September 28, 2024 Season 50 episode
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| Episode | 969 |
| Season Episode | 1 |
| Host | Jean Smart |
| Musical Guest(s) | Jelly Roll |
| Song(s) performed by Musical Guest(s) |
"Liar" "Winning Streak" |
| Previous Episode May 18, 2024 (Season 49) |
Next Episode October 5, 2024 |
The 969th episode and the season premiere of Season 50 of Saturday Night Live premiered on September 28, 2024, hosted by actress Jean Smart, the star of CBS' classic hit sitcom Designing Women, the ABC's classic sitcom Samantha Who? and the HBO Max's hit dark comedy-drama series Hacks, with musical guest Jelly Roll, a country singer-songwriter. Jelly Roll made his musical guest debut, and this is also the first-time as host on SNL for Jean Smart, thus making her the second and last former cast member from Designing Women as well as the first lead cast member from Hacks to host SNL.
This marked the first episode for new cast members: Ashley Padilla, Emil Wakim, and Jane Wickline.
The goodnight speech for Jean Smart is "Thanks to Jelly Roll, Maya Rudolph, Jim Gaffigan, Andy Samberg, Dana Carvey, (Cheers and applause), I had the Best Time!". (Cheers and applause again)
Cast[]
Repertory Players[]
- Michael Che
- Mikey Day
- Andrew Dismukes
- Chloe Fineman
- Heidi Gardner
- Marcello Hernandez
- James Austin Johnson
- Colin Jost
- Michael Longfellow
- Ego Nwodim
- Sarah Sherman
- Kenan Thompson
- Devon Walker
- Bowen Yang
Featured Players[]
- Ashley Padilla (First Appearance)
- Emil Wakim (First Appearance)
- Jane Wickline (First Appearance)
- Cameos by SNL alums Maya Rudolph, Andy Samberg, and Dana Carvey, Jim Gaffigan, and Hannah Einbinder.
Sketches and Musical Performances[]
Cold Open Sketch Videotaped Weekend Update Music Performance Other
| Title | Image | Summary |
|---|---|---|
| Harris and Trump Rallies Cold Opening | 
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Splitting rallies between Kamala Harris (Maya Rudolph) and Tim Walz (Jim Gaffigan), and Donald Trump (James Austin Johnson) and J.D. Vance (Bowen Yang). With Andrew Dismukes as David Muir, Andy Samberg as Doug Emhoff, and Dana Carvey as President Joe Biden. |
| Opening Montage |     
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The new opening montage features a new logo for SNL's 50th anniversary season, SNL 50. The montage is also redone with the new logo. Additionally, cast members Punkie Johnson, Molly Kearney, and Chloe Troast are gone from the intro, since they all left the show before this season, Marcello Hernandez, Michael Longfellow, and Devon Walker were all promoted to repertory players, and the first credits for new cast members Ashley Padilla, Emil Wakim, and Jane Wickline as featured players. Very fast-paced, somewhat similar to the 1998-2000 montages. A new logo, and at the beginning, has multiple logos. Like previous intros, this one has the cast hanging out at various NY locations. Season 50's opening montage brings in a radically new musical arrangement, highlighting the band's guitar, bass, and horn sections more than previous arrangements in recent history. Lenny Pickett's ever-lengthening tenor sax bridge is also shortened in this arrangement. This montage pays tribute to various eras of the show in many different ways. Each of SNL's logos, starting from 1975, is quickly displayed in chronological order, culminating with the SNL50 anniversary logo. Several number of easter eggs are also incorporated in some cast member shots. For example, Bowen Yang's shot pays tribute to Season 10's opening montage, where each cast member plays in a miniature New York City. |
| Monologue by Jean Smart | 
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Hosting for the first time, actress Jean Smart talks about hosting the season premiere of SNL 50, how she likes being in New York, and her career before singing “I Happen To Like New York.” |
| $100,000 Pyramid | 
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Michael Strahan (Devon Walker) hosts a game show with celebrity guests the Hawk Tuah girl Hailey Welch (Chloe Fineman), Chimp Crazy’s Tonia Haddix (Jean Smart), Bad Bunny (Marcello Hernandez), and North Carolina Governor Mark Robinson (Kenan Thompson). First appearance of Emil Wakim as a cast member and he played the Turkish shooter Yusuf Dikç. |
| Spirit Halloween | 
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An ad for the one store that will always be there, Spirit Halloween. First appearances of Ashley Padilla and Jane Wickline as cast members. |
| Next Episode Commercial Bumper | Nate Bargatze will make his second appearance as SNL host on Oct. 5th. Bargatze’s “The Be Funny Tour” continues this fall with dates nationwide. Coldplay will perform as the musical guest for the eighth time. The band’s 10th studio album, “Moon Music,” will be released Oct. 4th. | |
| Textbook Writer | 
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A textbook writer (Jean Smart) meets with publishing executives to discuss an issue with her math textbook. With Kenan Thompson, Ego Nwodim, Mikey Day, and Ashley Padilla. |
| Jelly Roll performed "Liar". | 
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Hannah Einbinder, daughter of original (and former) Not Ready for Primetime Player Laraine Newman, as well as Smart's co-star on Hacks joins Jean Smart in introducing musical guest Jelly Roll for the first song, "Liar". |
| Weekend Update with Colin Jost and Michael Che | 
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Weekend Update anchors Colin Jost and Michael Che tackle the season premiere week's biggest news like SNL kicking off its 50th anniversary season and New York City’s Mayor Eric Adams' indictments and the scientists saying an asteroid will become Earth’s mini moon. With guests, New York City Mayor Eric Adams (Devon Walker) stops by Weekend Update to discuss his mayorship, and his federal indictments, and Moo Deng (Bowen Yang) stops by Weekend Update desk to discuss her newfound fame. |
| I Love Lucy | 
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A television host (Bowen Yang) takes a look back on a groundbreaking comedy that changed television. Actress (Jean Smart) does not do well on the pilot of "I Love Lucy". Also features Marcello Hernandez as Deci Arnaz, Chloe Fineman as Ethel, and James Austin Johnson as Fred. |
| Charli XCX Talk Show | 
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Charli XCX (Bowen Yang) hosts a talk show with DJ Troye Sivan (Sarah Sherman) and guests (Jean Smart), Kaitlan Collins (Chloe Fineman), and Rep. Jasmine Crockett (Ego Nwodim). |
| Jelly Roll performed "Winning Streak" | 
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| Real Housewives of Santa Fe Dinner | 
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The Real Housewives of Santa Fe (Jean Smart, Heidi Gardner, Ego Nwodim, Chloe Fineman, Sarah Sherman, and Ashley Padilla) have lunch at a Mexican restaurant to clear the air. With Bowen Yang as Louise's husband and Andrew Dismukes as the waiter. |
| In Memoriam | 
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Before the goodnights, a photo of Tom McCarthy, former senior vice president and global chief security officer for NBC, who died July 10, is shown in silence. |
| Goodbyes and Closing Credits | 
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Jean Smart thanked Jelly Roll, Maya Rudolph, Jim Gaffigan, Andy Samberg, and Dana Carvey and she had the best time. Some of the cast point to Ashley Padilla, Emil Wakim, and Jane Wickline, as this is their first episode in the cast. Also, during the goodnights, Heidi Gardner was wearing the Church Lady shirt that Dana Carvey made his first appearance since 2016. |
Cut-for-Time[]
Cold Open Sketch Videotaped Weekend Update Music Performance Other
| Title | Image | Summary |
|---|---|---|
| A Father's Promise | In this Cut for Time sketch, parents (Jean Smart, Andrew Dismukes) attend their son’s (Marcello Hernández) baseball game. | |
| Blonde Dragon People | In this Cut for Time sketch, a group of friends (Heidi Gardner, Andrew Dismukes, Devon Walker, and Jane Wickline) try to watch a new season of their favorite show. |
Trivia[]
- This also marked the first episode for new writers: Allie Levitan, Moss Perricone, and Carl Tart.
- Additionally, starting with this episode, fellow writers Dan Bulla (who has been on the writing staff since 2019) and Auguste White (who became a writer back in 2022), are named as the show's co-writing supervisors, alongside Celeste Yim and Will Stephen.
- Also, Rosebud Baker (who joined the writing staff back in 2022) is named as a writer for Weekend Update (joining Pete Schultz, Dennis McNicholas, KC Shornima, and Megan Callahan-Shah).
- Lastly, in terms of the writing staff, Sudi Green (who was previously a writer for the show from 2015 to 2021) returns temporarily to the writing staff, for the first-half of the season, to cover Yim, who is currently taking a break from SNL.
- This episode marks the debut of a new arrangement of the theme song.
- Smart sings "I Happen to Like New York" in her opening monologue.
- Before the goodnights, a photo of Tom McCarthy, former senior vice president and global chief security officer for NBC, who died in the week, is shown in silence.
- In versions distributed online and internationally, the "Textbook Writer" sketch is amended to include a shot from the dress rehearsal version, owing to a props error made by Smart in the live program.
- According to NBC, this is the most-watched episode ever on Peacock, "through the first weekend".
- Actress Blake Lively was originally going to host this episode, but backed out due to recent controversies.
Trivia/Notes[]
- Also, for the season premiere of Saturday Night Live, Jean Smart and Jelly Roll are making their respective Hosts and Musical Guests debuts and joining the all-rookie lineup for the 20th time.
- Jean Smart is the first reigning Primetime Emmy Award Winner for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series to host SNL since Phoebe Waller-Bridge in 2019.
- (September 28, 2024) Jean Smart / Jelly Roll episode also featured the twenty-seventh largest age gap in SNL history between an individual Host and Musical Guest.
- Dana Carvey and Maya Rudolph also said "Live from New York, it's Saturday Night" for the 56th time, remains in 3rd place all-time and the 19th time, tying Kristen Wiig and Bowen Yang for 26th place all-time.
- Michael Che passes Kate McKinnon for Most Episodes as an SNL Cast Member.
- Heidi Gardner wore a The Church Lady shirt during the SNL Goodnights on the night that Dana Carvey made his first appearance since 2016.
- Bowen Yang is the first SNL cast member to have 3+ straight SNL Premieres desk piece on Weekend Update/the show's news segment since Joe Piscopo (Seasons 6-9).
- Kenan Thompson breaking the SNL record appearing in his 22nd season as a cast member. (Previously hold - Kenan Thompson 21).
- At 13 minutes and 5 seconds, this week's Harris and Trump Rallies Cold Open was the 4th longest SNL segment since Season 43.
- Jean Smart's screen time in the SNL premiere was among the lowest screen times for a host in the last 8 years.
- Dana Carvey became SNL's 10th impersonator of Joe Biden in his comeback to the show after nearly eight years.
- Jean Smart is become the oldest host for an SNL premiere at age 73. Previous record: Woody Harrelson (58 Season 45)
- To begin its historic 50th anniversary season, SNL will feature two of the oldest hosts in the show's history, Jean Smart and Michael Keaton, born just 8 days apart from each other in 1951! They will be the first ever 73 year-olds to host.
- Five have been older.
- 1. Betty White - 88.3
- 2. Miskel Spillman - 80.3
- 3. Ruth Gordon - 80.2
- 4. Mary Palin - 80.0
- 5. Steve Martin - 77.3
| Preceded by: May 18, 2024 (Season 49) |
Saturday Night Live episode | Followed by: October 5, 2024 |