SNL Cuts Three Cast Members as Michaels Preps Season 51 Shake-Up

NBC’s “Saturday Night Live” is undergoing its most significant cast turnover since before last year’s 50th-anniversary season. On 28 August, multiple trade publications reported that comedian Michael Longfellow will not return for Season 51, ending a three-season run that began in 2022. His departure follows public exit announcements this week from Devon Walker, who spent three seasons on the show, and Emil Wakim, a featured player hired last year. The exits come after longtime creator and executive producer Lorne Michaels, 80, told Puck News on 22 August that he felt “pressure to reinvent” the program and signalled a “significant shake-up” ahead of the new season. The full Season 51 lineup is expected to be revealed in early September. Season 51 of the late-night sketch series is scheduled to premiere live from Studio 8H on 4 October at 11:30 p.m. Eastern on NBC, with next-day streaming on Peacock.