Patti Harrison has been steadily rising in fame from her parts in I Think You Should Leave, Shrill, and a starring role in Together Together. And with recent bigger projects like The Lost City and an episode of She-Hulk, she’s getting to the point where guest-hosting an episode of SNL is a must. But whether host, cast member, or writer, Harrison would be a fantastic addition. And she’s friends with current cast member Bowen Yang, so who knows? He’s good at playing weirdos, like the guy who invents a suggestive toilet in Better Call Saul. He was even picked by Rolling Stone as a prospective future cast member, so NBC needs to get on it. Newsome feels like a natural fit for SNL, but it turns out she already auditioned and didn’t get it. But, like, I’ll argue for Jenny Slate further down on this list; it should never be too late to go back to SNL after making a name for yourself in the industry. With people like Ziwe turning their Instagram Live into a talk show on Showtime, Lisa Gilroy has plenty of reasons across her social media to be an SNL cast member. One of my favorite roles of hers is in The Earliest Show, an episodic Funny or Die sketch that already feels like an SNL segment. And if you’re up for it, there’s an hour-long compilation of all the outtakes and bloopers from Lapkus and Ben Schwartz riffing off each other. If her audition for Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee doesn’t work out, SNL would be lucky to have her. It’s me. I’m arguing that it’s a better sketch show. SNL has been an institution for decades, and some of the most remarkable comedy shows to come out in that time have been responses to it (for example, I Think You Should Leave was created by SNL alum Tim Robinson). A Black Lady Sketch Show differs from most other sketch shows in that it has mini narratives threaded through the skits each season (as opposed to jumping from one skit to the next). But still, SNL could only benefit from Robin Thede bringing some of her magic to New York. Even before her time at BuzzFeed, Brunson was turning heads with her Instagram series Girl Who Has Never Been on a Nice Date. She’s certainly got her hands full being the showrunner and star of Abbott Elementary, but it’s surprising that she hasn’t hosted SNL already. But she has tons of experience as a performer, from her time on shows like MADtv, Whose Line Is It Anyway?, and Improv Everywhere. She was also the teacher in that “high on potenuse” Key & Peele sketch with my favorite line: “You will never be Troy!” Energetic, charismatic, and aggressive in the best way possible, Campbell would be amazing in a skit with someone like current SNL cast member Ego Nwodim. Not only does he deserve to be on SNL, but he also deserves to still be on the canceled How I Met Your Dad TV show. I’m not talking about Hilary Duff’s How I Met Your Father, but the 2014 version starring Greta Gerwig (with Drew Tarver as her best friend) that was not picked up after the pilot aired. But since then, Tarver has had a lot of success in TV, so fingers crossed he still winds up on SNL sooner rather than later. He’s also a talented performer who could walk the same line as someone like Adam Sandler, playing the “straight man” in a sketch as easily as he can fly off the handle. Give him featured status on SNL already, Lorne. That audience is still clapping. She’s only going to get more well-known and beloved from here, so SNL should book her while they can. Glass has a lot of opinions and loves calling out people who are acting like assholes. He’d be my top pick for Weekend Update, following in the footsteps of Update hosts like Norm Macdonald or Kevin Nealon. With plenty of experience on the stage, behind the camera, and in a writer’s room, she’d be the perfect addition to season 49’s cast. But more than 10 years have passed, and in that time, Slate has done some incredible work. The Marcel the Shell YouTube videos took off, she landed the role of Zoe the Chipette in Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked (kickstarting a prolific voice-acting career), she gained popularity with comedic roles in Kroll Show and, later, Parks and Recreation, and she’s doing more dramatic work, such as starring in Obvious Child. After becoming one of the biggest names in the voice-acting industry and the success of the Marcel the Shell with Shoes On movie (Slate is the voice of Marcel and co-wrote the movie), there’s no better time for an SNL reunion. Though, considering the wild cast of characters Slate got to play on Kroll Show, maybe she considers that box already checked.
