Kenan Thompson Said That ‘SNL’ Is Nearing Its End

Saturday Night Live is an institution. But for nearly as long as it’s been on the air — 47 years and counting — critics have said the series is a sinking ship. What generation hasn’t roasted the current era of SNL? Pined for the glory days?

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However, the show always seems to pick back up, gaining new momentum every few years. Its most recent shakeup, which saw the departure of longtime favorites Pete Davidson, Aidy Bryan, Kyle Moonye, and Kate McKinnon, left many fans wondering what’s in store.

But… could the answer be… nothing?

That seems to be what Kenan ThompsonSNL‘s longest-serving cast member — seems to think.

Kenan Thompson Breaks It Down

Speaking recently on Charlamagne tha God’s podcast, Hell of a Week, Kenan Thompson gave credence to the rumor that Saturday Night Live may end after Season 50. (That would be in three years, as Season 47 concluded recently.)

When host Charlamagene asked Thompson whether the rumor that the show is ending at its 50th season was true, Thompson said, jokingly, “Is that the rumor? All right, I need to start planning.”

He then went on, more seriously:

“There could be a lot of validity to that rumor, because 50 is a good number to stop at. That’s an incredible package. [Michaels] will be, probably, close to 80 years old at that point, and, you know, he’s the one who’s had his touch on the whole thing.”

Thompson explained that if someone besides Michaels were to take charge of the show, it simply wouldn’t be SNL. Replacing Michaels would be “a good opportunity for NBC to save money,” Thompson noted as the founder has been able to “keep off the corporate wolves.” But with a slashed budget, he said, “You can’t really do the same kind of show. So that’s unfair to watch it just really go down kind of in flames for real because of those restrictions.

In all, Thomson concluded: “Capping it at 50 might not be a bad idea.”

The live comedy show is, undoubtedly, one of NBC’s biggest expenses. However, in the age of streaming, it’s also one of our few tethers to any shared television experience. Out cultural landscape would look very different should the channel decide to cut its losses.

Kenan Thompson

Kenan Thompson has been on Saturday Night Live since 2003 — making him the longest-tenured cast member in SNL history. Many viewers were shocked to see Thompson stay on in the wake of Season 47, as so many of his contemporaries departed.

Recently, Thompson also starred in his own sitcom, Kenan. But despite heavy promotion on NBC, that series was recently cancelled after two seasons.

So it’s not hard to see why Thompson stays on SNL. The seasoned actor, who could perform sketch comedy in his sleep, earns a reported $25,000 per episode. It’s an good, lucrative gig for Thompson who co-parents his two young daughters with ex, model Christina Evangeline.

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