Will Norm Macdonald ever be named Jian Ghomeshi's replacement on 'Q'?

The idea of Norm Macdonald making a triumphant return to Canadian airwaves as the next host of “Q” has received a groundswell of support in recent days, though the radio show at the centre of the Jian Ghomeshi scandal has yet to tip its hand and show the public its plans.

CBC’s premier arts and culture radio show is in the midst of a rebranding effort after host and co-creator Ghomeshi was shown the door two weeks ago.

And while their request for public consultation has tapped the former “Saturday Night Live” star as a potential staffing solution, there is also a growing sense that the campaign is destined for failure.

Users of the social media site Reddit have been debating potential hosts, with an entire conversation chain dedicated to claims that “Q” is ignoring Macdonald’s overwhelming support.

"If you look up this hashtag on twitter the vast majority are recommending Norm Macdonald to be the new host. But when Q read some of the tweets today not a single one mentioned Norm. Instead they read on air today tweets recommending more female hosts, more classical musicians, and one recommending Elvira Kurt. I fear the fix is in," wrote a user by the name of DineLointeHarpie.

A conspiracy that suggests CBC has pre-blacklisted Macdonald from the application process may be farfetched, but the fact that the allegation has taken a life of its own is an indication of the emotion that surrounds the decision.

Buried under the heap of more important issues raised by the Jian Ghomeshi scandal, and the long list of more pressing questions and more serious details is one that matters to those still committed to the radio show at the heart of the matter: Who will be the next host.

Producers at the arts and culture radio show “Q” continue to search for their replacement.

Ghomeshi was fired from CBC and removed from the program, which he co-created, after the network became aware of the serious nature of the allegations of sexual impropriety.

A court case is ongoing about the veracity of Ghomeshi’s termination, and an investigation is digging into the allegations that have been connected to the workplace.

But those topics delve back into those deeper issues and serious questions.

The program itself has continued with the help of guest hosts, and the show runners have continually urged listeners to help rebrand the show and recommend hosts.

On Tuesday, guest host Brent Bambury read some listener ideas on the air. Several recommended changes to the show format, while a few identified specific hosts they would like to see considered for the job.

It was perhaps notable that Macdonald was not listed among them. But his name has appeared frequently in what has become a rousing conversation online.

Under the hashtag #QtheFuture, Twitter users have been volleying names back and forth, pitching comedians, musicians and others as Ghomeshi’s replacement.

Some of the early favourites are songbirds Jann Arden and Kathleen Edwards, musician and radio host Wab Kinew, and Macdonald.

Macdonald may be best known as the host of “Saturday Night Live’s Weekend Update” during the 1990s, but he also started in movies and on television, briefly hosted a satirical sports news show on Comedy Central and currently has his own video podcast, which airs on YouTube.

He made overtures earlier this year to be named the host of “The Late Late Show” when Craig Ferguson retires. And he most recently made overtures for the “Q” job as well.

Macdonald wrote in a Twitter post on November 3 that he would “love to be” the next host of “Q.” That tweet and several others have since been deleted, but MacDonald continues to retweet messages of support.

It should be noted that among Macdonald’s deleted tweets was one voicing early support for Ghomeshi. Though the timing of that tweet would suggest it came before the full story had come to light, much like that of Green Party Leader Elizabeth May.

Whether Macdonald would make a good host is another question. He has the chops, and the experience. But he also has a history of X-rated humour and dirty jokes and a habit in reveling in uncomfortable moments. This works well online, or perhaps as a late-night host, but to a national broadcaster staggering from a sex scandal? Likely not an appealing option.

And as the Edmonton Journal's Stuart Thomson noted recently, working within the constraints of CBC radio is much different than hosting a YouTube talk show.

"At Q, he would be working with producers and writers who book guests, write monologues and do research for his interviews. It would all be tightly orchestrated, the way it was when Ghomeshi hosted, and that would probably be fine. But you can imagine what would happen when an interview goes off the rails, or when Macdonald makes it clear that he has no idea who his interviewee is," he wrote. "He doesn’t suffer fools and he’s never bothered to pander to anyone."

In CBC’s defence, it hasn’t written Macdonald out of the conversation entirely. His name may not have been mentioned on the air, but he has been listed on an unofficial shortlist online, and those backing his candidacy online are being featured on a collage of #QtheFuture tweets.

At this point, anything could happen. One thing is for sure, however: Germans love David Hasselhoff