It made sense of SNL to hire Melissa McCarthy for a fifth hosting gig, rather than rely on a weekly Sean Spicer impression. Nonetheless, our first live coast-to-coast SNL show managed to coax McCarthy’s Spicer out for Easter, and with an intriguing twist at that.
Trump cabinet picks have been bad, but not Breaking Bad, at least until now. The SNL cold open for John Cena’s debut hour got Bryan Cranston reprising his iconic role as Walter White, tapped to head the DEA (what else) in the new administration.
This past weekend’s SNL offered a sobering reaction to Donald Trump’s presidential win, a concept the series has continually taken flack for helping to normalize. Now, it seems Alec Baldwin will retire his version of the Republican billionaire, also claiming that NBC denies SNL the ability to officially endorse either political party.
Time will tell if SNL manages to up its Season 42 ratings surge with Hamilton creator Lin-Manuel Miranda, but the latter two weeks of October are shaping up nicely as well. Not only is Emily Blunt confirmed for October 15, but so too will Tom Hanks and Lady Gaga make their SNL returns.
SNL hasn’t yet revealed its final host of Season 41, let alone what, if any cast turnover to expect in Season 42, but a notable change is already afoot. The NBC mainstay will cut at least two commercial breaks from live airings next season, but what might replace the additional runtime?
Magic Mike or no, there simply hasn’t been enough occasion for Channing Tatum or Jenna Dewan Tatum to dance in recent years, let alone together, and NBC desperately seeks to rectify that. The two will shepherd a “fresh take” on a new NBC reality dance competition, both appearing and starring.