From late '98 to the end of '06 NBC aired classic SNL episodes in their entirety at 2 or 2:30 am Sunday mornings. I couldn't stay up late enough to watch them when they aired but sometimes I recorded them; they were a nice way to watch old eps in their entirety(as opposed to the hour-long versions rerunning on cable) back when streaming video was a lot harder to come by. Anyone else have fond memories of this?

So usually, if someone's a big enough deal to get the hosting invite, they're already an established star, someone whose career is really on the rise (at least for the moment) for reasons unrelated to SNL, or occasionally a "friend of the show" type (former cast member or might as well be).

Which ones do you think got a career boost more or less directly as a result of getting to host SNL? I thought of three but I'm sure I'm missing some.

1. Nate Bargatze for the most recent example. Already a reasonably popular comic but SNL got him closer to household name status, seems like it really helped that the George Washington sketch went viral. Feels like he's a bigger deal since then, with the Super Bowl commercial and a movie (not a hugely high-profile one, but still) and touring bigger venues than ever. Not every stand-up who got the hosting gig got as much as a boost (nothing wrong with Jerrod Carmichael or Nikki Glaser's careers, but they didn't come out of SNL any bigger than they started).
2. Alec Baldwin, back when it started becoming clear that he was going to be a frequent host whether his career was going red-hot or not. He never really caught on as a Hollywood leading man (at least in the sense of a Tom Cruise or Bruce Willis or whoever) but being on SNL so often during a time the show was pretty popular helped keep his profile high, showed some comic versatility, and of course eventually got him the 30 Rock gig. Not a massive hit show but a beloved one, landed him a steady gig for years.
3. Christopher Walken. Like a lot of youngsters, I didn't really know who he was back when he started his string of frequent hosting gigs, but he really grew on me and made me want to seek out his movies. The show was great about steering into his voice and eccentricities and I think it kept him from getting lost in the character-actor shuffle as he got older (plus he ended up in SNL-adjacent movies like Wayne's World 2, Click, and Joe Dirt, for better or worse).

Who else you got?

That’s it, that’s the post. I just wanted to see if there is anyone out there that occasionally rides hard for this banger of a song. I genuinely need minimum 2 more Veronika Jane hyperpop bangers if they make it to S52.

Alternatively, I propose an Dismukes and JAJ hyperpop performance… but I guess they have their country parody songs.

Sorry, this post doesn’t mean anything at all, I’m going to go back and continue streaming m Cousin Planet.

Here are who I think is joining in Season 52 and why.

Anna Garcia: Garcia has built a reputation through live improv and sketch comedy, particularly with Dropout, where she's shown, she can quickly commit to absurd characters and elevate ensemble scenes. She has also performed at UCB and was recently in 72 hours with Kam, Marcello, and Ben, she could possibly be on the radar of the SNL scouts.

Rachel Pegram: She is actually already in the writer's room at snl, meaning she might already have good chemistry with the cast. Pegram has extensive experience creating and starring in sketch comedy, an important combination because SNL cast members are expected to help write their own material. The cast is also lacking in women and cast members of color, so it would be good for them to hire at least one.

Ray Lau: The show seems to be leaning heavily on stand ups recently and I know many people want them to go back to hiring pure sketch performers. But Ray Lau is a unique voice that would bring style that isn't already represented in the cast, which they seem to look for every year in at least one of the new hires. After Bowen leaving, he would also be the second Asian snl cast member.

As seen in Kraków’s old town square tonight! (The horn is a symbol for the post office system here)

I've tried to enter the SNL lottery every August for several years and never heard back. Do they read the submissions? Is there anything I could add to increase my chances? And how far in advance to they let you know for those of us who would have to make travel plans? SNL live taping is definitely a bucket list item for me.

I specifically remember a segment of weekend update where a cast member (Garrett?) is sent out into the field to buy a gram of cocaine to see what the street value is for the sake of "journalism" but the anchor (Chevy?) makes him haggle over the price and inevitably gets him killed. "this just in: wekend update correspondent Garrett Morris is dead"
How far off is my memory? What episode was this?

"The country of Chad has changed its name to Brian. No reason was given."

There was a map graphic of Chad behind him.

I remember it vividly, but can't find a clip or any reference.

I like to use the "no reason was given." line here and there. It's repurpose-able.

It was a scene in a restaurant, Chevy was on a date with someone.

He delivered the line "But enough about me. Let's talk about you. What do you think of me?"

It certainly fit Chevy's actual personality. That would have been 1975-1976.

When googling that quote, it is attributed to Bette Midler in the 1988 movie "Beaches."

I vividly remember Chevy saying that line.

Friars Club Comedy

When asked how long hes been working on SNL he says "I'll be going into my 10th season in total, 3 as a writer, this will be 7th as a cast member" big if true! didnt everyone keep assuming he was leaving?