Who Will Be Lorne Michael’s Successor on 'Saturday Night Live'? ...Saudi Arabia

As the last few episodes of Saturday Night Live’s 50th season hits the airwaves, the question on everybody’s mind is “How much longer will SNL creator and producer Lorne Micheals keep this up?” Since the show's inception, Lorne has been guiding the show with laser precision, save for a few weird years in the ‘80s when he briefly left. Now, at 80 years old, Micheals continues to helm the iconic sketch show, wrangling writers, performers, musicians and celebrity talent every episode. After five decades of tireless work, it’s safe to say he has earned a little bit of R&R (should he choose to retire), but who has the comedy and producing chops to step up in his absence? Well, we have a few ideas.

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Here are some of the top contenders to lead Saturday Night Live should Lorne Michaels choose to retire:

Who will take over Saturday Night Live when Lorne Michaels retires?

Weiss Eubanks/NBCUniversal

Tina Fey

When you think of SNL, it’s more than likely that the first person who comes to mind is comedysuperstar Tina Fey, and for good reason. Fey has a long history with the show, having served as head writer (1999-2006), a cast member and the Weekend Update anchor. On top of that, she’s hosted the show six times and has had dozens of cameo appearances over the last decade, giving her a unique perspective on nearly all the facets of the show. She also has plenty of experience as a producer, serving as an executive producer on projects like 30 Rock, The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, Mean Girls, and Grils5Eva. In a 2024 interview with Entertainment Tonight, Lorne Micheals was not shy about Tina being well-equipped for the job, telling them, “It could easily be Tina Fey … Tina’s brilliant and great at everything. She’s a very important person in my life.”

Lloyd Bishop/NBC

Seth Meyers

Another top contender to step into Lorne’s shoes is longtime SNL writer Seth Meyers. Although Meyers started on the show as a cast member in 2001, he worked his way up to becoming Weekend Update anchor and head writer, holding the position from 2006 to 2014. In his time since leaving the show, Seth has hosted Late Night in addition to serving as the show’s executive producer. And his isn’t the only show he’s produced, he also has credits on projects like Documentary Now!, A.P. Bio and The Amber Ruffin Show. In a 2024 interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Seth did admit he’s “definitely not going to do it,” and added “Lorne has this invisible hand that gets things done in that building for a show that is unreasonable to even attempt. And I learned so much from watching Lorne, and yet I’m also acutely aware that there are things you just can’t learn. It’s like, if you’re a muggle, you’re a muggle. You can watch Dumbledore all you want.” But just because Meyers said “no” last year, doesn’t mean he’ll say it when the time comes.

Related: Meet the Cast of 'SNL' Season 50

Steve Higgins

When people muse about the person who will replace Lorne, they often toss around the names of former SNL cast members, but the job is ultimately that of a producer. Steve Higgins has been a writer and producer on the show since 1995, shepherding the storied sketch show through many different eras of writers and cast members. Taking on Lorne's role would probably mean he’d no longer be able to keep his commitment as Jimmy Fallon’s sidekick on The Tonight Show, but it would be a sacrifice worth making. It may not be the flashy pick that some hope for, but Higgins’ three decades of work on the show has given him invaluable insight into what it takes to showrun such a behemoth and gives him a unique advantage over many other contenders.

Will Heath/NBC

Colin Jost and Micheal Che

Lorne’s job is a massive one, so who’s to say that just one person will fill the space he leaves behind? The former head writers and current Weekend Update co-anchors have plenty of experience between the two of them and have thus far proven to be a winning pair. In a recent interview on The Howard Stern Show, the duo admitted that the job is a lot for just one person. “There’s so much other outreach beyond running the current show,” Jost said. “I always think about how much that must weigh on him … Let alone things we’re protected from, like dealings with the network, or in the ‘90s when the ratings were lower. Or when the network didn’t like the cast. That’s a whole other part of the job that none of us have to do.” Che echoed this sentiment with a humorous metaphor, “To me, it’s like — imagine being the stepfather of a 50-year-old. That’s what you’re stepping into.” While they may not be champing at the bit for the role, they were sure to let Stern know how much the show means to them and that they want to see it continue, so who knows what will happen!

Related: 20 Richest SNL Cast Members of All Time, Ranked By Net Worth

Mike Coppola/NBC

Paula Pell

Paula Pell is responsible for some of your all-time favorite sketches including "Debbie Downer," "The Spartan Cheerleaders" and the "Omeletteville Mascot." Pell spent almost 20 years on the show as a writer and since leaving in 2013 has been back for many guest writing gigs, recently returning for the SNL50 anniversary special. She’s also been recognized for her work on the show by many awards institutions, winning an Emmy and multiple Writer’s Guild of America Awards. Paula has the producing chops too, with credits like 30 Rock, This is 40, and Mapleworth Murders. She may not have as much experience as other hopefuls, but there’s no denying that this woman knows funny better than almost anyone.

Theo Wargo/NBC

Kenan Thompson

Admittedly, this one is a bit of a stretch, but as SNL’s longest-running cast member, you can’t leave him out of the conversation. Thompson has devoted his entire life to sketch comedy, from starring in Nickelodeon’s comedy show All That for much of his youth to devoting 22 years and counting to Saturday Night Live. It’s hard to even imagine an episode of SNL without Kenan. He is the ultimate student of the craft and has decades of industry knowledge which gives him a horse in this race yet.

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