NBC won't come to you live from New York this Saturday night, but there are plenty of reasons to get excited about Saturday Night Live's 50th anniversary season when it returns. The most recent SNL episode preceded the holidays on December 21, with Martin Short hosting and Hozier as the musical guest. Saturday Night Live season 50 features seasoned comedians like Nate Bargatze, John Mulaney, and Chris Rock. It also gives worthy pop icons like Wicked's Ariana Grande and Charli XCX a chance to host and perform a monologue.

The cast of SNL season 50 features a blend of established comedians and newcomers, and it looks drastically different from a few years ago. Kate McKinnon, Aidy Bryant, and Pete Davidson exited SNL season 47, allowing rising SNL stars like Andrew Dismukes, Chloe Fineman, Heidi Gardner, Ego Nwodim, and Bowen Yang to come forward. Season 50's SNL cast also features up-and-coming comedians Marcello Hernandez, James Austin Johnston, Michael Longfellow, Sarah Sherman, and Devon Walker.

Why There Is No New SNL 50 Tonight (January 11, 2025)

Saturday Night Live Is On A Hiatus

The cast of SNL 50 won't put on a live show tonight since Saturday Night Live is still on holiday break. NBC will air an episode from season 49 while its actors get some much-needed rest before the continuation of SNL's anniversary season. Those looking to get their weekend laughs can tune in to catch the rerun of SNL season 49, episode 11. Ayo Edebiri is hosting the outing, and you can see the actor giving her monologue, which touches on her heritage and award-winning performance as Sydney Adamu in The Bear (via NBC).

You'll know it's a rerun on Saturday night when you see the cold open of James Austin Johnson as Donald Trump on SNL's "CNN Town Hall South Carolina Cold Open." While a rerun isn't what most viewers hoped for this weekend, the outing includes a classic weekend update from Michael Che and Colin Jost with an interview segment from Sarah Sherman as lottery-winner CJ Rossitano. Additionally, Jennifer Lopez will perform "Can't Get Enough" and "This Is Me... Now."

When Will A New Episode Of SNL 50 Release?

New SNL Episodes Will Air In 2025

Heading into 2025, SNL has yet to announce when it will return. However, NBC has three projects to celebrate Saturday Night Live's 50th anniversary in January. On January 16, Peacock releases its four-part docies SNL50: Beyond Saturday Night. Executive-produced by Academy and Emmy Award-winning filmmaker Morgan Neville, the series features rare BTS footage and will offer a rare in-depth look into SNL's production that will surely make fans nostalgic (via NBC).

The network will most likely announce its next batch of hosts and musical guests during the SNL50 fanfare.

NBC will continue the celebrations on January 27 by broadcasting Questlove's documentary about the musical guests, sketches, and cameos of the show called Ladies & Gentlemen ... 50 Years of SNL Music. Then, on Sunday, February 16, NBC and Peacock will release the three-hour-long SNL50: The Anniversary Special. NBC will most likely announce its next batch of hosts and musical guests during the SNL50 fanfare.

Looking at the schedule from SNL seasons 48 and 49, SNL season 50 will likely return to NBC in the next few weeks. Last season, SNL aired its first episode after the holiday break on January 20, with Jacob Elordi and Reneé Rapp ringing in the New Year. Similarly, the show returned just a few weeks into 2023, on January 21, with Aubrey Plaza and Sam Smith. The next host will arguably launch one of SNL's most critical years to date.

What To Expect From The SNL 50 Episodes

SNL Season 50 Is A Big Deal

Surviving five decades on television is a milestone few shows have reached, and SNL has brought plenty of A-list guests and comedians to the show to mark the occasion. We expect the series to keep pace as it approaches SNL50: The Anniversary Special on NBC. SNL season 50 will continue to feature seasoned hosts like Ariana Grande and John Mulaney. It will also return hosts with legacies like Martin Short, who was inducted into the SNL five-timers club during SNL season 50, episode 10.

As NBC's timeless sketch comedy show continues to announce more hosts and musical guests for SNL season 50, the complete legacy of the anniversary season will take shape. Saturday Night Live might add an athlete to its roster in 2025, considering that SNL hasn't featured a sports star since Travis Kelce in season 48, episode 14. Lorne Michael's variety show is known for staying current and captivating audiences with good comedy, and Saturday Night Live season 50 will continue to pay tribute to that legacy.

Source: NBC