Cheers & Jeers: Paul McCartney Invades NBC

Cheers to Paul McCartney for getting back to where he once belonged: comedy.

Want more Cheers & Jeers? Subscribe to TV Guide Magazine now!

The cute Beatle has become such a revered figure — a knight, no less — that it's easy to forget he was once a cheeky Liverpudlian cutup in A Hard Day's Night. He reminded us that his comedic timing is just as sharp as his musical chops with delightful appearances on NBC's Late Night with Jimmy Fallon and Saturday Night Live.

In an episode that was irresistibly joyful even by Fallon's giddy standards, McCartney dueted with the amazed host on "Scrambled Eggs," the original title of "Yesterday." (Somehow, we suspect the verse singing the praises of "waffle fries" was added later).  Then on SNL, McCartney clowned around with namesake guest host Paul Rudd as well as Andy Samberg (in the fall-down-funny digital short "Stumblin'") and "Weekend Update" anchor Seth Meyers (asked if he could do a British accent for an audio skit involving Prince Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles, Paul deadpanned, "I can try").

Oh, and McCartney sang, too — beautiful tributes to John Lennon ("Here Today" on Late Night and "A Day in the Life/Give Peace a Chance" on SNL) to mark the 30^th anniversary of his death. In the process, Sir Paul proved he's very much alive and well.

Did Paul McCartney give you a relapse of Beatlemania on Late Night and SNL?

Subscribe to TV Guide Magazine now!