SNL

Everyone has an opinion of Saturday Night Live. Is it funny? Is it not funny? What did the president elect tweet about it?

But the fact that everyone only focuses on the content of SNL is a real testament to its production. People hardly notice the time and effort that goes into putting together a sketch. All they care about is whether or not they made us laugh.

via Saturday Night Live

To shine a spotlight on the production, though, Saturday Night Live released a video showcasing the two-and-a-half minute changeover, from cold open sketch to monologue, and it’s pretty impressive.

Maybe think of this next time you say that SNL isn’t funny anymore. Or don’t, honestly, just because the show’s hard to make doesn’t mean you have to like it.

It’s starting to look like SNL has a little of the Trump Regret that’s been going around.

And to make up for having him host last year, the sketch show has been really sticking it to that reality TV game show host who won the presidency last month.

This week in the on-going saga of Alec Baldwin’s Donald Trump, he gets a Christmas gift from Russian President Vladimir Putin, who was just hiding in the walls. Can you guess what it is? Do you want to take a peek in someone else’s email to see? That can be arranged…

Anyway, this is just one of the few Christmas themed sketches this week on SNL, including an updated version of Run-DMC’s “Christmas in Hollis” and Hillary Clinton showing some “Love, Actually” to some electors.

via SNL

via SNL

The election ends tomorrow, which means that late night TV is about to get a whole lot more boring (unless of course you're really in watching Channing Tatum play Twister — in which case, it’s about to become a whole lot more exciting). But that doesn’t mean we can’t have one final, hardy guffaw at the moments that defined these truly terrible and awful eight months.

Saturday Night Live closed out the election season with an awe-inspiring final debate between Kate McKinnon's Hillary Clinton and Alec Baldwin's Donald Trump, but what of the other great moments of this election cycle, the sketches and segments that kept up sane this past year?

From Jon Oliver’s blistering new nickname for Donald Trump to SNL's instant-classic “Black Jeopardy,” Wired has catalogued the best late night TV comedy of the year. Fall in love all over again with Jon Stewart popping in on Colbert and Jimmy Fallon tussling Donald Trump’s hair. We won’t believe it happened when it’s over, so revel in it all today. Check out Wired’s timeline of the sketches that defined the election here.

And to that we say, so long, Election 2016, you brought out the worst in all of us, and we’re happy to see you go.

via GIPHY

Peter Dinklage (AKA Tyrion from Game of Thrones) hosted SNL over the weekend. "Space Pants" was pretty good, but his best skit had to be this spoof of Naked & Afraid with Leslie Jones. 

Ariana Grande showed off her singing and impression skills performing the songs of other popular singers in this sketch. She is also making headlines for uttering profanity during her monologue. 

This isn't the first time she's shown off her amazing skill for impersonation. She was also very convincing in an appearance on the Tonight Show:

Since Beyoncé dropped her newest single, 'Formation', people have been engaged in debate.  A lot of people have been complaining that Beyoncé's references to Black history and culture in her song, video and Super Bowl halftime show didn't belong in such a 'family friendly' broadcast like Super Bowl 50. Supporters of the song have pointed out that Beyoncé is, in fact, Black. As this Saturday Night Live sketch points out, it's not really that shocking that a Black woman would make reference to who she is and her heritage in her music. It's actually pretty silly to make such a big deal about it. 

For reference, you can watch the 'Formation' video to see what all the fuss is about:

Bernie Sanders also made a much awaited appearance in a sketch with Larry David as well. 

Republicans are about to be pissed. Poehler and Fey take all the rumors surrounding Hillary Clinton (email related jests galore), and compile the mess into one absurd, comical stereotype.

Fey's Palin spends much of the skit hung up on '08, and all the fun she had running for office. She carries on with a nice little monologue: "Oh gee, I should be the one giving you advice because in 2008 I got a heck of a lot closer to the White House than this gal did," the Palin character said. "So here's my advice: you gotta do what you believe in your spirit, but also America, but not teachers and their fat liberal books, but also and even why worry about fast food wages with their status quo — which is another Latin word, status quo — meanwhile Americans are being taken for a ride and also the man can only ride you when your back is bent, so."

Be at rest, Internet. Your favorite democratic socialist candidate just got the best person ever to impersonate them on SNL.

Seinfeld co-creator and Curb Your Enthusiasm star Larry Davis appeared on the show this weekend and totally nailed his Bernie Sanders impression.

The email moment from the Democratic debate was almost a perfect match.

The email moment: Bernie Sanders vs. Larry David on SNL (Vine by @IJDOTCOM) https://t.co/JSay2Ts5O5

— Alejandro Alaluf (@aalaluf) October 18, 2015

There's no denying it, Larry David was born to be Bernie Sanders.

Tracy Morgan is back in action!

After a devastating car crash back in June 2014 that killed comedian James McNair and seriously injured Morgan, the SNL legend is finally making his way back to 30 Rock to host the show.

Morgan, who has brought classic SNL characters to life like Brian Fellows and Astronaut Jones, joined Bobby Moynihan in his promo videos and brought some serious funny.

In true Tracy Morgan fashion, he promised to get everyone pregnant.

Morgan will host SNL on October 17 with musical guest Demi Lovato.

It finally happened.

One brave (or stumped) Jeopardy contestant got Alex Trebek to say "Turd Ferguson" during Sept. 16's final round.

This is one for the ages folks.

Of course, she got the idea from none other than Burt Reynolds and his mastery of comedic timing and poise.

"It's a funny name."

You can watch that whole classic Saturday Night Live skit here:

After suffering a life-threatening car crash in June of 2014, Tracy Morgan will return to television by hosting Saturday Night LIve Oct. 17.

Last year, a truck driver, who had been awake for 28 hours crashed into Morgan's limo, killing James McNair and leaving Morgan with a very serious brain injury.

His recovery has been a long process and it has remained unknown when he would return to comedy, as he repeatedly said he wish to do. That is until Saturday Night Live tweeted out the first few hosts for the next season of the show Aug. 17:

We're excited to announce our first three hosts of Season 41: @MileyCyrus, @amyschumer, and @RealTracyMorgan! #SNL pic.twitter.com/cVOrHZKPBk

— Saturday Night Live (@nbcsnl) August 17, 2015

The comedy community around Tracy Morgan has continued to be very supportive through his recovery. Longtime co-worker Tina Fey even said she would hold a role for him on her new Netflix show Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt.

To prepare for Morgan's return, how about rewatching one of his great SNL skits:

Matt Lauer probably wishes he could "misremember" this moment from the 40th Anniversary of SNL on Sunday.

During his the red carpet portion of the night, Lauer and co-host Savannah Guthrie were having a quick, lighthearted chat with Jim Carrey and Tina Fey about their memories from the show.

Then things got awkward.

"Can I ask you a question, you guys?" Carrey asked. "Where are you hiding Brian Williams? Where is he?"

Williams was temporarily suspended this past week from hosting the "NBC Nightly News" after he was caught lying about being shot down in a helicopter during the Iraq war… among other things.

"I just want to say something in his defense," he added, while Fey silently stood next to him. "If the helicopter in front of me gets hit, I'm taking the story."

But Carey wasn't the only one to bring up the elephant in the room.

Jerry Seinfeld mocked the news anchor in his bit later on in the night.

"You know there are so many things about 'Saturday Night Live' that people don't know," he said. "Like for example, I just found out that one of the original cast members in 1975 was Brian Williams. I didn't — I don't know if that's true. But I never heard that. It doesn't sound true. It might not be, it might not be."

The "Star Wars Episode VII" trailer has already been parodied every which way imaginable, but "Saturday Night Live" shared its own take on it past weekend.

The new film will bring back original cast members Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford and Carrie Fisher… only with a few more wrinkles.

Albert Einstein gave Marie Curie advice on how to deal with trolls in newly discovered letters [Vox]

As if you needed another reason to be afraid of flying: potential midair collisions with toy drones. [BBC]

The latest Frankenfood battling the battle to end obesity: Dorito-covered, stuff crust pizza. Mmmm… [LA Times]

More NFL players protest on the field - this time wearing "I Can't Breathe" shirts for Eric Garner [The Guardian]

The "father of video games," Ralph Baer, has died at 92. [The Verge]

You can grow your very own James Franco, thanks to this super weird "Saturday Night Live" sketch. [SNL]