Is Saturday Night Live new tonight, November 12?

Saturday Night Live does some of its best work around elections. So what should SNL fans expect to see tonight on NBC?

SNL got a ratings boost around the 2016 election when it lampooned Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton. Millions of fans tuned in again in 2020 to see SNL’s take on Trump vs. Joe Biden. The midterm elections don’t get the same attention, but SNL still parodies the process.

So with Tuesday’s election day, it will be interesting to see what the sketch comedy show does on Saturday. There will be a brand new episode of Saturday Night Live tonight.

Comedian Dave Chappelle returns to host. He’s been honored in the past two episodes following a presidential election. Now, he’ll take a shot at guiding audiences through the (ongoing) midterms. Blackstar, the hip-hop duo of Yasiin Bey and Talib Kweli, serves as the musical guest.

What to watch for on Saturday Night Live tonight

Some reports suggested that Saturday Night Live writers planned to boycott tonight’s episode due to allegations of transphobia against Dave Chappelle. However, the comedian’s representatives pushed back and denied any such boycott.

Regardless, there could be some tension in the air as Chappelle takes the stage for his monologue. Will he address the elephant in the room and discuss the allegations? Or will he keep the attention on the midterm elections and make a statement about the country’s direction? It’s likely to be something in the middle where Chappelle hints at the controversy surrounding him while delivering some commentary on the country.

When it comes to the sketches, it will be worth watching how dedicated Chappelle is to each bit. Last time out, SNL didn’t ask too much of the comedian. He didn’t really play any characters and felt free to break the fourth wall by calling out Pete Davidson in the middle of a sketch.

Saturday Night Live airs at 11:30 p.m. ET on NBC. It also streams live on Peacock.