- “Saturday Night Live” premiered its 50th season on NBC.
- The cast portrayed leading political figures during the episode.
- Maya Rudolph appeared as Vice President Kamala Harris, while Bowen Yang played Ohio Sen. JD Vance.
“Saturday Night Live” began its 50th season lampooning the upcoming US presidential election. There was a lot of material from which to draw.
The cameras were rolling live in 30 Rockefeller Plaza’s studio 8H as former and current cast members tackled the 2024 presidential race and two of the biggest scandals of the election season.
The sketch comedy series has long influenced American politics and has been a key stop on the campaign trail for many candidates, including Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders.
Research published in 2012 found that Tina Fey’s portrayal of former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin may have even influenced the public’s perception of her before the 2008 presidential election, according to The Washington Post.
Fans of the show had wondered who its producer, Lorne Michaels, would tap to play some of the key political roles.
Here’s who’s playing who this year.
