“At Saturday Night Live, thank you to Lorne Michaels for rerouting my destiny; Marci Klein for discovering me; Tina Fey for making me look better at sketch comedy than I really am; Mary Ellen Matthews for the awesome cover photo; Dana Edelson for photo research; Kenny Aymong; Steve Higgins; Mike Shoemaker; Katreese Barnes; Louis Zakarian; Jodi Mancuso; Lindsay Shookus; Bettie Rogers; Will Ferrell; Tracy Morgan; Gena Rositano; and both Jimmy Fallon and Maya Rudolph for holding my baby so much.”

• Acknowledgments in Darrell Hammond’s God, If You’re Not Up There, I’m Fucked. If you still haven’t gotten your hands on a copy of this book, treat yo’ self.

Pre-order Rachel Dratch’s book, Girl Walks Into A Bar: Comedy Calamities, Dating Disasters and a Midlife Miracle, on Amazon. It drops April 26th 2012.

Will Forte appears on The Mortified Sessions

This may be of interest to some of you guys!

The Sundance Channel is airing a new series, The Mortified Sessions, featuring celebrities share embarrassing stories from their childhoods. The show airs each Monday at 8PM on The Sundance Channel and this upcoming Monday's episode will feature beloved SNL alum Will Forte and Dirty Dancing star Jennifer Grey.

Each episode lasts thirty minutes and is presented by David Nadelberg, who guides the celebrities down memory lane and coaxes funny and embarrassing childhood anecdotes from them. 

Not to be missed!

It was announced today that Jimmy Fallon will host the Christmas episode of Saturday Night Live with musical guest Michael Buble. Fallon had tweeted on Friday that an announcement regarding SNL was in the pipeline, prompting many to speculate that he would be hosting SNL this season. Fallon was a cast member on SNL between 1998 and 2004. This will mark his first time hosting the show. Buble previously appeared on the show during Season 35.

"Unfamiliar Fishes" audio extract featuring Fred Armisen, Bill Hader + Maya Rudolph (AUDIO)

As I posted last week, SNL cast members Bill Hader and Fred Armisen and SNL alum Maya Rudolph are among the stars that have lent their voices to the audiobook recording of Sarah Vowell's upcoming "Unfamiliar Fishes". I have embedded three clips from the audiobook featuring Hader, Rudolph and Armisen that should whet your appetite for what promises to be an informative and entertaining insight into a fascinating period of American history.
Don't forget that the Unfamiliar Fishes audiobook is available to pre-order on Amazon. Do yourselves a favour and get it ASAP.

Bill Hader :

  Unfamiliar Fishes - Bill Hader by amyfairycakes

Fred Armisen:

  UF Fred Armisen by user3938212

Maya Rudolph:

  UF Maya Rudolph by user7040079

SNL alum Will Forte books TV/movie gigs -

SNL alum Will Forte has booked a flurry of gigs in both television and film for the upcoming year. 

Firstly, he has signed on to voice characters in the upcoming Fox animated comedy Allen Gregory. Allen Gregory, produced by Jonah Hill, will also feature the vocal talents of Hill and French Stewart.

Meanwhile, Forte has also signed on to star in the Irish independent feature Run and Jump, written by Ailbhe Keogan and Steph Green. Green, who received an Academy Award nomination in 2009 for her short film “New Boy”, will also direct the feature which shoots on location in Ireland this May.

Finally, Forte is set to appear in Tim Heidecker and Eric Wareheim’s “Tim And Eric’s Billion Dollar Movie”, which, just yesterday, secured a distribution deal with Magnolia.

While not strictly SNL-related, I thought that this might be of interest to some of you guys. 

So, Tina Fey’s collection of essays “Bossypants” is released April 5. Right now on Amazon, you can pre-order the book for just $16.19 (recommended retail price - $26.99).
Pre-order here.

San Francisco Sketch Fest 2011

Every year, the folks who run the San Francisco Skech Fest book great acts, but this year they have outdone themselves - this year's line-up reads less like a typical comedy festival and more like a who's-who of comedy. Some of the special events include Inside Joke: Saturday Night Live: The Originals, which will feature conversations with original cast members Laraine Newman and Dan Aykroyd and writers Tom Davis and Don Novello, Airplane! Tribute to Jim Abrahams, David Zucker and Jerry Zucker, which will again feature an interview with the genius comedy team behind Airplane! and a conversation with legendary filmmaker James L. Brooks. 

Of other interest to readers of this blog willl be Celebrity Autobiography which will feature Will Forte, Ted and Melanie which will feature SNL featured player Paul Brittain performing alongside his improv partner Jet Eveleth, Upright Citizens Brigade ASSSSCAT Improv featuring SNL alum Tim Meadows as well as Matt Besser, Matt Walsh, Ian Roberts, Andrew Daly, Danielle Schneider and Joshua Malina and The Thrilling Adventure Hour which will feature Neil Patrick Harris, Alison Brie, Colin Hanks, Craig Cackowski, John DiMaggio, John Ennis, Danny Pudi, Samm Levine, Donal Logue, Hal Lublin, Annie Savage, Marc Evan Jackson and Mark Gagliardi.

But all that just skims the surface of what this year's SF Sketch Fest has to offer. Go on over to sfsketchfest.com to see the schedule and stellar line-up of performers and click here for info on ticketing.

The San Francisco Sketch Fest 2011 runs from January 13-February 5.

Will Forte on Conan

Newly departed SNL cast member Will Forte appeared on Conan O'Brien's eponymous TBS show last night. Forte appeared as TBS founder Ted Turner. In other Forte news, it was announced that he will guest star in the NBC comedy series Parks & Recreation next season as Kelly, a Twilight-loving resident of Pawnee. 

SNL Stars Attend Mark Twain Prize Event!

Many SNL stars were out for last night's 12th Annual Mark Twain Prize event which saw former SNL head writer and cast member Tina Fey honoured with the prestigious award. Seth Meyers, Fred Armisen and Amy Poehler were all at the event, while stars like Steve Carell, Jon Hamm, Steve Martin, Betty White, Jane Krakowski and Jimmy Fallion were also in attendance. Photos after the jump -

Here's the promo for next Monday's much-anticipated Women of SNL special. In addition, NBC have posted interviews with SNL alum Maya Rudolph and Cheri Oteri on their website. They can be viewed here and here respectively.

Tina Fey, Amy Poehler and Rachel Dratch headed to SNL for "Women of SNL" special | EW

"Saturday Night Live will air a two-hour tribute to its female cast members Nov. 1. “The Women of SNL” special will include clips (duh), but also new material from Rachel Dratch, Nora Dunn, Tina Fey, Ana Gasteyer, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Laraine Newman, Cheri Oteri, Amy Poehler, Maya Rudolph, Molly Shannon, and Kristen Wiig. Um, Jane Curtin and Julia Sweeney, call your agents!

This special is obviously a follow-up to last year’s hit Betty White episode, and who knows? Maybe the sustained interest in SNL‘s female performers will lead to there being more of them."

• Entertainment Weekly

Highlights of the SNL Panel at The New Yorker Festival | The New Yorker

"Here are a few highlights from David Remnick’s Sunday-afternoon panel with some (slightly groggy) cast members from “Saturday Night Live”:

Kristen Wiig on how she got the job: “Lorne and I made love…for three days.”

REALLY?!?

Andy Samberg on meeting Rahm Emanuel: “He was very nice. He made me sit at his desk. He made me. He was like, ‘Do you like how it feels?’”

REALLY?!?

Kenan Thompson on why Lorne’s actually a great guy at heart: “Some guy came up to him and gave him this whole story about how he was homeless. And Lorne gave him $100…. Keep in mind that’s all he had, was hundred-dollar bills.”

REALLY?!?

Jason Sudeikis on what he’d be doing if he wasn’t cast on “SNL”: “I think I’d be hosting ‘Chelsea Lately.’ ”

REALLY?!?

Fred Armisen on which of his characters is the most challenging: “It’s hard to wear the Prince shoes. They’re really pointy.”

REALLY?!?

Seth Meyers on manning the desk on Weekend Update: “Someone made a joke that the closest I’ve come to a catchphrase is, ‘I’m going to stop you there.’”

REALLY?!?"

Amy Poehler to host SNL premiere!

EW is reporting that SNL alum/Parks & Recreation star Amy Poehler will host the SNL season premiere September 25! Too excited to type! 


UPDATE - Katy Perry is musical guest!

Just a reminder that the Comedy Central series, "Big Lake" debuts tomorrow night (August 17)  with two episodes airing at 10.00/10.30PM. The series stars UCB regular Chris Gethard as well as two SNL alum, Chris Parnell and Horatio Sanz.  Don't forget to tune in!

Will Chevy Chase host SNL?

Came across this little tidbit at CliqueClack in which they asked SNL alum/Community star Chevy Chase at Comic-Con if he would be at all interested in hosting SNL. Here's what he had to say -

CliqueClack: Is there any chance you’d be a guest on SNL, now that you’re on Community?

Chevy Chase: I don’t know … I think Lorne [Michaels] is angry at me for some reason.

CligueClack: I thought I had heard something about that.

Chevy Chase: I don’t know why. I think it’s because I let Donald [Glover] into the room one night when we were watching something in Lorne’s office. (to Glover) Do you know why he’s angry?

Donald Glover: No. I don’t talk to him.

Chevy Chase: I think Lorne’s pissed at me. I’m not sure why. I’m really half kidding. I do like to go and watch the show and stuff. I did say once to Lorne, “Hey, now’s the time! I should be hosting! To promote my show.” And he sorta sneered. And then I realized, well, that’s because the other show, with Amy [Poehler] (Parks & Recreation)! Why would he promote mine? [Note: Later Chase said he meant Tina Fey, with 30 Rock.]

What do you think? Do you want to see Chevy Chase host?

Amy Poehler Gives Birth to Baby #2!

Muchos congratulations to SNL alum Amy Poehler and her husband Will Arnett who welcomed their second son Abel into the world this morning! 
I can't be the only one who wishes Archie was named Cain now, right?

ESPY Show (PHOTOS)

ESPY show photos featuring Seth Meyers, Andy Samberg, Will Forte, Jason Sudeikis, John Lutz, Tracy Morgan and Will Ferrell after the jump.

Horatio Sanz on Twitter

Beloved SNL alum Horatio Sanz is now on Twitter, guys. You can follow the star of the upcoming Comedy Central series Big Lake here.
Big Lake, which also stars SNL alum Chris Parnell, will debut on Comedy Central Tuesday August 3.

JB Smoove Shares Some of His Failed Pitches | HuffPost Comedy

Former SNL writer/Curb Your Enthusiasm star J.B Smoove, formerly known as the King of The Pitch Meeting shares some of his failed pitches from his tenure on the show. 
Watch the video here.