After last season’s all-SNL, all-the-time celebration of 50 years on the air, the natural question is: what can possibly serve as an encore?
Maybe nothing. Lorne Michaels is far too pragmatic a producer to believe the 51st season of Saturday Night Live could top, or even equal, the extravaganza of SNL50. But that doesn’t mean he won’t try.
The start of every SNL season is an event. The show remains one of the few cultural institutions that can still move the needle across television, music, and film. And this fall, one final 50th-centric milestone looms.
After the premiere on October 4, the very next episode—October 11—will mark 50 years to the day since SNL first aired in 1975.
(For those tempted to do the math: don’t. This year’s calendar also aligns with 1941 and 1969. Just chalk it up to one of those quirks.)
The point is, SNL has the rare chance to celebrate its half-century birthday on an actual Saturday night. If Michaels chooses to make it special, the season could open with a true doubleheader: a big premiere, followed by a big anniversary.
The lineup of opening hosts has not been made public, and likely won’t be until later this month. Still, history and timing suggest some intriguing candidates worth considering.
SNL has often tried to pair itself cultural moments that feel undeniable. And at the top of any such list this fall, the grand-slam choice is Taylor Swift.
If she isn’t the single biggest star in entertainment right now, she is certainly among the very few who could claim the title. And the timing couldn’t be better. Her new album, The Life of a Showgirl, drops October 3—the day before SNL’s premiere.
She wouldn’t have to host to dominate the evening; serving as musical guest alone would spark enormous attention. But the true coup would be Swift pulling double duty as both host and performer.
Naturally there have been rumors about this happening. Which mean nothing. Swift’s personal history with the show has taken some interesting turns.
She hosted once, in 2009, to strong reviews, and has returned as musical guest several times since—in 2014, 2017, 2019, and 2021, when she also popped into a “Please Don’t Destroy” sketch. But she has never hosted again.
In 2015, when SNL planned a parody of her “Bad Blood” video, Michaels invited her to join. She declined, and even asked him not to do it. His reply, as he later recalled: “Taylor, I do not negotiate with terrorists.” Swift extended the joke by sending him flowers with a note that read, “Hope there is no bad blood.”
She turned up for the 40th anniversary, appearing in an all-star “Californians” sketch and singing duets with Paul McCartney at the afterparty. She skipped the 50th.
Her last appearance on the show was a surprise cameo in the 2023 season opener, when she introduced musical guest Ice Spice.
Bottom line: It’s been a while, and if she wanted to make maximum noise for her album—and the show wanted maximum buzz for its premiere—October 4 would be the moment.
As for the second half of the doubleheader, the focus shifts from present-day megastardom to the show’s founding DNA.
kFifty years is a long time, and not many names from the inaugural cast remain realistic candidates. Chevy Chase is still standing, as are Jane Curtin, Laraine Newman, Garrett Morris, and Dan Aykroyd. Of that group, Aykroyd—if he were willing—would appear the most likely choice. (He conspicuously skipped the 50th anniversary festivities last February, choosing instead to cheer it on from afar.)
Looking beyond the original lineup, two obvious figures loom: Bill Murray and Steve Martin.
Murray, who joined midway through season two, made an instant impact and went on to one of the most accomplished film careers of any SNL alum. He returned for the show’s 50th earlier this year, reprising his role as Nick the Lounge Singer at the Homecoming Concert and also appearing on “Weekend Update” to rank former anchors.
Martin, though never a cast member, has been almost as synonymous with the show as any of them, hosting repeatedly since the 70s. His Czech brother duo with Aykroyd—the “wild and crazy guys”—is among the show’s most enduring creations. Their last revival came in 2013, when they squared off against Justin Timberlake and Andy Samberg’s “D*ck in a Box” duo in a game-show parody. (It killed.)
Still, as sentimental as Michaels can be at times, last season suggested he’s less inclined these days to reach deep into the archives when booking hosts. His tendency has been to lean toward the “now,” which in its way is as much the show’s legacy as its past.
Which brings up one more name. Among the most warmly received hosts of recent seasons has been Nate Bargatze, whose two appearances—both in October, in 2023 and 2024—were surprise highlights. His current tour has him booked nearly every Saturday night this October. Except one: October 11.
Stay tuned.
