I’ve always been a big fan of SNL, even through all the crappy years and not so funny skits, I occasionally make time to sit down on a slow Saturday night and see if there are some laughs left, and usually there are. With that said, it is always tough to make the transition over from comedy into a serious role. Some have managed to do so, like Adam Sandler, who sticks mostly to comedy but has done some serious acting as well. When it comes to TV, there are some upcoming shows that will offer up some serious roles for former SNL stars.

In the Motherhood, for example, premieres Thursday at 8pm. Strictly speaking it is a comedy, but Horatio Sanz will still be showing a new side of his acting abilities. He plays a male nanny for Cheryl Hines. A far cry different from his usual loud and obnoxious antics and characters.

We’ll also be seeing Darrell Hammond in the legal drama Damages. There’s going to be a serious change here, since Hammond plays a yes man for a criminal and is more than happy to commit murder when he needs to. It’s always weird to see a formerly hilarious actor turn into a ruthless killer, but when the transformation works it’s beautiful to watch. When it doesn’t…well there are plenty of comedians who took on a serious role with mixed results. I once watched One Hour Photo with Robin Williams, for example, and immediately wanted my money back afterwards. Unfortunately claiming that a movie was so terrible it warrants a refund fell on empty ears.