If you were hoping to stay in, kick your feet up, and take in a new episode of Saturday Night Live tonight, you’re out of luck. Tonight’s May 6th episode featuring Pete Davidson’s highly-anticipated return to 30 Rock has been cancelled as a result of the ongoing Writers Guild of America strike. Not only that, but the remaining two episodes of Season 48 have been shelved as well. That means there are going to be no new episodes of Saturday Night Live for the foreseeable future, at least until Season 49 kicks off later this year. Instead of new episodes, NBC will air old episodes in the usual time slot the remainder of the season.
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Prior to the strike, there were only set to be two episode left in Season 48, though those have both been cancelled as well. Next week, May 13th, was going to feature Kieran Culkin in his second stint at Studio 8H while Jennifer Coolidge was set to make her debut in the Season 48 finale on May 20th alongside the Foo Fighters, an SNL favorite.
During an appearance on The Tonight Show Monday, Davidson joked about the stoppage, saying he was going to take any cancellations personally. “It sucks because it just feeds my weird story I have in my head, like, of course that would happen to me,” the comedian said on the late-night show.
Tonight’s episode was going to be Davidson’s first time back at 30 Rock since he left the cast of SNL after Season 47.
“I got to share so much with this audience and literally grow up in front of your eyes,” Davidson previously wrote of his SNL exit. “We were together through the good and the bad, the happiest and the darkest of times. I owe Lorne Michaels and everyone at SNL my life. Im so grateful and I wouldn’t be here without them. I appreciate you guys always having my back and sticking up for me even when that wasn’t the popular opinion. Thank you for always believing in me and sticking by my side even when it seemed comical. Thank you for teaching me life values, how to grow up and for giving me memories that will last a lifetime. SNL is my home. I’m so happy and sad about tonight’s show. For so many reasons I can’t explain. Can’t wait to be back next year in a Mulaney musical number. ⁃ Resident young person Pete Davidson”
Should the strike be resolved by then, SNL will now be set to return for its 49th season this fall as a part of the 2023-2024 fall television slate.
How to watch Saturday Night Live
Throughout the remainder of Season 48, currently expected to run through May, NBC is simulcasting new episodes live on both NBC and Peacock. Peacock also serves as the streaming vault for all SNL episodes from its inception, with new episodes being added the day after they air.
Virtually every SNL episode, other than the select few locked away for good because of a variety of reasons, is now available to watch on the streaming service.
