For the fourth time in show history, SNL’s season was shortened due to a strike by the Writers Guild of America, this time pushing the premiere back to October 14.

Lorne Michaels called this season a transition year, with the addition of four new players – Marcello Hernandez, Molly Kearney, Michael Longfellow, and Devon Walker – taking over after so many cast members left following the previous season.

Season 47 resulted in significant change, with cast members Aidy Bryant, Pete Davidson, Kate McKinnon, Alex Moffat, Kyle Mooney, Chris Redd, and Melissa Villaseñor all leaving the show.

SNL returned to Studio 8H after producing ‘At Home’ shows due to the pandemic, though with a limited audience. It also marks the first time an episode was live-streamed internationally.

This season was halted in March of 2020 due to the global COVID-19 pandemic. After more than four weeks hiatus, the show resumed in a new format for its final three shows. Dubbed Saturday Night Live at Home, cast members performed from home via video conferencing.

Season 44 would be the fifth and final season for cast member Leslie Jones.

In this season, Kenan Thompson became the longest-serving cast member in SNL history, reaching fifteen seasons and counting.

Season 42 featured the first broadcast to go live in all four time zones in the contiguous US, and saw Alec Baldwin appear multiple times as Donald Trump.

Season 41 was notable for its stability after two years of significant cast changes. It also saw Kate McKinnon win the Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series.

Also known as Saturday Night Live 40 or just SNL 40, this season was the first after the death of longtime announcer Don Pardo, who had been with the show nearly without interruption since its inception in 1975. He was succeeded by former cast member, Darrell Hammond.