NBC'S �SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE� RINGS IN THE NEW YEAR WITH BACK-TO-BACK SHOWS IN JANUARY

UPCOMING SHOWS: January 9 - Charles Barkley/ Alicia Keys; January 16 - Sigourney Weaver/ The Ting Tings

New York, NY - December 30, 2009 - "Saturday Night Live" rings in the New Year with original shows on consecutive weekends, beginning January 9 with Charles Barkley and Alicia Keys returning to studio 8H.

Charles Barkley, who played basketball for sixteen seasons in the NBA, is an eleven time NBA All Star, an NBA Most Valuable Player, a two-time Olympic gold medal winner with Team USA Basketball, one of the NBA's 50 Greatest Players in History, and a member of the Basketball Hall of Fame. Upon his retirement in 2000, Barkley began a new career in television, as an Emmy Award-winning studio analyst for the NBA on TNT. Known for his outspoken and humorous personality, Charles has written several books, including two New York Times best sellers.

Alicia Keys' newest album, "The Element of Freedom," released on December 15, adds to her four chart-topping albums that has made her a worldwide success: "Songs in A Minor" (2001), "The Diary of Alicia Keys" (2003), "Unplugged" (2005) and "As I Am" (2007). Throughout her career, the New York City native has built an unparalleled repertoire of hits and accomplishments with over 30 million albums sold worldwide and numerous awards including twelve Grammy Awards, eleven Billboard Music Awards, five American Music Awards and fourteen NAACP Image Awards.

Academy Award nominated actress Sigourney Weaver takes her second turn at hosting on January 16. Weaver most recently starred in James Cameron's critically acclaimed film and box office smash �Avatar,� which has already been nominated for four Golden Globe awards. Weaver's recent film credits include �Infamous� alongside Sandra Bullock, �Vantage Point� with Dennis Quaid and Forrest Whitaker, the animated feature �Wall E,� and the Tina Fey/Amy Poehler comedy �Baby Mama.� Weaver can next be seen in the upcoming films �You Again� and �Paul.�

With a cutting edge, electro-indie-pop sound, The Ting Tings have taken the UK and America by storm. Comprised of Katie White and Jules De Martino, the Grammy-nominated duo's debut album, �We Started Nothing� released the multi-platinum single �That's Not My Name,� which climbed the charts in America and reached number one in the UK. The group is nominated for the 2010 Grammy for Best New Artist.

"Saturday Night Live" is from SNL Studios in association with Broadway Video. The creator and executive producer is Lorne Michaels. Steve Higgins and Marci Klein are producers. Ken Aymong is supervising producer. Seth Meyers is head writer. Don Roy King directs.