SNL Producer Shookus Exit Management

[PGage]

I noticed a number of stories like this over the weekend about long time SNL producer Lindsay Shookus deciding to leave the show:

https://deadline.com/2022/08/snl-producer-lindsay-shookus-exits-20-years-1235096222/

I had never heard of her before, and did not think much of it, until I read a note from Matt Belloni at Puck News, who reported that this was less a career move by her, than an attempt to get out in front of a downsizing wave coming to an SNL production staff that is regarded as excessive. Also, that Shookus is viewed by all but the elite talent in a negative light, and that many will be pleased to see her go. And also, that her PR team had arranged to have all these more flattering pieces placed in the entertainment press. 

Here is the note:

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“The SNL ‘Gatekeeper’ Exits Studio 8H:

Saturday Night Live is a famously bloated production, especially compared to other late-night and sketch shows—which, given the high-wire act it pulls off 20 weeks a year, seems fine to me. But a restructuring is coming for Season 48, I’m told, and we saw the first shoe drop this week with the exit of Lindsay Shookus, a 20-year veteran and the show’s somewhat notorious head of talent.

Lots of cheers in the representation community about this dethroning. Shookus positioned herself as the show’s all-powerful “gatekeeper” (as if Lorne doesn’t select every host personally), and she could be pretty awful to talent she didn’t consider A-list, their reps, and the SNL staff over the years. Shookus was offered a new, less influential role at the show, I’m told, but she will instead leave. She engaged a publicist to manage the news and place flattering trade stories, and that rep declined to comment.”

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Sent from Gmail Mobile

[David Bruggeman]

The last time she made any news, AFAIR, was when she was dating the current Mr. J-Lo.  And that news was simply that she was dating him.

David

[Tom Wolper]

Putting 20 years in at SNL is an achievement no matter what the circumstances of her leaving. A front office restructuring doesn’t seem out of the ordinary considering the chaotic state of the TV industry.

As to the stories of Shookus being unpopular with talent: when Mark Malkoff started his Carson Podcast, a lot of his interview subjects were people who were guests on the show. Standup comics were scouted by Jim McCawley who went to all of the comedy clubs. They spoke of McCawley as an adversary and a hardass. After the podcast was out for a while the Carson people decided they could trust Malkoff and they put him in touch with former staff. The talent coordinators shared an office with McCawley and in their interviews they all loved him and talked about how great of a guy he was.

If Shookus had a bad reputation among talent reps, it could well be it was because it was her job to say “no” to them and tell them their client just isn’t good enough. It wouldn’t have anything to do with how she got along in the SNL front office.

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