Pete Davidson's 'Saturday Night Live' hosting debut has been cancelled.
The 29-year-old comedian quit as a regular cast member on the show last year but had due to return as guest presenter on Saturday (06.05.23) to promote his new show 'Bupkis', but the sketch series will not be filming due to the Writers Guild of America (WGA) strikes.
Speaking on 'The Tonight Show' Pete joked he was taking the news personally.
He said: “It sucks because it just feeds my weird story I have in my head, like, of course that would happen to me."
'SNL' repeats will air in its slot until further notice, meaning it is likely the show's season finale has already broadcast.
One unnamed cast member told Deadline: “We have to think about our crew too. I absolutely support the writers, and I want the writers to get what they deserve and need, but I don’t want our crew to be out of work. We can’t make this art without each other.”
During the writers strike in 2007/2008, 'Saturday Night Live' aired just 12 episodes in the season instead of the usual 20 or 21, and there was no Christmas special.
'SNL' isn't the only show to have been affected by the strike, which began on Tuesday (02.05.23).
Daytime show 'The Talk' will not be filming this week, sources told Deadline, though new episodes that have already been recorded will air this week, but it is unclear what will happen beyond then.
'The Late Show', 'Jimmy Kimmel Live!', 'The Tonight Show' and 'Late Night' will only air reruns during the strike.
'Cobra Kai' co-writer John Hurwitz confirmed there are currently "no writers on set" for season six.
He tweeted: We hate to strike, but if we must, we strike hard. Pencils down in the Cobra Kai writers room. No writers on set. These aren't fun times, but it's unfortunately necessary.
"The moment a fair deal is in place, we'll get back to kicking ass. In the meantime, sending strength and support to the negotiating committee. You got this. #WGA #WGAStrong #writersstrike (sic)"
And 'Yellowjackets' co-creator Ashley Lyle revealed work had stopped on the third season of 'Yellowjackets' just one day after they had started.
Ashley tweeted: "Well, we had exactly one day in the #YellowJackets S3 writers’ room. It was amazing, and creatively invigorating, and so much fun, and I’m very excited to get back to it as soon as the #WGA gets a fair deal. #1u #unionstrong (sic)"
Writers are seeking higher pay and a greater share of profits from shows that air on streaming platforms for year. They have criticised studios for creating a "gig economy" that aims to turn their work into an "entirely freelance" profession.
The WGA called for a TV staffing minimum, ranging from six to 12 writers per show, and a guaranteed number of weeks of employment per season.
But the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) - which represents major studios including Amazon, Disney, Netflix and Paramount - said they had offered a "comprehensive package proposal", including higher pay for writers, and were unwilling to improve the offer "because of the magnitude of other proposals still on the table that the Guild continues to insist upon."
They also rejected a demand that the use of AI software be banned from writing or rewriting material, but have suggested they hold "annual meetings to discuss advancements in technology".
