Saturday Night Live makes its way to primetime this Thursday at 8.00 et/pt with the Saturday Night Live election special, a ceremonial roasting of the American presidential election. The special runs in two installments, the second installment airing Saturday, September 29 at 10.00 et/pt on Global TV.
It's been four years since the previous Saturday Night Live election special aired in 2008. At the time, Tina Fey's near-perfect Sarah Palin impersonation was so widely discussed that Sarah Palin herself commented on it, quipping that she was providing "job security for SNL characters" and "trying to keep Tina Fey in business." Anticipating the highlights from this year's election special, fans will be looking forward to Jason Sudeikis reprisal of his role as presidential hopeful Mitt Romney. Sudeikis' impersonation satirically depicts Romney as a gaffe-prone, awkward businessman unable to relate to the average American.
The 2012 Election Special will also feature SNL cast member Jay Pharoah as President Obama, an impersonation which Pharoah debuted last week on the season premiere of Saturday Night Live. Pharoah has been praised for nailing the president's aloof personality and enigmatic coolness - and arguably manifests a far more critical view on the president than SNL has presented in the past. Taran Killam will play the role of Mitt Romney's running-mate Paul Ryan, portraying the congressman as a math-impaired fabulist - an impersonation which pokes fun at Paul Ryan's acceptance speech at the Republican convention.
If the Saturday Night Live season premiere was any indicator of what to expect from episodes to come, we may see controversial political humour - largely absent from the sketch roster in recent years - resurfacing on SNL in full-force. Full clips of Jay Pharoah's Obama impersonation, Bill Hader's Clint Eastwood & Chair sketch, and a satirical PSA mocking democratic campaign ads from the season premiere of SNL are available to watch online at GlobalTV.com.
The Saturday Night Live Election Special airs Thursday, September 20 at 8.00 et/pt, and Satuday, September 29 at at 10.00 et/pt on Global TV.
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Watch Saturday Night Live Saturdays at 11.30 et/pt.