Live from New York...SNL's 39th Season!

Season 39 of Saturday Night Live premiered on NBC Sept. 28, and this year’s cast changes and host line-ups are sure to continue the tradition of comedy’s iconic series.

At the end of last season the show lost cast members  Bill Hader, Fred Armisen, and Jason Sudeikis, who each have very large shoes to fill. Comedians challenged with filling those shoes are new players Beck Bennett, John Milhiser, Kyle Mooney, writer Michael Patrick O’Brien, Noël Wells, and Brooks Wheelan.

O’Brien is moving over from the writer desk, where he has worked since 2009 and has had several cameos in sketches. The other comedians hail from Los Angeles’ popular sketch-show “Good Neighbor” or UCB-LA theater.

For long-time fans of the show, this season will feel like a reset button has been pressed; Emmy-winning head writer Seth Meyers will be leaving the show midseason to work on Late Night with Seth Meyers, taking over the talk show from Jimmy Fallon who is moving up to The Tonight Show. In the short time SNL still has Meyers, he will co-anchor “Weekend Update” with not-so-veteran Cecily Strong, who joined the show just last season. Producer Lorne Michaels has faith in Strong, but talk about big shoes!

Colin Jost and Rob Klein will take over as head writers, and freshman performer from last season Tim Robinson will be moving to the writer’s desk this season.

Kenan Thompson is now the most veteran cast member of the season, who will be starting his 11th season on the show and returning with numerous celebrity impressions and characters like French comedian Jean K Jean.

Only a handful of hosts and musical guests have been announced thus far, including (but certainly not limited to) Tina Fey and Arcade Fire for the premiere, followed by Miley Cyrus pulling double-duty as host and musical guest, and finally Bruce Willis and Katy Perry.

Tina Fey is the perfect host for the premiere; she was a writer and performer for SNL 1997-2006, and moved on to write and star in critically-acclaimed show 30 Rock. She’s been there done that in the industry, and is sure to rack up views and happy critics for the premiere.

We may have had a Miley Cyrus overdose as of late, but any publicity is good publicity…right? Her first stint on the show in 2011 was a disaster, but that was before she became the half-naked performer she is now. What to expect? Wardrobe “malfunctions” and raunchy comedy, probably.

Bruce Willis may be known as a tough-guy action star, but he’s shown through and through that he knows comedy. This year’s Red 2 further proves this, and this is his second time hosting the show, first in 1989. Katy Perry will be on the show for her third time, having previously hosted and performed, rightfully securing her talent on the show.

Sept. 28 will mark a new age in SNL with a huge cast-makeover and coveted list of hosts and musical guests. Change can be a great thing, and as we’re reminded every episode, “stick around, we’ll be right back!”