'SNL' season 51 kicks off with Bad Bunny hosting and Doja Cat performing live

Saturday Night Live began its 51st season with host Bad Bunny and musical guest Doja Cat, marking the first new episode since the show’s fiftieth anniversary. The episode aired live from Studio 8H in New York.

The new season introduced several cast changes. Heidi Gardner, Ego Nwodim, Michael Longfellow, Devon Walker, and Emil Wakim departed the series. New featured players include Ben Marshall, Tommy Brennan, Jeremy Culhane, Kam Patterson, and Veronika Slowikowska.

The Cold Open featured Colin Jost as Pete Hegseth and James Austin Johnson as Donald Trump.

The monologue by Bad Bunny included references to his global tour and recent announcement as a Super Bowl performer. Actor Jon Hamm appeared briefly during the segment.

Sketches included “Jeopardy With Bad Bunny,” “ChatGPTio,” “The Donor,” “KPop Demon Hunters,” “Inventing Spanish,” and “Parent Teacher Conference.” “KPop Demon Hunters” featured appearances by Ejae, Audrey Nuna, and Rei Ami performing the song “Golden.”

Doja Cat performed two songs, “Aaahh Men!” and “Gorgeous,” from her latest album Vie.

During Weekend Update, Colin Jost and Michael Che presented the week’s news. Chloe Fineman appeared as Jennifer Coolidge, and Bowen Yang portrayed Dobby the House Elf. New cast member Kam Patterson performed a segment referencing language and cultural issues.

The episode concluded with the sketches “Parent Teacher Conference” and “El Chavo Del Ocho (English Version),” which included ensemble appearances and comedic callbacks to earlier segments.

The premiere episode marked the official start of Saturday Night Live’s fifty-first season on NBC.