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Kim Kardashian returns to SNL with an unexpected twist (Photo Credit – Instagram)

Kim Kardashian made a grand return to the ‘Saturday Night Live’ stage for its star-studded 50th anniversary special, stealing the spotlight in more ways than one.

During the opening sketch, Kardashian took part in a hilarious reunion of the Maharelle sisters alongside Kristen Wiig, Scarlett Johansson, Ana Gasteyer, and Will Ferrell. As Ferrell’s character, Robert Goulet, considered choosing a wife, Wiig’s quirky Dooneese character turned the moment into comedy gold, using Kardashian’s backside as a drum in a playful and unexpected bit, much to the delight of the audience.

Scarlett Johansson, Kim Kardashian, Ana Gasteyer, and Kristen Wiig all return as “The Maharelle Sisters” in the first SNL sketch of the night pic.twitter.com/gDwXLh8f7w

— Spencer Althouse (@SpencerAlthouse) February 17, 2025

Out of 50 years of casts, hosts and skits on Saturday Night Live SNL...

Kristen Wiig revived her classic “Saturday Night Live” character Dooneese on the show’s 50th anniversary special on Sunday night.

Wiig appeared during the first sketch of the evening, “The Lawrence Welk Show,” alongside Fred Armisen as Lawrence Welk; Will Ferrell as singer and actor Robert Goulet; and Scarlett Johansson, Kim Kardashian and Ana Gasteyer as her fellow Maharelle sisters — Janice, Holly and Margaret, respectively.

Ferrell, who rode a Vespa with a sidecar onto the stage, began performing a song and scatting, causing the audience to roar with laughter.

“Oh my god. Did they put LSD in my Caesar salad, or do I see three beautiful ladies hitchhiking my way?” Ferrell asked, as he made his way over to Johansson, Kardashian and Gasteyer, who sang the Maharelle sister’s introduction song. The show then cut to Wiig as Dooneese, sitting in the Vespa’s sidecar and honking the horn with...

Actor, Musician and Philanthropist Jeremy Renner to serve as Grand Marshal for the 92nd Anniversary of The Hollywood Christmas Parade Supporting Marine Toys for Tots.

The live parade presented in association with The City of Los Angeles will take place on the streets of Hollywood, CA on Sunday, December 1, 2024 starting at 6:00 p.m. at Hollywood landmark Tcl Chinese Theatre.

Jeremy Renner is an award-winning actor and dedicated philanthropist whose commitment to giving back is as integral to his identity as his celebrated film roles. In 2023, he founded the RennerVation Foundation, a youth-focused nonprofit dedicated to creating meaningful opportunities for children in foster care and at-risk youth. The foundation’s mission is to foster joy, growth, and a strong sense of belonging, offering these young individuals experiences and resources that allow them to embrace the fullness of childhood. With memorable performances in films including The Hurt Locker and the Avengers series,...

The overarching story of "Gilligan's Island" is, upon a moment of reflection, surprisingly nihilistic. Sherwood Schwartz's whimsical 1964 sitcom may take place in a cartoon-like universe where no one is really desperate, starving, or unclean, but it also takes place in a world where hope cannot thrive. At the beginning of every episode, the seven stranded castaways are presented with the opportunity to escape the island and return home. They become joyous and hopeful. Then a cataclysm occurs, usually at the bumbling hands of the clueless Gilligan (Bob Denver), and their opportunity is squandered. The castaways are stranded for another week, their prison sentence essentially extended. Hope becomes despair, again and again, creeping into this petty pace from day to day, to the last syllable of recorded time.

Sisyphus would relate.

"Gilligan's Island," however, offsets its despair with an unshakeable sense of whimsy. The show's characters may have eternally been pushing a boulder uphill,...

“Saturday Night Live” premiered October 11, 1975 on NBC with a group of fresh-faced cast members known as the “Not Ready For Prime-Time Players.” None of those original stars lasted for more than five seasons, but they all made their mark on the late night sketch series that is still going strong five decades later.

Over the past 50 seasons (and counting), who are “SNL’s” longest-running cast members ever? Kenan Thompson currently holds the record at a whopping 22 seasons. His closest competition is Darrell Hammond, who starred for 14 seasons before leaving and then returning as the show’s announcer. Scroll through our “Saturday Night Live” photo gallery above (or click here for direct access) to see more long-time cast members.

See‘SNL’ 5-Timers Club: Who has hosted ‘Saturday Night Live’ at least five times?

Kenan Thompson

22 seasons (2003-Present)

Popular characters: Diondre Cole, Steve Harvey, Darnell Hayes, Bill Cosby, Diner Lobster, Lorenzo McIntosh...

Nick Gravenites, a Chicago blues musician who relocated to San Francisco in the 1960s and played an important role in that city’s burgeoning rock scene, died Wednesday, September 18, after many months of failing health. He was 86.

His death was announced by family on his Facebook page. Details about cause or place of death were not disclosed, with the post noting that details will follow as they arrive. “The Gravenites family appreciates all of the fans and loved ones who have been there for us during this time,” the Facebook note states.

A GoFundMe page to defray medical costs for Gravenites was set up last April, in part by longtime friend and colleague Barry Melton of Country Joe and the Fish.

Gravenites was born on October 2, 1938, in Chicago, and by the mid-1950s immersed himself in the city’s blues scene, forming, as his website bio puts it, a “coterie...

Jerry Fuller, a hit-making songwriter whose works were recorded by Ricky Nelson, Gary Puckett, Reba McEntire, Sam Cooke, Lawrence Welk, the Kingston Trio, Billy Eckstine, Engelbert Humperdinck and more, died July 18 at his home in Los Angeles at 85. The cause was complications of lung cancer, his wife, Annette Fuller, said to the New York Times.

Fuller specialized in pop love songs. His first major hit was “Travelin’ Man,” which Ricky Nelson took to the top of the Billboard Hot 100 in 1961.

Fuller and friend Glen Campbell were major players in the Los Angeles recording-studio scene of the 1960s. In 1968, his output included O.C. Smith’s recording of “Little Green Apples,” which reached No. 2 on the Billboard chart.

Working as an A&r producer for Columbia Records, Fuller discovered Puckett performing in a San Diego bowling alley. Together, they produced four singles that sold 1 million or more copies for the band: “Woman,...

Jerry Fuller, the songwriter and producer whose stellar career included such hits as “Travelin’ Man” for Ricky Nelson, “Young Girl” for Gary Puckett and the Union Gap, “Show and Tell” for Al Wilson and “Little Green Apples” for O.C. Smith, has died. He was 85.

Fuller died Thursday at his home in Sherman Oaks of complications from lung cancer, publicist Bobbi Marcus told The Hollywood Reporter.

Fuller’s first production for Puckett was the million-selling “Woman, Woman,” which was released in 1967 and peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100. He then wrote and produced the band’s next three multimillion sellers, “Young Girl,” “Lady Willpower” and “Over You” — all top 10 songs, too — as the band outsold The Beatles in 1968.

“What can I say about a guy whose vision defined my musical identity and destiny,” Puckett wrote in a statement. “What can Anyone say about a man who gave So much to...

This weekend, the 49th season of "Saturday Night Live" came to an end. Typically, the season finale is chock full of guest stars, and usually a big name or former beloved cast member takes the stage in Studio 8H at 30 Rockefeller Plaza for hosting duties. This time, it was the former, with "Road House" remake star Jake Gyllenhaal returning for his third time hosting the late night sketch series.

For those keeping track, Gyllenhaal's hosting duties have Taylor Swift fans buzzing, because the musical guest was "Girl Meets World" star Sabrina Carpenter, who has been opening for Swift on the international part of her Eras Tour (now available to watch on Disney+), and there's that whole drama between Gyllenhaal and Swift that resulted in a 10-minute hit song. Speaking of musical guests, Gyllenhaal got musical in his own right as he sang a Boyz II Men cover about the honor...

Palm Springs is where one goes to be seen; neighboring Rancho Mirage, well, not so much. That’s why many A-List Hollywood stars pulled up sticks in the mid-20th century, moving from Palm Springs — and L.A. — to the more discreet Rancho Mirage, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary as a city this year.

Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., Lucille Ball, Red Skelton, at least one Marx brother, Bing Crosby, and even the guy who played the wizard in The Wizard of Oz, MGM contracted character actor Frank Morgan, lived there. All were seeking the country club lifestyle away from the party scene and camera flashbulbs.

Lawrence Welk, Frank Sinatra, Dinah Shore and Barbara Sinatra at the 1972 Dinah Shore Colgate Winner’s Circle in 1972 at Mission Hills Country Club in Rancho Mirage, California.

Rancho Mirage also has long been known as the “Playground of the Presidents,” especially...

With the launch of Pepsi Max’s “Uncle Drew” campaign in 2012, there was a touch of Eddie Murphy in Coming to America and a dash of Jackass, with a covert Kyrie Irving under piles of Hollywood makeup, pairing surprising improv comedy chops with his incredible hoop skills. What there wasn’t, however, was any overt sense that this irresistible short film happened to be, in fact, a soda commercial.

After scoring nine-figure views on YouTube, the beloved prank series made the ultimate evolutionary leap, becoming a legit Hollywood comedy release...

In modern parlance, a jerk refers to a cruel, mean-spirited, or hateful person. In 2022, "jerk" is synonymous with "bully" or "a**hole." In 1979, however, when director Carl Reiner, Steve Martin, and screenwriters Carl Gottlieb and Michael Elias were making their comedy film "The Jerk," the word referred to a fool or a buffoon, someone who was clueless. Navin R. Johnson, Martin's character in "The Jerk," is most certainly clueless, seemingly unable to fully perceive the world around him. In a long tradition of well-meaning comedic fools, Navin sees the world as a glorious place, even as he encounters crime and horror. He is a modern-day Candide, fecklessly roaming the countryside, hastily discovering success and love, then just as quickly losing them through his own hubris and idiocy. In his book "Born Standing Up: A Comic's Life," Martin himself compared "The Jerk" to Dostoyevsky's novel "The Idiot."

It takes a very...

Charley Pride, the pioneering black country singer known for such hits as “Kiss an Angel Good Mornin'” and “Is Anybody Goin’ to San Antone,” has died in Dallas, Texas, from complications related to Covid-19, according to his publicist. He was 86.

Born in Sledge, Mississippi, in 1934, Pride picked cotton, played baseball in the Negro leagues, served in the U.S. Army, and worked in a smelting plant in Montana before moving to Nashville and becoming country music’s first black superstar. He scored 52 Top 10 country hits, including 29 Number Ones, and was the...

This CinemaScope musical remake of 1939’s The Women is highly watchable, especially in this flawless digital remaster. The actresses that bare their claws, compete for husbands and just plain cat-fight are a choice batch, with favorites from the ’50s the ’40s the ’30s — plus a few wildflowers that bloomed cinematically for only a few years (Dolores Gray) and one that somehow managed immortality (Joan Collins). It’s highly watchable despite, or maybe because of, its criminally outdated recipe for marital bliss. Did women really go for this fantasy — did anybody ever really live like this?

The Opposite Sex

Blu-ray

Warner Archive Collection

1956 / Color / 2:35 widescreen / 116 min. / Street Date October 27, 2020 / available through the WBshop / 21.99

Starring: June Allyson, Joan Collins, Dolores Gray, Ann Sheridan, Ann Miller, Leslie Nielsen, Jeff Richards, Agnes Moorehead, Charlotte Greenwood, Joan Blondell, Sam Levene, Alice Pearce, Barbara Jo Allen, Sandy Descher, Carolyn Jones, Jerry Antes, Harry James, Art Mooney,...

The usual gang of idiots at Mad will put Mad Magazine #13 on sale next week and it might be the saddest thing to happen to music since Eminem replaced Marilyn Manson as America’s Worst Nightmare. The issue is called “Mad Mocks Music,” and it is filled with spoofs and comedic cartoons about the esteemed and infallible music industry, bless the very steady rhythms of its heart.

Mad’s had it in, and out, for music since neither of their Musically Mad LP or Mad ‘Twists’ Rock ‘n’ Roll records charted in the late 50s and early 60s. But this isn’t just about moldy oldies, contemporary artists like Billie Eilish are also relegated to scary babysitting duty in the pages of the upcoming issue. Alfred E. Newman’s What Me Worry Band continues to rebuke the Beatles musical progression with a tone-deaf alternative.

Meanwhile, the people at Mad presented...

Born March 18th, 1934, singer Charley Pride, left his birthplace of Sledge, Mississippi, at age 16 and later became one of the most successful country artists of all time. But that wasn’t exactly what he had first planned. The son of a sharecropper, Pride first left his family’s 40-acre cotton farm 50 miles south of Memphis to play professional baseball in the Negro American League. Pride would go on to work at a smelter in Montana, playing ball and also singing in local clubs at night. He signed his first management...

Gary Oldman and Antonio Banderas look like they’re having a blast in the first trailer for “The Laundromat,” living the high life while Oldman puts on a thick accent that makes him sound like Lawrence Welk.

But who said he could have this much fun? “The Laundromat” is Steven Soderbergh’s story of the Panama Papers, a massive conspiracy of the uber-wealthy that involved money laundering, bribery, extortion … you name it. But Soderbergh has taken the route of his screwball comedies like “The Informant! instead, making the Panama Papers story into a lavish farce.

“Where the f— is my money,” one woman demands to know in the trailer? “Most of the time, we don’t even know,” Oldman says with a smile.

Also Read: Gary Oldman to Star in David Fincher's 'Mank' on 'Citizen Kane' Writer Herman Mankiewicz

Regardless of the subject matter, Soderbergh...

As on-the-road misbehavior went, it was pretty tame. On tour in Seattle in the spring of 1972, Jeff Forehan and three of his shaggy-haired bandmates got ahold of some weed. Squeezing into a hotel bathrooms, the pop singers happily toked up, using the ceiling fan to suck up the smoke and ensure they weren’t caught.

Except they were — by some of their other bandmates, no less. The next thing they knew, Forehan and his fellow performers in the band — the Young Americans — were having what he calls “a little confrontation...

This story about Amy Sedaris first appeared in the Down to the Wire issue of TheWrap’s Emmy magazine.

Amy Sedaris has long reigned in the cult comedy space, thanks to oddball characters in straightforward rom-coms (“Maid in Manhattan”) or delirious streaming work (“Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt”). And, of course, her star-making turn in the Comedy Central deep cut “Strangers With Candy.”

But, in recent years, Sedaris has been pumping out work that borders on performance art by playing a domestic guru by way of the “The Twilight Zone.” This is manifested in two books (“Simple Times: Crafts for Poor People” and “I Like You: Entertaining Under the Influence”), and has now earned the comedian an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Variety Sketch Series for her TruTV series, “At Home With Amy Sedaris.”

Working with her co-writer and longtime collaborator Paul Dinello, Sedaris plays a heightened version of herself and numerous other...

Amy Sedaris is a comedy legend thanks, in part, to Jerri Blank. When Sedaris was in her mid-30s, she originated the “Strangers With Candy” role, playing a 46-year-old high school freshman who looked like she was pushing 60. She was “a boozer, a user, and a loser,” and it showed.

Now, Jerri still shows herself in ways good and not so good.

“[Today people] recognize you from Jerri, which means I’m starting to look like Jerri Blank,” Sedaris said in an interview with IndieWire. “So [that] just makes you feel old.”

But with fake age comes real experience. Though her most famous character barely starts to tell the story of an acclaimed sketch performer, playwright, advice columnist, and author, the series and its effect on modern comedy is undeniable.

Read More:Amy Sedaris is a Singing Martha Stewart in First Look at ‘At Home with Amy Sedaris’

“I’ve seen a little...

Acrophobics, hit the back button now. Because this sneak peek from the premiere of NBC’s Little Big Shots offshoot features an 81-year-old woman seeking 85-foot-high thrills.

RelatedNBC’s The Night Shift, Midnight, Texas Get Summer Dates

In Little Big Shots: Forever Young (premiering Wednesday, June 21 at 8/7c), seniors ranging in age from 60 to 103 showcase “hidden talents, vibrant personalities and incredible wisdom.” The first hour’s guests include a 72-year-old plumber-turned-opera singer, an 80-year-old tap dancer/Lawrence Welk Show alum (who gets a surprise visit from the great Betty White, who back in the day gave him his first big break) and,...

During her seven seasons on Saturday Night Live, Kristen Wiig crafted a series of unforgettable characters you either loved or hated. And depending on how you felt about the likes of, say, Lawrence Welk Show performer Dooneese or the #SorryNotSorry Gilly, there was cause for concern that her second stint as host would play out like a “greatest hits” compilation.

VideosSNL Cold Open: President-Elect Trump Meets With Jason Sudeikis’ Romney

Surprisingly enough, the Bridesmaid-turned-Ghostbuster rarely had to rely on her divisive repertoire, and instead was used in a manner that made her feel no more or less important than...

The questions isn’t whether Dwayne Johnson will be a good host (since he excelled during his first two times in Studio 8H), but whether or not “Saturday Night Live” can finally start regaining some of the momentum that propelled it through its Fall run. That was possibly the strongest stretch during my five years covering the show here at HitFix, but 2015 has been marked by less-than-stellar episodes and a less-than-ideal production schedule. As such, “SNL” has been spotty both in terms of quality and production. But maybe tonight will be a turning point as the show heads into this season’s home stretch. As always, I’ll be liveblogging each segment in real time. I’ll give that segment a grade. I highly encourage you to not stress too much about the grades. The Rock Obama will get angry if you stress about the grades. See you at 11:...

The Saturday Night Live 40th anniversary special is this weekend and we are literally falling out of our chairs with excitement and anticipation.

The show has created some of the most memorable characters since it first began in 1975. While the writers do an incredible job creating amazing sketches that leave us doubled over in laughter, it's the costumes that help the character really come alive.

Watch: Will Ferrell Better Be Bringing More Cowbell to the ‘SNL’ 40th Anniversary Celebration

So who is the man behind the costumes? His name is Tom Broecker and he’s been designing for the show for 21 years. His work earned him a nomination for a Costume Designers Guild Award in the Outstanding Contemporary Television Series category alongside fellow SNL designer Eric Justian.

With the anniversary special right around the corner, Broecker is certainly going to be a busy man. Nearly everyone possible cast member is returning and we’re hoping to see...

Are your Facebook friends stressing you out with ominous updates like, “Holiday shopping is Done” or “Look at my completely completed Christmas decorations”? And meanwhile, your life’s poetry is “The stockings were buried/ In the closet sans care/ Now you can’t find them/ So the mantle stays bare.“

Fret not: The Voice has got you covered!

Sure, Season 7 has reached the crucial semifinal stage — America will whittle the Top 5 down to a Top 3 on Tuesday’s results show, then save one ousted member of the Top 12 via Wild Card — but the good news is you can now fast-forward...

Yesterday we ran a story on some of Robin Williams’ most under appreciated performances. But as the remembrances keep rolling in and as new, gruesome details about his suicide become apparent, it became clear that Williams didn’t just have depth in his filmography; he was an actor and performer who displayed worlds of expression and moved so many in remarkable and distinct ways.

Rather than ask our staff to rattle off more of their favorites, we asked them to recall Williams’ personality and the legacy his work left on their lives. We’re looking at each side of his many faces as a comedian, a movie star, a voice actor and a true character, offering our final goodbye to a man who gave us so much.

Zany, Charismatic Exuberance

Say what you will about Robin Williams’ quiet, dramatic abilities or his subtle grace notes of acting, but Williams at...

As Paul Rudd hosted his third Saturday Night Live this week, he picked up on a pattern: the musical guest always overshadows him. Perhaps that's because he's not a great host.First came Beyonce, then Paul McCartney, and now poppy juggernaut One Direction. Rudd's opening monologue featured a showdown between this boy band and his "man band"--the "Anchorman" crew of Will Ferrell, David Koechner, and Steve Carrell. The nine of them sang --what else?-- "Afternoon Delight." The One Direction mania was slightly reworked in one of Rudd's best performances of the night as One Direction's #1 fan.SNL opened this week with a "condensed" version of the "Sound of Music." The sketch was preceded by a smug promo of an introduction, noting the 18 million viewers who watched NBC's live production this week. Despite the self-congratulatory start, the skit was excellent. Kristen Wiig showed up to reprise her role...

It's holiday season at SNL, which means that Lorne Michaels has stocked the lineup with reliable charmers like Paul Rudd, hosting for the third time. In his monologue, the Anchorman 2 actor joked about always being overshadowed by his musical guest, which was Beyonce the first time, Paul McCartney the second, and One Direction this time around. In fact, Rudd has gotten great comedic mileage out of these musicians; the sketch in which he played Beyonce's "Single Ladies" choreographer was a classic, and he did a memorable monologue about...

Paul Rudd hosted Saturday Night Live for the third time last night and he not only brought the laughs–he brought what seemed to be the entire cast of Anchorman 2 to the stage. Will Ferrell, Steve Carrell and David Koechner joined Rudd to take on musical guest One Direction in an “Afternoon Delight” sing-off and Kristen Wiig brought her “Doonice” character back in a Sound of Music sketch.

Former Saturday Night Live star Kristen Wiig was the first Anchorman 2 cast member to pop up during the night. She reprised her “Doonice” character in a condensed version of NBC’s recent Sound of Music event and groped everyone with her tiny hands. Fred Armisen also showed up at the end of the sketch as Lawrence Welk, the character who usually introduced Doonice in the past.

Wiig is a new addition to the Anchorman family, but the film’s original stars stormed the monologue.

“Saturday Night Live” did not hurt for star power this weekend, as host Paul Rudd and musical guest One Direction were joined at times on stage by Will Ferrell, Steve Carell, David Koechner, Kristen Wiig and Fred Armisen. For the cold open, “SNL” elected to spoof the buzziest TV moment of the week: NBC’s Thursday night “Sound of Music Live” telecast, which was a ratings hit for the network, but garnered mixed reviews critically. For the long-running sketch comedy show’s “condensed” version, Armisen reprised his old Lawrence Welk gig, while Wiig played his tiny-handed, huge-foreheaded underling, Dooneese — apparently a lesser-known.

To the delight of Saturday Night Live diehards, after leaving at the end of the last season, Kristen Wiig returned to the show to host an episode. She revived most of her staple SNL characters: the unattractive sister in a girl group on the Lawrence Welk Show, half of an unprepared singing duo on Weekend Update, a vain ex-wife in "The Californians," Gilly, and the overly excited Target woman. While it was marvelous to see Wiig back on the show, the litany of these characters felt too comfortable and grew stale as the show wore on. Of course, Wiig's talent as a comedian shined through, particularly in the fresh sketches.  After a total flop of an intro skit (turns out the Benghazi hearings aren't interesting, even when they're being parodied), Wiig went with a song and dance number for her monologue. Singing a rewrite of "I'm So Excited" by the Pointer Sisters,...

Rewind time thanks to NBC, as SNL alum Kristen Wiig returned to host SNL for the first time. Wiig reprised a handful of characters . including those from The Californians, Lawrence Welk Show, Target Lady, and Garth and Kat. She introduced us to a few new favorites as well, from an incompetent acupuncture therapist to a ghost mom in a Disney series. Check out the highlights in the links below! Plus, be sure to check out Vampire Weekend.s performances of .Diane Young. and .Unbelievers.. And as always, the full episode can be found on NBC.com later this morning. Saturday Night Live Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/snl Twitter: https://twitter.com/nbcsnl #SNL Google+: https://plus.google.com/+SaturdayNightLive Instagram: http://instagram.com/nbcsnl Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/nbcsnl/ Tumblr: http://nbcsnl.tumblr.com/ C-span Benghazi Hearing Cold Open1-800-Flowers...

This week’s Saturday Night Live got off to a fairly sleepy start with a Cold Open spoof of the Benghazi Hearings that didn’t live up to its its solid premise (that adding true-crime players like Jodi Arias might improve ratings) and a musical monologue from Kristen Wiig that forgot to bring the punch lines.

If you stuck with the episode, however, there were several hilarious rewards in store — as well as mixed bag of return visits to Wiig’s more popular characters from her seven seasons as an SNL regular. (Was it me, or did the Lawrence Welk...

As expected, with Kristen Wiig's return to SNL came the revisiting of her famous ugly duckling "Denise" character, who did her usual spiel of ruining cutesy Lawrence Welk Show moments with her awkward looks, unseemly manners, and socially-inappropriate behavior. Litte Denise, who "looks like a melted Barbie doll" managed to make a mockery of the song-and-dance routine by making a squirrel out of sand and licking its sand-based testicles;...

The Realm can be a confusing place at times, what with the multitude of titles, allegiances and kingdoms to keep track of.

It's safe to say no two characters see the big picture better than Lords Baelish and Varys. The scene in the throne room featuring the two pivotal players was the most compelling of "The Climb." Baelish most certainly has his eyes fixed on the fabled seat of swords, but he is also keenly aware of the illusion its occupant oversees and orchestrates. 

The throne is the pinnacle in this game of power, but whomever calls it theirs would be a fool to relax for a moment and drop his/her guard. While there can only be one true king, there is never a shortage of those climbing that ladder Baelish spoke of, seeking to take power for themselves.

Battles are fought and won with swords and armor, but two little words,...

We’re all excited to see what Melissa McCarthy is going to do on this week’s Saturday Night Live (please Arlene, please please) and her interview with Fallon last night just got us even more pumped.

Looking like a total movie star — that hair — McCarthy described her quick change between the cold open and her monologue last time on SNL as ”the only time I’ve truly been assaulted… lovingly.”

Listen to the story of McCarthy’s magical change from a buck-toothed, muscular singer on Lawrence Welk to a dancing star in her monologue (all in 40 seconds):

Read...

Keeping up appearances, scandals, scheming help, sumptuous backdrops and costumes, and compelling drama. “Downton Abbey” seems to have it all.

I’d been hearing about it for a while from family members, people at work, and a few friends. I don’t know why I was so skeptical, except, maybe that I was under the mistaken impression that the show would be so mired in social politics that I’d end up finding it tedious. Usually, shows like that are so focused on showing one side or the other of the class warfare as the good guys and the rest as the bad guys that compelling characterization gets thrown to the wayside. If there aren’t actual characters, making them likeable becomes a long and futile battle.

Still, I figured with the group that was signed on to start watching the series from the beginning that it was well worth...

In what was perhaps the cameo-iest "Saturday Night Live" ever, host Martin Short and a cast of thousands closed out 2012 with style. The show was high-energy from start to finish and had several strong sketches.

Nothing could top the moving cold open acknowledging the Newtown tragedy, but nonetheless, it was one of the season's best episodes.

Monologue

The parade of cameos kicks off right away with Paul Shaffer at the piano for Short's rendition of "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year," with all the Christmas stuff replaced with sex references. We lost track of the lyrics, frankly, as Short went backstage and bumped into Kristen Wiig (and her creepy doll hand from the Lawrence Welk sketches), Jimmy Fallon, Tom Hanks, Samuel L. Jackson, a guy with a llama and Tina Fey.

"A Tony Bennett Christmas"

Cameo No. 7 comes courtesy of Alec Baldwin, who does his fabulous Tony Bennett...

Jamie Foxx may be an Academy Award–winning actor (and likely suiting up as supervillian Electro in the next Spider-Man) — but he’s not above rapping on the red carpet. In fact, he did just that for Vulture last night, at MoMA’s Tribute to Quentin Tarantino. We asked Foxx, who plays the titular escaped slave in the director’s forthcoming Django Unchained, about producing the whistle-heavy “100 Black Coffins” for Rick Ross. (The film's soundtrack marks the first time Tarantino has commissioned original songs for a score, and Foxx said the director “knew everything about Rick Ross” by the time the Miami rapper arrived on set.) “I did some studying," Foxx told us. "And back in the day, when you whistle in Westerns, that meant it was on." “You guys are probably too young to remember this, but Lawrence Welk used to have shows where the cowboys would come on...

Hate on Anne Hathaway all you want, but Lorne Michaels must see something in her. After all, she’s been asked to host SNL three times in the past four years — and in each of her previous outings, she’s proven herself to be a solid supporting player who’s got a special knack for impressions. (Check out her spot-on Julie Andrews and Judy Garland imitations for proof.)

Personally, I don’t get why so many people seem to despise Hathaway. She’s got good comic timing, she always sounds pretty smart in interviews, and while her Oscars hosting stint was sort of a disaster,...

You know there’s something seriously wrong in the world — or at least on your TV screen — when a 13-year-old boy is looking into the camera and, without the slightest hint of irony or humor, declares “this is the climax of my life.” Hello, and welcome to The X Factor.

I’m still not sure why there was no “TV: Msp” warning in the upper left side of my screen — that’s short for “Middle-Schooler, Please!” — but Fox’s second-string reality singing competition isn’t really to blame. Sure, judge L.A. Reid continued to perpetrate the myth tonight that life...

"Saturday Night Live" is poised to claim its third Best Comedy Guest Actress Emmy in four years at Saturday's Creative Arts awards. But will it be Melissa McCarthy or Maya Rudolph who joins the winners' roster alongside Tina Fey (2009) and Betty White (2010)? -Insertgroups:6- Last year, McCarthy shocked Emmy pundits when she won Best Comedy Actress for the first season of "Mike and Molly." This year, she is once again last in our odds for that race but leads this one as the 10 to 9 favorite with support from four Experts, eight Editors and 49% of Users. She hosted "SNL" for the first time last October, delivering a charming singing and dancing monologue and then shining in sketches as a lovelorn office worker, a Lawrence Welk singer, a new product taste tester and an old Hollywood beauty queen. Former "SNL" regular Rudolph returned for the first time as a host in February and did impe.

"Saturday Night Live" is poised to claim its third Best Comedy Guest Actress Emmy in four years at Saturday's Creative Arts awards. But will it be Melissa McCarthy or Maya Rudolph who joins the winners' roster alongside Tina Fey (2009) and Betty White (2010)? -Insertgroups:6- Last year, McCarthy shocked Emmy pundits when she won Best Comedy Actress for the first season of "Mike and Molly." This year, she is once again last in our odds for that race but leads this one as the 10 to 9 favorite with support from four Experts, eight Editors and 49% of Users. She hosted "SNL" for the first time last October, delivering a charming singing and dancing monologue and then shining in sketches as a lovelorn office worker, a Lawrence Welk singer, a new product taste tester and an old Hollywood beauty queen. Former "SNL" regular Rudolph returned for the first time as a host in February and did impe.

There was an arrest, a beheading and some serious makeup sex on Sunday's episode of True Blood.

With just a week to go until the Season 5 finale, our Round Table panel of Chris O'Hara, Leigh Raines, Jim Garner and Liz Henderson (of True-Blood.net) has convened to breakdown "Sunset" and to look ahead to how this summer run may end. Won't you gather around and join them?

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What was your favorite scene from the episode?

Chris: Pam running into Sam in the hallway of Authority HQ and Pam’s amazing response to him when he told her to help Luna: “Who the Eff is Luna?”

Liz: Sookie and Jason saying goodbye to each other outside of the fairie portal. I just love the tender moments between brother and sister, and Jason's scenes are always interesting anymore.

Leigh: The move Jason and Jessica pulled to get rid of her security.

More versions of the new brand campaign for Woolworths from Droga 5 go to air tonight featuring employees and suppliers.

There are 12 different commercials, which seek to emphasise that most Woolworths fresh produce is Australian grown.

As Mumbrella reported yesterday, the campaign is the first major work since Droga5 won the Woolworths account.

The staff come after a casting call featuring 400 people which was eventually whittled down to 55 call-backs and eventually cast nine people.

Among those featuring was truckie Harold Haigh, who travelled to South Australia for the shoot, his first time on a plane despite 20 years on the road.

The production featured four crews shooting simultaneously across the country, on formats including 16mm, digital, VHS and iPhone. The entire project was overseen by Exit director Amy Gebhardt .

David Nobay, Droga5 Creative Chairman added; “A lot of people scratched their heads when they saw Droga5 and Woolworths together in the same sentence,...

All year, SNL viewers have had one burning question on their minds. And tonight, we finally got an answer: So that is what Chris Kattan looks like now.

Oh, also: Kristen Wiig really is exiting the show. I hate to see her go, but loved watching her leave — that concluding sendoff sketch might have been the sweetest thing on Saturday Night Live since Steve Martin said goodbye to Gilda Radner.

But I’m getting ahead of myself. The Kristen Wiig Farewell Tour kicked off with a Lawrence Welk Show reprise that gave Wiig’s tiny-handed Dooneese one last time to shine (at least,...

Kristen Wiig got an emotional send-off as she made her final curtain call during the season finale of Saturday Night Live. It’s just too bad that the episode as a whole didn’t provide a funnier last impression for the fabulous comedienne, Oscar-nominated earlier this year for her excellent Bridesmaids screenplay.

It didn’t help, of course, that host Mick Jagger struggled mightily from tepid opening monologue to a final sketch, where his attempt to pull off a “California” accent was so strained, the Rolling Stones frontman appeared to be on the brink of an aneyurism. And Jagger didn...

"You know what they say about the Finger Lakes - if you can only squeeze in one finger on your first visit, just relax." The season finale of Saturday Night Live is clearly going to be all class, if Fred Armisen's line in the first sketch of the night is to be believed. The recurring Lawrence Welk Show sketch was livened up by Jon Hamm doing a delightfully heinous Italian accent in counterpoint to the usual musical stylings of Abby Elliot, Nasim Pedrad, Vanessa Bayer and an, uh, developmentally challenged Kristen Wiig.

It’s impossible to read Elisabeth Moss’ revealing interview with The New York Post’s Page Six magazine without hearing traces of Peggy Olson in there. (It’s also impossible to get over that revealing cover. Yowza. Game, set, point, Stan.) When the Mad Men actress opened up to the magazine about her painful divorce from Saturday Night Live and Portlandia star Fred Armisen, her surprisingly blunt statements about him sounded not unlike a well-executed Peggy remark at one of her male counterparts.

While Moss said her split from Armisen was “so hard to talk about,” the 29-year-old still got...

They've tried everything. One host. Two hosts. Four hosts. 32 hosts. Comic hosts. Serious-thespian hosts. Hollywood-legend hosts. Young hosts. Old hosts. Hip hosts. Square hosts. Singing-and-dancing hosts. Every year, it seems, the Academy Awards goes back to the drawing board to figure out what sort of emcee will keep the show lively, attract viewers (especially younger viewers) and keep them from flipping channels during the slow parts. It's a thankless gig; no wonder Billy Crystal, who's done it eight times, decided to sit out for eight years before agreeing to return to host this year's Academy Awards on Sunday night. The job requires a difficult and rare set of skills: a host must entertain both the Hollywood big-shots in the auditorium and regular folks at home. They can poke fun at the huge egos in the room, but can't deflate them with too much snark, and they can't be too inside-baseball.