The loss of Andy Samberg is one thing. But the loss of The Lonely Island (consisting of Samberg, Akiva Schaffer, and Jorma Taccone) is quite another. Their Digital Shorts framed a particular epoch of "SNL". And while the show has always featured pre-produced material as part of its arsenal, the "Digital Shorts" infused that static format with its own comic language, logic, and perspective. "SNL" fans are smart, and will instantly detect derivative attempts. All work done to create a new identity for the show should apply equally to sketches as well as shorts, allowing both the writers and performers to find what works for them in both forms.