saturday night live

[Myxo]

Who is Will Ferrell? The answer to Saturday Night Live's host question for May 14.

The former Not Ready for Primetime Player--and dead-on Alex Trebek impersonator--will return to his old comedic stomping ground for the first time since he left three years ago to pursue what has become a blockbuster movie career.

With characters like Craig the Cheerleader, the cowbell-obsessed member of Blue Oyster Cult and schoolteacher Marty Culp, along with impressions of Robert Goulet, President George W. Bush, former Attorney General Janet Reno, Chicago Cubs sportscaster Harry Caray and Inside the Actors Studio host James Lipton, Ferrell shot to stardom during his seven-season stint on SNL.

After playing Dr. Evil's hapless henchman Mustaffa in the first two Austin Power films, Ferrell started focusing more on movies, finally leaving SNL when his contract expired in 2002.

Since then, Ferrell, 37, has become Hollywood's go-to funnyguy on the strength of hits like Elf, Anchorman and Old School.

He most recently appeared in Woody Allen's Melinda and Melinda, which opened in March. He has a half-dozen other films on his docket for 2005.

Ferrell next appears as family man/obsessed soccer dad Phil Weston in the comedy Kicking and Screaming, opening May 13.

Then he'll star opposite Nicole Kidman in Bewitched (opens June 24) followed by a bit part in Wedding Crashers (July 15) opposite frequent partners-in-comedy Owen Wilson and Vince Vaughn.

By year's end he'll also appear in the musical movie remake The Producers, take a dramatic turn opposite Ed Harris in Winter Passing and cameo in The Wendell Baker Story with Luke Wilson.

And the hardest working man in the funny business shows no signs of slowing down. He plays the Man in the Yellow Hat in the big-screen adaptation of Curious George, due in February 2006, and has several films in various stages of development, including Tenacious D: The Pick of Destiny, Stranger than Fiction, Talladega Nights, Joan of Bark: The Dog that Saved France and the recently announced Land of the Lost.

That's a load of movies to promote, giving Ferrell ample opportunity to match Chevy Chase, who has the most return appearances by a former cast member, having held down the fort eight times, and possibly top Steve Martin's record of 13 SNL hosting stints.

[Myxo]

Never got a chance to see Will Ferell on SNL this past weekend. Was it good?

[modage]

yeah, it was okay.  the return of the cowbell.

[grand theft sparrow]

Never got a chance to see Will Ferell on SNL this past weekend. Was it good?

Had its moments.  Cold opening was good, where we hear his internal monologue while talking to other cast members (i.e., when talking to Finesse Mitchell: "This is Finesse. Don't say Kenan. Don't say Kenan.").  They did Jeopardy, of course, which was as good as ever.  And Robert Goulet, which was always one of my favorite Ferrell characters.

Overall, it was better than at least half of this season but not by much, unfortunately.  But still, it showed just how badly they need him back.

[Ravi]

Hah, that cowbell pic looks funny.  I saw Jeopardy, Oracle convention, Goulet, WU, and the restaurant sketch.

I used to like Jeopardy, but I can't stand it anymore.  The "dumb celebrities" joke got old quite some time ago.

[meatball]

The singer for QOTSA actually looked creepier than Will.

[Stefen]

Josh Homme is the man, and it sucks that loser Will Ferrell had to ruin that performance. I'm suprised you could even make a comment like "The singer from queens of the stone age looks creepier than Will Ferrell" seeing as how they only focused on Will Ferrell through the whole performance. If that's a good show for SNL, I can see why nobody likes it anymore, that show is awful nowadays.

[grand theft sparrow]

The singer for QOTSA actually looked creepier than Will.

You mean Craig Kilborn?

[Gamblour.]

NO. You mean fucking Elvis:

[Myxo]

At least Jimmy Fallon & Chris Kattan made SNL a bit watchable. It's aweful now.

[Sleuth]

Now you've gone too far

[ono]

587. TBA/Kanye West
First aired: 10/1/2005
...
588. Jessica Alba/Joss Stone
First aired: 10/8/2005
...
Nothing has been confirmed yet.

Here's hoping they milk Kanye's appearance for all it's worth.

[sickfins]

there was an amazing scene just before kanye west's musical performance in which he runs into mike myers (actually mike myers).  i never thought i would see the two of them together again, much less see myers reference their crossing of paths in any way

[Bethie]

there was an amazing scene just before kanye west's musical performance in which he runs into mike myers (actually mike myers).  i never thought i would see the two of them together again, much less see myers reference their crossing of paths in any way

yes. best line of the night: Party on, Wayne.

[72teeth]

...and a nice little cameo by PTAjr. too...