This is the final season for Jeff Richards (who quit mid-season over creative differences) and Jimmy Fallon (who decided to leave the show after the final episode).
This season also marked the debut of a brand new stage for the host's monologue and the musical guest performing stage. Instead of the wrought-iron fire escape motif with the blinking "ON AIR" light, the stages are now modeled after Grand Central Station (right down to the spherical clock).
| Special Name |
Original Air Date |
Notes |
| The Best of Chris Kattan |
September 27, 2003 |
- Sketchs included: "The Roxbury Guys," "Mango," "Defense Attorney Suel," "The How Do You Say? Ah Yes, Show," "Mr. Peppers in the Lab," "Auditions for Bon Jovi," "America Undercover," "The Rialto Grande," "Goth Talk," "Sparks," "Oprah," "Larry King's Wedding Reception," "E! Impeachment Coverage," "Loaded-Musical Performance," "Emmy Awards Pre-Show," "Shopping at Home Network," "Siamese Twin Dates," and some "Weekend Update" clips.
|
| The Best of Tracy Morgan |
October 25, 2003 |
- Sketchs include: "Wong & Owen, Ex-Porn Stars," "Brian Fellow's Safari Planet," "Pimp Chat," "Woodrow," "The View," "Uncle Jemima's Down House Mash Liquor," "Tracy Confronts Garth," "Astronaut Jones," "Talkin' to the Stars," "Hardball," "Big Bernard," "At the Movies," "Christmas Eve Drinks," "Channel 5 Late Night Movie," and a Weekend Update clips.
|
| The Best of Will Ferrell, Volume 2 |
December 20, 2003 |
- Ferrell becomes the first cast member to have two best ofs.
|
| The Best of Christopher Walken |
May 22, 2004 |
- Walken becomes the second frequent host and non-cast member to get his own "Best of" special, following in the footsteps of Steve Martin.
- Sketches include: "The Continental" (on the TV airing, it was the sketch from 1992; the DVD version has the "Continental" sketch from 1992, the one from 2000, and a dress rehearsal version of the one from 2003), "Ed Glosser Trivial Psychic", "Rita Snowed In", "Behind the Music: Blue Oyster Cult", "Leon Loves Mango", "Hardball","Pranksters", "The Bad Raft Captain" (DVD version only), "Colonel Angus" and "Christopher Walken at the 25th Anniversary Special". The DVD version includes two dress rehearsal sketches: "The Black Guardian Angel" and a movie trailer parody called Fonzie.
|
| Episode # |
Air Date |
Host(s) |
Musical Guest(s) |
Remarks |
| 546 (29.1) |
October 4, 2003 |
Jack Black |
John Mayer |
- John Mayer performed "Bigger Than My Body" and "Clarity."
- The last sketch about telemarketers singing about their glory days ending is cut off abruptly due to the show running too long.
- Will Ferrell's cameo appearance in the monologue received so much applause that it extended the length of the monologue by an additional 45 seconds.
- Finesse Mitchell and Kenan Thompson's first episode as cast members.
- Kyle Gass and Tyler James Williams made a cameo in this episode.
|
| 547 (29.2) |
October 11, 2003 |
Justin Timberlake |
|
| 548 (29.3) |
October 18, 2003 |
Halle Berry |
Britney Spears |
|
| 549 (29.4) |
November 1, 2003 |
Kelly Ripa |
Outkast |
|
| 550 (29.5) |
November 8, 2003 |
Andy Roddick |
Dave Matthews |
- John McEnroe makes multiple appearances in this episode, including the monologue, the Billie Jean King sketch and Jock Talk. He also cameos in a short piece after the "British Nanny" sketch where he and Chris Parnell play tennis commentators analyzing Roddick's hosting. They were supposed to return later on in the show but the piece was cut for time.
- Dave Matthews & Friends performed "Save Me" and "So Damn Lucky."
- This was the public debut of Dave Matthews' solo project Dave Matthews & Friends, which toured extensively in the winter of 2003. The band included Trey Anastasio, who had previously performed on SNL with Kid Rock and his own band Phish.
|
| 551 (29.6) |
November 15, 2003 |
Alec Baldwin |
Missy Elliott |
|
| 552 (29.7) |
December 6, 2003 |
Al Sharpton |
Pink |
- Pink performed "Trouble" and "God Is a DJ"
- Many NBC affiliates (particularly in Iowa) did not air this episode due to fear of breaking equal time laws (Al Sharpton was a presidential candidate at the time), and aired either three half-hour infomercials or the SNL special "The Best of Steve Martin" in its place. It finally aired on all NBC affiliates on July 31, 2004. This gave fodder for a Weekend Update segment entitled "Tina and Jimmy Making Fun of Cities That Aren't Showing SNL Tonight".
- Paris Hilton, who would later host a season 30 episode, appears on Weekend Update.
- Former cast member Tracy Morgan appears in the monologue as the young Al Sharpton, in a sketch about the three wise men getting pulled over, in a reprise of his recurring segment, Brian Fellow's Safari Planet, with Sharpton as Fellow's brother, and in a sketch about racial stereotypes in a 1930s film.
- Johnny Cochran appears in the audience during the "Michael Jackson on a Roller Coaster" sketch.
|
| 553 (29.8) |
December 13, 2003 |
Elijah Wood |
Jet |
|
| 554 (29.9) |
January 10, 2004 |
Jennifer Aniston |
The Black Eyed Peas |
|
| 555 (29.10) |
January 17, 2004 |
Jessica Simpson and Nick Lachey |
G Unit |
- G Unit performed "Stunt 101" and "Wanna Get to Know You," the latter of which featured a cameo by R&B singer Joe
- Jeff Richards' final episode as a cast member.
- Former SNL writer James Eagan wrote Nick and Jessica's campy variety monologue. He would go on to write their primetime variety special and Christmas special.
|
| 556 (29.11) |
February 7, 2004 |
Megan Mullally |
Clay Aiken |
- Clay Aiken performed "Invisible" and "The Way" and also appeared as himself in the monologue and in the last sketch as a fictional relative named Tray Aiken.
- During the opening titles, Don Pardo accidentally announces Chris Parnell's name as "Chris Kattan". He then corrects himself before Parnell's title credit goes off-screen.
- Mullally's husband, Nick Offerman, makes a cameo appearance during the Golden Globes sketch.
|
| 557 (29.12) |
February 14, 2004 |
Drew Barrymore |
Kelis |
- Kelis performed "Milkshake" and "Trick Me."
- Among the sketches cut from dress rehearsal included a sketch about the art of bartending with Drew Barrymore playing the bartender, a sketch in which all the girls dress up as flowers and sing, and a commercial about smoked sausages cooked by Firestarter (the character from Drew's early film career). This commercial was cut after dress rehearsal but would later show up on air in 2007 during Drew Barrymore's next hosting appearance.
- Will Forte plays George W. Bush for the first time.
- Writer Scott Wainio appears in a brief filmed sketch where he interviews people without using a microphone.
|
| 558 (29.13) |
February 21, 2004 |
Christina Aguilera |
Maroon 5 |
|
| 559 (29.14) |
March 6, 2004 |
Colin Firth |
Norah Jones |
- Norah Jones performed "Sunrise" and "What Am I to You?."
- Ana Gasteyer makes a cameo appearance in the cold opening as Martha Stewart. In dress rehearsal, Amy Poehler played her role.
- NBC never reran this episode.
|
| 560 (29.15) |
March 13, 2004 |
Ben Affleck |
N.E.R.D. |
|
| 561 (29.16) |
April 3, 2004 |
Donald Trump |
Toots & the Maytals |
|
| 562 (29.17) |
April 10, 2004 |
Janet Jackson |
- Janet Jackson performed "All Nite (Don't Stop)" and "Strawberry Bounce,"
- SNL writer J.B. Smoove appears in the parody of the 1970s sitcom, Good Times as Jimmie "J.J." Walker.
- Chris Kattan and Tracy Morgan both cameo in a Season's Greetings from SNL musical number. Simon Cowell also cameos to criticize them before joining in himself. Morgan also reprised his role as Brian Fellow and appeared in the Good Times sketch.
|
| 563 (29.18) |
May 1, 2004 |
Lindsay Lohan |
Usher |
- Usher performed "Yeah!" and "Burn". The former song featured a cameo appearance by Ludacris.
- Lohan was originally supposed to host the April 3 show to coincide with the movie Mean Girls, but when the movie was pushed back a month, so was her hosting appearance.
- A mishap occurred in the sketch where Billy Joel, (played by Horatio Sanz, drove the girls to a party. The car was supposed to hit various things on the way to the party, and it did. However, when a mailbox landed on top of the car's hood, it did not slide off, blocking the view of the inside of the car. This forced Horatio climb out the driver's window and push the mailbox off the hood, revealing all the girls (and Horatio) breaking character.
- This was the episode that Rachel Dratch made her first appearance as Debbie Downer, during the skit, the cast members and Lohan broke character after the "wah-wah's" and Dratch messing up her lines.
|
| 564 (29.19) |
May 8, 2004 |
Snoop Dogg |
Avril Lavigne |
|
| 565 (29.20) |
May 15, 2004 |
Mary-Kate Olsen
Ashley Olsen
|
J-Kwon |
- J-Kwon performed "Tipsy."
- The Olsen Twins missed their own prom so they could host SNL.
- The Olsen twins are the third pairing of sibling celebrities to host SNL (the first were Dick and Tommy Smothers; the second were Jeff and Beau Bridges, though neither pair are twins).
- This episode features a short film about a bald boy named Harold, which was the basis for a film featuring the character.
- Jimmy Fallon's final episode as a cast member. J-Kwon's second performance was cut so there would be time to air Fallon's farewell sketch.
|
United States
