Following Lorne Michaels’ comments about his possible retirement from Saturday Night Live, cast member Kenan Thompson has weighed in with his thoughts about the show’s potential future… or lack thereof.
Michaels, who spoke with Gayle King on CBS Morning in December, has discussed his commitment to staying with the show until its 50th anniversary. “I’d like to see that through and I have a feeling that would be a really good time to leave,” the show’s creator, showrunner and executive producer said.
With the sketch series rapidly approaching its half-century mark (Season 48 kicks off in the fall), Thompson said Season 50 could be the perfect time to end since Michaels’ leadership is such a staple to the show’s success and operation.
“Fifty is a good number to stop at,” he told Charlamagne the God during a recent appearance on Comedy Central’s Hell of a Week. “That’s an incredible package.”
He continued: “[Michaels’] the one that’s had his touch on the whole thing… It opens the opportunity for a lot of bulls–t to come into the game because he’s such a legend that he keeps off those corporate wolves.”
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Although the comedian stopped short of saying that no one could fill Michaels’ big shoes, Thompson, who’s currently SNL‘s longest-running cast member, also expressed concern over budget cuts that could potentially arise after his boss’s departure.
“At that point, you can’t really do the same kind of show,” he said. “They spend a lot of money on that show every week. It’s an expensive show, but it’s a one-of-a-kind thing. It’s the only one.”
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