Kenan Thompson Makes It To Primetime With New NBC Comedy 'The Kenan Show'

The veteran improv actor is reportedly expected to return to "Saturday Night Live" next season, making way for a jam-packed year.
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After being a mainstay on NBC’s “SNL” for nearly 16 years, Kenan Thompson is finally stepping into the network’s primetime spotlight.

NBC announced Friday that it was picking up a single-camera family comedy titled “The Kenan Show,” written by Jackie Clarke and due out next season. Thompson stars as a newly widowed father who is now tasked with raising his kids alongside his father-in-law.

According to the network, Thompson’s character “strives to be a super dad to his two adorable girls while simultaneously balancing his job and a father-in-law who ‘helps’ in the most inappropriate ways.”

Lorne Michaels, famed creator and executive producer of “SNL,” is slated to be the show’s executive producer.

Kenan Thompson is expected to return to "SNL" for a 16th season, according to reports.
Kenan Thompson is expected to return to "SNL" for a 16th season, according to reports.
NBC via Getty Images

Thompson’s new show apparently won’t affect his gig with “SNL,” where he remains the show’s longest-tenured cast member.

The comedy actor is expected to return to the late-night sketch show next year, The Hollywood Reporter and USA Today reported.

During an appearance on “The Ellen Show” last week, Thompson called being an “SNL” cast member “the best job in the world.”

“I can’t see myself just walking away from it like that, even with how busy I’ve been lately,” Thompson told host Ellen DeGeneres.

Thompson is indeed a busy man in the industry. On top of his new primetime show, he is lined up to be a judge on a new comedy competition series for NBC, “Bring The Funny,” along with comedian Jeff Foxworthy and model-turned-entrepreneur Chrissy Teigen.

Staying true to his sketch-comedy roots, Thompson is also reportedly serving as the executive producer for a revival of the ’90s Nickelodeon comedy series “All That” ― in which he was an original cast member.

Thompson saw his first and only solo Emmy nomination in 2018 for outstanding supporting actor in a comedy series.

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