The question of who will take over Saturday Night Live after Lorne Michaels has been debated for a long time now, and there isn’t an answer. While names have been thrown around, it’s hard to comprehend how someone can do what the sketch comedy show’s boss has done. Now, Marcello Hernández is sharing his take on it all, and he explained one factor about all this that fans might not be considering.
One of SNL’s very famous alums, David Spade, asked the comedian who is performing on the 2026 TV schedule's season this question about Michaels' successor, and his fellow vet, Dana Carvey, was sitting right next to him. That led to Marcello Hernández sharing his take on the situation during an episode of Fly on the Wall. He said:
I dunno, I dunno. It’s hard because Lorne has built so many years of people who pick up his calls. So I think the biggest question is: Who’s gonna get the call picked up? So, I dunno.
This is such a fair point to make. With the exception of a few seasons, Lorne Michaels has been running Saturday Night Live since its inception. He’s a major player in the entertainment industry, he knows tons of people, and he’s helped discover countless major comedians. To put it another way, I don’t think just anyone could have brought together some of the most famous celebrities of multiple generations for SNL 50 (case-in-point, the show literally opened with a song from Sabrina Carpenter and Paul Simon).
So, I totally see what the Domingo performer is saying. However, there are a few SNL vets who come to mind as suitable replacements, as Spade pointed out:
I mean, I always think like Tina Fey or something, but Colin [Jost] also.
This is not the first time Tina Fey’s name has been brought up in this conversation. She was on SNL as both a cast member and the head writer for years, and since leaving the show, she’s proven to be an astounding producer, writer and performer, creating modern classics like Mean Girls and 30 Rock. So, it can be assumed that she knows lots of folks who would pick up the phone, and she has a very good history with NBC.
Colin Jost would also make sense. He’s been writing for SNL since 2005; he was the head writer from Season 38 to Season 40 and then again from Season 43 to Season 47. Plus, he’s been hosting Weekend Update for well over a decade (making him the longest reigning Update host). Like the longest-running cast member, Kenan Thompson, it’s hard to imagine the sketch comedy show without him, and clearly, he knows how it works both in front of and behind the camera.
However, again, it’s hard to imagine anyone who has the sheer number of connections Michaels has, as Marcello Hernández pointed out:
I think he’s singularly a guy that when he calls you, you pick up.
Spade and Carvey agreed with the sentiment, too. Lorne Michaels is singular in this business, and what he’s done with Saturday Night Live is astounding. As the Tommy Boy actor said:
Well, he’s turned into this whole enigma, Lorne.
Carvey also pointed out that Michaels has “always been brilliant with the suits.” While NBC has changed a lot over the decades, SNL has persisted. As the Church Lady performer noted, he knows how to work with executives. So, whoever takes his place has to be someone who knows about comedy and the business of it.
All around, Lorne Michaels is a very impressive person, and he’s one of the biggest reasons why Saturday Night Live has been successful for over 50 years. At the moment, he’s still steering the ship, too; however, at some point, the 81-year-old will retire. So, this question of who will take his place will become a much bigger deal. Therefore, we should be considering all the factors.
