snl

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.

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.

Despite 'SNL' heading into its landmark 40th season (and shedding a few players in the process), things have been curiously quiet on the front of NBC's beloved sketch comedy show, particularly with regard to its initial hosts. Now, the network confirms that 'Guardians of the Galaxy' and 'Parks and Recreation' star Chris Pratt will host the September 27 premiere with musical guest Ariana Grande, preceding comedian Sarah Silverman, while rumors suggest legendary alum Bill Murray will follow!

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!'"

Yesterday saw 'SNL' fans caught off guard by the news that season 39 freshman Brooks Wheelan was let go from the cast in advance of season 40, and now a few more names have been cast into the fire. Fellow season 39 additions Noël Wells and John Milhiser have also been confirmed to be let go from the long-running NBC sketch comedy series, with a "murky" future for Michael Patrick O'Brien as well.

After all the turnover season 39 of 'SNL' brought to the cast, between Fred Armisen, Bill Hader, Jason Sudeikis and Seth Meyers departing, as well as controversial additions like that of Sasheer Zamata, the 40th anniversary season of the long-running NBC sketch comedy was expected to bring with it a few changes. Now, the first of the season 39 freshmen have been cut, as cast member Brooks Wheelan announces he won't return this fall.

It's always a sad day when we have to say goodbye to some of our favorite 'SNL' cast members, much as the past year saw the likes of Fred Armisen, Jason Sudeikis and Bill Hader all departing the long-running sketch comedy series. This past season's finale didn't include any explicit goodbyes, but may in fact have been the confirmed exit of series star Nasim Pedrad, as she moves on to a new FOX series.

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.