Alec Mapa joins hot NBC pilot "The Sackett Sisters"

Casey Wilson (l) and Busy Philipps
film a scene in the new NBC pilot
The Sackett Sisters

As we inch closer to NBC's Upfront presentation -- i.e., the network's revelation of its 2017-18 schedule, complete with renewals, cancellations and new series pickups -- one comedy pilot that's been garnering buzz as an almost sure thing is The Sackett Sisters, starring Busy Philipps, Casey Wilson and Bradley Whitford.

In the potential new series -- which sources say if picked up may be held for midseason, to accommodate Casey Wilson's pregnancy -- two estranged sisters perform a Sully Sullenberger-esque act of public heroism, then are forced to navigate their newfound notoriety together.

Alec Mapa

In one latest bit of Sackett casting, Alec Mapa has signed on to play the sisters' therapist, Josh.  The out gay actor has appeared on such fun shows as Desperate Housewives, Ugly Betty, Scream Queens, Mom and Jane the Virgin, and made history playing network TV's first gay Asian series regular role on the short-lived CBS sitcom Some of My Best Friends.  On the big screen, he was a scream in such films as Connie & Carla, and You Don't Mess with the Zohan.

NBC is already leading the pack with new series announcements, with its previous pickups of two new dramas, Rise and For God and Country.  On the comedy side, the network has the now 12-episode revival of Will & Grace -- which will need some comedy company.  Although multi-cam sitcoms like W&G generally work better with other multi-cams, the network has only one of those -- Relatively Happy, from W&G co-creator Max Mutchnick and Trial & Error co-creator Jeff Astrof -- among its pilots.  One of ABC's multi-cam pilots, Carol Burnett's Household Name, is produced by NBC Universal, so it could end up at the Peacock Network if ABC cuts it loose.

But regardless of format, NBC needs new comedy blood, and The Sackett Sisters -- which comes with an impressive pedigree, having been created by 30 Rock writer Luke del Tredici and executive produced by Tina Fey and Robert Carlock -- seems to be leading the pack as of this writing.  Stay tuned for more announcements from NBC, leading up to its big upfront morning of Monday, May 15.

NBC Gives Early Renewal for 30 Rock for 2011-12 season.

...And on the heels of its midseason schedule announcement, NBC also sent out a press release announcing the early renewal of 30 Rock for next season, which will be the show's sixth.

Undoubtedly, this is good news for Tina Fey and company, who must be worried that their show is now being sent off to an unproven 10 PM time slot, a rarity for broadcast TV. So never fear -- even if the 10-11 PM comedy experience proves a bust, NBC is telling us that Liz Lemon and Jack Donaghy will live on.

Here's the announcement:

NBC PICKS UP EMMY-WINNING COMEDY ’30 ROCK’ FOR ANOTHER SEASON THROUGH 2011-12

UNIVERSAL CITY, Calif. – November 15, 2010 – NBC has picked up its Emmy Award-winning comedy “30 Rock” (Thursdays, 10-10:30 p.m. ET) for another season through 2011-12, it was announced today by Angela Bromstad, President, Primetime Entertainment, NBC and Universal Media Studios.

We are happy to confirm the pickup of ’30 Rock’ for another season,” said Bromstad. “It continues to be a bold, hilarious, sophisticated comedy that has become a classic in its own time.”

The pickup comes as “30 Rock” also celebrates its 100^th episode this season.

"30 Rock" has averaged a 3.1 rating, 9 share in adults 18-49 and 6.6 million viewers overall in "most current" averages for the season through November 7. It's one of the most upscale and most time-shifted comedies on the schedule, tying for the #2 most upscale shows among all primetime series on ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox or CW in its concentration of adults 18-49 living in homes with $100,000-plus incomes (46 percent above average), and tying for the #3 biggest time-shifting increase among half-hour comedies when going from "live plus same day" to "live plus seven day" ratings (plus 27 percent). Airing this fall in the Thursday 8:30 p.m. ET slot, "30 Rock" is building on its adult 18-49 lead-in by 25 percent in "live plus same day" ratings and has also improved the time period versus year-ago results by 25 percent.

Multiple award-winning comedy series “30 Rock” is told through the comedic voice of Emmy and two-time Golden Globe winner Tina Fey as variety show producer Liz Lemon, and features Emmy and three-time Golden Globe winner Alec Baldwin as top network executive Jack Donaghy and Emmy nominee Tracy Morgan as Tracy Jordan, the unpredictable star of Lemon’s hit variety show, “TGS with Tracy Jordan.” Lemon constantly has her hands full, juggling corporate interference from Donaghy and off-the-handle star antics from Jordan, all while attempting to salvage her own personal life.

Also rounding out the cast are two-time Emmy nominee Jane Krakowski as Jenna Maroney, the co-star of “TGS”; Scott Adsit as the variety show’s producer Pete Hornberger; Emmy nominee Jack McBrayer as Kenneth, the over-eager and effortlessly endearing NBC page; Judah Friedlander as Frank, the sardonic slacker on the writing staff; and Keith Powell as Toofer, the sophisticated yet sarcastic, Harvard-alum writer.

Nominated for 15 Emmy nominations (plus one for an interactive Emmy) in 2010, “30 Rock” won its third-straight Emmy for Outstanding Comedy Series and tied the record for most comedy Emmys in a single season in 2009. “30 Rock” has also won a Golden Globe for Best Television Series, a Screen Actor’s Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an ensemble in a Comedy Series, three Producers Guild’s Danny Thomas Producer of the Year Awards in Comedy Episodic Television, three Writers Guild Awards for Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series and two WGA Awards for Episodic Comedy and a Television Critics Association for Outstanding Achievement in Comedy.

“30 Rock” is from Broadway Video and Little Stranger, Inc. in association with Universal Media Studios. The executive producers are Lorne Michaels (“Saturday Night Live”), Fey, Marci Klein (“Saturday Night Live”), David Miner (“Human Giant”), Robert Carlock (“Friends”), Jeff Richmond ("Baby Mama") and John Riggi ("Will & Grace).

Facebook Has Spoken

Proving the power of grassroots fandom on the internet, Saturday Night Live has acquiesced to the nearly half million fans who joined a certain Facebook group (although Lorne Michaels tells the New York Times the booking isn't a result of that), and booked 88-year-old Betty White to become the oldest host in the show's 35-year history. (Previous record holder: Ruth Gordon, who hosted in January, 1977 at age 80.)

Of course, this is a show whose announcer, Don Pardo, is 92 and still going strong. And, as Pardo pointed out when I saw him in L.A. in January at the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences' Hall of Fame Induction ceremony, the show still employs two wardrobe women even older than he, still working in their late 90s.

Betty has been a TV star since they plugged in the first cameras back in the late '40s, and went on to create iconic characters in The Mary Tyler Moore Show's Sue Ann Nivens and The Golden Girls' Rose Nylund. But this will be her first appearance on the NBC late-night comedy staple (although published reports state that Betty says she's turned down Lorne Michaels' offer to host 3 times in the past.)

So far, 2010 has been an amazing year in Betty's ever-growing career; there was her much-loved Super Bowl ad for Snickers, her lifetime achievement recognition at the SAG Awards, and now this. Of course, Betty, and The Golden Girls, remain as popular as ever among new generations of young viewers, as Sharyn Jackson proved this past weekend with her Golden Girls party at New York gay bar The Stonewall Inn, packed with young straight girls cheering at clips of the show.

It's perfect timing for SNL, catching Betty while she's hot, and in time for Mother's Day to boot. The appearance will also feature the return of some of our favorite funny ladies from the show's past, including Maya Rudolph, Amy Poehler, Molly Shannon, Rachel Dratch, Tina Fey and Ana Gasteyer. And you can bet there'll be a Golden Girls sketch. My vote: Gasteyer as Dorothy, Dratch as Sophia, Poehler as Blanche, and the one and only Betty White reprising the beloved role of Rose.

Yes, Tina, there will be more 30 Rock (and The Office, and Community)

Last weekend at the annual awards ceremony for the Writers' Guild of America East, 30 Rock creator Tina Fey got all verklempt at the winners' podium, as she admitted that, in the shadow of ABC's cancellation of her Queens, NY neighbor Ugly Betty, her own show's "special moment may not last forever." (Check out the video below.)

Well fret no longer, Tina; after announcing a pickup for Parks & Recreation several weeks back, today NBC announced the renewals of its other three Thursday night sitcoms -- Community, The Office and 30 Rock -- for the 2010-11 season.

That's not to say that NBC's Thursday sitcom schedule isn't ratings-challenged; just last night, Community and Parks & Recreation scored typical third-place results in the 8 PM hour, and The Office managed a ratings high only because the one-hour special (replacing 30 Rock for the week) featured a landmark event, the birth of Pam and Jim's baby. Still, all four shows tend to score high in the advertiser-coveted age 18-34 demographic, meaning that NBC -- which certainly can't afford to be too choosy right now anyway -- luckily does have the patience to commit to these four high-quality comedies for at least another season. Here's the network's announcement, below:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE


NBC GIVES PICKUPS TO THURSDAY-NIGHT COMEDIES ’30 ROCK,’ ‘THE OFFICE’ AND ‘COMMUNITY’ FOR 2010-11


Renewals Follow Previously Announced Green-light for “Parks and Recreation” on Thursdays


UNIVERSAL CITY, Calif. - March 5, 2010 - NBC has renewed three more of its Thursday-night comedies - “30 Rock” (9:30-10 p.m. ET), “The Office” (9-9:30 p.m. ET) and the freshman series “Community” (8-8:30 p.m. ET) for the 2010-11 season. The returning programs join the previously announced “Parks and Recreation” (Thursdays, 8:30-9 p.m. ET) that also will return for next season.

The announcement was made by Angela Bromstad, President, Primetime Entertainment, NBC and Universal Media Studios.

“We are happy to give these early pickups to these critically acclaimed, incredibly funny comedies,” said Bromstad. “As a result, we look forward to continuing our rewarding partnership with the respective creative teams and talented show-runners for ’30 Rock,’ ‘The Office’ and ‘Community’ as they all consistently deliver quality shows.”

First-year comedy "Community" is averaging a 2.7 rating, 7 share in adults 18-49 and 5.9 million viewers overall so far this season, with "Community" originals winning the time period among adults 18-34 and men 18-34. Since moving to the Thursday 8-8:30 p.m. (ET) half-hour on October 8, "Community" has improved the time period by 24 percent versus NBC's adult 18-49 average earlier in the season.

Currently in its sixth season, "The Office" is network television's #1 primetime scripted series among adults 18-34 and is NBC's #1 scripted series in the key demographic of adults 18-49. "The Office" regularly finishes #2 in its highly competitive time period in adults 18-49 ahead of CBS's "CSI." The most recent "Office" telecast on March 4 outscored ABC's "Grey's Anatomy," marking the first time "The Office" has topped "Grey's" head-to-head in adults 18-49. For the season through 23 weeks, "The Office" is averaging a 4.9 rating, 12 share in adults 18-49 and 9.4 million viewers overall, representing gains versus last season of 4 percent in 18-49 and 3 percent in total viewers.

Currently in its fourth season, "30 Rock" is averaging a 3.4 rating, 8 share in adults 18-49 and 6.9 million viewers overall, with "30 Rock" originals winning the time period among men 18-34 and men 18-49 despite airing opposite the concluding half-hours of ABC's "Grey's Anatomy" and CBS's "CSI." "30 Rock" is the most upscale comedy on broadcast primetime television when ranked by its concentration of homes with $100,000-plus incomes in its adult 18-49 audience.

The Emmy Award-winning comedy series "30 Rock" is told through the comedic voice of Emmy and two-time Golden Globe winner Tina Fey ("Saturday Night Live”) as variety show producer Liz Lemon and features Emmy and three-time Golden Globe winner Alec Baldwin ("The Departed") as top network executive Jack Donaghy. Also starring are Tracy Morgan, Jane Krakowski, Scott Adsit, Jack McBrayer, Judah Friedlander and Keith Powell.

"30 Rock" is from Broadway Video & Little Stranger, Inc. in association with Universal Media Studios. The executive producers are Lorne Michaels ("Saturday Night Live"), Fey, Marci Klein ("Saturday Night Live"), David Miner ("Human Giant") and Robert Carlock ("Friends").

“The Office” is the Emmy Award-winning comedy series from Deedle-Dee Productions, Reveille and Universal Media Studios. The show offers a hilarious documentary-style look into the humorous and sometimes poignant foolishness that plagues the world of 9-to-5 and is based on the award-winning BBC hit. Golden Globe winner and Emmy nominee Steve Carell ("Get Smart," "Little Miss Sunshine") stars as pompous regional manager Michael Scott..

Also starring are Jenna Fischer ("Walk Hard"), John Krasinski ("Leatherheads"), Rainn Wilson ("The Rocker") and B.J. Novak ("Punk'd"). Other series stars are Ed Helms ("The Hangover"), Leslie David Baker ("Malcolm in the Middle"), Brian Baumgartner ("Arrested Development"), Kate Flannery ("The Heir Apparent"), Mindy Kaling ("The 40-Year-Old Virgin"), Angela Kinsey ("Tripping Forward"), Paul Lieberstein (writer, "King of the Hill"), Oscar Nuñez ("Halfway Home"), Phyllis Smith ("Arrested Development"), Creed Bratton (former member of The Grass Roots) and Craig Robinson ("Curb Your Enthusiasm"). "The Office" is executive-produced by Ben Silverman, Greg Daniels, who developed the series for American audiences, Ricky Gervais, Stephen Merchant, Howard Klein and Paul Lieberstein.

From Dan Harmon ("The Sarah Silverman Program") and Emmy Award-winners Joe and Anthony Russo ("Arrested Development") comes "Community," a smart comedy series about a band of misfits who attend Greendale Community College. At the center of the group is Jeff Winger (Joel McHale, "The Soup"), a fast-talking lawyer whose degree has been revoked and forms a study group. Also starring are comedy legend Chevy Chase ("Chuck"), Gillian Jacobs ("The Book of Daniel"), Yvette Nicole Brown ("Rules of Engagement"), Danny Pudi ("Greek"), Alison Brie ("Mad Men"), Donald Glover ("30 Rock") and Ken Jeong ("The Hangover").

"Community" is a production of Krasnoff Foster Entertainment, Harmonious Claptrap, Russo Brothers production and Universal Media Studios in association with Sony Pictures Television. Russ Krasnoff ("The Soloist"), Dan Harmon, Joe Russo, Anthony Russo, Garrett Donovan ("Scrubs"), Neil Goldman ("Scrubs") and Gary Foster ("The Soloist") serve as executive producers.

"Parks and Recreation," starring Amy Poehler (NBC’s “Saturday Night Live”), is a production of Deedle-Dee Productions and Universal Media Studios. Along with Greg Daniels (NBC’s “The Office”) and Michael Schur (“The Office”), Howard Klein and David Miner also serve as executive producers for the series.

30 Rock Wins Big at the WGA Awards

On Saturday night in both New York and Los Angeles, the Writers Guild of America simultaneously handed out its annual awards.  The East Coast ceremony boasted such big names as 30 Rock's Tina Fey, Judah Friedlander and Jack McBrayer; Law & Order's S. Epatha Merkerson, Alana de la Garza, Linus Roache and Sam Waterston; comedy legends Jerry Stiller & Anne Meara; Curb Your Enthusiasm's Susie Essman; Ugly Betty's Ana Ortiz; The Daily Show's Aasif Mandvi and John Oliver; Gilbert Gottfried; Bill Irwin; Doubt screenwriter John Patrick Shanley; former thirtysomething star Polly Draper with her kids, "Naked Brothers" Matt and Alex Wolff; VH1's Paul F. Thompson; Oz creator Tom Fontana and Mad Men stars John Slattery and Talia Balsam.

As a "celebrity wrangler," my job was to pluck many of the presenters out of the audience and usher them backstage at just the right time.  It was a great excuse to share even a few moments with writers and actors I admire, and in the case of such greats as Stiller & Meara, have admired my whole life.

As far as winners, 30 Rock and Mad Men defeated all comers.  Early on in the night, Anne Meara referenced Tina Fey in the audience, begging for her to employ Jerry Stiller on her show, to get him out of the house.  (Although Meara let the audience know that that was merely banter scripted on her cue cards.)  Later, Tina was there to applaud as two of her writers, John Riggi and Andrew Guest, won the Best Episodic Comedy award for the episode entitled "Succession."  Tina was then up on stage with all her writers when 30 Rock took the trophy for Best Comedy Series - - and then again, accepting on behalf of Saturday Night Live, the Comedy/Variety series winner.  She was only involved on the periphery of SNL this fall, she said, when the show produced 8 live episodes (including those Thursday night specials) in the space of 6 weeks.  "It was great to see those f---ers have to work that hard," Tina had to admit.

And of course the other show which continues to have writers -- and everyone else -- abuzz is AMC's drama Mad Men.  We got to see one of that series' handsome stars, John Slattery, on stager twice on Saturday night:  first, as he and wife Talia Balsam presented the awards for Long Form Adaptation and Long Form Original, but more excitingly a second time, as Slattery again took to the stage on behalf of Mad Men, the winner for Best Drama Series.

In other "wrangling" news from my viewpoint, Ana Ortiz looked spectacularly beautiful, at I think 4 months pregnant, in a vintage gown with just a hint of baby bump under her pink skirt.  Jack McBrayer turned out to be adorably like his character, 30 Rock's NBC page Kenneth:  when I introduced myself to him and told him I'd be coming to get him later, his answer had a very Southern, very friendly and formal "sir" in it.  "Yes sir."  And of course, then there's Susie Essman (who by the way says things are going "very well" in the filming of this newest season of Curb, which started back in December.)

I had brought her backstage a little early, and so Susie was given her cue cards of her category's nominees while John Patrick Shanley was accepting the Ian McLellan Hunter Award for lifetime achievement in writing, with a speech that harkened back all the way to the drama of the ancient Greeks.  At the end, Susie, who had been studying her cards, looked up and asked me, "What the f--- did he say?"  THAT's why I love her!

Enjoy Sabor de Soledad

Now with more bull semen!

Tracey Ullman back to check the State of the Union

On Sunday, April 12, Tracey Ullman will return to Showtime with season 2 of her show State of the Union.

At today's TCA, Ullman appeared with her fellow executive producer -- and husband of 25 years -- Allan McKeown and talked about the process of playing so many different characters.  Ullman and her crew shot season 2 last fall -- 7 new episodes in 3 weeks -- adding an extra challenge to playing Arianna Huffington because the presidential election hadn't yet been decided.  As a result, Ullman and her fellow writer Bruce Wagner came up with alternate endings -- an Obama and a McCain -- for those sketches.  "There was very low enthusiasm [when we were filming] the McCain endings," McKeown remembered.

Also in the political vein, Tracey -- who recently became a U.S. citizen after 25 years living here -- now "takes on" (to use a phrase from her earlier HBO show) Laura Bush.  "I was just obsessed with Laura Bush," she admitted.  "I know that by the time the show goes on, she'll be back in Crawford and it'll be 115 degrees," surrounded by her "objets d'art and trying to fit in."

Among her favorites from State of the Union's first season, Huffington will be back, as will singing pharmacist Padma and her spot-on take on a squinting Renee Zellweger.  And she'll be adding plenty more.  This year, Tracey impersonates Jonah Hill.  ("I'm never keen seeing Tracey dressed up like a guy.  She always tries to kiss me and it upsets me," McKeown admits.)  She's always watching odd people, she says, getting ideas.  And listening to NPR.  Then, it's time to write.

"Bruce Wagner and I sit and throw out ideas all day together, and you write.  To impersonate actual people is something I started to do [only] on State Of The Union.  I hadn't done that before -- I always thought it was SNL's domain.  But i thought if i'm going to do a trip across America, I should do some celebrities to add flavor to the show.  But I'm not Rich Little.  I didn't want to be Sarah Palin, which i think Tina Fey nailed and was a genius thing.  I wanted to be that lesbian Sarah Palin talked about who was her best friend for years.  Where was she -- Juneau?"  

In the resulting show, tied together with a voice-over narration by Peter Strauss, Tracey plays a plethora of characters as they live and breathe one day in America dawn to dusk, in pieces lasting no longer than two minutes.  The show has a lot of similarities to Little Britain -- and particularly to HBO's current Little Britain, USA, which is also set on a trip thru the States.  But a format framed by voice-over is nothing new, Tracey says of the similarity.  Plus, McKeown points out, whereas Little Britain is all sketch comedy, State of the Union has Tracey playing the truth in realistic American characters first, with punchlines coming second.

I asked Tracey if characters her fans (like me) love from her earlier series -- like Francesca, being raised by two gay dads on The Tracey Ullman Show, or Fern Rosenthal, the Jewish Florida matron from Tracey Takes On -- might ever pop up on this newest show.  Fern, she realized, thinking quickly, would be perfect:  she's undoubtedly a Bernie Madoff victim.  So although all of this season's episodes are already in the can, don't be surprised to see Fern kvelling on Showtime should there be a Season 3.

But there are other things about her older shows Tracey is happy to leave behind.  Watching Tracey Takes On now, she says, she's struck by how each character scene seems to go on forever.  Now, she says, doing these quickie bits of characters is much more in fitting with the times, with our "youtube mentality."

And, of course, it also offers her the chance to cram in so many more personalities.  "I can't do a show where I play just one character," she admitted.  "Even if I love playing a character and have a great time, at the end of the day I say 'What are we going to do tomorrow?'  I just have that energy.  And until I get too old, that's what i'm going to do.  Then I can do Murder She Wrote where I live in Cornwall and solve mysteries."

Tracey Ullman's State of the Union

Season 2 Premiere

Sunday, April 12

So about those Emmys...

I'm not going to get into how much everyone's saying that, with some notable exceptions like Ricky Gervais and Don Rickles, the telecast sucked. Or how this 60th anniversary show, which should have been more celebratory about TV, notched the Emmys' lowest ratings in history -- even lower than the previous record-holding year, 1990.

What I want to ask is, did anyone else notice a disturbing misogynist note to the whole affair? First the script called for several males to rip the outfit off of their sole female cohost, Heidi Klum. Later in the evening, another bit called for poor Tom Bergeron, a genuine nice guy, to drop her to the floor. And then there was that moment -- again, pre-planned! -- with Craig Ferguson's hand supposedly on Brooke Shields' ass. (Have I missed any more?)

Did we really need to stoop to that? To take Brooke Shields, a smart, accomplished, beautiful woman on a hit show, and turn her into a 6-foot cheesecake model to be groped for a joke? Do we men, now that our economy is a mess and our banks are failing, suddenly need to reassert our "power" and dominance over our women to make ourselves feel better? And do it on national TV, as an example for the next generation?

All I can say is, thank god nobody trivialized or objectified my girl Tina Fey -- at least that I could see on camera. Nobody puts multiple-Emmy winning genius Tina in a corner!

Swimming the Channels

Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps set a new world record by winning 8 gold medals at this summer's Beijing games. With such newfound fame, he's a natural choice of host for Saturday Night Live, which opens its 34th season this coming Saturday, September 13 at 11:30 PM Eastern/Pacific.

But -- is he funny? After a day spent yesterday in run-throughs of this weekend's sketches, Lorne Michaels says yes. "Michael’s been great," Lorne told a conference call of TV critics this afternoon. "And no matter what happens, they can’t take those medals away. You can tell right away by the way people laugh at the material. There’s no question about Michael getting it, about being funny and knowing what to do in the piece. He’s not suddenly going to be a professional sketch player, but he’ll do just fine."

For his part, Michael admits to having a sarcastic side that only his closest circle of friends normally gets to see. And so, which does he find more nervewracking, we wanted to know: the thought of performing comedy live in front of millions, or as he did in Beijing, swimming live in front of billions? "I was nervous coming in here [to SNL], and had no idea what to expect," Michael admitted on the phone this afternoon. "But after the first few read-throughs yesterday, I started getting into it and warming up a little bit. I felt completely confident yesterday, and I'm feeling good today. We'll run through things in the next few days before Saturday, and so I’m confident with what’s coming up. But I’m probably more nervous doing this than I was swimming in Beijing, I’ll tell you that."

A devotee of the movie Tommy Boy and its SNL-born star Chris Farley, as well as Adam Sandler, Phelps says he's long been a fan of the show -- that is, on the rare occasion where he's been able to stay up to see it. When he learned of his SNL gig, Michael reached out for advice, to fellow Tonight Show guest J.B. Smoove, and to Ashton Kutcher, whom he met through Demi Moore in Los Angeles and who offered his help. Thus prepared, this weekend, he says, he'll be honored to step out on that famous stage, following so many iconic performers who have gone before him.

When he does, we learned today, he may be playing Aquaman (Lorne confirms that this is indeed a sketch in the works, but that like anything mentioned today, it could be cut by Saturday for lack of time). He will very likely be parodying his own life and Olympic persona, complete with high-calorie diet, clingy swimsuits and Amy Poehler in a dark wig as his mom. And, if cast member Kristen Wiig is able to follow through on her "threat," he can expect costumes with lots of wigs of his own -- and very few shirts. So, is Michael game, one reporter asked, to give the girls [and the boys!] a thrill? "It's all in good fun, and if it happens, it happens," he answered laughing. "I'm just along for the ride."


In other SNL news revealed on today's call:

• The format of the upcoming Thursday night primetime SNL specials will be based on Weekend Update -- but don't rule out seeing any sketches, too. "They'll start with an Update base and work out from there," Lorne revealed. Regarding sketches, "I think there'll be something. If we're directly following the debate, we'll do the debate. Whatever the best half hour to put on, we'll put on. We won't save anything for Saturday that will play better on Thursday."



• With all the obvious reports of Sarah Palin's uncanny resemblance to former SNL cast member, and now 30 Rock star/showrunner, Tina Fey, will Tina be returning for any surprise appearances as the Republican VP candidate? Lorne at first cagily dodged the question. "There are discussions," he finally admitted on follow up. "They are ongoing."



• Traditionally almost each year, new cast members and featured players are added to SNL -- and this year is no exception. Bobby Moynihan, whom Lorne called "really talented," will join as a featured player at the beginning of this season, and there very well may be more additions by the end -- particularly of women. With Amy Poehler leaving to have her baby this fall -- a departure Lorne calls "a devastation" and seems to be in denial about, because he says he hasn't yet planned how to replace her on Update or elsewhere -- the show will soon be in need of some new ladies.



• Speaking of the ladies, it's very likely SNL is soon going to be needing a Michelle Obama -- if not in the White House, then at least in the latter weeks of the election. Lorne has revealed that he's hoping to lure back former cast member Maya Rudolph to play the part.

Saturday Night Live
Season 34 premiere
Saturday, September 13
11:30 PM Eastern/Pacific
NBC