snl

As is often the case, the weirdest sketch from last night's 'SNL' season premiere was easily the funniest in the entire show. The latest in Beck Bennett and Kyle Mooney's series of truly strange sketches and shorts, the scene is an exacting parody of lousy '90s television that sidesteps all obvious jokes in favor of making fun of a very specific kind of TV show.

You don't have to be a sports fan to know that the NFL has come under fire in recent weeks for how it has handled (or failed to handle) its players committing all kinds of heinous crimes. Although this is a very serious matter that has football fans deeply troubled and concerned about the future of their favorite sport, it's certainly not above satire, which is where 'SNL' comes in.

When you have 'Guardians of the Galaxy' star Chris Pratt guest hosting your season premiere of 'SNL,' you find time for a Marvel sketch. Much like how the show poked fun at 'The Avengers' when Jeremy Renner hosted, this episode found a very game Pratt participating in an amusing fake movie trailer that not only made fun of his space opera blockbuster, but Marvel Studios in general.

The 40th season of ‘Saturday Night Live’ has arrived (as well as the fifth season of ‘SNL’ Scorecard -- and I just can’t believe I’ve been doing this for five years) and, boy, what a difference a year makes. Last year’s season premiere featured six new cast members and was one of the clumsiest shows in recent memory. (Hey, remember ‘New Cast Member Or Member of Arcade Fire’? Gah.) This season, we have two new cast members and, more importantly, a significantly smaller cast. This was the first ‘SNL’ in over a year where I felt some actual intimacy with the cast. Look at newcomer Pete Davidson: he was everywhere! It was almost as if this incarnation of ‘SNL’ was built just to make us forget about last season. It didn’t completely work (I’ll never forget you, Rick Shoulders), but with a first-time host like Chris Pratt (who is a natural) and what feels like a much more focused show, this was a really great start.

Whether the 'SNL' shakeups of season 40 have truly come to a close or not, this Saturday will see 'Guardians of the Galaxy' and 'Parks and Recreation' star Chris Pratt kicking off the premiere in Star-Lord style. Feast your faces on seven-full minutes of promo goodness, as Chris Pratt takes the 'SNL' stage for the first time!

Of the many changes in store for the 40th season of 'SNL,' none would prove so heartbreaking as the loss of beloved announcer Don Pardo, who passed away earlier this year. No one could ever replace Pardo's distinct intonation announcing every 'SNL' installment, though the new voice of the sketch comedy series will at least be a familiar one, as distinguished alum Darrell Hammond takes the mic.

Early reports on 'SNL' season 40's inaugural three hosts pegged 'Guardians of the Galaxy star Chris Pratt and comedian Sarah Silverman, though it seems reports of series alum Bill Murray were only half-right. 'SNL' has indeed tapped a legendary departed cast member for its third season 40 host, that of more recent alumni Bill Hader!

Former 'SNL' head writer Seth Meyers has made it his business to bring some of those sketches cut from 'SNL' to his own 'Late Night' show, and the results have so far been uproarious. While Will Forte's cut bit got the full sketch treatment a few months ago, Bill Hader didn't need those same bells and whistles. After all, his snipped sketch just involved him putting on a weirdly nuanced impression of '60 Minutes' anchor Bob Simon.

We'd known that 'SNL' would need some additional fine-tuning after shedding some of the dead weight of season 39, but where writer Colin Jost had replaced "Weekend Update"s departed Seth Meyers alongside Cecily Strong, an unexpected shakeup has emerged. Strong will step down from the Update desk, remaining an 'SNL' regular, while 'Daily Show' correspondent and 'SNL' writer Michael Che will become Jost's new co-anchor.

Don Pardo, the man who introduced the 'SNL' lineup every week since 1975, has sadly passed away at the age of 96. Pardo also lent his voice to radio, sports, game shows, and commercials over the course of his incredibly long-running career, but we'll always remember him best for that wonderful phrase: "It's 'Saturday Night Live!'"

Tracy Morgan ('30 Rock,' 'Saturday Night Live') is in critical condition after a six-vehicle accident on the New Jersey Turnpike early Saturday morning. Morgan had been riding in a limo bus from Dover, Delaware where he performed Friday night.

Having been fired from 'SNL' in 1995 along with fellow comedic legend Chris Farley, Sandler recently spoke to yet another notable alum, Norm MacDonald, who asked Sandler why he never returned to host an episode.