain for at least one more season. Also, Jimmy Fallon and Tina Fey will continue to bring us the news on Weekend Update for at least two more years. Finally, Chris Kattan has claimed that he is "not sure whether or not he'll be back". This conflicts with an earlier report that this was his last season on the show. He is currently being listed as Unconfirmed.
    To see a list of cast movements and a preview of next year's cast, CLICK HERE .

May 7, 2002

            ~Ferrell calls it quits: May 18th his final show~
    Many of us knew it was coming, we just didn't know when. Now, it's official. After seven years on the show, Will Ferrell is calling it quits. His final episode of the show will be on May 18th, this season's finale. Here is an article from the Times.
   
     " Because the 2000 presidential campaign strayed into theater of the absurd, Will Ferrell is leaving "Saturday Night Live" known most prominently as "the guy who impersonates Bush."

Being widely admired for your impression of a sitting president isn't a terrible fate, but after seven seasons on "SNL," the 35-year-old Ferrell segues now into a career that will presumably involve trying to become big at the movies--and in comedies, that most hit-or-miss of genres.

Ferrell lives in the Hollywood Hills but has been keeping an apartment in New York for the purposes of his regular job. He is leaving "SNL" for reasons you might expect, including the sense that, after seven years, it is time.

"It's kind of like dog years," he said of his career on the show, which began in 1995, when Ferrell was plucked from the L.A. sketch comedy troupe the Groundlings by "SNL" founder and executive producer Lorne Michaels.

In leaving, Ferrell said he uses an analogy that Michaels hated hearing: He didn't want to become that guy who's already graduated from high school but still hangs out in his van in the parking lot, picking up seniors.

Will he be the next Bill Murray or Dana Carvey? There is no predicting this, really (why did it happen for Rob Schneider but never for the late Phil Hartman?), but three upcoming at-bats may shed light on Ferrell: "Old School," to be released Sept. 27, in which Ferrell, Luke Wilson and Vince Vaughn play thirtysomething friends who start their own fraternity next door to a college; "Elf," with Ferrell as a human being raised at the North Pole who discovers that he isn't actually an elf; and "Ron Burgundy," with Ferrell cast as a longtime local newsman suddenly saddled with a female co-anchor (think Jerry Dunphy in smaller market and circa 1976).

If all three are made, and even one becomes a hit, the meetings that Ferrell is taking with movie people will no doubt change. "I'm in that category of, 'Oh, he's funny,' " Ferrell said of the current response he elicits from executives. It isn't hard to imagine what thought comes next: But can he open a movie?

If talent were the sole criterion, you'd want to bet on him. As he closes out his "SNL" tenure on May 18, the show's season finale, Ferrell leaves behind a legacy worthy of all the "SNL" reruns that Comedy Central--and, soon, E! Entertainment Television--air to fill out the day.

In addition to George W. Bush, Ferrell was Alex Trebek, the simmering, superior "Jeopardy!" host. He was Craig, Spartan Spirit cheerleader; and Marty Culp, middle school music teacher who, with wife Bobbi, performed horrific covers of pop hits that inevitably had the kids hurling garbage at the stage. He was James Lipton, the constipated-with-awe host of Bravo's "Inside the Actors Studio."

If the disparate characters had anything in common, it was that they were infused with Ferrell's ability to create comic tension between the exterior, contained self and the inner mess of a person who longed to get out.

On "SNL," which too often settles for repertory players impersonating pop culture figures, Ferrell was less a mimic than an interpreter. And didn't many of his characters seem on the verge of nervous breakdowns?

Sitting in a booth at Victors deli in Hollywood Friday night, Ferrell betrays a sense of eccentricity, hiding several layers of himself underneath the particular layer he was showing.

It was hard to imagine, given all those characters, that Ferrell comes from Irvine or that he enrolled at USC with aspirations of becoming a sports information director or broadcaster.

Ferrell ordered hot tea and said he had to get up early the next morning to go on a 20-mile run (three times around Griffith Park), part of a training regimen he and his wife, Viveca, are putting themselves through before running the Stockholm Marathon in June.

After the run, Ferrell was getting on a plane for New York to participate in NBC's 75th anniversary celebration, a TV event broadcast Sunday night and about which Ferrell seemed a little dubious.

In giving up his TV job, Ferrell leaves behind lots of money and characters that are owned by the show, not by the performer. To that end, Michaels has turned "SNL" into an incubator for quick-and-dirty features based on show sketches.

The movies, produced by Michaels and backed by Paramount Pictures and NBC, are supposed to spawn the next "Wayne's World" franchise. Only this hasn't much happened.

Ferrell has appeared in a slew of them, co-starring in 1998's "A Night at the Roxbury," which was based on two disco-hopping characters performed on the show by Ferrell and Chris Kattan.

Yet that movie and others--including last year's "Zoolander," in which Ferrell played an evil fashion designer--have failed to move him beyond the "Oh, he's funny" perception.

Now, Ferrell is focusing on new ideas, including "Ron Burgundy," the news anchor comedy, which Ferrell dreamed up with "SNL" writer Adam McKay.

He and McKay want to recapture the spirit of the "Animal House" and "Caddyshack" ensemble bacchanals that featured "SNL" alumni John Belushi, Chevy Chase and Bill Murray but were more than simply star vehicles.

"Adam and I feel like comedy films are missing what those late '70s comedies had," Ferrell said.

He knows that making a movie can be painstaking--unlike the seat-of-the-pants manner in which comedy sometimes happens on "SNL."

He'll miss the action, the high-wire act of doing live TV, the Fridays on which he and the writers are still throwing together the Bush sketch, pending breaking news. Comedians, like presidents, have their term limits. "

May 5, 2002

        ~Tracy Morgan to star in one-hour special~
        Source : Variety
    Saturday Night Live's" Tracy Morgan will star in his own one-hour special for Comedy Central and be the emcee of a new standup series for the cable channel.

The special, slated to air Aug. 26, marks the third new one-hour comedy show from the network, after last summer's "Kevin James: Sweat the Small Stuff" and last month's "Jim Breuer: Hard Core."

Starting Sept. 2, six half-hour episodes of the new series "Comic Groove" will air at 10p.m. on the network.

April 20, 2002

        ~Moby to perform~
    Moby is now offically confirmed as the musical guest on the season finale of SNL, airing May 18th. He'll be performing alongside host Winona Ryder.

April 10, 2002

        ~Costello out, POD in~
    Elvis Costello, who was scheduled to perform on April 20th with Alec Baldwin, has dropped out of the gig due to scheduling problems. Now confirmed to perform is Christian rap-rock band POD. They'll be promoting their current single "Youth of the Nation".

April 8, 2002

        ~Winona Ryder to host~
    According to Sean Bradley over at S-N-L.com, the season finale of SNL on May 18th will be hosted by Winona Ryder. A musical guest is not yet known.

April 6, 2002

        ~Kirsten Dunst to host; Eminem to perform on 5.11~
    I am proud to be the first to break the news that the May 11th episode of SNL will, like reported in the rumors section, be hosted by actress Kirsten Dunst. Dunst is starring in the upcoming film "Spider-Man". Dunst has never hosted a show, but she has some experience with the SNL cast. She worked with Will Ferrell, Ana Gasteyer, and Jim Breuer in the 1999 film "Dick", and she also hosted the MTV Movie Awards alongside Jimmy Fallon. Performing alongside Dunst will be rapper/actor Eminem. Along with promoting his own music, he'll also promote his upcoming feature film debut, "8 Mile". This will be his third time performing on SNL.
    This host lineup has been officially confirmed by the National Broadcasting Company.

April 4, 2002

        ~SNL schedule changes; 4.20 confirmed~
    Like previously rumored, Alec Baldwin is now the confirmed host of Saturday Night Live on April 20th. However, a change in musical guest has been announced. Although her official site said she'd be performing, Alanis Morissette will not be performing. According to a source at SNL, she was never confirmed. Odd... Either way, the musical guest will be Elvis Costello.

March 31, 2002

        ~A&E to air SNL "Biography Close-Up"~
    As previously reported here at SNLHQ, A&E will be airing a 2-hour program of 'Biography Close-Up' on Saturday Night Live. It features footage from the Gwyneth Paltrow/Ryan Adams episode from earlier this season. The program covers everything from the Monday meeting to the first few minutes of the live broadcast on Saturday Night. Here is an official description from www.aande.com :
    " An unprecedented, 2-hour behind-the-scenes look at how the famed comedy show is put together. Harry Smith takes viewers through all the stages of an SNL production hosted by Gwyneth Paltrow. Viewers see the Monday morning pitch meeting, rehearsals, the all-night writing sessions, the costume fittings and make-up tests, and the opening moments of the live telecast. "
    This program will air on Monday, April 22nd, at 9:00 PM Eastern. If you happen to miss it, it will be repeating later that evening at 1:00 AM. Check your local listings.

        ~Gasteyer talks about pregnancy~
    Here is an article from the Associated Press :
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Ana Gasteyer of NBC's Saturday Night Live kept her pregnancy a secret for 51/2 months because "we really were not sure how it was going to go down at work."

 Gasteyer, who is the first cast member to become pregnant while appearing on the show, told AP Radio that executive producer Lorne Michaels was "just fabulous about it."

 "Babies are a great thing. He's got three. They've totally changed his life. I've been there a long time. He knows my loyalty to the show. There's no risk of flight," she said.

 The 34-year-old comic, who is due in June, says it hasn't been difficult to hide her pregnancy on the show because of the type of characters she usually plays.

 "They all kind of have this, I don't know how to put it, but it's like an old-lady potbelly. The costume designer just hikes my skirt up and uses my existing belly to what advantage she can," Gasteyer said with a laugh.

March 29, 2002

        ~The Rock to host~
    WWF superstar The Rock will be hosting SNL on April 13th, as confirmed by WWF.com. This will be his second time hosing the show. His last hosting duty saw to some of the highest ratings for SNL in recent years. Performing alongside The Rock will be Andrew W.K.

March 17, 2002

        ~Andrew W.K. to perform~
    Rocker Andrew W.K. will be the musical guest for the April 13th episode of Saturday Night Live. This will be his first time on Saturday Night Live. This has been confirmed by Andrew W.K.'s official website, Andrew W.K.

        ~E! acquires rights to entire SNL library~
    According to zap2it.com, E! has acquired the rights to broadcast the entire SNL library, starting with the first five seasons with the original 'Not Ready For Primetime Players', and also repeats from this season. Here is the article that was posted on zap2it.com.
    " Zap2it.com -- E! Networks has struck two deals to bring the entire 27-year library of "Saturday Night Live" to the cable channel beginning this spring. On Monday, April 1, the cable network will begin airing the first five seasons of the long-running NBC late-night series. E! acquired the rights to the 1975-76 through 1979-80 seasons, featuring John Belushi, Dan Aykroyd, Gilda Radner and Bill Murray, from Broadway Video. In a separate agreement with NBC, E! gained rights to the rest of the "SNL" library. In September, E! will begin airing repeats of the 2001-02 season, with subsequent seasons debuting on the cable channel each fall thereafter. Rerun rights for the 1980-81 through 2000-01 seasons of "SNL" move from Comedy Central to E! as part of the NBC deal. Comedy Central will be allowed to air its library of the show through 2003. "SNL is without question the most successful comedy franchise ever," says Mindy Herman, President and CEO of E! Networks. "We're pleased to bring to E! viewers the great new and classic performances by the very best names in entertainment highlighted on the show over the years." E! will also focus on "Saturday Night Live" in the premiere of its new series "TV Tales." The Sunday, March 31 premiere will focus on the behind-the-scenes history of "SNL." March 10. "

March 7, 2002

        ~Chris Parnell returns to SNL cast~
    Chris Parnell, who made his first appearance on SNL this season during the Jonny Moseley episode, will now be rejoining the cast after leaving at the end of last season.

March 2, 2002

        ~Will to miss 3.9 and 3.16~
    Will Ferrell will miss the March 9th and March 16th episodes of Saturday Night Live. He was supposed to miss 3.2, but however Lorne required Will for tonight's episode, so the schedule was indeed changed. Therefore, he will miss 3.16 instead.

        ~Parnell to make cameo appearance~
    Former cast member Chris Parnell will be making a cameo appearance in tonight's episode of Saturday Night Live, hosted by Jonny Moseley.

March 1, 2002

        ~April 6th episode CONFIRMED!~
    I am able to definitely confirm that the 4.6 episode of SNL will be hosted by actress Cameron Diaz, with musical guest Jimmy Eat World. The host lineup has been confirmed by Jimmy Eat World's official website, www.jimmyeatworld.com . The Phoenix, Arizona rockers will be making their first appearance on SNL.

        ~Kylie Minogue to perform~
    Aussie born, UK based Kylie Minogue will be performing her hit single "Can't Get You Out of my Head" on SNL during the March 16th episode, alongside already confirmed host Ian McKellen. This will mark Minogue's first appearance on the show.

February 27, 2002

        ~Hammond to miss 3.2~
    Our beloved impressionist Darrell Hammond has suffered a heart attack, so while he's recovering, he'll miss at least the Jonny Moseley episode on 3.2, and possibly more. Get well soon!

        ~Sarah Hughes to make cameo appearance~
    16 year old Olympic gold medallist in figure skating Sarah Hughes will be making a cameo performance on the 3.2 episode. Freestyle skier Jonny Moseley will be hosting, and rap group Outkast will be performing.

        ~India.Arie to perform~
    I am now able to confirm that India.Arie will be the musical guest on 3.9, which will be hosted by Jon Stewart. This will be her first time performing on the show.

        ~Colin Quinn's new series to premiere on March 11th~
    Former Weekend Update anchor Colin Quinn's new television series, "The Colin Quinn Show", will be premiering on NBC at 9:30 EST on March 11th. Former SNL cast member Cheri Oteri will be making an appearance. There are some familiar names in the credits for this show, including Lorne Michaels as Executive Producer, Michael Shoemaker as Supervising Producer, T. Sean Shannon as Head Writer, Beth McCarthy Miller as Director. Along with those, Tina Fey will also make some contributions to the show.

        ~A&E to air SNL documentary~
    A&E will be airing a two-hour documentary of SNL, which was filmed during the Gwyneth Paltrow episode earlier this year, sometime in April. The exact date is yet to be confirmed.

February 16, 2002

        ~Outkast to perform~
    It has been confirmed that rap group Outkast will be performing on Saturday Night Live on March 2nd, with already confirmed Jonny Moseley hosting. Outkast has been nominated for five Grammy awards, including 'Record of the Year', 'Album of the Year', and 'Best Rap Album'. This will mark their first appearance on SNL.

February 14, 2002

        ~McKellen to host SNL~
    Ian McKellen, who most recently starred in Lord of the Rings, will be hosting Saturday Night Live on March 16th. A musical guest is not yet known.

February 5, 2002

        ~Jon Stewart to host SNL~
    I am now able to confirm that Jon Stewart, comedian and host of the Daily Show on Comedy Central, will be hosting Saturday Night Live on March 9th. A musical guest is not yet known.

February 3, 2002

        ~Moseley to host~
    American '98 gold medallist Jonny Moseley will host the next live episode of Saturday Night Live. Moseley, who won a gold medal in Nagano for freestyle moguls, will be fresh of his performance in Salt Lake City. He will be the second athlete this season to host, and this will be his first time on the show.

February 2, 2002

        ~Morissette to perform~
    I am able to confirm that Canadian singer/songwriter Alanis Morissette will be performing live on SNL on April 20th. She will be promoting her new album "Under Rug Swept", which is in stores on February 26th. A host has not yet been confirmed, although it is believed The Rock will host, his schedule pending.

        ~Ferrell to miss two more shows~
    Cast member Will Ferrell will miss two more live episodes of SNL before the season is out. The reason has not been confirmed, but it's likely to be so he can work on a movie out of town.

January 13, 2002

        ~Poehler promoted~
    Featured player Amy Poehler has now been promoted to a full time cast member, like the rumor suggested.

        ~Ferrell is still on the show...~
    For those wondering where Will was during the Josh Hartnett episode, he was working on a movie out of town, and he wasn't able to do the show. As far as we know he'll be back for the Jack Black episode.

January 12, 2002

        ~Spears to host~
    I am able to definitely confirm that Britney Spears, as rumored, will be the host and musical guest for SNL February 2nd episode. This will be her second time hosting, and her third time performing. She will be promoting her new film "Crossroads".

January 3, 2002

        ~Hartnett to host; Pink to perform~
    I am now able to confirm that Josh Hartnett, who starred in Pearl Harbor, and more recently Black Hawk Down, will be hosting the January 12th episode of Saturday Night Live. This will be his first time hosting the show. Performing alongside as the musical guest will be Pink. It will be her first performance as well.

December 3, 2001

        ~Black to host; The Strokes to perform~
    I am able to confirm that actor Jack Black will be hosting the January 19th episode of Saturday Night Live. Black is recently known from his role as Hal from the film Shallow Hal, which also starred Gwyneth Paltrow, who has already hosted this season. This will be his first time hosting the show. Musical group The Strokes are also scheduled to perform. The Strokes are currently climbing Billboard's top 20 Modern Rock Tracks with their single Last Nite.

November 11, 2001

        ~Jeter, DeGeneres to host; Shakira to perform~
    I am able to confirm that New York Yankee Derek Jeter will be hosting Saturday Night Live on December 1st (yes, this is a LIVE episode), with musical guest Shakira.
    Also, Ellen DeGeneres will be hosting on December 15th, with a musical guest yet to be determined.

November 5, 2001

        ~Hugh Jackman to host; Mick Jagger to perform~
    I am able to confirm that Australian actor Hugh Jackman will be hosting the 8th episode of SNL on December 8th. Mick Jagger is scheduled in as the musical guest.

November 2, 2001

        ~Ryan Adams to perform~
    In another recent schedule change, Ryan Adams is now confirmed for the Nov. 10th episode of SNL as the musical guest.

November 1, 2001

        ~Host Lineup shuffles~
    The Upcoming Guest lineup has shuffled around severely. Nov. 3rd's show will remain John Goodman/Ja Rule, but the Nov. 10th episode has been confirmed that Gwyneth Paltrow will be hosting, with Toya still scheduled to perform. Also, Billy Bob Thornton, husband of actress Angelina Jolie, has been scheduled to host the Nov. 17th episode, with the already confirmed musical guest Creed. Check the "Upcoming Guests" section for the updated lineup.

    October 24, 2001

            ~Creed to perform on Saturday Night Live~
    It's been officially announced that Creed will be performing on SNL on November 17th. It will be their first appearance on the show. A host is still unknown. www.creednet.com

    September 27, 2001

            ~Host lineup shuffled around~
    Ben Stiller, who was scheduled in to be the host of the October 6th host, has backed out of the job. According to an article from the Associated Press, Stiller backed out in wake of the attacks, and claiming that he "Didn't know what could be funny at this time". Replacing Stiller is Seann William Scott, who starred in the summer Box Office hit, American Pie 2. Sum 41 will still be playing as musical guest. With Seann William Scott moving down from the 10.13 to the 10.6 episode, Drew Barrymore has agreed to host the October 13th episode. According to Billboard Magazine, Macy Gray is set to perform as musical guest for this episode.

    September 7, 2001

            ~Kattan to leave show~
    Funnyman Chris Kattan has announced to TV Guide that this 27th season of Saturday Night Live will be his last. Kattan, who joined the show in 1996 as a featured player, and is starring in the upcoming motion picture 'Who is Corky Romano?'.   

    September 2, 2001

            ~Reese Witherspoon to host season premiere; Alicia Keys to perform~
    Confirmed by epguides.com, Reese Witherspoon will be hosting the season premiere of Saturday Night Live on September 29th. It was previously announced that Alicia Keys will be performing as musical guest.

    August 28, 2001

            ~Ben Stiller to host second episode of new season; Sum 41 to perform~
    It has been officially announced that Ben Stiller will be the host of the second episode of the 27th season of Saturday Night Live. Performing alongside Stiller as musical guest will be Canadian rockers, Sum 41, who are commonly known for their hit single "Fat Lip". Fat Lip was #1 on Billboard's Modern Rock Charts for one week this summer.

            ~Alicia Keys Performance Re-Scheduled~
    It has been confirmed that Alicia Keys will be performing as musical guest on SNL for the season premiere on September 29th, rather than October 13th like previously mentioned. A host is still unknown.

    August 24, 2001

            ~ SNL gets some new faces ~
    Saturday Night Live has hired some new cast members for next season, so get ready to see some new faces. Joining the cast will be Jeff Richards, who will be the first person in show history to join the cast after previously being a cast member on MAD TV. Amy Poehler, an alum of Upright Citizens Brigade will be joining, as will comic Seth Meyers and stand-up comedian Dean Edwards.

            ~ Alicia Keys to perform on SNL ~
    R&B recording artist Alicia Keys has been confirmed as the musical guest for Saturday Night Live for the October 13th episode, which will be the third episode of the 27th season. This was confirmed on her official website.