Posted in: NBC, Preview, TV, YouTube | Tagged: bob odenkirk, charli xcx, chris farley, nbc, oscar isaac, saturday night live, snl

SNL: Bob Odenkirk Explains Hating Chris Farley's "Chippendales" Sketch

With only hours to go until Moon Knight star Oscar Isaac and musical guest Charli XCX take the stages of Studio 8H for tonight's new episode of NBC's Saturday Night Live, the promo machine is in neutral so we like to spend Saturday afternoons looking out across the SNL universe. And this time around, we're checking back in with Better Call Saul star Bob Odenkirk, who stopped by SiriusXM's The Howard Stern Show to promote his new autobiography Comedy, Comedy, Comedy, Drama. Now the last time we checked in with Odenkirk (an SNL writer from 1987-1995/129 episodes and occasionally appeared on-camera), he was killing us with his story about action movie star Steven Seagal hosting back in April 1991 and how Seagal would reportedly go on to be banned from hosting SNL ever again by series creator Lorne Michaels. This time around, the conversation turned heartbreakingly emotional as Odenkirk discussed his late friend, SNL cast member & film actor Chris Farley. And while many of you reading this will start running any number of Farley's sketches or films through your mind at the mention of his name, Odenkirk explained why he hopes the Patrick Swayze-co-starring "Chippendales" sketch isn't one of them.

By now, most of you know the sketch we're talking about. It was during the Swayze-hosted (with musical guest Mariah Carey) October 27, 1990 episode where Swayze and Farley played competing dancers vying for the final spot on the Chippendales roster. As SNL history & lore goes, Farley was on shaky ground when it came to his SNL future, but it would be this sketch that many would consider being the one that would send his career into the stratosphere before his untimely death in 1997 at the age of 33 (the same age his idol John Belushi was when he died). But as Odenkirk explains, the reason he hates that sketch is that it fed into all of the insecurities that Farley already had about himself and how he looked. And though others may argue that viewers found the "overall concept" funny, Odenkirk sees it as viewers laughing at Farley's weight and making his physical appearance the butt of a really cheap & horrible joke. Here's a look at Odenkirk explaining in further detail why he will never be a fan of Farley's "Chippendales" sketch as well as sharing a heartbreaking story of his final time with the comedian:

In the first of this week's on-set promos, SNL star (and the greatest "Beerhat Subway Jesus" to ever take the stage) Aidy Bryant wants to know if Isaac and Charli XCX want to practice their kissing scene with her. Though it looks like it might be more "improv" than "in the script." Following that, Isaac and Bryant insult every single person on the planet with a British accent by looking to honor Charli XCX with takes that sound like angry, stroked-out chimney sweeps:

Now here's a look at Isaac in the middle of read-thru for this week, followed by what we've been treated to this week so far:

And here's a look back at the official teaser welcome for Isaac and Charli XCX. And don't forget that on March 12, Zoë Kravitz (The Batman) takes the main stage at Studio 8H to host, with musical guest Rosalía joining Kravitz:

During a tour behind-the-scenes of SNL's show night with CBS Mornings host Gayle King for his Kennedy Center honor before the end of the year, Saturday Night Live creator Lorne Michaels revealed that he had been thinking of retiring and thought it was a "really good time to leave." But first and foremost, his commitment is to see the show make it to that milestone. "I think I'm committed to doing this show until its 50th anniversary, which is in three years. I'd like to see that through, and I have a feeling that'd be a really good time to leave," Michaels explained. "I won't want the show ever to be bad. I care too deeply about it. It's been my life's work. So I'm going to do everything I can to see it carry on and carry on well," he continued. And while Michaels was loathed to discuss details on something that wouldn't happen for three more years, he did admit when it comes to who would take on the role next that they had "a sense of where we're headed with that."

NBC's Saturday Night Live Season 47 cast includes Aidy Bryant, Michael Che, Pete Davidson, Mikey Day, Chloe Fineman, Heidi Gardner, Colin Jost, Kate McKinnon, Alex Moffat, Kyle Mooney, Ego Nwodim, Chris Redd, Cecily Strong, Kenan Thompson, Melissa Villaseñor, and Bowen Yang; feature players include the returning Andrew Dismukes and Punkie Johnson, as well as new players Aristotle Athari (Future Man, All Rise), James Austin Johnson (Silicon Valley), and Sarah Sherman (The Eric Andre Show).

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