Folks, I think Lorne Michaels is still mad that he was forced to fire Shane Gillis. What other explanation besides Michaels still holding a grudge could explain SNL bringing Gillis back to host for the third time?
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Who’s hosting?
NBC announced the first four hosts for Season 52 on Wednesday, with Jalen Brunson hosting when SNL returns on Sept. 26. The NBA champion will be followed by Dakota Johnson on Oct. 3, Gillis on Oct. 10 and Inde Navarrette on Oct. 31. You’ll note that there’s a two-week break between Gillis’s episode and Navarrette getting to anchor the Halloween show.
Have they hosted before?
Brunson and Navarrette are hosting for the first time, while Johnson returns for her second stint. (Hopefully Jimmy Fallon and Justin Timberlake don’t steal her episode again.) And somehow, despite being a standup comedian who can’t give an SNL monologue and having his episodes consistently rank among the show’sworst, Gillis is back for a third time. I guess that until someone can go back in time and undo Michaels firing Gillis, the SNL showrunner is going to keep bringing Gillis back out of spite.
Who are the musical guests?
KATSEYE will perform on Sept. 26, Turnstile on Oct. 3, Rosalía on Oct. 10 and Gracie Abrams on Oct. 31.
The Cold Open is a publication of The Omnicosm. Issue No. 80
The Cold Open is written and produced by Bill Kuchman. Copyediting by Tim Kuchman.
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The Omnicosm founder. Snackology, Popculturology and The Cold Open writer. A Rochester, N.Y., native now living in the Washington, D.C., area. Won’t pass up a Genny Cream Ale.
