Is “Live From New York” Dying?

By Mike Reynolds

October 11, 2025 marks the 50th anniversary of NBC’s late-night show Saturday Night Live, but in recent weeks some industry insiders have been wondering if the show will actually live long enough to see a 51st year.

Much earlier, back at the show’s 25th and 26th anniversaries, it appeared that SNL was dying. The show just wasn’t funny in the way it had been in the past, and the life, humor, and freshness, along with the quality level of writers and performers, had been drained away. Add that to the fact that the number and level of hot talent discoveries had never equaled those early years, when so many of the show’s stars became household names. Somehow, however, it continued, though nowhere near the popularity of earlier seasons.

Creator/producer Lorne Michaels, who will be 81 in November, has also been responsible for bringing NBC the Late Night franchise, and took over NBC’s The Tonight Show in 2014. However, with late night TV shows across the three major U.S. networks losing their respective audience numbers, the power of Michael’s influence seems to be declining.

Reports began surfacing a month ago that there would be severe cuts at SNL and we are seeing the beginning of that now. SNL is an expensive show to put on air — the cast and writing staff is larger than the average sitcom due to its longer episodes, and it has been suggested that the high-profile music performers don’t do the show for the money but to promote a release or tour. There’s a run-through/rehearsal in front of a live audience at 8 p.m., followed by edits and/or rewrites before going live at 11:30 p.m. in front of a different live audience. Incidentally, it has always been interesting to see the rehearsal and then the broadcast version later, as I did when I worked with NBC.

As of press deadline the departures included Heidi Gardner (eight years), Michael Longfellow and Devon Walker (who both joined in 2022), recent arrival Emil Wakim, as well as Rosebud Baker, and writing supervisor Celeste Yim.

Michaels has been quoted as saying that the current shows have been “unfunny” and that there needs to be “a significant shake-up” before the premiere of season 51 on October 4 of this year. Blaming the writers and cast seems like an attempt at trying to deflect from the fact that his judgment has to be in question.