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Saturday Night Live added five featured players for Season 51: Tommy Brennan, Jeremy Culhane, Ben Marshall, Kam Patterson, and Veronika Slowikowska. NBCUniversal announced the lineup on September 2, 2025. The season has since concluded, so this is a look at who joined and the comedy work they brought with them.
Who joined SNL Season 51?
The five newcomers were announced as featured players, not as a ranked group. Their announced backgrounds span stand-up, online and sketch comedy, live performance, and work already connected to SNL.
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| Performer | Background noted in the announcement |
|---|---|
| Tommy Brennan | Stand-up comedian; selected as a Just for Laughs New Face of Comedy in 2023 and performed on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. |
| Jeremy Culhane | Known for viral TikTok and online videos; a regular on Dropout TV and a performer with Upright Citizens Brigade in Los Angeles. |
| Ben Marshall | Joined the SNL writing staff in 2021 and appeared on camera with the comedy trio Please Don’t Destroy. |
| Kam Patterson | Stand-up comedian and regular on the live comedy podcast Kill Tony; the announcement also noted a forthcoming appearance in Netflix’s 72 Hours. |
| Veronika Slowikowska | Known for viral sketch comedy on Instagram and TikTok, with appearances in Tires and What We Do in the Shadows. |
NBCUniversal’s September 2, 2025 announcement gives the performers’ credits and describes their prior work; it does not establish a shared measure for comparing them or predict how each would perform on the show.
What did each new featured player do before SNL?
Tommy Brennan: stand-up and late-night
Brennan’s profile centers on stand-up. NBCUniversal noted his selection as a 2023 Just for Laughs New Face of Comedy and his appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.
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Jeremy Culhane: online sketches and improv
Culhane came from online comedy, including viral TikTok videos, alongside work on Dropout TV and with Upright Citizens Brigade in Los Angeles.
Ben Marshall: writing and Please Don’t Destroy
Marshall already had a connection to SNL: he joined the writing staff in 2021 and performed on camera as part of Please Don’t Destroy. The Associated Press reported that the trio’s digital shorts had appeared on the show for four seasons at the time of its August 2025 coverage.
Rank #2
- 12 DVDs of the best episodes from Seasons 1-5. Plus a 28-Page Collector’s Book telling the story of the show and cast
- 33 episodes with the original groundbreaking, irreverent, hilarious cast. Plus rare footage of the cast, including screen tests and interviews
- All-time classic sketches including “Land Shark,” “Word Association,” “The Killer Bees,” “Super Bass-o-Matic,” “Weekend Update,” and so many more
- Iconic characters including Coneheads, Samurai, Emily Litella, Chevy Chase as President Ford, Shower Mike, The Blues Brothers, Baba Wawa, and more! You'll also recieve special episodes including Chevy Chase's return to SNL with music icon Billy Joel, plus the historic 100th episode!
- Guest Hosts include George Carlin, Richard Pryor, Steve Martin, Candice Bergen, Paul Simon, and more
Kam Patterson: stand-up and Kill Tony
Patterson’s background included stand-up and regular appearances on the live comedy podcast Kill Tony. NBCUniversal also mentioned his forthcoming role in Netflix’s 72 Hours in the 2025 announcement.
Veronika Slowikowska: social sketches and screen roles
Slowikowska was known for sketch comedy on Instagram and TikTok. Her listed screen credits included Tires and What We Do in the Shadows.
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The new-player announcement came amid reports of departures before the season began. In an August 26, 2025 report, the Associated Press said Devon Walker, Emil Wakim, and Michael Longfellow had confirmed they were leaving. The same report said multiple outlets had reported Heidi Gardner’s departure, but neither Gardner nor NBC had publicly confirmed it at that time. Those were reports about the lineup as it stood then, not a definitive account of every cast change.
The Los Angeles Times also covered the additions in the context of cast members saying they would not return. The five newcomers were announced on September 2, ahead of the Season 51 premiere scheduled for October 4, 2025, at 11:30 p.m. ET / 8:30 p.m. PT on NBC and Peacock.
Rank #4
How Season 51 performed, according to NBCUniversal
In its June 3, 2026 season closeout post, NBCUniversal published the following audience and performance figures. These are network-reported numbers, not independently verified measurements in this article.
- NBCUniversal said SNL was the No. 1 broadcast comedy among adults ages 18–49 for a seventh consecutive season.
- The network reported 8.2 billion video views across Season 51, up 98% year over year from 4.2 billion.
- NBCUniversal said the December 20 telecast drew 10.1 million viewers across platforms.
- The network reported total viewers were up 6% versus Season 49 and 5% versus Season 48.
- NBCUniversal said the May 17 season finale had 9% more total viewers than the 2025 season finale.
- The closeout post also ranked Season 51 No. 2 among all broadcast entertainment programming in the 18–49 demographic and in total viewers.
Where to watch Season 51
NBCUniversal said on June 3, 2026, that all Season 51 episodes were streaming on Peacock. Streaming catalogs can change, so check Peacock for current availability.
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