Longtime Saturday Night Live Producer Quits, Is The Show Ending Soon?
Saturday Night Live is losing one of their most important figures, so what does that mean for the future of the show?
Saturday Night Live is easily one of the longest-running TV series of all time, with 47 seasons and 930 episodes currently under its belt. However, this upcoming season will see a major shakeup behind the scenes, as long-time producer Lindsay Shookus has announced that she will be leaving the show after 20 seasons and 415 live shows. In an Instagram post, Shookus says she has decided to “trade in the wild late night life” adding that she “spent the past two decades developing the most incredible friendships and memories alongside some truly brilliant and talented people.” She also thanked creator and showrunner Lorne Michaels in her post. Take a look at her announcement below:
Of course, her comment section was filled with congratulations from celebs (and sometimes guest hosts) like Dwayne Johnson. Former and current cast members like Kenan Thompson, Vanessa Bayer, and Kyle Mooney also added their well-wishes. Lindsay Shookus is one of the top producers for Saturday Night Live, and one of her primary roles was booking guests and dealing with talent issues. While Lindsay Shookus leaving is undoubtedly a blow to the series, it’s good to see she’s leaving on good terms. It seems like it’s more of a case of constant weekend work finally catching up with her, rather than an indication that Saturday Night Live will be slowing down anytime soon.
Lindsay Shookus isn’t the only one departing from Saturday Night Live in recent memory. Cast members Kate McKinnon, Pete Davidson, Aidy Bryant, and Kyle Mooney all ended their tenure with the show at the end of last season, making way for new and fresh talent to fill up the recurring cast list. Of course, this is nothing new. Saturday Night Live has been a great jumping-off point for many comedians before they took their careers to the next level. Since Saturday Night Live began in 1975, the series has been home to comedy giants like Jim Belushi, Chevy Chase, Chris Farley, Dan Akroyd, Billy Murray, Eddie Murphy, Dana Carvey, Phil Hartman, Chris Rock, Will Ferrell, Adam Sandler, Norm Macdonald, Tina Fey, Andy Samberg, Amy Poehler, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Maya Rudolph, Kristen Wiig, Bill Hader, and many more. While it’s always disappointing to see a fan favorite cast member or important crew member leave, it’s rarely surprising.
Fans of Saturday Night Live won’t have to wait long to enjoy more skits, entertaining hosts, and musical performances. The 48th season is set to kick off sometime in fall 2022. Until then, you can revisit the Season 47 finale, which featured Natasha Lyonne as the guest host, and Japanese Breakfast as the musical performance. The season opened with Owen Wilson hosting and a musical performance by Kacey Musgraves. Other guest hosts throughout the 47th season included Kim Kardashian, Paul Rudd, Ariana DeBose, Selena Gomez, Oscar Isaac, and more. Saturday Night Live concluded its most recent season in May 2022. Even though Lindsay Shookus won’t be around to book more of these great guests, there are sure to be some fun guest hosts to take on hosting duties in the 48th season. Saturday Night Live is also gradually ramping up to its 50th season, which will undoubtedly be a huge event when it premiers sometime in 2024.
