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J. K. Simmons has been giving us ‘Whiplash’ for decades now with head-turning performances in everything from ‘Spider-Man’ to ‘The Legend of Korra,’ but with the ‘Kong: Skull Island’ star finally nominated for an Oscar, that most hallowed of New York institutions will give Simmons his due. J.K. will host the final January ‘SNL’ installment of 2015, no “jk” about it.

The ongoing firestorm against Bill Cosby has only swelled in recent weeks, as more and more allegations of rape emerge against the once-revered comedian, so it wasn’t any surprise that Netflix would opt to discard the November 28 release of a new Cosby standup special. Now, NBC has expectedly followed suit by abandoning development plans for a new Cosby sitcom for 2015.

As if we hadn't seen 'The Hunger Games' or 'True Detective' mocked enough, 'SNL' will take an official turn with one of the major stars. Woody Harrelson has been reaped from the existing pool of victors to host 'SNL' a third time later on in November, with fellow repeat star and musical guest Kendrick Lamar.

The unfortunate and untimely death of the great Jan Hooks this past week sent the comedy world into mourning, with countless writers and comics stepping forward to pay tribute to the late 'SNL' star. It could have been easy for this week's new episode to gloss over the passing of one of their own (it is a comedy show, after all), but 'SNL' has always been a slightly class institution -- it remembers those who came before.

When it was announced that the great Bill Hader would be returning to 'SNL' to host this week's episode, everyone crossed their fingers and hoped for one thing: the glorious return of Stefon. And lo and behold, the comedy gods answered and the greatest character in modern 'Saturday Night Live' graced 'Weekend Update' yet again.

These days 'SNL' movies are a bit few and far between (come on, 'MacGruber 2'!), but at least some of their success lives on with legendary classics like 'Wayne's World or 'The Blues Brothers.' There have been 11 'SNL' movies total over the course of the last 40 years, but how well do you think you know the late-night sketch comedy legend's cinematic history? Test your knowledge with the latest installment of ‘You Think You Know Movies?‘

Whether the 'SNL' shakeups of season 40 have truly come to a close or not, this Saturday will see 'Guardians of the Galaxy' and 'Parks and Recreation' star Chris Pratt kicking off the premiere in Star-Lord style. Feast your faces on seven-full minutes of promo goodness, as Chris Pratt takes the 'SNL' stage for the first time!

Of the many changes in store for the 40th season of 'SNL,' none would prove so heartbreaking as the loss of beloved announcer Don Pardo, who passed away earlier this year. No one could ever replace Pardo's distinct intonation announcing every 'SNL' installment, though the new voice of the sketch comedy series will at least be a familiar one, as distinguished alum Darrell Hammond takes the mic.

We'd known that 'SNL' would need some additional fine-tuning after shedding some of the dead weight of season 39, but where writer Colin Jost had replaced "Weekend Update"s departed Seth Meyers alongside Cecily Strong, an unexpected shakeup has emerged. Strong will step down from the Update desk, remaining an 'SNL' regular, while 'Daily Show' correspondent and 'SNL' writer Michael Che will become Jost's new co-anchor.

Despite 'SNL' heading into its landmark 40th season (and shedding a few players in the process), things have been curiously quiet on the front of NBC's beloved sketch comedy show, particularly with regard to its initial hosts. Now, the network confirms that 'Guardians of the Galaxy' and 'Parks and Recreation' star Chris Pratt will host the September 27 premiere with musical guest Ariana Grande, preceding comedian Sarah Silverman, while rumors suggest legendary alum Bill Murray will follow!

Well, no major changing of the guard here, as actor Jim Parsons tonight takes home the Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series award at the 2014 Emmy Awards for his role as brilliant 'Big Bang Theory' egghead Sheldon Cooper.

Apart from all the good spirits of the evening, every Emmys inevitably becomes a somber occasion in honoring those we've lost over the course of the year. Now, with Robin Williams' tragic suicide still weighing on the world at large, the 2014 Emmy Awards have announced that Billy Crystal will step up to honor his fallen friend in the memoriam segment of the evening.