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Lorne Michaels is going to do something he hasn't done since 1976. No, not snort coke off of Chevy Chase's shiner. Starting with SNL's triumphant post-strike return to the air this Saturday, he's going to put on four new episodes back-to-back. But if everyone is "so happy to be back at work" according to the NY Times, why is Lorne so blue about the prospect? Being the perfectionist producer that he is, he's rife with regret about the pop culture events they didn't get a chance to cover. "We missed Mike Huckabee. We never got to do our Mitt Romney." As if that weren't bad enough, the show "still needs to find it's Obama." So what can devotees expect when the season returns? Well, after Tina Fey slam dunks her performance this week, Ellen Page will be hosting the next week. After that, the picture is a bit murkier.

While Shia LaBeouf and Steve Carell are committed for May (to plug Indiana Jones and Get Smart, respectively), all the formerly committed winter guests are no longer available. The biggest loss of all was Amy Winehouse, who was set to appear on the episode right before the strike. However, chances aren't good that she will be rebooked; as Michaels ominously put it, "I don't think anyone can put that back together." As for the writers and how they're handling the pressure, Seth Meyers and his self-professed "wisecrack circle," are apparently in the best shape they've ever been in thanks to the writers strike and all that muscle-building picketing. Oh and "not having money for food."

'SNL' IS READY TO MAKE UP FOR LOST TIME [NY Times]