Will Seth Meyers Succeed Lorne Michaels!?

This week NBC announced that Seth Meyers contract to host Late Night has been extended five years till 2021. The 12:35am shows are often thought of as a trial for the much coveted 11:35pm slot, but given Jimmy Fallon’s youth and enormous popularity, its unlikely that Meyers would ever be in contention to take over The Tonight Show.

So why would he stay on at the Late Night spot instead of seeking prime time action elsewhere or a deal with Netflix or Amazon? Today on SiriusXM’s Bennington Show Ron Bennington said that Seth Meyers is staying put because he has been told he will succeed Lorne Michaels. Bennington clarified that nothing has been announced and he has no inside information, but he said it’s already happening.

Over the years the media has often speculated about who could succeed Lorne Michaels and run his vast empire that includes Saturday Night Live, the Tonight Show, Late Night, and the vast resources of Broadway Video once the mighty comedy giant decides to retire. Tina Fey was a popular pick suggested by those speculating for many years, but Seth Meyers actually makes more sense. He’s often referred to as Saturday Night Live’s strongest head writer, and he’s starting to wade into the producer pool. He’s just about universally respected by those who have written for him, and in his post on Late Night, he’s acted as a point person bringing in frequent guests from the Lorne-verse, generating outstanding loyalty points from all the performers and writers he’s put over on his show. He’s also experienced enough to run things but still young enough to have a long reign.

Write it down, put it in a mayonnaise jar, lock it up.

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