TCA: Lorne Michaels Pro-Variety Shows; Oprah Is Pro-Maya Rudolph

Diane Haithman is contributing to Deadline's coverage of TCA. At this afternoons TCA panel on the new NBC comedy Up All Night -- a new-baby sitcom starring Will Arnett and Christina Applegate as exhausted parents, created by Emily Spivey (Parks and Recreation, Saturday Night Live) and Lorne Michaels (SNL, 30 Rock) -- Michaels addressed a comment made earlier in the day by entertainment chairman Robert Greenblatt that NBC was in talks with Michaels about doing a prime time variety show.While Michaels didnt confirm it, he said in response to being told by a journalist about Greenblatts remark: Im very, very happy to hear that. We are always trying to find ways -- when you work in New York, especially at Studio 8H, (it) is sort of the last remnant of that. Bob (Greenblatt)is a fan of it and I am too, so well see where it leads." Michaels observed that such sketch comedy players as SNL veteran Maya Rudolph (who stars as a talk-show host on Up All Night) and popular SNL guest Justin Timberlake would be huge variety stars if such shows still existed, but theyre just not doing it anymore. And speaking of Rudolph and talk show hosts, Rudolph addressed the issue of her classic parody of Oprah Winfrey on SNL: No hard feelings, apparently. She was great, she actually had me come to the show you certainly dont want the person who you are playing to hate you, Rudolph said. She said I was the only woman to actually play her. Added Spivey: She thanked us for not putting [Rudolph] in a fat suit."