Leslie Jones to host Supermarket Sweep reboot for first post-Saturday Night Live TV gig
Well, that was fast!
Just a few hours after Leslie Jones’ exit from Saturday Night Live was revealed, she has already set her first post-SNL television gig, trading sketch comedy for grocery stores.
After five seasons on the NBC late-night series, the comedian and actor is set to host and executive-produce a Supermarket Sweep reboot, according to Deadline. (Representatives for Jones did not immediately respond to EW’s request for comment.)
As first reported back in 2017, Fremantle is bringing the classic TV game show back, and there’s said to be a lot of interest from both broadcast networks and streaming services. So far the reboot doesn’t have a home, but seeing as how Jones is a favorite at NBC from her time on SNL and covering the Olympics and currently has a comedy special with Netflix, those could be the top contenders in a bidding war.
Supermarket Sweep originally aired on ABC from 1965 to 1967, before returning on Lifetime from 1990 to 1995 and then on PAX from 1999 to 2003. The game is pretty straightforward: Contestants race around a grocery store filling their carts with items that have the highest monetary value. At the end of the time limit, whoever has the most valuable cart wins. But expect Jones to inject her signature brand of wacky commentary into the new reboot for some added flavor that is sure to make episodes of this new iteration go viral.
Earlier Tuesday, EW confirmed that Jones has exited SNL less than a month before season 45 begins. She opted to depart the sketch series to focus on her burgeoning film career. She will star with Chris Rock in the upcoming indie boxing drama I Am Maurice, and with Kristen Bell in the indie film Queenpins. She’s currently filming the Coming to America sequel Coming 2 America. Earlier this month, Jones also announced that she will headline a comedy special for Netflix that will premiere in 2020.
Since her decision to leave SNL happened during a hiatus, she didn’t get the usual fanfare that comes with a beloved cast member exiting the series. At least we’ll always have the memories (and videos) of her best sketches.
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