‘SNL’ to close out season with live telecasts in all time zones

For the first time in its history “Saturday Night Live,” which airs live on the east coast, will air live in all four time zones for the final four episodes of the season. It’s the first time in the show’s history that the entire country can watch it at the same time. (Viewers in the Mountain and Pacific time zones regularly watch the show on tape delay.)

In addition, each of the last of this season’s episodes will feature Hollywood A-listers as hosts.

The shows will air live at 11:30 p.m. eastern time; 10:30 p.m. central time; 9:30 p.m. Mountain time and 8:30 p.m. Pacific time. Hosts will include: former “SNL” cast member and “The Tonight Show” host Jimmy Fallon (April 15); actor Chris Pine (“Star Trek,” May 6); actress Melissa McCarthy (whose characterization of Trump press secretary Sean Spicer sent “SNL” ratings skyrocketing, May 13) and actor Dwayne Johnson (“Moana,” “Central Intelligence,” May 20).

“SNL — enjoying its most popular season in two decades — is part of the national conversation, and we thought it would be a great idea to broadcast to the west and mountain time zones live at the same time it’s being seen in the east and central time zones,” said Robert Greenblatt, Chairman, NBC Entertainment, in a statement. “That way, everyone is in on the joke at the same time. Kudos to Lorne Michaels, the producers and cast for making SNL one of the most relevant and anticipated shows in the zeitgeist.”

Musical guests have not yet been announced.

According to an NBC statment, so far this season, “Saturday Night Live” originals are averaging a 3.57 rating in adults 18-49 and 11.022 million viewers overall in “live plus seven day” averages from Nielsen Media Research. This makes it the show’s top-rated season at this point in eight years in 18-49 (since 2008-09) and most-watched season in 24 years (since 1992-93).