‘Up All Night’: Maya Rudolph reportedly seeking variety show on major network

While Maya Rudolph is being offered a number of opportunities at the moment across a number of different scripted series, the actress is currently making one thing rather clear: her first love is still in performing a variety of characters in front of the audience. After all, how else can you explain the “Saturday Night Live” alum’s fervent desire at the moment to get a variety show off of the ground?

According to a new report from Deadline, both NBC, which houses “SNL” along with Rudolph’s current but likely canceled gig “Up All Night,” and ABC are  each interested in looking at some sort of variety show featuring her front and center, and this move comes after she has turned down a number of other network projects across the board. (Rudolph also has a pregnancy that she is currently dealing with.)

Ultimately, we don’t quite know if Rudolph’s mission here will be successful, but it is not a slight to her considerable talent at all. Rather, it is increasingly more difficult to get a variety show off of the ground in the modern TV landscape, as you have to consider the fact that there is so much more competition, and you have to consider that you have to do enough on a nightly basis to bring in more viewers than just about any other variety show currently on television. While “Watch What Happens Live!” and “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon” may deliver plenty of buzz, neither would draw the ratings necessary in primetime to actually sustain a series.

What do you think about the idea of Rudolph taking on a variety show? Be sure to share your thoughts, and you can head over here in order to read a little bit more about her latest pregnancy.

Photo: NBC