Saturday Night Live Returns with Guest Star-Packed Premiere

Saturday Night Livekicked off its 36th season with a bevy of guest stars and sendups of recent headline maker Christine O'Donnell and musical guest Katy Perry.

The premiere, hosted by former cast member and Parks and Recreation star Amy Poehler, began with a cold opening that mocked Delaware Senate hopeful O'Donnell's past statements, including speaking out against masturbation. The sketch also poked fun at O'Donnell's comments about witchcraft by having her put on a witch's hat and fly out of the scene on a broom.

Poehler's monologue focused on her own "stress dreams," which she said she has the night before every SNL performance. The enactment of a dream featured a bad kiss with Justin Timberlake, a reunion with former cast member Rachel Dratch, and the return of Tina Fey and Jimmy Fallon, who appeared to  reclaim their spot as the "Weekend Update" anchors over Poehler and Seth Meyers.

Poehler's regular "Bronx Beat" sketch featured the return of former cast member Maya Rudolph and allowed Perry to play a teen girl whose outfits were causing a stir at the local library. Perry, who this week had a music video pulled from Sesame Street after complaints about the singer's revealing outfit, wore a low-cut Elmo T-shirt. The sketch used the joke that "this show is brought to you by the number 38 and the letter DD," which you may have already heard elsewhere.

The show's final surprise guest was New York Gov. David Paterson, who's been much-lampooned by cast member Fred Armisen. He turned up during "Weekend Update," interrupting Armisen's impression and scolding him for making fun of the blind. Patterson, of course, got in on the joke, delivering one of Armisen's trademark slams of New Jersey before leaving the stage.

What did you think of the premiere?