After being shut down by the Hollywood writers’ strike in May, Saturday Night Live, the long-running NBC sketch show is returning for season 49, with Pete Davidson hosting the Oct. 14 season premiere. Taking his job very seriously in a new promo video, the Bupkis and King of Staten Island star munches on chips and announces his return to SNL cast members Bowen Yang and Chloe Fineman.
Most importantly, Davidson tries out his Kenan impression by mimicking one of the comedian’s famously meme-able facial expressions. After striking a pose, he tells Yang and Fineman, “That was my Kenan face.”
Davidson, who starred on SNL from 2014 to 2022, will be joined this week by musical guest Ice Spice. The following week, Bad Bunny will pull double duty as host and musical guest.
Davidson was previously set to host SNL in the spring, a year after his departure from the ensemble cast, but his return to Studio 8H was scuttled by the the WGA strike (which was finally resolved last month). During an appearance on The Tonight Show, Davidson joked, “Of course that would happen to me.”
Although it was initially halted by a Hollywood strike, SNL is not in violation of the ongoing SAG-AFTRA strike, as the variety show is not covered by the same contract that the actors’ union is striking over. The guild said as much in a statement last week, clarifying that SNL hosts, guests, and cast members are “not in violation of SAG-AFTRA strike rules, and we support them in fulfilling their contractual obligations.”
SNL airs live at 11:30 p.m. ET/8:30 p.m. PT on NBC and Peacock. Watch Davidson’s new promo below.
