3 years ago, I wrote the article Alec Baldwin is Funny, But.....
I won't make you go back in time and read the piece if you don't want to. Long story short, I argued that SNL was a comedy show and not a news show. Why would I have to argue such an absurd premise? Because someway, somehow, week after week, I would click on news sites the Sunday after a new SNL airing and outlets from across the political spectrum had their take on comedy.
So the first new SNL aired in the Post-Trump era and, guess what?
At the Daily Mail: SNL: NO JOE ZONE
"Where are the Biden joke skits? Is the President now off limits? Biased SNL is slammed for completely avoiding Joe and Kamala jokes in the first episode since inauguration."
And, predictably, from CNN's Dean Obeidallah: SNL Perfectly Sums Up Today's America
"Bottom line is don't give up on America. It has worked before and if we stay engaged, it will work again -- hopefully this time for more Americans than ever before."
Lorne Michaels is now 76 years old. I would love to know if he is enjoying the show's 'renaissance,' or if he's just done. The old showbiz adage is that there's no such thing as bad publicity, but everyone has their breaking point. Does Michaels still enjoy the feeding frenzy or is he ready to pass the baton. And more importantly, does NBC want the baton passed?
Just last week it was reported that SNL Season 46, for the first time ever, ranked No. 1 among all comedies on network television or cable. Where does the show go now? Does Michaels go out on top, knowing that he took a show from the counterculture to the establishment? Could NBC transition to a new producer, someone like Adam Sandler who runs his own production company? Or does NBC treat Lorne like a member of the Rolling Stones, the gig at NBC is his until he dies. Do you think Michaels has 10 more good comedy years in him?
That's a lot of questions for a show that's a ratings winner for old media. And, with internet shorts, SNL is one of the few shows on NBC that translates into new media. I could see Lorne Michaels walking away from SNL this summer, and I could also see Lorne Michaels shaking his fist at the grim reaper, Rupert Murdoch'style, and smarmily declaring, "I don't have have 10 good years left, I have 20 good years left."
Lastly, does the show move forward focusing on comedy, or political comedy. Does the climate dictate the humor or does the humor dictate the climate?