Martin Short is this year's former cast member chosen to host Saturday Night Live's Christmas episode

Following the Emmy-winning success of last year's Jimmy Fallon-hosted Christmas episode, Saturday Night Live is going with another past cast member, Martin Short, to host the show on Dec. 15. Fellow veteran and safe choice Paul McCartney (returning for his fifth musical appearance) will join Short and, if we're guessing here, several other faces from SNL's past but probably not Harry Shearer. Short's returned several times since his original stint on the series from 1984-1985, most recently in this 2006 cameo that also featured McCartney, though he hasn't officially hosted since December of 1996—a bright, optimistic time when Mars Attacks! looked like it could be a huge hit, and the world was only just sort of starting to get sick of No Doubt. That night he also revived his classic SNL characters Ed Grimley and Jackie Rogers Jr., either of whom should make a hilarious addition to Dec. 15's inevitable Christmas With The Californians sketch.