Saturday Night Live season 43: Chris Redd, Heidi Garnder, Luke Null join
The first of the three new featured players is Chris Redd, which is a little ironic given that he was rumored to join the show at one point before season 42. He’s an actor, a comedian, and a writer who was recently a regular on the Netflix – Chuck Lorre comedy Disjointed; according to Deadline, an agreement was reached so he could be released from that show. (There is no word on if it will even return for a second season.)
Meanwhile, Redd will be joined from SuperMansion performer Heidi Gardner and also Luke Null of iO Chicago. These three are filling openings left in the cast by some notable departures, including Vanessa Bayer, Bobby Moynihan, and Sasheer Zamata. Trying to come on in the place of these three is likely not going to be an easy challenge for any of them, so we wish them good luck with that.
Of course, at the same time we’re thrilled for all three given that there is no better opportunity than being a part of SNL if you have dreams of making it big in the TV – comedy world. The show is a huge launching pad, and we’ve got a feeling that culturally it’s more relevant than ever due to the Donald Trump spoofs and some of the ways in which the show has used celebrity cameos. In some ways, it’s the likes of Alec Baldwin and Melissa McCarthy who apply more pressure to SNL than it’s had in recent years. They have to find a way to stand out on a show that has become more reliant over the past year or two on bringing in ridiculously famous people to play recurring characters — look at Larry David as Bernie Sanders or McCarthy as Sean Spicer. They do need to create more star opportunities for their current cast while also balancing in celebrity cameos for ratings and attention. SNL may have nothing to worry about ratings-wise, but if they do want to create a strong foundation for the show they do need to make more of their cast members into household names. As of right now we’d argue that Kenan Thompson and Kate McKinnon are the two biggest stars on the program, and there needs to be a deeper bench beyond them.
When does Saturday Night Live premiere?
Well, in just a matter of days! Ryan Gosling is the host for the first episode, and he is going to be joined by musical guest JAY-Z. Beyond that, you will see in the coming weeks hosting gigs from the likes of Kumail Nanjiani and Gal Gadot. You can read more about them coming on board over at the link here.
What do you think about Chris Redd, Heidi Gardner, and Luke Null joining Saturday Night Live? Be sure to share in the comments section below! Also if you want to stay up to date with all of out Saturday Night Live coverage then we suggest joining our CarterMatt Facebook page at the link here. (Photo: NBC.)