Has SNL's Maya Rudolph Already Had Her Last Laugh?

• Sep 4, 2007 02:19 PM ET
• by Michael Ausiello

The season premiere of Saturday Night Live is less than a month away, and it's looking like the show may have to go on without Donatella Versace, Whitney Houston and Oprah Winfrey. That's right - Maya Rudolph has yet to re-sign.

At the TCA press tour in July, executive producer Lorne Michaels confirmed that the funny lady's contract was up and that she was undecided about whether she would strike out on her own in hopes of becoming the next Molly Shannon or... um, Nora Dunn. But, he hinted, he was hoping to convince the MVP to stick with SNL.

Now, with Sept. 29 just around the corner, it's looking more and more likely that Rudolph will walk. If you ask me, that's a crying shame - and not in a laugh-until-you-cry kinda way, either. Her "Wake Up, Wakefield" shtick with Rachel Dratch, paired with a caffeinated Snapple too close to bedtime, are about the only things that can keep me up that late.

But all kidding aside, what do you think? Could she - should she - try to become the next Julia Louis-Dreyfus, or is she better off being our steady date for Saturday night? - Additional reporting by Ben Katner