SNL: Kathie Lee, Penelope, Liza Minnelli, Broadway And More (VIDEO)

"Saturday Night Live," hosted by "How I Met Your Mother" star Neil Patrick Harris, kicked off the new year right.

After opening the show with a Rachel Maddow/Roland Burris/Rob Blagojevich skit, watch that one here, they had Harris alternately in spandex and in drag, while Kristen Wiig brought back one-upper Penelope and debuted an oversharing Katie Lee Gifford ("I am so menopausal".)

Here is the fourth hour of "Today" sketch, with Hoda Kotb and Kathie Lee Gifford and towards the end, Neil Patrick Harris dancing and hip-thrusting in spandex:

Meanwhile Kristen Wiig's Penelope joined group therapy this week, and Liza Minnelli made a special appearance. Penelope's two best friends are Minnelli and a tomato:

A skit on saving Broadway featured spot-on impressions from about a dozen shows, from the Blue Man Group to Cats to Annie, with Harris as a character from Rent:

During Weekend Update, Charles Barkley explained why he got a DUI enroute to oral sex (starts about halfway into the clip of Update below):

Neil Patrick Harris dressed in drag with some really long nails for to play an air traffic controller with everything under control:

The monologue of "How I Met Your Mother" jokes and Doogie Howser remembrances:

And the Frost/Other People skit, where David Frost asks the tough questions of people who are not Richard Nixon, from David Bowie to Rerun from "What's Happening."

Comments

[jeniferdaniels]

the fniunest clip was the digital short of the orchestra! where is that one?

[whatevahs]

That video had me rolling. Especially the tear at the end.

[dougedart]

It seems every skit STRUGGLES to make it to commercial. Every skit goes on WAY too long. Why don't they just revamp the whole thing and keep the skits about 3 minutes or so? I watched this Saturday and I couldn't get through it, especially that air traffic control one with the ladies and their long nails. That seemed to go on forever.

[whatevahs]

It wasnt anywhere near as bad as the "Two First Names Show" skit. Harris looked visibly uncomfortable doing that one. I think he knew he got roped into a bad skit and couldn't find an escape.

[Indy 44]

Kristen Wiig never disappoints. A natural.

She's emerged as the best character player on that show... "just kidding"....

Love her work.

I'm seeing a SNL renaisssance.

[AntsyAmerican]

I actually think they need to dial back a notch on her. She is undeniably very skilled but she's very overused and is getting tiresome. This is the same problem I had with Cheri Oteri and Molly Shannon. They wore out their welcome pretty fast.

[fiestyslug]

This was a great SNL and I loved how we got to see all of the cast for once.Neil Patrick Harris is very funny and a natural on the show. Loved it when Liza Minelli made a cameo, that was surprising and funny.

[ENK727]

The show was pretty funny this week. NPH was a good host. I loved the Broadway and Katie Lee skit.

[pinksghetti]

I'm a big fan of SNL since the eighties. I wasn't born back when it first came on the air but I have watched the old episodes in rerun. For those that say SNL is sophmoric, they've always had a "younger" since of humor. I'm not sure if that is the reason back in the 70's they came up with the slogan "The Not Ready for Primetime Players" or not. SNL to me is like most modern comedy which just goes for the joke and can be silly. I like the show because I have a goofy since of humor but I can appreciate more witty humor from older movies and tv shows.

[popples]

All these great actors deserve better writing.

[SimplyBkuz]

My thoughts exactly.

[whatevahs]

They also need to be allowed to push the envelope and have more fun. Lorne Michael is way too controlling on that show. That's why I have grown to prefer MAD TV.

[doublesvb]

Kristen Wiig as Kathy Lee was TOO funny. Needed a good laugh.

Neil Patrick Harris was an excellent host!!!

Taylor Swift cannot carry a tune.

[realitycheck7]

how much does Lorne Michaels pay this site to rehash and shill

[granamica]

I have seen Taylor Swift sing live on programs and she cannot sing. I don't think she can carry a tune.

Her songwriting is ten times better and even that is not deep. But it is pop.

[tora]

Neil Patrick Harris should be dating Anderson Cooper for real, now! NPH was probably one of the best guests, next to Justine Timberlake and Anne Hathaway.

[AntsyAmerican]

Agree. A genuinely funny monologue for once (the throwaway line about his girlfriend back then was a howler). And I thought the air traffic control skit was quite creative.

[bridgeworker]

Loved Neal Patrick Harris on this show. The rest was hit or miss for me with Taylor Swift being a big miss. It is incredible to me that she is breaking all kinds of sales records.

[MIMom]

She can sing, has had interesting songs (IMO) and she is striking.

Other than that - she's 19, and has the charm of a typical 19 year old.

[KillBillV2]

Yes, strikingly ugly and untalented. She can't sing, her voice sounds like a 5 year old whispering, and she has rabbit teeth and looks like squinting 24/7.

[granamica]

Taylor Swift is toneless. I never can get over how she cannot sing.

[popples]

Yup. She's an insult to talented singers everywhere.

[AKFooFighter]

Straight up, that was one of the first eps in years to incorporate the entire cast throughout the show. That, in and of itself, made it entertaining and unique.

Oh, and you got to love Keenan's Fred "Rerun" Berry.

[sector1463]

Doobies. lol

[helenwheels]

Paul Lynd!!!

LOL, I loved that guy.

[CKieffer]

Absolutely hilarious!