‘Saturday Night Live’ star Kenan Thompson says NBC show could ‘burn’ soon

Actor Kenan Thompson worries that his long-running late-night comedy show is in danger of “extinction” after turning 50 in 2025.

The Saturday staple is now in its 47th season, but iconic showrunner-producer Lorne Michaels, who created the show decades ago, is hinting at when she might retire. SNL It will conclude its 50th live season.

Michaels will be 80 when the show’s 50th season ends in 2025. He was reported to have said that it might be a good time to turn everything off.

When asked about this possibility, Thompson SNL Perhaps the best-known and longest-serving member of the roster said that maybe 50 years is a good time to turn the lights off for everything.

“There could be many reasons for this rumor, because 50 is a good number to stop,” Thompson told the magazine. “An incredible package. [Lorne Michaels] He must have been in his 80s at the time and, you know, he felt everything.”

The series struggled in the ratings in its 46th season, as its first episode reached 50 percent fewer viewers than its first episode in 2020. And as the 2021 season progressed, ratings continued to drop. As of now, the show has almost leveled off in season 47.

In fact, Thompson has another reason to fear the consequences of Michaels’ retirement.

Thompson went on to say that if Michaels leaves, the network could use this retirement as an excuse to cut the show’s budget, which Thompson feared would cause the show to “burn in flames.”

“If someone tries to take his place, you know, that’s also a good money-saving opportunity for NBC, you know what I mean?” Thompson talked about the possibility of NBC replacing Michaels.

“[NBC] the budget could be cut and then you wouldn’t be able to do the same show again,” he added. “So it’s not fair to watch everything go up in flames because of these restrictions… the 50 limit might not be such a bad idea.”