When does ‘Saturday Night Live’ premiere? What we know about 50th season, past Florida castmembers
Live from New York, it's almost Saturday Night Live!
The hit comedy sketch show is set to make its return in the upcoming weeks, celebrating its 50th anniversary this season.
According to USA Today, the show is expected to confirm its 2024-25 cast shortly before the next season. But when does it actually return? Here's what to know and whether we will see a familiar Florida face this season.
When is Saturday Night Live coming back for season 50?
As of Aug. 29, the official date for Saturday Night Live's season premiere episode has not been revealed. However, the comedy sketch show usually returns at the end of September, beginning of October. Last year, season 49 returned on Oct. 14 and the year prior premiered on Oct. 1.
Some sites have pinpointed Sept. 28 as the premiere date but nothing has been confirmed by NBC.
Which cast members have left SNL ahead of season 50?
Punkie Johnson and Molly Kearney both confirmed they will not be back in Studio 8H when "SNL" returns this fall.
"I just want to let y'all know that after four seasons I will not be returning to 'SNL' for the 50th," Johnson said in a video posted to Instagram. USA Today noted that Johnson accidentally revealed the news earlier in a "Punkie and Friends" show, telling the audience was she wasn't coming back.
As for Kearney, who uses they/them pronouns, they announced they will not be part of the Season 50 cast in an Instagram post, which included snapshots of behind-the-scenes moments on set.
"Y'all that’s a wrap on my time on SNL! Reflecting on the amazing 2 seasons I got on this show, it was such a dream come true. So incredibly grateful for this period in my life," the caption read. "So much love to all my big hearted buddies behind the scenes who make the magic happen every week. So many bald caps, so little time."
Have any Saturday Night Live cast members been Floridians?
Since its debut in 1975, there have been four Florida cast members out of 164 over the years.
Darrell Hammond
Darrell Hammond, 68, is an actor, comedian, and impressionist who was born in Melbourne, Florida on Oct. 8, 1965. He was a regular cast member on Saturday Night Live from 1995 to 2009 and has been its announcer since 2014.
Beyond SNL, his credits include roles in "Scary Movie 3," "Epic Movie," "Blues Brothers 2000," and 2024's "Unfrosted."
Marcello Hernández
One of the more recent cast members, Marcello Hernández was born in Miami on Aug. 19, 1997. He has been on Saturday Night Live since 2022 and is still set to appear in the upcoming season.
Hernández, 27, is the first cast member to be born from "Gen Z."
Victoria Jackson
Victoria Jackson, 65, is an actress and comedian from Miami on Aug. 2, 1959. She was a regular cast member on Saturday Night Live from 1986 to 1992.
Maya Rudolph
One of the most recognizable faces from Saturday Night Live, Maya Rudolph was born in Gainesville on July 27, 1972, to singer Minnie Riperton and composer Richard Rudolph.
She was a regular cast member on SNL from 2000 to 2007. Despite her departure, Rudolph, 52, has made several cameo appearances over the years on the show, from Beyoncé to Vice President Kamala Harris.
Beyond SNL, Rudolph has appeared in several popular movies and TV shows, such as "Bridesmaid," "Away We Go," "Sisters," "Big Mouth," and "Luca." Her most recent credit is Apple TV's show "Loot."
Could Floridian Maya Rudolph appear on SNL season 50 with Kamala Harris impression?
Ever since Biden dropped out and Harris was projected to be the Democratic Presidential nominee, social media has voiced their excitement over Rudolph returning to show to portray the politician. But is she actually going to?
According to Deadline, Rudolph is set to return to the NBC show to play Harris. They shared that she cleared her schedule, in particular moving production of season three of the Apple comedy series Loot, to allow her to be in New York for the next season of SNL.
“I’ve never experienced something like this before in any of the work I’ve done. This has been such a tremendous, exciting time for me that feels so much bigger than me or anything I’ve ever done. I’ve played her on the show already, but the minute it was announced that she was running, I think I was home watching The Bear and it was announced that I’d confirmed doing SNL. I was like, I did what? Everybody’s just ready for it,” Rudolph told the outlet.
How much does it cost to attend SNL? How to get tickets to comedy show
Did you know that you can get tickets to see the recording of SNL for free?
The NBC website writes that attendees are selected randomly through email lottery. Ticket requests can be submitted in August, the only time of the year when submissions are accepted. The current deadline to apply for tickets is Aug. 31 at 11:59 p.m.
You can send SNL ticket requests via email to [email protected]. They note that you cannot select which show you would want to go to so you'll want to be flexible with traveling to New York.
They also offer "standby tickets," which means to book an standby reservation to put you on a waitlist for a possible open spot in the audience. It goes live at 10 a.m. on the Thursday before a show day. It is also free to sign up for.
This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Saturday Night Live 50: What we know about new season, Florida cast
