Saturday Night Live's 50th season launches later this month, and an initial lineup of hosts and musical guests has been announced. The host for the kickoff Sept. 28 show will be Emmy-winning Hacks and Fargo star Jean Smart, who has never graced the SNL stage before, reports Variety. She'll be joined by Grammy-nominated singer/rapper Jelly Roll. "SO EXCITED!!! Bucket list!" Smart gushed Wednesday on Instagram after news broke of her hosting duties, per the AP. The rest of the near-term SNL host roster, and their accompanying musical guests:
- Sept. 28: Jean Smart, musical guest Jelly Roll
- Oct. 5: Nate Bargatze, musical guest Coldplay
- Oct. 12: Ariana Grande, musical guest Stevie Nicks
- Oct. 19: Michael Keaton, musical guest Billie Eilish
- Nov. 2: John Mulaney, musical guest Chappell Roan
Meanwhile, the
Hollywood Reporter recently spoke with show creator Lorne Michaels and "Weekend Update" anchors Colin Jost and Michael Che about the show's 50 years on the air. "There are not many network shows left, and this one has taken on [an importance]," Michaels said. "I just know that this is kind of what I do and as long as I can keep doing it, I'll keep doing it." More
here. (More
Saturday Night Live stories.)