As with all things Saturday Night Live, nothing’s guaranteed til it happens, but like her theme song goes, “you can’t stop Debbie Downer.”
Rachel Dratch‘s recurring character is in the mix of sketches being prepared for Sunday’s 50th anniversary special. That’s according to Paula Pell, who created the character and is back at 30 Rock this week working on the show’s two anniversary shows as part of an all-star team of returning writers.
Pell’s reveal came during an appearance on Today with Jenna and Friends yesterday—alongside Jenna Bush’s friend/co-host of the day, former SNL performer Ana Gasteyer.
“For the big show, we might see a little Debbie Downer,” Pell shared.
The fan-favorite sketches feature Dratch delivering a string of bad news and depressing comments, each one accompanied by a wah-wah musical cue.
Dratch and Pell have brought the character to traditional SNL episodes eight times since 2004—most recently during a cameo appearance in a 2020 episode hosted by Daniel Craig. The character was also cut for time from the Betty White-hosted episode in 2010, and appeared briefly in the cold open for SNL’s 40th Anniversary Special in 2014.
The first-ever Debbie Downer, however, is the one that now lives in SNL infamy. That installment, which depicted a family gathering at Disney World, saw each of the sketch’s cast members (plus host Lindsay Lohan) break into uncontrollable laughter. To this day, it’s seen as one of the best/worst moments of breaking in Saturday Night Live’s five-decade history.
“You just dropped a big bomb! That’s so exciting,” Bush reacted to Pell’s news of Debbie Downer’s return.
“I know. I probably will get in trouble for that one,” Pell replied.
Aside from Debbie Downer, Pell also confirmed that she and Gasteyer are working on a new sketch with characters Bobbi Mohan-Culp and Marty Culp (played by Gasteyer and Will Ferrell) for Friday night’s homecoming concert at Radio City Music Hall. Gasteyer had let that detail slip earlier in the morning during an interview with Today’s Savannah Guthrie.
The three-hour SNL50 Primetime Special airs Sunday, February 16, from 8-11pm ET.
