Saturday Night Live season 51
Updated: 12/21/2025, 5:11:12 AM Wikipedia source
The fifty-first season of the American sketch comedy late night television program Saturday Night Live premiered on October 4, 2025 on NBC and Peacock during the 2025–26 television season, with host Bad Bunny and musical guest Doja Cat. In the season, the series is expected to reach a milestone, scheduled to air its 1,000th episode.
Infobox
No. of episodes
9
Original network
NBC and Peacock
Original release
October 4, 2025 (2025-10-04) –present
Tables
· Episodes
989
989
No.overall
989
No. inseason
1
Host
Bad Bunny
Musical guest
Doja Cat
Original release date
October 4, 2025 (2025-10-04)
U.S. viewers(millions)
4.41
Doja Cat performs "AAAHH MEN!" and "Gorgeous".
Jon Hamm appears in the opening monologue and the El Chavo del Ocho (English version) sketch.
Ejae, Audrey Nuna, and Rei Ami appear in the KPop Demon Hunters sketch, reprising their roles as Huntrix.
Benicio del Toro appears in the "Inventing Spanish" sketch.
Tommy Brennan, Jeremy Culhane, Ben Marshall, Kam Patterson, and Veronika Slowikowska's first episode as cast members.
Jane Wickline is credited in the opening montage but did not appear in this episode, although she appears on stage during the goodnights.
Doja Cat performs "AAAHH MEN!" and "Gorgeous".
Jon Hamm appears in the opening monologue and the El Chavo del Ocho (English version) sketch.
Ejae, Audrey Nuna, and Rei Ami appear in the KPop Demon Hunters sketch, reprising their roles as Huntrix.
Benicio del Toro appears in the "Inventing Spanish" sketch.
Tommy Brennan, Jeremy Culhane, Ben Marshall, Kam Patterson, and Veronika Slowikowska's first episode as cast members.
Jane Wickline is credited in the opening montage but did not appear in this episode, although she appears on stage during the goodnights.
No.overall
Doja Cat performs "AAAHH MEN!" and "Gorgeous".
Jon Hamm appears in the opening monologue and the El Chavo del Ocho (English version) sketch.
Ejae, Audrey Nuna, and Rei Ami appear in the KPop Demon Hunters sketch, reprising their roles as Huntrix.
Benicio del Toro appears in the "Inventing Spanish" sketch.
Tommy Brennan, Jeremy Culhane, Ben Marshall, Kam Patterson, and Veronika Slowikowska's first episode as cast members.
Jane Wickline is credited in the opening montage but did not appear in this episode, although she appears on stage during the goodnights.
990
990
No.overall
990
No. inseason
2
Host
Amy Poehler
Musical guest
Role Model
Original release date
October 11, 2025 (2025-10-11)
U.S. viewers(millions)
4.07
Role Model performs "Sally, When the Wine Runs Out" and "Some Protector".
Tina Fey appears as Kristi Noem in the cold open and appears on Weekend Update.
Aubrey Plaza appears in the pre-recorded "The Hunting Wives season two trailer" sketch.
Charli XCX appears during Role Model's first performance as the "Sally".
Seth Meyers appears on Weekend Update.
When introducing the musical guest, Poehler wears t-shirts with the original SNL logo and a photo of the original Not Ready for Prime Time Players. Also, the final bumper card recreates a shot from the season one opening titles, including the original title NBC's Saturday Night, with this episode airing 50 years to the day of the series premiere in 1975.
Before the goodnights, a photo of Diane Keaton, who died earlier in the day, is shown in silence.
Role Model performs "Sally, When the Wine Runs Out" and "Some Protector".
Tina Fey appears as Kristi Noem in the cold open and appears on Weekend Update.
Aubrey Plaza appears in the pre-recorded "The Hunting Wives season two trailer" sketch.
Charli XCX appears during Role Model's first performance as the "Sally".
Seth Meyers appears on Weekend Update.
When introducing the musical guest, Poehler wears t-shirts with the original SNL logo and a photo of the original Not Ready for Prime Time Players. Also, the final bumper card recreates a shot from the season one opening titles, including the original title NBC's Saturday Night, with this episode airing 50 years to the day of the series premiere in 1975.
Before the goodnights, a photo of Diane Keaton, who died earlier in the day, is shown in silence.
No.overall
Role Model performs "Sally, When the Wine Runs Out" and "Some Protector".
Tina Fey appears as Kristi Noem in the cold open and appears on Weekend Update.
Aubrey Plaza appears in the pre-recorded "The Hunting Wives season two trailer" sketch.
Charli XCX appears during Role Model's first performance as the "Sally".
Seth Meyers appears on Weekend Update.
When introducing the musical guest, Poehler wears t-shirts with the original SNL logo and a photo of the original Not Ready for Prime Time Players. Also, the final bumper card recreates a shot from the season one opening titles, including the original title NBC's Saturday Night, with this episode airing 50 years to the day of the series premiere in 1975.
Before the goodnights, a photo of Diane Keaton, who died earlier in the day, is shown in silence.
991
991
No.overall
991
No. inseason
3
Host
Sabrina Carpenter
Musical guest
Sabrina Carpenter
Original release date
October 18, 2025 (2025-10-18)
U.S. viewers(millions)
4.24
Sabrina Carpenter performs "Manchild" and "Nobody's Son".
Kenan Thompson introduces Carpenter's first performance, with Chloe Fineman introducing the second.
During "Nobody's Son", Carpenter swore twice, which aired uncensored on the East Coast live broadcast. It was censored in the form of audio dropouts for the West Coast broadcast, post-broadcast distribution online, as well as in airings internationally.
Writers Martin Herlihy and Jo Sunday appear in the pre-recorded "Social Experiment" sketch.
Bowen Yang was absent from live sketches this episode due to accepting the Academy Museum's Vantage Award in Los Angeles; Yang helped write the episode, was credited in the opening montage, and appears in the pre-recorded "Grind Song" sketch and in a photograph during the opening monologue.
Due to the USC v. Notre Dame football game running overtime, this episode's start was delayed by 13 minutes.
Sabrina Carpenter performs "Manchild" and "Nobody's Son".
Kenan Thompson introduces Carpenter's first performance, with Chloe Fineman introducing the second.
During "Nobody's Son", Carpenter swore twice, which aired uncensored on the East Coast live broadcast. It was censored in the form of audio dropouts for the West Coast broadcast, post-broadcast distribution online, as well as in airings internationally.
Writers Martin Herlihy and Jo Sunday appear in the pre-recorded "Social Experiment" sketch.
Bowen Yang was absent from live sketches this episode due to accepting the Academy Museum's Vantage Award in Los Angeles; Yang helped write the episode, was credited in the opening montage, and appears in the pre-recorded "Grind Song" sketch and in a photograph during the opening monologue.
Due to the USC v. Notre Dame football game running overtime, this episode's start was delayed by 13 minutes.
No.overall
Sabrina Carpenter performs "Manchild" and "Nobody's Son".
Kenan Thompson introduces Carpenter's first performance, with Chloe Fineman introducing the second.
During "Nobody's Son", Carpenter swore twice, which aired uncensored on the East Coast live broadcast. It was censored in the form of audio dropouts for the West Coast broadcast, post-broadcast distribution online, as well as in airings internationally.
Writers Martin Herlihy and Jo Sunday appear in the pre-recorded "Social Experiment" sketch.
Bowen Yang was absent from live sketches this episode due to accepting the Academy Museum's Vantage Award in Los Angeles; Yang helped write the episode, was credited in the opening montage, and appears in the pre-recorded "Grind Song" sketch and in a photograph during the opening monologue.
Due to the USC v. Notre Dame football game running overtime, this episode's start was delayed by 13 minutes.
992
992
No.overall
992
No. inseason
4
Host
Miles Teller
Musical guest
Brandi Carlile
Original release date
November 1, 2025 (2025-11-01)
U.S. viewers(millions)
3.36
Brandi Carlile performs "Church & State" and "Human".
Ramy Youssef and Shane Gillis appear as Zohran Mamdani and Curtis Sliwa, respectively, in the NYC Mayoral Debate cold open.
Brandi Carlile performs "Church & State" and "Human".
Ramy Youssef and Shane Gillis appear as Zohran Mamdani and Curtis Sliwa, respectively, in the NYC Mayoral Debate cold open.
No.overall
Brandi Carlile performs "Church & State" and "Human".
Ramy Youssef and Shane Gillis appear as Zohran Mamdani and Curtis Sliwa, respectively, in the NYC Mayoral Debate cold open.
993
993
No.overall
993
No. inseason
5
Host
Nikki Glaser
Musical guest
sombr
Original release date
November 8, 2025 (2025-11-08)
U.S. viewers(millions)
4.02
sombr performs "12 to 12" and "Back to Friends".
Pete Davidson appears on Weekend Update.
sombr performs "12 to 12" and "Back to Friends".
Pete Davidson appears on Weekend Update.
No.overall
sombr performs "12 to 12" and "Back to Friends".
Pete Davidson appears on Weekend Update.
994
994
No.overall
994
No. inseason
6
Host
Glen Powell
Musical guest
Olivia Dean
Original release date
November 15, 2025 (2025-11-15)
U.S. viewers(millions)
4.17
Olivia Dean performs "Man I Need" and "Let Alone the One You Love".
Will Forte appears in the pre-recorded MacGruber sketches and in the goodnights.
Olivia Dean performs "Man I Need" and "Let Alone the One You Love".
Will Forte appears in the pre-recorded MacGruber sketches and in the goodnights.
No.overall
Olivia Dean performs "Man I Need" and "Let Alone the One You Love".
Will Forte appears in the pre-recorded MacGruber sketches and in the goodnights.
995
995
No.overall
995
No. inseason
7
Host
Melissa McCarthy
Musical guest
Dijon
Original release date
December 6, 2025 (2025-12-06)
U.S. viewers(millions)
4.30
Dijon performs "HIGHER!" and "Another Baby!".
Justin Vernon, Nick Hakim, and Amber Coffman are part of Dijon's band for both performances.
Before the goodnights, a photo of Craig Kellem, a producer from the first season, who died on November 24, is shown in silence.
Dijon performs "HIGHER!" and "Another Baby!".
Justin Vernon, Nick Hakim, and Amber Coffman are part of Dijon's band for both performances.
Before the goodnights, a photo of Craig Kellem, a producer from the first season, who died on November 24, is shown in silence.
No.overall
Dijon performs "HIGHER!" and "Another Baby!".
Justin Vernon, Nick Hakim, and Amber Coffman are part of Dijon's band for both performances.
Before the goodnights, a photo of Craig Kellem, a producer from the first season, who died on November 24, is shown in silence.
996
996
No.overall
996
No. inseason
8
Host
Josh O'Connor
Musical guest
Lily Allen
Original release date
December 13, 2025 (2025-12-13)
U.S. viewers(millions)
3.95
Lily Allen performs "Sleepwalking" and "Madeline" and appears in the "Lily Allen Brunch" sketch.
Dakota Johnson appears during Allen's second performance.
Lily Allen performs "Sleepwalking" and "Madeline" and appears in the "Lily Allen Brunch" sketch.
Dakota Johnson appears during Allen's second performance.
No.overall
Lily Allen performs "Sleepwalking" and "Madeline" and appears in the "Lily Allen Brunch" sketch.
Dakota Johnson appears during Allen's second performance.
997
997
No.overall
997
No. inseason
9
Host
Ariana Grande
Musical guest
Cher
Original release date
December 20, 2025 (2025-12-20)
U.S. viewers(millions)
TBD
Bowen Yang's final episode as a cast member.
Bowen Yang's final episode as a cast member.
No.overall
Bowen Yang's final episode as a cast member.
998
998
No.overall
998
No. inseason
10
Host
Finn Wolfhard
Musical guest
ASAP Rocky
Original release date
January 17, 2026 (2026-01-17)
U.S. viewers(millions)
TBD
Confirmed on air.
Confirmed on air.
No.overall
Confirmed on air.
| No.overall | No. inseason | Host | Musical guest | Original release date | viewers(millions) | |
| 989 | 1 | Bad Bunny | Doja Cat | October 4, 2025 (2025-10-04) | 4.41 | |
| Doja Cat performs "AAAHH MEN!" and "Gorgeous". Jon Hamm appears in the opening monologue and the El Chavo del Ocho (English version) sketch. Ejae, Audrey Nuna, and Rei Ami appear in the KPop Demon Hunters sketch, reprising their roles as Huntrix. Benicio del Toro appears in the "Inventing Spanish" sketch. Tommy Brennan, Jeremy Culhane, Ben Marshall, Kam Patterson, and Veronika Slowikowska's first episode as cast members. Jane Wickline is credited in the opening montage but did not appear in this episode, although she appears on stage during the goodnights. | ||||||
| 990 | 2 | Amy Poehler | Role Model | October 11, 2025 (2025-10-11) | 4.07 | |
| Role Model performs "Sally, When the Wine Runs Out" and "Some Protector". Tina Fey appears as Kristi Noem in the cold open and appears on Weekend Update. Aubrey Plaza appears in the pre-recorded "The Hunting Wives season two trailer" sketch. Charli XCX appears during Role Model's first performance as the "Sally". Seth Meyers appears on Weekend Update. When introducing the musical guest, Poehler wears t-shirts with the original SNL logo and a photo of the original Not Ready for Prime Time Players. Also, the final bumper card recreates a shot from the season one opening titles, including the original title NBC's Saturday Night, with this episode airing 50 years to the day of the series premiere in 1975. Before the goodnights, a photo of Diane Keaton, who died earlier in the day, is shown in silence. | ||||||
| 991 | 3 | Sabrina Carpenter | Sabrina Carpenter | October 18, 2025 (2025-10-18) | 4.24 | |
| Sabrina Carpenter performs "Manchild" and "Nobody's Son". Kenan Thompson introduces Carpenter's first performance, with Chloe Fineman introducing the second. During "Nobody's Son", Carpenter swore twice, which aired uncensored on the East Coast live broadcast. It was censored in the form of audio dropouts for the West Coast broadcast, post-broadcast distribution online, as well as in airings internationally. Writers Martin Herlihy and Jo Sunday appear in the pre-recorded "Social Experiment" sketch. Bowen Yang was absent from live sketches this episode due to accepting the Academy Museum's Vantage Award in Los Angeles; Yang helped write the episode, was credited in the opening montage, and appears in the pre-recorded "Grind Song" sketch and in a photograph during the opening monologue. Due to the USC v. Notre Dame football game running overtime, this episode's start was delayed by 13 minutes. | ||||||
| 992 | 4 | Miles Teller | Brandi Carlile | November 1, 2025 (2025-11-01) | 3.36 | |
| Brandi Carlile performs "Church & State" and "Human". Ramy Youssef and Shane Gillis appear as Zohran Mamdani and Curtis Sliwa, respectively, in the NYC Mayoral Debate cold open. | ||||||
| 993 | 5 | Nikki Glaser | sombr | November 8, 2025 (2025-11-08) | 4.02 | |
| sombr performs "12 to 12" and "Back to Friends". Pete Davidson appears on Weekend Update. | ||||||
| 994 | 6 | Glen Powell | Olivia Dean | November 15, 2025 (2025-11-15) | 4.17 | |
| Olivia Dean performs "Man I Need" and "Let Alone the One You Love". Will Forte appears in the pre-recorded MacGruber sketches and in the goodnights. | ||||||
| 995 | 7 | Melissa McCarthy | Dijon | December 6, 2025 (2025-12-06) | 4.30 | |
| Dijon performs "HIGHER!" and "Another Baby!". Justin Vernon, Nick Hakim, and Amber Coffman are part of Dijon's band for both performances. Before the goodnights, a photo of Craig Kellem, a producer from the first season, who died on November 24, is shown in silence. | ||||||
| 996 | 8 | Josh O'Connor | Lily Allen | December 13, 2025 (2025-12-13) | 3.95 | |
| Lily Allen performs "Sleepwalking" and "Madeline" and appears in the "Lily Allen Brunch" sketch. Dakota Johnson appears during Allen's second performance. | ||||||
| 997 | 9 | Ariana Grande | Cher | December 20, 2025 (2025-12-20) | TBD | |
| Bowen Yang's final episode as a cast member. | ||||||
| 998 | 10 | Finn Wolfhard | ASAP Rocky | January 17, 2026 (2026-01-17) | TBD | |
| Confirmed on air. | ||||||
mw- Viewership and ratings per episode of Saturday Night Live season 51 · Ratings
1
1
No.
1
Title
"Bad Bunny / Doja Cat"
Air date
October 4, 2025
Rating(18–49)
0.83
Viewers(millions)
4.634
2
2
No.
2
Title
"Amy Poehler / Role Model"
Air date
October 11, 2025
Rating(18–49)
0.66
Viewers(millions)
4.369
3
3
No.
3
Title
"Sabrina Carpenter"
Air date
October 18, 2025
Rating(18–49)
0.69
Viewers(millions)
4.365
4
4
No.
4
Title
"Miles Teller / Brandi Carlile"
Air date
November 1, 2025
Rating(18–49)
0.44
Viewers(millions)
3.496
5
5
No.
5
Title
"Nikki Glaser / sombr"
Air date
November 8, 2025
Rating(18–49)
0.54
Viewers(millions)
4.023
6
6
No.
6
Title
"Glen Powell / Olivia Dean"
Air date
November 15, 2025
Rating(18–49)
0.59
Viewers(millions)
4.165
7
7
No.
7
Title
"Melissa McCarthy / Dijon"
Air date
December 6, 2025
Rating(18–49)
0.55
Viewers(millions)
4.304
8
8
No.
8
Title
"Josh O'Connor / Lily Allen"
Air date
December 13, 2025
Rating(18–49)
0.52
Viewers(millions)
3.949
| No. | Title | Air date | Rating(18–49) | Viewers(millions) | Ref. |
| 1 | "Bad Bunny / Doja Cat" | October 4, 2025 | 0.83 | 4.634 | |
| 2 | "Amy Poehler / Role Model" | October 11, 2025 | 0.66 | 4.369 | |
| 3 | "Sabrina Carpenter" | October 18, 2025 | 0.69 | 4.365 | |
| 4 | "Miles Teller / Brandi Carlile" | November 1, 2025 | 0.44 | 3.496 | |
| 5 | "Nikki Glaser / sombr" | November 8, 2025 | 0.54 | 4.023 | |
| 6 | "Glen Powell / Olivia Dean" | November 15, 2025 | 0.59 | 4.165 | |
| 7 | "Melissa McCarthy / Dijon" | December 6, 2025 | 0.55 | 4.304 | |
| 8 | "Josh O'Connor / Lily Allen" | December 13, 2025 | 0.52 | 3.949 |
References
- SNLhttps://deadline.com/2025/07/snl-season-51-premiere-date-1236472649/
- LateNighterhttps://latenighter.com/news/snl-to-hit-another-milestone-in-2026-its-1000th-episode/
- SNL50https://puck.news/lorne-michaels-on-colbert-trump-the-future-of-snl/
- TVLinehttps://tvline.com/casting-news/snl-devon-walker-leaving-cast-season-51-toxic-1235447186/
- TVLinehttps://tvline.com/casting-news/snl-cast-leaving-emil-wakim-not-returning-season-51-1235493415/
- TVLinehttps://tvline.com/casting-news/snl-michael-longfellow-leaving-cast-season-51-nbc-1235494117/
- SNLhttps://variety.com/2025/tv/news/heidi-gardner-leaving-snl-1236501384/
- Varietyhttps://variety.com/2025/tv/news/snl-ego-nwodim-exit-1236516151/
- Saturday Night Livehttps://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/tv/story/2025-09-02/saturday-night-live-new-cast-members-season-51
- Entertainment Weeklyhttps://ew.com/lorne-michaels-confirms-snl-cast-changes-season-51-11795896
- Varietyhttps://variety.com/2025/tv/news/bowen-yang-exit-snl-cast-1236612812/
- The Daily Beasthttps://www.thedailybeast.com/snls-first-ever-out-trans-writer-celeste-yim-is-leaving-the-show/
- LateNighterhttps://latenighter.com/news/writer-rosebud-baker-is-leaving-saturday-night-live/
- SNLhttps://variety.com/2025/tv/news/snl-splits-please-dont-destroy-john-martin-1236501436/
- LateNighterhttps://latenighter.com/news/writer-steven-castillo-departs-snl-ahead-of-season-51/
- SNLhttps://variety.com/2025/tv/news/snl-adds-7-new-writers-season-51-1236535056/
- SNLhttps://deadline.com/2025/10/saturday-night-live-season-51-erin-doyle-erik-kenward-bryan-tucker-1236570641/
- Saturday Night Livehttp://www.thefutoncritic.com/showatch/saturday-night-live/listings/
- LateNighterhttps://latenighter.com/news/ratings/ratings-slip-for-snl-season-51-debut-but-demo-tops-since-january/
- SNLhttps://ew.com/amy-poehler-snl-tributes-you-missed-50th-anniversary-episode-11825381
- LateNighterhttps://latenighter.com/news/ratings/ratings-dip-for-amy-poehlers-return-to-snl/
- Saturday Night Livehttps://deadline.com/2025/10/saturday-night-live-sabrina-carpenters-f-bombs-1236591686/
- Saturday Night Livehttps://variety.com/2025/tv/news/bowen-yang-missing-saturday-night-live-1236556310/
- X.comhttps://x.com/nbcsnl/status/1979750299452727704
- Programming Insiderhttps://programminginsider.com/saturday-ratings-abc-again-tops-busy-college-football-slate/
- LateNighterhttps://latenighter.com/news/ratings/ratings-miles-teller-snl-hits-historic-low-opposite-world-series-finale/
- LateNighterhttps://latenighter.com/news/ratings/snl-ratings-nikki-glaser-sombr/
- LateNighterhttps://latenighter.com/news/ratings/snl-ratings-tick-up-with-glen-powell-and-olivia-dean/
- stereogum.comhttps://stereogum.com/2482166/dijon-makes-snl-debut-with-huge-band-including-justin-vernon-nick-hakim-amber-coffman/news
- Saturday Night Livehttps://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/craig-kellem-dead-saturday-night-live-munsters-today-1236439950/
- LateNighterhttps://latenighter.com/news/ratings/melissa-mccarthy-lifts-snl-to-highest-ratings-in-two-months/
- LateNighterhttps://latenighter.com/news/ratings/snl-ratings-2025-josh-oconnor/
- USTVDBhttps://ustvdb.com/networks/nbc/shows/saturday-night-live/