There Was One Widespread Rumor About the SNL Finale. It's Time for It to Come True.

"“How do I put this politely: None of you fuckers would do it,” Tina Fey said in her monologue in March. “I'm just here as a long-term SNL employee to help out and answer any questions.”"

"“I'm going to stay out of their way tonight as much as possible,” she said during the premiere. So far, she's the only American to host this season. This perhaps was a test run for a much-speculated eventual announcement that Fey would be taking over from SNL creator Lorne Michaels when he finally retires. As millions saw on this weekend's finale broadcast, the answer to when she'll get to take over is ... not quite yet."

"Michaels, now 81 years old, has been at the helm of Saturday Night Live for more than 50 years-its entire run-and recently launched SNL UK after similar forays of varied success in Korea, Quebec, Japan, and Italy, among other places. For the past decade, rumors have persisted that he'd step down after SNL reached its 50 th birthday, and that his replacement would surely be someone who had already gone through the show's meat grinder. That milestone came and went last year."

"In the lead-up, Colin Jost, Conan O'Brien, Seth Meyers, Kenan Thompson, and John Mulaney were all discussed as possible replacements, men who understand how the show works, how live comedy works, and how to deal with cranky NBC executives forever trying to cut costs. But bandied among those names too was Fey."

Tina Fey hosted the premiere of Saturday Night Live’s U.K. edition, positioning herself as a long-term SNL employee who would stay out of the way. Her role centered on supporting and showcasing a new, still-unknown cast through a few sketches and pretapes. She was the only American to host that season, and her presence suggested a possible future leadership transition. Lorne Michaels, who has led Saturday Night Live for more than 50 years, recently launched SNL UK and has not yet retired. Rumors had circulated for years that he would step down after major milestones, with several prominent comedy figures discussed as potential replacements, including Fey, but the timing for any takeover has not arrived.

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