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It’s that time of year once again, as Christmas lurches a little close for comfort, and SNL prepares to send off the year in style. And speaking of style, Chance the Rapper gets to join in on the SNL promo games, as the first look at Casey Affleck’s hosting debut gets in the Christmas tree-decorating spirit.

The traditional SNL promos of a week’s host paired with a cast member may be no more, but do we at least get a big La La Land-style musical number in exchange? Almost! Emma Stone returns to SNL in the first December 2016 promos, but … well, something’s in the way.

It’s a big week for Benedict Cumberbatch, already the victim of his own Sherlock Honest Trailer, and SNL is making no small item of the Doctor Strange star’s first hosting this weekend. Watch Cumberbatch make a dramatic arrival to SNL in the first promo for the series’ return!

The stars of NBC’s Will & Grace went surprisingly all-out for a recent reunion video breaking down the 2016 election, practically staging an entire new episode in the process. Naturally, the viral video made NBC see dollar signs, and an official Will & Grace reunion series is now in development.

For the third week in a row, SNL is letting a newbie take the reigns. Following a Margot Robbie premiere and last week’s ten-dollar founding father Lin-Manuel Miranda, The Girl on the Train star Emily Blunt is making her SNL hosting debut, grabbing a slice with Beck Bennett in the first promos.

SNL finally shook off the cobwebs with a strong showing for Season 42's premiere with Margot Robbie, but it’s Hamilton creator Lin-Manuel Miranda whose story we want told. The newest promos have arrived, and poor Miranda hasn’t even seen his own Tony Award-winning show yet.

SNL will pick up with its 42nd season tomorrow night, albeit without recent mainstays Taran Killam and Jay Pharoah, who were unexpectedly dismissed from the cast over the summer. Now, SNL boss Lorne Michaels explains the decision, noting “They served the show well.”

It’s three out, and three in for SNL Season 42, at least so far. Where previously writer Mikey Day was eyed to join the cast in the wake of Taran Killam, Jay Pharoah and Jon Rudnitsky’s departure, NBC has done two better. Day will indeed join the cast, alongside fellow new additions Alex Moffat, and Melissa Villaseñor.

It’s taken forever and a day to finally see both Arnold Schwarzenegger taking the Celebrity Apprentice desk, and Emerald City come to life, but NBC has finally made a firm commitment. Both high-profile new series have set January bows, just barely into 2017.

SNL is built for a bit of turnover here and there, but that doesn’t remove the sting from losing some of its best not-ready-for-primetime-players. To wit, Season 42 has some surprising departures, including series veterans Taran Killam and Jay Pharoah.