And as “Saturday Night Live” has its 50th birthday on the horizon — the show premieres Season 48 on October 1 — some are wondering if the years have taken a toll.

Eight of the main cast members have left: Pete Davidson, Chris Redd, Kate McKinnon, Kyle Mooney, Aidy Bryant, Melissa Villasenor, Beck Bennett and Alex Moffat. Featured player Aristotle Athari is also gone, while Cecily Strong, who seemed to suggest on last season’s finale that she was out, will be returning, according to a source.

As of press time, only four replacements have been announced.

Meanwhile, several large questions loom over the show: Where does it go from here? What happens when creator Lorne Michaels, now 77, finally retires — and when will that be? And has the show lost all its youthful buzz with tabloid favorite Davidson — famous for his romantic life (Kim Kardashian, Ariana Grande, Margaret Qualley, Kate Beckinsale), feuds (Kanye West) and honesty about his mental-health struggles — dropping out?