Saturday Night Live Returning to Studio for New Season, Premiere Date Announced

Due to the coronavirus pandemic, Saturday Night Live had to embrace unconventional methods of delivering audiences new episodes last season, but The Hollywood Reporter confirms that Season 46 of the sketch show will return to the studio for the first time in seven months and will premiere on October 3rd at 11:30 p.m. ET. Details about who the host or the musical guest for the season premiere will be have yet to be revealed, as NBC typically doesn’t announce its slate of hosts or musical acts until the weeks leading up to the actual premiere of a new season. Tune in to the season premiere of Saturday Night Live on Saturday, October 3rd at 11:30 p.m. ET on NBC.

The last in-studio episode aired on March 7th, with Daniel Craig serving as host. Interestingly, these hosting duties were likely part of the promotional cycle of preparing for his final appearance as James Bond in No Time to Die, though the film had its release date delayed from this past April to November 20th. Following Craig’s episode, the series delivered three in-home episodes with the cast performing from the comfort of their own homes, which also featured in-home musical performances.

Other late-night programs, namely talk shows, have also begun to resume in-studio production, but given the large ensemble cast of Saturday Night Live, ensuring everyone’s safety is a more delicate process. It’s currently unclear how the series will take necessary precautions, or if the entire ensemble is expected to participate in the season premiere.

Earlier this month, star Kyle Mooney teased that the goal was to replicate the authentic experience of the show as closely as possible, while also ensuring everyone’s safety.

“I think we’re gonna try to do as close to the real thing as we can, in a safe way, so I think that means tests, and all that comes with it,” Mooney shared with Collider. “I think they’re still figuring it out, and I think there’s a lot to figure out, but they have us all in their best interest. I’m assuming I’ll get to see everybody.”

He added, “I truly don’t know what the show will look like, as it is, so maybe we’ll still be able to do stuff kind of on our own. I don’t really know how it’ll work, but I’m excited, generally, just because as a fan, I think it’ll be an intriguing thing to see.”

Tune in to the season premiere of Saturday Night Live on Saturday, October 3rd at 11:30 p.m. ET on NBC.

Are you looking forward to the new season? Let us know in the comments below!