Hey, girl. Ryan Gosling is kicking off the show’s 43rd season.
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Venerable late night staple, Saturday Night Live, is back this weekend, so here’s a rundown of the five things that have people buzzing to get you ready for its return.
1) RIDING A HISTORY-MAKING HIGH: Saturday’s Season 43 premiere comes hot on the tail of SNL’s record-setting showing at the Emmys two weeks ago, where it was the most nominated and winning show of the year. There’s no doubt the energy of the triumph will be palpably present in Studio 8H at 30 Rock during the uber-live broadcast (for more on that, see #4).
2) HOSTS WITH THE MOST: Whether its having a stellar season or one we’d rather forget even happened (sorry, but 2014-15 wasn’t your best, boo), SNL never lacks the knack for nabbing hosts with the most star power. This week, Ryan Gosling kicks things off with the help of musical guest Jay-Z. They’ll be followed by Wonder Woman herself, Gal Godot, and Sam Smith (who is likely to tear us down to tears with his new hit, ‘Too Good at Goodbyes’) on October 7th, and Silicon Valley star Kumail Nanjiani with tunes from P!nk on October 14th. Solid start, ya’ll.
3) THE NEW KIDS ON THE 30 ROCK BLOCK: With the departures of nine-season staple Bobby Moynihan, seven-year vet Vanessa Bayer (a recent Emmy nominee for her swan song run) and relative newbie Sasheer Zamata, the show was left to fill three supporting star vacancies, and the new class is ready to make their debut. Keep an eye out for actor/stand-up comedian Chris Redd, Groundlings alum Heidi Gardner, and iO Chicago vet Luke Null as they try to make their marks—hopefully while hitting them—on the sketch comedy classic.
4) LEGIT LIVE, EVERYWHERE: Following a successful first-time experiment last season, all of this year’s episodes of SNL will air live at the same time across the entire country. So, forget about that whole ‘Eastern/Pacific’ timing disclaimer, because this live TV high wire act is coming at all of us simultaneously. And just in case 8:30pm PT and 9:30pm MT, respectively, are a bit early for you guys in the left half of the country to get your weekly funny fix, not to worry: the show will repeat later in the night in the Mountain and Pacific time zones.
5) ALEC IS BACK: Fresh off his Emmy win for his hosting duties—and, especially, spot-on take on Trump—last season, Alec Baldwin will return this year for more presidential skewering. I have no clue what he has in store, but if it’s even half as clever and cunning as what we witnessed this past year, we’re guaranteed at least a few legit gaffaws in each episode with no shortage of material to work with.