Saturday Night Live has been around for a long time. It is part of pop culture. Executive Producer Lorne Michaels created the sketch comedy/ variety show in 1975. In that era, TV comedy shows like Laugh-In, The Carol Burnett Show, and Sonny & Cher were the rages. Families used to sit around and watch a prime-time presentation like SNL together. Times seemed 'gentler.' The world has always been full of turmoil, but earlier decades did not seem as dangerous or polarized as current times do. 

The iconic George Carlin hosted the debut show. SNL set the stage for comedy megastars. Early on, Gilda Radner, Bill Murray, Chevy Chase ("I'm Chevy Chase and you're not!"), Eddie Murphy, Will Ferrell, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Jane Curtin, Laraine Newman, Garrett Morris, Chris Farley, Adam Sandler, and Jimmy Fallon got their starts on the classic comedy show. Most of the early hosts went on to have extraordinary careers in film and TV. 

Ben Stiller had been a cast member but left the sketch format TV to pursue a career in film and directing in 1987. Who can forget the brilliant Martin Short on SNL? Short went on to superstardom in film and stand-up comedy roles. Dennis Miller had been in the cast, too, and left in 1991 to do late-night talk. Janeane Garofalo did not have the best SNL experience and walked out before finishing the 1994-1995 season. Competing for screen time with other up-and-coming comedians was something Garofalo compared to 'fraternity hazing.'

Bobby Moynihan, whom I adore, left in 2017, but unfortunately, his network show called 'Me, Myself & I,' did not make it beyond the first season. And we all know Tina Fey, went on to explosive stardom on '30 Rock' with her troubled former cast member Alec Baldwin. Leslie Jones' work on the show undoubtedly set her up for success. Jones exited in 2019 to take on film roles and host TV's 'Supermarket Sweep.'

Why is the current crop of stars making the exodus from SNL? The answer is to have time to pursue other opportunities or leave a ship that is starting to sink. Pete Davidson, 28, began his career on SNL. E! News reported he worked on a film “The Home” during his last SNL season. Last March, it was revealed that Lorne Michaels is producing a new biographical comedy series for Davidson, 'Bupkis,' that will also star Edie Falco (“The Sopranos") as his real-life mom, Amy Waters. 

Kate McKinnon has been working on a Peacock original series about Joe Exotic. McKinnon will play the notorious rights activist, Carole Baskin. Aidy Bryant, who played Sarah Huckabee on SNL, has TV projects. Kyle Mooney's exit reasons are more nebulous. I am SO glad that Keenan Thompson will stay on the show. The longest-running cast member's work is beyond brilliant. But there are rumors he may decide to leave in the near future. Ratings have been stagnant. SNL's day in the sun may be waning.