‘Saturday Night Live’ cancels Pete Davidson episode following writers strike
The return of comedian Pete Davidson to Saturday Night Live has been put on hold as the show’s writing room prepares to go on strike.
NBC has announced that they will be shutting down production of the long-running sketch comedy series while the Writers Guild of America goes on strike. Davidson’s scheduled May 6th episode is the first victim of the strike, along with nearly all late-night programmes.
“Though we negotiated intent on making a fair deal – and though your strike vote gave us the leverage to make some gains – the studios’ responses to our proposals have been wholly insufficient, given the existential crisis writers are facing,” the WGA wrote Tuesday in a message sent directly to its members.
“We must now exert the maximum leverage possible to get a fair contract by withholding our labour,” the guild leadership added. “Members of the Negotiating Committee, Board and Council will be out with you on the picket lines.”
“It sucks because it just feeds my weird story I have in my head, like, of course, that would happen to me,” Davidson joked to fellow SNL alum Jimmy Fallon during his most recent appearance on The Tonight Show.
“We have to think about our crew too,” an anonymous SNL cast member told Deadline. “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.”
Never Miss A Scene
The Far Out Film Newsletter
All the latest film news from the independent voice of culture.
Straight to your inbox.