Posted in: NBC, Preview, streaming, Trailer, TV, YouTube | Tagged: bill burr, chris rock, comedy, insecure, issa rae, justin bieber, Megan Thee Stallion, morgan wallen, nbc, saturday night live, season 46, snl, The Mandalorian, weekend update

SNL Season 46 Taps Bill Burr/Morgan Wallen; Issa Rae/Justin Bieber

Just because NBC's Saturday Night Live has a ton of attention on it heading into Saturday's 46th season premiere this Saturday doesn't mean the long-running sketch comedy/variety series doesn't have one eye looking to the future. With Chris Rock and Megan Thee Stallion taking the stage at Studio 8H for the SNL kick-off, we can look ahead to next week (October 10th) for comedian/actor Bill Burr (The Mandalorian) and musical guest Morgan Wallen performing. On October 17th, Issa Rae (Insecure) takes over as host with Justin Bieber performing.

Getting back to the season-opener, here's a look at the dynamic duo in their first promos, which left two thoughts in our minds. First, we really want to know what it was that Megan Thee Stallion mouthed under her mask. Second, it's really going to be nice seeing something that isn't a virtual Studio 8H background:

Even with the cast, writers, and staff/crews receiving regular COVID testing, SNL creator Lorne Michaels and the others still have health concerns- and Michaels makes it clear that he's still not sure they can make the magic happen. "We don't know that we're going to be able to pull it off. We're going to be as surprised as everyone else when it actually goes on," he explained. "We just have to stay clean and focused until October 3rd. And then we do five shows in a row." Michaels also addressed how the death of popular Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg will impact Kate McKinnon's portrayal. Asked if Justice Ginsburg's passing will mean the character being retired on-screen, Michaels gave a blunt, direct answer that doesn't appear to leave much doubt: "I doubt it."

Saturday Night Live's 46th season includes Beck Bennett, 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. Che and Jost serve as head writers, with Bryan Tucker serving as senior writer. Lauren Holt (The Filth), Punkie Johnson (Space Force), and Andrew Dismukes (Comedy Central's Colossal ClusterFest, New York Comedy Festival) are joining the cast as feature players.

Not including specials and digital series, SNL has won 72 Emmy Awards, the most for any show in television history. SNL also holds the title for the most nominated television show in Emmy history with 270 nominations (once again, not including specials and digital series). The long-running sketch comedy and musical series is executive produced by Lorne Michaels, produced by Steve Higgins and Erik Kenward, and directed by Don Roy King. Ken Aymong serves as a supervising producer, with Lindsay Shookus, Erin Doyle, and Tom Broecker producing. The series is produced by SNL Studios in association with Universal Television and Broadway Video.

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