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Bob Costas retiring from baseball play-by-play after 42 years

NEW YORK (AP) — After 42 seasons, Bob Costas is retiring from baseball play-by-play. Costas had done games the past couple seasons for MLB Network and TBS Sports. His final games were the American League Division Series between the New York Yankees and Kansas City Royals. Costas’ contract with TBS expired at the end of the season, but his plans to retire from baseball play-by-play had been in the works for over a year. The Athletic was the first to report on Costas’ baseball play-by-play retirement. Costas plans to address his decision at a future date.… Continue Reading

Ariana Grande hosts ‘SNL’ for the first time since the last female presidential nominee

Ariana Grande hosted “Saturday Night Live” for the first time since 2016. She says in her monologue that she once again finds herself on the stage at the 30 Rock studio in New York with the possibility of a female president, and maybe the second time is the charm. Former cast member Maya Rudolph has returned for the third straight week to play Vice President Kamala Harris. She has been joined again by Andy Samberg as Harris’ husband Doug Emhoff and Dana Carvey as President Joe Biden. They teamed up against team Trump for an election edition of “The Family Feud.” Stevie Nicks is the show’s musical guest for the first time since 1983.… Continue Reading

Maya Rudolph as Harris and Dana Carvey as Biden open the 50th season of ‘Saturday Night Live’

NEW YORK (AP) — Maya Rudolph playing Vice President Kamala Harris has led a parade of returning cast members at the opening of the 50th season of “Saturday Night Live.” Harris has done her impression at a mock rally and brought out ex-cast member Andy Samberg playing her husband Doug Emhoff and another former “SNL” star, Dana Carvey, to play President Joe Biden. Harris and Carvey jointly delivered the “Live from New York, it’s Saturday night” that launched season 50. “Designing Women” and “Hacks” star Jean Smart hosted for the first time. She says in her monologue this was the first Saturday in 50 years that fit her schedule.… Continue Reading

Hoda Kotb is leaving NBC’s ‘Today’ show early next year

NEW YORK (AP) — Hoda Kotb, a fixture at NBC for more than two decades, says she will leave her morning perch on the “Today” show early next year, telling staffers “it’s time.” In a memo to her team, Kotb says her 60th birthday this summer helped trigger the departure, saying “now my daughters and my mom need and deserve a bigger slice of my time pie.” Kotb has co-anchored “Today” with Savannah Guthrie since 2018, filling in after Matt Lauer left amid sexual harassment allegations. She first joined NBC News as a correspondent for “Dateline” in 1998, and later joined “Today” in 2007.… Continue Reading

Happy 50th ‘SNL!’ Here’s a look back at the show’s very first cast

NEW YORK (AP) — Happy 50th “SNL!” The NBC sketch comedy mainstay “Saturday Night Live” begins its 50th season Sept. 28. Over the decades, some seasons were better than others. But from the very start, “SNL” produced breakout stars. Of the original seven so-called Not Ready for Prime Time Players, John Belushi and Gilda Radner have died. Chevy Chase went on to do films. Laraine Newman keeps busy with voice work. Dan Aykroyd just put out an audio documentary about The Blues Brothers. Jane Curtin won Emmys for her TV show “Kate & Allie.” And Garrett Morris has a string of film and TV credits.… Continue Reading

Jean Smart, Ariana Grande, Michael Keaton among hosts for ‘SNL’ season 50

NEW YORK (AP) — Fresh off her Emmys win, Jean Smart will kick off “Saturday Night Live’s” landmark 50th season. NBC announced the lineup of hosts for the season Thursday. It premieres Sept. 28. It will be Smart’s first time hosting “SNL” and she’ll be joined by Jelly Roll as musical guest. Nate Bargatze will host on Oct. 5, with Coldplay performing. Ariana Grande will be the host, with musical guest Stevie Nicks on Oct. 12. “Beetlejuice” star Michael Keaton will host on Oct. 19 and Billie Eilish will be that night’s musical guest. The host on Nov. 2 will be “SNL” alum John Mulaney, with breakout musical sensation Chappell Roan.… Continue Reading