Pete Davidson was scheduled to host "Saturday Night Live" on Saturday, May 6 with a musical guest Lil Uzi Vert, however, that episode has been postponed. The 29-year Old comedian made several appearances on the popular TV program between 2014 and 2022, however, his eagerly awaited comeback as a guest presenter has been postponed as a result of the Writers Guild of America's announcement of strike action. Repeat airings of "Saturday Night Live" have already been confirmed by the program's network, NBC, until further notice.
On the sketch comedy show, Pete Davidson quickly rose to fame, but he previously admitted to being anxious about his much-anticipated comeback. The comedian made humor out of the possibility of a writer's strike by saying that he will take it personally.
It sucks," he said to host Jimmy Fallon during an April 28 appearance of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, "because it just feeds my weird story I have in my head, like, 'Of course that would happen to me.'"
At the time, Pete said he was skeptical if his episode would tape, though "it would be really cool" to revisit his old stomping grounds.
Members of the New York City Guild began the work stoppage early on Tuesday by picketing in front of NBC's Manhattan offices. Sketches for Saturday Night Live are typically written in the days before their live broadcast due to the rigorous writing schedule. Other shows like HBO's House of the Dragon have completed their scripts and intend to continue shooting though, usually without the writer on location for last-minute changes.
WGA Strike Action
Aidy Bryant, a former cast member of SNL, and Sarah Sharman, a current cast member were both sighted on the picket line to show their support. Davidson, on his part, hinted that he anticipated the cancellation. A strike was approved by the WGA in April after week-long negotiations with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) couldn't reach an agreement by May 1.
"The WGA Negotiating Committee began this process intent on making a fair deal, but the studios' responses have been wholly insufficient given the existential crisis writers are facing," the guild said in a statement on May 1. "Picketing will begin tomorrow afternoon."
On Monday, it was announced that thousands of Hollywood Television and film screenwriters would go on strike until the issue is resolved.
Davidson, meanwhile, made his intention to leave the program public last year. The comedian said that he was "super emotional" at the time as he reflected on his experience on "Saturday Night Live".
The broadcast schedule for SNL has been impacted by strikes before. When a WGA strike halted production in 2007, the show had only aired four episodes of its 33rd season, effectively canceling two previously scheduled tapings featuring Dwayne Johnson and Jonah Hill.
Three months later, in February 2008, the show returned with Tina Fey as host. While a typical season has about 20 episodes, this one only had 12.