There are plenty of stars in the world of comedy, but few icons. Some jokes lose their meaning over the years, but the stand-up and sketch comedy of Dave Chappelle endured and remained relevant even after the legendary comic retreated from public life. Chappelle will soon make his glorious return to television by hosting the upcoming episode of Saturday Night Live, and a new promo has just been released teasing the epic nature of his return. Check it out below and prepare to get excited!
If you've somehow forgotten how much of a badass comedian Dave Chappelle truly is, then look no further than this quick promo for the upcoming episode of Saturday Night Live to get a solid reminder. There are no jokes, no quips, and no one-liners. In fact, we don't even get to see the brilliant comedian's face. We don't need to; the sheer fact that Dave Chappelle has returned to sketch comedy should be enough to get even the staunchest non-believer excited.
This is not a promo that would work for any comedian. It takes a special kind of performer -- one who already has rock star status -- and Dave Chappelle is just the man to pull off that sort of move.
For anyone familiar with Dave Chappelle's work, the fact that he has never hosted Saturday Night Live in the past probably already feels incredibly odd. His Comedy Central series, Chappelle's Show, ran from 2003 to 2006 and has gone on to attain cult status among comedy fans. Over the course of two full seasons (plus a third "lost season") the comedian developed an insane number of instantly legendary characters ranging from "Black Bush," to a black white supremacist named Clayton Bigsby, and even caricatures of real life figures such as Rick James (bitch) and Prince. The format of Chappelle's Show has been emulated numerous times over the years (particular by Key & Peele) but the dangerous spirit of the series has never been fully recreated.
At this point there's really no telling what sort of sketches we can expect to see when Dave Chappelle hosts Saturday Night Live for the very first time. All we hope for is that he will bring his trademark edge to the iconic skit-based series. The show has already made a killing in the ratings since the new season started, and we have a distinct feeling that bringing in a guy like Chappelle will only continue that awesome trend.
Make sure to check out Chappelle's Saturday Night Live debut when the episode airs this Saturday at 11:30 p.m. ET on NBC. The full list of SNL hosts this season can be found here. For more information concerning all of the most highly anticipated fall TV debuts, make sure to check out our comprehensive fall premiere guide for more details.
