Saturday Night Live Season 48 Could Be Cut Short Due to Writers Strike

Now that the Writers Guild of America is on strike, it’s increasingly likely Saturday Night Live may see its current season cut short. Effective 12:01 a.m. on Tuesday, May 2nd, the WGA is ordering its member to cease writing, effectively bringing Hollywood to a close. The most immediate effect, naturally, is the closure of late-night shows. Shows like The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, and The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon are expected to shut down Tuesday night and feature no new episodes until the WGA and AMPTP resolve their differences.

Given the last WGA strike lasted 100 days, it’s completely possible that means Saturday Night Live is done for the season. After a brief hiatus, the show was expected to return to 30 Rock this coming Saturday, May 6th, for an episode hosted by Pete Davidson. The live sketch comedy would have then run only two or three more weekends before wrapping its latest season up.

That said, a new report from Deadline suggests there “are a number of possibilities” for the show, and a decision as to whether or not it will continue in light of the strike has yet to be made.

“We have to think about our crew too. I absolutely support the writers and I want the writers to get what they deserve and need, but I don’t want our crew to be out of work. We can’t make this art without each other,” one anonymous SNL star told the trade.

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.