Here’s Why NBC Should Shorten ‘Saturday Night Live’ to One Hour
When CBS announced it was booting Late Night with Stephen Colbert following the end of After Midnight, the reason it gave wasn’t President Trump’s “low ratings!” but declining profits. To hear the company’s bean counters tell it, Colbert’s show was losing more than $40 million a year due to its high costs and the general decline in late-night viewership.
Now that Saturday Night Live has done its 50th anniversary victory lap, could NBC’s accountants take a closer look as well? The show reportedly costs $4 million per episode to produce, making it one of the most expensive shows on television. In fact, Puck’s Matt Belloni has already predicted that the show’s budget will get slashed once Lorne Michaels retires.
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One easy way to cut some dough? Do what other late-night programs like The Tonight Show did a long time ago — cut back to 60 minutes from the current hour and a half. Here are a few of the potential benefits…
One Hour Would Save Money
Cutting the show by a third wouldn’t cut costs by a third — you’d lose advertising dollars, for instance, and talent costs wouldn’t go down by 33 percent either. (Or would they? See below.) But reducing the number of sets that need to be built, the number of wigs that need to be procured and the amount of time required for production crews would have to put some money back into NBC’s pocket.
Cutting Three of the Night’s Worst Sketches Means A Funnier Show — In Theory
To use an outdated analogy, SNL is a self-indulgent double album that includes meandering tracks to fill the vinyl. Trimming the fat on an episode of SNL would promise a tastier meal — probably? If you’re thinking about this, Lorne Michaels, leave the “10 to one” sketches alone. (Over the years, the last sketch of the night — usually starting at 10 to one, New York time — was reserved for the weirdo, out-there bits deemed too crazy for the top of the show.) Those creative risks often outshine the other sketches, so cut the flabby middle instead. While we’re at it, one song by the musical guest is more than enough.
One Hour Is A Good Reason to Trim the Cast to A Manageable Size
Cracked has beaten this drum before, but SNL employs too many comics. The original cast had seven members; we’re at 17 for the upcoming season. There’s not enough time to showcase the comics as it is, with some appearing for mere seconds or not at all on a given episode. A one-hour format would force the hand of Michaels or his successor to build a tighter ensemble.
Most of Us Are Going to Watch on YouTube Anyway
Michaels knows that SNL is becoming a social media-driven entity — that’s a big reason why this year’s new cast members largely come with built-in internet audiences. While SNL clips are insanely popular on TikTok and Instagram Reels, the number of people trying to stay awake until 1 a.m. for lukewarm sketches is dwindling. One-hour SNL would play to its new audiences rather than cater to the viewing habits of stoned college kids in 1977.