Saturday Night Live Courts Controversy with Host Elon Musk

Following a full two weeks of outrage, Saturday Night Live is bracing for impact with an episode hosted by controversial billionaire Elon Musk. The Tesla and SpaceX CEO has no background in comedy — his “suggestions” for potential sketches proves as much — but it most likely doesn’t matter, as NBC hopes viewers will tune in to see him crash and burn in front of the show’s live audience.

Also this weekend: A-list celebrities encourage Americans to get vaccinated in Global Citizen’s multi-network Vax Live concert, When Calls the Heart wraps its eighth season, and comedian/Instagram personality Ziwe bows a new Showtime series. Here’s what’s new and noteworthy on TV this weekend:

SATURDAY MAY 8

NEW EPISODE: Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk joins a long  list of problematic hosts  as he takes the Saturday Night Live stage this weekend. With musical guest Miley Cyrus. 11:30 PM ET/8:30 PM PT on NBC

SPECIAL PRESENTATION: Global Citizen recruits Prince Harry, Selena Gomez, Jennifer Lopez, Foo Fighters, and more top talent to promote the COVID-19 vaccine in Vax Live: The Concert to Reunite the World. Recorded last weekend, the special event is set to air across various multiple networks, streaming services, and radio stations. Watch promo. 8:00 PM ET on ABC, CBS, YouTube, and iHeart Radio and 11:00 PM ET on FOX.

HBO MOVIE PREMIERE: Gerard Butler stars in Greenland, a 2020 disaster film about a father who fights for his family’s survival as a massive comet crashes down to Earth. Watch trailer. 8:00 PM ET on HBO

ORIGINAL MOVIE: As part of its new Mental Health is Health initiative, MTV will premiere Pink Skies Ahead, a feature length YA drama starring Jessica Barden (The End of the F***ing World), commercial-free. Watch trailer. 9:00 PM ET on MTV

SUNDAY MAY 9

SERIES PREMIERE: Internet sensation Ziwe brings her talents to Showtime in ner new eponymous variety show, Ziwe. Expect a no-holds-barred mix of musical numbers, interviews and sketches that challenge America’s discomfort with race, politics and other cultural issues. Read our review. 11:00 PM ET on Showtime

SEASON FINALE: Hallmark’s beloved drama When Calls the Heart ends its eighth season with a bit of closure on the love triangle between Elizabeth (Erin Krakow), Nathan (Kevin McGarry), and Lucas (Chris McNally). Watch preview. 9:00 PM ET on Hallmark Channel

NEW EPISODE: When Mare of Easttown’s lead detective Mare Sheehan (Kate Winslet) is forced to step back from the case, Colin Zabel (Evan Peters) steps up and interrogates a local priest about the vague circumstances that brought him to the community. Watch preview. 10:00 PM ET on HBO

NEW EPISODE: Janet Mock directs an emotional episode of Pose that follows Elektra (Dominique Jackson) and Blanca (Mj Rodriguez) as they dispose of a trunk in Elektra’s closet before the police find it. Watch preview. 10:00 PM ET on FX

SPECIAL EPISODE: NBC hosts the inaugural American Ninja Warrior Women’s Championship, in which 12 elite competitors battle across two courses for a chance to win $50,000. 7:00 PM ET on NBC

MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL: It’s a battle of the starting pitchers as the Atlanta Braves host the Philadelphia Phillies in an exciting Sunday Night Baseball matchup. 7:00 PM ET on ESPN

Claire Spellberg Lustig is the Senior Editor at Primetimer and a scholar of The View. Follow her on Twitter at @c_spellberg.