‘SNL’ Cancels Lil Uzi Vert Performance and Pete Davidson Hosting Debut Amid Writers Strike

Lil Uzi Vert and Pete Davidson (Credit: Shutterstock)

This weekend’s episode of Saturday Night Live featuring host Pete Davidson and musical guest Lil Uzi Vert is canceled because of the writers strike, NBC announced Tuesday.

Instead of a new episodes, repeats of the sketch comedy series will air “until further notice starting Saturday, May 6.”

SNL is the latest show to halt production after the Writers Guild of America ordered a strike, starting Tuesday at 12:01 am PT.

Hours later, writers began picketing in Los Angeles, New York, and other cities, with members of SAG-AFTRA joining them in solidarity.

Related StoryHollywood Writers Launch Strike Over Pay From Streaming and AI Concerns

The WGA called the strike once talks with the major studios and streaming services broke down over higher pay and concerns about the role of artificial intelligence in screenwriting projects.

After weeks of negotiations, the two sides failed to reach a new contract by Monday’s deadline, prompting 11,500 film and television writers to walk out.

Once the strike started, late-night shows were the first to go dark.

Among the shows pressing pause are CBS’ The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live!, NBC’s The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and Late Night With Seth Meyers, and Comedy Central’s The Daily Show.

The shows are typically written the same day they air, which means they will likely remain on hiatus until the strike is resolved.

“I wouldn’t have a show if it wasn’t for my writers, and I support them all the way,” Jimmy Fallon told Variety at Monday’s Met Gala. “They got to have a fair contract they got a lot of stuff to iron out, hopefully they get it done.”

Among the issues on the bargaining table, the WGA is calling for increases in pay and residuals for streaming content. The guild also wants industry standards on the number of writers assigned to each show, and producers to “regulate use of artificial intelligence” on entertainment projects.

“The WGA Negotiating Committee began this process intent on making a fair deal, but the studios’ responses have been wholly insufficient given the existential crisis writers are facing,” the guild said in a statement just before the strike started.

The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP), which represents the studios, issued a statement Monday night saying it made a “generous” offer, which was rejected by the WGA.

“The AMPTP presented a comprehensive package proposal to the guild last night which included generous increases in compensation for writers as well as improvements in streaming residuals,” the statement said.

This is the first WGA strike in 15 years. Back in 2007, the guild went on strike for 100 days, which reportedly cost the industry an estimated $2 billion.


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About Maria Leal

Maria Leal is a bilingual, multi-media journalist based in Los Angeles. She can be reached on Twitter @MariaLealNews.