Saturday Night Live sets return date, Pete Davidson to host season 49 premiere

Saturday Night Live season 49 finally has a premiere date. Former SNL cast member Pete Davidson will return to kick off the new season.

SNL season 48 was cut short in April due to the Writers Guild of America strike. Now that the WGA is back to work, Saturday Night Live is ready to get started on season 49. Thankfully, a resolution to the strike didn’t extend so far that SNL will miss any episodes this season.

Saturday Night Live will return on October 14. Pete Davidson will be back in Studio 8H to host for the first time. Davidson was a cast member for eight seasons between 2014 and 2022.

Since leaving SNL, Davidson has continued to enjoy a successful stand-up comedy tour. He recently completed a run of dates alongside John Mulaney and Jon Stewart.

Outside of stand-up, Davidson starred in the Peacock series Bupkis. Davidson created the Curb Your Enthusiasm-style show, which is loosely based on his life.

Rapper Ice Spice will serve as the musical guest for the SNL premiere. She released her album Like…? earlier in 2023.

Pete Davidson gets a second shot at hosting Saturday Night Live

Pete Davidson isn’t exactly a surprise pick to host the season 49 premiere. Saturday Night Live planned on bringing Davidson back at the end of season 48. However, the WGA strike cost SNL three episodes, including Davidson’s.

So it wasn’t a stretch to assume that Lorne Michaels would reach out to Davidson for the season 49 premiere. It’s also a little harder to secure a host given the ongoing Screen Actors Guild strike limiting what performers can do on camera.

It’s unusual for former SNL cast members to return just a year after leaving the show. Perhaps having those extra few months will give Davidson that much more space. Some cast members, like Cecily Strong, have indicated they aren’t ready to come back. But considering SNL fans watched Davidson grow up on camera, it’s fitting that he’s back so soon.