Is There a New Saturday Night Live Tonight?

By Adam Barnhardt

Dave Chappelle is returning to 30 Rock for another post-election hosting stint. In the last new episode of Saturday Night Live before a two-week break, Chappelle's appearance is his third as host on the series. Comparable with his past two hosting jobs at Studio 8H, tonight's new episode takes place just days after the 2022 United States midterm elections. The controversial comedian made his Saturday Night Live hosting debut days after Donald Trump won the presidency during the 2016 general election. Lorne Michaels and company then landed Chappelle for his second hosting spot days after the 2020 election between Trump and Joe Biden.

After a string of transphobic and homophobic remarks, sources within the SNL staff told the New York Post's Page Six earlier this week a handful of writers refused to work on this week's episode because of Chappelle's hiring. It's not expected any of the feature or repertory players will miss the episode because of Chappelle's appearance. The comedian is being joined by hip hop duo Black Star, comprised of rappers Mos Def and Talib Kweli, making their musical guest debut on the series despite being a group for nearly 30 years.

Who all left SNL?

In total, eight castmates left the program prior to the Season 48 premiere, including mainstays Aidy Bryant, Pete Davidson, Kate McKinnon, Alex Moffat, Kyle Mooney, Chris Redd, and Melissa Villaseñor. Featured player Aristotle Athari left 30 Rock after one year on the program. Andrew Dismukes and Punkie Johnson were promoted to the main cast after two seasons on the show while it added four new faces: Marcello Hernandez, Molly Kearney, Michael Longfellow, and Devon Walker.

This will be a transition year, and the change years are always difficult," SNL creator Lorne Michaels said to a media scrum at the Emmy Awards this year. "There are new people, and things are changing, and a different generation comes into the show."

How to watch Saturday Night Live

Throughout the remainder of Season 48, currently expected to run through next 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.

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