“writer-director James Gunn said no thanks to a star like Will Smith, but kept the guy who throws boomerangs?”

Drinking Mr. Pibb, that most uninspired of all the Coca-Cola products.

I hope one of Peacemaker’s missions it to track down The Weasel.

Lorne is going to bring back as many former cast members as he can by season 50 then blow up the entire studio with everyone in it.

Buck Henry, Dave Thomas, and Valri Bromfeld (who was asked to be in the first  SNL cast and declined - Jane Curtin was hired instead) definitely helped give that SCTV/NRFPT feel. That and the galaxy of comedy stars makes for some fascinating viewing, even if the end result isn’t always the best (a Catherine…

I strongly disagree with Lorne. I believe this is how the show has gotten stale. New faces and new writers keep the show fresh with new ideas.

Upvoted for mentioning The New Show. Very much of a “noble failure,” that show. There are some sketches that have been uploaded to Youtube over the years, and while the quality of the video leaves much to be desired, they give a good glimpse of what that show could achieve. Very much of an original “Not Ready for…

From interviews from former SNL stars I’d say there are 2 issues. One is they only make about $300k/season, which isn’t a lot for that business. It does not take much stardom for them to make more elsewhere doing shows or w/e, it’s more about the exposure than SNL pay. And second, comments from former stars are pretty…

Lorne tried the idea with “The New Show” (with just three or  so regulars). The show’s failure likely spooked him from trying the idea again.

geeze louise, if they keep the cast as big as it is and add even more the intros are going to take 10 minutes. 

Lorne needs to go. He’s been at the helm way too long.

I think extending the current cast members’ stay is the opposite of what the show should do right now. Instead, there should be a big cast purge, just like the ones the show did in the mid-1980s and mid-1990s. The current cast is just filled with performers who are solid but don’t quite stand out, which is why the…

Take a moment to look at the photo at the head of the article. Count the number of people in that photo. Now look at this one:

Instead of spending big bucks on established comedians, Michaels should hire some fresh writers.

There are 20 human beings in that display photo.

I always figured most of the cast members left the show after just a few seasons because simply, working at SNL is HARD.  It’s a grueling atmosphere famous for exceptionally long work hours, late nights and near constant rebuffing of your work.  I don’t blame any one for not wanting to do that for too long.

“it means a robust, successful run like those enjoyed by Kristen Wiig, Maya Rudolph, Jason Sudeikis, Horatio Sanz, Will Forte, Amy Poehler, or Bill Hader.”

He can back up the money truck and pay pay McKinnon or hire six new people to replace her. 

I like Kyle a lot, he’s managed to produce some very great material even within the show’s confines, but after 8 seasons I’m not sure what’s left. I don’t need to see another Baby Yoda. 

This is a byproduct of the SNL cast becoming more like friends or family to many of the show’s remaining viewers. It’s not just unique to this era - certainly the likes of Gilda Radner were beloved from very early on as much because of sheer personal appeal as because of comic talent - but I think that the insanity of…