At long last, “Saturday Night Live” is back. Season 48 of the NBC series was cut short due to the writers’ strike (hosts for the final two episodes of the season were going to be Kieran Culkin and Jennifer Coolidge), and Season 49 was delayed for the same reason, but once the WGA struck a deal with the studios, “SNL” writers — and cast members — went back to work.
Those who make it a habit to watch “SNL” when it’s on may be wondering, is “SNL” new tonight? Yes, “SNL” is new on Saturday, Oct. 14, which is the season premiere. Pete Davidson — who was due to host the May 6 show before the strike scrapped it — is the host with musical guest Ice Spice.
The episode will air live on NBC at 11:30 p.m. ET and stream live on Peacock coast-to-coast, at 8:30 p.m. PT.
While the actors strike is still ongoing, “Saturday Night Live” cast members are allowed to appear on the air because they’re covered under a different agreement with the studios. Moreover, if you’re wondering if celebrities will be scant on “SNL” during the strike, fret not. SAG-AFTRA has encouraged actors to appear on “SNL” as it’s not a struck show.
“SAG-AFTRA members appearing on ‘Saturday Night Live’ either as hosts, guests, or cast members are working under the Network Code agreement, which is not a contract we are striking,” the guild said. “They are not in violation of SAG-AFTRA strike rules, and we support them in fulfilling their contractual obligations.”
The end of Season 47 marked the exits of cast members Pete Davidson, Kate McKinnon, Aidy Bryant, Kyle Mooney, Alex Moffat, Melissa Villaseñor, Aristotle Athari and Chris Redd.
In Season 48, “SNL” added new cast members Marcello Hernandez, Molly Kearney, Michael Longfellow and Devon Walker. Kearney is the show’s first non-binary cast member.
The returning cast members for “SNL” Season 48 were Michael Che, Mikey Day, Chloe Fineman, Heidi Gardner, Colin Jost, Ego Nwodim, Cecily Strong, Kenan Thompson and Bowen Yang. Returning featured players are Andrew Dismukes, James Austin Johnson, Punkie Johnson and Sarah Sherman.
Executive producer Lorne Michaels called Season 48 a “transition year,” adding that “changes are always difficult but always exciting.”
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