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Saturday Night Live season 34

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The thirty-fourth season of the variety series Saturday Night Live began airing in 2008 and is expected to conclude in 2009 on NBC. The season is expected to consist of 22 episodes, in attempt to compensate for episodes lost during the 2007–2008 Writers Guild of America strike. This would make it the longest season since the show's second season.

The season began on September 13, 2008 on NBC, with Olympic swimming gold medalist Michael Phelps as host and Tina Fey appearing as Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin, alongside Amy Poehler as Hillary Clinton, and rapper Lil Wayne, as the musical guest. The show scored its highest-rated premiere since September 2001 and is the second most-watched SNL ever.[citation needed] The season premiere date of September 13 was earlier than the premiere date for previous seasons, which typically have started during the final weekend of September or in early October. However, a month later, the show drew its highest ratings in over 14 years when the real Sarah Palin appeared. SNL had 17 million viewers during its first half hour.[1]

Amy Poehler departed the series for four episodes during maternity leave beginning in the last week of October. Poehler is set to star in Parks and Recreation, a new show from the creators of The Office.[2] Previous to Poehler's departure, Bobby Moynihan (who, like Casey Wilson, was a member of the Upright Citizens Brigade stage troupe), joined the cast for the season premiere. Starting on November 15th, two new female castmembers were added: Michaela Watkins and Abby Elliott (daughter of former SNL one-seasoner Chris Elliott). [3].

Saturday Night Live Weekend Update Thursday

Saturday Night Live aired three special prime time half-hour episodes on Thursdays starting October 9. These specials, entitled Saturday Night Live Weekend Update Thursday, focused on the United States presidential election.[4]

The special "Presidential Bash '08" aired on November 3, the day before the general election in the United States.

Episode Number Original Air Date Notes
Episode 1 October 9, 2008
Episode 2 October 16, 2008
Episode 3 October 23, 2008

Cast

Repertory players
Featured players

Listings


Prime-Time Airings

  • November 1, 2008: Jon Hamm/Coldplay (34.6, repeat)
  • November 3, 2008: 2008 Presidential Bash (new special)
  • November 8, 2008: 2008 Presidential Bash (special, repeat)
  • November 15, 2008: Anna Faris/Duffy (34.3, repeat)
  • January 4, 2009: Sports Extra 2009 (new special)
  • March 1, 2009: SNL Short Films Special 2009 (new special)
  • March 8, 2009: SNL Goes Commercial 2009 (new special)

Episodes

Episode Number Date Host Musical Guest Remarks
637

(34.1)

September 13, 2008 Michael Phelps Lil Wayne
638 (34.2) September 20, 2008 James Franco Kings of Leon
639 (34.3) September 27, 2008 Anna Faris Duffy
640 (34.4) October 4, 2008 Anne Hathaway The Killers
  • This episode returns to the full widescreen frame format after the previous three episodes of center-cut framing. Despite no longer being 4x3 center-cut safe, many NBC affiliates are still downconverting the HD feed and center-cutting the program, rather than letterboxing as per NBC's guidelines, causing many framing irregularities for those stations' SD viewers.
  • Queen Latifah appeared as Gwen Ifill and Tina Fey returned as Sarah Palin in a parody of the Vice Presidential Debate.
  • The Killers performed "Human" and "Spaceman."
  • An edited version of the sketch parodying the economic bailout was posted on NBC.com, removing references to Herbert and Marion Sandler's (played by Darrell Hammond and Casey Wilson, respectively) corrupt activities and removing the graphic labeling the couple as "people who should be shot." Lorne Michaels admitted he did not know the Sandlers were a real couple, and that he believed they were simply characters written for the sketch. In the NBC rerun of this episode that aired on November 29, 2008, the entire part with Darrell Hammond and Casey Wilson as The Sandlers was cut, jumping from the part where Bill Hader and Anne Hathaway introduce their Juno-esque surrogate mother (Amy Poehler) to the part where Barney Frank (Fred Armisen) introduces George Soros (Will Forte). [11]
  • The NBC rerun also switches the "Mary Poppins" sketch (which originally aired after Weekend Update) with the "Dance Floor Showoffs" sketch (which originally aired after the "CSPAN Economic Bailout" sketch).
641

(34.5)

October 18, 2008 Josh Brolin Adele
642

(34.6)

October 25, 2008 Jon Hamm Coldplay
  • Former SNL cast member Maya Rudolph appeared as Michelle Obama and sang a parody of Frankie Valli's "Can't Take My Eyes Off You" with Kenan Thompson as a tribute to the absent Amy Poehler during Weekend Update. She also planned to reprise her role in Bronx Beat until Poehler was confirmed to not appear. [12]
  • Poehler did not appear in the live segments, as she gave birth to her son, Archie, earlier in the day, although she did appear in a prerecorded Mad Men sketch. Although she did not appear in the next three episodes, Poehler continued to be credited in the opening cast list. Seth Meyers did Weekend Update on his own.
  • Elizabeth Moss and John Slattery appeared as their Mad Men characters Peggy Olson and Roger Sterling, respectively.
  • Coldplay performed "Viva la Vida", "Lost!", "Yellow" and "Lovers in Japan", which was quickly cut off. At the end of "Yellow", Coldplay singer/guitarist Chris Martin shouted "Barack Obama!"
  • This episode was rerun slightly less than 7 days later, the following Saturday night in primetime on NBC, making it the shortest span of time between an episode's live and encore broadcasts.
643

(34.7)

November 1, 2008 Ben Affleck David Cook
  • John and Cindy McCain appeared as themselves and Tina Fey made her last appearance as Sarah Palin in the cold opening. She recently announced that now that the election is over, she is retiring her Palin impression.
  • McCain also appeared in Weekend Update.
  • Seth Meyers anchored Weekend Update by himself.
  • David Cook performed "Light On" and "Declaration."
644

(34.8)

November 15, 2008 Paul Rudd Beyoncé Knowles
645

(34.9)

November 22, 2008 Tim McGraw Ludacris

T-Pain

  • Ludacris and T-Pain performed "One More Drink and "Chopped & Skrewed."
  • Both Ludacris and T-Pain appeared in the "Blizzard Man Replaces T-Pain" sketch.
  • A sketch where Rahm Emanuel (played by Andy Samberg) chews out his critics with a profanity-laced tirade was scheduled to air on this episode, but was cut after dress rehearsal. It can now be viewed as a "Web Exclusive" video on NBC.com[3]
646

(34.10)

December 6, 2008 John Malkovich T.I.
647

(34.11)

December 13, 2008 Hugh Laurie Kanye West
648

(34.12)

January 10, 2009 Neil Patrick Harris Taylor Swift
649

(34.13)

January 17, 2009 Rosario Dawson Fleet Foxes
  • Fleet Foxes performed "Mykonos" and "Blue Ridge Mountains".
650

(34.14)

January 31, 2009 Steve Martin Jason Mraz
651

(34.15)

February 7, 2009 Bradley Cooper TV on the Radio
652

(34.16)

February 14, 2009 Alec Baldwin Jonas Brothers
Preceded by Saturday Night Live
Season 34 		Succeeded by

References

  1. ^ http://www.dfw.com/109/story/52015.html
  2. ^ Amy Poehler Confirms She Is Leaving Saturday Night Live - Film.com
  3. ^ Two Women Join SNL
  4. ^ UNew NBC Series: SNL Thursday Night Live - Fall 2008 - Blend Television
  5. ^ SNL Listings
  6. ^ Live from New York, It's Obama on SNL!
  7. ^ Obama tones it down as Hurricane Ike looms
  8. ^ Rain Check? Obama Nixes SNL Visit Due to Hurricane
  9. ^ SNL Transcripts
  10. ^ Diaz Plays 'Cougar' on TV Show
  11. ^ http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/tvguide/382363_tvgif8.html
  12. ^ [1]
  13. ^ [2]
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