The holiday season is upon us, and that means a whole lot of festivity to be found on the small screen. Whether you're in the mood for some adult animation or some Hallmark holiday cheer, you can find it on TV. A group of former Saturday Night Live cast members got together to recreate a classic Christmas sketch for 2018, and Ariana Grande was on hand to pitch in. Check out Tracy Morgan and more recreating "I Wish It Was Christmas Today" on The Tonight Show!
Seasons Greetings indeed! For the December 18 episode of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Fallon brought a bunch of his old Saturday Night Live pals together (along with Ariana Grande) for a performance of their classic SNL song, "I Wish It Was Christmas Today." The song sketch first hit the airwaves back in 2000 as part of Season 26, with Horatio Sanz on guitar, Jimmy Fallon on keyboard, Chris Kattan on... holding the keyboard, and Tracy Morgan doing a little dance.
Tracy Morgan is always a gem on the small screen, and it's easier than ever to appreciate him after the terrible accident that nearly killed him. As this video proves, the man doesn't even need lines to be funny! His little dance was one of my favorite parts of the video, although there's a lot to appreciate in Ariana Grande's carefully unenthusiastic participation.
While it's a bit of a shame that Ariana Grande didn't sing along since it's always a treat to hear her belt, would "I Wish It Was Christmas Today" be as funny with an such a gifted singer performing?
I did get a kick out of seeing that Chris Kattan doesn't seem to be any better at keeping a straight face in sketches than he was in his SNL days. Honestly, Saturday Night Live bloopers with the cast members cracking up can be even funnier than the bits sometimes, and viewers could always count on Kattan cracking. Jimmy Fallon has gotten better about not breaking, which is likely due to how much time he spends in front of the camera.
Fans of the original sketch may note that the lyrics are a little tamer in this particular rendition than the lyrics that aired post-primetime on Saturday Night Live. For example, there was no mention of the CIA on The Tonight Show! For a blast from the SNL past, check out the original song from 2000:
If this put you in the mood for some sketch comedy, you'll have to look elsewhere than NBC for the time being. Saturday Night Live is off the air until 2019, and the latest episode actually had some sketches pulled by Lorne Michaels due to a social media post by current cast member Pete Davidson.
There are plenty of viewing options for the not-too-distant future, and you can find them on our 2019 midseason TV premiere schedule.
