Jimmy Fallon's first stint as an Saturday Night Live host meant many veteran SNL performers showed up for the last show of 2011. Rachel Dratch was Denise to Fallon's Sully in the cold open; Amy Poehler showed up, too; Chris Kattan, Tracy Morgan and a svelte Hortaio Sanz performed a song with Fallon; and, in the highlight, Fallon and his Weekend Update co-host Tina Fey had a joke-off with current Update host Seth Meyers and Poehler. more ›

Last night we ran into Amy Poehler—and her influence—at a party (where her friend Craig Wedren was performing an intimate set) in the East Village. The very same East Village that recently demanded the Upright Citizens Brigade Theater take down their scandalous "Hot Chicks Room" sign (inspired by this UCB skit). Now that Poehler has banished the sign to Governors Island as an act of goodwill towards the neighbors (very Leslie Knope of her!), what does she have to say about the whole debacle? Here's what she told us last night: more ›

Governor David Paterson was one of the many cameos on the 36th season premiere of Saturday Night Live. Former cast member Amy Poehler was the (terrific) host and her monologue included appearances from the four new cast members, Justin Timberlake, Tina Fey and Jimmy Fallon. You can click through for more videos of segments, but, as we expected, the highlight for us was the meeting of the Governor Paterson played by Fred Armisen—who joked he felt "a little neglected" since he wasn't running for governor, "I haven't felt this left out since Avatar"—and the real Governor Paterson, who mocked SNL and Albany, "Working in Albany is just like watching Saturday Night Live. There are a lot of characters. It’s funny for ten minutes, and then you just want it to be over." Also, "You have poked so much fun at me for being governor, that I forgot that I was black." more ›

The rollout of Eliot Spitzer 2.0 continued with an appearance on last night's Saturday Night Live. All right, so it may not have been the actual "Love Gov," who has been popping up recently on various talk shows. But even just having Bill Hader as Spitzer show up in a signature left field ending in this underage bar sketch last night felt like further confirmation that the former governor has returned to the conversation. more ›

If Fred Armisen plays any black politician, please let it be NY Governor David Paterson! His impression of our "accidental" governor debuted on Weekend Update last night and it absolutely killed. For reference, we've placed a photograph of Paterson above—compare it to the SNL bit below: more ›

"You thought I was gone, didn't you?" That was the opening line on last night's SNL as Amy Poehler proved reports wrong that she would be leaving the show following the delivery of her baby and the end of the election season. Seeing a svelte Poehler in the cold open as new Secretary of State Clinton as well as back in her Weekend Update chair was a welcome sight after the show had a rough last outing with previous host Tim McGraw. more ›

Williams has performed at the theater before at the ASSSSCAT 3000 show alongside more high-profile regulars like Poehler and other stars of SNL and 30 Rock who improvise every Sunday. But when he showed up last night at the theater, members of Bangs really had to improvise when they learned just before going on that he wished to join them on stage. The audience ate up what sounds like the sort of wildcard performance you'd expect from Williams and word from the team is that the star was nothing but friendly and gracious to them. more ›

Weekend Update, the longtime staple of Saturday Night Live that sends up the news stories of the week, began last night with a breaking exclusive of its own: co-anchor Amy Poehler had just given birth to a baby boy. Alongside husband Will Arnett, Poehler delivered her first child "Archie" early Saturday evening. Archie Arnett came in at 8 pounds, 1 ounce and both mother and child are reported to be in good health. Poehler was not expecting to miss last night's show and had been rehearsing up until Friday. Her delivery means in all likelihood that her final episode of SNL was last week, where Poehler got the opportunity to shine with a rap number alongside a dancing Sarah Palin on a night that scored the highest ratings for the show in fourteen years. more ›

After weeks of speculation and buildup, Sarah Palin finally appeared on Saturday Night Live last night, playing herself in two separate bits on the show. Despite the star power of the cold opening that on top of Palin and Tina Fey featured appearances from Mark Wahlberg and Alec Baldwin, the sketch fell a little flat when compared to the instant classics that Fey has been cranking out all fall. more ›

Last night Tina Fey reprised her role as Sarah Palin on Saturday Night Live, and with Amy Poehler as Katie Couric, they recreated the interview that aired on CBS last week. more ›

Last night's episode of Saturday Night Live is not likely to get people talking nearly as much as last week's heavily hyped season premiere that opened with Tina Fey as Sarah Palin. The McCain ticket was again the satirical target of the opening sketch with Darrell Hammond playing McCain as reluctant but desperate to go along with any and all untruthful claims about Barack Obama in his ads, including one that made Charles Barkley the butt of an SNL joke for the second straight week. more ›

Saturday Night Live has returned, and their season opener featured Tina Fey as Sarah Palin, a now-pregnant Amy Poehler reprising her role as Hillary Clinton, Lil' Wayne as musical guest and Michael Phelps as the host (who didn't take his shirt off during one sketch, not one!). more ›

Amy Poehler will be winding down her stint on Saturday Night Live, as she's been cast in the new Office-spinoff- not-spinoff (it's been variously described as a spinoff of the Office or another show from the same creative team, Variety now confirms it's not an extension of the show). Poehler said, "I can kind of confirm that I will be working in some capacity on that show. I don't really have any other details yet." According to the NY Times, Poehler, who does a mean Hillary Clinton impersonation on SNL, "will continue to perform on SNL through November or at least until her baby is born." It's been a big week for Poehler--she also received an Emmy nomination for best supporting comedy actress for her SNL work. more ›

Saturday Night Live sunk its claws into Governor Spitzer's meaty scandal. Bill Heder played Spitzer while Kristen Wiig was Silda Wall Spitzer in the cold open (video above). Heder didn't try to emulate Spitzer's extreme lip biting, but he did have a balding head and slightly maniacal gleam in his eyes. Wiig brought pursued lip frustrated restraint to the suffering spouse. more ›

In between campaign stops for March 4th primaries, Hillary Clinton put on a happy face about the recent Saturday Night Live skits that aired during the show's return last week, adding that "it's so nice to be a fashion icon at my age" (video here). Last night the SNL troupe was at it again with an opening skit that mirrored last week's. As Clinton (Amy Poehler) faced off with Obama (Fred Armisen), it became less clear who SNL might be supporting; their Fauxbama is pretty lifeless: more ›

Saturday Night Live is back! Wasting no time digging into primary season, the opening skit was a debate between Hillary and Barack, immediately answering the big question posed this week: who will be our Fauxbama? The answer: Fred Armisen! The Huffington Post raises the controversial points of this decision, given the previously-noted lack of minority players on the show (Armisen is not black - he's Venezuelan and Japanese - but has played Prince on SNL) and the whole "Is Obama black enough?" debate. As for the sketch itself, it was about the media's infatuation with Obama - and it even included Obama Girl! more ›

Less than two weeks after the writers' strike has come to an end, and sixteen weeks after the show went dark, Saturday Night Live makes its return this weekend. Everyone is checking in with the troupe to see what they missed most, and it's no surprise that it's been the chance to chime in on the primaries (Lorne Michaels called his show's absent voice, "dispiriting"); the NY Times notes the missed opportunities (ahem, Mitt Romney). more ›

• Today on the Gothamist Newsmap: a bank robbery on 20th Ave. and 37th St. in Queens, a hate crime on East 9th St. and Ave. H in Brooklyn, and a missing child on Decatur Ave. in the Bronx.
• Hyperactive performer Robin Williams is David Letterman's guest tonight, in his first new show in weeks. Letterman, as well as Craig Ferguson, have worked out pacts with the Writers Guild of America, allowing writers to come back. Jay Leno and Conan O'Brien are crossing picket lines to come back. Riffing on Robin Williams' routines are not as funny when hard to distinguish from KKK impersonations in the deep south.
• A Port Authority policeman in the department's K-9 unit was involved in an auto accident that killed the woman driving the other vehicle. The officer was hospitalized and his partner was taken to a veterinarian for treatment.
• A man with a hunting knife was arrested after entering and then exiting Hillary Clinton's Iowa campaign headquarters. There was no overt violent action, but local police described him as a local unpredictable character.

Saturday night viewers of NBC didn't get a new episode of Saturday Night Live, but 150 audience members at the UCB Theater did! Live and un-aired, the show was to help raise money for crew members affected by the strike. Amy Poehler, who organized the event, made this statement:"The Upright Citizens Brigade Theater is a second home to a lot of these performers and writers. We are doing this to raise spirits, raise awareness, and... more ›

First amNewYork outs the secret bars around town, and now the NY Post is revealing the up-until-now secret shows happening soon at UCB. The casts of 30 Rock and Saturday Night Live, both taking part in the WGA strike (as the actors are also writers), are bringing their shows to the stage. Each will perform new episodes live, in the small 150-seat theater -- 30 Rock on Monday the 19th and Saturday Night Live on... more ›

Last night, during the Brian Williams-hosted and Feist-soundtracked Saturday Night Live, the show opened with a scene from Chappaqua, New York. All of the Democrats were there to celebrate Halloween, and who was under the Barack Obama mask... ...but Barack himself! The rest of the democrats were all played by SNL cast members, though it would have been interesting to have seen them all playing themselves. As a sidenote: Brian Williams did a pretty good... more ›

, it's always a joy to see Bateman on screen, and he does some hilarious work as the obnoxious, wheelchair bound Ex. You want to punch him in his ascot-wearing face nearly every time he's on screen, and that's quite a feat for a guy who most recently played such a winning TV lead. In addition to Bateman nearly every other supporting part is filled by a solid comedic performer like Rudd, Charles Grodin, Donal Logue, Fred Armisen, Amy Poehler and Amy Adams. Each of them take totally throw away moments and sell them with such comedic sincerity. Also the plot line about career woman Sofia trying to adjust to being a stay-at-home mom is done with welcome deftness. It'd be great to see Peet in even more roles like this where her sensitivity and likability can shine through. Producers Ted Hope, Anne Carey and Anthony Bergman (ie. former nurturers of directors like Ang Lee, Nicole Holofcener and Michel Gondry) obviously understood that even though screenwriters David Guion and Michael Handelman as well as Jesse Peretz are just starting out in the biz, they all have the goods. more ›

Blades of Glory (directed by Will Speck and Josh Gordon): "Will Ferrell the Serious Actor" is a good thing, but oh how we adore "Will Ferrell the Clown." The off-kilter mannerisms, the flamboyant costumes and the tendency to flash his hairy belly for cheap laughs are hallmarks of a great Will Ferrell movie and they're all there in his newest, the figure skating spoof Blades of Glory. Ferrell plays Chazz Michael Michaels, otherwise known as "sex on skates," who ties the single men's skating world championships with the effete, former child prodigy, Jimmy MacElroy (Jon Heder). The two rival skaters get into a tussle on the podium and get tossed out of skating for good. However, a loophole pointed out by Jimmy's stalker persuades Chazz and Jimmy to get back on the ice, this time as the first men's skating pair. The premise is slight to say the least, but all the better for giving screen time to mercilessly mocking the over-the-top world of skating. Practically every skating great either has a cameo (see Ferrell ogling Nancy Kerrigan's butt) or a reference in the script (we learn Oksana Baiul is as cold in bed as she is on the ice). Plus the film is filled with instantly quotable supporting performances. more ›

The divorce proceedings of a bubblegum-snapping Britney Spears were spoofed on Saturday Night Live (video - click the one of Amy Poehler in a blunt cut wig) last night. While we can only wish that Kevin Federline had opened up a club just for pit bulls - which failed because, you know, pit bulls don't have money - it turns out that Britney might not be that dumb given her pre-nup. The NY Post, by way of Britain's Daily Mail, says the pre-nup gives $300,000 to KFed.

The 60-page prenup, prepared by her legal team - headed by hotshot Hollywood matrimonial attorney Laura Wasser - protects a net worth estimated at the time to be in the range of $100 million. more ›

With Tina Fey gone from the writers' staff to primetimier pastures and Chris Parnell, Horatio Sanz and Finesse Mitchell axed from the staff, people were wondering how this season of Saturday Night Live would stack up. And while articles calling it "Saturday Night Dead" are a mainstay every fall, Gothamist wasn't very confident given that the host would be Dane Cook, who already hosted not even a year ago! Here's our thoughts about the season premiere: more ›

you make sure another resident of your building doesn't think you're a mugger), offices (do you invite your coworker to your wedding), cellphone and iPod usage, friendships (if you make more money, except to give the nicer gifts), dining out (if the food is bad, it's not the waiter's fault, so you still need to tip!) and awkward family situations ("Hey, my kid is kicked out of school!"), it's all about how to navigate through various situations with grace and aplomb that would still make many titter about you behind your back. Of course, our favorite section centered around the ways of subways and cabs; certain subway stock character were analyzed like this:

THE DOORMAN more ›

Well, the big day has come and gone, but not without leaving us with some impressive stats (feel free to help us out in the comments with better stats and info!): more ›

of making" because, hey, it's a $30,000 dress. But this week's issue has a story about missing Pabst Blue Ribbon in Brooklyn - something for the very struggling masses - as well as a story making a deal with a grandma to have her help out with the deposit on a Brooklyn brownstone - who wouldn't agree to have a baby quickly and live with your grandmother for a hunk of Park Slope real estae? And then there is New York's "Cultural Elite" section, where they name their favorite New Yorkers and various entertainment offerings in TV, music, movies, etc. - which is amusing to see, if only to learn that TV critic John Leonard loves Mary Louise Parker a hell of a lot and that Jack White is good theater. So, next week, we expect not to relate so much. more ›

With just two new episodes so far this season, the NY Post wonders if Saturday Night Live is really dead. It's a good, if evergreen question. Horatio Sanz is certainly no Tina Fey during Weekend Update, though Gothamist has been impressed he's been able to hold it together this long. With Maya Rudoph's pregnancy, it seems like most sketches with a female character involve Amy Poehler (who rules, but maybe she needs a break). There are always dark periods of SNL (the years after the original cast left and before Eddie Murphy arrived; after Mike Myers, Adam Sandler, Chris Rock, and David Spade left), but it's still TiVo worthy, if not stay-at-home on a Saturday night. There's always a chance there's a watercooler moment in a broadcast, and that's what keeps people watching. Gothamist hopes there will be a sketch with this week's host, Catherine Zeta-Jones, that either involves overeating or being married to a jowly old man. more ›