Saturday Night Live is currently in Season 45, and any show that's been on for that long (I'm counting on Law & Order: SVU getting there) will have been through a lot of turnover in its many seasons on the air. Unlike with other shows, though, you don't even have to be a regular watcher of SNL to know that the show has been through dozens upon dozens of cast members over the years. Leslie Jones, for instance, just left right before the current season. Now, we might need to prepare ourselves for another departure: Cecily Strong.
We haven't heard anything definitive about Cecily Strong's status on Saturday Night Live yet, but I'm sure you're wondering what could lead to the eight season veteran of the legendary sketch show taking a hike. Well, Strong is set to star in and produce an as-yet-untitled comedy that might get picked up by Apple TV+. The series would follow a couple who goes on a backpacking trip to try and bring the magic back to their flagging romance.
On this trip, though, the couple finds actual magic when they stumble upon the town of Schmigadoon, where everyone acts as though they're in a big budget, studio musical from the 1940s. When the distressed love birds try to leave, they find out that Schmigadoon won't release them until they've each found "true love."
According to Variety, the series was created by Despicable Me franchise stalwarts Cinco Paul and Ken Daurio, with Paul set to act as showrunner and Daurio working as consulting producer. The show would keep Cecily Strong within the purview of SNL's Lorne Michaels, who's set to executive produce along with Andrew Singer.
Right now, we don't know how many episodes Cecily Strong's new show might get in its first season on Apple TV+, but if it's a significant number, it might spell the end of Strong's Saturday Night Live career. She started on the show back in the fall of 2012, with Season 38, co-anchored Weekend Update the following year and has been going strong as one of the show's standout sketch players since leaving that post in 2014.
Strong has become known for a wide range of characters and impersonations during her time on SNL, and fans would be sure to miss her work as celebrities such as Ariana Grande, Khloe Kardashian, Olivia Colman, Lin-Manuel Miranda and Sofia Vergara.
Before we all get too worked up over the thought of Cecily Strong leaving SNL for the bright lights of her own TV comedy, it might be good to note two things. First, if her new show does get a series order, it's unlikely to be very high, as the Apple TV+ shows so far, like The Morning Show, have mostly only had around 10 episodes in their respective freshman seasons.
Secondly, Strong's SNL castmate, Aidy Bryant, has managed to do two seasons of her Hulu show Shrill (with six and eight episodes each) and still stay on board. So, it seems likely that we could see Strong stick around as well, unless she simply decides that the pickup is a sign that it's time to move on and try as many new career options as possible.
We'll likely hear word about Cecily Strong's new show before too long, and word on whether or not she'll be staying on at Saturday Night Live will be sure to follow. In the meantime, you can watch her on SNL's currently airing Season 45. See what else you can catch on the small screen by checking out our 2020 TV premiere guide!
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