Is Saturday Night Live new tonight, October 14?
By Matt Moore
Saturday Night Live fans have stayed patient, awaiting the new season to start. So what should SNL audiences expect to see on NBC tonight?
The end of the Writers Guild of America strike brought late-night TV back to the air. Saturday Night Live had to cut season 48 short, and there were concerns that season 49 would be delayed even further.
But, the wait is finally over on Saturday. There will be a brand new episode of Saturday Night Live tonight.
Former cast member Pete Davidson returns to host SNL for the season 49 premiere. He’ll be joined by musical guest Ice Spice.
Davidson was tapped to host during the final trio of episodes last season. However, the writers’ strike denied him the opportunity to return to Studio 8H. Lorne Michaels kept him on standby, and the comedian gets the honor of hosting a season premiere. Look for Davidson to add to his best Saturday Night Live moments.
What to expect on Saturday Night Live tonight
While other late-night TV shows tried to make up for lost time by recapping the summer they missed, Saturday Night Live is used to missing out on months of material. Therefore, don’t expect SNL to spend too much time dwelling on the past when it comes to the cold open or “Weekend Update.”
For better or worse, SNL doesn’t have to look too far back for stories that could make a good punchline. The chaos around Kevin McCarthy’s exit as Speaker of the House, Donald Trump’s court appearances, and another George Santos scandal could all be on the table.
Look for Pete Davidson to get a warm welcome from the studio audience as well as cast members he worked with, including Colin Jost, Michael Che, and Kenan Thompson. We’re pretty much guaranteed to get Davidson at the “Weekend Update” desk and a new entry in the Chad saga.
A Saturday Night Live season premiere is also known to feature a cameo or two. Last season it was Jon Hamm and Shaun White, the year prior was Luke and Andrew Wilson, and Alec Baldwin, Jim Carrey, and Maya Rudolph helped kick things off in 2020.
So who could pop up to help Pete Davidson? John Mulaney and Jon Stewart have been touring with Davidson recently. Mulaney and Stewart have a show scheduled in Westbury, New York tonight, making a live appearance a slim reality. However, it’s possible one or both comedians taped something with Davidson during the week.
Saturday Night Live is new tonight, October 13. It airs at 11:35 p.m. ET on NBC.