Forget about Michael Phelps sinking or swimming during his stint as host of this week’s “Saturday Night Live,” I’m more interested in the rumor that “SNL” alum Tina Fey may be returning to the popular comedy sketch show to play Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin. I have been a fan of Fey’s since she made her debut on “SNL” (she left to head up NBC’s “30 Rock”) and would be thrilled to see her back on late-night TV.
“SNL” head honcho Lorne Michaels wouldn’t confirm Fey’s temporary return; rather all he would tell reporters is that whoever plays John McCain’s running mate, likely won’t be cast until just before Saturday’s show. That said Michaels didn’t rule out Fey, who many say resembles the Alaskan governor.
There’s no way Fey would leave her award-winning post at “30 Rock” for good to return to her roots at “SNL,” but even a guest stint on the show would be worth staying up for (in my opinion). After all, if anyone understands the power of the guest star it’s Fey.
Guest starring roles—or stunt casting as it is referred to in some circles—is often used by TV shows to attract more viewers. In the case of “30 Rock” the overabundance of guest stars hasn’t done much for ratings, but it has made the show a critical success. Last year alone the show featured guest stints by Elaine Stritch, Edie Falco, Rip Torn, Steve Buscemi, Buck Henry, Andy Richter and Jerry Seinfeld.
This year the trend will continue when “30 Rock” rolls out the red carpet for major Hollywood stars such as Jennifer Aniston and Oprah Winfrey.
Yes, the queen of talk is going primetime. According to E! News, the Oprah Winfrey has signed on for a guest spot on the upcoming season of “30 Rock.” She will play… herself.
Hopefully, she’ll do better playing herself on “30 Rock” than Seinfeld did.
As for helping unleash Winfrey’s comedic side, if Fey can make New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg funny on “30 Rock” I’m sure she’ll have no problem getting a few laughs from Winfrey.
As for Aniston’s upcoming appearance on “30 Rock,” word has it her episode just wrapped shooting a few days ago. The 39-year-old former “Friends” star, who plays a Fatal Attraction-like stalker on the comedy, told TV’s “Entertainment Tonight” that she had a blast working with the show’s “stellar” cast.