Saturday Night Live season 49
The forty-ninth season of the NBC sketch comedy series Saturday Night Live premiered on October 14, 2023, during the 2023–24 television season, with host Pete Davidson and musical guest Ice Spice, and concluded on May 18, 2024 with host Jake Gyllenhaal and musical guest Sabrina Carpenter. The premiere was delayed due to the 2023 Writers Guild of America strike.
Cast
After the departures of eleven cast members between seasons 46 and 48, the entire cast from the previous season returned. James Austin Johnson and Sarah Sherman, who both joined as featured players prior to season 47, were promoted to repertory status, while Marcello Hernandez, Molly Kearney, Michael Longfellow and Devon Walker, all of whom joined the previous season, remained as featured players.On October 4, 2023, New York City-based comedian Chloe Troast was announced as a new cast member.
While not credited as cast members, the comedy group and SNL staff writers Please Don't Destroy continue to appear in digital videos. In some episodes, starting with this season's premiere, they received the credit "A Film by Please Don't Destroy" in the opening montage, marking the first time since Robert Smigel's "TV Funhouse" cartoons that a recurring segment has its own credit in the opening.
On August 1, 2024, it was announced that cast member Punkie Johnson would be departing the series, after four years. The next day, on August 2, fellow castmate and featured player Molly Kearney announced that they were leaving the show, after just two years. Chloe Troast was let go after this season.
Cast roster
Repertory playersMichael Che- Mikey Day
- Andrew Dismukes
- Chloe Fineman
- Heidi Gardner
- James Austin Johnson
- Punkie JohnsonColin Jost
- Ego Nwodim
- Sarah Sherman
- Kenan Thompson
- Bowen Yang
bold denotes "Weekend Update" anchor
Writers
The entire writing staff from the previous season returned with no changes. Following the conclusion of the first half of the season, writer Ben Silva left the show. Beginning with the second half of the season, writer Steven Castillo rejoined the writing staff.This would be the final season for writers Alex English, Vannessa Jackson, and Gary Richardson.