The TV Zone

Here's some mini-big news followed by biggish-mini news: "SNL's" new-comer, Casey Wilson, may play Sarah Palin on this weekend's premiere... And: Maya Rudolph may come back to the show to play Michelle Obama.

That's right: Maya.

Both possibilities were floated in the conference call that Lorne Michaels just concluded, with 2008 season opening guest star, Michael Phelps. Said Lorne, "I think Casey read the part of Sarah Palin [in this week's read-throughs] and I do have someone in mind to play Michelle Obama. [The reporter pressed, who might that be?] Who? My hope was that I'd get Maya Rudolph to do that..."

That's right: Maya. OK, that's actually biggish-big news.

What else did Lorne have to say about this Saturday? Well...he did confirm that discussions are "on-going" with Tina Fey to come back and do Palin, as has been widely - WIDELY - surmised. Now, no one needs to be told that Fey/Palin would be a huge huge coup for the show and for Lorne, and because Lorne almost always gets what he wants, I'd be shocked if we didn't see Fey on stage this weekend (instead of Casey, who is very good, but still, very unknown.)

Of Tina, Lorne said: "We're sort of moving around that. We had something on Sarah Palin yesterday at the read-through, and realized that with the Charlie Gibson interview tonight that things will change again. That's the way of the world for us. If you're going to do exactly what's happened and what everyone is thinking about and talking about [right now] then it's not going to work, so it's a shifting target..."

He then said discussions with Tina were "on-going."

Lorne also sounded sort of wistful about the impending departure of Amy Poehler, while noting that a new female cast member will join the show later in the fall "probably."

"For me [the departure] is a devastation. She is just brilliant and you know I've grown to count on her a great deal in the last few years. But I'm really happy what's happening to her. We've made these transitions before, but of the people who've done the show, she's one of the great ones."

Oh sorry, almost forgot Phelps. He sounds like he's having a grand time so far, and Lorne confirmed that the world's greatest swimmer "will do just fine."

Adding: "No matter what happens [Saturday], they can't take those medals away."

(Above: Casey for Palin or Tina? Decisions, decisions...)