Lorne Michaels Defends New 'SNL' Cast Members
Creator says the show has gone on without Kristen Wiig and Andy Samberg
"Saturday Night Live," sans Kristen Wiig and Andy Samberg, has been an uneven ride but things will get better once the show finds its rhythm this season.
At least that's what Lorne Michaels, the venerable creator behind "SNL," told Entertainment Weekly in a recent interview.
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"There's a tremendous feeling of loss, like 'What will you do?' and 'It will never be the same,'" Michaels said. "Then the sun comes up."
To help fill the void Wiig and Samberg left behind, Michaels picked up four new cast members including Kate McKinnon, who joined the show toward the end of last season. McKinnon, 28, has been turning heads lately with hilarious renditions of Jodie Foster and Ann Romney.
"Saturday Night Live" is currently in its 38th season.
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"The one thing you can't do is try to replace Kristen Wiig with Kristen Wiig," Michaels said. "Chevy Chase was followed by Bill Murray, and that worked well. It's hard enough to make your mark without being compared to the person you are 'replacing.'"
Without Wiig and Samberg, ratings have slipped from 6.3 million this time last year to 5.8 million. Cecily Strong, Aidy Bryant and Tim Robinson round off the list of the new "SNL" cast members. Of the three, Bryant tickled viewers as broadcast journalist Candy Crowley on last week's show.
"What's interesting is how fast an audience takes to people," Michaels added. "It doesn't take long. When it works, we hear it."
"Saturday Night Live" airs Saturdays at 11:35 p.m. ET/PT on NBC.
Most of the SNL casts have paid their dues in the well known farm teams like Second City and Groundlings. Aside from doing politicians and celebrities, they need to get back to their roots and do some real improv; more often than not, it works because it's something out of real life. SNL has done material like that in the past, but it could have been on in the last half hour when most of us fall asleep on the couch.
I think the show has been allowed to go down hill by NBC as long as they kept hammering away for Obama. I know that sounds like I am being political, but I;m not, could care less. Just that for two years now they have been getting a free ride off it and I think regardless of who wins the election, NBC will look to changing SNL to get back a greater share of viewers and drive up revenues again after the election. Just thinking.
The Republicans and tampon thing a few weeks ago... an absolute low point. Not that they were taking shots at the Republicans, but because they used tampons as if it were some kind of kiddie playground shock value thing to say... and then after the bad joke they just kept going with it for about 10 minutes. Childish and stupid and the way SNL writing has been going.
I think one big problem with a show like that is the people involved with it think what they think is funny to everyone because they are somehow special. They need a focus group or two. :-)
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Deanna Barnert | Los Angeles, Calif.
Entertainment journalist Deanna "TVDeeva" Barnert visits sets, interviews industry players and critiques the final product. Buzz's daytime TV queen covers it all for MSN TV, but loves her sitcoms, soaps and any juicy drama that doesn't call itself Reality TV.
