What happens when one of the most iconic comedy clubs on television chooses to hit the reset button? For “Saturday Night Live,” that means bidding adieu to some of its familiar faces, introducing a new crop of talent, and giving the strong whiff of big-time creative upheaval on the horizon. Season 51 will be one of the most intriguing changing-of-the-guard periods in years.
Following milestone 50th season complete with retro cameos and a primetime special creator Lorne Michaels is following through on his threat to “reinvent.” The payoff? A balance of bittersweet farewells, suspenseful introductions, and behind-the-scenes overhauls that could redefine the show’s comedic DNA. Here, a closer look at the seven biggest buzzed-about tweaks and additions bringing SNL fans excitement.
1. Five Fresh Faces Steal the Spotlight
NBC has hired five new featured cast members for Season 51 Tommy Brennan, Jeremy Culhane, Ben Marshall, Kam Patterson, and Veronika Slowikowska. Each has a specific comedic sensibility toward Brennan’s stand-up roots, fostered on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon,” to Culhane’s viral hit Dropout TV sketches. Patterson is already lined up to star with Kevin Hart in Netflix’s “72 Hours,” and Slowikowska has the credits of FX’s “What We Do in the Shadows” and a following of a million on social media. Marshall, better known to audiences as a member of Please Don’t Destroy, gets his first acting credit.
This cast is not gap-filling this is adrenaline-shot time. Michaels has indicated that he wants to shake the beat of the show, and these comedians bring fresh attitudes and solid credentials.
2. Four On-Screen Favorites Say Goodbye
The shake-up also features goodbyes for Heidi Gardner, Michael Longfellow, Devon Walker, and Emil Wakim. Gardner’s eight-season stint made her the longest-running woman in the cast last season, playing standout “Weekend Update” characters Bailey Gismert and Angel. Longfellow’s caustic humor and creative desk doodads won him a faithful fan base, but Walker summed up his abrupt Instagram goodbye as booking his departure from the show “sometimes really cool” and “sometimes. toxic as hell.” Wakim, the show’s first Lebanese-American cast member, described his departure as “a gut punch” but enjoyed the experience.
The departures leave a noticeable void from the group’s chemistry, particularly for those who connected with their individual comedic tones.
3. The End of Please Don’t Destroy’s SNL Run
One of the biggest surprises is the lack of new Please Don’t Destroy digital shorts. The group Ben Marshall, John Higgins, and Martin Herlihy were the expected inheritors of The Lonely Island’s pre-taped tradition. Although Marshall is joining the cast and Herlihy remains a writer, Higgins is departing entirely to focus on acting. Higgins wrote the bittersweet caption on Instagram “How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard.”
Their cartoons, including “Three Sad Virgins” featuring Taylor Swift and “Roast” with Dakota Johnson, reached cult levels. SNL would, perhaps, rely more on live cartoons and standard commercial parodies without them.
4. Writers’ Room Shake-Up
It’s not only the cast veteran writers Celeste Yim and Rosebud Baker are also changing. Yim, the long-time first out trans writer on SNL, looked back on their five seasons as “grueling” but “where I grew up.” Baker, whose acerbic “Weekend Update” one-liners drew notice, is targeting working since Season 47.
These exits indicate a change in the creative foundation of the show, and possibly allow room for new comedic voices and innovation to impact the sketches viewers see every week.
5. Lorne Michaels’ Reinvention Mission
Michaels has been forthcoming about a sense of “pressure to reinvent” following the fixed cast of the 50th anniversary season. “I did want people returning and being part of [the 50th season],” he said in an interview with Puck, as to why significant changes were deferred. Once all the celebration is over, he’s turning to drastic tactics to reshape the roster.
He’s also ensured that James Austin Johnson will continue to play Donald Trump, with political satire set to become a mainstay going into an election-packed season.
6. Kenan Thompson’s Take on Change
SNL’s longest-tenured cast member, Kenan Thompson, described the Season 50 finale as “bittersweet” because “there’s maybe, possibly, a lot of change next year.” With 22 seasons under his belt, Thompson relishes the fine line between tradition and evolution. “You want everybody to stay forever. but there’s no guarantees,” he said.
His words describe the emotional truth of cast turnover it’s in the show’s DNA, but that doesn’t necessarily make the goodbyes any easier.
7. Season 51 Premieres October 4
Mark your calendars the new season begins on October 4 on NBC and Peacock. Whether the host and musical performer are yet to be revealed is unknown, but the combination of old standbys and newcomers on board guarantees surprises all season long. Fans already are guessing at possible cameos and whether the show will tinker with new formats or styles of humor.
With the comings and goings, arrivals and behind-the-scenes upheavals, Season 51 may be the beginning of a new era of creative reinvention for SNL one that combines the rich heritage of the show with the comedic perspective of its future.
SNL has always been supported by reinvention, and this latest shake-up is no different. The deaths of cherished cast members and the end of an era of digital shorts will be mourned, but the introduction of five new fresh players brings an opportunity to reboot the show’s comedic beat. As stage lights go up on Season 51, this much is true change can be sour and sweet, but it’s also what makes SNL stay fresh, contemporary, and not skippable every Saturday evening.
