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“SNL” upheaval coming
Who’s in and who’s out at “Saturday Night Live?”
Nobody seems to know for sure, but speculation has been rampant this week that the venerable NBC late-night sketch show is facing its biggest cast overhaul in years.
Here’s what we know for sure: When the show opens its 32nd season next month, it will be missing writer-actor Tina Fey and actor Rachel Dratch. Both women are heading for NBC’s new “SNL”-inspired sitcom “30 Rock.”
Various big-city tabloids have speculated that Horatio Sanz, Chris Parnell, Will Forte, Maya Rudolph and Kenan Thompson also will be gone. But Sanz told the Chicago Sun-Times that nobody has told him he’s not returning.
Wouldn’t be the first time an actor was the last to know he’s lost a gig.
At the Television Critics Association meetings in July, creator-executive producer Lorne Michaels declined to specify who’s staying and who’s going — except for Fey and Dratch. He’s producing their sitcom, so he has been aware of their pending departure for months.
Michaels also said the mammoth cast of 16 is one of the largest ever for “SNL,” and budget cuts will force a fairly large scale-back.
Actually, streamlining this group might help the creative process for what many have said was a sagging season.
One cast member “SNL” cannot afford to lose is Darrell Hammond, who does all the spot-on impersonations for which the show is famous. Among others, Hammond transforms himself into Dick Cheney, Al Gore, Bill Clinton, “Hardball” host Chris Matthews, Sean Connery, Regis Philbin and Donald Trump.
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By Jessica
August 31, 2006 11:19 PM | Link to this
Don't bad mouth Sanz he has NOT been bringing the show down. I think SNL just needs to be a little more daring again, like it used to be. I love this cast and any loss will really p**s me off.
By Gary
August 26, 2006 09:43 PM | Link to this
Please, oh please, let Horatio get the boot. He's been stinking up that show for ages. Maya, on the other hand, would be a HUGE loss.