“Saturday Night Live” has risen from the dead (or mortally wounded, depending on how you look at it) this season.

First , there’s Tina Fey’s dead-on Sarah Palin (“Katie, I’d like to use one of my lifelines.”) and Darrell Hammond’s hilarious John McCain (“Joe the plumber lives in a cigar box under my bed.”) And by the way, is there anybody that guy can’t play? Clinton, Cheney, Chris Matthews, Donald Trump, the list goes on and on.

Add the whip-smart team of Amy Poehler and Seth Meyers in the “Weekend Update” segment (we didn’t think it would be possible to compete with Fey-Fallon or Fey-Poehler, but we were wrong) and you’ve got the must-watch show on Saturdays.

And if all of this wasn’t reason enough to tune in, this week’s show will feature a special guest appearance by America’s No. 1 hockey mom – Gov. Sarah Palin. Comedy gold indeed.

Friday, October 17

Diahann Carroll – “The Tavis Smiley Show”

Alonzo Bodden, Chris Franjola, Margaret Cho – “Chelsea Lately” – rerun

Robin Thicke – “The Hour with George Stroumboulopoulos” – rerun

Frank Caliendo, Tim Montana – “Late Show with David Letterman”

Black Kids – “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno”

Ludacris, Mike Birgbiglia – “Late Night with Conan O’Brien”

Will Ferrell – “Late Late Show with Conan O’Brien” – rerun

Bo Burnham – “Last Call with Carson Daly” – rerun

Saturday, October 18

Lyle Lovett, John Hiatt, Guy Clark, Joe Ely – “Austin City Limits”

Adele – “Saturday Night Live”

Sunday, October 19

Sarah Silverman – CBS News “Sunday Morning”

Monday, October 20

Corbin Bleu – “Live with Regis and Kelly”

Toni Braxton – “The Ellen DeGeneres Show”

John Caparulo, Tony Rock, Sarah Colonna – “Chelsea Lately”

Jessica Simpson – “Late Show with David Letterman” – rerun

Jazmin Sullivan – “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno” – rerun

Rick Springfield – “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” – rerun

Hot Chip – “Last Call with Carson Daly” – rerun