Lorne Michaels, in the wake of Amy Poehler's departure, has acted quickly.  Late last night, it was reported by a variety of sources that Saturday Night Live has hired two new female cast members, Abby Elliott and Michaela Watkins.  An official announcement from NBC and Saturday Night Live is expected later today.  Elliott is a notable hire, in that she is the daughter of comedian and actor Chris Elliott, who himself was a cast member on SNL for one year in the mid-nineties, making Abby the first ever second-generation cast member on the series.  Saturday Night Live returns with its first post-election episode this Saturday, with host Paul Rudd and musical guest Beyonce.  There's no official word on whether Watkins and Elliott will make an appearance this weekend. 

Abby Elliott is an interesting hire.  She's not a veteran of the comedy game, but that's to be expected.  Her wikipedia page has her at age 25 or 26, but at least one story I read has her at 21, which seems more likely.  Throw her name into YouTube and you'll find a few videos of Elliott doing characters.  She's a little rough around the edges, but has some undeniable talent for impersonations.  Also, she's pretty attractive.  That never hurts.

Michaela Watkins is a more typical Saturday Night Live hire.  She has worked in the famed Groundlings comedy troupe (famous alumnus: Will Ferrell) and The Upright Citizens Brigade (famous alumnus: Amy Poehler) and was recently seen in a three-episode arc on The New Adventures of Old Christine. 

The Abby Elliott hire is a risky one.  She's an unproven talent, but I'm pretty excited about it, if only because of her pedigree.  Chris Elliott was an unsung comic genius during his heyday, first working as a writer and occasional performer on The Late Show with David Letterman and then moving to Saturday Night Live and films.  It will be difficult for anyone to replace Amy Poehler, but at least the female contingent on SNL has been beefed up considerably.


-Oscar Dahl, BuddyTV Senior Writer
Source: The Hollywood Reporter
(Image Courtesy of IMDB)