Posted in: NBC, Peacock, TV | Tagged: lorne michaels, nbc, preview, saturday night live, season 50, snl

Saturday Night Live: New Season 50 Details; Lorne Michaels on Retiring

A new interview with EP Lorne Michaels offers new details on Saturday Night Live Season 50, and Michaels addresses those retirement rumors.

Last month, the word went out regarding early plans to celebrate the milestone 50th season of NBC's Saturday Night Live. The network confirmed that there will be a "celebratory weekend" that wraps up on Sunday, February 16th (from 8-11 p.m. ET), with a live, primetime special. Now, thanks to an interview he had with The New York Times at the end of the most recent season, we're learning some additional details on what's ahead – as well as EP Lorne Michaels's thoughts on those rumblings about his retiring after Season 50.

Along with the primetime special on February 16th, music producer Mark Ronson and Michaels will produce a "homecoming" of sorts at Radio City Music Hall on the Friday of that weekend. In addition, it was noted that musician and producer Questlove (The Roots) is co-producing a documentary for the anniversary season spotlighting the impact that SNL had had on music and culture, and Morgan Neville (Steve! (Martin): A Documentary in 2 Pieces, Won't You Be My Neighbor) is producing five documentaries focusing on both Michaels and the long-running late-night sketch comedy/music series. As for those rumblings that the 50th anniversary will also be his last hurrah, Michaels is basing that decision on how he's feeling and not committing to anything. "I'm going to do it as long as I feel I can do it," he shared. "But I rely on other people and always have."

Saturday Night Live Season 49: Getting the SNL Cast Together…

Back in November 2023, SNL fans got a chance to check out the official Season 49 cast image that Photographer Mary Ellen Matthews took – here's a look:

And here's the behind-the-scenes featurette that was released shortly after, spotlighting how it all came together:

NBC's Emmy Award-winning late-night comedy showcase "Saturday Night Live" returns for its 49th season of laughs, surprises and standout performances.

"SNL" is the most Emmy-nominated show in history and holds 93 Emmy wins (including awards for its specials and short-form series). "SNL" has been honored twice (1990 and 2009) with the prestigious George Foster Peabody Award and was inducted into the Broadcasting Hall of Fame. The show continues to garner the highest ratings and largest audience of any late-night television program, entertaining millions each week on linear and digital platforms.

Since its inception in 1975, "SNL" has launched the careers of many of the brightest comedy performers of their generation. "SNL" makes headlines with topical humor reflecting politics and current events, features an array of characters with a perspective on pop culture that remains unparalleled, and offers sharp political commentary through its signature "Weekend Update" segment. A variety show that is truly one of a kind, "SNL" also attracts the biggest stars of music to its stage for innovative viral performances.

NBC's Saturday Night Live Season 49 company includes Michael Che, Mikey Day, Andrew Dismukes, Chloe Fineman, Heidi Gardner, Marcello Hernandez, James Austin Johnson, Punkie Johnson, Colin Jost, Molly Kearney, Michael Longfellow, Ego Nwodim, Sarah Sherman, Kenan Thompson, Chloe Troast, Devon Walker, and Bowen Yang. SNL is executive-produced by Lorne Michaels, with Liz Patrick directing and SNL alum Darrell Hammond announcing. Broadcasting from Studio 8H in Rockefeller Center, the long-running late-night sketch comedy/music series is produced by SNL Studios in association with Universal Television and Broadway Video.

Enjoyed this? Please share on social media!

Stay up-to-date and support the site by following Bleeding Cool on Google News today!