Is Saturday Night Live new tonight, September 16?
By Matt Moore
The weather is changing for many people across the country. So for anyone planning to stay in tonight, should they expect to see a brand new episode of Saturday Night Live?
The fall season typically brings with it the best television has to offer. SNL is no different and often puts itself front and center with its politically charged cold opens and viral sketches. The past week has certainly provided enough material for the former.
Unfortunately, we won’t get to see what SNL has to say this week. There will not be a new episode of Saturday Night Live tonight.
Instead, NBC will reair the April 15 episode from season 48. Fans can tune in to revisit host Ana de Armas’ SNL debut. Musical guest Karol G joined her in the episode. It was the final episode of the season before the writers’ strike stopped production.
Why isn’t Saturday Night Live new?
Saturday Night Live is still managing the fallout from the Writers Guild of America strike that began in May. The WGA has yet to receive a worthwhile offer and therefore remain on strike.
So without a writing staff, Saturday Night Live will not return to the air. While Real Time with Bill Maher plans to return to the air without writers, don’t look for SNL to do anything similar. Executive producer Lorne Michaels recently had his deal with NBC suspended. Reports indicated NBC suspended its deals with any producers who either completed their projects or were unwilling to provide non-writing services.
September 16 would be too soon for Saturday Night Live to return during a normal year. However, the signs all indicate that the calendar doesn’t matter until the WGA gets the fair deal they requested.