Rumor has it that NBC’s long-running show “Saturday Night Live” could be coming to an end once it wraps its 50th season. Executive producer Lorne Michaels, who has also served as SNL’s showrunner for over four decades, has already announced that he plans to leave once he concludes the 2024 to 2025 season in order to focus his attention on other projects.
Kenan Thompson, who has played a pivotal part in SNL’s success since joining the show back in 2003, has since reacted to the allegations circulating online, saying that there could indeed be “a lot of validity” to the rumor. In the latest episode of Comedy Central’s Hell of a Week with Charlamagne Tha God, he said, “50 is a good number to stop at. That’s an incredible package. He’s the one that’s had his touch on the whole thing, so if somebody tries to come into his shoes … ”
If SNL is planning on ending in 2024 they should have a Deaf comedian host an episode.
— Leo Kingsley (@nullmetal) July 31, 2022
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Kenan went on to assert, “It’s a good opportunity for NBC to save money as well, you know what I’m saying? So maybe [NBC] might slash the budget, and then at that point, you can’t really do the same kind of show.” The 44-year-old credited Lorne for being an exceptional EP who has managed to keep “a lot of bulls***” from “coming into the game,” and while it would be hard to see the series go on without him, if “SNL” was to end, he’d still be proud of what he and the team accomplished during his two-decade stint on the show.
In a previous interview with CBS Mornings’ Gayle King, Lorne opened up about his decision in wanting to quit “SNL” in the forthcoming years — a decision which wouldn’t have come easy for him, given that he’s been working on the show since 1975.
“You know, I think I’m committed to doing this show until its 50th anniversary, which is in three years,” Lorne told the news anchor back in late 2021. “I’d like to see that through, and I have a feeling that’d be a really good time to leave. But here’s the point: I don’t want the show ever to be bad. I care too deeply about it. It’s been my life’s work. So I’m going to do everything I can to see it carry on.”
Mike Tyson gets triggered when Kenan Thompson tells him he’s more than just a n*gga pic.twitter.com/FT8PWlwBio
— The Art Of Dialogue (@ArtOfDialogue_) July 23, 2022
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“SNL,” throughout its 47-year run has practically been hosted by most of the biggest A-list celebrities in Hollywood, with thousands of sketches, performances, and skits over the years, it’s fair to say that perhaps ending the show once it reaches its 50th season is a smart move after all.
Taking into consideration that Lorne is leaving, the production costs to produce the show are exceptionally high, and nobody knows how well the next EP would do helming the series if they were to continue. Oftentimes, the changes brought on by the next executive producer in line can not always fare well with the audience, and since ratings have already declined in recent years, it will be interesting to see what NBC has planned as far as the future of “SNL” is concerned.