One of the most exclusive clubs in show business just got a new member. SNL’s much-hyped 5-Timers Club opened its arms to funnyman and former cast member Martin Short last night, and there was no shortage of star power there to honor his big moment. Nearly a dozen Hollywood A-listers, in fact, made an appearance in the official 5-Timers Club sketch, and they were each welcomed by a pumped-up crowd stoked to see them back in Studio 8H.
Clocking in at more than nine minutes, the 5-Timers Club took the cold open slot last night, and it rolled out its cameos slowly, giving each of the mega-celebrities a little time to pick up some laughs and really make their presence felt. My favorite segment was definitely the group reveal where everyone went around and dropped a secret about themselves, with the best being Paul Rudd admitting Ant-Man’s powers aren’t good and Tom Hanks hilariously admitting, despite all the hoopla around his early diagnosis, he never actually had Covid. You can watch all of it in full below…
It’s only fitting Saturday Night Live gave us a 5-Timers Club sketch this season because the show is leaning a lot harder into nostalgia because of the milestone. The beloved sketch comedy show is celebrating its 50th Season this year, and while it always works in nostalgia and fun cameos now and again, it’s been especially aggressive about it this season. Former cast members like Maya Rudolph, Dana Carvey and Andy Samberg have contributed to multiple episodes this season, and quite a few others like Adam Sandler and David Spade have shown up for one-offs.
This 5-Timers Club sketch also includes a fun cameo from former cast member Jimmy Fallon. In the sketch, he has a great little moment with Martin Short about laughing at their own jokes, and it struck me as a great example of what has allowed SNL to connect with so many people over the years. When you look down all the 5-Timers Club members in this sketch, it’s clear there’s no specific brand of comedy. How John Mulaney is trying to make people laugh is in no way the same as how Jimmy Fallon is trying to make people laugh or Tina Fey or Alec Baldwin or Kristen Wiig. Melissa McCarthy literally falls through a wall during the sketch. The show is a big tent, and it has always been good about being funny in different ways.
SNL is scheduled for a little holiday hiatus after this week, but it’ll return sometime in the new year with a fresh crop of hosts that haven’t been announced yet. In keeping with the theme of this season, I’d expect to see a good balance of new stars of the moment and some folks who have been around the show plenty in the past.