NEW YORK (December 16, 2012)--Not known for taking anything seriously or tenderly, “Saturday Night Live” took a sweet departure in its opening moments Saturday night.

Rather than the usual comical opening, a children's choir appeared on camera and sang "Silent Night."

Then the members of the New York City Children's Chorus bellowed out the show's time-honored introduction: "Live from New York, it's 'Saturday Night!'"

Later in the show, actor Samuel L. Jackson made a distinctive contribution of his own in a cameo appearance.

He pretended to be miffed at being cut short as a guest on the mock talk show "What Up with That?" and dropped a couple of vulgarities, including an F-bomb and the term sometimes shortened to "B.S."