Bobby Moynihan says last year on SNL felt like 'another show'

After nine seasons, Bobby Moynihan left Saturday Night Live this past May at the conclusion of the NBC show’s 42nd season — and he’s glad he didn’t leave any sooner.

“I felt like I was on one show for eight years and another show for one year,” he told reporters at the Television Critics Association’s press tour Tuesday. “It was a completely different machine last year. … There were times where they were rewriting cold opens or brand new cold opens on Saturday morning. We’d come in, and [Donald Trump] had done something the night before or that, you know, it was a whole new ballgame. But I’m so thankful that I was there for that year.”

The 2016 presidential election — what led to it, what came after it — contributed to why the sketch series felt like “another show.” The season’s highlights included Alec Baldwin taking on Trump, Kate McKinnon playing Hillary Clinton, and Melissa McCarthy impersonating Sean Spicer, all factors that contributed to a noteworthy ratings bump.

Along with Moynihan, cast members Sasheer Zamata and Vanessa Bayer also left the show in May. “The day you get SNL, you start worrying about your exit from SNL,” he said Tuesday. “You’re auditioning for the show every week for nine years. You think, ‘Oh no, I have to keep going. This is my life’s dream. What do I do after this?'”

The answer? His own show: Moynihan is gearing up to launch Me, Myself & I on CBS. See a trailer for the series below, and check out Moynihan’s best SNL sketches here.

Me, Myself & I premieres this fall.

Reporting by Natalie Abrams