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Saturday Night Live season 45

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Saturday Night Live
Season 45
File:SNL S45 Title Card.jpg
No. of episodes18
Release
Original networkNBC
Original releaseSeptember 28, 2019 (2019-09-28) –
May 9, 2020 (2020-05-09)[1]
Season chronology
← Previous
Season 44
Next →
Season 46
List of episodes

The forty-fifth season of the NBC comedy series Saturday Night Live (also branded Saturday Night Live 45 and SNL45) premiered on September 28, 2019, during the 2019–20 television season with host Woody Harrelson and musical guest Billie Eilish,[2] and concluded on May 9, 2020 with host Kristen Wiig and musical guest Boyz II Men featuring Babyface.[1] This season featured the return of Eddie Murphy as host, on December 21, 2019, for the first time in 35 years.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the season was temporarily halted on March 16, 2020. The move came hours after New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio ordered all theaters in the city to close by the following morning.[3] The season resumed on April 11, 2020 with three remotely produced episodes containing Weekend Update and other contributions from the cast.[4] The self-filmed episodes, with pre-recorded from-home segments, were instead referred to as Saturday Night Live at Home. The first remote episode was hosted by Tom Hanks, who survived coronavirus after being diagnosed the month prior.[5] The third of these episodes, airing on May 9, 2020 and hosted by former cast member Kristen Wiig, acted as the show's season finale.[1]

Cast

Prior to the beginning of the season, Leslie Jones, who joined the cast one month into season 40, left after having been with the show for almost five full seasons.[6] Three new featured players were announced on September 12, 2019: SNL staff writer Bowen Yang (who had appeared as Kim Jong-Un in a season 44 episode hosted by Sandra Oh), Chloe Fineman of The Groundlings, and stand-up comedian Shane Gillis. Yang is the first fully East Asian-American cast member in the show's history.[7]

Fineman auditioned for the show in 2018 for the previous season.[8]

The choice of Gillis as a cast member generated backlash after podcast clips of him making racist remarks were reposted,[9] including referring to presidential candidate Andrew Yang using a racial slur.[10] Gillis has also made derogatory remarks about Muslims, women, and the LGBTQ community on his online show Matt and Shane's Secret Podcast.[11] Gillis was let go from the cast only four days after the announcement of his hiring, prior to the airing of the first episode.[12]

Heidi Gardner and Chris Redd (both originally hired in 2017 at the start of season 43) were upgraded to repertory status this season while Ego Nwodim remained a featured player.[13]

Pete Davidson took a leave of absence at the beginning of the season, missing the first two episodes before returning for the third, due to filming commitments of The Suicide Squad.[14] He was still credited in the episodes he missed.

Cast roster

bold denotes "Weekend Update" anchor

Writers

Main article: List of Saturday Night Live writers § season 45 (2019–20)

Dan Bulla, Emma Clark, Dan Licata, and Jasmine Pierce were added to the writing staff.[15] Michael Che, Colin Jost, and Kent Sublette continue as head writers for the show.

Episodes

Main article: List of Saturday Night Live episodes
No.
overall		No. in
season		HostMusical guestOriginal air dateRatings/
Share
8721Woody HarrelsonBillie EilishSeptember 28, 2019 (2019-09-28)4.1/10
8732Phoebe Waller-BridgeTaylor SwiftOctober 5, 2019 (2019-10-05)4.0/11
8743David HarbourCamila CabelloOctober 12, 2019 (2019-10-12)3.8/11
8754Chance the RapperChance the RapperOctober 26, 2019 (2019-10-26)3.8/11
8765Kristen StewartColdplayNovember 2, 2019 (2019-11-02)4.1/11
8776Harry StylesHarry StylesNovember 16, 2019 (2019-11-16)3.9/10
8787Will FerrellKing PrincessNovember 23, 2019 (2019-11-23)4.3/14
8798Jennifer LopezDaBabyDecember 7, 2019 (2019-12-07)4.2/11
8809Scarlett JohanssonNiall HoranDecember 14, 2019 (2019-12-14)4.0/11
88110Eddie MurphyLizzoDecember 21, 2019 (2019-12-21)6.7/16[16]
88211Adam DriverHalseyJanuary 25, 2020 (2020-01-25)3.8/11
88312J. J. WattLuke CombsFebruary 1, 2020 (2020-02-01)4.1/11
88413RuPaulJustin BieberFebruary 8, 2020 (2020-02-08)4.3/12
88514John MulaneyDavid ByrneFebruary 29, 2020 (2020-02-29)4.0/12
88615Daniel CraigThe WeekndMarch 7, 2020 (2020-03-07)4.1/11

Saturday Night Live at Home

Main article: Saturday Night Live at Home

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, all episodes of the show were cancelled effective March 16. The cancellation preempted three previously announced episodes: March 28, April 4, and April 11.[17] The March 28 and April 4 episodes were replaced by reruns. John Krasinski and Dua Lipa had previously been announced as host and musical guest for the cancelled March 28 episode. It would have been Krasinski's first time hosting the show and Lipa's second time appearing as musical guest. Both Krasinski and Lipa's appearances were eventually rescheduled in the following season. During the 46th season, Lipa appeared as musical guest in episode 9, and Krasinski hosted the show in episode 11.

During an episode of The Strokes' radio series with guest Colin Jost, it was revealed that the band was scheduled to perform on the April 11th episode, in promotion of their new album The New Abnormal. It would have been The Strokes' fourth appearance as musical guest and first time appearing on the show since 2011.[18] The band eventually had their fourth musical guest appearance during the October 31, 2020 episode of the 46th season. During her monologue on the October 17, 2020 episode, Issa Rae suggested that her hosting of the show had been preempted by the COVID shutdown, saying that she was supposed to have hosted the show "back in March".[19]

The show resumed production on April 11 in a new format, with cast members remotely appearing from their individual homes. The new format for the show became known as "Saturday Night Live at Home".[20]

No.
overall		No. in
season		HostMusical guestOriginal air dateRatings/
Share
88716Tom HanksChris MartinApril 11, 2020 (2020-04-11)4.6[21]
88817none credited[a]Miley CyrusApril 25, 2020 (2020-04-25)4.0[21]
88918Kristen WiigBoyz II Men featuring BabyfaceMay 9, 2020 (2020-05-09)3.7[23]

Specials

TitleOriginal air dateRatings/
Share
"A Saturday Night Live Mother's Day"May 10, 2020 (2020-05-10)0.5/2[24]

Notes

  1. ^ While some sources independent to the show have listed Brad Pitt as the host for this episode, the show did not officially announce a host during the opening sequence. On its website, the show lists "The cast of SNL" in the title that is normally reserved for the host.[22]

References

  1. ^ a b c Adreeva, Nielle (May 7, 2020). "'Saturday Night Live' Sets Season Finale At Home Edition". Deadline. Retrieved May 7, 2020.
  2. ^ Dan Snierson (August 26, 2019). "Saturday Night Live releases star-studded season 45 lineup". Entertainment Weekly. Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved August 26, 2019.
  3. ^ Wright, Megh (March 16, 2020). "SNL to Suspend Production Due to the Coronavirus". Vulture. Retrieved March 16, 2020.
  4. ^ Steinberg, Brian (9 April 2020). "'Saturday Night Live' Charts Return Amid Coronavirus Pandemic". Variety. Retrieved 9 April 2020.
  5. ^ "Tom Hanks Hosts Special Remote Episode of 'Saturday Night Live At Home'". The Hollywood Reporter. 11 April 2020.
  6. ^ Elber, Lynn (August 27, 2019). "Leslie Jones exiting 'SNL,' Kate McKinnon back next season". Associated Press. Associated Press. Retrieved September 1, 2019.
  7. ^ Wright, Megh. "Saturday Night Live Adds 3 New Cast Members for Season 45". Vulture. Retrieved 12 September 2019.
  8. ^ "Chloe Fineman Reveals How She Mastered Her Drew Barrymore Impression". December 8, 2020. Retrieved January 24, 2021.
  9. ^ "Resurfaced Material of New 'SNL' Cast Member Shane Gillis Using Racist, Sexist, and Homophobic Remarks". 2019-09-12.
  10. ^ "New 'SNL' cast member Shane Gillis referred to Andrew Yang as a 'Jew ch–k'". 2019-09-14.
  11. ^ Shane Gillis, New 'S.N.L.' Cast Member, Used Racial Slur in Podcast The New York Times, September 12, 2019
  12. ^ Otterson, Joseph (September 16, 2019). "Shane Gillis Out From 'Saturday Night Live'". Variety. Retrieved September 16, 2019.
  13. ^ Andreeva, Nellie (September 24, 2019). "'SNL' Promotes Heidi Gardner & Chris Redd To Full Cast Members". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved September 24, 2019.
  14. ^ Cite error: The named reference Davidson filming was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  15. ^ "'Saturday Night Live' Adds New Writers For Season 45". September 29, 2019. Retrieved October 3, 2019.
  16. ^ "'Saturday Night Live' Ratings Slip, Stay Strong With Host Bill Burr". October 11, 2020. Retrieved October 23, 2020.
  17. ^ Kate Aurthur (March 16, 2020). "'Saturday Night Live' Postpones Next Three Shows Because of Coronavirus". Variety. Retrieved March 17, 2020.
  18. ^ "5guys talking about things they know nothing about. Meet the Producers ~The Stroke". July 26, 2020. Retrieved August 9, 2020.
  19. ^ Perkins, Dennis (October 18, 2020). "Issa Rae hosts an improbably forgettable Saturday Night Live".
  20. ^ Pallotta, Frank. "'Saturday Night Live' will be back this weekend". CNN Business. Retrieved 2020-04-12.
  21. ^ a b Adreeva, Nielle (April 26, 2020). "Saturday Night Live' Ratings Dip For Second At Home Edition". Deadline. Retrieved April 26, 2020.
  22. ^ Episode 17 of Season 45 on the SNL website
  23. ^ Adreeva, Nellie (May 10, 2020). "'Saturday Night Live' Ends Season 45 On Low Ratings Note With Third 'At Home' Edition". Deadline. Retrieved May 10, 2020.
  24. ^ Mitch Metcalf (May 12, 2020). "Top 150 Sunday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 5.10.2020". Showbuzz Daily. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
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