"SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE" CLOSES OUT THE SEASON IN STYLE

"SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE" CLOSES OUT THE SEASON IN STYLE

'SNL' Alum Molly Shannon Returns to Studio 8H on May 12 with Musical Guest Linkin Park

Award-Winning Actor-Writer-Director Zach Braff hosts Season Finale May 19 with Music from Maroon 5

NEW YORK, May 10, 2007 � NBC's "Saturday Night Live" finishes its 32nd Season with the return of a familiar face, a multiple award-winning triple-threat as well as rock superstars and a pop powerhouse. The show returns live May 12 and May 19 at 11:30 PM.

On May 12, SNL alum Molly Shannon returns to the show for the first time since she ended her Emmy nominated six seasons on the show. Shannon became known for her eclectic characters including Mary Katherine Gallagher, Terry Rialto of "Delicious Dish" and licensed joyologist Helen Madden as well as unforgettable performances as Courtney Love and Monica Lewinsky. Since leaving "SNL," Shannon has comfortably transitioned between television and the silver screen. She's currently earning rave reviews for her performance in the indie comedy "Year of the Dog" and will soon be seen in the eagerly awaited "Evan Almighty" with Steve Carell. Other film credits include "How the Grinch Stole Christmas." "Talladega Nights" with castmate Will Ferrell, "Little Man," "Analyze This," "Happiness," "Never Been Kissed" opposite Drew Barrymore and "Serendipity" with John Cusack and Kate Beckinsale. She also joined Ferrell and Chris Kattan in the SNL feature "A Night at the Roxbury" and brought Mary Katherine Gallagher to the big screen in "Superstar." She's also had multiple memorable guest appearances on NBC's "Will & Grace" and "Sex and the City" as well as starring opposite Matthew Broderick and Kristen Chenowith in the remake of the classic "The Music Man."

Joining Shannon on May 12 and making their SNL debut is groundbreaking rock band Linkin Park, performing from their hotly anticipated third record "Minutes To Midnight." The first single from the record, "What I've Done" exploded onto the charts in April, making it the band's sixth consecutive No. 1 track. The rap-rock pioneers have earned two Grammy Awards for Best Hard Rock Performance in 2002 and Best Rap/Sung Collaboration in 2006 for their work with Jay-Z. Linkin Park has sold 40 million records worldwide with 18 million copies for their debut disc, the Diamond-Certified "Hybrid Theory."

For the Season Finale on May 19, SNL welcomes Zach Braff. Braff makes his SNL debut and has distinguished himself not only as an actor, but as a writer-director as well with his feature writing and directing debut "Garden State." The film, in which he starred opposite Natalie Portman and Peter Sarsgaard was a sensation at The Sundance Film Festival and went on to become one of the sleeper hits of 2004, garnering numerous awards including a WGA nomination for Best Original Screenplay, and an Independent Spirit Award for Best First Feature as well as the distinction of "Best Directorial Debut" by the National Board of Review. In addition, the soundtrack handpicked by Braff won a Grammy and went on to sell a million copies. Braff can currently be seen opposite Jason Bateman, Amanda Peet and SNLers Amy Poehler and Fred Armisen in the comedy "The Ex" and is currently co-writing an adaptation of the children's book "Andrew Henry's Meadow" with his brother. Previous film credits include Woody Allen's "Manhattan Murder Mystery" and "The Last Kiss" as well as starring as the voice of the title character in Disney's "Chicken Little." In addition to his film work, Braff is a multiple Emmy and Golden Globe nominee for his work on NBC's long-running, critically praised comedy "Scrubs."

Returning to SNL with Braff is musical guest Maroon 5. The Grammy-winning pop quartet recently made history with their new single "Makes Me Wonder" which just hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 Chart, making the largest leap in chart history, rocketing from No. 64 to No. 1 in a week. The single's currently topping the iTunes singles chart and pre-sales of their eagerly awaited sophomore record "It Won't Be Soon Before Long" also hit No. 1 on the download site. The record is the follow-up to Maroon 5's Grammy winning "Songs About Jane" which was released in 2002 and sold more than 10 million copies.