When Does SNL Come Back?

With everything going on in the world at the moment, as the coronavirus pandemic continues to take a toll on society and affect our national politics, right now would be a pretty good time for Saturday Night Live to come back with new episodes and offer a little levity about the news cycle. There’s obviously no shortage of material to cover, and, frankly, we could all use a few free laughs.

Unfortunately, however, it will be a while before Saturday Night Live returns to NBC with any new episodes. Like many other TV productions, SNL was put on an indefinite hiatus in response to the outbreak, and no return date has yet been announced. However, like a lot of late night TV shows, there are signs that the show may be improvising to bring audiences some new content.

On Wednesday, cast member Melissa Villaseñor revealed that she will be hosting a segment of “SNL at Home” with special guests Jennifer Lopez and Drew Barrymore on Instagram live on Thursday, April 2 at 7/6c.

Tomorrow J-LO and Drew Barrymore vent and catch up on how their days have been 😄🌸 pic.twitter.com/GlLnmL3f7J

— Melissa Villaseñor (@melissavcomedy) April 2, 2020

Meanwhile, the show’s YouTube channel has been churning out new “Weekend Update Rewind” compilations, including a video series of Kate McKinnon‘s many appearances as Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg.

Everything to Know About Peacock, NBCUniversal’s Streaming Service

Is Saturday Night Live running a new episode this week?

No — and Saturday Night Live will not return with a new episode any time soon. The show was expected to return on Saturday, March 28, with A Quiet Place II director John Krasinski scheduled to host and Dua Lipa as the week’s musical guest. However, as of March 16 the sketch comedy series has gone on hiatus until further notice in response to the coronavirus pandemic, Deadline reports. The news comes after a previous report that the show would delay its next three episodes.

A Quiet Place II‘s release date was also pushed back as a result of the pandemic, but it wasn’t clear before whether Kransinski’s episode would also be postponed. The most recent episode, which aired on March 7, featured Daniel Craig promoting the next James Bond film, No Time to Die, even though the movie was also delayed due to the coronavirus. Craig returned Studio 8H for the first time in almost a decade with The Weeknd as the musical guest to parody the Bond franchise and usher in a very special guest star: former presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren.

When does SNL air?

Saturday Night Live airs Saturdays at 11:30/10:30c on NBC. The episodes are subsequently available to stream on Hulu. NBCUniversal’s new streaming service Peacock will also reportedly host all seasons of SNL when it launches in July 2020. However, new episodes of the show are currently postponed indefinitely due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Alec Baldwin, Saturday Night LivePhoto: NBC

Who is in the cast of Saturday Night Live Season 45?

Joining Saturday Night Live for Season 45 as featured players are Chloe Fineman and Bowen Yang. Comedian Shane Gillis was also originally expected to join the cast, but he was fired from the show after his disturbing remarks about race surfaced ahead of the season’s premiere.

The two newcomers join the series’ repertory players Kate McKinnon, Aidy Bryant, Beck Bennett, Pete Davidson, Mikey Day, Heidi Gardner, Alex Moffat, Kyle Mooney, Ego Nwodim, Chris Redd, Cecily Strong, Kenan Thompson, and Melissa Villaseñor. Michael Che and Colin Jost are also repertory players along with co-anchors of “Weekend Update.”

Lately, there have been some questions about whether each of these cast members will remain on the show, particularly Jost and Davidson. Both have signaled that they may be eyeing the exit sign right about now.

Colin Jost, Kate McKinnon, and Jason Sudeikis, Saturday Night LivePhoto: via Getty Images

Where can I find even more coverage of Saturday Night Live Season 45?

TV Guide has been keeping tabs on Saturday Night Live all season long! Check out coverage of every Season 45 episode so far below, starting with the most recent chapter.

Episode 15: Daniel Craig and The Weeknd
Saturday Night Live‘s Cold Open Became the Elizabeth Warren Show
Daniel Craig Takes James Bond to the Casino on Saturday Night Live

Episode 14: John Mulaney and David Byrne
Saturday Night Live Cold Open Parodies Mike Pence’s Coronavirus Presser, Joe Biden’s Primary Victory
John Mulaney Brings Dad Jokes, Jake Gyllenhaal to Saturday Night Live‘s Leap Year Episode
SNL Infected Love Is Blind With a Coronavirus Twist in Cut-for-Time Sketch

Episode 13: RuPaul and Justin Bieber
Saturday Night Live Plays It Safe with Democratic Debate Cold Open
RuPaul’s Saturday Night Live Hosting Debut Was Definitely Not a Drag

Episode 12: J.J. Watt and Luke Combs
Saturday Night Live Cold Open Presents an Impeachment Trial with Actual Witnesses
JJ Watt Parodies Rudy on Saturday Night Live

Episode 11: Adam Driver and Halsey
Saturday Night Live‘s Cold Open Takes Trump Impeachment Lawyer on a Trip to Hell
Adam Driver Brings Back Kylo Ren’s Undercover Boss Skit on Saturday Night Liv