As NBC’s flagship comedy institution gears up for its 51st season this autumn, signs of a significant transformation are emerging behind the scenes at Saturday Night Live. Amid mounting pressure to evolve, show creator Lorne Michaels has confirmed that cast changes are not only imminent—they’re already underway.
Just days before the season’s October 4 premiere, the show has begun shedding both on-screen and off-screen personnel. Insiders point to a renewed push to reimagine the late-night stalwart following its landmark 50th anniversary special earlier this year. While details of the revamp remain tightly controlled, two key departures have now been made public—one from the writers’ room, and another from the cast itself.
The exodus comes during a particularly sensitive moment for SNL, a show that has long been lauded for balancing nostalgia with new voices. After a celebratory 50th season that leaned heavily on guest appearances by alumni like Kristen Wiig, Maya Rudolph, and Kate McKinnon, the show now faces the delicate task of moving forward without some of the very faces who helped define its recent direction.
Michaels, who at 80 remains the executive producer and creative architect of SNL, gave his clearest signal yet of incoming changes during an interview published Friday by Puck News. Asked directly whether viewers should expect cast turnover before Season 51, Michaels offered a one-word confirmation: “Yes.”