Saturday Night Live alum Maya Rudolph is reportedly returning to NBC this winter as the host of a variety show that will air during primetime.
The show will be produced by SNL creator/executive producer Lorne Michaels. According to Deadline, the project’s pilot will be a special that could air after the Sochi Winter Olympics in February. Rudolph, Erin David and Dave Becky are executive producing with Michaels.
Rudolph has been hoping to host a variety show since the NBC comedy Up All Night went up in flames. That show’s second season was supposed to undergo a mid-season switch to the multi-cam format with a studio audience, but it never happened and the show was ultimately cancelled. Will Arnett quickly went to CBS for The Millers, while Applegate also expressed interest in being in a pilot.
However, Rudolph declined these opportunities, instead hoping to host a variety program. Back in February, several networks expressed interest, but NBC won out.
As The Atlantic Wire notes, Rudolph does have the singing chops to carry a variety program. Here’s a sample of her singing, which she also showed off on SNL frequently.
Rudolph has been in several films since leaving SNL, including Grown Ups 2, The Way Way Back and Bridesmaids. It will certainly be interesting to see how audiences today go for the variety show format, which has been unfashionable for decades. However, since NBC still hasn’t climbed out of the ratings basement, they might as well bring in one of SNL’s most popular alumni for a unique show.
image: Wikimdedia Commons
