Recurring Saturday Night Live characters and sketches introduced 2006–07
The following is a list of recurring Saturday Night Live characters and sketches introduced between September 30, 2006, and May 19, 2007, the thirty-second season of SNL.
Jon Bovi
Jon Bovi is a Bon Jovi opposite band played by Will Forte and Jason Sudeikis. All of their songs consist of popular hits, usually but not always by Bon Jovi, with the lyrics reversed; for example, "Your love is like bad medicine/Bad medicine is what I need," becomes, "Your hate is like good medicine/Good medicine is not what I need."
After debuting in a 2006 sketch with Jaime Pressly, all subsequent Jon Bovi appearances were on Weekend Update.
- Appearances
Season | Episode | Host | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
32 | October 7, 2006 | Jaime Pressly | Jon Bovi audition in the office of record executive Jackie Downs (Pressly), performing take-offs of Bon Jovi's "Wanted: Dead or Alive" ("Unwanted: Alive or Dead") and "Bad Medicine" ("Good Medicine"), Usher's "Yeah" ("No"), and Mötley Crüe's "Girls, Girls, Girls" ("Boys, Boys, Boys"). She signs them to a 50-year recording contract. Over the cover of their album Jon Bovi Does Not Sing The Hits Of Scorpions, we hear Jon Bovi's version of Scorpions' "Rock You Like a Hurricane" ("Roll Me Like a Pleasant Day"). |
34 | March 7, 2009 | Dwayne Johnson | |
34 | April 11, 2009 | Zac Efron | |
35 | November 14, 2009 | January Jones |
Two Gay Guys
Portrayed by Fred Armisen and Bill Hader, the "Two Gay Guys from New Jersey" appear on Weekend Update to comment about current events. They embody many stereotypes of New Jersey residents, similar to the characters of The Sopranos (including dropping hints about Mafia connections and activities). They wear matching track suits and gold medallions. The couple interact with each other like good friends, while sprinkling their conversations with reminders that they are in a homosexual relationship.
Armisen and Hader have also appeared as "Two Gay Guys from Connecticut" (April 14, 2007) and "Two Gay Guys from Maine" (November 10, 2012).
- Appearances
Season | Episode | Host | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
32 | October 28, 2006 | Hugh Laurie | As "a same-sex couple from Jersey", the guys comment on the New Jersey Supreme Court ruling that gay couples deserve the same rights as married couples. |
32 | December 16, 2006 | Justin Timberlake | The guys comment on the New Jersey legislature's vote to recognize civil unions for same-sex couples. |
34 | April 11, 2009 | Zac Efron | The guys discuss their recent marriage. |
35 | October 17, 2009 | Gerard Butler | As "two gay guys from New Jersey who are in the military," the guys comment on the Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy, which President Obama had recently announced he would end. |
Blizzard Man
Andy Samberg plays a terrible, yet acclaimed, white rapper. Each sketch takes place in a recording studio where Blizzard Man is asked to come in and work with a major rap star.
- Appearances
Season | Episode | Host | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
32 | November 18, 2006 | Ludacris | Ludacris (as himself) convinces his producers (Jason Sudeikis and Maya Rudolph) to let him feature Blizzard Man on his new recording. |
32 | January 20, 2007 | Jeremy Piven | A music producer (Piven) convinces Common (as himself) to work with Blizzard Man. |
33 | November 22, 2008 | Tim McGraw | Ludacris (as himself) replaces collaborator T-Pain with Blizzard Man; McGraw plays Blizzard Man's manager. |
35 | December 4, 2010 | Robert De Niro | Sean Combs (as himself) brings Blizzard Man into the studio; they are joined by Blizzard Man's mother (De Niro). |
39 | May 17, 2014 | Andy Samberg | Blizzard Man collaborates with guest star 2 Chainz (as himself) |
Aunt Linda
Portrayed by Kristen Wiig, Aunt Linda is Amy Poehler's (fictitious) aunt, who appears on Weekend Update to give almost entirely negative reviews of recent films. But instead of allocating the films a star rating or thumbs up, she reviews each film with her own catchphrases, such as "Whaaat?" or "Oh, brother!" For example, when reviewing Ocean's Thirteen, she gives it "13 Ghaas!" and a "Puhhhleez!".
Her reason for disliking the film is often due to her own misunderstandings, such as when she thought Happy Feet was supposed to be a live action film, or when she thought Ocean's Thirteen was going to be the thirteenth film in the series.
She sometimes ends her appearances by praising a film that you wouldn't expect her to like, such as when she praised Saw III and was asked by Amy Poehler "you went to see Saw?" and Aunt Linda responded, "See it! I liked it so much I kidnapped Tobin Bell and forced him to play a game with me!".
Wiig writes Aunt Linda's appearances with Paula Pell. The character originated when Wiig was performing with the Groundlings, as she described in an interview:
It was a woman who was on the plane who was watching the in-flight movie, which was The Matrix, and she was so confused by it. She didn’t understand anything and she just kept talking to the people, like, "What is going on?" I tried it as a sketch at SNL five times. It went to dress maybe three times, and finally someone was like, "Why don’t you try her at Update?" so that's how she eventually got on the show.[1]
- Appearances
Season | Episode | Host | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
32 | November 11, 2006 | Alec Baldwin | |
32 | December 2, 2006 | Matthew Fox | |
32 | February 24, 2007 | Rainn Wilson | Aunt Linda pans Oscar-nominated films The Queen, The Pursuit of Happyness and Letters from Iwo Jima, but liked The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift. |
32 | May 19, 2007 | Zach Braff | Aunt Linda doesn't like Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest, Ocean's Thirteen, or Rush Hour 3. |
34 | November 1, 2008 | Ben Affleck | Aunt Linda doesn't like new TV series Life on Mars and Knight Rider, but praises Californication's "great storylines, realistic acting, and genitals." |
35 | April 10, 2010 | Tina Fey | Aunt Linda disapproves of Clash of the Titans, Alice in Wonderland, Tooth Fairy, and Avatar. |
Bronx Beat
Blunt, disgusted Bronx housewives Betty Caruso (Amy Poehler) and Jodi Deitz (Maya Rudolph) host a talk show. In most of this sketch's iterations, the ladies fawn over an attractive male guest.
Season | Episode | Host | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
32 | January 13, 2007 | Jake Gyllenhaal | Gyllenhaal plays the author of a mountain biking guide. |
32 | February 10, 2007 | Forest Whitaker | Whitaker and Kristen Wiig play two doctors promoting a blood drive; Betty and Jodi insist the doctors are in love with each other. |
32 | March 24, 2007 | Peyton Manning | Manning plays a zookeeper. |
32 | May 19, 2007 | Zach Braff | Braff plays an intern. |
33 | November 3, 2007 | Brian Williams | Williams plays a firefighter. |
34 | December 13, 2008 | Hugh Laurie | Laurie plays a butcher who opened a new shop. Betty and Jodi are fascinated by his English accent and insist he say words like "schedule" and "vitamin." |
36 | September 25, 2010 | Amy Poehler | Musical guest Katy Perry plays a provocatively dressed library volunteer (in reference to recent real-life criticism of Perry for appearing on Sesame Street in a low-cut dress). |
37 | February 18, 2012 | Maya Rudolph | There are no guests in the studio, so the show's crew members (Andy Samberg and Justin Timberlake, in a cameo) sit down with Betty and Jodi. |
41 | December 19, 2015 | Tina Fey & Amy Poehler | Fey plays Betty's cousin Karen, from Philadelphia. |
This sketch appeared in the dress rehearsal for the May 8, 2010, episode (hosted by Betty White), but was cut for the live episode.
MacGruber
Will Forte plays a special operations agent in a parody of MacGyver. The character starred in its own film in 2010.
- Appearances
Season | Episode | Host | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
32 | January 20, 2007 | Jeremy Piven | MacGruber asks his assistants for disgusting things like dog feces, which they refuse to help with. |
32 | May 12, 2007 | Molly Shannon | |
33 | October 6, 2007 | Seth Rogen | |
33 | March 15, 2008 | Jonah Hill | |
33 | May 10, 2008 | Shia LaBeouf | |
34 | October 18, 2008 | Josh Brolin | |
34 | March 7, 2009 | Dwayne Johnson | MacGyver (cameo by Richard Dean Anderson) is revealed to be MacGruber's father. Five weeks earlier, MacGruber and MacGyver had appeared together in a series of Super Bowl commercials (promoting Pepsi) that resembled MacGruber sketches. |
35 | January 10, 2010 | Charles Barkley | |
35 | May 8, 2010 | Betty White |
The Dakota Fanning Show
Precocious child actress Dakota Fanning (Amy Poehler) hosts her own talk show, which she describes as "the only forum for child actors to discuss cinema, theater, politics, philosophy, and the cultural zeitgeist at large." The highly intellectual Dakota has trouble relating to her guests; for example, while talking to Dylan and Cole Sprouse about their sitcom The Suite Life of Zack & Cody, Dakota says the word "hotel" "invokes images of [the film] Hotel Rwanda, about the Rwandan genocide", prompting Dylan Sprouse to say, "Dakota, you're scaring us." Her references are frequently lost on the show's cheerful bandleader, Reggie Hudson (Kenan Thompson), leading her to make condescending remarks such as "If it isn't in the check-out line at Wal-Mart, Reggie hasn't read it." Dakota herself often professes to be "not familiar" with popular entertainment such as Family Guy, ESPN, or Harry Potter. Kristen Wiig appears as Dakota's mother, whom she addresses as Catherine, despite her mother's requests to call her Mom.
Poehler also played Dakota Fanning in a sketch on the September 29, 2007, episode, where she presented a Kid's Choice Award (while commenting, "It's so weird that they asked me, Dakota Fanning, to present the award for Best TV Show, because I don't even own a TV!").
Season | Episode | Host | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
32 | February 3, 2007 | Drew Barrymore | Barrymore appears as Abigail Breslin; Bill Hader appears as Daniel Radcliffe. |
32 | April 14, 2007 | Shia LaBeouf | LaBeouf and Andy Samberg appear as Cole and Dylan Sprouse; musical guest Avril Lavigne appears as Dakota's sister Elle Fanning. |
33 | March 1, 2008 | Ellen Page | Page appears as Miley Cyrus. Dakota introduces a new segment, "Kids Speak," where she goes out to ask kids on the street their opinions on issues such as "Did Stalin bring down the Soviet Union? Or was it an experiment doomed to fail?" and "Bonjour tristesse: masterpiece or overrated?" |
Song Memories
Four buddies hear a favorite old song playing and sing along to the chorus together, while sharing disturbing memories during the verses.
- Appearances
Season | Episode | Host | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
32 | February 24, 2007 | Rainn Wilson | "Danny's Song" by Kenny Loggins |
32 | May 19, 2007 | Zach Braff | "The Weight" by The Band |
33 | April 12, 2008 | Ashton Kutcher | "Amie" by The Pure Prairie League |
34 | September 20, 2008 | James Franco | "Glory Days" by Bruce Springsteen |
34 | November 15, 2008 | Paul Rudd | "Garden Party" by Rick Nelson |
34 | February 7, 2009 | Bradley Cooper | "To Be with You" by Mr. Big |
35 | April 17, 2010 | Ryan Phillippe | "Breakfast at Tiffany's" by Deep Blue Something |
36 | May 14, 2011 | Ed Helms | "Wild World" by Cat Stevens |
38 | September 22, 2012 | Joseph Gordon-Levitt | "You've Got to Hide Your Love Away" by The Beatles, performed by musical guest Mumford & Sons |
La Rivista Della Televisione
Bill Hader plays Vinny Vedecci, the rude, sexist host of an Italian talk show; that week's SNL guest plays himself as a guest on the show. Vedecci welcomes the guest and begins speaking to them in rapid Italian, prompting the guest to admit he doesn't speak Italian. Vedecci speaks angrily (in Italian) to his director (Fred Armisen), who is seen at a table offstage eating spaghetti with his silent assistant (Will Forte and later Paul Brittain). Vedecci proceeds to ask the guest weird questions in broken English. He sometimes leads the conversation to another celebrity (who may or may not have anything to do with the guest), and proceeds to interrupt the interview with a brief, perfect imitation of that celebrity. Often, Vedecci's young son (Bobby Moynihan) will run on-stage to ask the guest an incomprehensible question; the guest's flummoxed response leads the boy to begin wailing until his father pacifies him with a cigarette or other adult vice.
- Appearances
Season | Episode | Host | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
32 | March 17, 2007 | Julia Louis-Dreyfus | |
32 | May 19, 2007 | Zach Braff | Vedecci brings up Peter Falk (for no apparent reason) and does an imitation of Falk as Columbo. He shows a clip of Scrubs dubbed in Italian and turned into a drama. Two puppets appear, and Vedecci encourages Braff to kiss one; when he does, the puppet vomits in Braff's face. |
33 | October 13, 2007 | Jon Bon Jovi | Bon Jovi's home state of New Jersey lead Vedecci and the director to imitate Silvio Dante and Paulie Walnuts from The Sopranos. Vedecci shows a clip from a children's cigarette commercial featuring Bon Jovi's song "Blaze of Glory". Bon Jovi mentions that his grandmother spoke Italian, but none of the words Vedecci has used sound familiar. |
33 | May 10, 2008 | Shia LaBeouf | |
34 | December 6, 2008 | John Malkovich | Vedecci refers to the film Being John Malkovich and shows a clip of his own, extremely pornographic film Being Vinny Vedecci. |
34 | April 4, 2009 | Seth Rogen | |
35 | October 10, 2009 | Drew Barrymore | Vedecci refers to David Letterman's recent infidelity scandal, then takes a moment to apologize to the 87 female staffers he's slept with. Barrymore discusses her new film, Whip It, leading Vedecci to harass her into singing the Devo song with him and the director. |
36 | December 4, 2010 | Robert De Niro |
This sketch also appeared in the dress rehearsal for the April 21, 2007, episode, hosted by Scarlett Johansson, but was cut for the live broadcast.
Penelope
Each installment of this sketch takes place at a party or gathering of some sort. Kristen Wiig plays Penelope, a guest at the party who speaks in a shaking, nervous voice, compulsively twirls her curly brown hair around her fingers and is obsessed with one-upping any anecdote that any other guest at the party tells about themselves.
In each sketch, one party guest, usually the episode's host, becomes fed up with Penelope's one-upmanship and begins a tit-for-tat one-upmanship battle with Penelope which becomes increasingly absurd, in the style of the classic Four Yorkshiremen sketch. The first installment of the sketch simply ended with the character played by episode host, Peyton Manning, angrily storming off, leaving Penelope alone, muttering to herself. However, in most subsequent installments, after her one-upmanship rival stormed off in disgust, Penelope would actually do one of the absurd things she had claimed to be able to do in the one-upmanship battle (such as turning invisible, becoming black and white, or shrinking herself so small that she could use a stalk of celery as a raft), causing the viewer to wonder if, in fact, all of her absurd claims were true.
- Appearances
Season | Episode | Host | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
32 | March 24, 2007 | Peyton Manning | Housewarming party |
32 | May 12, 2007 | Molly Shannon | Apartment building tenant's meeting. At the end, Penelope turns herself invisible. |
33 | September 29, 2007 | LeBron James | |
33 | March 8, 2008 | Amy Adams | |
34 | January 10, 2009 | Neil Patrick Harris | At the end, Penelope's best friend is revealed to be Liza Minnelli and a tomato (in a cameo). |
35 | November 7, 2009 | Taylor Swift | Wedding reception. At the end, Penelope turns into a "black and white movie star from the thirties." |
36 | November 20, 2010 | Anne Hathaway | Thanksgiving charity meal event. At the end, Penelope shrinks to miniature size and relaxes on a piece of celery in a pot of soup. |
References
- ^ "Here's The Thing With Alec Baldwin". WNYC. 9 April 2012. Retrieved 7 June 2013.