The era of Please Don’t Destroy at Saturday Night Live (SNL) is drawing to a close.
Ben Marshall, John Higgins, and Martin Herlihy, who have been central to the Please Don’t Destroy filmed sketches since joining the SNL writing team in 2021, are making significant changes. NBC announced on Tuesday that Marshall will step up as a featured cast member in the upcoming 51st season, while Higgins will depart from the show to explore new opportunities. Herlihy will continue his role as a writer. Sources informed The Hollywood Reporter that with the trio no longer working together at SNL, no further Please Don’t Destroy sketches are anticipated.
Despite the dissolution of their active roles with SNL, Marshall, Higgins, and Herlihy intend to pursue joint projects outside the show. They are currently developing two feature films at separate studios. Their collaborative work includes the 2023 movie, The Treasure of Foggy Mountain, which debuted on Peacock.
The trio founded Please Don’t Destroy in 2017 while studying at New York University and joined SNL four years ago, during which time they saw 34 of their shorts broadcast across the show’s past four seasons.
Higgins is among several writers who have exited SNL ahead of its 51st season, which kicks off on October 4. Celeste Yim and Rosebud Baker are also leaving, along with cast members Heidi Gardner, Devon Walker, Michael Longfellow, and Emil Wakim.
Marshall will be joined by four other newly announced featured players: Tommy Brennan, Jeremy Culhane, Kam Patterson, and Veronika Slowikowska.
