The illustrious late-night comedy show, “Saturday Night Live (SNL)” celebrated its 50th season premiere on Saturday, Sept. 28. Due to declining ratings and unpopular sketches in recent years, “SNL” seems eager to connect with who could be their last saving grace: their Gen Z audience.
The 13-minute cold open centered on the tumultuous upcoming presidential election. Comedian and former “SNL” cast member Maya Rudolph returned to play Kamala Harris opposite James Austin Johnson as Donald Trump, Jim Gaffigan as Tim Walz, Dana Carvey as Joe Biden, Andy Samberg as Douglas Emhoff and Bowen Yang as J.D. Vance. The season premiere also included award-winning actress Jean Smart alongside singer and rapper, Jelly Roll.
Rudolph’s impression of Vice President Harris took the cake with its Gen Z appeal, with nods to Sabrina Carpenter’s recent pop hit “Espresso,” Harris’s iconic “coconut tree” quote and the contentious conversation around reproductive rights, promising to “protect your Va-Georgia.” Cast member Bowen Yang portrayed a few roles throughout the night that also seemed targeted at a Gen Z audience, namely Charli XCX and internet-famous, baby pygmy hippopotamus, Moo Deng. These quips and socially relevant characters beg the question: Is “SNL” relying on Gen Z approval for viewership?
Due to an increase of short-form digital media such as Instagram Reels, TikToks and YouTube Shorts, it’s no surprise that live television consumption has dropped among the younger generations. According to writer Benjamin Svetky of “The Wrap,” Season 48’s four million viewers made it “the least-watched in the series history.” Refusing to give into the public’s opinion that the show is beyond repair, it seems the creators of “SNL” have leaned into popular Gen Z interests in hopes of reviving their dying ratings and bringing their shows to the forefront of public discourse. Evidently, these efforts are working. “The Wrap” recently reported that “viewership for the Season 50 premiere was up 10.4%” from Season 49, which made it the show’s most-viewed premiere since 2020, even despite the continuous decline in traditional cable users over recent years. Considering the already high ratings, and an anticipated cohort of popular hosts and artists, the potential for Season 50 viewership numbers seem promising. With celebrities popular among Gen Z such as Ariana Grande, Billie Eilish, John Mulaney and Chappell Roan in upcoming episodes, “SNL” can likely expect a continued increase in viewership and social media relevance.
While “SNL” has certainly seen better days in terms of ratings, the response to the Season 50 premiere gives reason to believe in the restoration of live comedy television. Should “SNL” writers continue to lean on the many quirky facets of Gen Z humor and trends, it’s plausible that the tough crowd of young media consumers might just turn away from TikTok and tune into NBC on Saturday nights.
Contact editors: Norah Catlin and Anabelle Meyers
