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 December 13, 2008
 Season 34 episode
SNL Hugh Laurie
Kanye 34
 Episode 647
 Season Episode 11
 Host Hugh Laurie
 Musical Guest(s) Kanye West
 Song(s) performed by
 Musical Guest(s)
"Love Lockdown"
"Heartless"/"Pinocchio Story"
Previous Episode
December 6, 2008
Next Episode
January 10, 2009

The 647th episode and 11th episode of Season 34 of Saturday Night Live premiered on December 13, 2008, with English actor and comedian, Hugh Laurie as host, and rapper Kanye West as the musical guest. The episode is slightly shorter than others, and the only special guest or cameo is former longtime cast member Maya Rudolph, making her first appearance after she left the cast in 2007. This was Hugh Laurie’s 2nd time hosting and the 3rd musical guest stint on SNL for Kanye West.

This marked the final episode for longtime cast member Amy Poehler (a cast member since 2001), as she left the show after 7½ years and as a Weekend Update anchor (a position she got back in 2004) after 4½ years.

Cast[]

Repertory Players[]

Featured Players[]

Filmed cameos by Jamie-Lynn Sigler, Molly Sims, and Justin Timberlake
Musical cameo by Swizz Beats

Sketches and Musical Performances[]

 Cold Open   Sketch   Pre-recorded   Weekend Update   Music Performance   Other 

Title Image Summary
Blagojevich Hearing Cold Opening Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich (Jason Sudeikis) testifies and curses before the Senate Banking Committee for his own financial bailout.
Opening Montage Amy Poehler's final time being credited as a cast member and Weekend Update anchor.
Hugh Laurie's Monologue In order to avoid copyright infringement laws, Hugh Laurie sings a medley of three-second excerpts from his favorite Christmas songs, as he returned to host SNL for the second time.
Bronx Beat Betty Caruso (Amy Poehler) and Jodi Deitz (Maya Rudolph) chatter with Jeffrey Billings (Hugh Laurie).
Tense Dinner: Christmas Dinner Members of a family (Hugh Laurie, Casey Wilson, Jason Sudeikis, Will Forte, and Kristen Wiig) make sarcastic remarks to one another over a tense Christmas dinner.
Wedding Toast Offbeat members of the Culhane family continuously interrupt the emcee (Jason Sudeikis) at the wedding reception of David (Andy Samberg) and Tina (Abby Elliott).
Kanye West performs “Love Lockdown”
Weekend Update with Amy Poehler and Seth Meyers New York Governor Daivd Paterson (Fred Armisen) comments about ousted Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich and mocks New Jersey. Seth Meyers and Amy Poehler ask "Really!?!" following Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich's scandal. Poehler's announcement that she's really leaving SNL is interrupted by a wandering Governor David Paterson. This is the final SNL sketch appearance of Amy Poehler as a cast member and Weekend Update anchor.
Magical Lamps A trio of singing lamps (Hugh Laurie, Andy Samberg, Kristen Wiig) take their shopkeepers (Fred Armisen, Michaela Watkins) hostage, shoot a grandfather clock (Will Forte), and star in a new Broadway musical.
The Cat's Christmas Letter An exasperated husband (Hugh Laurie) types up the family’s Christmas letter in their dead pet cat’s voice, as dictated by his nutty wife (Kristen Wiig).
An SNL Digital Short
at a somber company meeting (FRA) can’t stop snacking.
Kanye West performs “Heartless” and “Pinocchio Story”
Goodnights and Closing Credits Hugh Laurie had a fantastic time, he hoped everyone enjoyed it, he thanked Kanye West and Maya Rudolph, says goodbye and good luck to Amy Poehler and especially thanked to all of them, he wishes "Merry Christmas" and "Happy New Year". Also, the cast says goodbye to the departing longtime cast member and Weekend Update anchor Amy Poehler, since this is her final SNL show.

Trivia[]

  • Shortly after this broadcast, Paterson himself openly complained about Armisen's portrayal of him, saying the impression was insensitive to the blind and visually impaired (Paterson would later appear with Armisen on the premiere episode of Season 36), with Poehler as the host and musical guest Katy Perry.
Preceded by:
December 6, 2008
Saturday Night Live episode Followed by:
January 10, 2009
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