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In September two thousand one, the musician Paul Simon sang The Boxer. NYC's mayor Rudy Giuliani showed up with first responders. When producer Lorne Michaels inquired, "Can we be funny?", the mayor responded: "Why begin now?"

This occurred just 18 days after the worst act of terrorism in US the nation's history, and Saturday Night Live's distinctive mix of satire, absurdity and musical performances was back on the air. "In bad times, people look to the program," the producer commented decades after the event.

SNL marks its 50th anniversary this month and needs to once again attempt to address the current climate. On this occasion, the challenge is not external but unfolding within the world of comedy television directly. In recent weeks, the format has turned into the warning signal of American democratic values.

Recent Events in Late-Night Television

Over the summer, CBS revealed the cancellation of Stephen Colbert's late-night program, reportedly for financial reasons, although notably Colbert is a long-standing critic of Donald Trump and CBS owner Paramount had been seeking government approval for an eight billion dollar combination with Skydance.

On 17 September, ABC temporarily halted Jimmy Kimmel's program over remarks he made after the killing of rightwing activist Charlie Kirk. Just hours before the temporary ban, the FCC chairman, Brendan Carr, warned that TV stations broadcasting Kimmel could be penalized or lose their licenses and remarked: "The time has come for them to take responsibility."

The move prompted an backlash over free expression. ABC parent The Walt Disney Company encountered criticism from Kimmel’s fans, many of whom ended their memberships to the company’s online platforms Disney Plus and Hulu. The host returned on television six days later and mocked the former president: "Donald Trump tried his best to cancel me and instead he forced countless viewers to watch my program."

A Change to Saturday Night Live

Now the spotlight shifts from other networks to the United States' other major network: NBC. When Saturday Night Live returns on 4 October, Bad Bunny will host with Doja Cat as the featured performer and several new featured players after several cast departures. But nothing will be more important than the "cold open" in how it deals with the current climate.

"It could be one of the biggest opening segments in the 50-year history of the program," notes an expert, a co-author of a book on political humor. "But in the past, whenever SNL has encountered a major challenge, such as it did after the September 11 attacks, they’ve met the challenge."

The show's mockery of Donald Trump has on occasion drawn anger of his supporters and Trump personally, but Farnsworth warned against pulling punches, stating: "SNL will face charges that it isn’t going far enough or that it crossed the line pretty much no matter what they do, so it makes no sense not to be all in."

A History of Government Humor

Launched a twelve months after the Watergate affair brought down President Nixon, SNL includes sketches and music acts. But it is also known for addressing political topics and hosting political figures. The weekend update segment offers regular analysis while performers frequently imitate commanders-in-chief, candidates and other figures.

The most famous are Gerald Ford (Chevy Chase), George HW Bush (actor Dana Carvey), Bill Clinton (Darrell Hammond), President George W. Bush (Will Ferrell), Sarah Palin (Tina Fey), Donald Trump (Alec Baldwin) and Joe Biden (various cast and guest actors). The former president is currently played with aplomb by James Austin Johnson.

An author, author of a biography of Lorne Michaels, recalls: "When Alec Baldwin was impersonating him, the former president was angrily posting regarding the show: it wasn’t funny, regulators should step in, the producer was finished. Watching Alec Baldwin do his thing, it almost felt like provoking a reaction. It was so fun to see the exchange, and don’t anticipate that they’re going to pull back."

Political Figures on the Show

Elected officials have additionally appeared as hosts or in brief roles. Al Gore, Senator McCain, Reverend Jackson and Governor Palin have all featured. Donald Trump hosted in 2004 and, more contentiously, in 2015 during his campaign for president. Hillary Clinton appeared on several occasions, once alongside her impersonator, Kate McKinnon, and Vice President Harris took part before last year’s election.

SNL picked up 12 Emmys recently for its 50th season and special events, among them an prize for best variety special. The upcoming episode will be watched carefully for how it deals with the former president's criticism on comedy, free expression and democratic principles – and if it can make a serious point in a funny, unsanctimonious way.

"The production team will come up with some clever but direct approach of dealing with this," Morrison adds. "What that's crucial to remember regarding the producer is he’s been doing this for so many decades. He has survived multiple groups of executives. He’s a survivor. According to Conan O'Brien, in the Game of Thrones of the entertainment industry, Lorne would be the last man standing."

Conservative Complaints and Partiality

Conservatives have long accused the program of bias, arguing that the show unevenly makes fun of conservative personalities while going easier on Democrats. Former head writer Tina Fey openly acknowledged a "left-leaning slant" years ago, fueling the narrative. However Michaels maintains that it is nonpartisan and willing to mock all parties.

Morrison adds: "It isn’t to say Michaels would become an defender for the Trump regime; no one could have predicted that the political landscape would jump the shark in quite this way. But he definitely would not hold back to make fun of Democrats even now if they deserve it and that’s part of it."

The Difficulty of Writing Quickly

David Litt, a ex-writer for President Obama dubbed "the comic muse" for the president for his contributions on White House Correspondents’ Association dinner speeches, admits that he has been on the receiving end.

"I attended in the audience at SNL when their opening sketch was about the healthcare website failure," he said. "I was working at the White House at the time and I remember thinking, I’m not having fun. All other people watching appeared to be having a better time than I was."

Writing humorous content with tight deadlines is difficult, Litt notes, and that will be the SNL team’s main focus for the new season. He said: "This is a show that meets a pretty intense challenge every week and I assume {they’re going to be