Saturday Night Live season 29

Saturday Night Live
Season 29
The title card for the twenty-ninth season of Saturday Night Live.
No. of episodes20
Release
Original networkNBC
Original releaseOctober 4, 2003 (2003-10-04) –
May 15, 2004 (2004-05-15)
Season chronology
← Previous
season 28
Next →
season 30
List of episodes

The twenty-ninth season of Saturday Night Live, an American sketch comedy series, originally aired in the United States on NBC between October 4, 2003, and May 15, 2004.

History

[edit]

This season marked the debut of a brand new stage for the host's monologue and the musical guest performing stage. Instead of the wrought-iron fire escape motif with the blinking "ON AIR" light, the stages are now modeled after Grand Central Terminal (right down to the spherical clock).[1]

Cast

[edit]

Before the start of the season, longtime cast members Chris Kattan[2] and Tracy Morgan,[3] who had both been on the show since 1996, departed the show on their own terms, and Dean Edwards, who had been a featured player since 2001, was let go following the finale. Despite Kattan and Morgan's departures, the two would make guest appearances in several episodes throughout the season and Morgan would later host in 2009 and 2015.

Before the season started, Will Forte, Seth Meyers, and Jeff Richards were all promoted to repertory status, while Fred Armisen remained a featured player.

The show added two new African-American cast members: stand-up comedian Finesse Mitchell and Kenan Thompson, a former child star from the Nickelodeon comedy shows All That and Kenan & Kel.[4][1] Thompson became the first SNL cast member to be born after the show's premiere in 1975 (Thompson was born in 1978). Thompson eventually became the longest-tenured cast member in the show’s history.

This was the final season for both Jeff Richards[5] and Jimmy Fallon (who decided to leave the show after the final episode).[6] In an interview at the time, Richards said he left to branch out into other projects,[7] though he later mentioned that his substance abuse was a factor.[8]

Cast roster

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bold denotes "Weekend Update" anchor

Writers

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Main article: List of Saturday Night Live writers § Season 29 (2003–04)

Future cast member Jason Sudeikis and stand-up comedian J.B. Smoove were hired as writers this season.[9][10]

John Lutz and Liz Cackowski are hired midway through the season, starting with the Megan Mullally-hosted episode.[11]

This was the final season for longtime writers Michael Schur (who had been a writer since 1998) and Dennis McNicholas (who had been a writer since 1995; and became head writer back in 2001).[12]

Schur left the writing staff after 6½ years, while McNicholas left after nine years with the show, and 3½ as head writer, but returned to producer Weekend Update, 10 years later in 2014.

Episodes

[edit]
Main article: List of Saturday Night Live episodes
No.
overall		No. in
season		Host(s)Musical guest(s)Original air date
5461Jack BlackJohn MayerOctober 4, 2003 (2003-10-04)

5472Justin TimberlakeJustin TimberlakeOctober 11, 2003 (2003-10-11)

5483Halle BerryBritney SpearsOctober 18, 2003 (2003-10-18)

5494Kelly RipaOutkastNovember 1, 2003 (2003-11-01)

5505Andy RoddickDave Matthews & FriendsNovember 8, 2003 (2003-11-08)

  • Dave Matthews & Friends performs "Save Me" and "So Damn Lucky".
  • John McEnroe makes multiple appearances in this episode, including the monologue, the Billie Jean King sketch and Jock Talk. He also cameos in a short piece after the "British Nanny" sketch where he and Chris Parnell play tennis commentators analyzing Roddick's hosting.
  • Finesse Mitchell appears during the opening monologue as André 3000 of OutKast and explains he never left after the wrap party from the previous week's show.
5516Alec BaldwinMissy ElliottNovember 15, 2003 (2003-11-15)

5527Al SharptonPinkDecember 6, 2003 (2003-12-06)

  • Pink performs "Trouble" and "God Is a DJ".
  • Paris Hilton appears on Weekend Update.
  • Former cast member Tracy Morgan appears in the monologue as the young Al Sharpton, in a sketch about the three wise men getting pulled over, in a reprise of his recurring segment, Brian Fellow's Safari Planet, with Sharpton as Fellow's brother, and in a sketch about racial stereotypes in a 1930s film.
  • Johnnie Cochran appears in the audience during the "Michael Jackson on a Roller Coaster" sketch.
5538Elijah WoodJetDecember 13, 2003 (2003-12-13)

5549Jennifer AnistonThe Black Eyed PeasJanuary 10, 2004 (2004-01-10)

55510Jessica Simpson
Nick Lachey		G-UnitJanuary 17, 2004 (2004-01-17)

55611Megan MullallyClay AikenFebruary 7, 2004 (2004-02-07)

55712Drew BarrymoreKelisFebruary 14, 2004 (2004-02-14)

  • Kelis performs "Milkshake" and "Trick Me".
  • Will Forte plays George W. Bush for the first time, replacing Darrell Hammond.
  • Writer Scott Wainio appears in a brief filmed sketch where he interviews people without using a microphone.
55813Christina AguileraMaroon 5February 21, 2004 (2004-02-21)

55914Colin FirthNorah JonesMarch 6, 2004 (2004-03-06)

56015Ben AffleckN*E*R*DMarch 13, 2004 (2004-03-13)

56116Donald TrumpToots & the Maytals featuring Ben Harper, Jack Johnson, Bootsy Collins, and The RootsApril 3, 2004 (2004-04-03)

56217Janet JacksonJanet JacksonApril 10, 2004 (2004-04-10)

  • Janet Jackson performs "All Nite (Don't Stop)" and "Strawberry Bounce".
  • Chris Kattan and Tracy Morgan both cameo in a Season's Greetings from SNL musical number. Morgan also reprises his role as Brian Fellow, appears in the Good Times sketch and introduces Janet Jackson's first performance. Kattan also introduces Jackson's second performance.
  • Simon Cowell also cameos in the Season's Greetings sketch to criticize them before joining in himself. Simon was actually asked to host the show, but would only agree to do a guest appearance.
56318Lindsay LohanUsherMay 1, 2004 (2004-05-01)

56419Snoop DoggAvril LavigneMay 8, 2004 (2004-05-08)

56520Mary-Kate and Ashley OlsenJ-KwonMay 15, 2004 (2004-05-15)

  • J-Kwon performs "Tipsy".
  • This episode features a short film about a bald boy named Harold, which was the basis for a film featuring the character.
  • Announcer Don Pardo appears in the Bloater Brother segment.
  • Because the show was running long, J-Kwon's second song was cut in order to make room for Jimmy Fallon's farewell sketch.
  • Jimmy Fallon's final episode as a cast member and as Weekend Update co-anchor.

Specials

[edit]
TitleOriginal air date
"The Best of Chris Kattan"September 27, 2003 (2003-09-27)
Sketches included "The Roxbury Guys," "Mango," "Defense Attorney Suel," "The How Do You Say? Ah Yes, Show," "Mr. Peppers in the Lab," "Auditions for Bon Jovi," "America Undercover," "The Rialto Grande," "Goth Talk," "Sparks," "Oprah," "Larry King's Wedding Reception," "E! Impeachment Coverage," "Loaded-Musical Performance," "Emmy Awards Pre-Show," "Shopping at Home Network," "Siamese Twin Dates," and some "Weekend Update" clips.
"The Best of Tracy Morgan"October 25, 2003 (2003-10-25)
Sketches include "Wong & Owen, Ex-Porn Stars," "Brian Fellow's Safari Planet," "Pimp Chat," "Woodrow," "The View," "Uncle Jemima's Down House Mash Liquor," "Tracy Confronts Garth," "Astronaut Jones," "Talkin' to the Stars," "Hardball," "Big Bernard," "At the Movies," "Christmas Eve Drinks," "Channel 5 Late Night Movie," and a Weekend Update clips.
"The Best of Will Ferrell, Volume 2"December 20, 2003 (2003-12-20)
A second compilation of sketches featuring Will Ferrell.
"The Best of Christopher Walken"May 22, 2004 (2004-05-22)
Sketches include "The Continental" (on the TV airing, the "Continental" sketch that aired was the one from season 18; the DVD version also includes the one from season 25 and a dress rehearsal version of the one from season 28 shown picture-in-picture style under the title, "The Making of The Continental"), "Ed Glosser Trivial Psychic", "Rita Snowed In", "Behind the Music: Blue Oyster Cult", "Leon Loves Mango", "Hardball", "Pranksters", "The Bad Raft Captain" (DVD version only), "Colonel Angus" and "Christopher Walken at the 25th Anniversary Special". The DVD version includes two dress rehearsal sketches: "The Black Guardian Angel" (from season 25) and a movie trailer parody called Fonzie (from season 26).

References

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  1. ^ a b McClintock, Pamela; Adalian, Josef (September 26, 2003). "SNL primed for 29". Variety. Retrieved April 22, 2024.
  2. ^ "Chris Kattan is leaving SNL". EW.com. May 8, 2003. Retrieved April 22, 2024.
  3. ^ Rowland, Marijike (November 13, 2003). "Tracy Morgan moves from 'SNL' to sitcom". Modesto Bee. p. D14. Retrieved April 22, 2024 – via The Vindicator.
  4. ^ "Two join 'Saturday Night Live' cast". Zap2it.com. September 28, 2003. p. B6. Retrieved April 22, 2024 – via Beaver County Times.
  5. ^ Ganahl, Jane (July 19, 2004). "After 'SNL,' Jeff Richards is moving on to movies. First came public access". SFGATE. Retrieved April 22, 2024.
  6. ^ "Jimmy Fallon signs off from 'Saturday Night Live'". Today. May 18, 2004. Archived from the original on April 16, 2015. Retrieved April 22, 2024.
  7. ^ Ganahl, Jane (July 19, 2004). "After 'SNL,' Jeff Richards is moving on to movies. First came public access". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved June 16, 2015.
  8. ^ Seabaugh, Julie (February 12, 2014). "Comedian Jeff Richards is More Versatile Than You Think — and He's Widening His Reach". Las Vegas Weekly. Retrieved May 29, 2024.
  9. ^ "Kansan Jason Sudeikis establishes comedic footing on 'SNL'". Lawrence Journal-World. October 28, 2005. pp. 1E, 3E. Retrieved April 22, 2024.
  10. ^ Itzkoff, Dave (January 27, 2008). "JB Smoove – Curb Your Enthusiasm – Television". The New York Times. Retrieved July 7, 2016.
  11. ^ "Megan Mullally/Clay Aiken". Saturday Night Live. Season 29. Episode 11. February 7, 2004. Event occurs at Closing credits. NBC.
  12. ^ "Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen/J-Kwon". Saturday Night Live. Season 29. Episode 20. May 15, 2004. Event occurs at Closing credits. NBC.
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