‘America’s airport problems need to be fixed now’

Chicago Tribune editorial board

The U.S. “cannot function with travelers stuck in security lines for three and four hours,” says the Chicago Tribune editorial board. TSA employees “cannot be expected to go weeks or months without paychecks they need to pay their bills,” and ICE agents “have a job to do other than looking inside travelers’ bags and checking identification, tasks for which they are not directly trained.” Americans “have the right to expect their government to take care of these things.”

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‘Affordable housing is possible, if we stop ignoring the obvious’

Sam Raus at USA Today

American cities are “short on housing yet full of unused space,” says Sam Raus. With “nearly a quarter of the workforce going remote, and no amount of return-to-office mandates likely to change this trend, it’s time for cities to repurpose these empty buildings to meet the demands of the moment.” Turning “cubicles into apartment complexes for those who still live in cities would require state and local politicians approaching zoning policies, building codes and taxation with fresh eyes.”

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‘Israel’s displacement of civilians in Lebanon is a possible war crime’

Nadia Hardman at Al Jazeera

Israel’s “attacks in Lebanon — and the threat of more to come — have caused more than a million people to flee their homes,” but the “laws of war stipulate that civilians cannot be forced to leave their homes unless imperative military reasons dictate,” says Nadia Hardman. The “evacuation must be temporary, and people must be allowed to return once the hostilities end. In short, war is not a license to expel people from their land.”

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‘With Tina Fey as first host, “SNL UK” kicked off with familiar skits and very British humor’

Robert Lloyd at the Los Angeles Times

After “50 years of being practically synonymous with New York City, ‘Saturday Night Live’ has opened the door to London with ‘Saturday Night Live U.K.,’ following in the steps of ‘Law & Order U.K.’ and possibly nothing else,” says Robert Lloyd. Of “all the cities in the world that might conceivably replicate the spirit of the NBC original, the British capital, with its urban dynamism, media concentration and 20,000 comedians, feels like the obvious, and perhaps only, choice.”

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‘SNL cast exits highlight cracks in the show’s armor’

Jason Bailey at Bloomberg

Recent cast exits “highlight two cracks in ‘SNL’s armor — cracks that deserve more attention, but that creator and long-time producer Lorne Michaels seems intent on ignoring,” says Jason Bailey. “SNL” is “no longer the trampoline that propels comedy stars to bigger and better things” because of the “splintering of a once-homogenous comedy culture that helped ‘SNL’ become ubiquitous in popular culture.” Michaels should “take a hard look at his creation and acknowledge the role he’s played.”

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‘An attack on diplomacy itself’

Mohammed bin Abdulaziz Al-Khulaifi at The Washington Post

Qatar has been a “trusted mediator in some of the world’s most complex conflicts,” says Mohammed bin Abdulaziz Al-Khulaifi. Israel’s “missile attack on Doha last week violated the most basic principles of sovereignty and nonintervention enshrined in international law.” If “mediators can be bombed with impunity, then who will host peace talks? Without safe channels for diplomacy, war becomes the only option, civilization recedes, and the rule of law is replaced with brute force.”

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‘The podcast presidency’

Noah Rothman at the National Review

We have “ample evidence to support the conclusion that Jimmy Kimmel’s late-night show was placed on ‘indefinite’ hiatus for cause,” says Noah Rothman. It’s “not beyond the realm of comprehension that ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’s network and affiliates were genuinely put off by the host’s initial comments.” We “can at least hold out the possibility that a private firm with a fiduciary responsibility to investors and shareholders would take a dim view of such conduct in any employee.”

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‘Remembering Robert Redford, star of one of the greatest movies ever made about journalism’

Tom Jones at the Poynter Institute

Robert Redford was “much more than an actor,” says Tom Jones. Aside “from his remarkable career on the big screen, Redford was an Oscar-winning director, an activist and a champion of independent movies through his founding of the Sundance Film Festival.” But “most of all, he was a movie star in the truest sense of the words.” Redford’s film “All the President’s Men” about the “Post’s coverage of Watergate is considered one of the greatest movies ever made about journalism.”

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'Veterans experience identity crisis. Do more than "thank you for your service."'

Robert Fabich at The Oklahoman

Veterans Day "has gone from a day of thanks to a weekend of commercialization," says Robert Fabich. The "fast-paced world often keeps us from reflecting on what Veterans Day is about." People should "pause, listen, and reflect on the real people behind the uniform — those who gave a piece of themselves," and "take a moment to hear a veteran's story, consider volunteering to help a veteran in need, or support your local veterans' organizations."

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'The quiet development shaking America's power'

Sarang Shidore at The New York Times

America's "allies are scrambling" with "palpable anxiety that Washington will soon treat them as mere pawns on the global chessboard," says Sarang Shidore. U.S. allies have "also been hedging their bets, increasingly seeking out alternative arrangements with countries not in the West's orbit." In a "world ever more marked by multialignment and transactionalism, America can no longer depend on the loyalty of its friends." This is "already happening, and it has very little to do with Mr. Trump."

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'"SNL" isn't bothering with chivalry anymore'

Spencer Kornhaber at The Atlantic

"Saturday Night Live" has "captured a feeling that's been circulating in America ever since last Tuesday's election: silver-lining nihilism, a relief that we can stop trying to be good," says Spencer Kornhaber. The "truth that 'SNL' and the culture at large must now wrestle with is this: Trump may be back in office after four years away, but the world only turns forward." The "way to fully get back to a pre-woke time would be through actual Orwellian fascism."

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'Can Chevron win back Wall Street in 2025?'

Javier Blas at Bloomberg

Chevron can "reconnect with Wall Street in 2025. The margin of error is thin, however," says Javier Blas. But "without that extra something, investors would question the growth of Chevron beyond the next few years." However, Chevron is a "better company than naysayers portray," and it is "currently buying back its shares at a pace of $17 billion annually." Chevron is "owning its mistakes, and that's a first good step. Now, it needs to show it's learned the lessons."

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The box office's summer slump is over. As awards season inches closer, a slew of Oscar hopefuls are hitting theaters. This month's new releases include a hotly anticipated DC Comics sequel, a comedy about the real-life premiere of 'SNL' and a possible first Oscar win for four-time nominee Saoirse Ronan.

'Joker: Folie à Deux' (Oct. 4)

The eagerly-awaited sequel to Todd Phillips' 2019 "Joker" is yet another intimate look at the DC Comics supervillain. The film's subtitle, "folie à deux," is French for "madness of two" and "used to refer to shared psychosis or shared delusional disorder," said Screen Rant. The phrase encapsulates the relationship between Joker/Arthur Fleck (Joaquin Phoenix, reprising his Oscar-winning role) and his toxic lady love Harley Quinn/Harleen Quinzel (Lady Gaga). When they meet as patients at Arkham State Hospital — Arthur will soon be on trial for his past crimes as Joker — they become partners in crime. Promising more painted smiles and apparently several sequences set to song, the sequel could almost be called a musical, if it were not for the director's protests. "Most of the music in the movie is really just dialogue," Phillips said to Variety. "It's just Arthur not having the words to say what he wants to say, so he sings them instead."

'The Outrun' (Oct. 4)

30-year-old Irish actor Saoirse Ronan has already been nominated for four Oscars, but many critics are betting her turn in "The Outrun" will earn Ronan her first win. Based on a best-selling addiction memoir by Amy Liptrot and directed by Nora Fingscheidt, "The Outrun" stars Ronan as an alcoholic named Rona. After attending rehab, she leaves London and returns home to Orkney, an isolated and starkly beautiful archipelago. "With its angular, fractured structure, extended poetic longueurs and preoccupation with birdwatching," the movie "feels like a refreshingly unconventional spin on a familiar theme," said The Guardian.

'Saturday Night' (Oct. 11)

"Saturday Night Live" premiered on October 11, 1975, and as fast-paced and off-the-cuff as modern day episodes of the late-night sketch comedy show might seem, the first run was even more so. Based on the true story of the chaotic 90 minutes preceding the first 'SNL' broadcast and directed by comedy veteran Jason Reitman ("Juno"), "Saturday Night" features real-life TV pioneers like Chevy Chase, Gilda Radner, John Belushi, Dan Aykroyd and Lorne Michaels all portrayed by younger actors. "It's a thriller-comedy, if you can call that a genre," Reitman said to Vanity Fair. "I always describe this movie as a shuttle launch, and the question was, 'Would they break orbit?'"

'Anora' (Oct. 18)

Indie darling Sean Baker ("The Florida Project") is back with an addition to his string of raw, sympathetic sex worker stories. "Anora" follows Ani (Mikey Madison), a stripper who begins a whirlwind romance with a young client named Ivan (Mark Eydelshteyn), the son of a powerful Russian oligarch. Following their shotgun wedding, goons sent by Ivan's father show up to pry the couple apart. "'Anora' has next to nothing to do with romance, and almost everything to do with the kind of working-class heartache that a modern Hollywood studio would never even try to get right," said IndieWire. It won the Palme d'Or at Cannes this year, the first American film to do so since Terrence Malick's "The Tree of Life" In 2011.

'Hard Truths' (Oct. 18)

Acclaimed English theater-director-turned-filmmaker Mike Leigh is known for making tough little films about working class people that employ lots of improv and allow actors to invent their own characters. The star of Leigh's "Secrets & Lies" (1996), Marianne Jean-Baptiste, is his muse once more in "Hard Truths," this time playing a misanthrope named Pansy who cannot seem to get along with anyone. "Leigh's films can feel shaggy and unstructured on first viewing, and 'Hard Truths' is no different," said Variety. "But there's profound poetry in every scene."

'Thanks, Dogue, but I'll skip the Gucci dog carrier'

Maddy Butcher at The Washington Post

There is an "apparently shrinking minority of people who consider coddling and fancy accoutrements antithetical to good dog ownership," says Maddy Butcher. Any "worthwhile 'investment' in a dog involves time and energy but not much money." People should "use dogs for what they were bred to do, if you can, and treat them like, well, dogs." Dogs "tend to be healthier and happier when their lives have a point. Pretend jobs are fine!"

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'It's time for US sports teams to recognize the power of Latino fans'

Xavier A. Gutierrez at Time

An "undeniable trendline in our cultural landscape is the unmatched power of sports," but "somewhat still overlooked is the massive impact Latinos have on this industry's success," says Xavier A. Gutierrez. It is "clear that sports are driving our American culture, and Latinos are the primary growth drivers of the sports industry," so for "any organization seeking to future-proof its success, focusing on Latino fans is a smart place to start."

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'You're wrong about 'Saturday Night Live'

Christian Schneider at National Review

'Saturday Night Live' is "neither as good nor as bad as we remember it," says Christian Schneider. There is the "'SNL' that we all remember watching as youths and into adulthood," where "our favorite recurring characters and cast members firing off catchphrases that are still burned into our brains." But "there is also the 'SNL' as it actually ran," as "oftentimes, this 'SNL' can be completely different from the one that lives in our memories."

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'Antimicrobial resistance is dangerous in more ways than one'

Anthony McDonnell at the Financial Times

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR), where "bacteria, fungi and viruses develop resistance to the drugs used to treat them — is rendering our arsenal of antibiotics ineffective," says Anthony McDonnell. But "lesser known, but equally important, is the impact that AMR might have on our global economy." Even a "small dent can have a huge impact," and "investing in treatments and new drugs will save healthcare systems money in the long run, and offer a return of $28 for every dollar invested."

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This month, "Problemista" hit movie theaters. Maybe you have heard of it; maybe you have not. It is the story of Alejandro, a Salvadoran immigrant to the United States who dreams of being a toy designer for Hasbro. If only the pesky U.S. immigration system and the travails of New York City were not constantly getting in his way. 

The success of "Problemista" is inconsequential. Okay, yes, its star and creator, Julio Torres, deserves a smash hit. But only so that he can keep putting his singular comedic vision out into the world. As Torres told The Cut about "Problemista," "I hope people like it, but I don't make work with [other people's] perception in mind." 

Who is Julio Torres?

Torres was born in San Salvador, El Salvador in 1987. Tita, his mother, is a fashion designer and architect who had her own store. While he was young in El Salvador, Torres said to The Atlantic that he "would sketch big horrible princess dresses for her to make and sell." 

He moved to New York City to attend The New School, where he received a degree in literary studies. But, Torres said to GQ, "school was just the excuse to figure out how to be here and remain here … I wanted to write for TV, and I wanted to write for film." He was unsure how to meet that goal, so he started doing stand-up in New York. 

What is some of Torres' best work? 

Torres' comedic voice began being heard by a wider public when he became a writer for SNL. Some of his best-known skits include "Papyrus," about a man who simply cannot accept the way the movie "Avatar" uses the wavy font Papyrus, and "Wells for Boys," in which Fisher-Price debuts a life-size well for sensitive boys to ponder over. 

Then Torres' soft, observant, melancholic humor put his own self at the center in 2019 with an high-touch HBO adaptation of his stand-up show, "My Favorite Shapes." In it, a conveyor belt rolls a collection of objects in front of Torres as he tells hilarious, absurd, poignant stories about each. "He likes to speak of objects not as mere objects, but as beings with identities, with souls of their own," said The Atlantic. "Everything has had a life, however small — and the backstories he offers in the special tend to be as human, vulnerable, and complex as they are funny," 

Around the same time "My Favorite Shapes" debuted, Torres was co-writing and co-starring in "Los Espookys," a Spanish-language comedy about a gaggle of horror-obsessed friends who start a for-hire horror business. Pals getting paid to scare people, essentially. It debuted in 2019, was renewed for a second season after the pandemic, in 2022, then was canceled. About the second season, AV Club said, "what worked last time — the comic chemistry between the main quartet, the cool synthy original music and choice soundtrack picks, the color scheme and dramatic lighting, the camp and absurdity, the aesthetic and wit — works again this time, only with maybe a bit more punch and sharpness." Nothing else like it has ever been on TV. 

What is 'Problemista'? 

The first feature film directed by Torres also stars Torres as Alejandro, the protagonist, and Tilda Swinton as Elizabeth, an art critic who is trying to preserve the artistic legacy of her cryogenically frozen husband. Alejandro wants to be a toy designer, but he needs to obtain a green card to work at Hasbro. Elizabeth promises to sponsor his green card if he helps her line up an exhibition of her husband's work. 

The storytelling is a mix of the mundane (an immigrant's uphill battle to secure residency) with the ingenious (the U.S. immigration system is depicted as a kind of head-spinning maze). Torres thinks it is crucial for art, like "Problemista," to dissect the workaday. "Like, where's the insurance company movie?" he said to The Hollywood Reporter. "Even though those hurdles in life are not as dramatically accessible as falling in love or robbing a bank, they are more common, and they stay with you and scar you and traumatize you and make you grow."

Torres' comedic prowess comes from his ability to face reality with a tender groan and a wink. When Alejandro starts looking for new work opportunities, he turns to Craigslist — as one would. In "Problemista," Craigslist is portrayed by a person (Larry Owens) and is a gig-economy genie existing in a kind of trash-heap wonderland. It is a depiction emblematic of Torres' worldview. As Torres said to Polygon, "children are very curious. Children ask a lot of questions … And then somewhere along the line, we're told that asking a lot of questions is bad, or that being too curious is not a good thing." Torres, with his shrewd, whimsical storytelling, catechizes the things we have forgotten to ask. 

Hollywood writers are picking up their pencils. 

After almost five months, the writers strike has come to an end after the Writers Guild of America reached a tentative agreement with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers for a new contract. Union members still have to ratify the deal, but that's widely expected to happen, and pending the ratification vote, the WGA officially lifted the strike effective Sept. 27. 

When the strike began, some shows quickly went dark, while others that were in the writing process halted. So now that the strike is wrapping up, which shows can viewers expect to see back on the air first, and which will take longer?

When will late-night shows return?

The major late-night shows are all set to return shortly. 

"The Late Show With Stephen Colbert," "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon," "Late Night With Seth Meyers," and "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" have each announced they will be back with a new episode on Monday, Oct. 2. Meanwhile, HBO's "Last Week Tonight with John Oliver" will return on Sunday, Oct. 1. 

Additionally, HBO's "Real Time with Bill Maher" will be back with a new episode on Sept. 29. Maher was already planning to return without his writers before delaying the premiere when it appeared an agreement to end the strike might be imminent. 

"The Daily Show" will also return to Comedy Central on Oct. 16 and use guest hosts for the rest of 2023 before naming a new permanent host in 2024, according to Deadline. 

When will daytime talk shows return?

Numerous daytime talk shows are also expected to be back almost immediately, including "The Drew Barrymore Show." Some of these programs were already eying returns without WGA writers until those plans were delayed due to backlash.

With the strike ending, "The Talk," "The Drew Barrymore Show," "The Jennifer Hudson Show" and "The Kelly Clarkson Show" are eying October returns, according to The Hollywood Reporter, which reports some will likely "be back on the air before the late-night shows." However, because the actors strike remains ongoing, none of these shows will be able to have guests on to promote film or TV projects unless those productions have received a SAG-AFTRA waiver. 

When will 'Saturday Night Live' return?

The return of "Saturday Night Live" is more complicated. As Variety explains, "SNL" is covered under a contract that isn’t affected by the actors strike, meaning its cast may return after the WGA strike's end. But Deadline notes some "SNL" stars, not to mention potential hosts, might not want to participate in solidarity with their fellow performers still on strike. Despite this, Deadline reports the sketch show will likely return on Oct. 7 or Oct. 14 and could utilize non-actors as hosts. 

When will scripted dramas and comedies return?

Scripted dramas and comedies that were in the writing phase of production pre-strike could get up and running immediately. For some, it may not initially be an issue that the actors strike is ongoing, as filming wasn't imminent anyway. 

One of these programs is "The Last of Us," as the second season was being written when the strike began, and co-creator Craig Mazin has said only one episode was submitted before the deadline. "The strike has not yet been officially lifted, but the second it is, we will spring into action," Mazin said earlier this week. "Abbott Elementary" and "Yellowjackets" were also both just getting started with writing pre-strike.

Then there are the shows that were about to start filming when the writers strike started. Except for any writing that was left to finish, those will remain shut down, as cameras can't start rolling until the actor's strike is also over. The most prominent example is "Stranger Things," which was believed to be gearing up to start shooting over the summer before the strikes. "Hacks" is among the series that also halted filming. 

But in terms of broadcast shows, executives who spoke with Deadline estimated procedurals like "NCIS" that don't require as much post-production as an HBO series could "be back on air early to mid-March." However, this depends on actors being ready to work by the middle of November. If actors have an agreement with the studios by the end of October, a "13-episode network season could still be saved," former "Law & Order: SVU" showrunner Warren Leight said on X, formerly Twitter. 

Negotiations between the AMPTP and SAG-AFTRA haven't yet resumed, though given the writers and actors unions shared some of the same concerns, experts believe the actors’ strike could be resolved relatively quickly. 

The singer-songwriter Sinéad O’Connor has died at the age of 56, prompting a flurry of tributes for both her music and her confrontational style.

She was a “passionate and highly engaged musician” with an “unswerving commitment to activism and truth-telling”, said The Guardian, while The Times said she was “someone who stood up for what she believed in, whatever the consequences”.

Her most contentious moment came in 1992, when she tore up a photograph of Pope John Paul II on the US TV show “Saturday Night Live” in protest against child sexual abuse in the Catholic Church.

She was “a punk in reluctant pop star clothing” that evening, wrote Lester Fabian Brathwaite for Entertainment Weekly. But what happened?

The ‘real enemy’

During rehearsals, O’Connor had held up a photograph of a Brazilian child killed by police, as she sang an a cappella version of Bob Marley’s “War”. However, wrote Brathwaite, during the live broadcast she “switched it up” with a photo of the Pope.

She wanted to “protest the ongoing issue of sexual abuse in the Catholic Church”, said Mail Online, “long before such allegations were widely reported”.

The photograph had belonged to her mother, who O’Connor said had emotionally and physically abused her growing up. When her mother died, O’Connor took the photo from her childhood home with the intention of tearing it up “when the time felt right”, added Brathwaite.

The time felt right on SNL. She pulled out the photo as she sang the word “evil” and, looking directly into the camera, tore it to pieces before declaring: “Fight the real enemy!”

She had rendered the song “with a forceful clarity, landing every line with nervy syllables held just a microsecond past comfort”, wrote pop music critic Jon Caramanica for The New York Times.

But it was her tearing of the Pope’s photograph that grabbed the attention. It was greeted with near silence in the studio, as she “removed her in-ears, and stepped off the stage into culture-war infamy”.

Protests and death threats

The episode prompted “intensely felt responses”, said Time. NBC banned O’Connor from SNL for life. Appearing as host the following Saturday, the actor Joe Pesci said: “If it was my show, I would have gave her such a smack.” He was “like a feckless politician stirring up his base”, said Caramanica, and the audience responded in kind with laughter and applause.

Worse was to come. There were “protests, death threats, cancelled gigs and even a bulldozer used to flatten a pile of her records in Times Square”, said Mail Online.

But there were pockets of support. When she faced boos at Madison Square Garden in New York during a tribute concert to commemorate Bob Dylan’s 30th year in music, singer Kris Kristofferson emerged from the wings to say “Don’t let the b******s get you down”.

They didn’t. In an interview with The Guardian in 2021, she was asked if SNL was a moment that defined her career. “Yes, in a beautiful fucking way,” she said. “There was no doubt about who this bitch is. There was no more mistaking this woman for a pop star.”

So “maybe the way to think about it is that she right-sized her career”, agreed Caramanica, “away from the silly and grim expectations of complaisance that come with universal acclaim and toward a more earnest plane”.

She has been vindicated by history, said Hello!, as evidence of “rampant sexual abuse” throughout the Catholic Church “has been continuously exposed in the decades since Sinéad’s once-shocking act”. In 2001, “the late John Paul himself” apologised for the sexual abuse of children by priests and systemic cover-ups by the Church.

“Ten years after the pope ripping episode, you all then found out in America that this was going on,” O’Connor told Today in 2021.

Saturday Night Live opened its Holy Saturday show with a pretty straightforward re-enactment of the Last Supper, with Jesus Christ predicting his coming persecution and death on a cross. "Sound familiar?" freshly arrested former President Donald Trump (James Austin Johnson) asked, stepping in front of the tableau. "A famous wonderful man arrested for no reason at all. If you haven't put it together, folks, I'm comparing myself to Jesus again. And what better time than on his birthday, Easter?"

Comparing Trump to Jesus after his arraignment in New York is a real thing prominent Trump supporters did last week.

SNL's Trump went on to compare Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-Fla.) to Judas and said he would have been resurrected in two days, not three. "Now people are saying perhaps I'm even better that Jesus, because I'm a self-made billionaire and Christ was — let's call it what it is — a nepo-baby, okay?" he said. "I mean, his dad was God. It's pretty easy to start a religion when your dad is God. He did Good Friday, I said, Why not make it great? We could make it great. With me, we'll be doing Great Friday."

NBC's iconic sketch show Saturday Night Live is famous for its political humor — and in particular, its long and storied history of presidential parodies, many of which have become iconic in their own right. Here's everything you need to know:

When did presidential parodies begin on Saturday Night Live?

Saturday Night Live premiered on Oct. 11, 1975, as NBC's flagship live sketch series. Created by Lorne Michaels, who serves as executive producer to this day, the show began spoofing U.S. politics and poking fun at the sitting president (Gerald Ford, at the time) almost immediately. The show's parody of Ford — helmed by original cast member Chevy Chase — depicted him as many Americans saw him — clumsy. When playing the president, Chase would often stumble around and fall over numerous objects. Indeed, President Ford is infamous for his rather unfortunate history of mishaps, having even tripped down the stairs multiple times during his term.

Chase debuted his parody of Ford on Nov. 8, just a month into the show's tenure. Ford himself, though, used the parody as a platform to try and float his sinking public opinion. His press secretary, Ron Nessen, even hosted an episode of SNL that season, playing alongside Chase's version of the president. In one of the first instances of a president getting in on the joke, Ford actually opened the show himself, uttering the famous catchphrase, "Live from New York, it's Saturday night!" during a pre-recorded tape in the Oval Office.

Which presidents have been parodied on Saturday Night Live?

There have been nine presidents since the show's debut in 1975 — and SNL has spoofed them all.

Following Chevy Chase's President Ford was Jimmy Carter as portrayed by Dan Aykroyd, another original SNL cast member. Akyroyd spoofed Carter's famously calm and cool southern nature during an ongoing series called "Ask President Carter." Cast member Phil Hartman then spoofed Ronald Reagan, Carter's successor, as a Jekyll-and-Hyde-type character who operated as an evil mastermind behind the scenes.

Heading into the 1990s, the iconic Dana Carvey took on the role of George H.W. Bush, with his Texas twang and wide-brimmed glasses. When Bush made way for Bill Clinton in 1992, Darrell Hammond and Phil Hartman shared duties portraying the easily-imitable president, thus beginning a period in which some presidents were portrayed by multiple actors.

Such was not the case, however, with Clinton's successor, George W. Bush, who was famously spoofed by Will Ferrell throughout his eight years in office. Ferrell's use of the word "strategery" during a parody of the 2000 presidential debate has become one of the most infamous SNL moments of all time.

Barack Obama was played mainly by Jay Pharoah and Fred Armisen, though Hollywood star Dwayne Johnson transformed himself into "The Rock Obama" for a number of anger-fueled sketches. And Donald Trump, who had been spoofed for years on SNL even prior to his presidency, has been parodied by numerous actors, including Darrell Hammond, Alec Baldwin, and currently James Austin Johnson.

President Biden has been similarly portrayed by multiple actors during his time in the White House. Such depictions include an upbeat and over-the-top Vice President Biden from Jason Sudeikis, as well as more muted versions from Jim Carrey and current cast member James Austin Johnson.

How do the presidents feel about their Saturday Night Live counterparts?

The majority of them have taken the parodies in stride, though there have been some exceptions. The first president to be spoofed, Ford, reportedly didn't like the way SNL portrayed his bumbling mishaps; however, in public, he was typically a good sport. The Washington Post notes that Ford often laughed about his SNL portrayal, and even invited Chevy Chase to be the featured guest at the White House Correspondent's Dinner in 1976.

George W. Bush, who was spoofed perhaps more than any other president due to his history of gaffes, said during an interview on Jimmy Kimmel Live! that he not only enjoyed Will Ferrell's portrayal of him, but also all the comedy that surrounded his presidency. Bush added that at one point, he was under the impression that he himself had said "strategery" during a speech. "I love humor," Bush told Kimmel. "The best humor is when you make fun of yourself."

Barack Obama even made an appearance on the show for a Halloween sketch, albeit prior to his being elected president. The sketch occurred during the Democratic primary between Obama and Hillary Clinton in 2008, and Obama appeared, appropriately donning an Obama mask, to close out the show's cold open.

However, one president, in particular, took less kindly to the impersonations. Donald Trump famously feuded with Alec Baldwin over Baldwin's Trump impression, with the former often taking to Twitter to criticize the sketches that made fun of him. "Just tried watching Saturday Night Live - unwatchable!" read one such tweet. "Totally biased, not funny, and the Baldwin impersonation just can't get any worse."

What other famous politicians have been parodied on Saturday Night Live?

While the majority of SNL's political sketches have involved presidents, a number of other high-ranking political figures — often presidential candidates or prominent lawmakers — have found themselves as the brunt of the joke.

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), for example, has been spoofed many times by Larry David, a former SNL writer and co-creator of Seinfeld and Curb Your Enthusiasm. Sanders himself has even gotten in on the fun, joining David for a sketch in 2016. Other parodied politicians include Vice President Kamala Harris, portrayed by Maya Rudolph, and former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin (R), portrayed by Tina Fey.

Perhaps the most well-known non-presidential parodies, though, were helmed by the recently-departed Kate McKinnon. Beyond infamously spoofing Hillary Clinton during the 2016 presidential election, McKinnon also portrayed Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), as well as former New York City Mayor and Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani.

When former President Donald Trump made his "major announcement" last week that he was selling $99 nonfungible token (NFT) trading cards with his likeness, people mocked him, frowned in confusion, or cringed. But maybe Trump got the last laugh — or at least the obscure Utah strip-mall LLC that sold the NFT cards with Trump's licensed image — since all 45,000 evidently sold out within 12 hours and are now trading online at significantly more than their sale price.

Saturday Night Live laughed at Trump anyway. "Trump cards are each $99 — seems like a lot, seems like a scam, and in many ways it is," SNL's in-house Trump, James Austin Johnson, said in Saturday's cold open. "You can also get them for free by just going online and looking at them, maybe, I don't know. Maybe taking a screenshot." He insisted they are not like Pokemon.

Donald Trump Jr. (Mikey Day) came out to help hawk "this amazing, totally legit product," though he conceded $99 is kind of steep: "You can get two grams for that!" And Cecily Strong, in her final show as an SNL cast member, stepped in as Don Jr.'s girlfriend, Kimberly Guilfoyle.

SNL's "Weekend Update" joined in the fun. "Donald Trump has launched a collection of digital NFT trading cards depicting him in various costumes, including cowboy, superhero, and — most unbelievable of all — guy who didn't dodge the draft," anchor Colin Jost quipped. "It's such a funny move getting into NFTs after the whole market just crashed. It's like getting into Kanye now — which Trump also kind of did."

Strong also used "Weekend Update" to obliquely say goodbye to the show.

Kenan Thompson put an even thinner veneer on marking her departure, thanking "RadioShack" employee Strong for her years of bringing joy to "RadioShack" and helping keep "RadioShack" alive. He brought out guest host Austin Butler (Elvis) to lead a group rendition of "Blue Christmas."

Former Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) will lead a suite of high-profile entertainers set to guest host Comedy Central's The Daily Show following the upcoming departure of longtime host Trevor Noah, the network announced on Tuesday. Franken, who rose to fame as an on-off writer and performer for NBC's Saturday Night Live throughout the 1980s and early 1990s, will be joined by comedy notables including Chelsea Handler, Leslie Jones, John Leguizamo, Sarah Silverman, and Wanda Sykes, each of whom will take a turn hosting the political satire show beginning in mid-January.

On Twitter, Franken confirmed he is scheduled to host the show "for a week," and is already "working on Trump indictment material."

Franken's return to television comes five years after he resigned from his Senate seat amid allegations of sexual misconduct and inappropriate behavior. He was replaced by Tina Smith (D-Minn.), who has remained in office since 2018. Earlier this year, Franken said he regretted stepping down and said a future run for office would be "tempting."

Franken's upcoming Daily Show stint represents something of a full circle for the award-winning comedy show, as the onetime Minnesota senator fills the anchor chair first occupied by fellow Minnesotan Craig Kilborn, who hosted the program from its premiere in 1996 through 1998, when he was replaced by comedian Jon Stewart.

NBC's Saturday Night Live is getting criticism after comedian Dave Chappelle made comments about Kanye West's antisemitic remarks during his 15-minute set.

"I denounce antisemitism in all its forms and I stand with my friends in the Jewish community — and that, Kanye, is how you buy yourself some time," Chappelle prefaced his opening monologue.

NBC News says the comedian is "known for courting controversy and defying his most vocal critics."

The CEO of the Anti-Defamation League Jonathan Greenblatt accused SNL of "popularizing anti-Semitism," reports The Hollywood Reporter.

In a tweet, Greenblatt wrote: "We shouldn't expect @DaveChappelle to serve as society's moral compass, but disturbing to see @nbcsnl not just normalize but popularize #antisemitism. Why are Jewish sensitivities denied or diminished at almost every turn? Why does our trauma trigger applause?"

During Chappelle's SNL appearance, he also mocked Brooklyn Nets guard Kyrie Irving, who was recently suspended for sharing a link to the Hebrew to Negroes: Wake Up Black America documentary on social media, which "contains anti-Semitic sentiments," the Reporter notes. Chappelle said the NBA star was "slow to apologize."

With the projected reelection victory of Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) on Saturday, Democrats will retain (and possibly expand) their majority in the Senate. "I was actually surprised they won, given President Biden's low approval ratings," Colin Jost joked on Saturday Night Live's "Weekend Update." "I guess Biden's kind of like the Jurassic World movies: You know, extremely successful despite a 42 percent rating. Republicans, by the way, are not taking it well."

"Rupert Murdoch this week officially turned on Donald Trump," Jost noted, adding that the New York Post's "Trumpty Dumpty" cover "had to be the easiest photoshop job in history. And now Trump is threatening to reveal unflattering information about Ron DeSantis. For example, did you know Ron DeSantis is in charge of a state where some maniac was hiding stolen nuclear secrets?"

SNL's cold open elaborated on Murdoch's media empire apparently dumping Trump. "Wow, it seems like everybody's turning on Trump!" said Fox & Friends cohost Ainsley Earhardt (Heidi Gardner). "And per a companywide email we got this morning, he's dead to us," added Brian Kilmeade (Bowen Yang), wondering if Trump still watches the program religiously. "Well, he's at his daughter's wedding this weekend, so at least we know he won't call in," said Steve Doocy (Mikey Day).

Trump (James Austin Johnson), of course, called in from Tiffany Trump's wedding, and was awkwardly informed what transgression he had committed to lose his best media friend.

SNL's Fox & Friends hosts joked in the cold open that there's no way to prove they had regularly predicted that the midterms would be a "red wave" election for Republicans — but that's actually what real Fox News host Sean Hannity said, and The Washington Post did not let that stand.

Live from New York, it's your first set of hosts for Saturday Night Live's new season.

SNL has revealed its host and musical guest line-up for the first three weeks of season 48 episodes. Miles Teller will host on Oct. 1 with musical guest Kendrick Lamar, while Brendan Gleeson will host on Oct. 8 with musical guest Willow.

Megan Thee Stallion will also serve as both host and musical guest on Oct. 15. This will be the hosting debut for all three, though Megan Thee Stallion previously served as SNL musical guest in 2020, when Chris Rock hosted.

Notably, Teller and Gleeson will be taking the studio 8H stage after starring in films that are in the conversation for Oscars this year. Teller was in Top Gun: Maverick, which may be nominated for Best Picture, while Gleeson will star opposite Colin Farrell in The Banshees of Inisherin and may be nominated for Best Supporting Actor.

SNL is returning on Oct. 1 for what creator Lorne Michaels has described as a "transition year" after eight different cast members left the show: Kate McKinnon, Kyle Mooney, Aidy Bryant, Pete Davidson, Melissa Villaseñor, Alex Moffat, Aristotle Athari, and Chris Redd.

Marcello Hernandez, Molly Kearney, Michael Longfellow, and Devon Walker are joining the cast, though, while returning stars include Kenan Thompson, Bowen Yang, Michael Che, and Colin Jost.

Legendary sketch comedy program Saturday Night Live has added four new featured players to its cast ahead of season 48, which is scheduled to premiere Oct. 1, IndieWire reports Thursday.

Joining the ranks of Studio 8H are Marcello Hernandez, Molly Kearney, Michael Longfellow, and Devon Walker. Returning cast members include "Michael Che, Mikey Day, Andrew Dismukes (featured), Chloe Fineman, Heidi Gardner, James Austin Johnson (featured), Punkie Johnson (featured), Colin Jost, Ego Nwodim, Chris Redd, Sarah Sherman (featured), Kenan Thompson, and Bowen Yang," per IndieWire.

The new additions arrive following a few notable depatures earlier this summer. In May, it was announced that longtime cast members Kate McKinnon, Kyle Mooney, Aidy Bryant, and Pete Davidson would not be returning for another season. Melissa Villaseñor, Alex Moffat, and newcomer Aristotle Athari were then added to that list in September.

Speaking backstage with reporters at the Emmy Awards on Monday, SNL creator Lorne Micheals acknowledged the program's current transition. "There are new people, and things are changing," he said, "and a different generation comes into the show."

"It's really me, the Easter Bunny," said a bunny-suit-clad Bowen Yang to kick off the latest Saturday Night Live cold open. "Either that, or you're at Coachella and the shrooms are kicking in." Then, in the "Easter spirit" of "renewal and rebirth," he invited a variety of figures to take the stage and "share their hopes for this Easter season."

First to address the audience was Dr. Anthony Fauci (Kate McKinnon). "I know, yeah, I'm still here … trust me, I'm not here to give you any more 'COVID guidance.' I'm not stupid enough to think you're actually gonna follow it. All I'll say is that COVID cases are a lot like Jesus — they've risen again!" McKinnon-as-Fauci said.

Next up was GOP Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (Cecily Strong), who was, of course, armed with an AR-15. "I've been saying aggressively to all my Jewish and Muslim colleagues, 'Happy Easter!' Don't worry. This rifle's chocolate, but the bullets are real," she said.

Other guests included New York City Mayor Eric Adams (Chris Redd), Elon Musk (Mikey Day) — who offered to buy Easter for 23 billion Peeps — Britney Spears (Chloe Fineman), and Jared Leto (Kyle Mooney), who initially introduced himself as Jesus Christ.

As the Easter Bunny attempted to wrap up the segment, former President Donald Trump (James Austin Johnson) dropped by to share his own Easter wishes. "I told America COVID would be over by Easter. I just didn't say which one," Johnson-as-Trump said.

Saturday Night Live celebrated the confirmation of Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson in its newest cold open.

The scene began with Jackson (Ego Nwodim) and President Biden (James Austin Johnson) standing in the Oval Office ahead of Friday's reception for the new justice, who was confirmed Thursday in a 53-47 vote.

"Your speech was terrific Ketanji," Johnson-as-Biden said, stumbling over her name. "Sorry. I mean, Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson."

"Bet you can't say that three times fast," Nwodim-as-Jackson quipped.

"I'm shocked I was able to say it one time slow," Johnson-as-Biden said, adding that he had fulfilled his campaign promise to appoint a Black woman to the Supreme Court, which means "one campaign promise down and only 74 to go."

"Well, I was happy to do my part," Nwodim-as-Jackson said. "Work twice as hard as a white man my entire life, and then spend a week listening to Ted Cruz call me a pedophile."

Biden then left Jackson alone in the Oval Office, advising her to "feel the weight of history" and "imagine talking to all the great Americans who came before."

Left to her reveries, Jackson conjured up visions of Supreme Court Justices Ruth Bader Ginsberg (Kate McKinnon) and Thurgood Marshall (Kenan Thompson), baseball star Jackie Robinson (Chris Redd), and anti-slavery activist Harriet Tubman (Punkie Johnson).

"What're we doing in the White House? Did we get in trouble?" the abolitionist asked. Nwodim's Jackson explained that, thanks to the bravery of women like Tubman, she was now a Supreme Court justice.

"I like that," said Tubman.

"I have a seat at the table," added Jackson.

"I like that," said Tubman.

"And I'm going to have this job for the rest of my life!" the new justice concluded.

"Don't like that. Sounds like a trap," said Tubman, adding that Jackson should "light two candles and meet me in the farmhouse at midnight" if she wants out.

Saturday Night Live began its latest episode with another Fox News parody, this time featuring Fox & Friends hosts Steve Doocy (Alex Moffat), Ainsley Earhardt (Heidi Gardner) and Brian Kilmeade (Mikey Day) interviewing Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas (Kenan Thompson) and his wife, Ginni Thomas (Kate McKinnon).

In November 2020, Ginni Thomas exchanged several text messages with Mark Meadows, who was serving as chief of staff to then-President Donald Trump, in which the two discussed furthering Trump's attempt to overturn the results of the election. Critics have said that, in light of his wife's activities, Justice Thomas should recuse himself from any cases involving Jan. 6 or the 2020 election. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) has rejected the idea.

"I take my duty as the Yoko Ono of the Supreme Court very seriously," McKinnon-as-Ginni said. "All I want is a tidal wave of biblical vengeance to wash away the Biden crime family all the way to Gitmo, and then we release the Kraken."

Thompson's Clarence Thomas, on the other hand, was less forthcoming. His response to every one of the hosts' questions consisted of a hearty belly laugh followed by a noncommittal response like "That's what they say" or "I guess we'll see" or "Anything's possible."

After the interview, 'Fox & Friends' cut to a quick preview of The Five, in which co-host Judge Jeanine Pirro (Cecily Strong) greeted her "only fans" — or, perhaps, her "OnlyFans" — and quickly launched into an explanation of Disney's "exciting new project: turning your kindergartener gay!" She then warned of a future in which Disney World was "packed with Twinkerbells, Cinderfellas, and that gay Mr. Toad!" before shotgunning a beer.

The cold open concluded with an appearance by former President Donald Trump (James Austin Johnson), who called for removing the "p" from the end of the word "coup."

Saturday Night Live's most recent cold open featured President Biden (James Austin Johnson) and White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki (Kate McKinnon) asking a group of TikTok stars for advice on how to handle the war in Ukraine.

This sketch might sound absurd, but it has a basis in reality. On Thursday, the real Psaki joined with officials from the National Security Council to brief "approximately 30 creators who have been covering Russia's invasion of Ukraine on their social media channels," CNN reported.

The cold open began with Johnson-as-Biden welcoming the influencers to the meeting and thanking "Psaki" for suggesting it.

"I suggested it as a joke and then it actually happened," McKinnon-as-Psaki said.

"People are saying this is the first war fought on TikTok," Johnson-as-Biden continued, "which is tough for me because I'm the landline of presidents … I understand [Russian President Vladimir] Putin … but there's one thing I don't understand: computer."

"He means 'technology,' but he says 'computer,'" McKinnon-as-Psaki explained before "Biden" interjected, "Computer very mean to me!"

The influencers then offered their suggestions for winning the information war against Russia. "Actress from the CW" (Chloe Fineman) suggested defeating Putin with the power of poetry.

"Oh, no. It's that girl," McKinnon-as-Psaki said, referring to actress AnnaLynne McCord. Last month, McCord posted a video of herself reciting a poem in which she bizarrely claimed that if she had been Putin's mother, he would not have invaded Ukraine.

When asked for other suggestions, "Actress" touted "Five Ways to Stop the War in Ukraine" and then began dancing and pointing to empty air.

"I think she's expecting text to show up," McKinnon-as-Psaki said.

Other influencers who offered solutions included a rapper/prankster (Andrew Dismukes), singer Jason Derulo (Chris Redd), and a 12-year-old girl (Aidy Bryant) who does "silly animal make-up for kids" and also, surprisingly, is a right-wing conspiracy theorist who believes the war in Ukraine was started by Hunter Biden.

Fox News hosts Tucker Carlson (Alex Moffat) and Laura Ingraham (Kate McKinnon) hosted a "Fox News Ukrainian Invasion Celebration Spectacular" fundraising telethon in the latest Saturday Night Live cold open.

The two apologized for taking a pro-Russia stance in the weeks leading up to the invasion of Ukraine. "I kept saying we should be more worried about our own border getting invaded by Mexico, but in my defense, I am racist, so I thought that was true," Moffat-as-Carlson said.

McKinnon-as-Ingraham then told the audience the two hosts planned to atone for their mistakes by "raising money for the real victims of this invasion: the oligarchs."

Former President Donald Trump (James Austin Johnson) appeared to help with the fundraiser, but quickly launched into a series of stream-of-consciousness monologues that ranged from Rihanna's maternity wardrobe to his popularity among whales to meatless Beyond Burgers to the new show Bel-Air.

Other guests included Donald Trump Jr. (Mikey Day) and Kimberly Guilfoyle (Cecily Strong), who performed a Ukraine-themed cover of the Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper duet "Shallow" before Day-as-Trump Jr. wandered off to find a place to do cocaine.

"Carlson" and "Ingraham" also gave away prizes, including an "I Stormed the Capitol" T-shirt (with a legal disclaimer on the back) and "tickets to see [Rep.] Matt Gaetz [R-Fla.]," who has been accused of paying for sex with underage girls, "do a live reading of his favorite Russian novel, Lolita."

After a monthlong hiatus for the Winter Olympics, Saturday Night Live returned Saturday with a solemn and moving tribute to Ukraine's ongoing struggle against Russian aggression.

The broadcast began with Kate McKinnon and Cecily Strong standing side by side. "Ladies and gentlemen: the Ukrainian Chorus Dumka of New York," they said, Strong beginning the sentence and McKinnon finishing it. "Dumka" is a Ukrainian musical term for a short, often melancholic folk ballad.

The lights dimmed and the two cast members walked off stage as the camera pulled back, revealing a group of Ukrainian singers in traditional dress illuminated by soft candlelight.

The chorus performed a piece called "A Prayer for Ukraine," a patriotic hymn dating to the 19th century, NPR reported. According to one translation, the lyrics are as follows:

Lord, oh the Great and Almighty,

Protect our beloved Ukraine,

Bless her with freedom and light

Of your holy rays.

With learning and knowledge enlighten

Us, your children small,

In love pure and everlasting

Let us, oh Lord, grow.

We pray, oh Lord Almighty,

Protect our beloved Ukraine,

Grant our people and country

All your kindness and grace.

Bless us with freedom, bless us with wisdom,

Guide [us] into [a] kind world,

Bless us, oh Lord, with good fortune

For ever and evermore.

In the most recent Saturday Night Live cold open, a military officer and two White House advisors (Kenan Thompson, Alex Moffat, and Ego Nwodim) assembled in the Oval Office to brief President Biden (James Austin Johnson) on the crisis in Ukraine.

"We're even getting some reports that Russia has already invaded, but those are from the same people who said Tom Brady retired," Nwodim said.

ESPN announced Saturday that seven-time Super Bowl winner Brady had decided to retire after 22 seasons, but other sources — including Brady's own father — quickly contradicted the story in statements to The Associated Press and other reporters. Brady, they said, has not yet made up his mind.

Moffat and Nwodim went on to explain that, in addition to Russia's military threat, Ukraine has also been inundated with Russian disinformation. They came prepared with a slide show of examples.

"Ukrainian President Horny for Drama, Wants War: 'Slap Me Harder, Daddy,'" one farcical headline read.

Next up was, "Neil Young To Remove Music from Spotify Unless Ukraine Surrenders," a reference to the "Cortez the Killer" singer's ultimatum forcing the streaming service to choose between Neil Young and Joe Rogan, who Young accused of spreading COVID-19 misinformation.

Russia's "disinformation campaign" also included a TV ad starring NFL quarterback Aaron Rodgers (Pete Davidson). The real Rodgers floated the possibility of retirement after a Jan. 22 loss to the 49ers ended his season.

"Oh no! I am American balltoss player Aaron Rodgers, and my car has broken down in Ukraine," Davidson-as-Rodgers said with a thick Eastern European accent. To save himself, he sang a version of the State Farm jingle: "Like a good neighbor, Russia is there!"

As an agent (Chris Redd) appeared to rescue Rodgers, the State Farm logo appeared on the screen, revealing State Farm's Russian name to be Колхоз, a term referring to Soviet-era collectivized agriculture.

SNL writer Colin Jost studied Russian literature at Harvard.

In the latest Saturday Night Live cold open, Kate McKinnon played Fox News host Laura Ingraham.

"Good evening. I'm Laura Ingraham, and as soon as I marry your dad, I'm sending you straight to boarding school," McKinnon said before listing several drawbacks of living in "Biden's America."

Even "former Wendy's spokesgirl Jen Psaki" had to admit things were bad, McKinnon-as-Ingraham said. She then cut to a choppily edited clip that arranged snippets from Psaki's press conference into the phrase "we are not good people. The American public should vote us out."

McKinnon-as-Ingraham then presented a list of "THINGS LIBERALS ARE TRYING TO TAKE FROM YOU," including "guns," "backup guns," and "using the word 'mayonnaise'" — "It's 'aioli' all of a sudden? No thanks, Lin-Manuel!"

Texas GOP Sen. Ted Cruz (played by Aidy Bryant) then joined "Ingraham" as a guest. In response to a question about "his" beard, Cruz/Bryant responded, "Oh yeah! My beard is like Jan. 6: shocking at first, but sadly it's been normalized."

"Ingraham" then welcomed Pete Davidson, playing Serbian tennis star Novak Djokovic, who was deported from Australia for being unvaccinated. "I never thought I would hear myself use the word 'deported' in a bad way," the pseudo-host of the pseudo-Ingraham Angle mused.

Next up was conservative commentator Candace Owens (Ego Nwodim) — McKinnon-as-Ingraham's "one Black friend" — who cut right to the chase, saying, "Martin Luther King would've voted for Trump."

"Hello to you too," said "Ingraham."

She then paused to thank her sponsors, including "Paula Deen's Chickpea Mash": "It's not radical Islamic hummus; it's American chickpea mash!"

The final guest of the night was former President Donald Trump, played by James Austin Johnson.

Johnson-as-Trump closed out the cold open by solving a Wordle puzzle, a process that included references to COVID booster shots, the new show How I Met Your Father, Jason Momoa, and his own inevitable re-election campaign.

Roddy Ricch has dropped out of his appearance on Saturday Night Live this weekend after at least one member of his team was exposed to COVID-19, the rapper announced in a Wednesday Instagram post.

"Due to recent COVID exposure on my team and to keep everyone safe I won't be able to perform on SNL this weekend," Ricch wrote. "I'm working with the SNL team to lock in a new date though!" Saturday would have been the rapper's SNL debut, per The Hollywood Reporter.

Jack Antonoff's Bleachers will replace Ricch as the musical guest on the Jan. 15 show, NBC said. Ariana DeBose, who played Anita in Steven Spielberg's West Side Story, will host.

Wednesday's musical switch-up is just the latest COVID-19 headache for Studio 8H, The Hollywood Reporter notes. The show was forced to tape its last show in December with no studio audience and limited crew after multiple staff members tested positive for the virus.

Paul Rudd, hosting Saturday Night Live for the fifth time, played to an almost empty house Saturday after a COVID outbreak among cast members forced the show to forego cast, crew, crowd, and planned musical guest Charli XCX, The New York Post reported.

Tom Hanks and Tina Fey — who have hosted 10 times and six times, respectively — joined Rudd onstage to induct him into the auspicious "Five-Timers Club." The idea of the Five-Timers Club originated with a 1990 SNL sketch. Other "members" include Christopher Walken, Melissa McCarthy, and Dwayne Johnson.

"I started the Five-Timers Club," Hanks said.

"Just like you started COVID!" Fay responded, alluding to his status as one of the first celebrities to contract the virus back in March 2020.

Before presenting Rudd with a Five-Timers Club jacket, Hanks also congratulated him on being named "Most Sexist Man of the Year" by People magazine.

"Oh, I think it was 'Sexiest,'" Rudd replied. Rudd received that title last month.

The only two cast members to appear were Kenan Thompson and Michael Che. The five spent the evening introducing pre-recorded sketches and playing old favorites from years gone by. Fey and Che also hosted a stripped-down "Weekend Update," sitting in chairs on the main stage instead of behind the typical newsroom desk.

Kate McKinnon played Dr. Anthony Fauci in the latest Saturday Night Live cold open, providing public service announcements for dealing with the Omicron variant with a little help — or hindrance — from Sen. Ted Cruz (Aidy Bryant), Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene (Cecily Strong) and Lauren Boebert (Chloe Fineman), and the Cuomo brothers (Pete Davidson as Andrew and Andrew Dismukes as Chris).

"Do people still think I'm sexy, or are we done with that?" McKinnon-as-Fauci asked before explaining that the new Omicron variant of the COVID-19 virus is not as dangerous as was initially feared and that those who have been vaccinated and boosted can safely "unclench."

"Fauci" then called up several "CDC employees" to act out how to handle various holiday scenarios, including a mall Santa who would not allow children to sit on his lap because (as Nicki Minaj claimed happened to her cousin's friend) his testicles had become swollen after taking the vaccine.

The "Cuomos" showed up to blame the loss of their jobs on COVID, followed by "Greene" and "Boebert," who held AR-15s. "The government's been using this 'fight disease' to strip us of our freedom. Do they think we're dumb?" Strong-as-Greene asked.

"Please!" Fineman-as-Boebert responded. "Would they give a dumb person a gun?"

Bryant-as-Cruz rounded out the cold open: "If you're sick of seeing me, imagine how sick I am of being me," said "Cruz." Watch below.

The Kennedy Centers Honors returned to an in-person ceremony Sunday night, celebrating the artistic excellence of Motown Records founder Barry Gordy, Saturday Night Live impresario Lorne Michaels, and performers Bette Midler, Joni Mitchell and opera singer Justino Diaz. President Biden and first lady Jill Biden attended the ceremony, filling the Kennedy Center's presidential box for the first time since 2016.

The Bidens also hosted a reception for the honorees beforehand in the White House, another tradition that had gone on hiatus under former President Donald Trump. "We welcome everyone back," Biden told the 150 people gathered in the East Room. "Our nation is stronger, more dynamic and more vibrant because of you," he told the honorees. Biden praised Diaz's "soul of sound," Gordy's "iconic" record label, and Midler's emotive "gift." "Joni," he told Mitchell, "your words and melodies touch the deepest parts of our soul."

Biden kept things a little lighter with Michaels, noting SNL's frequent mockery of him and other presidents. "Finally, it's my turn to say something about him," he joked. "You make me laugh at myself a lot," Biden told Michaels, adding that SNL is auditioning actors to play Biden and then pointing to frequent SNL guest Steve Martin as the type of talent Michaels has fostered over the decades. "You want me to play you?" Martin asked, tying those two thoughts together and making the room laugh.

Biden also recounted a story about taking his kids to see Bette Midler on Broadway.

The Kennedy Center Honors ceremony, which will be broadcast on CBS on Dec. 22, kicked off with cellist Yo Yo Ma playing the national anthem, then included musical tributes to Gordy, Diaz, Midler, and Mitchell.

"For Michaels, organizers put together three 'Weekend Update' segments onstage with multiple generations of mock news anchors — Kevin Nealon, Seth Myers and Amy Poehler, and the current duo of Michel Che and Colin Jost," The Associated Press reports. "Che joked that Biden would be asleep before the end of the show."

One of things you may know about Saturday Night Live's Pete Davidson — other than that he's dating Kim Kardashian — is that he's from (and still lives on) Staten Island, New York City's forgotten borough. Davidson and Big Wet reminded everyone on this weekend's SNL with a parody of Marc Cohn's "Walking in Memphis."

If, like Cleveland native Cohn, you are not from Staten Island, you might learn it has lots of pizza and bagel places, and massive garbage dumps. "Ferry security sure did smell this, they said, 'Who the hell are you?'" Davidson and Big Wet sing. "Man, it's Pete and Wet, and you best bet that Marc Cohn's gonna sue." (Spoiler: He doesn't.) Method Man, who spent part of his childhood on Staten Island, also joined in, and he sang the last part to this couplet: "We were drinking White Claws at Bootlegs, and a guy turns just to fight; he said, 'Tell me are you Italian?' and I said, 'Man, I am tonight.'"

You can watch the original video for Cohn's 1991 hit below.

The Kyle Rittenhouse verdict took center stage in last night's Saturday Night Live cold open.

Cecily Strong, playing Fox News host Judge Jeanine Pirro, began by describing Rittenhouse as a "lovable scamp." Mikey Day then joined the show as Judge Bruce Schroeder. Day referred to Rittenhouse as "my client," mocking what some have perceived as the judge's bias toward the now-acquitted Rittenhouse. Next up were a pair of progressive legal analysts played by Chloe Fineman and Chris Redd. Fineman, who is white, called the verdict "a call to finally change the system," while Redd, who is Black, quipped that the "call" would likely "go right to voicemail."

Strong also poked fun at House Minority leader Kevin McCarthy's (R-Calif.) marathon speech in opposition to the Build Back Better bill and blasted President Biden's recent colonoscopy as "socialized butt play paid for by your tax dollars."

James Austin Johnson rounded out the open with an appearance as former President Donald Trump. Strong-as-Pirro told Johnson-as-Trump that she planned to just "let you riff," and Johnson obliged, launching into a free-associative monologue that touched on everything from the Gossip Girl reboot to the 2024 election.

Touting his superiority to Biden on infrastructure policy, Johnson-as-Trump insisted that his wall-building expertise was easily transferrable. "When you put wall down through a grassy field, okay, frankly, that's road. And if you take wall and lay it across a river, frankly, Jeanie, we're doing bridge," he said, eliciting a hearty laugh from the studio audience.

Everyone is talking about abortion — whether it's bad or fine, if it should be legal and under what conditions, whether offering bounties for turning in people who help a woman procure an abortion is a legitimate use of government power — but everyone is also mostly talking around abortion, Cecily Strong highlighted on Saturday Night Live's "Weekend Update." And she made her point as "Goober the Clown, who had an abortion when she was 23."

When co-anchor Colin Jost asked if she wanted to discuss abortion, "Goober" said no, "but people keep bringing it up so I gotta keep talking about freakin' abortion. But it's a rough subject so we're gonna do fun clown stuff to make it more palatable."

"Hey, did you know one one in three clowns will have a clown abortion in her lifetime?" "Goober" asked at one point. "You don't, because they don't tell you. They don't even know how to talk to other clowns about it." She inhaled helium for the last part: "It's gonna happen, so it ought to be safe, legal, and accessible. We will not go back to the alley — I mean, last thing anyone wants is a bunch of dead clowns in a dark alley."

"Y'all better disable comments on this one," "Goober" advised.

"Weekend Update" also (lightly) tackled other controversial topics, like COVID-19 vaccine refusal — Kenan Thompson's Ice Cube explained (eventually) why he won't get the shot.

And they highlighted the "Let's Go Brandon" chant in a bit, cut for time but posted online, starring Kyle Mooney as a Brandon not in on the joke.

And, of course, "Weekend Update" also covered the news. "Our top story tonight, like it's been for as long as I can remember: infrastructure," Jost said. They also joked about Tuesday's elections.

Not all news stories are big news stories, Jost and Michael Che reminded everyone, and not all jokes land.

Saturday Night Live skewered Aaron Rodgers over his COVID-19 vaccine stance in its latest cold open, which also featured the debut of a new take on former President Donald Trump.

The sketch show kicked off by having Cecily Strong's Jeanine Pirro interview Pete Davidson's Aaron Rodgers after the Green Bay Packers quarterback contracted COVID-19 and was revealed to be unvaccinated. On the show, Davidson's Rodgers complained he was being attacked by the "woke mob" — just like the real Rodgers did — and insisted he didn't lie about getting a COVID-19 vaccine.

"I never lied," Davidson's Rodgers said. "I took all my teammates into a huddle, got all their faces three inches away from my wet mouth, and told them, 'Trust me, I'm more or less immunized. Go team!'"

Davidson's Rodgers also proclaimed it's "my body and my COVID" and that he can "give it to whoever I want," adding, "At the end of the day, my record is still 7-1, meaning of the eight people I've infected, seven are fine."

Later in the sketch, SNL brought out former President Donald Trump, played this time by James Austin Johnson. Johnson, a new cast member who earned acclaim for his Trump impressions prior to joining SNL, has also been playing President Biden this season. The sketch depicted Trump's attempts to take credit for Republican Glenn Youngkin's recent win in the Virginia governor's race, even as Youngkin tried to distance himself from the former president and even remove himself from a split-screen shot with him.

"I just wanted to congratulate Glenn Youngkin, and mostly myself, on a tremendous victory in Virginia," Johnson's Trump said.

Johnson's Trump proceeded to essentially take over Pirro's show to offer a series of random takes on various topics, from Star Wars to Marvel's Eternals and even Chris Pratt's casting as Mario. Check out the new version of Trump in the full sketch below.

Saturday Night Live and host Jason Sudeikis put a Halloween spin on the cold open this week by reminding us all how frightening it is to be haunted by your younger self.

The opening sketch begins with President Biden, played by new SNL cast member James Austin Johnson, lamenting his sagging approval ratings to White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki, parodied by Chloe Fineman. "Things are gonna turn around, right?" SNL Biden asks his press sec, only for Fineman's Psaki to say she's "bad at lying, so I'm gonna leave."

"I don't understand. People used to like me," Biden continues, after Fineman's departure. "I miss the old me. Where the hell did that guy go?"

Right on cue, in walks a finger gun and aviator-clad Sudeikis playing a jovial and confident version of the commander in chief from eight years ago, when he was still just the vice president and had the "easiest gig in the world."

"How can you be me? You seem so happy, so carefree, so...what's the word I'm looking for?" asks 2021 Biden. "Lucid," Sudeikis' Biden quickly replies.

From there, the two Bidens discuss how social norms have changed over the last eight years, Sens. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) and Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.), and how former President Donald Trump "ruined everything." Shortly after, another older (but still confident) version of Biden walks through the Oval Office door, this time played by cast member Alex Moffat. When Sudeikis asks which era he's traveling from, Moffat happily replies, "March 2021" before heading out.

Soon, it's time for 2013 Biden to leave, but not before imparting some wisdom on Biden of the present: "Remember, we may be from different eras, but at the end of the day, we're both Joe freakin' Biden."

Saturday Night Live in its latest cold open tackled the resignation of Las Vegas Raiders Coach Jon Gruden over racist, misogynistic, and homophobic emails — which, in SNL's case, somehow resulted in LeVar Burton getting the job.

The SNL sketch opened with Colin Jost's Roger Goodell taking the lectern at a press conference to address the Gruden scandal. "One of our coaches is accused of racism, misogyny, and homophobia," he said. "But hey, at least no one's talking about concussions."

New SNL cast member James Austin Johnson played Gruden, telling Raiders fans, "I hope you won't judge me on one email I sent 10 years ago, or the 20 emails I sent last Tuesday." He went on to offer a preposterous explanation that his emails were somehow the product of various autocorrect snafus.

"My point is, I never meant to hurt anyone," SNL's Gruden said. "I meant to hurt them secretly, behind their backs."

From there, the sketch saw Pete Davidson's Larry Rucker take over as Raiders head coach, only to immediately have to resign himself due to his own scandal. "They just found my emails, too, and they are so much worse than the old coach's," he explained, adding, "Thank you, and I look forward to joining ESPN in three months." An equipment manager even became coach in the sketch before also needing to resign.

Eventually, Chris Redd's Colin Kaepernick came out to wonder if "anyone tried to warn people" that "the NFL is maybe racist." The sketch ended with the Raiders announcing a "solution that makes everyone happy, someone even Twitter can get behind," hiring former Reading Rainbow host LeVar Burton as head coach. Referring to Burton's efforts to become the new host of Jeopardy!, Kenan Thompson's Burton declared, "Suck on that, Mayim Bialik!" Watch the full sketch below.

Saturday Night Live turned its focus to last week's congressional hearing, during which whistleblower and former Facebook employee Frances Haugen testified about her concerns over the social media company's practices, in the comedy show's latest cold open.

Heidi Gardner took on the role of Haugen, who had the difficult task of trying to answer questions from Senators, who were, to put it gently, just a tad clueless about the platform. Cecily Strong's Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), for instance, mostly wanted to know whether the fact that she had 2,000 Facebook friends is impressive, and Kyle Mooney's Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) really wanted to figure out what "the algorithm" is. Meanwhile, Aidy Bryant's Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Tex.) was excited to learn that it's possible to turn off comments after decrying the fact that "some teenagers, and even some adult men, are bullied almost constantly" on the site. Watch the full clip below.

Saturday Night Live is back for its 47th season, and the long-running sketch comedy show has cast a new President Biden.

New cast member James Austin Johnson has taken on the role of the 46th president, replacing Alex Moffat (who remains on the show), which is no small task — Deadline writes that Johnson's debut as Biden during the premier episode's cold open "was probably the highest profile introduction of a new cast member ever."

The skit involved Johnson's Biden trying to get moderate Democrats like Aidy Bryant's Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.V.) and Cecily Strong's Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.) to find some common ground with their progressive counterparts, Ego Nwodim's Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) and Melissa Villaseñor's Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.). He didn't get very far, however, even — or especially — after former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (portrayed by Pete Davidson) and Moffat's Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) showed up to lend a hand. Watch the full sketch below.

Comedian Norm Macdonald, who died on Tuesday at 61 after a private battle with cancer, was known for many things: his bizarre, deadpan tenure as Saturday Night Live's Weekend Update anchor, his career-damaging feud with NBC's Don Ohlmeyer, and his cult movie Dirty Work. But he was most revered as a pure comedian, an inimitable standup whose seemingly random constructions worked almost in spite of themselves.

The best example of this is undoubtedly "the moth joke," a Dostoyevskian tragedy about a troubled moth's visit to a podiatrist. It's an epic, four-minute-long mess that GQ once admiringly described as a "groaner" that "shouldn't work." But it did work, beautifully, on a Macdonald appearance on The Tonight Show With Conan O'Brien. When the punchline finally came, O'Brien, after a spell of relieved laughter, offered "congratulations to anyone who stuck it through to the end." See if you can make it to the absurdist kicker in the video below.

Saturday Night Live star Michael Che has sparked significant online backlash after sharing an offensive joke about Simone Biles.

Che on Instagram wrote, "Man, I wanna make fun of Simone Biles," the gymnast who recently withdrew from competitions at the Olympics to focus on her mental health, per Page Six.

"I got like 3 mins of Simone Biles jokes in my head," he wrote.

From there, Che posted a joke about Biles that was shared with him, which said that Larry Nassar "understands Simone Biles better than anyone" because "he too had to quit doing what he loved at the pinnacle of his career because of mounting pressure." Nassar is the former U.S women's national gymnastics team doctor and convicted sex offender who Biles has said sexually abused her. Che reacted to this joke by calling it "absolutely tasteless" but rating it a "9/10." He also shared another joke that said, "Who said black don't crack," which he also praised and rated an "8/10."

Che's Instagram posts quickly drew heavy criticism, with director Matthew A. Cherry blasting the comedian as "trash" and journalist Stephanie Guerilus writing, "Michael Che is disgusting. He's always punching down. Simone Biles has more than enough going on without her sexual assault being turned into a cheap punch line." Activist Farrah Khan also wrote, "Larry Nassar sexually assaulted over 300 gymnasts including Simone Biles. Jokes about this immense violence are never okay," while tagging HBO Max and NBC and questioning why the comedian is "still on your roster."

After Che jokingly claimed to have been "hacked," Newsweek notes his entire Instagram account is now empty. Based on his reaction, writer Delia Harrington tweeted the comedian perhaps "had no idea how beloved Simone Biles is, or just how messed up it is to share a Larry Nasser joke."

Saturday Night Live veteran Maya Rudolph returned to host the show this weekend and, naturally, she reprised her role as Vice President Kamala Harris.

Rudolph's Harris hosted a "unity" Passover Seder alongside a fictional version of her husband, Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff (portrayed by Martin Short). Politicians from both sides of the aisle, including Aidy Bryant's Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Tex), Alex Moffat's President Biden, Kenan Thompson's Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), and Cecily Strong's Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), showed up, while Chloe Fineman also made a brief appearance as Harris' stepdaughter, Ella Emhoff.

As far as SNL skits go, the atmosphere was fairly tame. That is, until Moffat's Biden brought in his dog, Major, whose training did not appear to go as smoothly as thought. Watch the full sketch below. Tim O'Donnell

NBC's Saturday Night Live returned for its second virtual, produced-from-home episode during the coronavirus pandemic Saturday evening with an assist from Academy Award-winning actor Brad Pitt.

Pitt kicked the episode off, appearing as Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, during the episode's cold open. Pitt's exasperated Fauci warned people not to consume disinfectants in light of recent comments by President Trump, and admitted he was likely getting fired precisely because Trump said he wasn't.

After he was done with the jokes, Pitt broke the fourth wall, removed his wig, and thanked Fauci for his leadership during the pandemic. Watch the full sketch below. Tim O'Donnell

NBC's Saturday Night Live returned to the airwaves Saturday night after a long absence due to the novel coronavirus pandemic.

The show's cast and several celebrity guests put together a made-from-home episode, in which everyone joined in via a Zoom video call from their respective quarantines. Tom Hanks, who has been recovering from the virus, delivered the opening monologue, joking that ever since he was diagnosed, he's been "more like America's dad than ever before" because "no one wants to be around me very long and I make people uncomfortable."

Later on, Larry David reprised his role as Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), and Alec Baldwin phoned in during the "Weekend Update" segment as President Trump. The show also paid tribute to Hal Wilner, SNL's longtime music coordinator, who died this week from COVID-19 complications, with old cast members sharing some of their memories. Cast member Michael Che remembered his grandmother who also died earlier in the week from the virus. Read more at The New York Times. Tim O'Donnell

Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) may not be in the race for the Democratic presidential nomination anymore, but she was back on television screens Saturday night with a surprise appearance during Saturday Night Live's cold open.

The real Warren was interviewed by Kate McKinnon's Laura Ingraham on Fox News after SNL mocked the network's coverage of the novel coronavirus, COVID-19. Warren said she didn't have any regrets about her presidential bid, especially because she got to give a billionaire a "swirlie on live TV," referring to when she zeroed in on former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg during the Democratic primary debates.

The senator also got a chance to let folks know what she's been up to since bowing out of the race last week, which includes prank calling big banks, drag-racing Subarus, and staying off Twitter. The cold open then ended with McKinnon, who portrayed Warren throughout the show's season, joining her on stage. Watch the full skit below. Tim O'Donnell

Saturday Night Live took on the Democratic presidential primary in the show's latest cold open.

In a spoof of Friday's primary debate in New Hampshire, Saturday's episode saw Pete Davidson's Tom Steyer, Rachel Dratch's Amy Klobuchar, Larry David's Bernie Sanders, Jason Sudeikis' Joe Biden, Kate McKinnon's Elizabeth Warren, Colin Jost's Pete Buttigieg, and Bowen Yang's Andrew Yang take the stage, where high jinks ensued.

Dratch's Klobuchar couldn't figure out why she isn't winning the election, Sudeikis' Biden couldn't remember what South Carolina was called, David's Sanders advocated for an app-free primary, and Davidson's Steyer was just happy to be there and make friends. Meanwhile, billionaire and former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg (played by Fred Armisen) loomed over all of it with his sponsorship of the debate. Watch the sketch below. Tim O'Donnell

Have you found President Trump's impeachment trial boring so far? If so, Saturday Night Live's latest cold open provided its audience with a look at what might've been.

Saturday evening's episode opened with a disinterested Chief Justice John Roberts (played by Mikey Day) presiding over the Senate trial as he's doing in real life, only to be quickly replaced by Kenan Thompson's Judge Greg Mathis, who injected some enthusiasm into the previously listless proceedings. Thompson's Mathis called witnesses to the stand, including Cecily Strong's drama-loving, Harry Potter fan fiction-writing John Bolton, and Pete Davidson's hoverboarding Hunter Biden.

Alec Baldwin then returned as Trump, who served as his own defense. Watch the full clip below. Tim O'Donnell

Saturday Night Live is back on NBC after its winter hiatus, and the cast was joined by an old friend.

Jon Lovitz returned for Saturday evening's cold open during which he portrayed President Trump's attorney Alan Dershowitz, who was preparing to argue the president's case in the Senate impeachment trial. As Lovitz's Dershowitz began his remarks, he was suddenly transported to the show's version of the underworld, where he met with the podcast-hosting devil, played by Kate McKinnon, who appears to be a huge fan of the lawyer.

While down there, Lovitz's Dershowitz was also greeted by Jeffrey Epstein, who was portrayed by the episode's host Adam Driver, and an assortment of other characters, including Flo from the Progressive commercials and Mr. Peanut. Watch the full clip below. Tim O'Donnell

Nostalgia was in the air in New York on Saturday night.

For starters, NBC's Saturday Night Live brought back one of its most legendary performers after 35 years. Eddie Murphy hosted the show and revived some of his classic characters and sketches like Buckwheat and Mr. Robinson's neighborhood. Murphy, who was greeted by an audience chanting his name, was joined on stage for his opening monologue by two more SNL alums in Tracy Morgan and Chris Rock, as well as fellow comedian Dave Chapelle.

But that wasn't all. During the episode's cold open, a slew of ex-stars returned to portray Democratic presidential candidates in a spoof of Thursday's debate. Rachel Dratch portrayed Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Jason Sudeikis reprised his role as former Vice President Joe Biden, Fred Armisen took on the role of billionaire Michael Bloomberg, and Maya Rudolph even dropped by to play Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.). Meanwhile, Larry David and Alec Baldwin were back as Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and a gatecrashing President Trump, respectively. Tim O'Donnell

NBC's Saturday Night Live gave viewers a possible preview of their own upcoming holiday season family dinners during last night's cold open.

Three families in San Francisco, Atlanta, and Charleston, South Carolina, discussed President Trump's impeachment. The San Francisco family, led by Cecily Strong, was excited by the House moving forward with a vote, while Beck Bennett's more conservative Charleston family expressed dismay. Kenan Thompson, meanwhile, probably spoke for millions when he tried to steer his family away from impeachment and discuss the upcoming film Bad Boys for Life, instead.

As The New York Times pointed out, it was a rare cold open that relied solely on SNL's cast members, rather than attempting to wow its audience with a celebrity cameo. But the skit wasn't lacking surprise, as Kate McKinnon appeared at the end as climate activist Greta Thunberg with some dour news about the future of the planet. Watch the full clip below. Tim O'Donnell

Welcome to NATO High.

In the latest Saturday Night Live cold open, the NBC show parodied the hot mic situation from last week's NATO conference, in which several world leaders appeared to be gossiping about President Trump. Paul Rudd, Jimmy Fallon, and James Corden joined the sketch as French President Emmanuel Macron, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, and U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson. Rudd's Macron and Fallon's Trudeau are clearly the cool kids at the NATO conference, and they've decided to let Corden's Johnson tag along with them during lunch (though it sounds like they mostly want him to help them throw a party at Buckingham Palace.)

Meanwhile, Alec Baldwin returned as Trump, who — along with a tray filled with several cheeseburgers — tries to snag a seat at the table, but is continuously rejected by the trio, who eventually give their fourth seat to a shocked Angela Merkel (portrayed by Kate McKinnon). Baldwin's Trump is especally stung by Corden's Johnson, who he thought was his friend. After Baldwin's Trump gets fed up with his fellow leaders' antics, Cecily Strong's first lady Melania Trump dropped by with a message about bullying. Watch the full skit below. Tim O'Donnell

There's a fine line between parody and reality sometimes.

In the latest cold open, NBC's Saturday Night Live mocked President Trump's impeachment inquiry, depicting it as a soap opera titled Days of Our Impeachment (an obvious play on long-running soap Days of Our Lives.)

As cast member Alex Moffat's House Intelligence Committee Chair Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) and Mikey Day's angry Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) settled in to question former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch, portrayed by Cecily Strong, about her knowledge of the Trump administration's methods in Ukraine, the chambers were hit with a barrage of shocking guests, in true soap opera fashion.

Most notably, actor Jon Hamm made an appearance as acting Ambassador to Ukraine William Taylor. He was joined by Kate McKinnon's Rudy Giuliani, Maria Villaseñor's Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), and even Kenan Thompson's Myles Garrett. The skit gets more outlandish by the moment, leaving the room filled in feigned shock. Watch the full sketch below. Tim O'Donnell