Ep 1. LeBron James/Kanye West

Saturday Night Live season 33 episode 1, called LeBron James/Kanye West, is an episode that aired on September 29, 2007. As the name suggests, the episode featured LeBron James, the NBA basketball player, and Kanye West, the rapper and musician.

The episode began with a cold open sketch that was focused on the ongoing financial crisis at that time. It featured actors portraying the CEOs of banks who were explaining what had led to the crisis. The sketch was funny and satirical, as it showed how these CEOs were trying to justify their actions, even though they had caused a lot of financial damage to the country.

After the opening monologue by host LeBron James, the first sketch was a parody of the HBO show "Hard Knocks," which chronicles the training camps of NFL teams. In the sketch, LeBron played himself as a basketball coach, leading a group of inexperienced basketball players. The sketch was funny and had some great moments, such as when LeBron was trying to teach his players how to dunk, but they kept missing the basket.

The next sketch was a parody of the popular TV show "Deal or No Deal," featuring guest star Kanye West as a contestant. The sketch was hilarious and showcased Kanye's comedic chops. The setup of the sketch was that Kanye was playing for a chance to win money for charity, and he had to choose between several briefcases, each containing a different amount of money. The sketch had some great moments, such as when Kanye's character started to negotiate with the banker, who was played by comedian Fred Armisen.

Another memorable sketch from the episode was a music video parody called "Iran So Far Away." In the video, Andy Samberg played an Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who is singing a love song to US president George W. Bush, played by Will Forte. The video was funny and cleverly written, with catchy lyrics and memorable visuals.

There were several other sketches in the episode, including a fake commercial for a fictional drug called "Chantex," which was supposed to help people quit smoking. The ad featured several side effects of the drug, including serious hallucinations and uncontrollable vomiting. The sketch was funny and over-the-top, with great performances from the cast.

Overall, Saturday Night Live season 33 episode 1 was a great start to the season. The episode had a strong lineup of sketches, great performances from guest stars LeBron James and Kanye West, and a great energy throughout. It was clear that the show was firing on all cylinders and was ready for another successful season.