Getty John Mulaney
Saturday Night Live is back this week with a brand new episode, which will air at 11:30 p.m. ET / 8:30 p.m. PT on NBC. John Mulaney will return as host for the third time, and David Byrne will be the musical guest.
This week’s episode comes on the heels of castmember Pete Davidson speaking candidly about his experience on the show, and his sentiments were predominately negative. On Friday, February 28, 2020, Representative Dan Crenshaw of Texas gave a public interview about Davidson after the SNL comedian remarked that he was forced by producers to apologize for a joke he made about the politician several years ago.
The long-running comedy show is presently in its 45th season. Current cast members include Kenan Thompson, Colin Jost, Kate McKinnon, Beck Bennet, Mikey Day, Michael Che, Cecily Strong, Alex Moffat, Ego Nwodim, Melissa Villaseñor, Kyle Mooney, Heidi Gardner, and Chris Redd. The current season has welcomed two newcomers to the cast, Chloe Fineman and Bowen Yang.
Here is what you need to know about this week’s episode:
John Mulaney Is Hosting
https://www.instagram.com/tv/B8_7um-F1UQ/
John Mulaney will return for his third time as host of Saturday Night Live. Preview footage on SNL’s official Instagram show Mulaney getting ready for the show and rehearsing his upcoming skits. Promo clips also show Mulaney interacting with cast member Pete Davidson as the two discuss making positive changes, such as quitting smoking, to better themselves.
Prior to hosting, Mulaney was a writer on SNL for a decade. During his time as a writer, he won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics.
During his previous two appearances as host, Mulaney has performed in popular sketches such as “Bodega Bathroom,” “What’s That Name,” and “Drag Brunch.” He has also been applauded for his comical appearances on “Weekend Update,” often alongside Pete Davidson.
Preview Clips Focus on Pete Davidson
https://www.instagram.com/tv/B9AflWFlmFT
Preview clips for the upcoming episode focus heavily on Pete Davidson, who has had a rocky tenure on the show as his personal life has often disrupted his performance as a cast member.
The first promotional video for the upcoming episode shows host John Mulaney walking in on an appointment between Davidson and his guru. Davidson tells Mulaney that he has cleared his mind and has fresh eyes to move forward with his life in a positive direction. In the clip, Davidson jokes that the first step he took to renew his life was giving up his pet monkey as it is illegal to keep a monkey in his office.
This past week, SNL‘s Instagram account has featured several videos of Davidson’s past performances on the show. Notably, Davidson has been praised for his comedic performances during the segment, “Weekend Update.” However, the push to promote Davidson on SNL’s social media channels comes at a critical time when fans have been speculating if Davidson will either be fired or leave the show in the near future. On February 27, 2020, Vanity Fair published an article titled, “SNL Needs Pete Davidson. Does Pete Davidson Still Need SNL?”
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