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Before he was a Ghostbusterand an Oscar-nominee, Bill Murray was a cast member on Saturday Night Live, where he entertained late-night audiences from 1977 to 1980. Now, the Golden Globe-winning Lost in Translation star, who attended the 50th anniversary of SNL on Feb. 16, is reflecting on what the experience was like.

Per Entertainment Weekly, Murray appeared on SiriusXM’s Sway in the Morning with host Sway Calloway and talked about what the 50th anniversary of Saturday Night Live meant to him. “It was surprisingly emotional. I wept three times in the show. It really got to me,” Murray said.

When Calloway asked what he wept for, Murray started off by telling a joke, “Oh, there were sketches that were dying,” he said. “No, I’m kidding.”

Related'He Was a Tough Nut': Bill Murray Recalls Working With Gene Hackman on The Royal Tenenbaums

Bill Murray starred with Gene Hackman in the 2001 Wes Anderson...

Over four decades later, veteran actor and Ghostbusters star Bill Murray has addressed the literary treatment of his late friend and collaborator John Belushi by Bob Woodward, calling the latter's work "completely inaccurate." The legendary comedian, actor, and musician Belushi was one of the original Saturday Night Live cast members and died in 1982, aged 33, from an overdose of cocaine and heroin.

Murray aired his opinion of Woodward's 1984 biography Wired: The Short Life and Fast Times of John Belushi on The Joe Rogan Experience podcast. "If he did this to Belushi, what he did to Nixon is probably soiled for me too. I can't take it," he said. "You could have two sources and everything like that, but the two sources that he had, if he had them for the Wired book, were so far outside the inner circle that it was criminal, cruel."

RelatedErnie Hudson Reflects on Harold Ramis'...

Saturday Night Live actor Bowen Yang was accused by an extra who's worked on the NBC series of getting Shane Gillis fired back in 2019. However, Yang has spoken out on the allegation to note how that's not the case.

Six years ago, Yang and Gillis had both been hired to join SNL as new performers. Problematic jokes Gillis had made about Asians on his comedy podcast resurfaced soon after his casting was announced, boosting a social media movement for SNL to cut ties with the risqué comedian. The SNL team ultimately acquiesced by firing Gillis, though the bridges have been rebuilt, with Gillis having since appeared on the show as guest host. Ahead of his second guest-hosting stint on March 1, comic and SNL extra Michelle Best posted a comment on an Instagram video shared by NBC to "acknowledge" that Yang was allegedly responsible for Gillis' firing.

Related'Don't Negotiate With Terrorists':...

New York's hottest club is Saturday Night Live, but only if you've hosted it at least five times. That gets you entry to SNL's exclusive "Five-Timers Club". Now that Saturday Night Live has celebrated 50 years of laughs, we're taking a look at one of its most consistent yet difficult to attain inside jokes/accolades, The Five-Timers Club. Besides the obvious honor of being a late-night regular, what does this comedic membership entail? And what other entertainment icons have made the cut?

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Saturday Night LiveTV-14ComedyNewsMusicRelease DateOctober 11, 1975NetworkNBCShowrunnerLorne MichaelsCastSee All

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Directors  Dave Wilson, Don Roy King, Liz Patrick, Andy Warhol, Linda Lee Cadwell, Matthew Meshekoff,...

Pete Davidson became a regular fixture of Saturday Night Live with an eight-year long run on the show, becoming the series’ youngest cast member at the age of 20 and an instant hit thanks to his “Weekend Update” appearances, among other sketches. However, his return for the show’s 50th anniversary celebration had fans talking for a reason other than his comedic talents – the reducing number of his trademark collection of tattoos.

Davidson, who is currently starring as one of the many big-name voices in the animated hit movie Dog Man, has become well-known as a walking scrapbook of inked designs with around 200 tattoos adorning his body. Almost all the actor’s pieces of body art have some kind of personal significance to either his life or his career, but while appearing on SNL50 many fans noticed that he is not as tatted up as he used to be.

During a...

Saturday Night Live recently celebrated its 50th Anniversary, with (almost) every notable name in the show's history and Hollywood as a whole coming together for the event. The long-running show brought back many of its iconic sketches for the occasion, with Black Jeopardy being one of them. Eddie Murphy, Tracy Morgan, and Leslie Jones returned to the stage for the fake quiz show, but it was Oscar-winner Tom Hanks' appearance that became the most talked about – and perhaps not in the way he would have liked.

Hanks appeared as a contestant on the fictional Black version of Jeopardy, a sketch the series has made famous over the years. In the skit, he plays a satirical version of a Trump voter – a role he played in a previous episode. But a specific incident during the segment is drawing backlash on right-wing social media. The host, played by longtime star Kenan Thompson,...

Tom Hanks stepped back onto the Saturday Night Live stage just days after staging a “walk out” at the weekend’s Homecoming Concert. While the actor and his wife, Rita Wilson, appeared to be disgruntled at there being no awards getting handed out at the event, it was, of course, all part of the show. This meant that it was not a surprise to see Hanks back on the show for its 50th anniversary special, where he introduced a special montage of sketches that have aged as well as a Hollywood star without a good surgeon.

Hanks joined a segment dedicated to what SNL executives and cast members have termed “canceled characters.” The legendary actor, who is part of the show’s “five-timers” club, delivered a fitting monologue to introduce the rogue’s gallery of controversial, offensive, and generally just problematic faces to have graced screen as part of SNL’s line up.

The stars really did come out for the 50th anniversary special for Saturday Night Live. Introducing Adam Sandler, who performed an incredible SNL50 tribute song, was none other than the legendary Jack Nicholson.

When the camera cut to Nicholson, the applause rained down. The actor kept it simple, saying, "Ladies and gentlemen, Adam Sandler!" From there, Sandler gave a shout-out to Jack and began his song, singing, "Everyone in this room has something in common. All of our lives were changed by the show."

Sandler is known for his songs and mashups, and this one was perfect for the occasion. He sang about the cast, funny moments (including those behind the scenes), the crew, Lorne Michaels, and paid a very heartfelt tribute to fellow SNL vet and friend, the late Chris Farley, who passed away in 1997, and Norm Macdonald, who died in 2021. You can watch the entire performance, and Jack's introduction,...

Eddie Murphy's impression of Tracy Morgan on Saturday Night Live stole the show in a recent sketch celebrating the show's 50th anniversary. Murphy did his Morgan impression during the show's 'Black Jeopardy' sketch.

Murphy was joined for the SNL skit by fellow Black comedians, with Kenan Thompson playing host Darnell Hayes (aka Alex Treblack), and the other contestants being Leslie Jones and Tracy Morgan himself. During 'Black Jeopardy', Murphy did a hilarious impression of Morgan -- while Morgan stood right beside him and played a man named Darius. From his very introduction, Murphy was fully in-character as Tracy, calling out "Big Dog gonna make some big money!" in an over-the-top impression that had the rest of the cast struggling to keep a straight face.

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A deleted scene from the Cobra Kai finale reveals...

Quick LinksThe "Original" 'Saturday Night Live'One 'SNL's Failure and Another's Success

Live from New York, it's Saturday Night! Speaking of that iconic opening line, have you ever wondered why it's phrased that way? Why does it say just "Saturday Night" and not "Saturday Night Live?" Having two "lives" might be redundant, but isn't Saturday Night Live the name of the show? It is now, but that wasn't always the case.

Casual viewers may not know that the original name of the series was actually NBC's Saturday Night. That's why the opener is phrased that way. Even though it was always live, it didn't add that word to the title until Season 3. Believe it or not, this was because there was already a series titled Saturday Night Live on the air when the then-nbc's Saturday Night debuted in 1975. This "other" SNL was Saturday Night Live with Howard Cosell,...

Saturday Night Live's biggest stars are everywhere these days: from the hallowed halls of Studio 8H, all the way to the beachy shores of Malibu, California. And in honor of the historic 50th anniversary of the longstanding comedy sketch series, everyone is getting in on the action of celebrating and honoring its many iconic moments. Including Volkswagen, which reunited Bill Hader, Kristen Wiig, and Fred Armisen as "The Californians" in a commercial for their latest car.

The air-headed, valley girl-inflection-toting bottled blondes from the popular soap opera parody sketch star in the ad for the new Volkswagen ID Buzz, an electric take on their own California icon, the old Vw bus, which debuted on Thursday. And, frankly, it's giving nostalgia vibes in an extremely earth-conscious way, which is like, totally Californian of them. We can see why Karina (Wiig) and her lover Devin (Hader) are too impressed by her...

A star-studded crowd gathered to celebrate the legacy of the iconic comedy and musical series Saturday Night Live. As part of the 50th anniversary of the show, SNL50: The Homecoming Concert saw many familiar faces from the last 50 years of the series' history both watching and performing at the event, which was hosted by Jimmy Fallon. As the night kicked off, however, no one expected to see Oscar-winner Tom Hanks and his wife Rita Wilson storm out of the auditorium after Fallon explained that the night would not include any awards presentations. Fallon said:

“Apparently, there’s been some confusion. This is just a concert. We’re not giving out any awards tonight. So, I just want to make sure that everyone knows that.”

At that point, Hanks and his wife stood up out of their seats and stomped up the central aisle and out of the venue. Of course,...

Tina Fey, the former head writer and cast member of NBC's Saturday Night Live, has revealed that she's part of the writing team behind SNL50, the 50th anniversary special that will air this Sunday on NBC. Even though Fey's experience on the show speaks for itself, returning as a staff writer meant that she had to clean the rust off of her comedy writing skills. However, a visit from a very special SNL icon made everything better.

Fey was a guest on The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon alongside her former SNL co-star, dear friend and collaborator, Amy Poehler (via Entertainment Weekly). The conversation turned to what's brewing for SNL50, and Fey revealed that she's part of a team of staff writers for the special: "I know a little bit about what's taking shape because I am working on it as a staff writer, which I'm pretty excited about,...

Jesse Eisenberg is a one-time Saturday Night Live host, once serving in that role for a guest hosting gig in 2011. He has not hosted the sketch comedy series since, but that could be in part due to the experience not going so well for the actor.

During a new interview for Today with Jenna & Friends, Eisenberg discussed his SNL experience. He revealed that he's still haunted by how it went, despite how he was told that it was the "best episode they ever did." For the former Lex Luthor actor, he went into SNL extremely excited, as creating comedy for the legendary show was something he had dreamed about. He also presumed that it was up to him to write the sketches he'd appear in, and he started slipping written skits to cast members leading up to the show. Eisenberg said he was told by someone at SNL that this was encouraged,...

With the 50th Anniversary of Saturday Night Live looming on the horizon, many of the show's former stars and guest hosts have opened up about their experiences on the series. While stories from writers about letting polarizing figures like Donald Trump host have taken center stage, a new anecdote has emerged from a 2013 host. Jesse Eisenberg, known for roles like Lex Luthor and Mark Zuckerberg, opened up about hosting the long-running sketch comedy series, and sadly, he doesn't look back fondly on the experience.

During a recent appearance on the newly revamped fourth hour of Today, Jenna & Friends (via Variety), he expressed regret about his lifelong dream being far more sour than sweet:

"I only have bad memories because I did such a dumb thing. My dream when I was 17 was to write for ‘SNL.’ I made a packet and everything and I got an agent. And then, when I got asked to host,...

Saturday Night Live is celebrating its 50th year on television this year, and with this milestone comes a plethora of new insights and anecdotes regarding the show's storied history – some of which are collected in a new book, which reveals that former SNL writer and star Tim Robinson had a pretty strong reaction when Lorne Michaels invited Donald Trump to host an episode during his first presidential election campaign.

Before becoming President of the United States, Donald Trump was a mainstay on NBC, with his competition series The Apprentice serving as a pivotal part of the primetime lineup. Shortly after announcing his run for president, the network dumped Trump as host of the series due to derogatory comments he made about Mexican immigrants, but that didn't squash his involvement with NBC. Instead, to the shock and awe of many, Lorne Michaels invited Trump to host an episode of the long-running sketch series.

It's hard to believe, but this year, Saturday Night Live turns 50 years old. Created by Lorne Michaels, the show premiered on Oct. 11, 1975 and while it didn't go quite as smoothly, it certainly became a cultural phenomenon. Dan Aykroyd, John Belushi, Chevy Chase, George Coe, Jane Curtin, Garrett Morris, Laraine Newman, Michael O'Donoghue, Gilda Radner, and host George Carlin were the first to appear on the legendary show. And now, as its 50th anniversary special approaches, NBC has released a partial list of major A-list actors, musicians, and celebrities who will appear.

SNL50: The Anniversary Special will feature a who's who of major celebrities, per Variety. They include Sir Paul McCartney, Tom Hanks, Kim Kardashian, Steve Martin, Martin Short, Scarlett Johansson, Dave Chappelle, Miley Cyrus, Paul Simon, Robert De Niro, Sabrina Carpenter, Pedro Pascal, Bad Bunny, Quinta Brunson, Peyton Manning, Woody Harrelson, Adam Driver, Ayo Edebiri, and John Mulaney. More stars will be announced soon.

For the last several decades, Saturday Night Live has been faced with questions of its future. While so many people claim not to watch or call it unfunny, everyone still talks about it and sketches still go viral. Some feel the show has run its course, the sketches need work, or members of the cast need to go. Nothing ever comes of it because Saturday Night Live is engrained as part of the fabric of late-night television that no one really ever expects to end. But there’s one point in time when Saturday Night Live almost did get canceled, and arguably should have been. The show was hanging by a thread, and instead of a complete cast shake-up saving the show, it led to a year that has become known as the “weird season.”

This was in 1985 during season 11, a bizarre season that the new Peacock docuseries SNL50: Beyond Saturday Night...

Before “Slow Jam the News” featured the likes of Brian Williams, Chris Christie and President Barack Obama, the late-night segment was the brainchild of “Late Night With Jimmy Fallon” writers Diallo Riddle and Bashir Salahuddin. The pair were responsible for many of the show’s early viral segments, spinning their sketch-comedy background and love of music into widely-shared segments like “Ladysmith Snack Mambazo” and “History of Rap” featuring Justin Timberlake.

But during four years of writing near-daily content for “Fallon,” Riddle and Salahuddin produced lots of song and sketch ideas that never made it to air — or even to rehearsal. “We wrote a lot of songs for Jimmy that wouldn’t have been appropriate for his brand or for NBC, so we tucked a lot of them away,” said Riddle.

These not-ready-for-primetime premises formed the germ of “Sherman’s Showcase,” the pair’s new sketch show, which tracks the 40-year...

Every week, IndieWire asks a select handful of film critics two questions and publishes the results on Monday.

This week’s question: What is the worst performance by a great actor you usually love?

Carlos Aguilar (@Carlos_Film), The Wrap, Remezcla, MovieMaker Magazine

Collectively, Gael García Bernal and Diego Luna have been enlisted to enhance films by Almodovar, Spielberg, Larraín, Korine, and, of course, Alfonso Cuarón; in addition to many more efforts by the world’s leading directors. Both have also tried their hand at directing, with Luna having a more notable run behind the camera, and more recently basked in the attention of worldwide mainstream success in the form of “Coco” and “Rogue One.”

Yet, buried underneath that steady stream of good marks and auteur-driven opportunities, most of which this critic has been a champion of, is “Casa de Mi Padre.” Matt Piedmont’s debut feature, a Spanish-language satire starring Will Ferrell,...

Take a look @ the new Anchor Bay Entertainment six-part satirical comedy release "The Spoils of Babylon", Season 1 available on Blu-ray and DVD, March 8, 2016 produced by Will Ferrell, written/directed by Matt Piedmont and starring Ferrell, Tim Robbins, Krsiten Wiig, Tobey Maguire, Jessica Alba, Val Kilmer, Haley Joel Osment and Michael Sheen:

"...'The Spoils of Babylon' is an epic tale like no other. Legendary author 'Eric Jonrosh' (Ferrell), the undisputed master of dramatic fiction...

"...introduces audiences to the brilliant adaptation of his best-selling novel...

"...a sweeping chronicle of the provocative and captivating exploits of the 'Morehouse' family.

"Patriarch 'Jonas Morehouse' (Robbins) shepherds his daughter 'Cynthia' (Wiig) and adopted son 'Devon' (Maguire) from meager beginnings...

"...in the oil fields of Texas to the powerful boardrooms in New York City.

"This is a momentous and sweeping tale of forbidden love, betrayal, corruption and bloodshed also starring Jellybean Howie and Steve Tom.

Hoff the Record: Dave, 9pm

Unfortunately, tonight marks the end of the series for David Hasselhoff's mockumentary.

Hoff is invoiced by a charity but due to needing money agrees to co-star with Christopher Biggins in a panto instead. Travelling to meet his new co-star, Hoff is confused to find a child in the car.

Safeword: ITV2, 10pm

New comedy panel gameshow hosted by Rick Edwards. Tonight, he's joined by Joey Essex, David Haye, Andrew Maxwell and Tiff Stevenson.

Each week, celebrity guests get their social media pages scrutinised for embarrassing information, which is then left open for the other celebrities to mock. The only way to make this stop is by using their safeword...

The Spoils Before Dying: Fox UK, 10:30pm

Matt Piedmont and Andrew Steele's follow-up to The Spoils of Babylon features an all-star cast including Kristen Wiig, Haley Joel Osment and Maya Rudolph.

Writer-turned-director...

var bc_params = {"api":"hybrid","playerId":"88218671001","playerKey":"Aq~~,AAAAAAAn_zM~,B6LaFUvNnt2RhwK5cjOvZ4hHQyd5XXC9"}; brightcove.createExperiences();Read More: Miniseries Spoof 'The Spoils of Babylon' Is An Affectionate Ode to '70s Bloat From IFC and Funny or Die "SNL" writers Andrew Steele and Matt Piedmont are bringing back the hardboiled detective genre in their new IFC miniseries "The Spoils Before Dying." The sequel to the Emmy-winning miniseries "The Spoils of Babylon" will follow a 1950s jazz pianist who gets wrapped up in a murder investigation. The pianist-turned-investigator will be played by Michael K. Williams ("Boardwalk Empire"), and his various cohorts and suspects are made up of a star-studded cast including Kristen Wiig, Maya Rudolph, Hayley Joel Osment, Michael Sheen, Kate McKinnon and other big comedy names.  The six-part saga will air as a three-night comedy series on IFC with two back-to-back half hour.

Kristen Wiig (Bridesmaids, Ghostbusters), Maya Rudolph (SNL, Bridesmaids, The Maya Rudolph Show) and Haley Joel Osment (Entourage The Movie, Tusk) have joined the formidable cast of IFC's six-part comedic miniseries, The Spoils Before Dying. Kristen Wiig and Haley Joel Osment also appeared in the first installment of the Spoils franchise, The Spoils of Babylon, which aired on IFC last year and earned Wiig an Emmy&#8482 nomination for Outstanding Lead Actress In A Miniseries. Currently in production, The Spoils Before Dying will make its television debut this summer on IFC.

Also returning in new roles are Michael Sheen (Masters of Sex), Val Kilmer (Batman Forever), Steve Tom (Major Crimes) and Marc Evan Jackson (Brooklyn Nine-Nine). New cast additions to The Spoils Before Dying include Kate McKinnon (SNL, Ghostbusters), Tim Meadows (Marry Me, SNL), Chris Parnell (30 Rock, SNL), Emily Ratajkowski (Gone Girl, We Are Friends), Andrew Daly (Review, Comedy Bang! Bang!

Last year IFC rolled out the star-studded spoof comedy The Spoils Of Babylon, and the series is upping its quota of stars for the sequel – The Spoils Before Dying. Produced again by Funny Or Die, the sequel season has already placed Boardwalk Empire‘s Michael K. Williams in the lead as jazz pianist Rock Banyon. He will now be joined by a squad of returning stars from the first outing.

Per The Wrap, the six-episode season will star Kristen Wiig, Haley Joel Osment and Maya Rudolph who are poised to return alongside Michael Sheen, Val Kilmer, Steve Tom and Marc Evan Jackson. Newbies to the series include Kate McKinnon, Tim Meadows, Chris Parnell, Emily Ratajkowski, Andrew Daly, Chris Mulkey, Chin Han, Jack Kilmer, Patty Guggenheim and Berenice Marlohe.

With Funny Or Die once more at the helm it may come as no surprise that Will Ferrell – reprising his Eric Jonrosh...

TV Casting News: Michael Kenneth Williams is cast on IFC’s “The Spoils Before Dying”!Produced By Funny Or Die; Executive Produced By Will Ferrell, Adam McKay, Matt Piedmont, Andrew Steele and Nate Young Currently in Production in Los Angeles, Michael Kenneth Williams (Boardwalk Empire, The Wire) is confirmed as the lead in fictional literary author Eric Jonrosh’s latest book-to-screen adaption, The Spoils Before Dying.In addition Will Ferrell will reprise his role as Jonrosh, the booze-soaked author turned director who opens and closes each riveting episode. Considered too risqué for the safe and sanitized living rooms of a 1950’s postwar nation, the […]...

Ron Livingston is going for a midnight ride.

The actor, who played Carrie Bradshaw’s short-term beau Jack Berger on Sex and the City, has been cast as the titular patriot in AMC’s comedy pilot We Hate Paul Revere.

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Matt Piedmont (Saturday Night Live) is on board to direct the half-hour pilot, which tells the story of Hugh and Ebenezer Moody, brothers whose contribution to history in colonial Boston has been overshadowed by Revere. Executive producers Ethan Sandler (Crossing Jordan) and Adrian Wenner (My Boys) will also star.

In addition to Sex and the City,...

Ron Livingston has been cast as Paul Revere in the AMC comedy pilot “We Hate Paul Revere,” shooting next month. Livingston, perhaps best known for “Office Space” and “Sex and the City,” also appeared last season on “Boardwalk Empire.” Also read: Olivia Wilde, Jake Johnson, Ron Livingston, More Talk ‘Drinking Buddies’ at L.A. Premiere (Video) The AMC Studios half-hour pilot is written, executive produced and starring Ethan Sandler and Adrian Wenner. Matt Piedmont (“Saturday Night Live,” “Vibe,” “The Spoils of Babylon”) is directing, and Troy Miller (“Arrested Development,” “Flight of the Conchords,” “Dumb and Dumberer: When Harry Met Lloyd”) is a non-writing executive.

IFC has ordered The Spoils Before Dying, a new six-episode saga to be told in the Funny Or Die style of this past winter’s The Spoils of Babylon.

Executive producer Will Ferrell will reprise his role as Eric Jonrosh, the author-director-writer who teed up each episode, while a new cast will dramatize this look at “the seedy underbelly of the 1950s jazz scene, in a detective story positively buzzing with erotic charge.” The new Spoils centers around a “jazz-pianist turned private eye who becomes embroiled in a murder investigation that spins out of control and leads him down paths...

Will Ferrell showed up to the Los Angeles premiere of "The Spoils of Babylon" in style -- MTV Movie Awards style, that is. The producer/star of the IFC miniseries wore the same dollar bill suit he had at the 2013 MTV Movie Awards to work the red carpet Tuesday (Jan. 7) at the Directors Guild of America Theater.

"This is something I had made," Ferrell tells Zap2it. "I can't even tell you [where I got it]. I wish I could. There is a tailor, his name is Cash Money and he only makes suits that are currency."

In "The Spoils of Babylon," Ferrell plays fictional "Spoils of Babylon" author Eric Jonrosh. The character claims "The Spoils of Babylon" is his masterpiece that is only being released now, but Ferrell says Jonrosh would not be pleased with the carpet that IFC rolled out.

"No, I think he'd be disgusted with this. I mean, here? Eric...

“Spoils of Babylon” star Kristen Wiig wishes new “Saturday Night Live” star Sasheer Zamata luck. Zamata was hired after “SNL” was criticized for its lack of an African-American woman in the cast. “I am excited about the new hire — it’s great,” Wiig told TheWrap during a Television Critics Association panel about her new IFC show, “Spoils of Babylon.” The show also hired new writers Lakendra Tookes and Leslie Jones. See video: SNL Hires Two Black Female Writers From Auditions That Cast Sasheer Zamata “Spoils” was created by former “SNL” writers Andrew Steele and Matt Piedmont. Steele hasn’t followed the diversity issue very closely,...

Stars Tobey Maguire, Haley Joel Osment and Kristen Wiig took the stage at the TCA press tour this morning alongside creators Matt Piedmont and Andrew Steele to talk about "The Spoils of Babylon," the IFC miniseries premiering tonight, January 9th, at 10pm (see our review here). The miniseries, which is produced by Funny or Die, is a deadpan send-up of '70s and '80s event television like "The Thorn Birds," though as director and co-writer Piedmont pointed out, it also includes "some other cinematic influences" like "melodramas and Douglas Sirk films." Piedmont prefers to look at "The Spoils of Babylon" as satire rather than a spoof, and Steele pointed out "We take something like this and Matt's always said it's like a Trojan horse -- he fills it up with all the cinematic things we wanted to do." For the introductions to each episode which feature executive producer Will Ferrell as Eric Jonrosh,...

"The Spoils of Babylon" is among the funnier new series debuting this winter, and hands-down the weirdest. Some people will probably love it, and others might walk away confused.

"Generally I want to say for those of you who will watch this, I'm sorry and you're welcome," Tobey Maguire, one of the show's leads, jokes Thursday (Jan. 9) at the TCA winter press tour.

"Spoils," which premieres at 10 p.m. Et Thursday on IFC, is a deadpan parody of 1970s-'80s miniseries about a decades-spanning between a man (Maguire) and his adoptive sister (Kristen Wiig). There is bountiful insanity -- including a character played by a mannequin (and voiced by Carey Mulligan) -- but the key to its humor is the cast playing the material with straight faces.

"We're not sure we did find the line, so we'll leave it up to people out there," co-creator Andrew Steele says of whether...

IFC’s new parody of epic TV miniseries, The Spoils Of Babylon, From Funny or Die, boasts a boatload of Saturday Night Live alums behind and in front of the camera: Will Ferrell, Kristen Wiig, Matt Piedmont, Andrew Steele, etc. Six, half-hour episodes will premiere on IFC in early 2014. Not surprisingly, the SNL alums got asked, during Winter TV Press Tour 2014, to weigh in on the controversy that erupted this season over the lack of black female cast member on the NBC late-night series. In response to the controversy, Lorne Michaels in the past several days has hired not only a black comedienne for the cast, but also two black female writers. “If you can give little insight, was this ever really anything? And is this ultimately good for the show, and what it means,” one critic asked the Spoils panel, a little unclearly. This question seemed to take the panel by surprise.

“The Spoils of Babylon” would have a strong cast for an awards-season film — but it’s a parody of three-decades old schlocky miniseries, airing on basic cable. Did writers-executive producers Matt Piedmont and Andrew Steele feel overwhelmed when they realized their cast would include Will Ferrell, Tim Robbins, Tobey Maguire, Kristen Wiig and Haley Joel Osment? Also read: ‘Spoils of Babylon’ Review: Will Ferrell and Friends Get Real Stupid “That’s what you do with a cast like this,” said Steele. “You waste them,” added Piedemont. “You take a great cast with amazing actors and you give them some crap.

If you have a fondness -- or even a fleeting, distant nostalgia -- for those epic, dramatic miniseries events of the 1970s and '80s, such as North and South, The Thorn Birds or The Winds of War, then IFC's star-laden miniseries spoof will tickle your overwrought, melodramatic fancy. The elements are all here in this Funny or Die production, created, directed and written by Saturday Night Live veteran Matt Piedmont: a stern but benevolent patriarch; a wanton, scheming daughter in love with her adopted brother; the rise and fall of a family's fortunes, rife with secrets, betrayal and perhaps even …

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It’s always a party when they show up, and Will Ferrell and Kristen Wiig were in top form at the Los Angeles premiere of their new miniseries “The Spoils of Babylon” last night (January 9).

The “Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues” costars looked hilarious as they hammed it up for the paparazzi outside the DGA Theatre along with cast members Tobey Maguire and Haley Joel Osment.

Slated to premiere on Thursday, January 9th, “The Spoils of Babylon” is a 22-episode project created and written by Matt Piedmont and Andrew Steele of Funny or Die.

Per the IFC synopsis, “Patriarch Jonas Morehouse shepherds his daughter Cynthia and adopted son Devon from meager beginnings in the oil fields of Texas to powerful boardrooms in New York City. Cynthia and Devon, entwined in undeniable love, stumble through war-torn battlefields, blazing mansions, filthy drug dens and velvet-sheeted bedrooms on their quest for power and influence.

It’s always a party when they show up, and Will Ferrell and Kristen Wiig were in top form at the Los Angeles premiere of their new miniseries “The Spoils of Babylon” last night (January 9).

The “Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues” costars looked hilarious as they hammed it up for the paparazzi outside the DGA Theatre along with cast members Tobey Maguire and Haley Joel Osment.

Slated to premiere on Thursday, January 9th, “The Spoils of Babylon” is a 22-episode project created and written by Matt Piedmont and Andrew Steele of Funny or Die.

Per the IFC synopsis, “Patriarch Jonas Morehouse shepherds his daughter Cynthia and adopted son Devon from meager beginnings in the oil fields of Texas to powerful boardrooms in New York City. Cynthia and Devon, entwined in undeniable love, stumble through war-torn battlefields, blazing mansions, filthy drug dens and velvet-sheeted bedrooms on their quest for power and influence.

Haley Joel Osment might not be the first name that comes to mind when thinking of actors to play villains, but somehow he fits perfectly in the world of IFC's new miniseries "The Spoils of Babylon." In the comedy event, he plays Winston Moorehouse, the troublesome son of Kristen Wiig's Cynthia Moorehouse.

"It's tough to find villainous characters like this at my age, so I look forward to it getting older," Osment tells Zap2it at the "Spoils of Babylon" premiere of what made this project such an obvious "yes." "The people involved made it a big enough draw. It's the opportunity to play a villain, to play a crazy over-the-top character that you don't really get the opportunity to play very often."

From the get-go, "The Spoils of Babylon" has all the making of comedic gold. Styled after the epic miniseries events like "The Thorn Birds" and "Rich Man,...

Matt Piedmont and Andrew Steele have an impressive and possibly doomed dedication to making detailed send-ups of genres with which their audience is almost certainly unfamiliar. Their 2012 movie "Casa de mi Padre," which Piedmont directed and Steele wrote, featured a Spanish-speaking Will Ferrell in a deadpan homage to telenovelas and Spaghetti westerns, complete with loving recreations of shoddy production values. Their new project "The Spoils of Babylon," which premieres on IFC this Thursday, January 9th at 10pm and, like "Casa de mi Padre" is produced by Funny or Die, is a spoof of '70s and '80s event miniseries, with some nods toward the more bloated, bombastic side of filmmaking from the era. "The Spoils of Babylon" is a miniseries itself, made up of six half-hour installments supposedly cut down from an original 22-hour run -- or so Eric Jonrosh tells us. Played by Ferrell, who alongside Adam McKay...

6. The Spoils of Babylon

The Spoils of Babylon is an upcoming American comedy miniseries by Saturday Night Live veterans Andrew Steele and Matt Piedmont, directed by Piedmont (Casa de Mi Padre), and starring Tobey Maguire, Kristen Wiig, Tim Robbins, Jessica Alba, Val Kilmer, Haley Joel Osment, Michael Sheen, and Will Ferrell. It’s doubtful that any other sitcom on the small screen will be able to rival the star-power of this IFC mock-miniseries. The show is intended to be a spoof of the epic-scale TV events prevalent on American network television in the 1970s and 80s such as The Thorn Birds and Rich Man, Poor Man. Spoils of Babylon comes from the Funny or Die production house, and premieres at 10 p.m. Et Jan. 9 on IFC.

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Chozen is FX’s newest animated comedy from Eastbound & Down creators Danny McBride and Jody Hill, and Archer creator Adam Reed. The show,...

If the first scene from IFC's upcoming miniseries "The Spoils of Babylon" is any indication, the Will Ferrell and Adam McKay-produced program is going to be incredibly weird. A spoof of generation-spanning sagas like "The Thornbirds," "The Spoils of Babylon" was created and written by Matt Piedmont and Andrew Steele ("Casa de mi Padre") and stars Tobey Maguire and Kristen Wiig as the adopted son Devon and the biological daughter Cynthia of oil tycoon Jonas Morehouse (Tim Robbins). The series, which premieres with two back-to-back half-hour episodes on Thursday, January 9 at 10pm, seeks comedy in forbidden love and, apparently, economist Adam Smith. Jessica Alba, Will Ferrell, Jellybean Howie, Val Kilmer, Haley Joel Osment, Tim Robbins, Michael Sheen and Steve Tom also star, with cameos by Molly Shannon and David Spade and the voice of Carey Mulligan. Take a look:...

Behold the first clip from IFC's "The Spoils of Babylon," which may contain the sexiest recitation of a quote from Adam Smith's "The Wealth of Nations" in television history.

The miniseries -- which is itself a parody of the epic, 1970s-'80s style of miniseries -- stars Kristen Wiig and Tobey Maguire as adoptive siblings who have a very hard time containing their taboo attraction. So while their father (Tim Robbins) conducts business in the library of their mansion, they try not to kiss each other, resulting in some rather hilarious noseplay.

"The Spoils of Babylon" comes from Will Ferrell and Adam McKay's Funny or Die and was written by "Saturday Night Live" veterans Andrew Steele and Matt Piedmont. Ferrell also appears on-screen as Eric Jonrosh, the author of the fake novel on which "The Spoils of Babylon" is based.

It premieres at 10 p.m. Et Jan. 9 on IFC.

Will Ferrell's new project The Spoils of Babylon has been picked up by Fox.

The six-part miniseries - which satirises classic melodramatic series such as The Winds of War and The Thorn Birds - will receive its UK premiere on January 18.

The Funny or Die series is executive produced by Ferrell, who also stars in the project as fictional author Eric Jonrosh.

Jonrosh's novel The Spoils of Babylon and its characters become the basis for the show.

Kristen Wiig stars as Cynthia Morehouse, the daughter of an infamous oil magnate who must fight her feelings for her adopted brother Devon (Tobey Maguire).

Tim Robbins plays head of the family Jonas Morehouse, while Haley Joel Osment stars as Cynthia's evil son Winston.

Michael Sheen, Jessica Alba and Val Kilmer are among the supporting cast.

The series also features a cameo by David Spade and the voice of Carey Mulligan.

Created...

IFC‘s miniseries parody The Spoils Of Babylon chronicles the sexy and dramatic lives of the complicated Morehouse family who made their fortune in the oil business. Tobey Maguire, Tim Robbins and Kristen Wiig lead the all-star cast which also includes Jessica Alba, Will Ferrell, Jellybean Howie, Val Kilmer, Haley Joel Osment, Michael Sheen, and Steve Tom. The six-part series is produced by Funny or Die for IFC and executive produced by Ferrell, Adam McKay, Matt Piedmont, Andrew Steele and Nate Young. Steele and Piedmont created and wrote the series, and Piedmont directed. The Spoils Of Babylon premieres with two back-to-back half-hour episodes January 9 at 10 Pm on IFC. Check out the new trailer:...

IFC has released a new trailer for its Funny or Die-produced miniseries parody "The Spoils of Babylon," based on the (fictional) bestselling novel of the same name by the (made up) author Eric Jonrosh. The six-part saga tells the Moorehouse family's dramatic triumph to tragedy story. In the new trailer, below, the young Moorehouse son Devon (Tobey Maguire) melodramatically narrates his past from childhood to adulthood and the success he experienced until the reemergence of smiling pistol-hoisting Winston (played by Haley Joel Osment). In addition to Maguire, the series stars Jessica Alba, Will Ferrell, Jellybean Howie, Val Kilmer, Haley Joel Osment, Tim Robbins, Michael Sheen, Steve Tom and Kristen Wiig with a cameo by David Spade and the voice of Carey Mulligan. The parody series is executive produced by Ferrell, Adam McKay, Matt PIedmont, Andrew Steele and Nate Young. Steele and Piedmont wrote and created the series, with Piedmont directing.

Executive producers Will Ferrell and Adam McKay will skewer sweeping, overblown miniseries like "The Thorn Birds" in "The Spoils of Babylon," a six-part saga based on the novel by the legendary (and fictional) author Eric Jonrosh. The series, which is produced by Funny or Die, will premiere on IFC on Thursday, January 9 at 10:00 pm, and has a star-filled cast that includes Jessica Alba, Jellybean Howie, Val Kilmer, Tobey Maguire, Haley Joel Osment, Tim Robbins, Michael Sheen, Steve Tom and Kristen Wiig. Ferrell, as Jonrosh, will introduce each episode of the sprawling take of the Morehouse family, one that involves pseudo-incestuous love, the oil fields of Texas, the army and beyond. The series is created and written by Matt Piedmont and Andrew Steele, the pair behind "Casa de mi Padre," and like that movie looks to be very straight-faced -- check out the trailer below.

The upcoming spoof mini-series The Spoils of Babylon from producers Will Ferrell and Adam McKay has debuted its first trailer and it looks absolutely ridiculous and completely hilarious. Starring Tobey Maguire, Kristen Wiig, Jessica Alba, Jellybean Howie, Val Kilmer, Haley Joel Osment, Tim Robbins, Michael Sheen, and Steve Tom, the Funny or Die series created and written by Matt Piedmont and Andrew Steele (Casa De Mi Padre) takes a jab at the overblown mini-series' of old, like The Thorn...

IFC has revealed a teaser for their 2014 television miniseries, "The Spoils of Babylon," executive produced by Will Ferrell and Adam McKay and directed by Casa de mi Padre 's Matt Piedmont. Check it out in the player below! Set to star Kristin Wiig, Tobey Maguire, Haley Joel Osment, Jessica Alba, Michael Sheen, Val Kilmer, Tim Robbins and Ferrell himself, .The Spoils of Babylon. is an epic story in the vein of .The Thorn Birds. and .Winds of War.. It spans three generations, taking viewers from the oil fields of Texas to boardrooms in New York City, through world war battlefields and velvet sheeted bedrooms. As the story unfolds, the booze, the passion and the heartache lead to illegal arms deals and international espionage with the Shah of Iran, not to mention the...

We are already well aware that IFC’s upcoming The Spoils Of Babylon will lovingly satirize the sweeping, romantic grandeur of classic miniseries like The Thorn Birds, with the sweeping, romantically grand story of two siblings who want to bang. We also know that Tobey Maguire and Kristen Wiig will play said (non-biological) siblings, that Will Ferrell will star as both the fictional author of the book the miniseries is based on and the Shah of Iran, that Ferrell and Adam McKay’s Casa De Mi Padre writing/directing team of Andrew Steele and Matt Piedmont are behind it, and ...