NBC'S 'SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE' PREMIERES SEPTEMBER 25 WITH SNL ALUM AMY POEHLER & CHART-TOPPING MUSICAL GUEST KATY PERRY

Vanessa Bayer, Paul Brittain, Taran Killam, And Jay Pharoah To Join As Featured Players

SNL Returns With Three Back-To-Back Shows: September 25; October 2; October 9

New York, NY - September 7, 2010 - NBC's "Saturday Night Live" kicks off its 36th season on September 25 with Amy Poehler returning to studio 8H and musical guest Katy Perry. Making their debut on the SNL stage, Vanessa Bayer, Paul Brittain, Taran Killam, and Jay Pharoah will join the cast as featured players.

Amy Poehler, former SNL cast member and three-time Emmy Award nominee, will return to studio 8H for her hosting debut. In addition to her eight years on "Saturday Night Live," Poehler currently stars in NBC's critically acclaimed comedy series "Parks and Recreation" and appeared in numerous feature films including "Baby Mama," "Mean Girls" and "Shrek the Third." She successfully launched an online series, "Smart Girls at the Party," and is one of the founding members of the comedy troupe Upright Citizens Brigade.

Katy Perry, whose second album "Teenage Dream" is currently number one on Billboard, will make her debut SNL musical appearance on the September 25 season premiere. The new album has already yielded two smash hit singles -"California Gurls" was the biggest hit of this Summer, while the title-track "Teenage Dream" is currently number two on the Hot 100 and poised to hit number one. This success comes on the heels of the global breakthrough of Katy's debut album, which sold 5 million worldwide, and featured four hit singles: "I Kissed A Girl", "Hot N Cold", "Thinking Of You", and "Waking Up In Vegas".

Also making their SNL debut, Vanessa Bayer, Paul Brittain, Taran Killam, and Jay Pharoah join the cast as featured players. Vanessa Bayer joins the cast of SNL from iO Chicago, The Annoyance, and The Second City. Paul Brittain is a veteran of the iO Theater in Chicago where he performed as a member with numerous improv and sketch groups. Taran Killam hails from Los Angeles, where he established his comedy career as a main company member of The Groundlings, performing with numerous improv and sketch groups, and also appearing in The Groundlings' Sunday company. Originally from Virginia, Jay Pharoah honed his performing skills in community theater and at local comedy clubs.

"Saturday Night Live" is produced in association with Broadway Video. The creator and executive producer is Lorne Michaels.