Is Saturday Night Live new tonight, January 29?
By Matt Moore
Saturday Night Live has delivered brand new episodes in back-to-back weeks. So what should SNL fans expect to see tonight on NBC?
Last week, former cast member Will Forte returned to Studio 8H to host Saturday Night Live for the first time. He revived MacGruber with help from Kristen Wiig, giving SNL fans a well-received dose of nostalgia.
The show will look to keep the good vibes going on Saturday. There will be a brand new episode of Saturday Night Live tonight.
Willem Dafoe makes his SNL debut as host. He’ll be supported by musical guest Katy Perry, who last visited the show in 2017.
What to watch for on Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live came into season 47 with one of the biggest casts in the show’s history. It’s made it difficult for some performers to get airtime, while others have been absent due to other commitments.
For instance, Kate McKinnon missed the first handful of episodes while filming the TV series Joe vs. Carole for Peacock in Australia. Cecily Strong remains off the show thanks to her role in the one-woman show The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe.
But at the same time, some cast members have been in New York City but fail to get much screen time. Fans have especially noticed Melissa Villasenor’s reduced presence on the show. Punkie Johnson and rookie Aristotle Athari could also use some more exposure.
Elsewhere, Saturday Night Live has made a point to reference Pete Davidson’s personal life twice in the past two episodes. First, it was a one-off line in the cold open. Then last week, he stopped by the “Weekend Update” desk for a bit on the news he bought a decommissioned Staten Island ferry with Colin Jost. We’ll see if that trend continues tonight, given Davidson’s habit of making headlines.
Saturday Night Live airs tonight at 11:30 p.m. ET on NBC. It also streams live on Peacock.