"SNL" Drops Sanz, Parnell, Mitchell

Television Forum

"SNL" Drops Sanz, Parnell, Mitchell

Come next week, Studio 8H is going to be a little emptier than usual.

After nearly a month of speculation regarding the fates
of several Saturday Night Live castmembers, comes confirmation from NBC: Regulars Chris Parnell, Horatio Sanz and Finesse Mitchell will not be returning to the
late night staple.


The non-announcement was made by simply omitting the players' names from a press release touting the start of the show's 32nd season, though a rep for the network denied there was any bad blood between the M.I.A. cast and svengali producer Lorne Michaels, or that their departure was the result of a firing.


"I believe there were mutual choices made," NBC rep Marc Liepis told E! Online. "When you're on the show for eight years, I don't think you look at it as a firing."


Parnell, Sanz and Mitchell, who have been part of the show for eight years, eight years and three years, respectively, have yet to comment on their non-return, though if past remarks are any indication, the decision to part hardly seems mutual.


"I haven't been approached with anything that's led me to believe I won't be back," Sanz told the Chicago Sun-Times less than a month ago. "I definitely enjoy the job and would like to stick with it."


As for Mitchell, his alleged axing is the most surprising, as speculation up until now has pegged fellow cast member Kenan Thompson, who will return this fall, as the third man out. Darrell Hammond, whose 11 seasons on the show mark a series best, is also in the clear, returning to the show despite murmurs that he, too, may have performed his last impression.


The triple departure adds to something of a mass exodus from the show of longtime cast, though the others, at least from the outside, appear to be slightly more voluntary.


Over the summer, Tina Fey and Rachel Dratch confirmed that they were leaving the show to star in the NBC comedy 30 Rock, set behind the scenes at a SNL-like variety show produced by Michaels and costarring fellow alum Tracy Morgan.


Of course, some of the departees are bouncing back quicker than others.


According to NBC's Website, Parnell, whose "Lazy Sunday" rap with Andy Samberg was one of last season's highlights, is currently shooting the sitcom Thick & Thin for the Peacock net. As for Mitchell and Sanz, no new projects appear to be in the works.


While Rockefeller Center will be without five of its most familiar faces this fall, there are no current plans to fill the gap.


According to a statement from NBC, no new regular players have been added to the late night mix, though several of the remaining funnymen and women will see various changes to their onscreen roles.


Fey's departure paves the way for a new face to join Amy Poehler at the "Weekend Update" desk, and while no successors have been formally named, early reports peg Jason Sudeikis and Seth Meyers as the top candidates.


Meyers also returns as head writer for the show, a title he previously shared with Fey.


Saturday Night Live kicks off its new season Sept. 30 with host Dane Cook and musical guest The Killers.

-----------

-HECK!

Fey, Dratch & Mitchell leaving

Parnell & Sanz leaving

Myers is the head writer? Man, is Lorne losing it? Fey was bad enough. She sucked on wheels and her leaving was the best thing to happen to that show since Hans & Franz.

-HECK!

Yeah, I don't know how much monkey pole Tina Fey had to suck to get that job... 'cause she certainly didn't get it because of her sense of humor (or lack of).

She is horrible. I mean, the sketches were horrible and Update was just Fey being a miserable Bush-hating cow in between dick and fart jokes.

-HECK!

I hated Parnell. That guy sucked.


Mitchell was o.k., nothing to write home about.


I loved Sans. That guy cracked me up. They should have kept him.

I don't think I know who those fellows are. Parnell I may know, but I could be thinking of someone else. I'd probably recognize them, if I could be bothered looking them up in wikipedia or something.

I will hotlink some pics for ya bubba.

Chris Parnell http://images.zap2it.com/20051229/chrisparnell_thickandthin_240.jpg



Finnese:http://www.saturday-night-live.com/images/castbios/finessemitchell.jpg





Horatio Sanz http://images.zap2it.com/20041026/horatiosanz_snl_240.jpg

I can tell one thing from that picture: Parnell looks like he's trying to be a cross between Will Farrell and that little dink who always laughs at himself and starred in Taxi... you know the twerp I mean...

No, don't know any of these guys.

I never remember laughing even once at Parnell. He was just creepy to me. Lots of strange sex pervert jokes, and he didn't have the talent to pull them off, he really seemed like the kind of guy you run from in the park.


Sans was just funny. He just sat there most of the time, but the expressions on his face, you could tell he was laughing inside. Dude made me laugh.

Sanz looks kind of familiar. Any skits he did that I'd know about? Famous ones, I mean?

Even in the cowbell sketch, Fallon is laughing his ass off in the background. What's the heck's wrong with him?

He's just a tool. I think at first it was kind of funny to the audience, myself included. It was really rare to see an SNL player start to laugh so it was really cool. Then he kept doing it, and kept on, and kept on. It good old quick and he just came off as a douche. His movies suck, too.

-HECK!

this entire show is lame now. it's rare that i even crack a smile on any snl show these days. I think the last time i cracked up was during the "debbie downer" sketch. and before that, when Jim Carey hosted it like 4 years ago and the spartan cheerleaders were still there.

Yeah, totally. Before it was you would expect to laugh during at least the first 5 or so sketches. Now it's the opposite. I mean, they're not even funny on accident.

What made the show great was the cutting edge, sharp, raw humor. Now it's about on par with hacky college improv Mad TV-style crap.

-HECK!

I don't get the spartan cheerleaders... it was funny the first time, I guess, but after that it was just like... hummmm...

Exactly. SNL is notorious for doing a sketch over and over until it just sucks wind. The cheerleader sketch was one. Same with the Superstar broad who smelled her pits.

I liked the Dog Show sketch and the Jersey kids. Those were classic. The Chris Farley Show was never old.

-HECK!