NEW YORK — The final two episodes of “Saturday Night Live” season 48 were supposed to be hosted by actors Kieran Culkin and Jennifer Coolidge before the WGA writers strike forced the show to shut down early.
The live sketch comedy show is now planning to air reruns for the remaining three weeks of the season.
The news comes just one day after it was announced that the May 6 episode, which was scheduled to feature former cast member Pete Davidson as host, was canceled due to the strike. It would have been Davidson’s first time hosting and first time returning since he left the cast after Season 47 last May.
It also means the Ana de Armas-hosted episode from April 15 will have been the final live show of the 48th season, reports Deadline.
For Culkin, who stars in HBO’s “Succession,” it would have been his second time hosting the live sketch show. He made his first appearance in 2022 on Season 47.
Jennifer Coolidge, who’s had an award-winning year starring in HBO’s “The White Lotus,” would have made her “SNL” debut in the season finale on May 21. The Foo Fighters were scheduled to close out her episode.
Deadline reports that “SNL” staff members will still be paid for the final two episodes, a decision that comes after NBC announced staffers of “ The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” and “Late Night with Seth Meyers “ would also be paid for their canceled episodes.
“We have to think about our crew too,” said one “SNL” cast member. “I absolutely support the writers, and I want the writers to get what they deserve and need, but I don’t want our crew to be out of work. We can’t make this art without each other.”
