'SNL' Bloodbath? Hardly. Cast Changes Occur Often at Lorne's Big Show

At “ Saturday Night Live ,” there’s drama before you get to the comedy.

Every year at about this time, credulous observers of the venerable late-night NBC showcase get flustered by a series of cast changes that roll out about four to six weeks ahead of the next season premiere of the program. Sometimes, “ SNL ” just adds a few featured players. In other years, a good chunk of cast veterans opt to depart. At some points in time, cost constraints or network edicts have forced executive producer Lorne Michaels to make personnel moves he might not otherwise wish to put into practice.

The increase in hand-wringing around the process, which has become an ingrained element of the “SNL” calendar, is more humorous than some of “SNL’s” skits.

In recent days, three young members of the “SN