Saturday Night Live Season 49 Gets a Premiere Date and Pete Davidson as Host

Live from New York: It's Saturday Night Live Season 49 — in just under two weeks, that is. The stalwart sketch show announced its return, as it has been wont to do, via X (formerly Twitter), along with revealing the names of the hosts and musical arts for the first two shows of the season. 

Season 49 starts next week!!! pic.twitter.com/4YJgVumluS

— Saturday Night Live - SNL (@nbcsnl) October 4, 2023

The Writers Guild strike, which was necessitated by the AMPTP's recalcitrance in offering a fair deal this spring, cut Season 48 short. SAG-AFTRA joined the WGA on the picket lines in July, which brought the industry to a standstill. The writers strike was resolved late in September, but SAG-AFTRA continues to fight for a fair contract. Because Saturday Night Live, along with daytime talk shows and reality shows, falls under SAG-AFTRA’s Network Code, production can kick off without (much) issue. But SAG-AFTRA has reportedly given its official blessing to SNL's return. 

Davidson, who was originally set to do the honors for the May 6 episode of Season 48, will host the Season 49 premiere. He hasn't exactly had Bupkis to do since leaving SNL last year — he starred opposite Kaley Cuoco in Meet Cute and picked up a Season 2 renewal for his Peacock comedy. Bad Bunny, who co-stars in the Prime Video film Cassandro with Gael García Bernal, will host the second episode of the season on October 21 as well as serve as the musical act.

Deadline reports that the full cast (minus Cecily Strong, who left mid-season) will return with new member Chloe Troast in tow. Troast has worked closely with the sketch show's Please Don’t Destroy contingent (made up of Ben Marshall, John Higgins, and Martin Herlihy); she stars in their upcoming feature film The Treasure of Foggy Mountain. According to Deadline, Troast almost snagged a performer spot last year.