Carol Burnett is a national treasure, and one of the most prominent women in the history of American comedy. She is so beloved that the Golden Globes named their lifetime achievement award in television The Carol Burnett Award. She recently made headlines when she made an unforgettable appearance on the Emmy-nominated AMC drama Better Call Saul. This invigorated fans’ sense of gratitude for the contributions Burnett has made to television, which is why it’s baffling she still hasn’t hosted Saturday Night Live.
SNL famously is a place for performers to demonstrate their comedy sensibilities in the format of a sketch show. Burnett practically revolutionized the sketch show format herself when she created The Carol Burnett Show back in 1967, setting the framework for a show like SNL to thrive. For her to have never been a part of what has become an American comedy institution is very strange. Fans clearly want to make this happen, and championed a now-viral tweet begging NBC to have Burnett host.
Carol Burnett is 89 years old and has never hosted SNL. NBC end this madness now.August 29, 2022
This tweet set off a firestorm, with others chiming in to support a Burnett SNL appearance as well.
Since Carol Burnett is trending, @nbcsnl after seeing her tremendous performance on Better Call Saul recently, why has she NEVER been asked to host Saturday Night Live? 😡August 20, 2022
Even fellow comedian Patton Oswalt participated in this wholesome online campaign.
Guys, Carol Burnett. Come ON. Please? https://t.co/HzT7O484oRAugust 29, 2022
Better Call Saul definitely gave Burnett a new audience rallying behind her. The show was a unique turn for the comedy icon, who portrayed Marion, the elderly mother to a cab driver named Jeff. The two caused trouble for Saul when Jeff recognized him after the con man changed his name to Gene and hid out in Omaha. Even at 89, Carol Burnett still has it. If she can keep up with Saul, she can definitely keep up with the practically brand new SNL cast, especially as a veteran of sketch comedy herself.
But Could It Happen?
It certainly could happen, if Lorne Michaels is listening and monitoring what fans are clamoring for on the show. According to The Blast, an insider reveals that Michaels will do everything he can to get Burnett on the show. A source allegedly claims:
It is still early to see if Carol will host and or be asked to host. But if the trend continues, as it did for Betty White, Lorne and the show will absolutely look to make it happen.
If Carol Burnett does come back to host the network mainstay, she will be the oldest person ever to do so. Currently, that record is held by Betty White. White was 88 years old when she hosted back in 2010, and was a good friend of Burnett’s before her passing in 2021. Like Betty White, Burnett always seems up for a challenge. I'm sure she would be a wonderful host.
I hope we find out more SNL news soon, as the new season will air this fall on NBC. In the meantime, you can check out the first five seasons of Better Call Saul now for Netflix subscribers, although Burnett's episode is not yet available on the streamer. You can also check out previous episodes of SNL currently streaming for fans with a Peacock subscription.
