Posted in: NBC, Preview, TV | Tagged: ariana debose, nbc, preview, roddy ricch, saturday night live, snl

Saturday Night Live Returns This Month: Ariana DeBose & Roddy Ricch

Published Thu, 06 Jan 2022 15:21:11 -0600

If we're being honest, we weren't expecting NBC's Saturday Night Live to be returning for the second half of the season until the end of the month- in fact, we were thinking January 29. But looks like we were underestimating the long-running sketch comedy/music series' desire to get back on the air, because Studio 8H will be lively once again on January 15. That's when Ariana DeBose (West Side Story, Schmigadoon!) hits the stage to host, with rapper Roddy Ricch as the musical guest. As of now, the plan is for the episode to have a full cast, crew, and live audience (but COVID-related decisions will be made closer to broadcast time).

During a tour behind-the-scenes of SNL's show night with CBS Mornings host Gayle King for his Kennedy Center honor, Saturday Night Live creator Lorne Michaels revealed that he had been thinking of retiring and thought it was a "really good time to leave." But first and foremost, his commitment is to see the show make it to that milestone. "I think I'm committed to doing this show until its 50th anniversary, which is in three years. I'd like to see that through, and I have a feeling that'd be a really good time to leave," Michaels explained. "I won't want the show ever to be bad. I care too deeply about it. It's been my life's work. So I'm going to do everything I can to see it carry on and carry on well," he continued. And while Michaels was loathed to discuss details on something that wouldn't happen for three more years, he did admit when it comes to who would take on the role next that they had "a sense of where we're headed with that."

NBC's Saturday Night Live Season 47 cast includes Aidy Bryant, Michael Che, Pete Davidson, Mikey Day, Chloe Fineman, Heidi Gardner, Colin Jost, Kate McKinnon, Alex Moffat, Kyle Mooney, Ego Nwodim, Chris Redd, Cecily Strong, Kenan Thompson, Melissa Villaseñor, and Bowen Yang; feature players include the returning Andrew Dismukes and Punkie Johnson, as well as new players Aristotle Athari (Future Man, All Rise), James Austin Johnson (Silicon Valley), and Sarah Sherman (The Eric Andre Show).