Steve Martin and ‘Only Murders in the Building’ Poke Fun at ‘Saturday Night Live’ in Season Three Trailer

In the trailer for Season Three of the beloved murder mystery dramedy Only Murders in the Building, Steve Martin lightheartedly ribbed Saturday Night Live for still hanging around on TV at its old age from the safety of his glass house.

The 77-year-old comedy legend has enjoyed one of his many late-career renaissances on Only Murders in the Building, the Hulu hit that earned both him and his co-star and co-conspirator Martin Short Emmy nominations for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series – Martin was even the oldest nominee in the category’s history in 2022. The part-comedy/drama, part-love letter to true-crime podcasts will return to streaming with a new season on August 8th with bombshell additions of Paul Rudd, Meryl Streep and Ashley Park.

Yesterday, Hulu released a trailer for Only Murders in the Building Season Three that has already accrued almost four million views, and the teaser features a nod to Lorne Michaels’ sketch comedy empire that pokes fun at its enduring presence. 

“Oh my God! I was trapped! Years went by! Do I have a beard? Is SNL still on??” Martin sarcastically quipped after escaping from a locked storage closet where he was confined for a whole twenty minutes.

Obviously, the reference was made from a place of love, as Martin’s 16 SNL hosting stints are good for the second most in the show’s history, only one behind Alec Baldwin for first place. However, as SNL approaches a half century on the air, perhaps the jab is meant to suggest that the show’s days may be numbered.

If, somehow, SNL is suspiciously canceled before it reaches 50 seasons, Steve Martin will be suspect #1 when internet detectives investigate the murder of the show through the inevitable true comedy crime Patreon podcast.