Saturday Night Live
Season 41
The title card for Saturday Night Live – season 40, showing New York skyscrapers.
No. of episodes21
Release
Original networkNBC
Original releaseOctober 3, 2015 (2015-10-03) –
May 21, 2016 (2016-05-21)
Season chronology
← Previous
season 40
Next →
season 42
List of episodes

The forty-first season of the NBC comedy series Saturday Night Live premiered on October 3, 2015, during the 2015–2016 television season.[1] The season premiered on October 3, 2015, with host & musical guest Miley Cyrus and concluded on May 21, 2016 with host Fred Armisen and musical guest Courtney Barnett.

Kate McKinnon won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series for her work in this season.

Cast

After two consecutive seasons with higher-than-average levels of cast turnover, no major changes occurred prior to this season; the entire cast of the 2014–2015 season returned.[2]

Prior to the start of the season, comedian Jon Rudnitsky of the Groundlings joined the show as a featured player.[3][4]

This would be the final season for Taran Killam and Jay Pharoah, both cast members since 2010.[5]

Cast roster

bold denotes "Weekend Update" anchor

Writers

Main article: List of Saturday Night Live writers § season 41 (2015–16)

Before the beginning of the season, six new writers joined the staff: Upright Citizens Brigade performers Fran Gillespie, Sudi Green, and Will Stephen; former Late Show with David Letterman writers Paul Masella and Chris Belair; and stand-up comedian Dave Sirus.[6]

Colin Jost, a cast member on the show and anchor of Weekend Update, who served as a writer since 2005 (and as co-head writer in 2012), was relieved of his position as co-head writer, although he remains on the writing staff. Rob Klein and Bryan Tucker continue as co-head writers.[7]

Episodes

Main article: List of Saturday Night Live episodes
No.
overall		No. in
season		Host(s)Musical guest(s)Original air dateRatings/
Share
7881Miley CyrusMiley CyrusOctober 3, 2015 (2015-10-03)4.5/11[8]

  • Miley Cyrus performs "Karen Don't Be Sad" and "The Twinkle Song".
  • Hillary Clinton (alongside Kate McKinnon's impersonation of her) and Darrell Hammond appear as Val and Bill Clinton, respectively, in "Hillary Clinton Bar Talk". Additionally, Clinton also introduces Cyrus's first musical performance.
  • The Flaming Lips appears as Cyrus' backing band for her first performance.
  • Kenan Thompson introduces Cyrus' second musical performance.
  • Jon Rudnitsky's first episode as a cast member.
7892Amy SchumerThe WeekndOctober 10, 2015 (2015-10-10)3.9/10[9]

7903Tracy MorganDemi LovatoOctober 17, 2015 (2015-10-17)4.2/11[11]

7914Donald TrumpSiaNovember 7, 2015 (2015-11-07)6.6/16[13]

  • Sia performs "Alive" and "Bird Set Free".
  • Larry David returns as Bernie Sanders in the cold open. David also appears as himself in the opening monologue.
  • Darrell Hammond reprises his Trump impersonation in the opening monologue.
  • Trump's daughter Ivanka appears in "White House 2018", receiving no audience applause.
  • Martin Short appears as Ed Grimley in "Hotline Bling".
  • The choice of Trump was controversial and a number of Latino groups petitioned to have his invitation to host rescinded.[12]
  • Unforeseen at the time, Trump would go on to win the presidency, one year and one day after hosting this episode.
7925Elizabeth BanksDisclosureNovember 14, 2015 (2015-11-14)4.0/10[14]

  • Disclosure performs "Magnets" with Lorde and "Omen" with Sam Smith.
  • Mike O'Brien appears in the pretaped sketch "Uber for Jen".
  • Cecily Strong begins the show with a tribute to France in light of the November 2015 Paris attacks, speaking both English and French. In addition, the SNL logo in the bumpers is colored blue, white, and red, the colors of the French flag. The stage lights after Sam Smith's performance and before Lorde's are also in those same colors.
7936Matthew McConaugheyAdeleNovember 21, 2015 (2015-11-21)4.6/12[15]

7947Ryan GoslingLeon BridgesDecember 5, 2015 (2015-12-05)4.1/10[16]

  • Leon Bridges performs "Smooth Sailin'" and "River".
  • Mike Myers appears in the opening monologue.
  • A photo is dedicated to SNL wardrobe person Jenna Krempel before the goodbyes.
7958Chris HemsworthChance the RapperDecember 12, 2015 (2015-12-12)3.8/10[17]

7969Tina Fey & Amy PoehlerBruce Springsteen & the E Street BandDecember 19, 2015 (2015-12-19)5.1/13[18]

79710Adam DriverChris StapletonJanuary 16, 2016 (2016-01-16)3.0/15 in 18-49
(approximately 5.7 overall)[20][21]

79811Ronda RouseySelena GomezJanuary 23, 2016 (2016-01-23)5.0/12[22]

79912Larry DavidThe 1975February 6, 2016 (2016-02-06)5.1/12[23]

80013Melissa McCarthyKanye WestFebruary 13, 2016 (2016-02-13)4.4/11[24]

80114Jonah HillFutureMarch 5, 2016 (2016-03-05)4.0/10[25]

80215Ariana GrandeAriana GrandeMarch 12, 2016 (2016-03-12)4.0/10[26]

80316Peter DinklageGwen StefaniApril 2, 2016 (2016-04-02)4.0/10[27]

80417Russell CroweMargo PriceApril 9, 2016 (2016-04-09)4.0/10[28]

  • Margo Price performs "Hurtin' (On the Bottle)" and "Since You Put Me Down".
  • Al Sharpton appears as an analyst in the PoliticsNation with Al Sharpton sketch.
  • An image of Merle Haggard, who had died three days earlier, is shown in silence following Price's first performance; also, Price's guitar strap has "Margo" stitched in the same style as "Merle" was on some of his guitars.
  • Mike O'Brien and Jason Sudeikis appear in the pre-recorded short film Oprah: A Life of Love.
80518Julia Louis-DreyfusNick JonasApril 16, 2016 (2016-04-16)3.9/10[29]

80619Brie LarsonAlicia KeysMay 7, 2016 (2016-05-07)4.1/10[30]

  • Alicia Keys performs "In Common" and "Hallelujah".
  • Dana Carvey and Darrell Hammond appear in the Church Chat cold open, as the Church Lady and Donald Trump respectively.
  • The mothers of Pete Davidson, Brie Larson, and Kate McKinnon appear during the monologue. Davidson's mother also appears during Weekend Update.
80720DrakeDrakeMay 14, 2016 (2016-05-14)3.9/10[31]

80821Fred ArmisenCourtney BarnettMay 21, 2016 (2016-05-21)3.7/10[35]

Specials

TitleOriginal air dateUS viewers
(millions)
"SNL Goodnight Sweet Prince"April 23, 2016 (2016-04-23)4.5/11[37]
A selection of Prince's performances on the show were shown in honor of his death earlier that week.[36] Included were his performances during the season 6 episode hosted by Charlene Tilton, the 15th Anniversary Special, the season 31 episode hosted by Steve Martin, and the season 40 episode hosted by Chris Rock, as well as a performance of "Let's Go Crazy" during the after-party for the 40th Anniversary Special, which has not been aired on television before. It also included replays of the recurring sketch "The Prince Show", where Fred Armisen played Prince and Maya Rudolph played Beyoncé. Included were sketches from the season 30 episodes hosted by Queen Latifah and Robert De Niro, the season 31 episode hosted by Steve Martin, and the season 32 episode hosted by Shia LaBeouf. The performances were introduced by Jimmy Fallon who hosted this special.

References

  1. ^ "Saturday Night Live Season 41 Episode 01". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved August 5, 2015.
  2. ^ Wright, Megh (August 31, 2015). "The Entire 'SNL' Cast From Last Season Is Returning". Vulture. Retrieved December 12, 2021.
  3. ^ Gajewski, Ryan (August 31, 2015). "'Saturday Night Live' Adds New Castmembers for Season 41". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved June 23, 2022.
  4. ^ "Jon Rudnitsky joins Saturday Night Live as a featured player: See his best sketches, stand-up". Entertainment Weekly.
  5. ^ Chuck, Elizabeth (August 9, 2016). "Jay Pharoah, Taran Killam, Jon Rudnitsky to Exit 'Saturday Night Live'". NBC News. Retrieved August 9, 2016.
  6. ^ Wright, Megh (September 21, 2015). "Meet 'Saturday Night Live's Six New Writers". Splitsider. Retrieved December 12, 2021.
  7. ^ "Colin Jost Is No Longer a Head Writer at 'SNL'". Vulture. October 20, 2015. Retrieved December 12, 2021.
  8. ^ Dixon, Dani (October 4, 2015). "'Saturday Night Live' Season Premiere with Miley Cyrus Nearly Even with Last Season's Premiere". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on October 5, 2015. Retrieved October 4, 2015.
  9. ^ Porter, Rick (October 11, 2015). "'Saturday Night Live' with Amy Schumer dips slightly, still tops night". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on October 11, 2015. Retrieved October 11, 2015.
  10. ^ "Saturday Night Live (TV Series) Tracy Morgan/Demi Lovato (2015) Full Cast & Crew". IMDB. Retrieved February 7, 2016.
  11. ^ Porter, Rick (October 18, 2015). "Tracy Morgan's 'Saturday Night Live' return gets a ratings bump". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on October 19, 2015. Retrieved October 18, 2015.
  12. ^ Daniel González (October 22, 2015). "Campaign to dump Donald Trump from SNL gains steam". Arizona Republic. Retrieved October 23, 2015.
  13. ^ Kissell, Rick (November 8, 2015). "Donald Trump Lifts 'Saturday Night Live' Ratings to Near Four-Year High". Variety. Michelle Sobrino. Retrieved November 8, 2015.
  14. ^ Porter, Rick (November 15, 2015). "'Saturday Night Live' ratings fall back into line with season averages". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on November 16, 2015. Retrieved November 15, 2015.
  15. ^ Porter, Rick (November 22, 2015). "'Saturday Night Live' hits second-highest ratings of the season". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on November 22, 2015. Retrieved November 22, 2015.
  16. ^ Porter, Rick (December 6, 2015). "'Saturday Night Live' ratings dip but in line with season average". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on December 7, 2015. Retrieved December 6, 2015.
  17. ^ Porter, Rick (December 13, 2015). "'Saturday Night Live' with Chris Hemsworth dips to season low". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on December 16, 2015. Retrieved December 13, 2015.
  18. ^ Porter, Rick (December 20, 2015). "'Saturday Night Live' with Tina Fey and Amy Poehler ends 2015 on high note". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on December 22, 2015. Retrieved December 20, 2015.
  19. ^ McGlynn, Katla (January 19, 2016). "Adam Driver Hosted the Delayed First 'SNL' of 2016". Vulture. Retrieved December 12, 2021.
  20. ^ Porter, Rick (January 17, 2016). "'Saturday Night Live' hits 2-year high in adults 18-49 overnights". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on January 18, 2016. Retrieved January 23, 2016.
  21. ^ "SNL with Host Adam Driver Posts Highest Rating in Adults 18-49 in Two Years". Broadway World. Retrieved December 12, 2016.
  22. ^ Porter, Rick (January 24, 2016). "'Saturday Night Live' with Ronda Rousey scores above average ratings". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on January 27, 2016. Retrieved January 24, 2016.
  23. ^ ""Saturday Night Live" Ties for the #1 Telecast of the Night on the Big 4 Networks in 18-49". The Futon Critic. February 7, 2016. Retrieved February 15, 2016.
  24. ^ ""Saturday Night Live" Was the #1 Non-News Telecast of the Night on the Big 4 Networks". The Futon Critic. February 14, 2016. Retrieved February 15, 2016.
  25. ^ ""Saturday Night Live" Is the #1 Telecast of the Night, Maintaining 100% of the Same Night Last Year". The Futon Critic. March 6, 2016. Retrieved March 7, 2016.
  26. ^ ""Saturday Night Live," With Host and Musical Guest Ariana Grande, Is the #1 Telecast of the Night". The Futon Critic. March 13, 2016. Retrieved March 13, 2016.
  27. ^ ""Saturday Night Live" Is the #1 Telecast of the Night on the Big Four". The Futon Critic. April 3, 2016. Retrieved April 3, 2016.
  28. ^ ""SNL" Ranks #1 for the Night in the Metered Markets; "Dateline Mystery" Matches Its High Since January". The Futon Critic. April 10, 2016. Retrieved April 10, 2016.
  29. ^ ""SNL" Ranks #1 for the Night in the Metered Markets". The Futon Critic. April 17, 2016. Retrieved April 17, 2016.
  30. ^ ""SNL" Earns Its Top Metered-Market Household Rating, Excluding the 4/23 Prince Tribute, Since February". The Futon Critic. May 8, 2016. Retrieved May 8, 2016.
  31. ^ ""SNL" Ranks #1 for the Night in the Metered Markets; "Dateline Mystery" Wins in Total Viewers". The Futon Critic. May 15, 2016. Retrieved May 15, 2016.
  32. ^ "'SNL': Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders Bond over Drinks in Cold Open". The Hollywood Reporter. May 21, 2016.
  33. ^ Auseillo, Michael (August 8, 2016). "SNL Vets Taran Killam and Jay Pharoah Not Returning for Season 42". TVLine. Retrieved August 8, 2016.
  34. ^ "Taran Killam, Jay Pharoah, and Jon Rudnitsky Won't Be in Saturday Night Live's Upcoming 42nd Season". Vulture. August 9, 2016. Retrieved August 10, 2016.
  35. ^ Porter, Rick (May 22, 2016). "TV Ratings Saturday: 'Toy Story' and '20/20' give ABC a win". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on May 23, 2016. Retrieved May 22, 2016.
  36. ^ Snierson, Dan (April 22, 2016). "Saturday Night Live to air Prince special". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved February 23, 2016.
  37. ^ ""SNL" Tribute to Prince Ranks #1 for the Night in the Metered Markets; Stanley Cup Hockey Wins Primetime in 18-49". The Futon Critic. April 24, 2016. Retrieved April 24, 2016.
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