NBC’s Saturday Night Live is approaching its landmark 50th season in 2024, and following a disappointing outing at the Emmys, the series has some work to do to get back on track. The late-night live sketch comedy variety show, created by Lorne Michaels, premiered in October 1975 and since then, Saturday Night Live has been a TV staple. The variety series has been where many movie and TV stars got their start, including Chevy Chase, Eddie Murphy, Adam Sandler, Tina Fey, Kristen Wiig, etc. While the cast of Saturday Night Live has dramatically changed over the years, the show’s popularity has continued.
Saturday Night Live
season 50 premieres on September 28, 2024, on NBC, but the network hasn’t unveiled the episode’s host or musical guest as of the writing of this article. Additionally, to celebrate its historic season, a three-hour special episode of
Saturday Night Live
will air on February 16, 2025.
Saturday Night Live has also been nominated for and won numerous awards since its debut in 1975. The NBC variety series has received over 300 Primetime Emmy Award nominations, winning around 200.Lorne Michaels alone has been nominated over 100 times at the Emmys, winning 21 and holding the title of the most Emmy-nominated individual in history. Consequently, Saturday Night Live‘s reputation precedes it. Unfortunately, though, the show has lost in one Emmy category two years in a row as of the writing of this article, but season 50 has the opportunity to break the losing streak.
Saturday Night Live Has Now Lost The Variety Show Emmy 2 Years In A Row
Last Week Tonight With John Oliver Won Outstanding Scripted Variety Series
From 2017 to 2022, Saturday Night Live dominated the Outstanding Scripted Variety Series category (formerly known as Outstanding Variety Sketch Series) at the Emmys. However, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver stole Saturday Night Live‘s crown two years in a row (2023 and 2024). The NBC show’s six-year winning streak was broken in 2023 and its two-year losing streak was created at the 2024 Primetime Emmy Awards. So, Saturday Night Live must redeem itself with season 50 to avoid continuing the Emmys curse.
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SNL Season 50 Repertory Cast |
SNL Season 50 Recurring Players |
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Michael Che |
Ashley Padilla |
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Mikey Day |
Emil Wakim |
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Andrew Dismukes |
Jane Wickline |
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Chloe Fineman |
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Heidi Gardner |
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Marcello Hernandez |
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James Austin Johnson |
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Colin Jost |
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Michael Longfellow |
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Ego Nwodim |
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Sarah Sherman |
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Kenan Thompson |
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Devon Walker |
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Bowen Yang |
What makes Saturday Night Live‘s two losses in a row even worse is that it was only up against two other shows in 2023 (Last Week Tonight with John Oliver and A Black Lady Sketch Show) and only one (Last Week Tonight with John Oliver) in 2024. The Outstanding Scripted Variety Series category barely had any competition, and Saturday Night Live still lost. Hopefully, this disappointment will fuel the cast and crew to make season 50 as great as everyone knows it can be.
Saturday Night Live Season 50 Has An Even Bigger Challenge Than Season 49
SNL Will Have More Competition At The Next Emmys
As mentioned above, Saturday Night Live didn’t have much competition at the 2023 and 2024 Emmys in the Outstanding Scripted Variety Series category. Season 48 couldn’t beat two other shows and season 49 had no chance against Last Week Tonight with John Oliver. Flash-forward to the 2025 Emmys, there will likely be more nominees for Outstanding Scripted Variety Series, meaning it will be even more difficult for season 50 to pull out a win and break the two-year losing streak. The upcoming cycle of Saturday Night Live seemingly has to be one of its best seasons.
Saturday Night Live season 50 must pull off a miracle to return the show to its glory days at the Emmys. Of course, the NBC late-night live sketch comedy variety series has a chance to win the Emmy in 2025, just like any other show. However, many things have to happen to convince the Television Academy that Saturday Night Live season 50 is worthy of winning the Outstanding Scripted Variety Series award at the 77th ceremony.
How Saturday Night Live Season 50 Can Improve Upon Season 49
SNL’s Upcoming Cycle Is Historic
It’s no secret that Saturday Night Live has been on the decline in recent years, as proven by its two-year losing streak at the Emmys. Thankfully, season 50 is the perfect opportunity to turn things around. NBC should have many exciting sketches and guest appearances scheduled to commemorate this moment in Saturday Night Live‘s history. From the return of former beloved and successful SNL cast members to new and improved versions of classic and hilarious skits, season 50 should ultimately be a celebration of the show and its awe-inspiring history.
Saturday Night Live
season 50 can’t rely solely on the election, but the writers should (and undoubtedly will) take advantage of it by creating sketches featuring the U.S. presidential nominees.
Saturday Night Live season 50 can also improve upon season 49 with buzzworthy hosts and musical guests. Yes, the previous season featured numerous stars. However, the upcoming episodes should strive to include even better hosts. The one thing that could boost season 50’s chances of winning an Emmy for Outstanding Scripted Variety Series in 2025 is the fact that it will take place during a very important presidential election.Saturday Night Live season 50 can’t rely solely on the election, but the writers should (and undoubtedly will) take advantage of it by creating sketches featuring the U.S. presidential nominees.
