Saturday Night Live season 27

*Saturday Night Live*
Saturday Night Live
Season 27
	List of episodes

The twenty-seventh season of Saturday Night Live, an American sketch comedy series, originally aired in the United States on NBC between September 29, 2001 and May 18, 2002.

Eighteen days before the season started, the

NYPD

, declaring that despite the terrorist attack, New York City will run as normal and Saturday Night Live will go on as planned (with Lorne Michaels asking Giuliani "Can we be funny?" and Giuliani replying "Why start now?").

Three weeks into the season the show faced another scare when

GE Building (from where the show is broadcast).^[1]

The scare caused most of the cast and crew, as well as that week's guest host Drew Barrymore, to evacuate the building.

Cast

Before the start of the season, longtime cast member

1983

.

Four new cast members were hired to the show this season: stand-up comic

Jeff Richards, who was previously a cast member on the rival sketch show MADtv.^[8] Rachel Dratch, Tina Fey, and Maya Rudolph

were all upgraded to repertory status at the beginning of the season, and Poehler was promoted to repertory status mid-season.

Will Ferrell was absent from a number of episodes because he was filming Old School. This would also be the final season for both Ferrell^[9] and Ana Gasteyer.^[10]

Repertory players

Rachel Dratch
Jimmy Fallon
Will Ferrell
Tina Fey
Ana Gasteyer
Darrell Hammond
Chris Kattan
Tracy Morgan
Chris Parnell (first episode back: March 2, 2002)
Amy Poehler (upgraded to repertory status: January 12, 2002)
Maya Rudolph
Horatio Sanz

Featured players

Dean Edwards
Seth Meyers
Jeff Richards

bold denotes "Weekend Update" anchor

Writers

Episodes

No. overall	No. in season	Host	Musical guest(s)	Original air date
506	1	Reese Witherspoon	Alicia Keys	September 29, 2001 (2001-09-29)
Alicia Keys performs "Fallin'" and "A Woman's Worth". Being the first episode to air following the 9/11 attacks, New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani along with members of the New York City Fire Department (FDNY) appear in the cold opening to encourage New York and Saturday Night Live to carry on in the face of adversity. When asked by Lorne Michaels "Can we be funny?" Giuliani replies "Why start now?"^[11] In addition to appearances by Giuliani and the FDNY, Paul Simon plays "The Boxer" during the cold open. Jeff Richards's first episode as cast members.^[12]
507	2	Seann William Scott	Sum 41	October 6, 2001 (2001-10-06)
Sum 41 performs "Fat Lip" and "In Too Deep". Former cast member Chevy Chase made a cameo on Weekend Update as the Land Shark. Chase ends the segment by saying "Goodnight and have a pleasant tomorrow," the sign-off used by both Chase and Fey during their tenures on Weekend Update.
508	3	Drew Barrymore	Macy Gray	October 13, 2001 (2001-10-13)
Macy Gray performs "Sexual Revolution" and "Sweet Baby". Tom Green appears during the opening monologue. Former cast member Colin Quinn, introduced by Tina Fey as the "New Yorkiest New Yorker I know," appears on Weekend Update to give his NYC-centric take on current events. John Popper performs with the Saturday Night Live Band during this episode.
509	4	John Goodman	Ja Rule	November 3, 2001 (2001-11-03)
Ja Rule performs " Ashanti and "Livin' It Up" with Case . Former cast member Dan Aykroyd appears during the "Hudson Valley Community Circuit" sketch, during Weekend Update, reprising his role as Elwood Blues, and during the "Bad Conceptual Theater" sketch, reprising his role as Leonard Pinth-Garnell.
510	5	Gwyneth Paltrow	Ryan Adams	November 10, 2001 (2001-11-10)
Ryan Adams performs "New York, New York". Matt Damon appears during the "Mango" sketch. Dr. John performs with the Saturday Night Live Band during this episode.
511	6	Billy Bob Thornton	Creed	November 17, 2001 (2001-11-17)
Creed performs "My Sacrifice" and "Bullets". Ashton Kutcher appears during the monologue.
512	7	Derek Jeter	Bubba Sparxxx Shakira	December 1, 2001 (2001-12-01)
Shakira performs "Whenever, Wherever". Bubba Sparxxx performs "Ugly" and "Lovely". David Cone and David Wells appear during the "Yankee Wives" sketch. Clips from the season 2 episode featuring musical guest George Harrison are shown after Weekend Update, commemorating his death earlier in the week.
513	8	Hugh Jackman	Mick Jagger	December 8, 2001 (2001-12-08)
Mick Jagger performs "God Gave Me Everything" and "Visions of Paradise", and appears during the "Dressing Room" sketch and the "Versace" sketch.
514	9	Ellen DeGeneres	No Doubt	December 15, 2001 (2001-12-15)
No Doubt performs "Hey Baby" and "Hella Good". Rudy Giuliani appears during Weekend Update. Chris Parnell makes a vocal cameo appearance as Tom Brokaw during the "Narrator Who Ruined Christmas" cartoon.
515	10	Josh Hartnett	Pink	January 12, 2002 (2002-01-12)
Pink performs " Get The Party Started" and "Don't Let Me Get Me ", and appears during the "Shout Out!! Show" sketch. Amy Poehler is promoted from featured player to repertory player in this episode. Will Ferrell is absent for this episode.
516	11	Jack Black	The Strokes	January 19, 2002 (2002-01-19)
The Strokes performs "Last Nite" and "Hard to Explain". Black's Tenacious D bandmate Kyle Gass appears during the opening monologue and during Weekend Update.
517	12	Britney Spears	Britney Spears	February 2, 2002 (2002-02-02)
Britney Spears performs "I'm Not a Girl, Not Yet a Woman" and "Boys". Dan Aykroyd, who co-starred with Spears in the film Crossroads (released a few weeks after this episode) appears during the Mormon skiers cold-open, the "Leather Man" sketch, and introduces Spears' second performance. Justin Timberlake appears during the opening monologue and introduces Spears' first performance.
518	13	Jonny Moseley	Outkast	March 2, 2002 (2002-03-02)
OutKast performs "The Whole World" (with Killer Mike) and "Ms. Jackson". Rip Taylor appears during the "Super Buzzers" sketch. laid off at the end of last season for budgetary reasons.
519	14	India.Arie	March 9, 2002 (2002-03-09)
India.Arie performs "Video" and "Ready For Love". George Plimpton appears during the pre-recorded "Cheese Game" commercial. Mike Judge appears in the TV Funhouse "Fun With Real Audio" cartoon, providing the voices for Beavis and Butt-Head. Will Ferrell is absent for this episode.
520	15	Ian McKellen	Kylie Minogue	March 16, 2002 (2002-03-16)
Kylie Minogue performs "Can't Get You Out of My Head" and "In Your Eyes," and appears during the "Versace Oscar Party" sketch. This episode won an Emmy for writing, the show's first since 1989. Will Ferrell is absent for this episode.
521	16	Cameron Diaz	Jimmy Eat World	April 6, 2002 (2002-04-06)
Jimmy Eat World performs "The Middle" and "Sweetness".
522	17	The Rock	Andrew W.K.	April 13, 2002 (2002-04-13)
Andrew W.K. performs "Party Hard" and "I Get Wet".
523	18	Alec Baldwin	P.O.D.	April 20, 2002 (2002-04-20)
P.O.D. performs "Youth of the Nation" and "Alive".
524	19	Kirsten Dunst	Eminem	May 11, 2002 (2002-05-11)
Eminem performs "Without Me" with Proof. The two also appear during the "Audition" sketch. David Spade and Jared Fogle perform voice roles in the "Bambi 2002" cartoon.
525	20	Moby	May 18, 2002 (2002-05-18)
Moby performs "We Are All Made of Stars" and "South Side", and appears in a Mango sketch parodying Ryder's shoplifting incident. Alex Trebek appears in the Celebrity Jeopardy sketch, alongside Ferrell's portrayal of him, and cancels the Final Jeopardy. Neil Diamond appears during Weekend Update alongside Ferrell's portrayal of him. Will Ferrell and Ana Gasteyer's final episode as cast members.

Special

Title	Original air date
"SNL Remembers John Belushi"	March 11, 2002 (2002-03-11)
To commemorate the 20th anniversary of John's death, Jimmy Fallon and Tina Fey host this retrospective of some of his greatest sketches on SNL. Dan Aykroyd makes a cameo appearance in this special.

References

^ "SNL Goes on Despite Anthrax Scare". ABC News. October 15, 2001. Retrieved April 23, 2024.
^ "Shannon to Exit 'SNL'". People. Archived from the original on March 2, 2011. Retrieved April 23, 2024.
^ Wright, Megh (September 25, 2012). "Saturday Night's Children: Jerry Minor (2000-2001)". Vulture. Retrieved April 23, 2024.
^ Graham, Mark (January 14, 2010). "Archer's Chris Parnell Talks Well-Endowed Cartoon Characters, Being Fired From SNL Twice". Vulture. Retrieved April 23, 2024.
^ Rawden, Jessica (February 19, 2015). "How Chris Parnell Got Un-fired From Saturday Night Live". CinemaBlend. Archived from the original on February 23, 2015. Retrieved April 23, 2024.
^ Logan, Lizzie; Fox, Jesse David (March 1, 2021). "The History of Tina Fey and Amy Poehler's Best Friendship". Vulture. Retrieved April 23, 2024.
^ "Poehler". Toledo Blade. March 25, 2007. p. 9G. Retrieved April 23, 2024.
^ "Sean Hayes to the rescue; In other people news…". Sarasota Herald-Tribune. August 16, 2001. p. 2A.
^ Bark, Ed (May 9, 2002). "Will Ferrell announces end of 'Saturday Night Live' stint". Sun Journal. Knight Ridder Newspapers. p. C8. Retrieved April 23, 2024.
^ "Ana Gasteyer leaves Saturday Night Live". EW.com. August 21, 2002. Retrieved April 23, 2024.
^ Boedeker, Hal (October 1, 2001). "'Snl' Falters After Moving Tribute". Orlando Sentinel. Archived from the original on June 15, 2011.
^ Huff, Richard (September 5, 2001). "Witherspoon on 'SNL'". New York Daily News. Archived from the original on June 20, 2023. Retrieved June 3, 2016.

[1] "SNL Goes on Despite Anthrax Scare". ABC News. October 15, 2001. Retrieved April 23, 2024.

[2] "Shannon to Exit 'SNL'". People. Archived from the original on March 2, 2011. Retrieved April 23, 2024.

[3] Wright, Megh (September 25, 2012). "Saturday Night's Children: Jerry Minor (2000-2001)". Vulture. Retrieved April 23, 2024.

[4] Graham, Mark (January 14, 2010). "Archer's Chris Parnell Talks Well-Endowed Cartoon Characters, Being Fired From SNL Twice". Vulture. Retrieved April 23, 2024.

[5] Rawden, Jessica (February 19, 2015). "How Chris Parnell Got Un-fired From Saturday Night Live". CinemaBlend. Archived from the original on February 23, 2015. Retrieved April 23, 2024.

[6] Logan, Lizzie; Fox, Jesse David (March 1, 2021). "The History of Tina Fey and Amy Poehler's Best Friendship". Vulture. Retrieved April 23, 2024.

[7] "Poehler". Toledo Blade. March 25, 2007. p. 9G. Retrieved April 23, 2024.

[8] "Sean Hayes to the rescue; In other people news…". Sarasota Herald-Tribune. August 16, 2001. p. 2A.

[9] Bark, Ed (May 9, 2002). "Will Ferrell announces end of 'Saturday Night Live' stint". Sun Journal. Knight Ridder Newspapers. p. C8. Retrieved April 23, 2024.

[10] "Ana Gasteyer leaves Saturday Night Live". EW.com. August 21, 2002. Retrieved April 23, 2024.

[11] Boedeker, Hal (October 1, 2001). "'Snl' Falters After Moving Tribute". Orlando Sentinel. Archived from the original on June 15, 2011.

[witherspoon-12] Huff, Richard (September 5, 2001). "Witherspoon on 'SNL'". New York Daily News. Archived from the original on June 20, 2023. Retrieved June 3, 2016.

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