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Saturday Night Live season 26

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Saturday Night Live
Season 26
The title card for the twenty-sixth season of Saturday Night Live.
No. of episodes20
Release
Original networkNBC
Original releaseOctober 7, 2000 (2000-10-07) –
May 19, 2001 (2001-05-19)
Season chronology
← Previous
season 25
Next →
season 27
List of episodes

The twenty-sixth season of Saturday Night Live, an American sketch comedy series, originally aired in the United States on NBC between October 7, 2000, and May 19, 2001.

History

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2000 presidential election

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The 2000–01 season was also noted for its well-received spoofing of that year's presidential campaign between Al Gore and George W. Bush. The two candidates even appeared (separately) on a special with the cast in fall 2000.[1] Will Ferrell's Bush impression coined the term "strategery" in a sketch mocking Bush's propensity for mispronunciations, while Darrell Hammond's Gore was characterized by his slow, deliberate drawl and use of the term "lockbox" during the show's debate sketches.[2]

In April 2015, Ferrell stated that he thought his impression "humanized" Bush to the country and may have won him the election, and that Hammond's "rigid, robotic-like" take on Gore may have influenced the result also.[3]

Cast

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Before the start of the season, longtime cast members Tim Meadows,[4] Cheri Oteri,[5] and Colin Quinn[6] all left the show. Meadows had been on the show for 10 seasons since 1990, while Oteri and Quinn had both been on for five seasons since 1995. The show added two new featured players: SNL head writer Tina Fey and Second City comedian Jerry Minor.[7] Fey had been a writer on the show since 1997 and began as the show's head writer in 1999. Rachel Dratch and Maya Rudolph remained featured players. Minor was let go following this season.

This would be Molly Shannon's final season on the show.[8] Leaving midseason, she surpassed Victoria Jackson as the show's longest-serving female cast member (Amy Poehler would surpass Shannon's record seven years later).

Chris Parnell was fired at the end of this season, but then rehired midway through the next season. Executive producer Lorne Michaels would later admit he made a mistake in firing Parnell.[9]

In 1999, Tina Fey became the show's first female head writer.[10] With Colin Quinn's Weekend Update tenure over, Lorne Michaels teamed Fey with Jimmy Fallon this season, the first duo to anchor the segment since Christine Ebersole and Brian Doyle-Murray in the early 1980s.[11] This pairing was well received by critics.[10] Fey appeared occasionally as an extra before being hired as a cast member.[12] Fey was a featured player during her first season and was then promoted to contract player, while still maintaining her position as head writer.

This season also marked the first time since Season 14 that John Goodman didn't host at all. He had previously hosted at least one episode per season for a ten-year stretch.

Cast roster

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bold denotes "Weekend Update" anchor

Writers

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Main article: List of Saturday Night Live writers § season 26

Jim Downey rejoins the writing staff this season.[13] James Anderson, who went on to write on SNL for decades, joins the writing staff as a new writer.[14]

Starting with the Charlie Sheen-hosted episode, Tina Fey's is officially credited as head writer (as opposed to writing supervisor like the previous season, in which she was in the same role, just under a different name).

Additionally, starting with that episode, longtime writer Dennis McNicholas (who had been a writer since 1995) is named as Fey's co-head writer; meanwhile, fellow veteran writers Paula Pell and Harper Steele (who had also been writers since 1995) are named as the new writing supervisors, in the role previously held by Fey.[15]

Erik Kenward (a current producer for the show)[16] joins the writing staff with the Katie Holmes-hosted episode.[17]

This was also the final season for Adam McKay (a writer since 1995)[18] and Robert Carlock (a writer since 1996).[19] McKay left after six years, while Carlock left after five.

Episodes

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Main article: List of Saturday Night Live episodes
No.
overall		No. in
season		HostMusical guest(s)Original air date
4861Rob LoweEminemOctober 7, 2000 (2000-10-07)

4872Kate HudsonRadioheadOctober 14, 2000 (2000-10-14)

4883Dana CarveyThe WallflowersOctober 21, 2000 (2000-10-21)

4894Charlize TheronPaul SimonNovember 4, 2000 (2000-11-04)

  • Paul Simon performs "Hurricane Eye" and "Old". He also appears in the DiMarco Brothers sketch.
  • SNL writer and stand up comedian Hugh Fink appears as himself on Weekend Update in a commentary on Judaism and Joe Lieberman.
4905Calista FlockhartRicky MartinNovember 11, 2000 (2000-11-11)

  • Ricky Martin performs "She Bangs" and "Loaded".
  • Chris Kattan impersonates Martin right before the real Martin performs the song "Loaded" (from Martin's album Sound Loaded).
  • Giovanni Hidalgo performs percussion during Martin's musical performances.
4916Tom GreenDavid GrayNovember 18, 2000 (2000-11-18)

  • David Gray performs "Babylon" and appears in the "Wedding" sketch.
  • Drew Barrymore is in the audience and mentioned in the monologue by Tom Green.
  • Gwyneth Paltrow appears on Weekend Update.
  • Tom's parents Mary Jane and Richard Green appear in the opening monologue and the "Wedding" sketch.
  • Shawn Greenson, Derek Harvie, and Glenn Humplik appear in the "Wedding" sketch.
  • Green brought in his own writers for this episode, which didn't please the cast.[20][21]
4927Val KilmerU2December 9, 2000 (2000-12-09)

  • U2 performs "Beautiful Day" and "Elevation".
  • The previous day marked the 20th anniversary of the murder of John Lennon; Bono paid tribute to Lennon by singing a verse of "All You Need Is Love" over the end of "Beautiful Day".
  • The Director, Associate Directors, and Stage Managers who worked on this episode won a Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement.
4938Lucy LiuJay-ZDecember 16, 2000 (2000-12-16)

4949Charlie SheenNelly FurtadoJanuary 13, 2001 (2001-01-13)

  • Nelly Furtado performs "I'm Like a Bird".
  • Charlie Sheen reprises his role as Ricky Vaughn from the Major League films in "The NFL Pregame" sketch.
49510Mena SuvariLenny KravitzJanuary 20, 2001 (2001-01-20)

  • Lenny Kravitz performs "Again" and "Mr. Cab Driver" and appears in two sketches as himself; one as holding auditions for Kyle and Sean DeMarco (Chris Kattan and Chris Parnell) and another going through airport security.
  • Former U.S. Attorney General Janet Reno makes a special appearance in the "Janet Reno's Dance Party" sketch where she confronts Janet Reno (portrayed by Will Ferrell).
  • Fred Wesley performs with the SNL Band.
49611Jennifer LopezJennifer LopezFebruary 10, 2001 (2001-02-10)

  • Jennifer Lopez performs "Play" and "Love Don't Cost a Thing".
  • Tom Hanks makes a brief appearance during Weekend Update.
  • Tracy Morgan opens the show by saying, "Live from New York, it's Jennifer Lopez's booty!"
  • This episode was delayed on the East Coast by 45 minutes due to a double overtime XFL football game.[22]
49712Sean HayesShaggyFebruary 17, 2001 (2001-02-17)

49813Katie HolmesDave Matthews BandFebruary 24, 2001 (2001-02-24)

49914Conan O'BrienDon HenleyMarch 10, 2001 (2001-03-10)

50015Julia StilesAerosmithMarch 17, 2001 (2001-03-17)

50116Alec BaldwinColdplayApril 7, 2001 (2001-04-07)

50217Renée ZellwegerEveApril 14, 2001 (2001-04-14)

50318Pierce BrosnanDestiny's ChildMay 5, 2001 (2001-05-05)

  • Destiny's Child performs "Survivor" and "Emotion," and also appears in a sketch as former members of "Gemini's Twin", a recurring parody of the group.
  • Julia Stiles appears in the cold opening, as George W. Bush's daughter, Jenna.
  • Molly Shannon appears in an SNL Digital Short, "Five Finger Di$count".
50419Lara Flynn BoyleBon JoviMay 12, 2001 (2001-05-12)

50520Christopher WalkenWeezerMay 19, 2001 (2001-05-19)

  • Weezer performs "Hash Pipe" and "Island in the Sun".
  • Former cast member Kevin Nealon appears during Weekend Update to tell viewers he is not on SNL anymore and that viewers who do see him are watching reruns from the 1990s that at the time aired on Comedy Central.
  • Winona Ryder appears during The Weekend Update Cliffhanger.
  • Jerry Minor's final episode as a cast member.
  • Chris Parnell's final episode as a cast member (until the middle of the next season).
  • This is the last episode to air before the 9/11 attacks.

Specials

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TitleOriginal air date
"2000 Presidential Bash"November 3, 2000 (2000-11-03)
The special included election material from this year and years past. Rachel Dratch, Will Ferrell and Darrell Hammond hosted the special while doing a number of different impressions. This special also featured cameo appearances from George W. Bush, Al Gore, Jesse Ventura, George H. W. Bush, Barbara Bush and Dana Carvey.
"Thursday Night Live (1)"February 1, 2001 (2001-02-01)
"The Culps' Mandatory Drug Awareness Assembly" sketch from this episode was included in the prime-time special "SNL Mother's Day Special 2001" as well as the clip show "The Best of Will Ferrell".
"Thursday Night Live (2)"February 8, 2001 (2001-02-08)
"The Best of Molly Shannon"March 20, 2001 (2001-03-20)
The special included material featuring Molly Shannon during her stint on the show. Sketches include "Mary Katherine Gallagher," "Leg Up," "The Courtney Love Show," "Pretty Living," "Delicious Dish," "Rockettes Auditions," "Monica Lewinsky in Congress," "Fanatic" (film), "Blind Date At The Airport," "Veronica and Co.," "Dame Elizabeth Taylor," and "Jeannie Darcy".
"Mother's Day Special 2001"May 13, 2001 (2001-05-13)
The first SNL Mother's Day special since 1993, the episode featured the cast and their mothers talking about their favorite sketches aired on the show. Sketches included "Behind the Music: Rock & Roll Heaven", "TRL: Gemini's Twin", "Mango vs. J.Lo", "The Weakest Link" and more. This special contained a special tribute to singer-songwriter Minnie Riperton, who was the mother of cast member Maya Rudolph.

The Ladies Man film

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Main article: The Ladies Man (2000 film)

Based on Leon Phelps' popular sketches, The Ladies Man film was released on October 13, 2000. The film's star Tim Meadows left Saturday Night Live at the end of the previous season but returned to promote the film in the first episode of this season. Cast members Will Ferrell and Chris Parnell and former SNL cast member Mark McKinney co-starred in this film. The movie was panned by critics and flopped at the box office.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ de Moraes, Lisa (November 2, 2000). "Taped From New York, It's the Candidates on 'Saturday Night'". Washington Post. Archived from the original on May 29, 2024.
  2. ^ McGee, Ryan; Fear, David; Murray, Noel (August 22, 2017). "20 Best 'Saturday Night Live' Political Sketches". Rolling Stone. Retrieved May 29, 2024.
  3. ^ Guerrasio, Jason (April 17, 2015). "Will Ferrell thinks his 'SNL' portrayal of George W. Bush influenced the 2000 election". Business Insider Australia. Archived from the original on July 11, 2015. Retrieved June 16, 2015.
  4. ^ "Meadows leaves the "SNL' nest". Tampa Bay Times. October 19, 2000. Retrieved April 23, 2024.
  5. ^ "Whatever happened to Cheri Oteri from…". Chicago Tribune. April 14, 2002. Retrieved April 23, 2024.
  6. ^ "Colin Quinn has to prove himself fast with series". New York Daily News. March 8, 2002. p. C5. Retrieved April 23, 2024 – via Reading Eagle.
  7. ^ Wright, Megh (September 25, 2012). "Saturday Night's Children: Jerry Minor (2000-2001)". Vulture. Retrieved April 23, 2024.
  8. ^ "Shannon to Exit 'SNL'". People. Archived from the original on March 2, 2011. Retrieved April 23, 2024.
  9. ^ Izadi, Elahe (August 9, 2016). "The weird ways people have been fired from 'Saturday Night Live'". Washington Post. Retrieved April 23, 2024.
  10. ^ a b Kennedy, Randy (October 12, 2004). "A First for Fake News". The New York Times. Archived from the original on July 9, 2017. Retrieved June 16, 2015.
  11. ^ Shales & Miller 2002, pp. 440–442.
  12. ^ Gay, Jason (March 5, 2001). "Meet Four-Eyed New Sex Symbol, 'Weekend Update' Anchor Tina Fey". Observer. Archived from the original on August 26, 2011. Retrieved June 16, 2015.
  13. ^ Sacks, Mike (2014). Poking a Dead Frog. New York: Penguin Books. pp. 1–2. ISBN 978-1-101-61327-6.
  14. ^ @jazzblob (December 20, 2020). "After 20 fun filled seasons at SNL i didn't return for 21. My fairy god queer reminded me how I would disintegrate into a neat pile of southern dust. However, I had fun popping back in for Wiig and I didn't transform into dust, it was more like a disco mist. ❤️" – via Instagram.
  15. ^ "Charlie Sheen/Nelly Furtado". Saturday Night Live. Season 26. Episode 9. January 13, 2001. Event occurs at Closing credits. NBC.
  16. ^ https://www.emmys.com/bios/erik-kenward
  17. ^ "Katie Holmes/Dave Matthews Band". Saturday Night Live. Season 26. Episode 13. February 24, 2001. Event occurs at Closing credits. NBC.
  18. ^ Weiner, Jonah (November 29, 2018). "Why the Director of 'Anchorman' Decided to Take On Dick Cheney". The New York Times. Retrieved May 4, 2020.
  19. ^ "Robert Carlock". IMDb. 2011. Retrieved January 12, 2012.
  20. ^ Shales, Tom; Miller, James Andrew (2002). Live From New York: An Uncensored History of Saturday Night Live. Little, Brown. p. 480. ISBN 978-0316781466.
  21. ^ Wilstein, Matt (October 2, 2019). "Tom Green Has One Big Regret About Drew Barrymore and 'Saturday Night Live'". The Daily Beast. Retrieved April 23, 2024.
  22. ^ Carter, Bill (February 13, 2001). "XFL Game Intrusion on 'Saturday Night Live' Roils NBC Executives". The New York Times. Retrieved February 3, 2017.
  23. ^ Schneider, Michael (May 3, 2019). "Chris Kattan Claims He Broke His Neck During 'Saturday Night Live' Sketch". Variety. Retrieved May 12, 2019.
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