Episode guide
Saturday Night Live: Season 31
19 episodes · premiered Oct 1, 2005
Saturday Night Live aired its thirty-first season in the 2005-06 television season on NBC. The season began on October 1, 2005, and ended on May 20, 2006, with 19 episodes in all. The season was cut one episode short due to the 2006 Winter Olympic Games. A 30th anniversary special for the show was planned, but the plan was scrapped due to budget cuts. Before the start of the season, featured player Rob Riggle was let go from the show. Finesse Mitchell and Kenan Thompson were both promoted to repertory status while Jason Sudeikis remained a featured player. The show then added three new cast members to the show. They included: Los Angeles-based sketch comedian Bill Hader, Andy Samberg and Kristen Wiig of The Groundlings. Wiig debuted on the show in November, in the episode hosted by Jason Lee. Samberg, Schaffer and Taccone would be a notable force for creating SNL Digital Shorts. One such short was "Lazy Sunday"; after it aired during the Jack Black episode it became an Internet phenomenon. Tina Fey and Maya Rudolph missed a few episodes in this season due to both of them being pregnant and on maternity leave. Fey's place on Weekend Update was briefly taken over by Horatio Sanz until her return in the episode hosted by Catherine Zeta-Jones, making Sanz the first Hispanic Weekend Update anchor. Fey returned to the show before her maternity leave time was up. Maya Rudolph, however, appeared on the first episode of the new season, and then went on maternity leave and returned in February, in the episode hosted by Steve Martin.
- Episode 1: Steve Carell/Kanye West Oct 1, 2005 · 1h 7m Live from New York, it's... Will Forte! Sketches include "Bush Addresses the Nation," "MorganStanley," "The JetBlue Crisis," "Anderson Cooper 360," "The Couple That Should Be Divorced,"…
- Episode 2: Jon Heder/Ashlee Simpson Oct 8, 2005 · 1h 7m Sketches include "George W. Bush and Harriet Miers," "Taco Town," "Caitlin's Science Fair," "Werewolf Date," "The Misadventures of Tom Delay and Bill Frist," "Showbiz Grande Explosion!,"…
- Episode 3: Catherine Zeta-Jones / Franz Ferdinand Oct 22, 2005 · 1h 7m Live from New York, it's... Darrell Hammond! Sketches include "Bush's Spontaneous Chat," "Butt Cancer Treatment Center," "Newsnight with Aaron Brown," "Dancers Party," "The Italians,"…
- Episode 4: Lance Armstrong/Sheryl Crow Oct 29, 2005 · 1h 7m Live from New York, it's... Darrell Hammond! Sketches include "The Libby Indictment," "Celebrity Ironman," "RAD 3000," "Indigo Girls Harmonies," "The O'Reilly Factor," "Sheryl's Song,"…
- Episode 5: Jason Lee/Foo Fighters Nov 12, 2005 · 1h 7m Live from New York, it's... Will Forte! Sketches include "Hardball," "JJ Casuals," "Good Morning Meth," "The Falconer," "Thomas & Dobbins," "The Soaking Wet Killer," "Refurbishments,"…
- Episode 6: Eva Longoria/Korn Nov 19, 2005 · 1h 7m Fox News Special Report: Bush in China, Eva Longoria Monologue, Totally Rad Smoke Detector 3000 (repeat), The Spammies, Deep House Dish, Morgan Stanley (repeat), The Needlers: College…
- Episode 7: Dane Cook/James Blunt Dec 3, 2005 · 1h 7m Sketches include: Tree Re-Lighting Special, Dane Cook Monologue, School Announcements, Taco Town (repeat), The Long Ride Home: The Jay Feely Story, Wool Sweater, Lettuce: An SNL Digital…
- Episode 8: Alec Baldwin/Shakira Dec 10, 2005 · 1h 7m Saddam in Prison, Alec Baldwin's 12th Monologue, Commercial Parody: Tylenol BM, TV Funhouse: Celebrity Mugshot Poker, O'Reilly Factor, Carol Goes Bowling, Glengarry Glen Christmas.
- Episode 9: Jack Black/Neil Young Dec 17, 2005 · 1h 7m "A Holiday Message from the Vice President," "Stuart Little Mouse Removal Kit," "Sbarro," "Appalachian Emergency Room," "Christmastime for the Jews" (cartoon), "Channel 5 Photo Shoot,"…
- Episode 10: Scarlett Johanson/Death Cab for Cutie Jan 14, 2006 · 1h 7m Live from New York, it's... the voice of Robert Smigel! Sketches include "The 700 Gang" (cartoon), "Taco Town," "Deep House Dish," "Smorgabord," "Darwin" (cartoon), "Mike and Toni's…
- Episode 11: Peter Sarsgaard/The Strokes Jan 21, 2006 · 1h 7m Sketches include "Anderson Cooper 360," "Nelson's Baby Toupees," "Target Greatland," "National Pirate Convention," "Carol!," "Young Chuck Norris" (film), "Cat Fancy," "Gays in Space,"…
- Episode 12: Steve Martin/Prince Feb 4, 2006 · 1h 7m Filmed in New York, it's... Steve Martin! Sketches include "The Sabotage of Baldwin" (film), "Teddy Bear Holding a Heart," "Oprah," "Don't Buy Stuff You Cannot Afford," "Hamas Party,"…
- Episode 13: Natalie Portman/Fall Out Boy Mar 4, 2006 · 1h 7m Sketches include "Bush Responds to Criticism," "Nelson's Baby Toupees," "Jamba Juice," "Larry King Live," "The Couple That Should Be Divorced," "Belated Black History Moment" (cartoon)…
- Episode 14: Matt Dillon/Arctic Monkeys Mar 11, 2006 · 1h 7m Live from New York, it's... Darrell Hammond! Sketches include "Bush Responds to Criticism," "Nelson's Baby Toupees," "Jamba Juice," "Larry King Live," "The Couple That Should Be Divorced,"…
- Episode 15: Antonio Banderas/Mary J. Blige Apr 8, 2006 · 1h 7m Live from New York (for the 600th time) Sketches include "Anderson Cooper 360," "Basic Instinct 2: Return of the Beaver," "Deal or No Deal," "Automated-Phone Lady," "Besos y Lagrimas,"…
- Episode 16: Lindsay Lohan/Pearl Jam Apr 15, 2006 · 1h 7m Live from New York, it's... Lindsay Lohan! Sketches include "The Situation Room," "Neutrogena Coin Slot," "Deep House Dish," "Journey to the Disney Vaults" (cartoon), "The O'Reilly…
- Episode 17: Tom Hanks/Red Hot Chili Peppers May 6, 2006 · 1h 7m Sketches include "Bill Frist's Gas Plan," "Wheel of Fortune," "Kaitlin and the Iguana," "Ariell & Ephraim" (film), "Ma!," "Claremont Yoga Center," "Colin's Place," and "Country Club…
- Episode 18: Julia Louis-Dreyfus/Paul Simon May 13, 2006 · 1h 7m Former cast member Julia Louis-Dreyfus' first time hosting, promoting "The New Adventures of Old Christine". Sketches include: Parallel Universe Address from President Gore Cold Open…
- Episode 19: Kevin Spacey/Nelly Furtado May 20, 2006 · 1h 7m Sketches include "Anderson Cooper 360," "A-holes at a Crime Scene," "Oprah's Legends Ball," "Carol!," "Fun with Real Audio" (cartoon), "Kevin and Andy Backstage," "The Falconer," "Andy…