SNL

This is kinda cool ... 'SNL' did its own PSA about COVID, and it's funny and at the same time instructive ... thanks to country star Morgan Wallen and Jason Bateman.

As we reported, Morgan was yanked from the show in October because he violated COVID restrictions by partying in a bar at the University of Alabama.

Well, Lorne Michaels gave Morgan a second chance, but not without strings attached.  Morgan was the star and subject of a parody at a bar. He was tempted to party for sure, until the Morgan of the future -- AKA Jason Bateman -- comes along to warn him there are consequences.

"I am you from the future and I came here to stop you from partying tonight," Bateman said in the sketch. "Trust me somebody's gonna post a video of you ignoring COVID protocols, the whole internet's gonna freak out ... Once people hear about the party, you're in big trouble, man, you're gonna get kicked off 'Saturday Night Live.'"

Temptation prevails and both guys are down for a little partying. You gotta see how it unfolds, especially when Pete Davidson surfaces.

Morgan Wallen has a plan to make sure he's not booted from his second crack at 'SNL' ... but his strategy already has some gaping holes of his own doing.

We got the country music star in New York City Friday and our photog asked him how he's planning to stay COVID safe ahead of his big 'SNL' performance.

Morgan tells us he "ain't leaving the damn hotel" ... as he's literally walking out of said hotel.

As you know ... Morgan is getting a second chance at 'SNL' 2 months after the show axed him from an earlier, planned gig. He got the boot after he was seen taking shots in a crowded bar and kissing women during some maskless partying down in Alabama. Y'know, stuff that's NOT COVID safe.

Morgan's thanking the Lord for another shot -- at 'SNL,' not the bar -- and says he'll do things differently this time. As for leaving the hotel, maybe he's going to 30 Rock for rehearsals.

Good on Morgan for wearing a face-covering as he climbs into a waiting SUV with his masked-up team.

The show should be pretty funny, with host Jason Bateman already in fine form.

John Mulaney's "Saturday Night Live" joke about how Julius Caesar was killed drew the ire of some Donald Trump supporters, but even crazier ... he says it made him the target of a Secret Service investigation.

The comedian's 'SNL' monologue from February included the fact Caesar started leap year to correct the calendar, but then he joked the Roman general was such a "powerful maniac" that a bunch of senators stabbed him to death.

Mulaney then added ... it would be interesting if we brought that back now.

Though he made no mention of Trump, the joke was enough for right-wing sites to call him out for allegedly insinuating a violent act should be done to POTUS ... and Mulaney says the Secret Service contacted him about it.

Mulaney says the agent who questioned him was respectful and quickly determined his joke was harmless and he was not a threat ... but nevertheless, the comedian says he now has an official Secret Service file opened on him.

Country music star Morgan Wallen will be grateful for second chances this Thanksgiving -- he'll be the musical guest on "Saturday Night Live," 2 months after the show axed him.

'SNL' announced it Wednesday, saying Morgan will perform on the December 5 show ... with Jason Bateman hosting. Moments after the news ... Morgan was keeping things pretty humble, and simply tweeted, "Let's try this again."

Remember ... Morgan was scheduled to be the musical guest back in October, but got booted from the gig after he was seen at a bar in Tuscaloosa, Alabama taking shots, kissing women and generally partying without a face mask or social distancing.

Morgan ultimately apologized for his irresponsible behavior and admitted his actions were "short-sighted." He had also said 'SNL' honcho Lorne Michaels was kind and encouraging and told him they could possibly have him on in the future. The future is next weekend.

The good news for Morgan comes a little over 2 weeks after he openly complained about not being able to do live shows, and called Joe Biden supporters hypocritical for packing streets to celebrate his victory amid the pandemic. He clearly felt there was a double standard.

'SNL' was hilarious Saturday night, as Jim Carrey (Biden), Maya Rudolph (Harris) and Alec Baldwin (Trump) mimicked the candidates, but the most puzzling part ... how did the show find the real-life wardrobe so damn fast!!!

The open began with an exhausted Wolf Blitzer throwing to a mangled John King ... both of whom clearly got very little sleep for the week following election day.

Carrey was hysterical ... saying the wait was like having sex with Sting -- but, as he said, what a release!!!

Maya Rudolph has nailed Kamala Harris' speech patterns, but how on earth did 'SNL' find a replica of the Veep-elect in a New York minute?

And, of course, Alec Baldwin nailed Trump. You gotta see his version of "Macho Man." Wow, the Village People were the winners in this race.

Scarlett Johansson and Colin Jost's wedding announcement on the Meals on Wheels Instagram account paid big time ... for the org, which saw an influx of donations.

A rep for the meal delivery program tells TMZ ... the org saw approximately $10k in donations in the 24 hours after the Meals on Wheels IG account broke the happy news earlier this week. The rep says the online donations came directly from the link it posted on its IG profile.

The org's social media team also had reason to celebrate -- the Scarlett and Colin post had nearly 10 times more "likes" than their previous top post. If nothing else, the Scarlett and Colin news brought people to the MoW page that otherwise might not have ever visited, which, TBH, is unfortunate because the folks over there do a tremendous job feeding the needy.

It's easy to see why Scarlett and Colin chose to let Meals on Wheels break the story ... they've been longtime supporters of the org. The rep tells us the couple had been looking for creative ways to address senior hunger and isolation, especially as the pandemic is disproportionately impacting the population it serves.

The rep added, "We are grateful that they chose to share their wedding spotlight with vulnerable older adults across the country, illuminating their critical needs and what Meals on Wheels is doing to ensure no senior is forgotten."

Duly noted!!!

Scarlett Johansson and Colin Jost are now a married couple ... TMZ has learned.

Sources close to the couple tell TMZ ... Scarlett and Colin tied the knot over the weekend in Palisades, NY. She's familiar with the area ... Scarlett bought an iconic 4-bedroom crib there for $4 million back in 2018.

The couple made the announcement through Meals on Wheels America ... the org said the wedding was held with close family members and loved ones and that all CDC guidelines were followed.

As we've reported ... the actress and 'SNL' vet got engaged back in May 2019 after 2 years of dating. ScarJo and Colin have been going strong since spring 2017 ... right after she made a guest appearance on the season finale of 'SNL.'

Fun fact about the house ScarJo bought ... it was designed by the same man commissioned by President Franklin D. Roosevelt to redesign the West Wing of the White House, including the Oval Office, back in the 1930s.

This is Scarlett's third marriage. She was previously married to Ryan Reynolds from 2008 to 2011 before tying the knot with journalist Romain Dauriac. They share a child together. This is Colin's first time going down the aisle.

Adele was awesome on 'SNL' Saturday night, and made a hilarious joke about her weight loss.

The '"Someone Like You" singer looked INCREDIBLE as she took the stage to host the show. She acknowledged, "I know I look really, really different since you last saw me." THAT is an understatement.

But, then she jokingly explained ... "But actually, because of all the Covid restrictions ... I had to travel light and I could only bring half of me," she joked. "And this is the half I chose."

Adele explained she wasn't a musical guest this time around because she hasn't finished her latest album so there's nothing new to sing about. Besides, she said she was too scared to sing and host on the same show.

Thing is ... she did sing later in the show, during a 'Bachelor' skit.

It's been a long 5 years since Adele dropped an album. And, she's been absent from TV ... last appearing on the 2017 Grammys.

This isn't Adele's first go-round on 'SNL.' She performed in 2008 ... during the show where Sarah Palin appeared with Tina Fey during the election.

"SNL" mocked the dueling Presidential debates, and it was pretty funny.

Jim Carrey played Joe Biden, who showed his numerical age with some dad/granddad references to pop culture and a penchant for reminiscing WAAY back.

The cold open ping-ponged from Biden to Trump, who of course was hilariously played by Alec Baldwin.

Kate McKinnon, who played Trump moderator Savannah Guthrie, challenged Trump for tweeting about white supremacy and such. His response, "I didn't tweet it. It was a retweet, which is short for a really smart tweet."

And then McKinnon reprised Guthrie's line about Trump's tweets -- "You're not just someone's crazy uncle," to which Trump [Baldwin] responds, "Really? Because this conversation we're having right now is a preview of Thanksgiving dinner," Baldwin's Trump shot back. "So crazy uncles, stand back and stand by."

The woman who praised President Trump for his smile and called him handsome is ripe for parody on "Saturday Night Live," and Twitter's already decided who should play her -- Academy Award winner Allison Janney.

In case you missed it ... the Prez was fielding questions during his Town Hall Thursday night from voters who apparently are still undecided, when a woman named Paulette Dale stole the show by fangirling out.

Paulette -- a registered Republican who indicated she's leaning toward voting for Joe Biden -- decided to shoot her shot with Trump before asking her question ... by telling him he has a "great smile."

This prompted an awkward smile and a "thank you" from Trump before Paulette really went for it, telling him ... "You're so handsome when you smile."

Like we said ... perfect 'SNL' material.

The awkward exchange unsurprisingly spread all over social media, and many Twitter users quickly came to the conclusion that Janney would be the best choice to play her in the inevitable sketch this weekend.

It's unclear if the "Mom" star's willing to do it, but you'll recall ... Brad Pitt ended up playing Anthony Fauci after the good doc personally advocated for that casting.

Country music star Morgan Wallen -- set to be this week's musical guest on "Saturday Night Live" -- was super unsafe over the weekend, and now the question ... will 'SNL' pull the plug on him?

The "This Bar" singer was in Tuscaloosa, Alabama for the football game against Texas A&M Saturday, and became the star of several TikTok videos afterward as he got very up close and personal with celebrating fans.

The clips show him in a bar -- taking shots and kissing women -- at a house party, in the backseat of a fan’s car and more ... and in all of them, he's without a mask and ignoring social distancing.

Wallen immediately came under fire online for reckless behavior during the pandemic -- and coronavirus case numbers again on the rise -- with people suggesting he's "gonna spread COVID to every gal at Bama."

Morgan's supposed to be the musical guest in just days when 'SNL' shoots the second episode of its 46th season, which premiered Saturday.

The country star's clear lack of taking COVID-19 safety precautions raises questions of how 'SNL' will keep its cast and crew safe in studio 8H ... and keep the Bill Burr-hosted show from becoming the next Rose Garden ceremony.  The real question ... will Morgan be allowed to perform in studio?

We've reached out to 'SNL' ... no word back so far.

Megan Thee Stallion's attack on Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron -- calling him a "sellout negro" -- won't draw him into a war of words, because he says his philosophy is ... sticks and stones.

AG Cameron went on 'Fox & Friends' Tuesday to respond to Meg's "Saturday Night Live" performance ... and he said the disparaging remarks she made about him are the same ones he's faced since college. He says it's nothing new, especially for a Black Republican.

ICYMI ... Meg name-checked Cameron during her gig ... comparing him to Black people who sold their own back into slavery -- and the wall behind her read at one point, "Daniel Cameron is No Different."

Cameron says he agrees with MTS's message of needing to protect Black women, but says as it pertains to Breonna Taylor's case -- he insists he did his job, and refuses to cave to the public narrative ... which is he fought to clear the involved officers off wrongdoing ... instead of prosecuting someone for killing Breonna.

He also said Meg's remarks don't hurt him, and only expose the intolerance the "tolerant left" claim to embrace.

"Saturday Night Live" came back with a flurry Saturday night, with a strong measure of social justice ... calling out Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron, playing audio saying he's no different than "the sellout negroes that sold our people into slavery."

Megan was performing her song, "Savage," when suddenly you hear the sounds of gunshots. She stops singing and says ... “We need to protect our Black women and love our Black women, because at the end of the day we need our Black women,” Megan goes on ... “We need to protect our Black men and stand up for our Black men, because at the end of the day, we’re tired of seeing hashtags of our Black men."

The cold open was hysterical ... lampooning Tuesday's debate with Jim Carrey as Biden and, of course, Alec Baldwin as the Prez. Beck Bennett had the unenviable task of playing moderator Chris Wallace. He had a funny/ominous line ... "Just to ensure this is the worst presidential debate in history, I'd like to close with white supremacy."

The most hilarious part of the open ... Maya Rudolph as Kamala Harris, who made it clear, there's an endgame to all of this.

The season 46 premiere returned after a 4-month hiatus. There was a small, masked studio audience -- those seats were filled by first responders.

The cast did not hold back telling jokes about the latest -- Trump's coronavirus diagnosis. Colin Jost and Michael Che yukked it up about the irony of it all, as Michael wished Trump a lengthy recovery.

Colin said there was a major scramble to address the developments over the last 72 hours ... “This news was a lot for us to process a day before we came back on the air after four months off,” Jost went on ... “It’s been very weird to see all these people who clearly hate Trump come out and say ‘We wish him well.’ I think a lot of them are just guilty that their first wish came true.”

Chris Rock hosted, and had a hilarious line ... “The elephant in the room, President Trump’s in the hospital from COVID. And, I just want to say, my heart goes out to COVID."

The "Saturday Night Live" cast and host, Chris Rock, are trying like hell to keep up with the constantly changing news about President Trump's COVID-19 diagnosis ahead of the season premiere.

Leading up to Saturday's Season 46 kickoff, the first Presidential debate was the big story we all expected to see lampooned, but that all changed early Friday morning with the President and First Lady testing positive.

Sources close to the situation tell TMZ ... writers and producers are now trying to figure out how to address the topic, and what adjustments, if any, have to be made the cold open or Rock's opening monologue.

We're told it's a very fluid situation, but 'SNL' wants to be sensitive ... and our sources say meetings and discussions were going on late into Friday night.

The good news -- for 'SNL' cast and crew anyway -- is we're told production and the writing staff isn't making drastic changes to what they had planned. Of course, you can expect to see the President's health addressed during the "Weekend Update" segment.

Our sources say the episode still won't shy away from the debate or campaign battles. Aside from Rock hosting, the premiere's heavily anticipated because Jim Carrey is taking on the role of Joe Biden, while Maya Rudolph returns as Kamala Harris.

If that wasn't enough for ya ... Megan Thee Stallion is the musical guest.

Jim Carrey is going toe-to-toe with Alec Baldwin on "Saturday Night Live" -- because he'll be the show's new Joe Biden heading into the election.

Showrunner and EP Lorne Michaels made the announcement Wednesday ... also sharing that Alec will return as President Trump, and so would Maya Rudolph, who played a hilarious version of Kamala Harris last time around.

But, on Biden -- who's been portrayed by Woody Harrelson and Jason Sudeikis of late -- Lorne told Vulture they were probably gonna give Jim a shot ... with conditions, it seems.

He says, "There was some interest on his part. And, then we responded, obviously, positively." He adds there were caveats, explaining ... "But, it came down to discussions about what the take was. He and Colin Jost had a bunch of talks. He and I as well. He will give the part energy and strength, and … [Laughs.] Hopefully it’s funny."

Oh, it's gotta be.

It's interesting that Lorne wanted to feel out how Jim would go about portraying the former Veep. The last time 'SNL' spoofed him ... they often made Biden out to be rambling, kooky and kinda creepy with his touchy-feely-ness.

Ya gotta wonder what the take will be now ... with the new backdrops of the coronavirus pandemic and Biden being the Democratic nominee.

"Saturday Night Live" will soon be back for season 46 -- just in time for the craziest election season ever -- but things will be different.

Multiple production sources tell TMZ ... the "live from New York" aspect of the show will be true for the first time since March 7, but don't expect a live audience. We're told that's not going to happen, at least not for a while.

Next, our sources say 'SNL' is scouting big spaces around NYC, along with warehouses in Brooklyn and Jersey, to shoot some of the pre-taped sketches. We're told they're looking for a place that allows for proper social distancing and safety for the cast and crew that Studio 8H at Rockefeller Center can't quite provide.

Finally, our sources say Zoom may still have to be utilized for celebrity guests ... much like it was in the 3 spring shows with stars like Tom Hanks and Brad Pitt.

The iconic sketch comedy show revealed its highly anticipated return October 3. We're told a small production crew will be at 30 Rock next week to prepare.

It's unclear how the cast will manage rehearsing at the studio -- or who the cast will include for that matter -- but it should be fun to find out.