Rishika Shahi
In a nostalgic episode of Saturday Night Live aired on October 19, 2024, Michael Keaton returned to host for the fourth time, bringing his iconic character Beetlejuice back to the spotlight. Joined by former cast members Andy Samberg and Mikey Day, who both donned Beetlejuice costumes, the monologue was filled with humor and references to Keaton’s legendary role. Additionally, Alec Baldwin made a surprise appearance in the cold open, showcasing his comedic talents once again. This episode not only celebrated Keaton’s legacy but also highlighted the enduring charm of SNL as it continues its landmark 50th season.
A Nostalgic Monologue: Michael Keaton’s Return
Michael Keaton’s Saturday Night Live monologue had some eerie characters! On October 19, the 73-year-old actor presented the comedic sketch series, and Billie Eilish appeared as a musical guest.
In his introductory monologue, Keaton talked about his most recent movie, Beetlejuice, which is a follow-up to the Tim Burton movie Beetlejuice from 1998, in which he also starred. He acknowledged that he would be seeing a lot of children dressed as his Beetlejuice persona on Halloween, which he described as “adorable.” He continued by saying that he would probably see “a lot of grown men dressed up like Beetlejuice, too, usually guys in their 40s, which is less adorable.”
Next to Keaton, who was dressed as Beetlejuice, cast member Mikey Day came on stage and urged him to utter his well-known line from the original 1998 film: “It’s showtime.”
Andy Samberg entered the picture on his opposite side, costumed as Beetlejuice, and gave his best portrayal of the character while the actor feigned that he could no longer recall how he had first spoken the line. Later, Keaton pointed out that Samberg, 46, has started making cameo appearances as vice president Kamala Harris’ husband, Doug Emhoff, in the show’s cold openings throughout season 50.
Alec Baldwin’s Surprise Cold Open
“Yeah, the writers couldn’t jam him in this week, so here we find ourselves,” said Samberg. Even though Emhoff wasn’t in this week’s cold open, Alec Baldwin, another well-known character, made a comeback to Saturday Night Live in that comedy. In a humorous reenactment of Fox News presenter Brett Baier’s conversation with Harris, 60, played by Maya Rudolph on October 16, the actor was not portraying former President Donald Trump this time.
“To clear the air, yes, I do look like someone made a businessman in Minecraft,” Baldwin said after introducing himself as Baier to the audience’s pleasure. Rudolph’s Harris then joined him on stage for the sit-down conversation.
This weekend was Keaton’s fourth time hosting Saturday Night Live. He returned to Studio 8H in November 1992 and April 2015 after hosting for the first time in October 1982. In April 2019, he also made a brief visit.
The first episode of SNL’s historic season 50, which began on September 28 with Jean Smart as host and Jelly Roll as musical guest, launched today. Ariana Grande with Stevie Nicks and Nate Bargatze with Coldplay have been other hosts and musical guests thus far.
The remaining cast members are Day, Heidi Gardner, Kenan Thompson, Chloe Fineman, Bowen Yang, Michael Che, Andrew Dismukes, James Austin Johnson, Colin Jost, Ego Nwodim, and Sarah Sherman. At the beginning of November, John Mulaney will host Saturday Night Live, accompanied by musical guest Chappell Roan.
On weekends, Saturday Night Live airs on NBC at 11:30 p.m. ET.
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