New 'SNL' Not on Tonight, March 18

Don't tune in to NBC on Saturday night expecting a new episode of SNL. After Jenna Ortega made her debut on the March 11 episode, the next new episode of the long-running sketch series won't drop until April 1 with Quinta Brunson and Lil Yachty. Unless it's an elaborate April Fool joke and they just show an episode of The Tomorrow Show.

For March 18, SNL is re-airing the Michael B. Jordan-hosted episode back in January. Lil Baby was the musical guest for the episode and the general critical response was favorable within the current season of the show.

For the moment, Ortega's debut on the show was the last new episode of the season that wasn't threatened by a pending strike. According to The AV Club, though, a deal was reached and no strike is currently planned for April 1.

Any fan of SNL in the past thirty years knows the show has a reliance on pre-filmed sketches and commercial parodies throughout the night. The AV Club adds that this only grew once The Lonely Island went viral and YouTube became a vital lifeline for an audience.

According to THR, the new contract is for three years and editors should get pay bumps of around 60 percent. Perks include paid meals, housing, and transportation for the employees working long hours without a typical break.

So the April 1 episode is going on without a hitch, giving Abbott Elementary star Brunson a chance to show her comedic side for the live audience. It could also mean that the show maintains a bit of its momentum from Ortega's popular episode.

If it doesn't, that'll be more in line with the rest of the season. But it was expected for a building and growing year after many longtime cast members exited. It will be quite interesting to see where the show goes in its next major run.