Kieran Culkin And Jennifer Coolidge Were Set To Host Final Episodes Of Saturday Night Live Season 48

The Writers Guild of America strike has only been in motion for two days now, yet Hollywood productions are already beginning to show its impact. Late night comedy shows shut down immediately in the wake of the unanimous vote to authorize the strike earlier this week, and "Saturday Night Live" put the stop on the upcoming Pete Davidson episode as well. Though the long-running comedy series is on an indefinite hiatus until the strike's end, Variety got the scoop on who was supposed to host the season's final two episodes: Kieran Culkin and Jennifer Coolidge.

If the WGA and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, the group representing major studios and streamers, do come to an agreement quickly, "Saturday Night Live" is also set to end with musical guests Labrinth and Foo Fighters. This line-up feels more like a theoretical than actual news, though, as the WGA seems prepared to strike for as long as is necessary.

The ongoing strike is the first since a 100-day strike occurred 16 years ago, resulting in a deal that helped writers earn income from "new media," which would come to include streaming. The current negotiation is similarly looking to the future, as the latest list of WGA demands includes protections against the job-threatening encroachment of AI. Other demands address "the devaluation of writing in all areas of television," workplace harassment, and the existing contract system.

Ironically, Both Planned Hosts Are Famous For WGA-Made Shows

While it would have been great to see Culkin return to the stage after hosting "SNL" in 2021 or witness Coolidge's hosting debut alongside castmate Chloe Fineman, who famously does a great Coolidge impersonation, this lineup also underlines exactly why the strike matters. Culkin and Coolidge have both gained well-deserved accolades for recent turns on HBO hits that are heralded for their great writing. As chaotic, inappropriate youngest son Roman on "Succession," Culkin delivers insults and quips that carry an almost Shakespearean level of verbal complexity. Coolidge, meanwhile, was given her most emotionally and comedically rich role yet in vacation satire "The White Lotus," where she played faux-deep rich lady Tanya McQuoid.

Jesse Armstrong and Mike White, the creators of the two shows that ushered Coolidge and Culkin into the Emmys race, are both listed as WGA members in the guild's official directory. So is Sam Levinson, whose show "Euphoria" heavily features the music of planned "SNL" guest Labrinth. Even if the "SNL" writers themselves weren't striking -- which they are -- nearly every celebrity involved in these potential future episodes has a job that's closely tied to the work of WGA members.

 In 2007, the show's 33rd season was dramatically shortened by the strike, with just 12 episodes instead of the usual 20. It's unclear as of publication time whether the hosts whose episodes are likely to get axed will get a chance to host in season 49. Stay tuned.

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