Lorne Michaels Hints at SNL Departure
In a recent interview with USA Today, the brilliant mind behind Saturday Night Live since it’s inception suggested that the end of his tenure may be not too far away. When asked about his future and the future of the show, Michaels said that his plan was to “be here for the 50th” referring to the 50th anniversary, and then “wander off”. While it’s certainly sad to see Lorne, who is generally beloved by all, especially in New York, to be potentially leaving, it makes sense. Michael’s isn’t getting any younger, and the schedule one must maintain to produce a quality live sketch show every week for months out of the year is grueling. Anyone who’s heard interviews from the casts knows about the late nights, early mornings, and day-of changes that have to happen just to create an hour of fresh comedy over the course of a week.
However, fans need not fret that Lorne’s departure will come too soon. the 50th anniversary would be in 2025, leaving us with a little less than 5 more good years of classic content before he leaves. The question then becomes, what happens to the show? I find it extremely unlikely that it goes off the air due to Lorne’s absence. For one, the shows ratings are up, and there’s no doubt that hilarious comics are still applying every year to get their shot at a cast spot. Also, with Lorne having been with the show for so long, there are likely fellow producers and assistants who have been with him the whole way, not to mention long time cast members who would know how to put a show together.
One bright spot that fans can take from this is that the 40th anniversary episode might have been the best SNL has ever released, compiling all of SNL’s favorite cast members of the past and present. If Michael’s really is planning on leaving after the shows 50th season, then we know they’ll pull out all the heavy-hitters for his send off, and that’s something we can all look forward to.
