Tina Fey's 'SNL' Return as Palin Buzz Builds for New Season

NEW YORK - Tina Fey hasn't even appeared as Sarah Palin yet, but the clamor for it has already made the former "Saturday Night Live" head writer the most talked-about casting decision of the fall TV season.

Within hours of John McCain introducing the Alaska governor as his running mate Friday, the internet filled with side-by-side photos of Palin and Fey — the glasses, the hair, the jawline. By Saturday, "Tina Fey" was among the most-searched terms on Yahoo!.

Fey left "SNL" in 2006 and now runs NBC's "30 Rock," but has told interviewers she would love to play Palin. "I want to be done playing this woman by Nov. 5," she joked at an awards show this summer — before anyone knew the casting might actually happen.

"SNL" premieres Sept. 13 with Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps as host. Producer Lorne Michaels, asked about the Fey speculation, would only smile: "We're always listening to what the audience wants."

The show has a long history of defining candidates in caricature, from Chevy Chase's Gerald Ford to Will Ferrell's George W. Bush. With the campaign entering its final nine weeks, both campaigns are said to be watching.

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Associated Press writers contributed to this report.

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