Saturday Night Live aired its twenty-sixth season during the 2000–2001 television season on NBC. 20 episodes were produced. The season began on October 7, 2000 and ended on May 19, 2001. Before the start of the season Cheri Oteri, Colin Quinn, and Tim Meadows left the show. With the three of them gone, the show added two new castmembers. SNL head writer Tina Fey and Second City comedian Jerry Minor joined the cast as featured players at the start of the season. Fey had been a writer on the show since 1997 and began as the show's head writer in 1999. Rachel Dratch and Maya Rudolph remained featured players. This would be Molly Shannon's final season on the show, leaving mid-season. Chris Parnell and Jerry Minor were both let go after this season ended. However, Chris Parnell would be re-hired midway through the next season. Michaels would later admit he made a mistake in firing Parnell from the cast and wanted him back. With Colin Quinn's seat on Weekend Update empty, executive producer Lorne Michaels decided to have two anchors just as SNL had had in the 1970s. Jimmy Fallon and head writer Tina Fey were brought up to anchor the segment together. Because of Fey's head writer status she would appear rarely out of Weekend Update.

Season 26 Episode 20 - Christopher Walken/Weezer

Live From New York, it's...Darrell Hammond Sketches include ""A Message From Mayor Giuliani,"" ""Leon Loves Mango,"" ""Hardball,"" ""The Continental,"" ""Porch Lovers,"" ""Dirty Centaur Job Interview,"" ""TV Funhouse: The Anatominals/Lorne Michaels and The Devil"", ""Memorial Day Song"", and ""Badger Up The Boss's Butt"" Weezer performs: ""Hash Pipe"" and ""Island on the Sun"" Air Date : 19th-May-2001

Season 26 Episode 1 - Rob Lowe/Eminem

Live From New York, it's...Chris Parnell Sketches include The First Presidential Debate, Corn Chip Nails, Backstage SNL: Rob Lowe Meets Ralph Nader, Scooby Doo and Shaggy on Court TV, Monday Night Football, Blind Date At The Airport, Dream Team 2000, Chris Kattan Olympic Profile, and Dateline. Eminem performed Stan (with Dido) and The Real Slim Shady. Air Date : 7th-Oct-2000  Read More

Season 26 Episode 2 - Kate Hudson/Radiohead

Live From New York, it's...Chris Parnell (again!) Sketches include "The Second Presidential Debate", "College Girl's Wild Spring Break", "TV Funhouse: The X-Presidents", "Inside The Actor's Studio: Drew Barrymore", "The Boston Teens Meet Nomar", "Meet The Press", "Japanese Laverne and Shirley (Rabun to Shuri)", and "Vote Sober 2000". Radiohead performs: "The National Anthem" and "Idioteque". Air Date : 14th-Oct-2000  Read More

Season 26 Episode 3 - Dana Carvey/The Wallflowers

Live From New York, it's...Dana Carvey Sketches include: "The Third Presidental Debate", "Magic Mouth", "Delicious Dish", "Church Chat", "Bush Sr. and Bush Jr. Go Hunting", "VH-1 Vogue Fashion Awards", and "Ching Chang's Chicken Play". The Wallflowers perform: "Sleepwalker" and "Hand Me Down" (a third performance is done by guest Baha Men) Air Date : 21st-Oct-2000  Read More

Season 26 Episode 4 - Charlize Theron/Paul Simon

Live From New York, it's...Will Ferrell Sketches include: "A Glimpse of our Possible Future: George W. Bush", "TRL", "A Glimpse of our Possible Future: Al Gore and Bill Clinton", "Goth Talk: The Blair Witch Tour", "TV Funhouse: The All-New Adventures of Mr. T", "Joe DiMaggio and Marilyn Monroe On 'The Seven Year Itch'", "Sex Therapy With Mr. Peepers", "A Glimpse of our Possible Future: Ralph Nader", "The DeMarco Brothers Audition For Paul Simon", "Robert Goulet's Rap Album", and "The Perverted Spanish Singers" Paul Simon performs: "Hurricane Eye" and "Old" Air Date : 4th-Nov-2000  Read More

Season 26 Episode 5 - Calista Flockhart/Ricky Martin

S26E05 (11/11/2000) was originally mis-identified as Presidential Bash (S00E36, air date 11/3/2000) Air Date : 5th-Nov-2000  Read More

Season 26 Episode 6 - Tom Green/David Gray

Sketches include ""Decision 2000,"" ""Bald Eagles,"" ""Rap Street,"" ""Lorne and Tom in a Tub,"" ""Hardball,"" ""Dog Show,"" ""Oprah,"" ""Story Tellers,"" ""TV Funhouse: Sex and the Country"", ""Rock Around the Clock,"" and ""Tom and Drew's Wedding."" The NBC rerun replaces the ""Sex and the Country"" TV Funhouse with the one from the Charlize Theron episode where Mr. T lands a job doing a tampon commercial. Air Date : 18th-Nov-2000  Read More

Season 26 Episode 7 - Val Kilmer/U2

Live From New York, it's...Chris Parnell Sketches include: Gore's Lawsuit, Wade Blasingame: Dog Lawyer, Behind The Music, Palm Beach, Veronica and Co., Seasons Greetings From SNL, Doing Voices, The Tyson Bros., and Corn Chip Nails (from the Rob Lowe/Eminem and Dido episode) U2 performs: ""Beautiful Day"" and ""Elevation"" Air Date : 9th-Dec-2000  Read More

Season 26 Episode 8 - Lucy Liu/Jay-Z

Sketches include ""George W. Bush and Al Gore at Chi-Chi's,"" ""Gemini's Twin,"" ""Celebrity Jeopardy,"" ""Pretty Living,"" ""Jarret's Room,"" ""Christmas Ornaments,"" and ""Robert Goulet Rap."" Air Date : 16th-Dec-2000  Read More

Season 26 Episode 9 - Charlie Sheen/Nelly Furtado

Sketches include ""Dick Cheney,"" ""Iron Chef,"" ""Eric Dickerson's NFL Pre-Game Special,"" ""The Culps,"" ""Patsy March,"" ""Giving Birth to a Grown Man,"" ""T.G.I. Friday's Obnoxious Waiter,"" and ""Charlie and Fleisy."" Air Date : 13th-Jan-2001  Read More

Season 26 Episode 10 - Mena Suvari/Lenny Kravitz

Sketches include ""Bill Clinton,"" ""Airport Metal Detector,"" ""Janet Reno's Dance Party, ""Rap Street,"" ""Veronica & Co.,"" and ""The DeMarco Brothers."" Air Date : 20th-Jan-2001  Read More

Season 26 Episode 11 - Jennifer Lopez

Sketches include ""Will Ferrell and Jennifer Lopez,"" ""Mango,"" ""Gemini's Twin,"" ""Fly Girls,"" ""Good Morning Bronx,"" ""Jeanie Darcy,"" and ""Lana Thornberry."" Air Date : 10th-Feb-2001  Read More

Season 26 Episode 12 - Sean Hayes/Shaggy

Sketches include ""George W. Bush,"" ""Delicious Dish,"" ""Hardball,"" ""Jeffrey's,"" ""Hello Dolly,"" ""Fashion Week,"" ""Action News,"" ""Mary Katherine Gallagher,"" ""Brian Fellow's Safari Planet,"" and ""Talkin' 'Bout 'Ginas."" Air Date : 17th-Feb-2001  Read More

Season 26 Episode 13 - Katie Holmes/Dave Matthews Band

Sketches include ""The Clinton Family,"" ""Mr. Peepers,"" ""Drew Barrymore and Tom Green,"" ""Lovers,"" ""Jarret's Room,"" ""Tough as Nails,"" and ""Cruise Ship Lovers."" Air Date : 24th-Feb-2001  Read More

Season 26 Episode 14 - Conan O'Brien/Don Henley

Live from New York, it's...Will Ferrell Sketches include: Bush's Good Health, Subshack, The Boston Teens At The Liquor Store, Moleculo: The Molecular Man, Napster Testimony, Taint-less Ted, Find The Black People At The Knicks Game, VH-1 Diva-Thon, Democratic National Committee, and Sports Century: The White Boxer Don Henley performs: ""Everything is Different Now"" and ""Heart of the Matter"" (the second performance was cut on the NBC rerun and replaced with a DeMarco Bros. sketch where Chris Parnell, Chris Kattan, and Conan O'Brien audition for Don Henley) Air Date : 10th-Mar-2001  Read More

Season 26 Episode 15 - Julia Stiles/Aerosmith

Sketches include ""Martha Stewart Living,"" ""Wake Up Wakefield,"" ""Post Office Security,"" ""Suel Forrester,"" ""Foreign Cleaning Ladies,"" ""Amateur Night,"" and ""Der Lachlen Berrherscht."" Air Date : 17th-Mar-2001  Read More

Season 26 Episode 16 - Alec Baldwin/Coldplay

Sketches include ""George W. Bush,"" ""Delicious Dish,"" ""Military Soldier,"" ""Inside the Actor's Studio,"" ""Robert Goulet,"" ""Democrats."" Air Date : 7th-Apr-2001  Read More

Season 26 Episode 17 - Renee Zellweger/Eve

Sketches include ""The Culps,"" ""Jerry Maguire 2,"" ""Hardball,"" ""A Wedding Story,"" ""Blind Date,"" and ""Crazy Doctor."" Air Date : 14th-Apr-2001  Read More

Season 26 Episode 18 - Pierce Brosnan/Destiny's Child

Sketches include ""George W. Bush,"" ""Gemini's Twin,"" ""The Weakest Link,"" ""Jeffrey's,"" ""Psycho Boss,"" ""The West Wing,"" ""The Soldiers of World War II,"" and ""Paradise Lounge."" Air Date : 5th-May-2001  Read More

Season 26 Episode 19 - Lara Flynn Boyle/Bon Jovi

Live From New York, it's...Darrell Hammond Sketches include ""A Message From Mayor Giuliani,"" ""Leon Loves Mango,"" ""Hardball,"" ""The Continental,"" ""Porch Lovers,"" ""Dirty Centaur Job Interview,"" ""TV Funhouse: The Anatominals/Lorne Michaels and The Devil"", ""Memorial Day Song"", and ""Badger Up The Boss's Butt"" Weezer performs: ""Hash Pipe"" and ""Island on the Sun"" Air Date : 12th-May-2001  Read More

Season 26 Episode 20 - Christopher Walken/Weezer

Live From New York, it's...Darrell Hammond Sketches include ""A Message From Mayor Giuliani,"" ""Leon Loves Mango,"" ""Hardball,"" ""The Continental,"" ""Porch Lovers,"" ""Dirty Centaur Job Interview,"" ""TV Funhouse: The Anatominals/Lorne Michaels and The Devil"", ""Memorial Day Song"", and ""Badger Up The Boss's Butt"" Weezer performs: ""Hash Pipe"" and ""Island on the Sun"" Air Date : 19th-May-2001  Read More