Posted in: NBC, Preview, Trailer, TV | Tagged: Keke Palmer, nbc, preview, saturday night live, snl, sza, teaser

Is Saturday Night Live Ready for The Octuple Threat of Keke Palmer?

Now that we know how Lorne Michaels & NBC's Saturday Night Live will be wrapping up its year (more on that in a minute), we can turn the focus back onto where it belongs, with host Keke Palmer (Nope) and musical guest SZA. After yesterday's "welcome" video, Palmer is back for a midweek sketch with SNL cast member Devon Walker. And as impressed as Walker is with Palmer hosting and just how much of a multi-talent that she is, Palmer makes it clear that she's no "triple-threat" because that s**t's for amateurs. No, Palmer's an… octuple threat?!?

And don't forget that Steve Martin & Martin Short (Only Murders in the Building) will co-host on December 10th with musical guest Brandi Carlile. And then, on December 17th, Austin Butler (Elvis) takes the stage with musical guests Yeah Yeah Yeahs to end 2022 (hopefully) on a very funny note. Now here's a look at Palmer's midweek SNL sketch:

And here's a look back at the official intro video released by NBC yesterday, with a look at how the SNL read-thru is going expected later on today:

NBC's SNL Season 48 includes Michael Che, Mikey Day, Andrew Dismukes, Chloe Fineman, Heidi Gardner, Marcello Hernandez, James Austin Johnson, Punkie Johnson, Colin Jost, Molly Kearney, Michael Longfellow, Ego Nwodim, Sarah Sherman, Cecily Strong, Kenan Thompson, Devon Walker, and Bowen Yang. Executive produced by Michaels, SNL is directed by Liz Patrick, with alum Darrell Hammond announcing. Based out of Studio 8H in Rockefeller Center, the long-running late-night sketch comedy/music series is produced by SNL Studios in association with Universal Television and Broadway Video.

Lorne Michaels on Saturday Night Live Season 48, SNL Future & More

Speaking with The New York Times, Michaels addressed the casting changes, labeling the upcoming season as "a year of reinvention" that could lead to some "exhilarating" change. He also had some reassuring words for "Weekend Update" fans and teased what's in store for SNL's big 50th-anniversary celebration. Here are some of the highlights:

COVID-19 Fallout Resulted in Much Larger SNL Cast Than Usual: "The pandemic had put us in this position where no one could really leave because there were no jobs. And at the same time, if I don't add new people every year, then the show isn't the show. There have to be new people, for both our sake and also for the audience."

Michaels Believes Cast Departures are Good Things for SNL: "We got to a point where we had a lot of people, and people weren't getting enough playing time. The way the series has survived is by that level of renewal. The price of success is that people go off and do other things; their primary obligation is to their talent and to keep pushing that. And there's something so much better about the show when all that matters is the show. There's a time to say goodbye, and there's a natural time for it, but the natural time just got interfered with by the pandemic."

… Except with Colin Jost, Michael Che & "Weekend Update": "Particularly, coming into a midterm election, I just need that part ['Weekend Update' with Che & Jost] to be as solid as it is."

SNL's 50th Anniversary/Season? Think Big: "The 50th will be a big event. We'll bring everyone back from all 50 years and hosts and all of that. It will be a very emotional and very strong thing. There won't be as many plus-ones, I can tell you that much."

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