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Steve Carell Returns to Host Saturday Night Live!

Steve Carell Returns to Host Saturday Night Live!

Steve Carell Returns to Host Saturday Night Live!

SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE -- Episode 1 -- Aired 10/01/2005 -- Pictured: (l-r) Steve Carell during the monologue on October 1, 2005 (Photo by Dana Edelson/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images)

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The weekend, have a ball because Steve Carell will be hosting Saturday Night Live with Ella Mai as the musical guest!

You probably know Steve Carell from his role on the American version of The Office, or his breakout role in the Will Ferrell comedy Anchorman, or from one of the many films he’s done since.

Steve Carell’s history with Saturday Night Live goes deeper than you might think. Sure, he’s hosted and appeared a handful of times already. But he’s got deeper roots than that: in 1996 when Robert Smigel was still writing for SNL, Smigel created the “Saturday TV Funhouse” segment, which featured animated shorts by Smigel. A recurring short, titled The Ambiguously Gay Duo and about a pair of superheroes who might also be lovers, aged very poorly. But, it also featured the voice of Steve Carell as Gary (alongside Stephen Colbert of The Late Show Show with Stephen Colbert as the voice of Ace). The same season Carell first appeared as Gary was the same season he auditioned for SNL. He ultimately didn’t make it as a cast member, but because of TV Funhouse he remains a piece of SNL history.

What would be really wonderful is if Saturday TV Funhouse made its reappearance this week; it’s been over a decade since it’s appeared regularly and Ace and Gary haven’t shown their faces since 2011. But The AGD’s shtick doesn’t really fly these days, so it’s probably best to keep Ace and Gary retired.

Carell is one of those naturally funny guys. Before Ace and Gary, he was featured on The Dana Carvey Show (again alongside Stephen Colbert, and where The Ambiguously Gay Duo originated), a widely praised but ultimately unsuccessful sketch comedy series. Carell moved on to The Daily Show (yes also again with Stephen Colbert, these two are serious buds) where so many comedians these days get their start, including Weekend Update’s very own Michael Che. Carell was there from 1999 to 2005, at which point he moved on to The Office and the rest is history.

So the man’s got funny in his blood. It should be a knock-out episode.

Backing Carell up, musically, is Ella Mai, who is promoting her self-titled album that was released early last month. It is Mai’s first appearance on Saturday Night Live, but she’s just getting started so don’t expect that it will be her last!

Watch Saturday Night Live this Saturday November 17 at 11.30 et/8.30 pt on Global. Don’t miss it! And be sure to catch more new episodes Saturday Night Live airing Saturdays at 11.30 et/8.30 pt on Global, and watch the latest episodes online here on GlobalTV.com!