The News

Monday, February 17, 2025

Lots of characters returned for ‘SNL’s’ 50th anniversary. We wish these beloved classics were among them

February 17, 2025 0

 

Dana Carvey as Church Lady during the "Church Chat" Cold Open on Saturday, December 7, 2024.
CNN
 — 

The “SNL50: The Anniversary Special” was a walk down memory lane for viewers of the long-running NBC sketch show. Classic characters, like Mike Myers as Linda Richman, were mixed in with newer hit sketches like Marcello Hernández’s suave Domingo, who introduced us to his “hot brothers,” for a rousing good time.

While it would have been impossible to cover all the bases (we miss you Chris Kattan/Mr. Peepers!), there are some inarguably classic sketches and characters that would have been great to see represented during the celebration.

A nostalgic list of some of them follows:

“Wayne’s World”
Myers and Dana Carvey reunited for a “Wayne’s World” sketch for SNL’s 40th anniversary, so maybe they didn’t want to repeat the move just ten years later. That said, doing so would have really been a “party on” moment.

“Target Lady”
Kristen Wiig is known for many things, but her “Target Lady” reigns as one of her most popular “SNL” characters. Though the anniversary special was jam-packed, we certainly missed Wiig’s Target Lady saying super weird stuff to customers at checkout.

“The Californians”
Sure, we got this recent fun commercial for Volkswagen featuring the famed “Californians” trio of Wiig, Bill Hader and Fred Armisen, but it sadly was not part of Sunday’s show. We’re chalking this up to Hader not being present for the special. (A representative for Hader previously told CNN the actor had a schedule conflict.)

“Church Lady”
Dana Carvey was present for most of this “SNL” season playing former US President Joe Biden but he did not show up on the air on Sunday’s anniversary special, except for a brief moment in a photo during a Black Jeopardy sketch. This means we didn’t get to see his sassy, politically-charged Church Lady. It would have been so very “special.”

“Whiskers R We”
Another classic was Wiig’s collaboration with Kate McKinnon for their “Whiskers R We” characters. Barbarba DeDrew and Furonica – “like Veronica, but how a cat would say it” – were the pun-loving feline fans who wanted to help get some cats adopted and were also in love with each other. Perhaps bringing live animals out during the anniversary special would’ve been too chaotic so, we get it.

“NPR’s Delicious Dish”
This felt like the perfect opportunity to bring on Margaret Jo McCullin and Terry Rialto, played by Ana Gastyer and Molly Shannon, respectively, for another gleefully boring episode of “NPR’s Delicious Dish.” Considering Alec Baldwin was also in the house, we’re disappointed that he, as Pete Schweddy, didn’t bring everyone a box of his Schweddy Balls.

“Spartan Cheerleaders”
“SNL” fan-favorite Cheri Oteri appeared to be absent on Sunday, but she was missed. How fun would it have been to see her and Will Ferrell reprise their famed Spartan Cheerleader characters Craig and Arianna? We’re betting they’d be proud to show off some new moves.

“Gumby”
While we were thrilled to see Eddie Murphy back on Studio 8H, we were a little saddened that he didn’t take things way back and do an updated rendition of his take on Gumby. Sure, we last saw the rich piece of gum just a few years ago, but there’s plenty of new 

Read More

Miley Cyrus and Brittany Howard Honor Sinèad O'Connor on SNL 50th Special with 'Nothing Compares 2 U' Cover

February 17, 2025 0

 

brittany howard and miley cyrus
Miley Cyrus and Brittany Howard. Photo: 

NBC

Miley Cyrus and Brittany Howard teamed up once again for Saturday Night Live.

On Sunday, Feb. 16 during SNL50: The Anniversary Special, the singers performed an emotional duet of the late Sinèad O'Connor's "Nothing Compares 2 U." Cyrus and Howard previously sang "Crazy Little Thing Called Love" by Queen during the homecoming concert on Friday, Feb. 14.

The soulful 1985 song was originally written by Prince and was part of O'Connor's 1990 album I Do Not Want What I Haven’t Got. O'Connor, who died in 2023, is part of the sketch show's history, appearing on Saturday Night Live in 1992 as the musical guest.

Instead of singing one of her own songs, O'Connor opted for an a cappella version of Bob Marley's "War" and asked the camera operators to slowly zoom in on her face while she sang.

brittany howard and miley cyrus
Miley Cyrus and Brittany Howard.

At the end of the song, she looked into the camera and said, "Fight the real enemy." She then held up a picture of Pope John Paul II and tore it apart on live television as a response to the Catholic Church's alleged cover-up of sexual abuse of children.

Her performance became infamous in SNL's history and the part of her performance where she ripped up the pope's pictures wasn't shown in the episode's reruns.

Speaking to PEOPLE in 2021, O'Connor said that she was "well aware there would be" backlash. "I understood it because we joke in Ireland or in Europe that Americans, they don't think anything happened until it happened to them. So I totally understood. I didn't blame anyone."

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

She wrote in her 2021 memoir Rememberings that she didn't regret her actions on the sketch show.

"A lot of people say or think that tearing up the pope's photo derailed my career. That's not how I feel about it," she wrote. "I feel that having a number-one record derailed my career and my tearing the photo put me back on the right track.”

Singer Sinead O'Connor rips up a picture of Pope John Paul II October 3, 1992 on the TV show "Saturday Night Live".
Sinèad O'Connor in 1992. 

Yvonne Hemsey/Getty

In the 2025 documentary Ladies and Gentleman...50 Years of SNL Music, Lorne Michaels spoke about O'Connor's actions. "There was a part of me that admired the bravery of what she'd done and also the absolute sincerity of it," he said.

SNL50: The Anniversary Special is airing live on NBC and streaming onPeacock.

Read More

Sunday, February 16, 2025

South Korean actress Kim Sae-ron found dead at home, police official says

February 16, 2025 0

South Korean actor Kim Sae-ron poses during the Mnet Asian Music Awards in Hong Kong

South Korean actor Kim Sae-ron poses on the red carpet during the Mnet Asian Music Awards in Hong Kong, China December 1, 2017. REUTERS/Bobby Yip/File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights
, opens new tab
SEOUL, Feb 16 (Reuters) - South Korean actress Kim Sae-ron has been found dead at her home, a police official with knowledge of the case said on Sunday.
Kim, 24, was one of most promising actresses in South Korea, but her career took hit after a drunk driving incident in 2022.
A friend who was going to meet Kim visited her home and discovered her and called the police, Yonhap News Agency said.
Police found no foul play, according to Yonhap.The police official said police are investigating the cause of death but did not provide further details.

The Reuters Daily Briefing newsletter provides all the news you need to start your day. Sign up here.

Reporting by Ju-min Park; Editing by Kirsten Donovan

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Read More

National Weather Service issues severe thunderstorm watch Sunday for Savannah area

February 16, 2025 0

 

The National Weather Service issued a severe thunderstorm warning for the Savannah region as well as other coastal regions in Georgia and South Carolina. The storm system has been impacting Georgia throughout Sunday morning Feb. 16, 2025.
The National Weather Service issued a severe thunderstorm warning for the Savannah region as well as other coastal regions in Georgia and South Carolina. The storm system has been impacting Georgia throughout Sunday morning Feb. 16, 2025.

A large storm has been moving east across Georgia on Sunday morning.

Severe thunderstorms, wind, rain and even tornadoes have been reported. Georgia Power has already identified nearly 220,000 power outages in the state.

The National Weather Service (NWS) issued a Severe Thunderstorm Watch for the Savannah area and surrounding counties from 7:30 a.m. through 1 p.m. with "primary threat timing" believed to occur between 10 a.m. - 12 p.m.The watch notice stated that winds could gust could reach as high as 38 mph. Rainfall amounts expected to reach between a tenth and quarter of an inch, though more could be possible in thunderstorms.

Residents are encouraged to follow the Chatham Emergency Management Agency and NWS for regular updates about the storm's impact on the area. They should also review power outage updates at GeorgiaPower.com/Storm.

Joseph Schwartzburt is the education and workforce development reporter for the Savannah Morning News. You can reach him at JSchwartzburt@gannett.com and @jschwartstory84 on X.com.

This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: Savannah could see severe thunderstorms due to large Georgia storm

Georgia Power: Over 200k without power in state due to severe weather

Joseph Schwartzburt, Savannah Morning News
2 min read
A worker from Georgia Power surveys a powerline after a tree fell over it on Abercorn Street near Amsterdam Circle as early bands from Hurricane Helene impacted the Savannah area on Thursday, September 26, 2024.
A worker from Georgia Power surveys a powerline after a tree fell over it on Abercorn Street near Amsterdam Circle as early bands from Hurricane Helene impacted the Savannah area on Thursday, September 26, 2024.

High winds, heavy rain and reported tornadoes have led to power outages throughout the state as a large weather system moves east.

Georgia Power has reported 217,754 homes without power. Residents can visit findenergy.com/ga/power-outage/ for a county and utility breakdown.

Georgia Power has begun work to address the outages and claims to have already restored power to "tens of thousands of customers through "smart grid" technology which enables remote restoration and switching even while a storm is underway."

Read More