SNL

Tracy Morgan catching a case of nerves about getting back onstage after a 16 month layoff? THAT'S CRAZY!

We got Tracy as he was leaving 'SNL' rehearsals Tuesday night, and asked if he had any concerns about shaking off the rust for his 2 stand-up gigs in NYC the other night.

Tracy's confidence is definitely not shaken ... check out his response.

Also cool to see him interact with some of the other cast members and fans outside 30 Rock.

#CantWaitForSaturday

Donald Trump will host "Saturday Night Live" ... and the big winner is NBC.

Trump will front SNL on November 7th ... which NOT coincidentally is smack in the middle of sweeps.

Trump has been a ratings magnet ... CNN got its best rating in history during the second Republican Presidential Debate ... thanks to D.T. And even the struggling "Meet the Press" attracted 3.6 million viewers in August thanks to The Donald.

Trump is not a novice on the 'SNL' front. He hosted in 2004.

Hillary Clinton did what all modern-day presidential candidates do to stand out ... appear on "Saturday Night Live" ... but we gotta say, this one really is a stand out.

Hillary was playing a bartender named Val, who serves up booze to Kate McKinnon, who's playing Hillary.

It's hilarious ... Hillary nailed it.

Miley Cyrus was spotted. That's it. Just spotted ... as she arrived in NYC.

Maybe the stars on her face were supposed to distract everyone from the blotches of what looks like zit cream. It didn't work, but we're absolutely positive of one thing -- Miley don't care.

Tracy Morgan is back!!!!! He'll be hosting one of the first shows next season on "Saturday Night Live."

NBC announced the first three guest hosts are Miley Cyrus, Amy Schumer, and Tracy.

Tracy responded on Twitter, "Stoked to be going home ... #SNL."

He's made an amazing recovery from the car crash a year ago. We got him out earlier this month driving and clowning with his old English teacher.

George Coe, one of the O.G. "Saturday Night Live" stars, died in Santa Monica over the weekend.

Coe was part of the "Not Ready for Prime Time Players" comedy troupe that launched 'SNL' in 1975 -- and went on to have a very successful career in movies and TV. He had roles in "Curb Your Enthusiasm," "The West Wing," and "L.A. Law."

Most recently, Coe voiced a main character on "Archer." He played Woodhouse, Archer's butler.

His big movie roles included ... "Kramer vs. Kramer" and "Blind Date."

Variety first reported his death.

Fun fact: Coe held the record for oldest person to join 'SNL.' He was 46 when the show started. Leslie Jones just took that title ... she was 47 when she joined in 2014.

UFC announcer Bruce Buffer and his famous bro don't joke about protecting the 5 most famous words in pro fighting -- but says "Saturday Night Live" is getting a funny pass ... a very pricey one.

The 'Veteran Voice of the Octagon' was outside Gold's Gym in Venice, and told us why "SNL's" Mayweather/Pacquiao skit -- which included Michael Buffer's "Let's get ready to rumble" -- isn't costing NBC a cent.

Normally, Bruce and Michael charge handsomely -- at least 5 figures -- for an individual or production to use the famous catchphrase.

Bottom line in this case -- Bruce gives Taran Killam's version a thumbs up, but it's far from open season on "rumble." If you want MB at your next birthday party ... get ready to payyyyyy!

Former "SNL" star Chris Kattan had airline personnel on edge at the airport in Phoenix -- and his jittery behavior got so bad, cops had to remove him ... but turns out, Chris just needed a nap.

Phoenix PD says officers were dispatched to the Southwest terminal on Sunday evening to remove a passenger who'd been barred from boarding his flight. Sources say Kattan was mumbling and nervously walking around the gate until 5 responding officers arrived to escort him out of Sky Harbor Airport.

Cops say Kattan told them he had popped an Ambien earlier in the day, and it was still in his system.

Kattan tells TMZ he was up very late Saturday night for a wrap party, and on his way home to L.A. he missed a connecting flight in Phoenix. He says he was just looking for a spot to crash in the terminal when cops arrived.

Cops took Kattan to a nearby hotel to catch some z's before he caught a later flight. He's grateful the officers were kind ... and cops agree Kattan was cooperative.

Chris had more serious Ambien troubles last year -- he was sentenced to 3 years probation for slamming his Mercedes into a parked vehicle while under the influence of the sleep aid.

Cecily Strong went in HARD on President Obama and the Secret Service with an envelope-pushing joke about cops killing black men -- and she did it just miles from the Baltimore riots over that very issue.

Cecily hosted the White House Correspondents Dinner on Saturday night, and got the biggest reaction from the room when she said the Secret Service is "the only law enforcement agency in the country that will get in trouble if a black man gets shot."

The crowd was still gasping when she unleashed another racially charged follow-up.

Around the same time -- 30 miles outside the Beltway -- the Baltimore riots over Freddie Gray's death in police custody turned so violent police told Orioles fans to stay inside the stadium after the game.

We're guessing Cecily's jokes were written long before Baltimore erupted -- still, it was front page news all day leading up to the WHCD. So, we gotta ask ...

Dakota Johnson has joined ISIS ... well, at least a character she played on "Saturday Night Live" -- and the Internet went CRAZY!

Check out the video ....Dakota's dropped off at the airport by her dad -- played by Taran Killam -- but instead of joining the army like the Toyota commercial ... she joins the infamously savage org.

Social media users blew up with anger ... with responses like:

- "I think it's safe to say I will never watch SNL or any of Dakota Johnson's movies ever again"

- "Dear #SNL, jokes about Isis are not funny. See how much you laugh when you have to see your loved one(s) being slaughtered. No respect."

- "Actually offended by the ISIS sketch... Is that seriously all you could come up with? @nbcsnl #SNL"

So we gotta ask ...

Eddie Murphy threw a David Spade-style shot at a "Saturday Night Live" alum way back in 1981 ... making his decades-long grudge against "SNL" puzzling.

We found this clip of Murphy on "Weekend Update" during Season 6 ... talking about his fear that the military draft would return -- and then offering up the perfect draft candidate -- Garrett Morris.

Eddie then held up Morris' head shot and added, "I know he's a little over age, but word has it he's got a lot of free time right now."

Through a rep, Cosby responded to the Murphy story, saying, "I am very appreciative of Eddie and I applaud his actions."

Eddie Murphy had Bill Cosby's back during the "SNL" 40th anniversary special, refusing to "kick a man when he's down" ... so says Norm Macdonald.

Apparently Eddie had a few epic lines for the best skit on the show -- "Celebrity Jeopardy." The category was "Potent Potables" and Eddie was supposed to appear as Cosby. That alone, Macdonald said, would have gotten the biggest laugh ... period.

But Macdonald says on the day of the show, Murphy had a change of heart. Macdonald tweeted, "He knew the laughs would bring the house down. Eddie Murphy knows what will work on 'SNL' better than anyone," adding, "Eddie decides the laughs are not worth it. He will not kick a man when he's down."

The skit went on without Eddie, with Keenan Thompson playing Cosby.

Sarah Palin's bit on the SNL Anniversary show wasn’t great, but she KILLED IT outside the after-party by destroying a boneheaded heckler -- and we gotta admit ... it makes her a little hotter.

That and the revealing mini-dress she was wearing.

Even haters can't hate, hate, hate this video -- Paul McCartney channeling his inner 15-year-old girl and jamming with Taylor Swift on "Shake It Off."

The ultimate bridge between generations went down at the "SNL" 40th anniversary after-party Sunday night -- and Jimmy Fallon joined 'em on stage too.

Taylor returned the favor by rocking the Beatles', "Saw Her Standing There" -- and she played a pretty strong rhythm guitar, while Paul played bass. If only Fallon had some drumsticks.

Sarah Palin hilariously confronted hecklers after the "SNL" after-party early Monday AM, explaining to them that she's clearly won the war of words because they're on the wrong side of the velvet rope.

Sarah -- who braved the cold sans coat to show off her duds -- alternated between taking selfies and dishing out insults.

Some of her critics were pretty stupid ... using high school tactics like telling her she looked like crap. But Sarah had some pretty good comebacks.

It wasn't just a hilarious sketch ... Shaq tells TMZ Sports his famous "Big Bernard" sketch with Tracy Morgan is one of the top 5 sketches in "Saturday Night Live" history."

It's definitely one of the funniest moments in the history of the show ... Shaq played Tracy's son "Bernard during the 1998 sketch ... which featured a father trying to discipline his enormous 7-foot son.

But the question is ... where does it rank among the all time greats?

-- The Chippendales dance-off?
-- The "More Cowbell" sketch?
-- Stefon?
-- Wayne's World?
-- D**k in a Box?
-- Matt Foley?
-- James Brown in the hot tub?!?!