Is Saturday Night Live new tonight on NBC, August 26, 2023?

Is Saturday Night Live new tonight on NBC? This has been the ever-present question for much of the past four-plus months and through all of it, the answer has been the same. The final shows of the season in May were canceled due to the start of the WGA strike. That remains ongoing now, well over 110 days in.

So where do things stand entering tonight? Well … let’s just say the news that we got is not exactly a source of further positivity. There is no new installment on the air tonight; not only that, but the show remains without a clear return date to the schedule. It could be October, or it could be some weeks or months after the fact.

The most important thing to spotlight now is simple: Where things stand with the strikes. For the past couple of weeks, it appeared as though there could be a little bit of progress between the WGA and the AMPTP, otherwise known as the big governing body of streaming services and studios. That all changed when the AMPTP decided to share with the press the proposals they laid out to the writers, which were both incomplete and lacking. Somehow, this organization continues to operate with the same playbook as always — trying to use the media to divide up labor. It hasn’t worked, and writers still deserve a fair deal.

Oh, and did we mention that SAG-AFTRA remains on strike too? This is one of the biggest standstills that we’ve seen in some time within the entertainment industry.

Where all of this leaves Saturday Night Live

Obviously, the show needs writers and cast members. Luckily, if the strikes do end over the next month or two, it can come back faster than most of its scripted counterparts. There will likely be at least some cast changes since there often are. We also hope that Pete Davidson, Kieran Culkin, and Jennifer Coolidge get to host, given that they were planned to be getting the gig before the strike shut things down in May.

Who else do we want? Well, having Margot Robbie host one week (she previously hosted a premiere) and Cillian Murphy the next would be a great way to tribute the runaway Barbie – Oppenheimer success over the summer. Beyond that … surprise us?

If you are still reading this article, you probably love Saturday Night Live as much as we do and are desperate to see it back. Let’s hope that happens soon, but also under a fair deal that gives all creators exactly what they deserve.

What are you most hoping to see whenever the show does return?

Have your own dream future host or sketch idea? Sound off now in the attached comments!

(Photo: NBC.)