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Season 31

Saturday Night Live

Season 31

  • 2005

Saturday Night Live aired its thirty-first season in the 2005-06 television season on NBC. The season began on October 1, 2005, and ended on May 20, 2006, with 19 episodes in all. The season was cut one episode short due to the 2006 Winter Olympic Games. A 30th anniversary special for the show was planned, but the plan was scrapped due to budget cuts.

Before the start of the season, featured player Rob Riggle was let go from the show. Finesse Mitchell and Kenan Thompson were both promoted to repertory status while Jason Sudeikis remained a featured player.

The show then added three new cast members to the show. They included: Los Angeles-based sketch comedian Bill Hader, Andy Samberg and Kristen Wiig of The Groundlings. Wiig debuted on the show in November, in the episode hosted by Jason Lee. Samberg, Schaffer and Taccone would be a notable force for creating SNL Digital Shorts. One such short was “Lazy Sunday”; after it aired during the Jack Black episode it became an Internet phenomenon.

Tina Fey and Maya Rudolph missed a few episodes in this season due to both of them being pregnant and on maternity leave. Fey’s place on Weekend Update was briefly taken over by Horatio Sanz until her return in the episode hosted by Catherine Zeta-Jones, making Sanz the first Hispanic Weekend Update anchor. Fey returned to the show before her maternity leave time was up. Maya Rudolph, however, appeared on the first episode of the new season, and then went on maternity leave and returned in February, in the episode hosted by Steve Martin.

  1. Steve Carell/Kanye West Episode 1 Steve Carell/Kanye West October 1, 2005, 1 h 7 min Live from New York, it's... Will Forte! Sketches include "Bush Addresses the Nation," "MorganStanley," "The JetBlue Crisis," "Anderson Cooper 360," "The Couple That Should Be Divorced," "Girls Gone Wild Katrina,"…
  2. Jon Heder/Ashlee Simpson Episode 2 Jon Heder/Ashlee Simpson October 8, 2005, 1 h 7 min Sketches include "George W. Bush and Harriet Miers," "Taco Town," "Caitlin's Science Fair," "Werewolf Date," "The Misadventures of Tom Delay and Bill Frist," "Showbiz Grande Explosion!," "Wilson Brothers Funeral Home,"…
  3. Catherine Zeta-Jones / Franz Ferdinand Episode 3 Catherine Zeta-Jones / Franz Ferdinand October 22, 2005, 1 h 7 min Live from New York, it's... Darrell Hammond! Sketches include "Bush's Spontaneous Chat," "Butt Cancer Treatment Center," "Newsnight with Aaron Brown," "Dancers Party," "The Italians," "Access Hollywood," "Creighton Boys School," "Glen…
  4. Lance Armstrong/Sheryl Crow Episode 4 Lance Armstrong/Sheryl Crow October 29, 2005, 1 h 7 min Live from New York, it's... Darrell Hammond! Sketches include "The Libby Indictment," "Celebrity Ironman," "RAD 3000," "Indigo Girls Harmonies," "The O'Reilly Factor," "Sheryl's Song," "Days of Our Lives," "Carol!," and…
  5. Jason Lee/Foo Fighters Episode 5 Jason Lee/Foo Fighters November 12, 2005, 1 h 7 min Live from New York, it's... Will Forte! Sketches include "Hardball," "JJ Casuals," "Good Morning Meth," "The Falconer," "Thomas & Dobbins," "The Soaking Wet Killer," "Refurbishments," "Butt Pregnancy," "Stachin'," "McNutly &…
  6. Eva Longoria/Korn Episode 6 Eva Longoria/Korn November 19, 2005, 1 h 7 min Fox News Special Report: Bush in China, Eva Longoria Monologue, Totally Rad Smoke Detector 3000 (repeat), The Spammies, Deep House Dish, Morgan Stanley (repeat), The Needlers: College Reunion, Variety Vault:…
  7. Dane Cook/James Blunt Episode 7 Dane Cook/James Blunt December 3, 2005, 1 h 7 min Sketches include: Tree Re-Lighting Special, Dane Cook Monologue, School Announcements, Taco Town (repeat), The Long Ride Home: The Jay Feely Story, Wool Sweater, Lettuce: An SNL Digital Short, Target Greatland,…
  8. Alec Baldwin/Shakira Episode 8 Alec Baldwin/Shakira December 10, 2005, 1 h 7 min Saddam in Prison, Alec Baldwin's 12th Monologue, Commercial Parody: Tylenol BM, TV Funhouse: Celebrity Mugshot Poker, O'Reilly Factor, Carol Goes Bowling, Glengarry Glen Christmas.
  9. Jack Black/Neil Young Episode 9 Jack Black/Neil Young December 17, 2005, 1 h 7 min "A Holiday Message from the Vice President," "Stuart Little Mouse Removal Kit," "Sbarro," "Appalachian Emergency Room," "Christmastime for the Jews" (cartoon), "Channel 5 Photo Shoot," "Lazy Sunday" (film), "A Very…
  10. Scarlett Johanson/Death Cab for Cutie Episode 10 Scarlett Johanson/Death Cab for Cutie January 14, 2006, 1 h 7 min Live from New York, it's... the voice of Robert Smigel! Sketches include "The 700 Gang" (cartoon), "Taco Town," "Deep House Dish," "Smorgabord," "Darwin" (cartoon), "Mike and Toni's Chandelier Galaxy," "Live…
  11. Peter Sarsgaard/The Strokes Episode 11 Peter Sarsgaard/The Strokes January 21, 2006, 1 h 7 min Sketches include "Anderson Cooper 360," "Nelson's Baby Toupees," "Target Greatland," "National Pirate Convention," "Carol!," "Young Chuck Norris" (film), "Cat Fancy," "Gays in Space," "Fairmount Suites Inn," "NSA Wiretap," and "Peter…
  12. Steve Martin/Prince Episode 12 Steve Martin/Prince February 4, 2006, 1 h 7 min Filmed in New York, it's... Steve Martin! Sketches include "The Sabotage of Baldwin" (film), "Teddy Bear Holding a Heart," "Oprah," "Don't Buy Stuff You Cannot Afford," "Hamas Party," "Close Talkers"…
  13. Natalie Portman/Fall Out Boy Episode 13 Natalie Portman/Fall Out Boy March 4, 2006, 1 h 7 min Sketches include "Bush Responds to Criticism," "Nelson's Baby Toupees," "Jamba Juice," "Larry King Live," "The Couple That Should Be Divorced," "Belated Black History Moment" (cartoon), "Art Dealers and the College…
  14. Matt Dillon/Arctic Monkeys Episode 14 Matt Dillon/Arctic Monkeys March 11, 2006, 1 h 7 min Live from New York, it's... Darrell Hammond! Sketches include "Bush Responds to Criticism," "Nelson's Baby Toupees," "Jamba Juice," "Larry King Live," "The Couple That Should Be Divorced," "Belated Black History…
  15. Antonio Banderas/Mary J. Blige Episode 15 Antonio Banderas/Mary J. Blige April 8, 2006, 1 h 7 min Live from New York (for the 600th time) Sketches include "Anderson Cooper 360," "Basic Instinct 2: Return of the Beaver," "Deal or No Deal," "Automated-Phone Lady," "Besos y Lagrimas," "13th…
  16. Lindsay Lohan/Pearl Jam Episode 16 Lindsay Lohan/Pearl Jam April 15, 2006, 1 h 7 min Live from New York, it's... Lindsay Lohan! Sketches include "The Situation Room," "Neutrogena Coin Slot," "Deep House Dish," "Journey to the Disney Vaults" (cartoon), "The O'Reilly Factor," "Le Rendezvous," "Laser…
  17. Tom Hanks/Red Hot Chili Peppers Episode 17 Tom Hanks/Red Hot Chili Peppers May 6, 2006, 1 h 7 min Sketches include "Bill Frist's Gas Plan," "Wheel of Fortune," "Kaitlin and the Iguana," "Ariell & Ephraim" (film), "Ma!," "Claremont Yoga Center," "Colin's Place," and "Country Club Tennis." Red Hot Chili…
  18. Julia Louis-Dreyfus/Paul Simon Episode 18 Julia Louis-Dreyfus/Paul Simon May 13, 2006, 1 h 7 min Former cast member Julia Louis-Dreyfus' first time hosting, promoting "The New Adventures of Old Christine". Sketches include: Parallel Universe Address from President Gore Cold Open, Julia Louis-Dreyfus Monologue (with guests…
  19. Kevin Spacey/Nelly Furtado Episode 19 Kevin Spacey/Nelly Furtado May 20, 2006, 1 h 7 min Sketches include "Anderson Cooper 360," "A-holes at a Crime Scene," "Oprah's Legends Ball," "Carol!," "Fun with Real Audio" (cartoon), "Kevin and Andy Backstage," "The Falconer," "Andy Walking" (film), "Lord Phillip…