No, Bad Bunny isn’t already back again on Saturday Night Live, tonight’s episode is just a rerun while the show is on break.
The NBC sketch show is off this week so fans have the chance to catch up on — or rewatch — season 51’s opener.
Saturday’s show is a repeat of the season premiere with host Bad Bunny and musical guest Doja Cat that originally aired on Oct. 4. The episode was also the debut of the show’s five new cast members, Tommy Brennan, Jeremy Culhane, Ben Marshall, Kam Patterson, and Veronika Slowikowska, following the exits of several major players.
Saturday Night Live/YouTube
SNL will return next Saturday, Nov. 1, with a trio of new episodes. The first will be hosted by Eternity star Miles Teller with musical guest Brandi Carlile. Stand-up comic and first-time SNL host Nikki Glaser and musical guest Sombr will then take the helm on Nov. 8. Finally, Chad Powers star Glen Powell will make his hosting debut on Nov. 15 alongside musician Olivia Dean.
Other shows this season so far included former cast member Amy Poehler returning to host on Oct. 11 with musical guest Role Model and special appearances by her old costars Tina Fey and Seth Meyers. The alumni trio popped up together on “Weekend Update” for a “joke-off” against Colin Jost and Michael Che.
That was followed by an Oct. 18 episode with Sabrina Carpenter doing double duty as both host and musical guest, and dropping two F-bombs during her final song.
Ahead of the season 51 premiere, fans learned that cast members Heidi Gardner, Ego Nwodim, Devon Walker, Michael Longfellow, Emil Wakim, and Please Don’t Destroy’s John Higgins were all not returning to the show.
“The hardest part of a great party is knowing when to say goodnight. But after seven unforgettable seasons, I have decided to leave SNL,” Nwodim announced on social media in September. “I am immensely grateful to Lorne for the opportunity, to my castmates, the writers, and the crew for their brilliance support, and friendship. Week after week on that stage taught me more than I could have ever imagined, and I will carry those memories (and that laughter) with me always.”
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Longtime show boss Lorne Michaels has called the cast turnover good for SNL.
“The show has always brought people in from different ages and different generations and it’s how it revives itself,” he told Entertainment Tonight on the Emmys red carpet. “It’s always hard when people leave, but there’s a time for that and our audience has always stayed relatively young, and more so now with TikTok.”
Saturday Night Live airs Saturdays at 11:30 p.m. ET/8:30 p.m. PT on NBC and Peacock.
