‘Saturday Night Live’ wishlist: Why James Spader of ‘The Blacklist’ should host

There are some people who, at some point over the course of time, you would have assumed would have hosted “Saturday Night Live.” James Spader is one of those people. How it never happened, we’re not quite sure, but this episode (the latest in our ongoing SNL Wishlist series) is here to try and correct that! He’s a funny guy who can do a wide array of things, and as you’re about to realize (if you haven’t already), there are so many different reasons why he should be a part of the Studio 8H experience.

Let’s start with resume alone — think in terms of “Pretty in Pink,” “Stargate,” “Secretary,” “The Avengers: Age of Ultron,” and “Sex, Lies, and Videotape.” He’s done so many movies that are interesting and iconic in their own way. This is without even getting into his TV work when it comes to “The Practice,” “Boston Legal,” his current job, or his previous work on “The Office” — which was a great example of his comedic chops. He was far funnier on the show than he ever received credit for, mostly because he had the terrible misfortune of having to come on it after the exit of Steve Carell.

There are also some pretty clear NBC connections at play here. “The Blacklist” airs on the network, and they’ve even had on Leslie Jones before as a guest star. (Jones is a huge Spader fan, and it’s something that James and Seth Meyers commented on during an appearance on “Late Night” in the past.) In getting James to host, you’re getting an accomplished TV guy who is well-known for his work beyond that, and provides a little bit of network synergy at the same time. What’s not to like?

Also, it feels like a “Blacklist” parody would be glorious, especially since Red’s such a big, eccentric character that he would be easy to spin and distort in some different ways. Also, what happens when you put Red in the same room as Donald Trump? They already did a little bit of political commentary on Spader’s show earlier this season, which we certainly feel was an intentional suggestion that Trump could be the sort of guy to be under Red’s thumb.

Could it happen? – You never say never with such things, though this probably was more likely to happen a few years back when the show was delivering stronger ratings. Still, Spader would bring a great deal of value to the show, especially if NBC wants to shift towards making “SNL” a show that appeals to TV fans first and foremost — not to beat this drum too often, but they should consider substituting two or three movie actors every year for people viewers already know. There are some hosts from that particular medium that the series tends to over-value.

Do you think that Spader would be a great “SNL” host? Share below, and be sure to click here to get some other entries in the SNL Wishlist series. (Photo: NBC.)