Lorne Michaels confirms 'cast changes' for Season 51 of SNL

I don't care.

And of course the first one who needs to go is Lorne Michaels himself. Sorry, but the guy to revamp this stale old show is not the guy who started it 50 years, the guy who's accumulated too many friends to be a truly relentless critic of the stupidity of the times, the 80-year-old guy whose time has passed. Sorry, give somebody else a chance or let the whole thing die.

There go Michael Longfellow, Michael Che, Heidi Gardner, Chloe Fineman, and Bowen Yang, too. The first one because he's useless. The last one because he's not funny. The rest because they're everywhere all of a sudden.

Please let it be Yang, Che and Keenan. They've worn out their welcome a very long time ago.

Oh boy! Does that mean we get a new lineup of ugly queer people in Mom jeans?

It won’t be Keenan.

First one down. Devon Walker.

Happy Trails, Devon!

The only talent that show has right now is Ego Nwodim. The rest are boring or have worn out their welcome. Zero personality.

I really wish Lorne would finally call it quits and Tina Fey would take over. But he won’t and she might say no now.

Lorne Michaels !!! —- die already…

There was a report that Michaels was testing Longfellow for the Update desk, so I think he's safe.

Longfellow is a very handsome guy - he'd be good at the desk. Get rid of Che.

Walker did almost nothing during his three years, so this is no surprise.

As long as Ego and Marcello return, I don’t care if the rest go. Chloe and Andrew have kind of run out of steam and Heidi and Sarah—what’s left in their toolbox? Longfellow and Wickline both have negative energy—charisma vacuums.

And Keenan and Bowen and Che really need to go.

I still love Mikey Day but wouldn’t be shocked if he leaves. He’s been there quite a while now.

Kenan has been there longer than any other actor ever has been in the history of the show, and he's now in late middle age.

I'd like to see handsome Emil promoted to main cast.

Kenan Thompson has played the same 3 characters for 20 years, and he'll have to be fired b/c he knows he won't ever work anywhere else.

Like anyone would notice. No one watches.

When was the last firing and who? Did everyone come back for season 50 because it was a celebration and they couldn’t fire anyone?

Who watches this now?

Longfellow reminds me of Norm Macdonald. He would be good at Update.

I do. And Kenan must stay. Fuck Chloe, Heidi, Bowen, and Che. BOOOOOO.

R20, that same question has perplexed me for decades

If they're going to let Bowen Yang go, could they please wait till December so he is unavailable for the new Wicked promo tour? The Cynthia and Ariana Show is quite enough for a startled world to deal with.

Thx.

Yeah, I have always thought that Bowen Yang is not very funny at all. He is good at collecting expensive friends though.

Che should have been fired a loooooonnnggg time ago. Frankly, fire them all, who cares. Bowen is tired, the anorexic girls are all interchangeable, Kenan is a dull bore. Marcello is okay in small doses. Everyone else? BYE.

For people asking “who still watches this,” in terms of today’s numbers for network shows, SNL does extremely well. Its overall last season was over 8 million viewers per show. For a Saturday night show at 11:30, that’s great. It also has a huge life on YouTube and TikTok where its short form and clips constantly go viral and get big numbers. The show is expensive, but once Lorne is gone, NBC will cut that in half and extract major concessions from the new showrunner to keep it running, likely why it will struggle to get someone like Tina Fey or Seth Meyers on board. Given how his niche of show business is going right now and how tenuous his job currently is however, Seth might be up for taking it over.

[quote]For people asking “who still watches this,” in terms of today’s numbers for network shows, SNL does extremely well.

The record-setting Ariana Grande episode last season was MASSIVE. These numbers are insane for TV today.

Variety:

"The Oct. 12 episode, which was headlined by Ariana Grande and Stevie Nicks, was the most-watched on social with 712 million views. “Domingo: Bridesmaid Speech,” which was part of Grande and Nicks’ episode, was the most-watched sketch on social with 171 million views"

Most-watched season! (((((((( in 3 years ))))))))

Yeah, the folks above are pretty stupid if they think this show isn't being watched. It's been in a new hey day for years now. No, it's not as good as the mid 80s through the mid 90s, but they do have at least one or two great skits each week.

I love Bowen Yang, and hope he stays. Wickline is a terrible nepo baby and needs to go. Agree that Tina Fey needs to step into the helm. But, this is Lorne's baby, and he has every right to keep it as long as he wishes, even if it starts to really suck.

Devon Walker seemed like a super sweet guy. I hear that he used to go outside and talk to the folks waiting in line for tickets, and get to know folks, regardless of the weather, and that the cast loved him. But yeah, he just wasn't funny, and the dude was obviously reading the cue cards each time. Everyone has to use the cards, but they have to learn to memorize, and glance at the cards for the cue, and scan for any surprise changes in lines, not READ the cards as if for the first time.

I can't recall anything Walker has done on the show except some Update appearances as himself. He doesn't irritate me like Sherman and Hernandez do (let alone inspire loathing the way Pete Davidson did), so while I won't be glad to see the end of his tenure I won't be particularly broken up either.

I didn't like Heidi at first, but she's grown on me. Her weirdness is of an amusing sort rather than off-putting.

If Michael Che leaves, would Colin Jost remain as an anchor? Step back into a writer role? Become a house husband living off Scarlett's movie paydays?

Devon comments on his exit from the show.

Devon Walker never learned how to read the cue cards and not make it look like he was staring right at them.

You think he'd get better at that after a season or two, but he didn't. And it was so obvious, and affected his timing, making him less effective in his skits.

Funny guy though.

I thought Keenan was taking over for Lorne? (Vote Bowen off the SNL island)

R32 Sounds like he's trying to spin a bad situation sound good. I'm certain it was not his choice to leave - sounds like he got the dreaded ax.

I don’t even care who they cut. Just please don’t replace them. The show started with 7 cast members. Last season had 17 cast members. No wonder it’s so hard for anyone to break out now.

Not a good idea to shade Lorne on your way out the door. That has never worked for anybody.

Now Emil Wakim is gone. Funking Lorne never even gave him a chance!

[quote]The record-setting Ariana Grande episode last season was MASSIVE. These numbers are insane for TV today.

It’s referring to social media. Not ratings.

[quote]For people asking “who still watches this,” in terms of today’s numbers for network shows, SNL does extremely well.

No it doesn’t. The minute Lorne Michaels leaves the show will be facing the chopping block.

[quote]The show started with 7 cast members.

Six of them white. Three of women.

Interesting to read this thread because few agree on who should go. So Lorne Michaels is probably the best judge.

The Bowen Yang hate here is typical for DL, which devours all nelly-seeming out gay guys, But Yang is actually more versatile in sketches than some of the others.

Day is a favorite, his sign-language fights with fellow drivers on ferries have been sletch highlights for me. But what do I know? Maybe he’s difficult behind the scenes or not especially versatile in sketches. No one is sacrosanct except for the guy who plays Trump.

Emil Wakim is gorgeous.

This is a tragedy!

Day needs a sitcom. He was the best part of Kath and Kim.

All the white girls post-Heidi are way too similar. Keep one and axe the rest.

Any new male must be devastating handsome and hung at least 9”!

So Pete Davidson is coming back?

He is going to "Shake it up."

So it is going to be funny again?

R32 Thank God he's gone. He was never funny.

Now can we also get Sarah Sherman and Bowen Yang on the departure train?

[quote] Six of them white. Three of women.

You really think they need 17 cast members for it be sufficiently diverse?

Yes, it does R40. Those numbers are huge for network. Period.

[quote]But Yang is actually more versatile in sketches than some of the others.

Can you show us some proof of what you post ? Anything at all ?

Maybe they can figure out a way to write a funny show each week?

I realize it's hard work, but it amazes me that their process which even incorporates audience reaction from a dress rehearsal of a longer version of the show that gets cut down for the live show fails to produce much of note lately. This is supposedly the top sketch writing talent in the US and yet it really sucks. The Trump cold opens have been good, but that's because they're basically repeating the crazy shit he did that week.

I don't blame the actors. it's the writing.

R52 Unfortunately, many of the actors are also the show's writers.

Yet Wickline is still there as of this post.

[quote]This is supposedly the top sketch writing talent in the US and yet it really sucks.

Where in the world did you every get that idea from ? 'Top sketch writing talent' in the US ? Not even Lorne Michaels would say such BS.

I think Wickline did one funny thing this past season, but because of her connections to him he'll at least give her another season.

Former cast members often say that to have staying power on SNL, you need to write for yourself or team up with a writer who’ll stick with you. In Season 50, cast members like Mikey Day, Michael Che, Bowen Yang, Sarah Sherman, Marcello Hernández, and Andrew Dismukes have stood out as some of the most active writer-performers on air.

Bowen might be the least versatile cast member in the show’s history, and that includes Victoria Jackson. Even when he has been funny, he’s funny as a version of himself.

Yang doesn't bother me. Kenan has been around forever but I like him more for that reason. Weekend Update has been stale for years now with Che and Jost. Jost's annoying grin and shtick bores me.

I think Weekend Update is due for an overhaul, no offense to the incumbents.

It’s just time.

Longfellow will get (has gotten?) an ultimatum. Take over the WE desk or leave the show entirely.

If Marcello’s firing results in him starting an OF, I’m all for it.

I hope Ashley Padilla stays. She has potential, and was pretty funny in the few chances they gave her. Her JoAnn of JoAnn Fabrics was hilarious.

Marcello Hernández is so hot. I bet he has a massive dick.

This show lost me for good when they allowed Trump to host, and Lorne was going around telling the writers to go easy on him while he was running for president.

You need a true cutting edge sketch comedy show on the air. SNL is way too establishment friendly, especially with Lorne at the helm. And there's been too much in the culture that they could take the piss out of. SNL has been dodging comic gold over the last two decades to give us game show parodies, and satires of Lawrence Welk and McGuyer.

They became the very showbiz institution they originally claimed to be so defiantly against.

This show isn't even funny. the actors are all ugly. and not funny.

So far he got rid of two cute guys. Is he getting ideas from the girls in the the Big Brother House this season ?

We need a Dick Ebersol all-star year. I’m not talking about hosts, bring some of the former writers and more mature cast members back.

June Squibb is available to join the cast. Is she mature enough ?

The Weekend update is the only thing I like on the show, and I like Jost.

Lorne has to learn after he betrayed trans folks by having chappelle host the show.

Bowen too for not boycotting the show that week.

There is a certain lack of maturity to recent casts. It’s not just because I’m older so they seem younger. I think it’s more a mirror of what is going on in society overall. They all seem very young and inexperienced for their age, and it’s reflected in their comedy/writing. It’s good to have a few like that, but it’s pretty much the whole cast acting like overgrown kids.

I’m thinking actually the show hasn’t got worse, as much as the quality of castmembers. They have less charisma, they’re more boring, generic and less funny. Lorne is slipping in re sent years on his cast choices. IMO. stop picking cast based on trendy gimmicks or wokeness.

They lost me after they fired Molly Kearney.

I still want Justice for Chloe Troast

Ah yes, Molly Kearney. Comedy god.

{quote]Lorne has to learn after he betrayed trans folks by having chappelle host the show. Bowen too for not boycotting the show that week.

Why just Bowen and not the whole cast ? Shouldn't they all have boycotted that week ?

Michael Longfellow gone. I will find a link that works.

Here.

[quote]Michael Longfellow gone. I will find a link that works.

Emil Wakim, Michael Longfellow, and Devon Walker didn't do much writing for anything other than their own Weekend Update segments, so it's not a shock that he's joining them in an exit.

I would’ve given Emil another shot, just because he’s cute.

So much for Longfellow taking over WU.

Can't stand Jane Wickline and her stupid songs. She's not funny and the only reason she got hired is because she's the daughter of Lorne's assistant. She looks "special".

[quote]I still want Justice for Chloe Troast

If nothing else, she should have been kept on at least another season for the mere possibility that she might have something else as funny as "Get That Boy Back" in her.

Yes, to Longfellow. I recall a previous thread with comments saying he was a natural for the WU spot. I thought his smug, sarcastic demeanor would wear thin very quickly. I guess Lorne agreed.

OK - so Lorne is intent on getting rid of all the sexy young studs as we add Longfellow to the list. Marcello better watch out tomorrow - he's sexy and young so he may be on the chopping block. Keenan, Jost, Yang and Che have zero to worry about - they're not young nor sexy.

Marcello is arguably the biggest breakout player they’ve had in the last few seasons, so I’d be shocked if he got kicked to the curb.

Longfellow always had a very creepy, deadpan affect. The Weekend Update screen test was a way for him to show he could cultivate a more user friendly persona. Obviously he couldn’t or wouldn’t. No loss, he skeeves me out and acts like he’s too cool for the gig. He isn’t.

Emil has beautiful green eyes and a sweet puppyish persona, but really didn’t ever suggest he could do anything but seem like a nice guy. He might have used some of that charm to ingratiate himself with the heavy hitter writers that tend to get their sketches on air. Show business is Darwinian and SNL is even more so. He might have been too nice to thrive in that armosphere. I can see him as part of an ensemble on a sitcom, SNL isn’t the right vehicle for him.

Part of the problem is a too large cast which gave only about half of them a regular opportunity to show what they can do. Cut the cast down to seven, eight or nine and give them all a chance to shine.

R85, I’ve always found Jost sexy, I love that WASPy, prep school type. I’d love to fuck him.

Heidi Gardner’s finally going bye bye.

I’ll be ticked if Wickline stays with all of these other people leaving. She’s one of the worst performers I’ve seen, the same in everything.

FFS, get rid on Kenan already. Did Lorne buy him at auction? You got your money's worth so move the fuck on.

I hope Heidi saved her money. More on the toxic environment please.

SNL needs to get some kind of edge back or fuck right off. They should have kept Longfellow and found a better way to use his weird, deadpan, darker persona. If it's just going to be let's keep the bland and empty, then yeah, kill the fucking thing.

I long for the days of "In Living Color" and "MadTV" when "SNL" actually had some sort of competition. I'm not sure when SNL was ever edgy.

Heidi out:

Regarding Emil's departure, someone named "Justin" posted this in the comments section on Deadline (responding to another commenter who implied Emil leaving was his own decision):

[quote]Lol. I work at SNL. He was let go. Writers didn’t write for him. It’s not groundbreaking, our show goes throw this every season. He was kind, smart, funny, he’ll be fine.

I don’t understand why they didn’t just announce all the departures at once.

This is a strange PR strategy.

As long as at least some of the eye candy stays, I'll be fine.

I have a theory that Matt Rogers is joining the cast. He moved to New York, he is obsessed with the show, and his bestie Bowen likely has enough pull to get him on. Just my gut.

I don’t find Marcello or Bowen funny.

Shut your mouth, R99.

We've suffered those two enough.

[quote] I hope Heidi saved her money.

She comes from money.

Let’s be honest, whose departure would we mourn? There is no one in the current cast who is that great. There are a few who are fine, but no one is a powerhouse. They’re all just kind of there.

I mourn Longfellow and Wakim because they're nice to look at.

If they can't hire good writers, the male performers can at least be cute.

Isn't Heidi the one doing those commercials with Dan Levy that are on all the time? She's probably making more from that than SNL.

She’s loaded with family money.

[quote]Let’s be honest, whose departure would we mourn?

Ego Nwodim. I love a good Miss Eggy, Lisa from Temecula or Dionne Warwick appearance.

She's been on the show since 2018. I'm sure she'll leave when she's actually ready because people write for her and when she does write, she can write for herself very well.

I may be in the minority, but I like Kenan Thompson & glad he’s still part of the cast.

I thought Heidi Gardner was very funny in sketches. She’ll do fine as an actor/comedian.

I think they're grooming Ashley Padilla to become the new lead female cast member. She has a Kristin Wiig sensibility when it comes to sketches and her looks are more mainstream unlike say, Sarah Sherman.

Sarah Sherman has one setting: LOUD.

I like Gardner and will miss her but she had a good long run on the show. I doubt she'll have trouble getting work

Longfellow had some good moments but didn't have a much range beyond snarky douchebag. Even his Weekend Update appearances were pretty much the same just in different costumes. Still better than Pete Davidson

Wakim didn't have time to make much impression but he was at least a solid utility. I'm surprised to see him cut so soon. If Jane Wickline survives instead of him I'll be pissed

Devon Walker was just kind of there. I couldn't tell you anything he did in his three years on the show. He was cute though

[quote]Ego Nwodim. I love a good Miss Eggy, Lisa from Temecula or Dionne Warwick appearance.

She's also quite good as backup in sketches: a woman at her friend's bachelorette party, etc. I can't imagine Wickline being able to do that.

Lorne needs to cut the anorexic $cieno chick.

No thoughts on Andrew Dismukes? He used to be kind of popular on DL when he first started but less so over the last few years.

Mikey Day is a standout in this cast.

I like Dismukes. I guess he's the only cute guy left.

[quote]She's also quite good as backup in sketches: a woman at her friend's bachelorette party, etc. I can't imagine Wickline being able to do that.

I was thinking about that too, now that you mention it. She's great at being in a sketch, doing her part, and not making it all about her like Leslie Jones (who I liked in small doses) had a tendency to do.

Aidy Bryant, and to a lesser extent, Melissa Villaseñor, were also great at doing that as well. Devon Walker handled that well but he never found a foothold on his own.

Hopefully he'll have a career like Sasheer Zamata who never had anyone to write for her, didn't get to write much for herself, but turned out to be a solid actress when someone hands her a script.

[quote]No thoughts on Andrew Dismukes? He used to be kind of popular on DL when he first started but less so over the last few years.

He married a woman this summer. Dead to us

[quote]No thoughts on Andrew Dismukes? He used to be kind of popular on DL when he first started but less so over the last few years.

He's also getting fat.

Heidi is loaded… with injectables. Lord.

Heidi was definitely one of the MVPs of the current cast, but her star has been rising for a while and she has much more lucrative opportunities outside of SNL now.

I really liked Michael. He was almost a bit of heir to Bill Hader. Not suggesting he was as brilliant or versatile as Bill, but, there was a certain dryness there that was very welcome.

Emil seemed to have so much potential, but I guess if you don't shoot like a rocket, you can get cut relatively quickly. Shame.

Devon, I agree, cute as a button and seemed like a genuinely good egg, but... didn't make much of an impression.

If Bowen ends up staying, this will definitely be his final season. He's become far too successful to stick around that much longer. I'll miss his silliness and the undeniable jolt of queerness he injected into the show. I hope that sensibility will remain with someone in the cast or writer's room.

My thing with the current cast is that most of them are fine, but not memorable. I actually thing Bowen is one of the weakest, though i know others disagree. But for the most part, they are all fairly capable, but I forget about them as soon as they are off screen. It might be because they don’t do as many recurring characters anymore. While those can be annoying, they do connect the cast member in the audience’s mind.

The more these SNL folk get outside work, especially commercials, the less likely Lorne is going to keep them around.

Longfellow is funny, but always had a creepy vibe.

[quote]No thoughts on Andrew Dismukes? He used to be kind of popular on DL when he first started but less so over the last few years.

I was the Andrew Dismukes troll, but age hasn't been kind to him. He has a weird chest hair pattern, you can tell he's losing his hair, and has put on weight, all things that have forced me to give up my title. Currently, there are no hot guys, to me, in the cast. But I do love Kenan and Mikey Day as cast members. I will miss Heidi. I assume they are positioning Ashley Padilla as the new main white girl.

When SNL started in 1975 there were 7 cast members. Now there's 17 and the show is still 90 minutes long. Lorne just needs to trim it down to the funniest members and not hire anyone else.

I like Mikey Day but he is kinda one note. He’s usually playing a distressed person loudly.

It's insurance, R128. Beyond the fact the show has a bigger budget and they do more things, they get to throw a lot of pasta at the wall and see who sticks. If someone doesn't, the show isn't hurt.

The largest cast had 21 members in season 47: Aidy Bryant, Michael Che, Pete Davidson, Mikey Day, Chloe Fineman, Heidi Gardner, Colin Jost, Kate McKinnon, Alex Moffat, Kyle Mooney, Ego Nwodim, Chris Redd, Cecily Strong, Kenan Thompson, Melissa Villaseñor, and Bowen Yang, while the featured players were Aristotle Athari, Andrew Dismukes, James Austin Johnson, Punkie Johnson, and Sarah Sherman.

[quote] Aristotle Athari

He was too good and cerebral for the show.

It’s a weird show to leave. I just saw a meme that showed Lorne as the grim reaper, and everyone who left had a bloody trail outside their dressing room. They included Heidi, even though she very likely left on her own accord. People tend to assume someone is fired even if they have been there awhile.

Pete Davidson is the only cast member to leave the show in the last 15 years who then went on to any kind of success.

Why do you think Kenan is sticking around? It's tough out there. I like Pete, I'm not sure of his talent (outside of dating above his station and a big cock), but he's one of those guys that everyone seems to like, which is helpful in Hollywood. I like Colin and Che, but they'd better stick with WU until the wheels fall off.

R133, And thats only because he's a fame whore who publicizes his dating life

I'll miss Heidi, and I would miss Keenan, Mikey, and Ego if they left. The rest I'll probably forget as soon as they're gone.

I wouldn't mind R99 being right about Matt Rogers joining up, as long as he and Bowen aren't allowed to do sketches that are just the two of them yapping about reality TV together. His Christmas show and some of his videos have cracked me up, and he knows how to put Zane Phillips to good use as eye candy.

Report: SNL Eying Comic Kam Patterson for Season 51 Cast

Lorne Michaels’ next hire at Saturday Night Live? It might be comedian Kam Patterson.

That’s according to TMZ, which reported Friday that the 26-year-old comic is on the short list to join the show’s Season 51 cast.

If selected, Patterson would likely be a controversial pick in some circles, mostly due to the company he keeps.

Patterson rose to fame just six months into his standup career on the “Kill Tony” podcast (where he’s now a regular) and counts its host Tony Hinchcliffe, Shane Gillis, and Joe Rogan among his biggest champions.

The Florida-born comic currently boasts more than a million followers across Instagram and TikTok.

It's interesting to see how entertainment and show business have changed. Up until around 2000, no one wanted to be on SNL forever. They were either tired of the grind or finding movies and prime time more fruitful.

Now they seem to camp at the show. Heidi should have been gone a few seasons ago. Her baby woman act is long in the tooth. Bowen is a one trick pony and Kenan is bland as dry toast.

Part of that is because Lorne used to forbid cast members from taking outside projects that would cause them to miss even a single episode. He’s softened that stance in the last few years, which is why so many people are staying longer—they get to do the show while also doing other projects on the side.

I care less about the performers than the writers. Hire some really good satirists, people who actually give a shit about this shitshow we are all living through. Friggin South Park is making more of a statement these days, much more, but then again so is pretty much everybody. SNL is just going through the motions and I can't remember the last time they had a sketch that was about anything much at all.

Cruel ‘SNL’ Summers: Cast Overhauls Are a Time-Honored Ritual:

[quote]Pete Davidson is the only cast member to leave the show in the last 15 years who then went on to any kind of success.

Pete is the most tabloid-famous SNL alum of the past 15 years, but Kristen Wiig is the most successful in terms of career.

She left in 2012 and has had a steady run of major film roles. She's still doing Palm Royale on Apple TV.

Sasheer Zamata left in 2017, landed two lead roles in shows (Woke and Home Economics on ABC with Topher Grace), and just joined the MCU with Agatha All Along last year so she's doing fine.

Cecily Strong left in 2022, starred in Schmigadoon! and picked up Emmy nods, but her success feels a little more niche compared to Kristen, Pete and Sasheer.

So I wouldn't say he's the only one.

I loved Aidy’s series, Shrill, but it only lasted a couple of seasons. I hope she shows up in something else soon.

I'm available! No hard feelings, Lorne!

Just to completely mess with our heads, Ann Risley should get to host the 1,000th episode.

He's going to torture us by keeping Bowen Yang and his whine ass about Asians not being represented as long as he kept Pete Davidson charity case around.

R133, you’re wrong. Kate McKinnon: A comedic powerhouse known for characters including Hillary Clinton and Ruth Bader Ginsburg. She won two Emmys for her work on the show. Co starred in Barbie. HUGE. Bill Hader: His mastery of impressions and unique characters, most famously Stefon on Weekend Update, made him an audience favorite. Went on to lead an HBO series. Kristen Wiig: She became a star on the show with eccentric characters like the Target Lady and Gilly. She co-wrote & starred in the blockbuster film Bridesmaids while on the show. Andy Samberg: While a member of the sketch group The Lonely Island, his musical digital shorts, such as "Dick in a Box" and "Lazy Sunday," became massive viral hits that defined SNL for the YouTube era. All doing as well or better than Davidson. Furthermore Jason Sudeikis: With standout characters like a dancing Devil and an overly enthusiastic male cheerleader, he was a key part of the cast before co-creating and starring in the hit show Ted Lasso. One of Apple’s biggest hits yet.

R147, wasn't the overenthusiastic cheerleader played by Will Ferrell? As for your list, I agree many cast members have gone on to have careers post-SNL, but I don't think many have reached the heights of the earlier cast members such as John Belushi and Eddie Murphy.

Bowen is openly gay! DL hates that!

Jane Wickline must be blowing Lorne or someone at SNL and must be REALLY good at it, because she's terrible.

R149, Bowen is openly untalented. He laughs during every damn sketch. He can't play straight to save his life, yet they keep putting him in sketches playing straight guys. Takes you right out of the sketch.

He's just a one-trick-pony who thinks putting his smirking gay persona front and center in every sketch is the height of comedy. It's not.

Bowen is great. Very entertaining

[quote]Bowen has no talent, not funny! DL hates that!

There, fixed it for you.

Hey Bowen at R152, shouldn't you be looking for work instead of posting on the DL praising yourself?

The Bowen hate is very telling given the prehistoric and low-melanin demos on our good ol' Datalounge.

R137 - Ugh. He's terrible. The rise of conservative, Black zoomers is so dismaying. I live in the South and there are so many of them around just... shitting on the legacy of the generations that came before them. Hope Lorne doesn't give him a platform. Let him stay in that Kill Tony ecosystem with the other cavemen.

I like Bowen and love Keenan.

I like all the current cast members, but agree some of them aren’t memorable.

I hope Ego and Chloe return.

Bowen has grown on me over the years. He doesn’t have a broad range but he’s good at what he does. Garrett from Hinge was hilarious

I’s say Andy Samberg has done well post SNL — “Brooklyn 99” was a big hit.

[quote] I don't think many have reached the heights of the earlier cast members such as John Belushi and Eddie Murphy.

I don't think this is possible for anyone anymore, SNL cast member or not. The age of the "movie star" that can open a film on their name alone is long dead.

[quote] One of Apple’s biggest hits yet ...

Also Amy Poehler left in 2012 and Tina Fey left in 2006, both way more successful than Pete Davidson.

The current cast is slightly on the bland side, but they are all funny.

The writing is the problem.

I’m a little surprised Andy Samberg hasn’t aged better. He was a hot piece back in the day.

Thank goodness I haven’t aged a bit in 20 years.

DM has one of their sub exclusives saying three members are safe. I can't read the article because I refuse to pay for that rag. Trying to discern from the comments, two of them may be Kenan and Bowen. Sorry, but I think they both suck.

Lorne Michaels has already said that the guy who plays Trump is safe.

[post redacted because linking to dailymail.co.uk clearly indicates that the poster is either a troll or an idiot (probably both, honestly.) Our advice is that you just ignore this poster but whatever you do, don't click on any link to this putrid rag.]

R164 is a link to the paywall-free Daily Mail article.

[quote]the Daily Mail exclusively reports that Michaels, 80, is working to steer the sinking ship back on course. Sources say he is determined to restore SNL's comedic edge, even if it means more cast changes. 'Lorne doesn't have many more years that he wants to do SNL, and he wants to make it funny again,' an insider told the Daily Mail.

[quote]The recent changes are said to partly be tied to plans for an SNL UK spinoff in 2026, with Michaels intent on keeping the original series as the benchmark for sketch comedy. 'So these changes for Lorne are to see if he's still got it,' the insider added. 'And to make sure that SNL is funny and groundbreaking for years to come. 'Lorne felt that he and the show had been on autopilot for a few years, and it is now time to be very funny again.' Michaels wants the series to take more risks and bring back some 'grit'.

[quote]Three performers - Bowen Yang, Kenan Thompson and Jane Wickline - are expected to remain, with the source highlighting Michaels' admiration for Yang and Thompson in particular.

Why reviled-on-DL Jane Wickline is a Lorne favorite (aside from her mother being one of his ex-assistants):

[quote]As for Wickline, the source said that while many fans consider her 'tremendously not funny' and 'awkward', her personality may be working in her favor behind the scenes. 'She is very nice, and people like being around her,' the insider explained. 'Lorne finds her funny and believes she can contribute to the show in ways others haven't seen.'

[quote]The source added that Wickline's low-drama presence could help her stay on the roster. 'Jane might slip through the cracks because she doesn't cause drama and is well liked.'

[quote]'It's a strange reason to stay - ideally, you should be funny - but Lorne sees her as hilarious where others just see her as nice,' the source continued. 'Both of those factors could help her in the long run.'

Thanks for the DM info, that was nice of you. In reference to Wickline, you'd be surprised how many actors of average talent work steadily for decades. They show up on time, they're easy to get along with and they don't create drama on set. I guess that's her one talent.

Another one for the rumor mill.

That would make sense, R168 — the non-nepo one is actually funny.

I love the Please Don't Destroy guys. I don't give a shit about them being nepo-babies if they've got the goods. Plus, they've made fun of themselves for that very fact anyway. Their segments have been probably the most consistently funny in the past 2-3 years (other than, perhaps, the fabulous Trump of James Austin Johnson.)

Bowen Yang - now why wasn't he offered Broadway's MHE to replace Darren Criss ? A behemoth of a talent like Yang doesn't come around too often. Pull him off SNL and put him in MHE!

Can Bowen sing? Conrad Ricamora would make more sense.

Who cares if Bowen can sing - just get him off SNL is the point !

Bowen Yang is certainly the nelliest SNL cast member ever.

What about Kenan?

I don't think Kenan would be good to replace Criss in Maybe Happy Ending.

I detest Chloe Fineman now. I used to think she was uber-talented, but her off-camera horseshit proves she's just another has-been. Get her gone.

Just cancel the whole show. It's format is dated and overall it has sucked for decades. Sure there are the occasional season or cast but for the most part it's cringe.

R177 What's she doing off-camera?

Being a demanding bitch wherever she goes .

The "DO YOU KNOW WHO I AM" thing.

Cancel the thing and replace it with a 60-minute sitcom titled "We Were Funny Once," a show about a venerable and failing network comedy skit show.

[quote]Being a demanding bitch wherever she goes . The "DO YOU KNOW WHO I AM" thing.

I've been saying all along when 'the movie' of the 'RI AG in Newport' gets made, Fineman needs to be cast as the sidekick from CT who worked for Pepsi and kept yelling out 'Babe! Babe!"

If they add only one of the Please Don’t Destroy guys won’t that, well, destroy them?

R183 I thought the same.

[quote]Three performers - Bowen Yang, Kenan Thompson and Jane Wickline - are expected to remain, with the source highlighting Michaels' admiration for Yang and Thompson in particular.

Imagine not being sure whether you will keep Ego Nwodim but knowing definitely you're keeping Jane Wickline.

[quote]Bowen has grown on me over the years. He doesn’t have a broad range but he’s good at what he does.

That's the problem, they only role he knows how to play is a gay Asian guy. And when the characters is supposed to be a straight dude, he cant even butch it up enough to be even slightly believable. He just plays Bowen, the current token of SNL.

[quote] Bowen Yang, Kenan Thompson and Jane Wickline

Literally the three most limited performers in the entire cast.

Please tell me you have seen whiny Bowen’s take on recent events. He is attacking the media for simply reporting on SNL’s own weird practices. He’s such a thin-skinned public figure.

I’m sorry, there is no world where Bowen should be a comedy star of note. It’s absurd on its face.

Based on the casting renewal decisions being made: I’d say it’s Lorne who should be leaving.

Bowen is becoming chunky, on top of being annoying and unfunny since forever.

The chick with the PBS “Electric Company”-era ugly shag haircut and unfunny impersonations needs to scram.

Sarah Sherman can be cute when they put her in a wig.

I wanted to like Heidi, but she used a “vocal fry, little girl” voice in nearly every skit. It got annoying.

Bowen is the most talented person on the show and it’s not even close. He’s also the most famous. He’s the most Emmy nominated Asian actor in history for a reason.

Maybe Lorne thinks cultivating the most talented one and getting rid of the other two would be a net positive for the show?

Though Jane Wickline being kept on doesn't give me any confidence he can tell which of the three is the most gifted comedian.

Has someone done a wellness check on Longfellow? He seemed dead behind the eyes while employed.

Ashley Padilla seems to have a booster on DL, and I have no idea why.

She's extremely bland and has done nothing in the "breakout star" category.

Not-even-one-season wonders like Beth Cahill and Morwenna Banks had more spark.

I am one of the Ashley Ladilla posters here, but not the only one. I only made one comment. I haven’t been awestruck or anything by her, but I do see enough potential to at least give her another season.

Oh, and I agree about Beth Cahill, she should have been brought back for a full season.

I miss Melanie Hutsell.

R181, see Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip.

Hi Bowen/R193!

The season 51 opening episode is Oct 4.

So far, no cast announcements and no host / musical guest schedule for season 51 has been announced.

Lornes cutting things awfully close.

R201 No cast announcements ? In the past few days it was announced four cast members are leaving. Didn't you read this thread ?

Not R201 but I'm guessing they meant there's been no announcements about NEW cast members.

R193, please post some clips of Bowen's Emmy worthy performances.

Post various characters so we can see just how distinct and well-crafted they are. *SPOILER* They're not.

Post sketches of him playing straight so we can get a good laugh (not the kind you speak of.)

Post sketches where he does not break character. *SPOILER* There are none.

Post sketches where he does not start laughing. (See SPOILER above.)

Post sketches where his talent and charisma indeed show he is the star of SNL instead of an attention whore who seems to forget he's part of an ensemble cast.

I’m just waiting for the official announcement that Michael Che’s ugly ass isn’t coming back.

Somehow the cast is now *bigger* than last year.

And Michael Longfellow said that Lorne didn't bother to call him to tell him he was fired; Longfellow found out in an airport while waiting for a connecting flight. That tracks with everything everyone has ever said about Lorne Michaels.

I like Ben Marshall, but those other two white guys seem unnecessary.

R206 This is SNL's biggest problem - way too many cast members.

EXACTLY R209! Last season’s opening credits took somewhere between one and two minutes to show because of all the damn cast members. This show became famous with half of the number of cast members they’ve had in the last several years.

I will not even entertain the thought of watching again until Lorne Michaels retire and they cut the cast in half.

Lorne sounds so egomaniacal. Yet no one at the network ever says, but the show is so rarely funny these days…

I was following Tommy Brennan's stand-up on Instagram for a while.

I actually unfollowed him last month because he's so bland and boring.

If we have to have a token gay on SNL, I wish it was Cole Escola.

They're full on going for the MAGA / Joe Rogan crowd with Kam Patterson. Probably smart thing to do in 2025 even though, personally, I find him painfully unfunny and have a hard time imagining him being the least bit effective as a sketch comedian. At least Shane Gillis had some actual comedic talent. This one is just a naked play for that audience.

Cole is waaaaayyyy past SNL R213, he was a finalist for the Pulitzer. He has a Tony - leading, not feautured. He’s making more money per week just off Oh, Mary than he’d ever make at SNL. He’ll never be an ensemble player again. If anything he’s likely developing a new play, several tv shows for streaming, and movies. I’m surprised we haven’t heard about a first look deal, if those even really exist any more. At any rate, he’s having conversations with people at the very top of the business, not Lorne Michaels’ lowly casting directors.

Lorne Michaels continues to be the biggest detriment to that showing being consistantly funny.

He lucked out by cherry-picking the best improv players from Chicago, Toronto and NYC in 1975 and he's been riding the coattails ever since.

Do they use AI for casting?

I wonder if the ax will fall on anyone else or is LM done ?

Wondering if Please Don’t Destroy will be cut.

I don't understand how there can be such little talent among the improv groups around the country, when we know so many famous people studied or came from them.

Perhaps, SNL has got a bad reputation among improv communities.

I just don't understand how some of these people make the cut. THEY are the best? Who is choosing these people?

Sounds like they're getting rid of the unfunny, corporate comedy troupe Please Don't Destroy. I wonder which one was Lorne's buttboi?

R219, one of the three guys is joining the regular cast and one is leaving (not sure what’s happening with the third guy), so one can assume that’s it for Please Don’t Destroy.

That's actually really sad. They were Please Don't Destroy long before they joined SNL. Of course comedy troupes don't last forever but from an outside perspective it looks like SNL ruined that relationship. Although Higgins (the one who is leaving SNL) recently got married so maybe there's a Yoko aspect as well.

On the other hand maybe the pressure of writing for the group was straining the friendship so they chose to break up before they ended up hating each other

Way too many dudes.

[quote]Perhaps, SNL has got a bad reputation among improv communities.

Seriously? If I had a dollar for every bad improve show I have been at I would be rich by now. Seems like every gay +40 queen thinks they have a second career in comedy after taking one improve class.

It's improv, not improve, you poor bitch!

I know a little about how SNL used to be cast.

Michaels would send out trusted assistants to sketch/improv groups like The Groundlings and Second City (not so much to pure improv troupes) to see if there were any stars in the making. Sometimes he would go, I believe, but not often. The selected ones would fly to New York (they may have had to pay their own way) and do several characters for him while they were being taped. Later they also were required to do some impressions, which is what locked in Bill Hader for the cast.

They were conscious of diversity; one year it was Lisa Kudrow, Kathy Griffin, and Julia Sweeney all up for the white girl in the cast (all of them Groundlings and very funny on stage — Julia was always funnier in person than on the show). Sasheer Zamata was added when the show was being criticized for not having a black woman since Maya Rudolph; her competition was a standout Second City Chicago sketch comic named Tawny Newsome, who has never taken off the way she should.

Now, I guess, they have people send tapes, and it's obvious the casting people watch YouTube and TikTok for popular creators. But being a good standup or TikTok person isn't the same as entertaining in front of a live audience. It's a different skill set and also involves melding with a group. They seem to ignore that now in hopes of finding a breakout new young person.

Four out of the five new cast are primarily standups; the awful Jane Wickline has done some sketch, I understand, but is mostly known for TikTok and being the daughter of Lorne's former assistant.

I wish they'd go back to the old format. SCTV is still funny today, even when it's dated, because all those people came from a sketch background.

[quote]It's improv, not improve, you poor bitch!

Most Improv shows need a lot of improvement if you know what I mean.

I only had one character, but they hired me anyway.

Melanie was hilarious. I also loved her sorority girl but and the Blossom parody. She's underappreciated.

Fuck you, r229!!

[quote]It's improv, not improve, you poor bitch!

Yes, and?

The year Melanie Hutsell came in, she was with two other new women, Beth Cahill and Siobhan Fallon. It seemed like they were on track to be the hot new cast members, sort of like a female equivalent to Farley and Sandler and Spade. But that of course didn’t play out, with Cahill and Fallon fired after a season and Hutsell always sort of struggling to break out.

Sad last days.

[quote] her competition was a standout Second City Chicago sketch comic named Tawny Newsome, who has never taken off the way she should.

Tawny Newsome has gone from voice acting on Star Trek: Lower Decks to writing and producing Star Trek: Starfleet Academy.

She’s fine.

Is Totie Fields available?

I remember that season, R233.

I thought Cahill and Hutsell were one-trick ponies, with their Miss Chicago and Jan Brady respectively, but I loved Siobhan Fallon, who had a Gilda-like energy but got canned after a year anyway.

They all suffered from not being multi-talented like Jan Hooks and Nora Dunn and not mono-talented in a way that worked for the show like Victoria Jackson.

And of course the writing sucked so hard overall that it was impossible for anyone to look good.

Agreed, R237, but we didn’t know how versatile they were when they first came on. Those early sorority girl sketches felt like the future of SNL, when really both the show and the culture of the nineties would change quickly thereafter.

"Delta Delta Delta can I help ya help ya help ya" caught on instantly at my high school in 1991. As did the Gap girls.

Then suddenly this wave of cool smart comics like Janeane Garofalo and Margaret Cho swept in, and women acting like morons and men in drag acting like moronic women were instantly passé.

Back then, cable networks filled several hours with stand-up comedy where you could see smart stuff and wonder why tf it wasn't on SNL.

Same memories, R239. That sketch was huge at my junior high. But yeah, the nineties were completely different by 1992/1993. Irony took hold. Sarcasm.

I read the Ole Miss Tri-Delts were the inspiration for those sketches. One of the writers had heard them answer the phone like that. I was at Ole Miss when those sketches aired, and had some friends in the sorority. My friends thought it was hilarious, but some of the more uptight chicks were offended. Apparently some of the “powerful” alumnae wrote Lorne Michaels to complain..like he gave a shit!

Beth Cahill was making custom order dresses for rich bitches in Chicago within 5 years of leaving SNL.

Show Business is a tough passion, folks.

[quote] But that of course didn’t play out, with Cahill and Fallon fired after a season and Hutsell always sort of struggling to break out.

At least Fallon got to guest star on The Golden Girls during her one season.

R239, you raise a great point.

Silly lady comics like Hutsell were perhaps pushed out by the smarty pants comics like Garofalo.

I sense another cast departure about to happen.

They need to get that chick who does fake influencer videos at places like Motel 6 and Jiffy Lube. Let her do a taped segment every once in a while. Her Insta handle is rachmstein. Her Rainforest Cafe video was great.

I know a lot of people liked Heidi but she wasn’t very versatile. Vanessa Bayer had the same vibe but was very versatile.

Heidi Gardner's separation was not voluntary.

When you’re keeping Jane Wickline and getting rid of Heidi Gardner there’s a problem.

R247 - that's actually very surprising. Lorne definitely makes some odd choices. We're losing Gardner, but we're getting that MAGA clown with the terrible standup and no discernable sketch comedy skills?

Heidi was difficult.

I was never a Heidi fan.

She did a lot of characters, but they were largely A-for-effort, B-to-C-for-execution.

She was not a totally-lose-yourself-in-character sketch genius like a Kristen Wiig, Amy Poehler, Molly Shannon, or Jan Hooks. Not even bringing Gilda or Laraine into the convo.

She tried but never got there. Eight seasons is more than she probably deserved, ability-wise.

Fully agree, R251. It was almost always there, but there was something lacking. It was like you could see the work, if that makes sense.

SNL has just become so odd. We grade the cast members in a weird curve. I keep hearing how people are obsessed with Marcelo Hernandez, and I’m totally open to him being great, but has he really done anything at this point that is all that amazing? Bowen is the single most overrated cast member in the show’s history. A few years ago, Leslie Jones would get nominated for Emmy‘s over the amazing Cecily Strong. It hasn’t made sense to being in a very long time.

Cecily Strong is for sure one of SNL’s greats.

And yet Cecily only got two nominations (same as Leslie Jones), whereas McKinnon got nine.

Lorne really hates it when you get a side gig.

Aidy Bryant was the funniest woman on SNL in the last 20 years.

This will sound terrible… but I found Heidi to be a bit too “hee haw.” She’s just kind of oafish and basic.

She can be funny, but the vocal fry, little girl voice got old quickly.

I actually don't think any of these critiques of Heidi are unfair. And, yet, I still enjoyed her enormously. But, on reflection, I think you guys are right, she was not quite on the level of those SNL greats Tina, Amy, Kate, Molly, Maya, Rachel.... even Cecily, Vanessa and Aidy were probably stronger.

Always found Amy and Maya overrated.

Nora Dunn & Jan Hooks are on my Mt. Rushmore of SNL’s top women.

Do any of the current cast even do recurring characters anymore? Other than Ego? Granted, the show used to run some of those recurring characters into the ground, but they did get the show a lot of attention. I even had a Spartan Cheerleader tshirt back in the day. (I wore it for sleeping or yard work)

But almost no one would have said that about Nora at the time, R261. She was underappreciated at the time.

R262, in one of the countless articles surrounding the fiftieth, I read that the current cast has no interest in repeating characters. They see it as lame.

Carl Tartt should be part of the cast.

I liked Heidi's Update character where she played the wife of a boxer or something. That's about it.

I love Lisa from Temecula

Perez Hilton passes along a Deuxmoi tip that everyone is getting fired except James Austin Johnson, Marcello Hernandez, Kenan Thompson, and Ashley Padilla (and maybe Sarah Sherman), and there will be a new Weekend Update team.

That would be shocking.

New Season premiere in 4 weeks! Lorne better get on the stick!

But that would mean no more Lisa from Temecula.

R227 Tawny Newsome was a lead on the animated Star Trek show “Lower Decks.” Hopefully she’ll continue to be cast in bigger projects because she’s hilarious.

[quote]Tawny Newsome was a lead on the animated Star Trek show “Lower Decks.” Hopefully she’ll continue to be cast in bigger projects because she’s hilarious.

She also was in a little-seen fake reality show called "Bajillion Dollar Properties" where she played a Beverly Hills rich bitch real estate agent. I think her talent is creating characters a la Catherine O'Hara, when the show wanted a black woman who could play Michelle Obama, Oprah, et al., which Sasheer was better at.

Re Julia Sweeney: her outstanding character at the Groundlings was a meek office worker named "Mia Culpa," who would apologize for everything — someone would accidentally staple their finger and Mia would stammer, "Uh ... I'm sorry ... I probably loaded it wrong last time I used it. Forgive me." It was the kind of thing that would have been a perfect SNL character and all I can assume is that Julia didn't want to do it on the show and have it become Lorne's intellectual property.

Lorne has always been homophobic and the boys club he fostered inte 70s and 80s were sexist and racist. If hes firing everyone it's because he thinks this cast is too black and female and gay and will bring in white douchebros. There is no other explanation that makes sense

After four seasons, I've had sufficient of Sarah Sherman.

They dialed back on her stupid "body horror" stuff, which was never funny or a fit for the show to begin with, and now she just sits at a table or couch shouting lines, or calling Colin Jost a sexual deviant on Weekend Update.

Television programmes, like countries, shouldn’t be run according to the capricious whims of 80 year-olds. Especially 80 year-old men.

I wouldn’t mind a reason to breakup with this show. I was obsessed with it as a kid and teen and have continued to watch as an American obligation. The fiftieth was a little much. Some of it good, but mostly it showed me all of the shows cracks and problems and overall brokenness. I applaud Lorne for maintaining it all these years, and even NBC for sticking with it during fallow periods. Beyond that, I find little about the current version of the show to deserve ninety minutes of my time.

Lorne should just give the keys to Tina Fey. He’s been prepping her. He just won’t let go.

R155 I've noticed a phenomenon on YouTube. Nick Fuentes' channel was banned. So I see other conservative influencers presenting his Rumble videos on their YT channels. The odd thing is, over half of them are black. They'll show a bit of Fuentes' video, and then come on themselves to say how right he is

Scary, weird times.

Yeah, it's so dismaying, R277. I'm in my 40s and it's mind boggling to me that men HALF my age are, on a whole, more conservative than my generation. I hope it shifts.