Saturday Night Live (Season 31)
Encyclopedia
Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live is a live American late-night television sketch comedy and variety show developed by Lorne Michaels and Dick Ebersol. The show premiered on NBC on October 11, 1975, under the original title of NBC's Saturday Night.The show's sketches often parody contemporary American culture...

 aired its thirty-first season in the 2005-06 television season on NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...

. The season began on October 1, 2005, and ended on May 20, 2006 with 19 episodes in all. The season was cut one episode short due to the 2006 Winter Olympic Games. A 30th anniversary special for the show was planned, but the plan was scrapped due to budget cuts.

Before the start of the season, featured player Rob Riggle
Rob Riggle
Robert Allen "Rob" Riggle, Jr. is an American actor, comedian and United States Marine Corps officer. He is best known for his work as a correspondent on Comedy Central's The Daily Show from 2006–2008, as a cast member on Saturday Night Live from 2004–2005, and for his comedic roles in films such...

 was let go from the show. Finesse Mitchell
Finesse Mitchell
Alfred Langston "Finesse" Mitchell is an American actor, author and stand-up comedian. From 2003-2006, he was a cast member on Saturday Night Live. Mitchell has also appeared on such television shows as Showtime at the Apollo, BET's ComicView, Comedy Central Presents and NBC's Late Friday.-Life...

 and Kenan Thompson
Kenan Thompson
Kenan Thompson is an American actor and comedian. He is best known for his work as a cast member of NBC's long-running sketch comedy series Saturday Night Live...

 were both promoted to repertory status while Jason Sudeikis
Jason Sudeikis
Daniel Jason Sudeikis is an American actor and comedian currently starring as a cast member on Saturday Night Live.-Early life:Sudeikis was born Daniel Jason Sudeikis in Fairfax, Virginia, the son of Kathryn , a travel agent who was president of the American Society of Travel Agents, and Dan...

 remained a featured player.

The show then added three new cast members to the show. They included: Los Angeles-based sketch comedian Bill Hader
Bill Hader
William "Bill" Hader is an American actor, comedian, producer and writer. He is best known for his work as a creative consultant on the hit show South Park and as a cast member on Saturday Night Live and for his supporting roles in comedy films such as Superbad, Hot Rod, Tropic Thunder,...

, Andy Samberg
Andy Samberg
David Andrew "Andy" Samberg is an American actor, comedian, rapper and writer best known as a member of the comedy group The Lonely Island and as a cast member on Saturday Night Live...

 (the show also hired his two friends Akiva Schaffer
Akiva Schaffer
Akiva Schaffer is an American writer for Saturday Night Live, a film director, songwriter, and a member of The Lonely Island, a sketch-comedy troupe that first found success on the Internet, which includes SNL cast member Andy Samberg and SNL writer Jorma Taccone...

 and Jorma Taccone
Jorma Taccone
Jorma Christopher Taccone is an American comedy writer-actor-director. Taccone is one third of the sketch comedy troupe The Lonely Island along with childhood friends Andy Samberg and Akiva Schaffer...

 to the writing staff, all members of the The Lonely Island
The Lonely Island
The Lonely Island is an American comedy troupe composed of Akiva "Kiv" Schaffer, Jorma "Jorm" Taccone, and David Andrew "Andy" Samberg, best known for their comedic music. Originally from Berkeley, California, the group is currently based in New York City. The group broke out due to their...

 sketch group) and Kristen Wiig
Kristen Wiig
Kristen Carroll Wiig is an American film and television actress who currently appears as a cast member on Saturday Night Live. Wiig was a member of improvisational comedy troupe The Groundlings, and has appeared in several films and television series, including Bridesmaids, MacGruber, Flight of...

 of The Groundlings
The Groundlings
The Groundlings are an improvisational comedy troupe based in Los Angeles, California. The troupe was formed by Gary Austin in 1974 and uses an improv format influenced by Viola Spolin to produce sketches and improvised scenes...

. Wiig debuted on the show in November, in the episode hosted by Jason Lee
Jason Lee (actor)
Jason Michael Lee is an American actor and skateboarder known for his role as the title character on the NBC television series My Name is Earl, his portrayal of Syndrome in the film The Incredibles, his role as Dave Seville in the Alvin and the Chipmunks films, and his work with director Kevin...

. Samberg, Schaffer and Taccone would be a notable force for creating SNL Digital Shorts. One such short was "Lazy Sunday
Lazy Sunday
"Lazy Sunday" is a song and short video by American comedy troupe The Lonely Island, released on December 17, 2005, broadcast on Saturday Night Live as the second Digital Short...

"; after it aired during the Jack Black
Jack Black
Jack Black , is an American actor and musician, notably of Tenacious D.Jack Black may also refer to:* Jack Black , late 19th - early 20th Century author and hobo* Jack Black , drummer for 1970s UK punk band The Boys...

 episode it became an Internet phenomenon.

Tina Fey
Tina Fey
Elizabeth Stamatina "Tina" Fey is an American actress, comedian, writer and producer, known for her work on the NBC sketch comedy series Saturday Night Live , the NBC comedy series 30 Rock, and films such as Mean Girls and Baby Mama .Fey first broke into comedy as a featured player in the...

 and Maya Rudolph
Maya Rudolph
Maya Khabira Rudolph is an American actress, comedienne and singer known for her comedic roles as a cast member on Saturday Night Live from 2000 to 2007, and for appearing in films such as Away We Go, Bridesmaids, Grown Ups, A Prairie Home Companion and MacGruber...

 missed a few episodes in this season due to both of them being pregnant and on maternity leave. Fey's place on Weekend Update was briefly taken over by Horatio Sanz
Horatio Sanz
Horatio Sanz is a Chilean-born American actor and comedian best known as a cast member on Saturday Night Live from 1998-2006. Sanz most recently starred alongside his former SNL castmate Chris Parnell in the Comedy Central series Big Lake.-Early life:Sanz, the youngest of three sons, was born in...

 until her return in the episode hosted by Catherine Zeta-Jones
Catherine Zeta-Jones
Catherine Zeta-Jones, CBE, is a British actress. She began her career on stage at an early age. After starring in a number of United Kingdom and United States television films and small roles in films, she came to prominence with roles in Hollywood movies such as the 1998 action film The Mask of...

, making Sanz the first (and so far only) Hispanic Weekend Update anchor. Fey returned to the show before her maternity leave time was up. Maya Rudolph, however, appeared on the first episode of the new season, and then went on maternity leave and returned in February.

This season is also notable for the people who hosted the show. Julia Louis-Dreyfus
Julia Louis-Dreyfus
Julia Scarlett Elizabeth Louis-Dreyfus is an American actress and comedienne, widely known for her sitcom roles in Seinfeld and The New Adventures of Old Christine....

, an SNL cast member from 1982 to 1985 under Dick Ebersol, become the first former female cast member to come back and host the show (and also the third cast member from Seinfeld
Seinfeld
Seinfeld is an American television sitcom that originally aired on NBC from July 5, 1989, to May 14, 1998, lasting nine seasons, and is now in syndication. It was created by Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld, the latter starring as a fictionalized version of himself...

to host). This season is also known for the return of such frequent hosts as Alec Baldwin
Alec Baldwin
Alexander Rae "Alec" Baldwin III is an American actor who has appeared on film, stage, and television.Baldwin first gained recognition through television for his work in the soap opera Knots Landing in the role of Joshua Rush. He was a cast member for two seasons before his character was killed off...

 (who last hosted in season 29 with musical guest Missy Elliot in 2003), Tom Hanks
Tom Hanks
Thomas Jeffrey "Tom" Hanks is an American actor, producer, writer, and director. Hanks worked in television and family-friendly comedies, gaining wide notice in 1988's Big, before achieving success as a dramatic actor in several notable roles, including Andrew Beckett in Philadelphia, the title...

 (who last hosted the first episode of season 22 with musical guest Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers are an American rock band from Gainesville, Florida. They were formed in 1976 by Tom Petty , Mike Campbell , Benmont Tench , , Ron Blair and Stan Lynch...

 in 1996), and Steve Martin
Steve Martin
Stephen Glenn "Steve" Martin is an American actor, comedian, writer, playwright, producer, musician and composer....

 (who last hosted the first episode of the 20th season with musical guest, Eric Clapton
Eric Clapton
Eric Patrick Clapton, CBE, is an English guitarist and singer-songwriter. Clapton is the only three-time inductee to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: once as a solo artist, and separately as a member of The Yardbirds and Cream. Clapton has been referred to as one of the most important and...

 in 1994).

This season also became the first to broadcast the show in high-definition, after thirty years of broadcasting in analog.

This would also be the final season for cast members Rachel Dratch, Tina Fey, Finesse Mitchell, Chris Parnell and Horatio Sanz, as well as the last season for longtime director, Beth McCarthy-Miller
Beth McCarthy-Miller
Beth McCarthy or Beth McCarthy-Miller was the director of NBCs Saturday Night Live starting in 1995. She left SNL in 2006 at the end of season 31, replaced as director by Don Roy King...

. Dratch and Fey both left the show to focus on 30 Rock
30 Rock
30 Rock is an American television comedy series created by Tina Fey that airs on NBC. The series is loosely based on Fey's experiences as head writer for Saturday Night Live...

and McCarthy-Miller left the show on her own terms. Parnell, Mitchell, and Sanz, however, were let go after Lorne Michaels was given the choice to either cut back on episode production or get rid of long-standing and/or poor-performing cast members due to NBC budget cuts.

Cast

Repertory players
  • Fred Armisen
    Fred Armisen
    Fred Armisen is an American actor, comedian and musician best known for his work as a cast member on Saturday Night Live, and portraying off-color foreigners in various comedy films such as EuroTrip, Anchorman and Cop Out...

  • Rachel Dratch
    Rachel Dratch
    Rachel Susan Dratch is an American comic actress best known for her roles as a cast member of Saturday Night Live from 1999 to 2006.-Early life:...

  • Tina Fey
    Tina Fey
    Elizabeth Stamatina "Tina" Fey is an American actress, comedian, writer and producer, known for her work on the NBC sketch comedy series Saturday Night Live , the NBC comedy series 30 Rock, and films such as Mean Girls and Baby Mama .Fey first broke into comedy as a featured player in the...

  • Will Forte
    Will Forte
    Orville Willis Forte IV, better known as Will Forte , is an American actor, voice actor, comedian and writer best known as a cast member on Saturday Night Live from 2002–2010 and for starring in the SNL spin-off film MacGruber.-Early life:Forte was born in Alameda County, California, the son of...

  • Darrell Hammond
    Darrell Hammond
    Darrell Hammond is an American actor, stand-up comedian and impressionist. He was a regular on Saturday Night Live from 1995 until 2009, the longest tenure of any cast member. Upon his departure, Hammond, at age 53, was the oldest cast member in the show's history...

  • Seth Meyers
    Seth Meyers
    Seth Adam Meyers is an American actor and comedian. He currently serves as head writer for Saturday Night Live and hosts its news parody segment Weekend Update.-Early life:...

  • Finesse Mitchell
    Finesse Mitchell
    Alfred Langston "Finesse" Mitchell is an American actor, author and stand-up comedian. From 2003-2006, he was a cast member on Saturday Night Live. Mitchell has also appeared on such television shows as Showtime at the Apollo, BET's ComicView, Comedy Central Presents and NBC's Late Friday.-Life...

  • Chris Parnell
    Chris Parnell
    Thomas Christopher "Chris" Parnell is an American comic actor best known as a cast member on Saturday Night Live from 1998–2006 and currently for his recurring role as Dr. Leo Spaceman on NBC's Emmy Award-winning comedy series 30 Rock. Parnell also voices Cyril Figgis on the FX animated comedy...

  • Amy Poehler
    Amy Poehler
    Amy Meredith Poehler is an American comedian, actress and voice actress. She was a cast member on the NBC television entertainment show Saturday Night Live from 2001 to 2008. In 2004, she starred in the film Mean Girls with Tina Fey, with whom she worked again in Baby Mama in 2008. She is...

  • Maya Rudolph
    Maya Rudolph
    Maya Khabira Rudolph is an American actress, comedienne and singer known for her comedic roles as a cast member on Saturday Night Live from 2000 to 2007, and for appearing in films such as Away We Go, Bridesmaids, Grown Ups, A Prairie Home Companion and MacGruber...

  • Horatio Sanz
    Horatio Sanz
    Horatio Sanz is a Chilean-born American actor and comedian best known as a cast member on Saturday Night Live from 1998-2006. Sanz most recently starred alongside his former SNL castmate Chris Parnell in the Comedy Central series Big Lake.-Early life:Sanz, the youngest of three sons, was born in...

  • Kenan Thompson
    Kenan Thompson
    Kenan Thompson is an American actor and comedian. He is best known for his work as a cast member of NBC's long-running sketch comedy series Saturday Night Live...



Featured players
  • Bill Hader
    Bill Hader
    William "Bill" Hader is an American actor, comedian, producer and writer. He is best known for his work as a creative consultant on the hit show South Park and as a cast member on Saturday Night Live and for his supporting roles in comedy films such as Superbad, Hot Rod, Tropic Thunder,...

  • Andy Samberg
    Andy Samberg
    David Andrew "Andy" Samberg is an American actor, comedian, rapper and writer best known as a member of the comedy group The Lonely Island and as a cast member on Saturday Night Live...

  • Jason Sudeikis
    Jason Sudeikis
    Daniel Jason Sudeikis is an American actor and comedian currently starring as a cast member on Saturday Night Live.-Early life:Sudeikis was born Daniel Jason Sudeikis in Fairfax, Virginia, the son of Kathryn , a travel agent who was president of the American Society of Travel Agents, and Dan...

  • Kristen Wiig
    Kristen Wiig
    Kristen Carroll Wiig is an American film and television actress who currently appears as a cast member on Saturday Night Live. Wiig was a member of improvisational comedy troupe The Groundlings, and has appeared in several films and television series, including Bridesmaids, MacGruber, Flight of...

      (first episode: November 12, 2005)

bold denotes Weekend Update anchor

Listings

  • October 1, 2005: Steve Carell
    Steve Carell
    Steven John "Steve" Carell is an American comedian, actor, voice artist, producer, writer, and director. Although Carell is notable for his role on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, he found greater fame in the late 2000s for playing Michael Scott on The Office...

    /Kanye West
    Kanye West
    Kanye Omari West is an American rapper, singer, and record producer. West first rose to fame as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records, where he eventually achieved recognition for his work on Jay-Z's album The Blueprint, as well as hit singles for musical artists including Alicia Keys, Ludacris, and...

    (31.1, live)

  • October 8, 2005: Jon Heder
    Jon Heder
    Jonathan Joseph "Jon" Heder is an American screenwriter, actor, and filmmaker. His feature film debut came in 2004 as the title character of the comedy film Napoleon Dynamite...

    /Ashlee Simpson
    Ashlee Simpson
    Ashlee Nicole Simpson is an American singer and actress. In 2004, she rose to prominence with the success of her number-one debut album Autobiography and the reality series, The Ashlee Simpson Show. In October 2005, following a North American concert tour and a film appearance, Simpson released...

    (31.2, live)

  • October 15, 2005: The Best of David Spade (special, new)
  • October 22, 2005: Catherine Zeta-Jones
    Catherine Zeta-Jones
    Catherine Zeta-Jones, CBE, is a British actress. She began her career on stage at an early age. After starring in a number of United Kingdom and United States television films and small roles in films, she came to prominence with roles in Hollywood movies such as the 1998 action film The Mask of...

    /Franz Ferdinand
    Franz Ferdinand (band)
    Franz Ferdinand are a Scottish post-punk revival band formed in Glasgow in 2002. The band is composed of Alex Kapranos , Bob Hardy , Nick McCarthy , and Paul Thomson .The band first experienced chart success when their second single, "Take Me Out", reached #3 in...

    (31.3, live)

  • October 29, 2005: Lance Armstrong
    Lance Armstrong
    Lance Edward Armstrong is an American former professional road racing cyclist who won the Tour de France a record seven consecutive times, after having survived testicular cancer. He is also the founder and chairman of the Lance Armstrong Foundation for cancer research and support...

    /Sheryl Crow
    Sheryl Crow
    Sheryl Suzanne Crow is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, musician, and actress. Her music incorporates elements of rock, folk, hip hop, country and pop...

    (31.4, live)

  • November 5, 2005: The Best of SNL Commercial Parodies (special, new)
  • November 12, 2005: Jason Lee
    Jason Lee (actor)
    Jason Michael Lee is an American actor and skateboarder known for his role as the title character on the NBC television series My Name is Earl, his portrayal of Syndrome in the film The Incredibles, his role as Dave Seville in the Alvin and the Chipmunks films, and his work with director Kevin...

    /Foo Fighters
    Foo Fighters
    Foo Fighters is an American alternative rock band originally formed in 1994 by Nirvana drummer Dave Grohl as a one-man project following the dissolution of his previous band. The band got its name from the UFOs and various aerial phenomena that were reported by Allied aircraft pilots in World War...

    (31.5, live)

  • November 19, 2005: Eva Longoria
    Eva Longoria
    Eva Jacqueline Longoria is an American actress, best known for portraying Gabrielle Solis on the ABC television series Desperate Housewives...

    /Korn
    Korn
    Korn is an American nu metal band from Bakersfield, California, formed in 1993. The current band line up includes four members: Jonathan Davis, James "Munky" Shaffer, Reginald "Fieldy" Arvizu, and Ray Luzier. The band was formed as an expansion of L.A.P.D.The band released their first demo album,...

    (31.6, live)

  • November 26, 2005: Steve Carell/Kanye West (31.1, repeat)
  • December 3, 2005: Dane Cook
    Dane Cook
    Dane Jeffrey Cook is an American stand-up comedian and film actor. He has released five comedy albums: Harmful If Swallowed; Retaliation; Vicious Circle; Rough Around The Edges: Live From Madison Square Garden; and Isolated Incident. In 2006, Retaliation became the highest charting comedy album...

    /James Blunt
    James Blunt
    James Hillier Blount , better known by his stage name James Blunt, is an English singer-songwriter and musician, and former army officer, whose debut album, Back to Bedlam and single releases, including "You're Beautiful" and "Goodbye My Lover", brought him to fame in 2005...

    (31.7, live)

  • December 10, 2005: Alec Baldwin
    Alec Baldwin
    Alexander Rae "Alec" Baldwin III is an American actor who has appeared on film, stage, and television.Baldwin first gained recognition through television for his work in the soap opera Knots Landing in the role of Joshua Rush. He was a cast member for two seasons before his character was killed off...

    /Shakira
    Shakira
    Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll , known professionally as Shakira , is a Colombian singer who emerged in the music scene of Colombia and Latin America in the early 1990s...

    (31.8, live)

  • December 17, 2005: Jack Black
    Jack Black
    Jack Black , is an American actor and musician, notably of Tenacious D.Jack Black may also refer to:* Jack Black , late 19th - early 20th Century author and hobo* Jack Black , drummer for 1970s UK punk band The Boys...

    /Neil Young
    Neil Young
    Neil Percival Young, OC, OM is a Canadian singer-songwriter who is widely regarded as one of the most influential musicians of his generation...

    (31.9, live)

  • December 24, 2005: pre-empted
  • December 31, 2005: Jon Heder/Ashlee Simpson (31.2, repeat)
  • January 7, 2006: Eva Longoria/Korn (31.6, repeat)
  • January 14, 2006: Scarlett Johansson
    Scarlett Johansson
    Scarlett Johansson is an American actress, model and singer.Johansson made her film debut in North and was later nominated for the Independent Spirit Award for Best Female Lead for her performance in Manny & Lo . She rose to further prominence with her roles in The Horse Whisperer and Ghost World...

    /Death Cab For Cutie
    Death Cab for Cutie
    Death Cab for Cutie is an American alternative rock band formed in Bellingham, Washington in 1997. The band consists of Ben Gibbard , Chris Walla , Nick Harmer and Jason McGerr ....

    (31.10, live)

  • January 21, 2006: Peter Sarsgaard
    Peter Sarsgaard
    John Peter Sarsgaard is an American film and stage actor. He landed his first feature role in the movie Dead Man Walking in 1995. He then appeared in the 1998 independent films Another Day in Paradise and Desert Blue. That same year, Sarsgaard received a substantial role in The Man in the Iron...

    /The Strokes
    The Strokes
    The Strokes are an American indie rock band formed in 1999 in New York City. Consisting of Julian Casablancas , Nick Valensi , Albert Hammond, Jr. , Nikolai Fraiture and Fabrizio Moretti ....

    (31.11, live)

  • January 28, 2006: Dane Cook/James Blunt (31.7, repeat)
  • February 4, 2006: Steve Martin
    Steve Martin
    Stephen Glenn "Steve" Martin is an American actor, comedian, writer, playwright, producer, musician and composer....

    /Prince
    Prince (musician)
    Prince Rogers Nelson , often known simply as Prince, is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and actor. Prince has produced ten platinum albums and thirty Top 40 singles during his career. Prince founded his own recording studio and label; writing, self-producing and playing most, or all, of...

    (31.12, live)

  • February 11, 2006: pre-empted for Winter Olympics
  • February 18, 2006: pre-empted for Winter Olympics
  • February 25, 2006: pre-empted for Winter Olympics
  • March 4, 2006: Natalie Portman
    Natalie Portman
    Natalie Hershlag , better known by her stage name Natalie Portman, is an actress with dual American and Israeli citizenship. Her first role was as an orphan taken in by a hitman in the 1994 French action film Léon, but major success came when she was cast as Padmé Amidala in the Star Wars prequel...

    /Fall Out Boy
    Fall Out Boy
    Fall Out Boy is an American rock band from Wilmette, Illinois, formed in 2001. The band consists of vocalist, guitarist and composer Patrick Stump, bassist and lyricist Pete Wentz, guitarist Joe Trohman, and drummer Andy Hurley. The band released five studio albums from 2003–2008...

    (31.13, live)

  • March 11, 2006: Matt Dillon
    Matt Dillon
    Matthew Raymond "Matt" Dillon is an American actor and film director. He began acting in the late 1970s, gaining fame as a teenage idol during the 1980s.- Early life :...

    /Arctic Monkeys
    Arctic Monkeys
    Arctic Monkeys are an English indie rock band. Formed in 2002 in High Green, a suburb of Sheffield, the band currently consists of Alex Turner , Jamie Cook , Nick O'Malley and Matt Helders...

    (31.14, live)

  • March 18, 2006: Alec Baldwin/Shakira (31.8, repeat)
  • March 25, 2006: Steve Martin/Prince (31.12, repeat)
  • April 1, 2006: Scarlett Johansson/Death Cab For Cutie (31.10, repeat)
  • April 8, 2006: Antonio Banderas
    Antonio Banderas
    José Antonio Domínguez Banderas , better known as Antonio Banderas, is a Spanish film actor, film director, film producer and singer...

    /Mary J. Blige
    Mary J. Blige
    Mary Jane Blige is an American singer-songwriter, record producer and occasional actress. She is a recipient of nine Grammy Awards and four American Music Awards, and has recorded eight multi-platinum albums. She is the only artist with Grammy Award wins in Pop, Rap, Gospel, and R&B. Blige has...

    (31.15, live)

  • April 15, 2006: Lindsay Lohan
    Lindsay Lohan
    Lindsay Lohan is an American actress, pop singer and model. She began her career as a child fashion model before making her motion picture debut in Disney's 1998 remake of The Parent Trap at the age of 11...

    /Pearl Jam
    Pearl Jam
    Pearl Jam is an American rock band that formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1990. Since its inception, the band's line-up has included Eddie Vedder , Jeff Ament , Stone Gossard , and Mike McCready...

    (31.16, live)

  • April 22, 2006: Natalie Portman/Fall Out Boy (31.13, repeat)
  • April 29, 2006: The Best of Saturday TV Funhouse (special, new)
  • May 6, 2006: Tom Hanks
    Tom Hanks
    Thomas Jeffrey "Tom" Hanks is an American actor, producer, writer, and director. Hanks worked in television and family-friendly comedies, gaining wide notice in 1988's Big, before achieving success as a dramatic actor in several notable roles, including Andrew Beckett in Philadelphia, the title...

    /Red Hot Chili Peppers
    Red Hot Chili Peppers
    Red Hot Chili Peppers is an American rock band, formed in Los Angeles in 1983. The group's musical style primarily consists of rock with an emphasis on funk, as well as elements from other genres such as punk, hip hop and psychedelic rock...

    (31.17, live)

  • May 13, 2006: Julia Louis-Dreyfus
    Julia Louis-Dreyfus
    Julia Scarlett Elizabeth Louis-Dreyfus is an American actress and comedienne, widely known for her sitcom roles in Seinfeld and The New Adventures of Old Christine....

    /Paul Simon
    Paul Simon
    Paul Frederic Simon is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist.Simon is best known for his success, beginning in 1965, as part of the duo Simon & Garfunkel, with musical partner Art Garfunkel. Simon wrote most of the pair's songs, including three that reached number one on the US singles...

    (31.18, live)

  • May 20, 2006: Kevin Spacey
    Kevin Spacey
    Kevin Spacey, CBE is an American actor, director, screenwriter, producer, and crooner. He grew up in California, and began his career as a stage actor during the 1980s, before being cast in supporting roles in film and television...

    /Nelly Furtado
    Nelly Furtado
    Nelly Kim Furtado is a Canadian singer-songwriter, record producer and actress. Furtado grew up in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.Furtado first gained fame with her debut album, Whoa, Nelly!, and its single "I'm Like a Bird", which won a 2001 Juno Award for Single of the Year and a 2002 Grammy...

    (31.19, live)

  • May 27, 2006: Catherine Zeta-Jones/Franz Ferdinand (31.3, repeat)
  • June 3, 2006: Lindsay Lohan/Pearl Jam (31.16, repeat)
  • June 10, 2006: Jack Black/Neil Young (31.9, repeat)
  • June 17, 2006: Dane Cook/James Blunt (31.7, repeat)
  • June 24, 2006: Kevin Spacey/Nelly Furtado (31.19, repeat)
  • July 1, 2006: Lance Armstrong/Sheryl Crow (31.4, repeat)
  • July 8, 2006: Best of Saturday TV Funhouse (special, repeat)
  • July 15, 2006: Matt Dillon/Arctic Monkeys (31.14, repeat)
  • July 22, 2006: Jason Lee/Foo Fighters (31.5, repeat)
  • July 29, 2006: Steve Carell/Kanye West (31.1, repeat)
  • August 5, 2006: Natalie Portman/Fall Out Boy (31.13, repeat)
  • August 12, 2006: Peter Sarsgaard/The Strokes (31.11, repeat)
  • August 19, 2006: Alec Baldwin/Shakira (31.8, repeat)
  • August 26, 2006: Antonio Banderas/Mary J. Blige (31.15, repeat)
  • September 2, 2006: Jack Black/Neil Young (31.9, repeat)
  • September 9, 2006: Julia Louis-Dreyfus/Paul Simon (31.18, repeat)
  • September 16, 2006: Tom Hanks/Red Hot Chili Peppers (31.17, repeat)
  • September 23, 2006: Steve Martin/Prince (31.12, repeat)

Prime-time airings

November 13, 2005: 9:00 SNL in the '80s: Lost & Found (special, new)

Specials

Special Name Original Air Date Notes
The Best of David Spade October 15, 2005
  • The special featured some of the best material featuring David Spade during his stint on the show.
  • Sketches include: "Dick Clark's Receptionist", "Gap Girls", "Total Bastard Airlines", "Spade in America", "Stewart Release", "Salon", "Stunt Double", Sean Penn's Celebrity Roast", "Peer Pressure at Valley High", "Dirtball and Burnout Convention", "Karl's Video", "NCI Long Distance", "The Road to Self-Improvement", and "Hollywood Minute."
The Best of SNL Commercial Parodies November 5, 2005
  • The special featured some of the best commercial parodies featured on the show.
  • Lost & Found: SNL in the '80s November 13, 2005
  • Topics of the special include: the Jean Doumanian era as one of SNLs many critical and ratings low points, the cancellation, retooling, and reviving of SNL courtesy of Dick Ebersol and Doumanian-era stand-outs Eddie Murphy and Joe Piscopo, Eddie Murphy and Joe Piscopo emerging as the driving force behind Ebersol's 1981-1984 seasons, Ebersol picking a new cast for season 10 after the departure of Eddie Murphy and Joe Piscopo, Lorne Michaels returning to the show and hiring a young cast of semi-famous actors and actresses and the harsh critical response from that decision leading to yet another threat of cancellation, and the second golden age of SNL with season 11 survivors Nora Dunn, Al Franken, Jon Lovitz, A. Whitney Brown, and Dennis Miller and new cast members Dana Carvey, Phil Hartman, Victoria Jackson, Jan Hooks, Kevin Nealon, and Mike Myers.
  • James Belushi
    James Belushi
    James Adam "Jim" Belushi is an American actor, comedian, and musician. He is the younger brother of comic actor John Belushi.-Early life:Belushi was born in Chicago...

    , A. Whitney Brown
    A. Whitney Brown
    Alan Whitney Brown is an Emmy Award-winning writer and comedian probably best known for his recurring appearances on Saturday Night Live in the 1980s opposite Dennis Miller in a biting satirical...

    , Dana Carvey
    Dana Carvey
    Dana Thomas Carvey is an American actor and stand-up comedian, best known for his work as a cast member on Saturday Night Live and for playing the role of Garth in the Wayne's World movies.-Early life:...

    , Billy Crystal
    Billy Crystal
    William Edward "Billy" Crystal is an American actor, writer, producer, comedian and film director. He gained prominence in the 1970s for playing Jodie Dallas on the ABC sitcom Soap and became a Hollywood film star during the late 1980s and 1990s, appearing in the critical and box office successes...

    , Denny Dillon
    Denny Dillon
    Denise "Denny" Dillon is an American comedian and former cast member of Saturday Night Live. At 4'11" , Dillon is the shortest cast member in the show's history...

    , Robin Duke
    Robin Duke
    Robin Duke is a Canadian actress and comedian. Duke is most famous for her work on the NBC comedy series Saturday Night Live. In the 2000s, Women Fully Clothed, a sketch comedy troupe which she co-founded, toured Canada...

    , Nora Dunn
    Nora Dunn
    Nora Eloise Dunn is an American actress and comedian, perhaps best known for her work on NBC's Saturday Night Live.-Early life:...

    , Dick Ebersol
    Dick Ebersol
    Duncan "Dick" Ebersol is an American television executive and a senior adviser for . He had previously been the chairman of NBC Sports, producing large scale television events such as the Olympic Games and National Football League broadcasts....

    , Al Franken
    Al Franken
    Alan Stuart "Al" Franken is the junior United States Senator from Minnesota. He is a member of the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party, which affiliates with the national Democratic Party....

    , Gilbert Gottfried
    Gilbert Gottfried
    Gilbert Gottfried is an American actor, voice actor and stand-up comedian, best known for his trademark comedic persona of speaking in a loud, grating tone of voice. He has played numerous roles in film and television, perhaps most notably voicing the parrot Iago in Disney's Aladdin , and...

    , Mary Gross
    Mary Gross
    Mary Gross is an American comedian and actress, perhaps best known for her four-year stint on Saturday Night Live from 1981 to 1985. Her credits also include minor roles on Animaniacs, Boston Legal and Sabrina, the Teenage Witch...

    , Victoria Jackson
    Victoria Jackson
    Victoria Jackson is an American comedian, actress, satirist and singer best known as a cast member of the NBC television sketch comedy series Saturday Night Live from 1986 to 1992....

    , Tim Kazurinsky
    Tim Kazurinsky
    Timothy J. Kazurinsky is an American actor, comedian and writer best known as a cast member on Saturday Night Live and for his role as Carl Sweetchuck in the Police Academy films...

    , Gary Kroeger
    Gary Kroeger
    Gary Kroeger is an American actor best known for his work on Saturday Night Live from 1982 to 1985.Born in Cedar Falls, Iowa, Kroeger attended Northern University High School and graduated from Northwestern University in 1981. He joined the cast of Saturday Night Live during Lorne Michaels' hiatus...

    , Neil Levy, Julia Louis-Dreyfus
    Julia Louis-Dreyfus
    Julia Scarlett Elizabeth Louis-Dreyfus is an American actress and comedienne, widely known for her sitcom roles in Seinfeld and The New Adventures of Old Christine....

    , Jon Lovitz
    Jon Lovitz
    Jonathan "Jon" Lovitz is an American comedian, actor, and singer. He is best known as a cast member of the NBC sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live from 1985 to 1990.-Early life:...

    , Gail Matthius
    Gail Matthius
    Gail Matthius is an American actress and voice actress. She was a cast member of NBC's Saturday Night Live during its critical and ratings low point at the time , and co-anchored the Weekend Update segment with Charles Rocket in 1981.-Recurring characters:*Vicki, a Valley girl who,...

    , Lorne Michaels
    Lorne Michaels
    Lorne Michaels, CM is a Canadian-American television producer, writer, and comedian best known for creating and producing Saturday Night Live and producing the various film and TV projects that spun off from it.-Early life:...

    , Kevin Nealon
    Kevin Nealon
    Kevin Nealon is an American actor and comedian, best known as a cast member on Saturday Night Live from 1986 to 1995, acting in several of the Happy Madison films, for playing Doug Wilson on the Showtime series Weeds, and providing the voice of the title character, Glenn Martin on Glenn Martin,...

    , Conan O'Brien
    Conan O'Brien
    Conan Christopher O'Brien is an American television host, comedian, writer, producer and performer. Since November 2010 he has hosted Conan, a late-night talk show that airs on the American cable television station TBS....

    , Joe Piscopo
    Joe Piscopo
    Joseph Charles John "Joe" Piscopo is an American comedian and actor best known for his work on Saturday Night Live.-Early life:...

    , Martin Short
    Martin Short
    Martin Hayter Short, CM is a Canadian actor, comedian, writer, singer and producer. He is best-known for his comedy work, particularly on the TV programs SCTV and Saturday Night Live...

    , Robert Smigel
    Robert Smigel
    Robert Smigel is an American actor, humorist, comedian and writer known for his Saturday Night Live "TV Funhouse" cartoon shorts and as the puppeteer and voice behind Triumph, the Insult Comic Dog.-Early life:...

    , Terry Sweeney
    Terry Sweeney
    Terry Sweeney is an American writer, comedian and actor.-Saturday Night Live:Sweeney is best known for his appearances as a regular cast member of Saturday Night Live during that program's 1985-86 season....

     and Bob Tischler gave insight in the special
  • The Best of TV Funhouse April 29, 2006
  • The special featured some of the best TV Funhouse material featured on the show.
  • The special was hosted by The Ambiguously Gay Duo, Ace and Gary, making it the first time that cartoon characters have hosted SNL.
  • Jimmy Fallon cameos near the end of the show.
  • Sketches include: "The Ambiguously Gay Duo", "The All-New Adventures of Mr. T", "Fun With Real Audio", "E! Cartoons' The Smurfette Show", "The X-Presidents", "The Religetables" (DVD version only), and the banned sketch "Conspiracy Theory Rock" (DVD version only).

  • Episodes

    Episode Number Air Date: Host(s) Musical Guest(s) Remarks
    586 (31.1) October 1, 2005 Steve Carell
    Steve Carell
    Steven John "Steve" Carell is an American comedian, actor, voice artist, producer, writer, and director. Although Carell is notable for his role on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, he found greater fame in the late 2000s for playing Michael Scott on The Office...

    Kanye West
    Kanye West
    Kanye Omari West is an American rapper, singer, and record producer. West first rose to fame as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records, where he eventually achieved recognition for his work on Jay-Z's album The Blueprint, as well as hit singles for musical artists including Alicia Keys, Ludacris, and...

    • Tina Fey did not appear due to her pregnancy.
    • Former cast member Mike Myers made a special appearance spoofing Myers and West's joint appearance in "A Concert for Hurricane Relief
      A Concert for Hurricane Relief
      A Concert for Hurricane Relief was an hour-long, celebrity-driven benefit concert broadcast live. Sponsored by the NBC Universal Television Group, its purpose was to raise money, relief, and awareness in response to the loss of life and human suffering that resulted from Hurricane Katrina in five...

      ".
    • Bill Hader and Andy Samberg's first episode as cast members.
    • Kanye West performs a medley of "Gold Digger
      Gold Digger
      "Gold Digger" is a song recorded by American rapper Kanye West featuring guest vocals by Jamie Foxx. Released as the second single from West's second album, Late Registration, "Gold Digger" peaked at number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 on September 6, 2005, becoming West's and Foxx's second...

      " and "Touch the Sky
      Touch the Sky
      "Touch the Sky" is a song by American hip hop artist Kanye West. It was released in early 2006 as the fourth single from his second album, Late Registration. The song features Chicago rapper Lupe Fiasco on his radio debut and was produced by Just Blaze, standing as the only song on the entire album...

      " in the first performance and Maroon 5
      Maroon 5
      Maroon 5 is an American pop rock band from Los Angeles, California. While they were in high school, lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Adam Levine, keyboardist Jesse Carmichael, bass guitarist Mickey Madden, and drummer Ryan Dusick formed a garage band called Kara's Flowers and released one album...

       singer Adam Levine
      Adam Levine
      Adam Noah Levine is an American singer-songwriter and musician, best known as the front man and guitarist for the pop rock band Maroon 5. He is also a coach on the American talent show The Voice.-Early life:...

       performs with West on "Heard 'Em Say
      Heard 'Em Say
      "Heard 'Em Say" is a song by American hip hop artist Kanye West. It was released on November 8, 2005 as the third single for his second studio album, Late Registration. The song features Maroon 5 lead vocalist Adam Levine, who sings its chorus and bridge. Co-produced by Jon Brion, the song contains...

      " during the 2nd performance.
    • This is the first SNL episode broadcast in high definition. The show is now letterboxed in widescreen on standard definition televisions.
    587 (31.2) October 8, 2005 Jon Heder
    Jon Heder
    Jonathan Joseph "Jon" Heder is an American screenwriter, actor, and filmmaker. His feature film debut came in 2004 as the title character of the comedy film Napoleon Dynamite...

    Ashlee Simpson
    Ashlee Simpson
    Ashlee Nicole Simpson is an American singer and actress. In 2004, she rose to prominence with the success of her number-one debut album Autobiography and the reality series, The Ashlee Simpson Show. In October 2005, following a North American concert tour and a film appearance, Simpson released...

  • With this episode, Rachel Dratch becomes SNL's longest-serving female castmember, surpassing Ana Gasteyer
    Ana Gasteyer
    Ana Kristina Gasteyer is an American actress of stage, film, and television. She is best known for her comedic roles when she was a cast member on Saturday Night Live from 1996 to 2002.-Early life:...

    .
  • Chris Parnell does not appear in this episode as he was in Los Angeles filming an episode of his failed sitcom pilot Thick and Thin. He is cut out of the opening montage to reflect this.
  • Tina Fey did not appear again.
  • Ashlee Simpson performed "Catch Me When I Fall" and "Boyfriend.
  • 588 (31.3) October 22, 2005 Catherine Zeta-Jones
    Catherine Zeta-Jones
    Catherine Zeta-Jones, CBE, is a British actress. She began her career on stage at an early age. After starring in a number of United Kingdom and United States television films and small roles in films, she came to prominence with roles in Hollywood movies such as the 1998 action film The Mask of...

    Franz Ferdinand
    Franz Ferdinand (band)
    Franz Ferdinand are a Scottish post-punk revival band formed in Glasgow in 2002. The band is composed of Alex Kapranos , Bob Hardy , Nick McCarthy , and Paul Thomson .The band first experienced chart success when their second single, "Take Me Out", reached #3 in...

  • Tina Fey returned after giving birth to her daughter.
  • At the end of Weekend Update, a still photo of former Jean Doumanian
    Jean Doumanian
    Jean Doumanian is an American producer.Doumanian is probably most well known for her short reign as producer of Saturday Night Live between November 1980 and March 1981...

    -era cast member and Weekend Update anchor Charles Rocket
    Charles Rocket
    Charles Rocket was an American film and television actor, notable for his tenure as a cast member on Saturday Night Live as well as for his appearances as the villain Nicholas Andre in the film Dumb and Dumber; as Dave Dennison, the father in Disney's Hocus Pocus.-Early life and career:Rocket was...

    , who had committed suicide the week before this episode premiered, is shown in his memory. The NBC and E! reruns of this episode cut out the appearance of Charles Rocket's photo.
  • Chris Parnell does not appear again due to filming "Thick and Thin." He is once again cut out of the opening montage.
  • Franz Ferdinand performs "Do You Want To
    Do You Want To
    "Do You Want To" is the lead single for Franz Ferdinand's second album, You Could Have It So Much Better. It was released 19 September 2005 and charted at number four in the UK Singles Chart . The video, directed by Diane Martel, was released on August 23 and was played every hour on MTV2 on the...

    " and "Take Me Out
    Take Me Out (song)
    "Take Me Out" is a song by the Scottish band Franz Ferdinand. It was released as the second single from their debut album Franz Ferdinand in the United Kingdom on the 12 January 2004 and in the United State on 9 February, both through Domino Records...

    ."
  • 589 (31.4) October 29, 2005 Lance Armstrong
    Lance Armstrong
    Lance Edward Armstrong is an American former professional road racing cyclist who won the Tour de France a record seven consecutive times, after having survived testicular cancer. He is also the founder and chairman of the Lance Armstrong Foundation for cancer research and support...

    Sheryl Crow
    Sheryl Crow
    Sheryl Suzanne Crow is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, musician, and actress. Her music incorporates elements of rock, folk, hip hop, country and pop...

  • Chicago White Sox outfielder Scott Podsednik made a guest appearance on Weekend Update shortly after his team swept the Houston Astros in the 2005 World Series.
  • The musical guest, Sheryl Crow, Armstrong's then-fiancé, made an appearance in the monologue and in two sketches in addition to her two performances.
  • Sheryl Crow performed "Good Is Good
    Good Is Good
    "Good Is Good" is a song by American singer-songwriter Sheryl Crow, and is featured on her 2005 album, Wildflower. It was released as the first single from the album . The single was not commercially successful on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at #64 and staying there for two weeks...

    " and "Strong Enough
    Strong Enough (Sheryl Crow song)
    "Strong Enough" is a song by Sheryl Crow from the album Tuesday Night Music Club. The song reached #5 on the March 25, 1995 Billboard Hot 100 chart. Crow performed the song on her live album Sheryl Crow and Friends: Live from Central Park alongside the Dixie Chicks.-The song:"Strong Enough" is a...

    ."
  • 590 (31.5) November 12, 2005 Jason Lee
    Jason Lee (actor)
    Jason Michael Lee is an American actor and skateboarder known for his role as the title character on the NBC television series My Name is Earl, his portrayal of Syndrome in the film The Incredibles, his role as Dave Seville in the Alvin and the Chipmunks films, and his work with director Kevin...

    Foo Fighters
    Foo Fighters
    Foo Fighters is an American alternative rock band originally formed in 1994 by Nirvana drummer Dave Grohl as a one-man project following the dissolution of his previous band. The band got its name from the UFOs and various aerial phenomena that were reported by Allied aircraft pilots in World War...

  • The NBC rerun replaces a sketch about "butt pregnancy" with a musical sketch centering around workers singing over desserts in the office cafeteria.
  • Kristen Wiig's first episode as a cast member.
  • Foo Fighters perform "DOA
    DOA (song)
    -Video:The video for the single shows the band in a 360° revolving room and on a train where objects act as if the train is rotating. The band said that the video made them feel ill and they felt like wetting themselves. It was directed by Michael Palmieri....

    " and "Best of You
    Best of You
    "Best of You" is a song by American alternative rock band Foo Fighters, and the first single released from the band's fifth studio album, In Your Honor...

    "
  • This is the Foo Fighters 4th time appearing on SNL. Previously they had performed in 1995 (supporting their self titled debut), 1999 (supporting There Is Nothing Left to Lose), and 2002 (supporting One By One). On this appearance they supported their 5th album, In Your Honor. Even though Foo Fighters have only performed on the show 4 times, singer Dave Grohl has been featured as a musical guest 7 times: twice more with Nirvana, who performed on the show in 1992 and 1993, and again drumming with Tom Petty on a 1994 episode.
  • 591 (31.6) November 19, 2005 Eva Longoria
    Eva Longoria
    Eva Jacqueline Longoria is an American actress, best known for portraying Gabrielle Solis on the ABC television series Desperate Housewives...

    Korn
    Korn
    Korn is an American nu metal band from Bakersfield, California, formed in 1993. The current band line up includes four members: Jonathan Davis, James "Munky" Shaffer, Reginald "Fieldy" Arvizu, and Ray Luzier. The band was formed as an expansion of L.A.P.D.The band released their first demo album,...

  • Korn performed "Twisted Transistor
    Twisted Transistor
    "Twisted Transistor" is a song written and recorded by American nu metal band Korn and The Matrix for Korn's seventh studio album, See You on the Other Side...

    " and "Freak on a Leash
    Freak on a Leash
    "Freak on a Leash" is a song by the American nu metal band Korn, featured on the group's 1998 studio album Follow the Leader. Prior to the album's release, Korn had an instrumental section of the song, described as a "noisy guitar break." The section was taken out of the song after their fans...

    ."
  • 592 (31.7) December 3, 2005 Dane Cook
    Dane Cook
    Dane Jeffrey Cook is an American stand-up comedian and film actor. He has released five comedy albums: Harmful If Swallowed; Retaliation; Vicious Circle; Rough Around The Edges: Live From Madison Square Garden; and Isolated Incident. In 2006, Retaliation became the highest charting comedy album...

    James Blunt
    James Blunt
    James Hillier Blount , better known by his stage name James Blunt, is an English singer-songwriter and musician, and former army officer, whose debut album, Back to Bedlam and single releases, including "You're Beautiful" and "Goodbye My Lover", brought him to fame in 2005...

  • This is the third time the show opened with the entire cast yelling, "Live from New York, it's Saturday Night!" (the first time occurred on the Bill Murray/Delber McClinton episode of season 6 and the second time occurred on the Steve Martin/James Taylor episode of season 17).
  • James Blunt performed "You're Beautiful
    You're Beautiful
    "You're Beautiful" is a pop rock song co-written by British singer James Blunt, Sacha Skarbek, and Amanda Ghost for Blunt's debut album Back to Bedlam . It was released as the third single from the album in 2005. In the UK and Australia the song reached number one and number two respectively...

    " and "Goodbye My Lover
    Goodbye My Lover
    "Goodbye My Lover" is a pop rock song written by Sacha Skarbek for James Blunt's debut album Back to Bedlam. The song was produced by Tom Rothrock and Jimmy Hogarth and received a positive reception from music critics. It was released as the fourth single in November 2005 and reached the top ten in...

    ."
  • 593 (31.8) December 10, 2005 Alec Baldwin
    Alec Baldwin
    Alexander Rae "Alec" Baldwin III is an American actor who has appeared on film, stage, and television.Baldwin first gained recognition through television for his work in the soap opera Knots Landing in the role of Joshua Rush. He was a cast member for two seasons before his character was killed off...

    Shakira
    Shakira
    Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll , known professionally as Shakira , is a Colombian singer who emerged in the music scene of Colombia and Latin America in the early 1990s...

  • Tim Meadows made a guest appearance during the monologue.
  • Shakira performed "Don't Bother
    Don't Bother
    "Don't Bother" is the first single released from Shakira's second English language studio album, Oral Fixation Vol. 2 .-Song information:...

    " and "La Tortura
    La Tortura
    "" is a Latin pop-reggaeton song performed by singers Shakira and Alejandro Sanz. It was recorded for Shakira's sixth studio album , released on June 7, 2005...

    ", with Alejandro Sanz
    Alejandro Sanz
    Alejandro Sanz , is a Spanish singer-songwriter and musician. For his work, Sanz has won a total of fifteen Latin Grammy Awards and three Grammy Awards. He has won the Latin Grammy for Album of the Year three times, more than any other artist...

     singing in the latter track.
  • At the end of Weekend Update, Tina Fey shows a clip from a famous season one sketch, where Chevy Chase and then-host Richard Pryor
    Richard Pryor
    Richard Franklin Lennox Thomas Pryor was an American stand-up comedian, actor, social critic, writer and MC. Pryor was known for uncompromising examinations of racism and topical contemporary issues, which employed colorful vulgarities, and profanity, as well as racial epithets...

     get into a word association that leads to the use of racial epithets, commemorating Pryor's death on the show's original airdate.
  • 594 (31.9) December 17, 2005 Jack Black
    Jack Black
    Jack Black , is an American actor and musician, notably of Tenacious D.Jack Black may also refer to:* Jack Black , late 19th - early 20th Century author and hobo* Jack Black , drummer for 1970s UK punk band The Boys...

    Neil Young
    Neil Young
    Neil Percival Young, OC, OM is a Canadian singer-songwriter who is widely regarded as one of the most influential musicians of his generation...

  • The Digital Short in this episode, Lazy Sunday, soon became a cult phenomenon through its exposure on the Internet.
  • Neil Young performed "It's a Dream" and "He Was the King;" Young also makes an appearance in the Appalachian Emergency Room sketch, which also features a cameo from Johnny Knoxville.
  • Tracy Morgan makes a cameo appearance during Weekend Update.
  • Jack Black's Tenacious D partner Kyle Gass makes a cameo appearance during the spelling bee skit.
  • The sketch "Space War 2148" is actually a sketch reused from cast member Andy Samberg's unsold TV pilot Awesometown. Samberg reprises his role; Black takes the role played by Jorma Taccone.
  • Darlene Love
    Darlene Love
    Darlene Love is an American popular music singer and actress. She gained prominence in the 1960s for the song "He's a Rebel," a #1 American single in 1962, and was part of the Phil Spector stable that produced a celebrated Christmas album in 1963....

     performed "White Christmas" with the SNL Band. She had provided vocals for TV Funhouse cartoon "Christmastime For The Jews". which aired right before this performance.
  • 595 (31.10) January 14, 2006 Scarlett Johansson
    Scarlett Johansson
    Scarlett Johansson is an American actress, model and singer.Johansson made her film debut in North and was later nominated for the Independent Spirit Award for Best Female Lead for her performance in Manny & Lo . She rose to further prominence with her roles in The Horse Whisperer and Ghost World...

    Death Cab for Cutie
    Death Cab for Cutie
    Death Cab for Cutie is an American alternative rock band formed in Bellingham, Washington in 1997. The band consists of Ben Gibbard , Chris Walla , Nick Harmer and Jason McGerr ....

  • An excerpt from the night's TV Funhouse called "The 700 Gang" was retooled into the cold opening (after a Hardball sketch was cut from dress rehearsal), making it the first (and only) time that an animated sketch is used for a cold opening (not counting the Best of TV Funhouse special). Robert Smigel
    Robert Smigel
    Robert Smigel is an American actor, humorist, comedian and writer known for his Saturday Night Live "TV Funhouse" cartoon shorts and as the puppeteer and voice behind Triumph, the Insult Comic Dog.-Early life:...

     (creator of the cartoons) apparently went into a recording booth between dress and air and recorded some more lines to stretch the piece out, he also recorded the opening "Live from New York" phrase that was spoken by Pat Robertson at the top of the show. This is his first and only time saying the phrase.
  • Death Cab For Cutie performed "Soul Meets Body
    Soul Meets Body
    "Soul Meets Body" is a single by Washington-based indie rock band Death Cab for Cutie, released October 10, 2005. It was the first single from the group's 2005 album Plans, their first collaboration with Atlantic Records. It is the group's highest charting single in the United States. The song...

    " and "Crooked Teeth
    Crooked Teeth
    "Crooked Teeth" is the second single released by the band Death Cab for Cutie on Atlantic Records. It features the single "Crooked Teeth" and two B-side tracks. "Talking Like Turnstiles" is a B-side from their 2005 album Plans...

    "
  • 596 (31.11) January 21, 2006 Peter Sarsgaard
    Peter Sarsgaard
    John Peter Sarsgaard is an American film and stage actor. He landed his first feature role in the movie Dead Man Walking in 1995. He then appeared in the 1998 independent films Another Day in Paradise and Desert Blue. That same year, Sarsgaard received a substantial role in The Man in the Iron...

    The Strokes
    The Strokes
    The Strokes are an American indie rock band formed in 1999 in New York City. Consisting of Julian Casablancas , Nick Valensi , Albert Hammond, Jr. , Nikolai Fraiture and Fabrizio Moretti ....

  • Drew Barrymore made a special appearance in the Weekend Update segment.
  • There was a sketch where Sarsgaard plays a weary traveler in a hotel room with an HDTV set that plays a constantly looping video of a woman, played by Rachel Dratch, informing guests of the hotel's amenities is marred by technical glitches.
  • On the NBC rerun of this episode, during the "Cat Fancy Journalist Gets Fired" sketch, when Peter Sarsgaard's character tells Seth Meyers' character to save his outrageous stories for "Parrot Companion Quarterly", a caption appears at the bottom of the screen that reads, "Parrot Companion Quarterly is a real magazine".
  • The Strokes performed "Juicebox
    Juicebox (song)
    "Juicebox" is a song by the American rock band The Strokes. It is the second track and first single from The Strokes' third album, First Impressions of Earth, released in the US in October 2005...

    " and "You Only Live Once
    You Only Live Once (song)
    "You Only Live Once" is the opening track and third single from First Impressions of Earth, the third album from American rock band The Strokes...

    ."
  • 597 (31.12) February 4, 2006 Steve Martin
    Steve Martin
    Stephen Glenn "Steve" Martin is an American actor, comedian, writer, playwright, producer, musician and composer....

    Prince
    Prince (musician)
    Prince Rogers Nelson , often known simply as Prince, is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and actor. Prince has produced ten platinum albums and thirty Top 40 singles during his career. Prince founded his own recording studio and label; writing, self-producing and playing most, or all, of...

  • Alec Baldwin, and Jimmy Fallon cameo in the live show; Baldwin, Kelly Ripa, Scarlett Johansson, Conan O'Brien, Brian Williams and Gideon Yago all appear in filmed segments.
  • The 2nd digital short entitled "The Tangent" was filmed during the week of the Scarlett Johannson episode, but it was cut after dress rehearsal.
  • With this episode, Prince becomes the first musical guest with the longest gap between appearances (24 years, 11 months and 15 days; Prince's first appearance was on the season six episode hosted by Charlene Tilton
    Charlene Tilton
    Charlene L. Tilton is an American actress and singer. She is best known for playing Lucy Ewing in the television series Dallas.-Career:...

     back on February 21, 1981). He also appeared in September 1989 on the SNL 15th Anniversary special, however technically the special isn't part of the regular SNL series. Prince's record would later be broken by both Elton John and Leon Russell in season 36 (Elton John's has a 29-year gap between appearances [from 1982 as the musical guest for the season seven episode hosted by Johnny Cash to his dual role as host and musical guest in 2011; Leon Russell has a 35-year gap between his appearance on the 1976 episode hosted by Dyan Cannon and his role as co-musical guest for Elton John also in 2011])
  • Prince performed "Fury
    Fury (song)
    "Fury" is a song by Prince, from his 2006 album 3121. The single was debuted live on Saturday Night Live on February 4, 2006. It was also part of Prince's four song set at the 2006 BRIT Awards....

    " collaborated with Támar
    Támar
    Támar is an American R&B singer who came to prominence through the artist, Prince. She sang the co-lead vocals on his Grammy-nominated song "Beautiful, Loved and Blessed" from his 2006 album, 3121 and on backup vocals throughout the album...

     to perform his second song, "Beautiful, Loved and Blessed".
  • This episode was the highest rated episode of the season, drawing 9.3 million viewers.
  • Both the host (Martin) and musical guest (Prince) for this episode were originally supposed to headline the first episode of SNL's 30th season (and both dropped out for personal reasons).
  • With this episode, Paula Pell (one of SNL's writers) returns to the show after her sitcom pilot "Thick & Thin" failed to get picked up and made into a series.
  • 598 (31.13) March 4, 2006 Natalie Portman
    Natalie Portman
    Natalie Hershlag , better known by her stage name Natalie Portman, is an actress with dual American and Israeli citizenship. Her first role was as an orphan taken in by a hitman in the 1994 French action film Léon, but major success came when she was cast as Padmé Amidala in the Star Wars prequel...

    Fall Out Boy
    Fall Out Boy
    Fall Out Boy is an American rock band from Wilmette, Illinois, formed in 2001. The band consists of vocalist, guitarist and composer Patrick Stump, bassist and lyricist Pete Wentz, guitarist Joe Trohman, and drummer Andy Hurley. The band released five studio albums from 2003–2008...

  • Dennis Haysbert made a live-action cameo during TV Funhouse.
  • Fall Out Boy performs "Dance, Dance
    Dance, Dance
    "Dance, Dance" is a song by American rock band Fall Out Boy and the second single from their third studio album, From Under the Cork Tree. Released in late 2005, in the United States it reached No. 9 on the Billboard Hot 100 in January 2006, becoming the band's second consecutive top 10 hit single....

    " and "Sugar, We're Goin Down
    Sugar, We're Goin Down
    "Sugar, We're Goin Down" is a song by American rock band Fall Out Boy, and the lead single from their third album, From Under the Cork Tree . With the music composed by lead vocalist and guitarist Patrick Stump and all lyrics penned by bassist Pete Wentz, the single reached No...

    ."
  • The digital short "Natalie Raps" that aired in this episode is featured on V for Vendetta
    V for Vendetta (film)
    V for Vendetta is a 2005 dystopian thriller film directed by James McTeigue and produced by Joel Silver and the Wachowski brothers, who also wrote the screenplay. It is an adaptation of the V for Vendetta comic book by Alan Moore and David Lloyd...

    DVD as an easter egg.
  • 599 (31.14) March 11, 2006 Matt Dillon
    Matt Dillon
    Matthew Raymond "Matt" Dillon is an American actor and film director. He began acting in the late 1970s, gaining fame as a teenage idol during the 1980s.- Early life :...

    Arctic Monkeys
    Arctic Monkeys
    Arctic Monkeys are an English indie rock band. Formed in 2002 in High Green, a suburb of Sheffield, the band currently consists of Alex Turner , Jamie Cook , Nick O'Malley and Matt Helders...

  • According to an interview with Seth Meyers, Matt Dillon did not show up for work until late Tuesday afternoon. This was probably due to Matt's attendance at the Oscars the past weekend.
  • Arctic Monkeys perform "I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor
    I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor
    -Charts:-External links:* Mapped on Platial....

    " and "A Certain Romance".
  • Lead singer Alex Turner stopped in the middle of the band's performance of "A Certain Romance" and, visibly frustrated with the audience reaction, pointed into the crowd and yelled "That man just yawned!" The band then destroyed their instruments after the performance.
  • 600 (31.15) April 8, 2006 Antonio Banderas
    Antonio Banderas
    José Antonio Domínguez Banderas , better known as Antonio Banderas, is a Spanish film actor, film director, film producer and singer...

    Mary J. Blige
    Mary J. Blige
    Mary Jane Blige is an American singer-songwriter, record producer and occasional actress. She is a recipient of nine Grammy Awards and four American Music Awards, and has recorded eight multi-platinum albums. She is the only artist with Grammy Award wins in Pop, Rap, Gospel, and R&B. Blige has...

  • Former cast member Chris Kattan makes a cameo during Weekend Update.
  • Antonio Banderas becomes a contest in a Deal Or No Deal sketch, where the rules to him were quite confusing.
  • Mary J. Blige performed "Be Without You
    Be Without You
    "Be Without You" is an R&B song written by American singer-songwriter Mary J. Blige, Johnta Austin, Bryan Michael Cox, and Jason Perry for Blige's seventh studio album The Breakthrough. It was released as the album's lead single in late 2005. It was produced by Cox and released as the album's first...

    " and "Enough Cryin
    Enough Cryin
    "Enough Cryin" is the third single from Mary J. Blige's seventh studio album, The Breakthrough . It features Brook Lynn, Blige's alter ego, who provides a rap segment on the song.-Song information:...

    ."
  • 601 (31.16) April 15, 2006 Lindsay Lohan
    Lindsay Lohan
    Lindsay Lohan is an American actress, pop singer and model. She began her career as a child fashion model before making her motion picture debut in Disney's 1998 remake of The Parent Trap at the age of 11...

    Pearl Jam
    Pearl Jam
    Pearl Jam is an American rock band that formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1990. Since its inception, the band's line-up has included Eddie Vedder , Jeff Ament , Stone Gossard , and Mike McCready...

  • Adult film star Savanna Samson makes an extra appearance in the TV Funhouse cartoon. The cameo wasn't seen on many affiliates.
  • Maya Rudolph and Horatio Sanz do not appear in this episode.
  • Pearl Jam performed "World Wide Suicide
    World Wide Suicide
    "World Wide Suicide" is a song by the American rock band Pearl Jam. Written by vocalist Eddie Vedder, "World Wide Suicide" was released through digital music stores on March 14, 2006 as the first single from the band's eighth studio album, Pearl Jam...

    " and "Severed Hand."
  • 602 (31.17) May 6, 2006 Tom Hanks
    Tom Hanks
    Thomas Jeffrey "Tom" Hanks is an American actor, producer, writer, and director. Hanks worked in television and family-friendly comedies, gaining wide notice in 1988's Big, before achieving success as a dramatic actor in several notable roles, including Andrew Beckett in Philadelphia, the title...

    Red Hot Chili Peppers
    Red Hot Chili Peppers
    Red Hot Chili Peppers is an American rock band, formed in Los Angeles in 1983. The group's musical style primarily consists of rock with an emphasis on funk, as well as elements from other genres such as punk, hip hop and psychedelic rock...

  • This episode earned a 3.4 rating, 14 share in 18-49 and 7.3 million viewers overall.
  • Seth Meyers does not appear in any sketches.
  • Red Hot Chili Peppers performed "Dani California
    Dani California
    "Dani California" is a single from the American rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers's ninth studio album, Stadium Arcadium. The single was first made available at the iTunes Music Store and then was officially released on May 2, 2006...

    " and "Give It Away."
  • Tom Hanks was originally asked to host the season finale but had prior engagements.
  • 603 (31.18) May 13, 2006 Julia Louis-Dreyfus
    Julia Louis-Dreyfus
    Julia Scarlett Elizabeth Louis-Dreyfus is an American actress and comedienne, widely known for her sitcom roles in Seinfeld and The New Adventures of Old Christine....

    Paul Simon
    Paul Simon
    Paul Frederic Simon is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist.Simon is best known for his success, beginning in 1965, as part of the duo Simon & Garfunkel, with musical partner Art Garfunkel. Simon wrote most of the pair's songs, including three that reached number one on the US singles...

  • With this episode, Julia Louis-Dreyfus becomes the first former female SNL castmember to come back and host an episode and the fourth castmember from the Dick Ebersol-produced episodes to host (joining Eddie Murphy, Billy Crystal, and Martin Short).
  • This episode garnered a 3.4 rating, 14 share in 18-49, and 8.0 million viewers overall.
  • Special cameos by Al Gore, Jason Alexander, and Jerry Seinfeld. Al Gore's cold opening was written by his daughter and former SNL staff writer Kristin Gore.
  • Al Gore made two appearances during this episode, first giving a cold opening showing an alternate universe under President Al Gore (where Osama bin Laden is caught and gas prices are at their lowest) and later appeared in the weekend update making a debate against Amy Poehler about global warming being bad (Al Gore) or good (Amy Poehler).
  • This episode marked Paul Simon's eighth appearance as musical guest on the show. He performed "How Can You Live in the Northeast?" and "Outrageous".
  • Paul Simon was asked to appear as a pedophile in the Myspace Seminar sketch but he declined.
  • 604 (31.19) May 20, 2006 Kevin Spacey
    Kevin Spacey
    Kevin Spacey, CBE is an American actor, director, screenwriter, producer, and crooner. He grew up in California, and began his career as a stage actor during the 1980s, before being cast in supporting roles in film and television...

    Nelly Furtado
    Nelly Furtado
    Nelly Kim Furtado is a Canadian singer-songwriter, record producer and actress. Furtado grew up in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.Furtado first gained fame with her debut album, Whoa, Nelly!, and its single "I'm Like a Bird", which won a 2001 Juno Award for Single of the Year and a 2002 Grammy...

  • Tina Fey, Chris Parnell, Rachel Dratch, Horatio Sanz, and Finesse Mitchell's final episode as cast members, and Beth McCarthy Miller's last episode as director. Dratch and Fey left the show while Parnell, Sanz, and Mitchell were let go.
  • Nelly Furtado performs "Promiscuous
    Promiscuous (song)
    "Promiscuous" is a dance-pop/R&B song by Canadian recording artist Nelly Furtado, from the album, Loose . It was written by Furtado, Timothy "Attitude" Clayton, Timbaland and Nate "Danja" Hills, with the latter pair handling production of the song...

    " and "Maneater
    Maneater (Nelly Furtado song)
    "Maneater" is a song written by Nelly Furtado, Timothy "Timbaland" Mosley, Jim Beanz and Nate "Danja" Hills for Furtado's third album, Loose . It was co-produced by Timbaland and Danja and includes influences of 1980s music by artists such as Eurythmics and Hall & Oates...

    ", with Timbaland
    Timbaland
    Timothy Zachery Mosley , better known by his stage name Timbaland, is an American record producer, songwriter and rapper....

    performing on the former.
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