Actor-comedian Pete Davidson will Host the Saturday Night Live season 49 premiere. The former SNL cast member from 2014-2022 makes his first appearance as the host of the late-night sketch-comedy show.
According to Entertainment Weekly, the following week Bad Bunny will do double duty as both the SNL host and musical guest. “Saturday Night Live went dark in May, after the Writers Guild of America went on strike, halting production from coast to coast. Davidson was set to host May 6, but the episode was canceled after the start of the strike. (“Of course that would happen to me,” Davidson joked at the time in an appearance on The Tonight Show.) Kieran Culkin was also expected to host an episode in May, with Jennifer Coolidge headlining the canceled season finale. Instead, the Ana de Armas episode from April 15 served as the de facto season 48 finale.”
Saturday Night Live Does Not Violate the SAG-AFTRA Strike by Returning
SAG-AFTRA posted a statement yesterday about the return of Saturday Night Live. It reads:
“SAG-AFTRA members appearing on Saturday Night Live either as hosts, guests, or cast members are working under the Network Code agreement, which is not a contract we are striking. They are not in violation of SAG-AFTRA strike rules, and we support them in fulfilling their contractual obligations.
“The program is a SAG-AFTRA non-dramatic production under a separate agreement that is not subject to the union’s strike order.
“The majority of our members who are regular cast on Saturday Night Live had contractual obligations to the show prior to the strike. Many are under option agreements that require them to return to the show if the producers exercise their option which the producers have done.
“Our members are also subject to a ‘No Strike Clause' in the Network Code Collective Bargaining Agreement. This means our performers agree not to strike during the term of the Collective Bargaining Agreement and to show up to work during this term (the Network Code runs through June 30, 2024). By not showing up to work, our performers can be held in breach of contract and the Union is prohibited from advising them not to work.”
Davidson currently stars as himself in a fictionalized version of his life on Peacock's Bupkis, which premiered in 2023 and which the streaming network renewed for a second season.
The Saturday Night Live season 49 premiere featuring Davidson as the host airs at 11:30 p.m. EST on NBC.
