SNL had always intended to take off the coming weekend in preparation for its final May shows, but given the tragic passing of music icon Prince, NBC will pay tribute to the late star with a special highlight of the artist’s musical performances.
You can’t have Julia Louis-Dreyfus host SNL without at least some reference to her Seinfeld past — especially when you bring Larry David back to reprise his role as presidential candidate Bernie Sanders. In this week’s debate-themed cold open, Sanders and Kate McKinnon’s Hillary Clinton indulge in their usual caricature shenanigans and cartoonish sparring, this time with cameos from a couple of beloved sitcoms of NBC’s past.
It’s been six years since Julia Louis-Dreyfus hosted SNL, but with her hilariously irreverent HBO series Veep entering its fifth season, it’s about time for the former cast member / Seinfeld star to make her return. After poking fun at her forgettable SNL tenure in the monologue, it’s unfortunate to see Louis-Dreyfus given so many forgettable characters in sketches that are mostly vanilla and that feel written for a target demographic made up entirely of suburban women with Activia dependencies. That said, the usual wacky antics of the last 15 minutes combined with the undeniable greatness of Louis-Dreyfus and the occasional moment of hilarity save this episode, taking it from a four up to a solid six.
Now that we’ve stumbled our way through the past weekend’s unremarkable Russell Crowe hour, SNL has a bright weekend ahead in returning former cast member Julia Louis-Dreyfus to the stage. The first official promos have arrived, as Julia remembers her classic SNL role … singular … as well as her hit HBO series, Beep.
Now that SNL has picked up steam in April after Game of Thrones star Peter Dinklage’s odd, but amusing guest turn, it’s Russell Crowe’s turn to flex his comedic chops. The first official promo has arrived with Crowe drinking (what else) alongside Leslie Jones, showing off just how “funny” he can be.
Just yesterday saw SNL springing into April with Game of Thrones star Peter Dinklage’s first promos, and April looks even more regal. Not only will Julia Louis-Dreyfus return to SNL to host an April hour, so too will Russell Crowe making his hosting debut.
SNL definitely stumbled a bit with Jonah Hill’s fourth hosting this past weekend, so might Ariana Grande prove March 2016's unlikely savior? The singer and Scream Queens star has her own promos with which to judge, and they … are definitely recorded promos.