A hilarious behind-the-scenes detail has emerged from the production of the Saturday Night Live Season 50 premiere. As the SNL writers and cast were pulling together the Jean-Smart-hosted episode, their offices were invaded by a pair of pigeons.
Ben Marshall of the comedy trio Please Don't Destroy captured the scene in a video shared on TikTok and Instagram. The birds appeared to have come in a slightly open window in one of the SNL offices at 30 Rockefeller Center. (The office in question appears to be the one shared by PDD and is often featured in their SNL sketches.)
@benmarshallstyle New coworkers just dropped @Saturday Night Live – SNL
♬ original sound – Ben Marshall
Marshall and his PDD cohort John Higgins were shown cracking up over the chaotic situation, with an NBC security guard eventually coming to help deal with the birds, which were defecating all over the room. Marshall revealed some of his SNL peers' thoughts after hearing about the messy situation.
Michael Che asked if he had "hit a witch with his car," and Mikey Day declared it was a "good omen." Writer Ceara O'Sullivan joked that she hoped a third pigeon would appear.
The Saturday Night Live Season 50 premiere is now streaming on Peacock, with individual segments also available on YouTube. The second episode of the season airs at 11:30 p.m. ET, with host Nate Bargatze and musical guest Coldplay.