SNL 50’s Emmy Win Raises Stakes For Season 51 Amid Cast Changes
Saturday Night Live is undergoing various significant changes ahead of season 51, and after the show’s recent triumph, its cast exodus is looking riskier than ever. The NBC late-night live sketch comedy variety series, created by Lorne Michaels, is coming off a landmark season. And now that the celebrations are over, Saturday Night Live is aiming for a reset in fall 2025.
As of the writing of this article, five SNL cast members are leaving — Heidi Gardner, Ego Nwodim, Devon Walker, Michael Longfellow, and Emil Wakim. Meanwhile, five comedians are joining the season 51 cast as featured players — Tommy Brennan, Jeremy Culhane, Kam Patterson, Veronika Slowikowska, and Ben Marshall. Consequently, SNL season 51 is as close to an overhaul as the series can get.
Saturday Night Live’s 50th Anniversary Beats Heavy-Hitters At The 77th Emmys
SNL50 Won The Emmy For Outstanding Variety Special (Live)
Kate McKinnon, Meryl Streep, Pedro Pascal SNL50 in the Close Encounter sketch
A few weeks before the SNL season 51 premiere, Michaels and co. won Outstanding Variety Special (Live) at the 77th Primetime Emmy Awards for “SNL50: The Anniversary Special.” NBC’s three-hour TV special, which premiered on February 16, 2025, reigned supreme over its fellow nominees, many of which would have easily taken home the trophy. Alas, SNL came out on top.
The other nominees included The Apple Music Super Bowl LIX Halftime Show Starring Kendrick Lamar, Beyoncé Bowl, the 97th Academy Awards, and SNL50: The Homecoming Concert. Lamar’s Super Bowl Halftime Show was praised by many, as was the Beyoncé Bowl, making SNL‘s win all the more impressive. It’s also always a feat for any production to win over the Oscars.
The Cast Exodus Could Fail Epically
Ego Nwodim points a microphone at the audience Weekend Update on Saturday Night Live
“SNL50: The Anniversary Special” served as a celebration of the NBC TV series’ groundbreaking 50 years on the air. The episode highlighted its history by bringing back iconic former cast members such as original SNL stars Garrett Morris and Laraine Newman, Bill Murray, Eddie Murphy, Tina Fey, and many more. However, it also honored the show’s current cast.
So, with “SNL50: The Anniversary Special” taking home an Emmy, Michaels’ latest achievement just proves how risky it is for NBC to restructure the series for season 51. The previous season has received so much attention and praise that deviating from it with a cast exodus could result in SNL taking a turn for the worse. Change isn’t always a good thing.
Perhaps SNL season 51’s shocking exits and new additions will benefit the show in the long run. The new cast makeup could turn out to be the best lineup of comedians in the series’ history. But nothing is certain, and given Saturday Night Live season 50’s recent Emmy win, Michaels and the other producers are gambling with the show’s future.
Saturday Night Live season 51 premieres on Saturday, October 4, at 11:30 pm ET on NBC.
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