After a few weeks off the air, Saturday Night Live is now set to return - but when, and who will host SNL's final episodes of season 47?
With Saturday Night Live having undergone a brief hiatus, it's soon due back on the air - here's when and who will be hosting. Saturday Night Live is currently on its 47th season, which started in October 2021 with Owen Wilson hosting the season premiere. After its usual brief hiatus for the holiday period, Saturday Night Live returned only for a period of weeks before facing another hiatus due to the Beijing Winter Olympics.
Saturday Night Live's season 47 has been an interesting one. As well as its two hiatuses in such close succession, it also featured an episode, hosted by Paul Rudd, which canceled its live performances due to concerns about the number of omicron-variant coronavirus cases. The episode aired using a slightly different format, but after its usual holiday hiatus, Saturday Night Live resumed with its normal live performances intact.
However, Saturday Night Live is soon due back on the air. With the Winter Olympics set to end on February 22, Saturday Night Live will return as normal on Saturday, February 26. It will be hosted by comedian John Mulaney, with LCD Soundsystem appearing as the episode's musical guest.
Saturday Night Live's latest hiatus has been almost a month long, with its last episode aired on January 29 hosted by Willem Dafoe. Other hosts from season 47 have included Will Forte, Kieran Culkin, Kim Kardashian West, and Simu Liu in his hosting debut. Mulaney is set to host February's only episode, returning to host the show for a fifth time, making him part of Saturday Night Live's 5-timers club.
Having once worked as a writer for Saturday Night Live, Mulaney is best known for his comedy, particularly his stand-up shows The Comeback Kid and Kid Gorgeous. However, Mulaney has also branched out into voice acting, perhaps most notably voicing Peter Porker/Spider-Ham in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. Mulaney's voice will also appear in Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers as the first of the two titular chipmunks. He also stars in Netflix's Big Mouth as Andrew Glouberman.
Mulaney hosting for Saturday Night Live's return is a safe and familiar choice in the wake of season 47's chaotic schedule. After two hiatuses in as many months, and SNL forced to cancel its live show late last year, the ever-popular sketch show certainly could do with some stability - something which Saturday Night Live veteran John Mulaney can surely deliver in spades. Other hosts for upcoming season 47 episodes include Oscar Isaac and Zoë Kravitz, with Charli XCX due to deliver her live performance after it was canceled in December last year, and with the Winter Olympics over, Saturday Night Live should finally be able to return to its normal schedule on February 26.
