Since “Saturday Night Live” wrapped up Season 42 in May, there has been a ton of political news that the sketch comedy show would definitely have tackled. Viewers are waiting patiently for the “SNL” takes on people in the White House, like the breakout impersonation of former White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer by comedian Melissa McCarthy.
In August there’s at least some “SNL” to tide you over before the real thing returns. NBC is premiering “Saturday Night Live: Weekend Update” at 9 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 10. It’s slated for a four-week run, which should get viewers pretty close to the full return of “Saturday Night Live.”
But for everyone who was a fan of Season 42 and “SNL” characters like Spicy, Alec Baldwin’s Donald Trump, and breakouts like Tom Hanks as David S. Pumpkins, there’s one big question that needs answering: When does Season 43 start?
NBC announced toward the end of August that Season 43 starts on Sept. 30. The first host of the season is actor Ryan Gosling. Jay-Z will serve the premiere episode’s musical guest.
Season 43 will look a little different from Season 42. Three cast members departed the show at the end of Season 42: Bobby Moynihan, who’d been on the show since 2008; Sasheer Zamata, who joined the show in 2014; and Vanessa Bayer, who was a cast member since 2010. It’s pretty likely the show will introduce new faces to replace them, but no other announcements for casting have been made for Season 43 yet.
We also know that one key guest will be returning to the show: Baldwin, to continue his famous Trump impersonation. He’s already reprised the role between seasons on “Saturday Night Live: Weekend Update” to see off White House Political Strategist Steve Bannon (represented, as always, as the Grim Reaper).
Other shakeups in the White House staff mean it’s unlikely that at least one other beloved Trump Administration character that popped up along the way, McCarthy’s Sean Spicer, will return. Then again, given the way staff changes in the White House, it’s hard to predict anything that might happen.