The long-anticipated return of former “Saturday Night Live” alum Pete Davidson has been canceled due to a writer’s strike.
On Tuesday, May 2, the Writer’s Guild of America officially called a strike for the first time in 15 years. Though the strike could mean long-term effects for sitcoms and other series-scripted shows, it’s the unscripted talk shows — i.e. all late-night shows that air the same week they’re filmed — will be impacted immediately.
And that includes NBC’s SNL. The show’s season has been put on pause, and the first affected episode is the one that Davidson was set to host on Saturday, May 6, with musical guest Lil Uzi Vert, per Deadline.
“The previously announced ‘Saturday Night Live’ hosted by Pete Davidson and musical guest Lil Uzi Vert is cancelled due to the writers’ strike. ‘SNL’ will air repeats until further notice starting Saturday, May 6,” a release from the company stated, per Today.
Davidson joked on “The Tonight Show” that he was taking it personally. “It sucks because it just feeds my weird story I have in my head, like, of course, that would happen to me,” he said.
Davidson served as a cast member on the show for eight seasons, before leaving in May 2022.
“The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon,” “Jimmy Kimmel Live!,” and “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” are also on pause effective immediately.
When the last strike occurred between 2007 and 2008, “SNL” only aired 12 of its slated 21 episodes.
The WGA is protesting for a number of changes, including a higher minimum wage and more writers being hired per show.
“Though we negotiated intent on making a fair deal – and though your strike vote gave us the leverage to make some gains – the studios’ responses to our proposals have been wholly insufficient, given the existential crisis writers are facing,” the WGA said in a message to members.
It’s unclear how long this strike is expected to last.
