SNL comedienne and Up All Night actress Maya Rudolph is the latest entertainer to attempt a resuscitation of the primetime variety show. She and SNL producer Lorne Michaels have sold a vehicle for Rudolph’s multi-hyphenated talents to return to NBC, with the pilot to air after the Winter Olympics.
Deadline reports that when Up All Night was to be radically revamped after its 11-episode second season, “Rudolph didn’t entertain [new pilot offers, instead] indicating to studios and networks that she was interested in doing a variety show instead. NBC was among several suitors who began pursuing the project.”